[abovetheclouds]

Does anyone here have a Excalibur Dehydrator and know of a local place that sells them? Also, would you recommend 5 or 9 tray? Thanks so much!

[Allison]

I've used my friend Andy's 5 tray a bunch and it is THE BEST. Never seem them at retail. When I finally buy mine it will probably be a cosmetic second directly from them.

[sarbar]

A couple years back I saw one at Cabela's right after they opened but last check they didn't have it in person anymore (although they do sell them online). Excal is a good brand and US made...but can be very pricey to justify buying. IMO do make sure you will really get into drying before buying one. A cheapie Nesco (you can get those locally in person at Fred Meyers) is around $60 and does the job well - and $60 can be easier to spend than $150-300

[LandRover]

keep an eye on craigslist

[abovetheclouds]

Thanks! Cabela's has them - funny I overlooked that place. They have 4 tray ones too - seems a bit small for my needs - Amazon has the 9 tray ones available for under $200 with free shipping - looking forward to its arrival!

[Navy salad]

I've got the Nesco, although a quick review of ratings suggests the Excalibur is more highly rated. My question is -- why? It seems that the round design of the Nesco would provide better air flow. Is it just due to product reliability (ie low failure rate) or does it actually perform better?

[sarbar]

IMO it is like buying a Honda vs. a Mercedes. Both do what you need, one is just fancier Probably the biggest selling point of the Ex is that it is US made. Personally? I prefer the Lequip brand! It has a nice look and a great little motor.

[abovetheclouds]

I almost went with the L'Equip but didn't like some of the reviews. Glad you like it - certainly looks durable. Here are some links I found useful in helping me determine which one to go with: http://www.cheftools.com/LEquip-Filter-Pro-Food-Dehydrator/productinfo/01%2D0169/ http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/762420 http://www.gardenhelp.org/food/dehydrators-a-must-have-for-gardeners-of-edibles/ http://www.hiking-gear-and-equipment-used-for-camping.com/food-dehydrator.html http://forums.sustainablecountry.com/forums/showthread.php?5700-Got-my-new-Excalibur-dehydrator-today.

[sarbar]

With any dehydrator it really comes down to what the user needs of it - I'd hedge that most who buy one never use it to its full use (which is why so many can be found cheap at garage sales!). That is why I recommend a cheap Nesco to most people who email me about it - they work fine for 99% of the users - people who want to dry veggies, fruit, pasta, leftovers, etc. An Excal. is for the small % who run a dehydrator a lot and who want US made, etc. But the thing is - will a person use the dehydrator enough to make the cost difference worth it. A $50 one is easier to make your money back than say $200 for a top of the line. Then again....I also advise that if one isn't really sure that they will use it a lot that maybe buying already done for you food is the better option - since there are so many good sources these days - such as www.harmonyhousefoods.com To be blunt I only use my dehydrator to dry the few things I cannot buy commercially - such as pasta, jasmine rice and that kind of thing. And all of those things if I wanted I could dry in my oven, not a fancy dehydrator.

[Trailhead]

We needed a big one for drying our chanterelles, morels, and porchini which we take to market. So we made one. Its basically a plywood box with fridge racks/trays, a fan for circulating the air, and a couple light bulbs for heat. Simple. Effective. But its not UL approved!!

[CrazyYank]

I finally bought the Excalibur 9 tray with the timer. I went directly to their web site and bought it on sale from them. I checked Amazon, but they didn't offer the timer model. I had previously used a friend's 5 tray and it ran quite a bit over without the timer, so a little extra was worth it. Sarbar is right about most people's needs using one, borrow a friend's first to see how you like it. I use mine a lot to include making my own yogurt. This year so far I have dried apricots, cherries, herbs and need to get my butt in gear and get my meals ready for the WT next month!

[Navy salad]

I forgot to mention one thing I like about the newer Nesco's is that they put the heat and fan on the top of the dryer, rather than the bottom where they used to put it. This way you don't have to worry about stuff dropping down and clogging the fan or getting goo on the heating element.

[sarbar]

Yeah, I killed my first dehydrator back in college due to so much powder going into the motor...sheesh.