Great for Biltong & Jerky! But they do so much more; if you do get in the outdoors often, you can save weight and space making some really amazing recipes.
I had a round dehydrator first but moved to more square/rectangular; you just end up having more space to dry things.
Some 250W are working much harder, so all the suggestions below are 600 Watt.
Adjustable trays are really awesome, and if you want the convenience of even airflow, the second two recommendations are the way to go.
(Dehydrated banana peanut butter smoothies are an amazing thing!)
So many awesome uses for dehydrators, for meat, vegetables, fruit and if you have the right tray setup – your own dried herb powders. Garlic or Onion powder too!
Budget – Snack Master Pro (600W)
13.5 x 13.5 x 13.5 inches
- Cost-Effective and super simple operation
- 5 Trays – Expandable to 12 trays (very cool design)
- Set and Forget – (Auto Shut Off is a nice feature for this budget model)
- If you are new to drying or just want something for occasional use – a great tool
- May need to rotate trays to get even drying
- Being budget, this doesn’t have auto shut off or timer. If you decide to get one of these, I would suggest getting a countdown timer plug to auto turn off. Here is a link to buy one, pretty cheap also.
- Made in US (Check out the 4,000+ reviews on Amazon)
Mid Range – Gourmia Premium (600W)
17.75 x 13.5 x 16 inches
- Presets for ease of use – Digital Thermostat
- Countdown LCD display – up to 19.5 hours
- Heaps of trays (9x) – which are also adjustable for thicker things (like biltong)
- even heat airflow – no need to rotate
- Able to go nice and low @ 95°F/35°C for long slow biltong drying which is 0.5 to 1 inch thick
- Check out the review on Amazon too. If your having a hard time deciding – go with this one
Top End – Magic Mill Commerical Dehydrator (600W)
17 x 14 x 12 inches
- Sleek Looking Commercial grade, which can handle heavy use over extended periods
- 6 Trays – Adjustable (6x stainless drying, 2x plastic mesh, 2x non-stick trays)
- Dishwasher-safe trays (handy)
- even heat airflow – no need to rotate
- 30 mins to 24-hour timer
- Comes with Silicon oven mitts
- Heavy & Solid design
- Drip Tray included
This is the one I want! The Magic Mill really does cover all the bases, buy it and enjoy!
So that’s my breakdown, hope it helps find what you looking for!