Presto06300 Dehydro Electric Food Dehydrator, Standard

I used the first one some much I burned out the thermostat, had to buy a second one.

Having this unit for over 4 years and having used it many, many times I can attest to it's hardiness. My model did not come with an on/off switch or a timer - I didn't care, you might. I do like that this system is almost infinitely expandable, has options for better, tighter-grid mats and cleans up easily. It is a bit on the loud side but that's just how it is. It doesn't bother me, you might hate it. I thought initial capacity was decent but this system is expandable which was important to me. It's still going strong.

I purchased this primarily to make jerky treats for my dog. There have been so many recalls on chicken jerky treats, including from premium American brands, that I no longer trust any of them. In addition, the jerky treats are very expensive.What made me choose this unit was:(1) It is cheap, paid < $40(2) While watts aren't everything in terms of performance, this has the highest watts for the dollar compared to competing brand bargain models(3) It collapses to save space. I had a dehydrator a long time ago and remembered one thing I did not like about it was it's large size and difficulty storing if you have a smaller kitchen.(4) I have a minor preference for heating from the bottom. Since heat rises, this works with nature vs pumping in the heat from the top and so I assumed it might dry more evenly.How does it perform?Operation:With partially frozen chicken, it takes me a very convenient 20 minutes or less to slice and load up the unit with your typical 1 lb+ pack of chicken breast. It will take up no more than 3 out of the 4 racks. Sliced about 1/8-1/4" thick, it will be dry in 4-6 hours. With very thinly sliced meat, it only takes a couple hours. I find I only need to rotate the racks one time a few hours in as the top racks seem to dry a little faster.I've also made sweet potato chew treats. Unless those are cut thin they can take very long. I tried approx 1/2 inch cuts, like you might buy in the pet store, which took 12-16 hrs. The thicker end cuts, with skin on were still springy (not hard like the store, perhaps they bake them).As others mention, it does not have a power switch, it just goes on when you plug it in which is not a problem for me.Noise:I noticed a lot of comments about the "noise". It would be hard to describe this as "loud". My house always some kind of white noise so I don't notice this at all. It produces the same noise level as a small fan. I suppose if you have a very quiet house, the kind where you can hear the grandfather clock ticking away downstairs at night, then perhaps this might be distracting. It still seems a stretch to call this loud.Storage:Even though it collapses vertically, this is still a big appliance in terms of diameter and not easy to store in a small kitchen. Make sure you have room for the approx. 15" diameter. Height-wise, the collapse saves you almost half the height than when it is setup to run.Cleaning:The racks are too big for my dishwasher to load vertically. I think they would be too big in most dishwashers. However, since they are just a plastic grate I find they get very clean just loosely stacking them horizontally. I accidentally left the dishwasher heated dry on once and they did not melt.The bottom is the only cleaning issue. It houses the electronics so there is no putting this in the dishwasher or sink. I just turn it upside down over the sink, wipe crumbs out and then clean it with Windex. it stays spotless but I am just dehydrating plain chicken breast strips and some veggies, so all I have are crumbs. If you are making jerky for humans, which might require a sauce, you would have to be careful with that in this unit. In the middle of the base is a hole where the heat comes out of. It has a screen over it, but I can see liquid drippings being a minor caution. If I was planning to make saucy things like that regularly, I might consider a top heated model instead.In conclusion it is a convenient and useful appliance for the price. For me, it has already paid for itself in dog treat savings.

I wasn't sure there would be enough things to do with this dehydrator even though I planned to dehydrate the over abundance of apples and tomatoes from our yard. well, a quick google, and I have a list of more things than I ever expected I could do with this! There are also a ton of good books out there for unique ideas. (salt clay ornaments for the x-mas tree). I found a recipe for corn chips (grind/process frozen corn, add cheese, chili powder, onion, whatever you want and spread on the "fruit leather" tray. No preservatives!) There are also tons of dehydrator granola recipes too. My freezer is going to be full! Instead of an expensive vacuum system, I opted for the $4.00 Ziplock pump system and it's terrific.Ziploc Vacuum Starter Kit, 3-Quart Bags, 1-PumpThis dehydrator couldn't be easier to use. The included booklet is surprisingly detailed. From jerky to fruit leathers and fruits and vegetables, every aspect of how to properly dry everything is covered. Pretreatments with lemon juice or fruit fresh are recommended for some fruits to prevent browning, and blanching or steaming for a couple minutes is recommended for most vegetables. The drying times are extremely variable, as expected, depending on how thin or thick you have cut the fruit or vegetable. A food processor, salad shooter, or some other of this type of cutting devise would ensure standardized, uniform pieces. My wish-for Christmas gift is a Saladmaster!From dehydrating books I have learned that the temperatures are not that critical either. I was concerned about getting this dehydrator as there is no temperature adjustment possible, but frankly for the price and all the good reviews I figured I couldn't go wrong. When you consider that food has been dehydrated for thousands of years without the benefit of electric temperature controlled dehydrators, using the best dehydrator of all, the sun, you know that more expensive fancier machines are not necessary. Low tech is good for me!The best features for me are:Pros: Not tying up my oven all day or night drying things in the oven.I can leave it on all night without worry.It's very easy to wash after using.It's very quiet. Sounds like my forced air heater or air conditioner. Totally un-noticeable after a few minutes.It's very light weight. Easily moved.I can set it anywhere in the house to use, (I have mine on top of the dryer), and it takes up very little room. ( approx. 14.5" diameter x 10" tall)There are other things I can use the dehydrator for like clay crafts, dried flowers, drying pinecones from my yard.All my food is free of preservatives/chemicals.This dehydrator is a money saver. Purchase bulk produce in season and have fresh all year.Best feature for me, it is a time saver. I will store vegetables for soup and fruit for granolas.I will be able to prepare these favorite dishes on a moments notice!The included booklet has very complete instructions.This is a super dehydrator, at a super price!Cons? Absolutely none.