NESCO Food Dehydrator, 4 Trays, Speckled White

Have always had these dehydrator. Easy to use and last forever!

Arrived in good condition sealed in manufacturer’s original packaging. First test run went well and within parameters of provided recipe. Great banana chips oranges and dried tomatoes. Im new to dehydrating and this is all i needed to get started. Just keep in mind this base model has no timer, temp control, and is best washed by hand. All perfectly fine by me.

Overall, I’m impressed with the value for the price! It’s simple to use with its fixed temperature control at 160°F, which is perfect for dehydrating fruits like bananas and strawberries. The 400-watt power ensures even heat distribution, and I’ve had no issues with uneven drying. The clear top is a nice touch, making it easy to monitor the process without having to open the trays.The unit is expandable up to 7 trays, which is great for larger batches, though I only use the 4 included trays for now.One thing to note—this dehydrator is fairly loud, so I tend to use it in the garage or somewhere it won’t be disruptive.For anyone looking for an affordable, no-frills dehydrator for fruits, jerky, and snacks, this is a solid choice. Just keep in mind it’s basic and doesn’t offer variable temperature control. Overall, great value!

I've wanted to dehydrate food for years but never tried it, but now that I'm gardening seemed the right time. Also, I live in SoCal where everything grows. I wanted to keep produce from going to waste as well as make healthy snacks. I couldn't be happier with this dehydrater. Well, OK, in a perfect world we wouldn't use plastic, but I have to balance price point and weight limit when we move. I couldn't justify the price or weight of stainless. Plus, Nesco is made in the US, and I buy US made when that's an option.Nesco includes a detailed booklet with charts of prep and processing time for fruits, veggies, and meat, which is part of customer service, so remember that before buying a brand from overseas. There's no guess work here. You're given the optimal prep specs for this machine. The operation is obvious: plug in and turn on or off.My first attempt was organic bananas from Costco. They cost very little more than regular bananas but have SO much more flavor! Better quality to begin with means better flavor dehydrated. My first batch deserved a little celebration in the way of presentation for my blog, but that got unwrapped and eaten quickly! The bananas and strawberries were round 2. Dehydrated strawberries are so good in cereal! I had a couple of fails: blackberries and raspberries. Those turned out like purple Styrofoam. I didn't refer to the Nesco provided booklet. My fault.Nuts and Bolts: There's no temp control, but that means it's uncomplicated. Instead of temp, you adjust time. A 14 hour cycle might not be convenient for everyone, but it's fine for me. It's as loud as having a box fan running but military housing dishwasher. (slightly quieter than a drive through car wash) Layers stack easily, so it's easy to expand. I bought the expansion, and I haven't come close to needing it yet. That would require a whole lot more prep than I want to do. That expansion pack was over zealous. I suggest newbies save their money..Clean Up: Remove the food immediately or it will get stuck making cleaning harder. The racks don't fit in my sinks, so I can't soak them in there. I recommend soaking in a plastic storage tub and scrubbing with a brush if you, too, have Barbie sized sinks.

While it is true this machine doesn't come with all the bells and whistles of the expensive machines, It does great. I ordered two extra trays for it which means 6 fairly large trays to work with. That is a lot of food. It does have some noise with it about maybe like a hairdryer on low. It is set to 160 to work so it gets pretty warm in the room it is in. I use mine in the laundry room and shut the door. I could also use the porch. The fan works great and it has dehydrated my items evenly and very quickly, all six trays without having to move trays around. The beef jerky flavoring that comes with it taste great! We used hamburger for a softer jerky since neither of us have teeth anymore. We thought our beef jerky eating days were long over and we both have loved it during our 42 year marriage. A good time table is to check on the progress every 2 hours for doneness, you can go 4 hours for the first check. If this is were a more expensive model with a timer that would be convenient. But for the price and performance, it is no trouble at all to give it a peek from time to time. It was amazingly easier to clean than I thought it would be. That was no problem at all and only took a couple of swipes with a wet rag and it was done! Beside the jerky I dehydrate oranges and tried blueberries also. The orange slices didn't survive my checking on them and so I didn't have any left by the time the beef jerky was ready. They were to understate it delicious and well dehydrated. The blueberries were in too long and came out everlasting gobstoppers. They were well dehydrated and had a lot of taste, but too hard for us toothless people. This is a great inexpensive machine for dehydrating anything you may care to. It is pretty quick about it also. Just try not to taste oranges too much before the rest of the items are ready!