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Dehydrator Recommendations?

Looking at getting a nice one; willing to put down some jingle but don't want to break the bank.

Trying to eat healthier making my own venison jerky, dried pineapple, bananas,  and sweet potato chips

Comments

  • lkapigian
    lkapigian Posts: 10,708
    I have this cabelas 80 liter , about 300, the one below that I bought each of my boys for Xmas ...79.00 small but perfect for 1 person


    Visalia, Ca @lkapigian
  • I have the Excalibur . Go to Excaliburdehydrator.com for more info and many recipes.
  • I have had an Excalibur 5 tray for years . There is also a 7 and 9 tray that I know of. Maybe even bigger . No issues at all. 
    Upstate SC
    Large BGE,  Blackstone, Weber genesis , Weber charcoal classic
  • shtgunal3
    shtgunal3 Posts: 5,629
    I really like dehydrated banana chips and dehydrated pineapple chunks. Don’t know why I’ve never thought of making my own. I bet the pineapple would be great with a little Dizzy Pig Pineapple Head sprinkled on beforehand.

    ___________________________________

     

     LBGE,SBGE, and a Mini makes three......Sweet home Alabama........ Stay thirsty my friends .

  • WeberWho
    WeberWho Posts: 11,008
    Not to sound like a broken record but check Craigslist and Marketplace. Especially for a dehydrator. People get sick and tired of storing something like this when they don't use it very often. I was looking at them a few days back on Marketplace. A lady had a brand new commercial quality dehydrator that list for around $300 for $75. 

    You'll find a bunch of them second hand as people use them once or twice and then the niche is gone. 
    "The pig is an amazing animal. You feed a pig an apple and it makes bacon. Let's see Michael Phelps do that" - Jim Gaffigan

    Minnesota
  • paqman
    paqman Posts: 4,660
    edited February 2021
    WeberWho said:
    People get sick and tired of storing something like this when they don't use it very often.
    https://brodandtaylor.com/pages/sahara-folding-dehydrator

    I decided to get the Sahara because it is foldable.  Love it!   And I use it more than I ever thought I would

    ____________________
    Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage. •Niccolo Machiavelli
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    That's cool AF
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • pab
    pab Posts: 273
    I have the Brod and Taylor collapsible bread proofer that I use at least weekly. It works great, holds it’s temps well and stores easily. I imagine the food dehydrator would work as well as the proofer since they operate on the same general principle.
    Nerk Ahia LBGE
  • Excalibur 9-tray model, bought about ten years ago. I use it a lot because I'm kind of a jerky addict. Always great results. Just a simple principle, blowing hot air over the food, but it works perfectly and it's easy to clean the trays.
    Cincinnati, Ohio. Large BGE since 2011. Still learning.
  • Canugghead
    Canugghead Posts: 11,457
    edited February 2021
    My experience was not as great. Had a 9 tray Excalibur used mainly for jerky. Not completely happy due to uneven heat... top and bottom trays cooler than middle ones; rear of trays hotter than front.  Tried jerky on my Traeger Pro 34 once and Excalibur is history, sold it on CL for more than what I paid  :) 
    canuckland
  • lkapigian
    lkapigian Posts: 10,708
    edited February 2021
    Todays dehydrator project ...chipotle bacon and roasted garlic snack sticks ( natural casings )

    You'll love your dehydrator no matter what you get, and you can use your oven on the lowest setting to give things a try



    Visalia, Ca @lkapigian
  • paqman
    paqman Posts: 4,660
    lkapigian said:
    Todays dehydrator project ...chipotle bacon and roasted garlic snack sticks ( natural casings )

    You'll love your dehydrator no matter what you get, and you can use your oven on the lowest setting to give things a try



    Now that is something I’d like to make!

    ____________________
    Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage. •Niccolo Machiavelli
  • Moleman
    Moleman Posts: 372
    @lkapigian, care to share the recipe for the roasted garlic snack sticks? I'm still messing with this stuff, thanks. 
  • lkapigian
    lkapigian Posts: 10,708
    Moleman said:
    @lkapigian, care to share the recipe for the roasted garlic snack sticks? I'm still messing with this stuff, thanks. 
    @Moleman

    Some pork butt..1.75% salt .25% cure 1 cubed and cured for 24 hours do this first, everything else is seasoning to taste 

    For the Bacon, I used about 25% to the weight of the pork, you can omit this but it gives it a nice smokey flavor 

     For the Adobo Sauce...home smoked Chipotle , a few chile de arbol  and guajillo ....roast peppers for a few minutes , soak in a hot stock for 30....add chili's to blender, couple tbs cumin 3 heads roasted garlic and 2 TBS  Mexican oregano , 1/4 cup vinegar and add stock to blender, about 50% up the level of chili, blend to a paste, separate the seeds and skins with strainer ( no salt, already in the pork)....grind mix and Let ferment for a couple Days in the fridge, add .7% ECA and 1% NFDPM to the total weight . , stuff into 22mm sheep casings , dehydrate 160 for 10 hour ish 

    ECA =Encapsulated Citric Acid
    NFDPM-NonFat Dried Powdered Milk 
    Visalia, Ca @lkapigian
  • Moleman
    Moleman Posts: 372
    Laughing, you make it sound so simple. I appreciate the information. 
  • lkapigian
    lkapigian Posts: 10,708
    Moleman said:
    Laughing, you make it sound so simple. I appreciate the information. 
    LoL ....it is...just get your 2% salt by weight, decide what you want for your flavor profile, go ..2 to .5 % keep to just a few spices....your forward dominate spice  ( ie italian fennel ) go a little higher .....Salt is all that is really need and will be good with just that 
    Visalia, Ca @lkapigian
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    lkapigian said:
    Moleman said:
    Laughing, you make it sound so simple. I appreciate the information. 
    LoL ....it is...just get your 2% salt by weight, decide what you want for your flavor profile, go ..2 to .5 % keep to just a few spices....your forward dominate spice  ( ie italian fennel ) go a little higher .....Salt is all that is really need and will be good with just that 
    Never has a truer thing be said here. 

    CONTROL YOUR SALT!

    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    I've noticed, for whatever reason, spices are "muted" in sausage.  To get my desired effect I use much more than I would have had I been cooking something in the kitchen.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • buzd504
    buzd504 Posts: 3,824
    lkapigian said:
    Moleman said:
    @lkapigian, care to share the recipe for the roasted garlic snack sticks? I'm still messing with this stuff, thanks. 
    @Moleman

    Some pork butt..1.75% salt .25% cure 1 cubed and cured for 24 hours do this first, everything else is seasoning to taste 

    For the Bacon, I used about 25% to the weight of the pork, you can omit this but it gives it a nice smokey flavor 

     For the Adobo Sauce...home smoked Chipotle , a few chile de arbol  and guajillo ....roast peppers for a few minutes , soak in a hot stock for 30....add chili's to blender, couple tbs cumin 3 heads roasted garlic and 2 TBS  Mexican oregano , 1/4 cup vinegar and add stock to blender, about 50% up the level of chili, blend to a paste, separate the seeds and skins with strainer ( no salt, already in the pork)....grind mix and Let ferment for a couple Days in the fridge, add .7% ECA and 1% NFDPM to the total weight . , stuff into 22mm sheep casings , dehydrate 160 for 10 hour ish 

    ECA =Encapsulated Citric Acid
    NFDPM-NonFat Dried Powdered Milk 

    What is the difference between Encapsulated Citric Acid and regular food-grade citric acid (which I have) ?
    NOLA
  • lkapigian
    lkapigian Posts: 10,708
    buzd504 said:
    lkapigian said:
    Moleman said:
    @lkapigian, care to share the recipe for the roasted garlic snack sticks? I'm still messing with this stuff, thanks. 
    @Moleman

    Some pork butt..1.75% salt .25% cure 1 cubed and cured for 24 hours do this first, everything else is seasoning to taste 

    For the Bacon, I used about 25% to the weight of the pork, you can omit this but it gives it a nice smokey flavor 

     For the Adobo Sauce...home smoked Chipotle , a few chile de arbol  and guajillo ....roast peppers for a few minutes , soak in a hot stock for 30....add chili's to blender, couple tbs cumin 3 heads roasted garlic and 2 TBS  Mexican oregano , 1/4 cup vinegar and add stock to blender, about 50% up the level of chili, blend to a paste, separate the seeds and skins with strainer ( no salt, already in the pork)....grind mix and Let ferment for a couple Days in the fridge, add .7% ECA and 1% NFDPM to the total weight . , stuff into 22mm sheep casings , dehydrate 160 for 10 hour ish 

    ECA =Encapsulated Citric Acid
    NFDPM-NonFat Dried Powdered Milk 

    What is the difference between Encapsulated Citric Acid and regular food-grade citric acid (which I have) ?
    ECA does nothing until heat is added, then the casual breaks down, that's why you don't run it through the grinder ...citric acid starts working in the meat right away and if you left it for a while it will turn mushy ....one is in a casual, one is not ...thata all ( I think ) @nolaegghead ?
    Visalia, Ca @lkapigian
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    lkapigian said:
    buzd504 said:
    lkapigian said:
    Moleman said:
    @lkapigian, care to share the recipe for the roasted garlic snack sticks? I'm still messing with this stuff, thanks. 
    @Moleman

    Some pork butt..1.75% salt .25% cure 1 cubed and cured for 24 hours do this first, everything else is seasoning to taste 

    For the Bacon, I used about 25% to the weight of the pork, you can omit this but it gives it a nice smokey flavor 

     For the Adobo Sauce...home smoked Chipotle , a few chile de arbol  and guajillo ....roast peppers for a few minutes , soak in a hot stock for 30....add chili's to blender, couple tbs cumin 3 heads roasted garlic and 2 TBS  Mexican oregano , 1/4 cup vinegar and add stock to blender, about 50% up the level of chili, blend to a paste, separate the seeds and skins with strainer ( no salt, already in the pork)....grind mix and Let ferment for a couple Days in the fridge, add .7% ECA and 1% NFDPM to the total weight . , stuff into 22mm sheep casings , dehydrate 160 for 10 hour ish 

    ECA =Encapsulated Citric Acid
    NFDPM-NonFat Dried Powdered Milk 

    What is the difference between Encapsulated Citric Acid and regular food-grade citric acid (which I have) ?
    ECA does nothing until heat is added, then the casual breaks down, that's why you don't run it through the grinder ...citric acid starts working in the meat right away and if you left it for a while it will turn mushy ....one is in a casual, one is not ...thata all ( I think ) @nolaegghead ?
    https://meatgistics.waltonsinc.com/topic/192/encapsulated-citric-acid


    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..