Author Topic: dryer/dehydrator  (Read 2672 times)

ACE

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dryer/dehydrator
« on: November 26, 2014, 08:26:42 »
Who has one? which is the best, don't want to pay a fortune. Somebody was telling me that is how they keep their tomatoes for cooking overwinter. It has never entered my head to preserve stuff like this before. So pros and cons everybody.

sparrow

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Re: dryer/dehydrator
« Reply #1 on: November 26, 2014, 09:11:38 »
I got the Andrew James one, it's round with 5 trays and goes low enough (35C) to dry herbs. I didn't want to spend too much money in case it became another thing cluttering up the kitchen (like our steamer), but it has been brilliant. The only issue is that OH eats the stuff as fast as I can make it, so I have to resort to hiding things...

galina

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Re: dryer/dehydrator
« Reply #2 on: November 26, 2014, 09:24:10 »
This one seems to be an absolute bargain.  But as always with bargains there might be significant drawbacks that are not obvious to the uninitiated:

http://www.appliancesdirect.co.uk/p/edfd04/electriq-edfd04-cooking?refsource=APadwords&crtag=AP&gclid=Cj0KEQiAkdajBRCJ_7_j6sCck7wBEiQAppb2ixxJw194pedWx9Ci9VyaEJ7occaYlUP5BtWXVMSQsSwaAsFL8P8HAQ#maindesc

What's the drawback here?  Too small perhaps to be useful?

I just love the half dried cherry tomatoes in oil.  But they are quite expensive to buy.  Therefore I have been sort of hankering after a dehydrator, which also would be great for peppers and apple rings.  But like sparrow says, you'd need to see one in action and get an honest opinion, before splashing out and losing kitchen shelf space. 

goodlife

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Re: dryer/dehydrator
« Reply #3 on: November 26, 2014, 10:55:58 »
Yes, it is appliance I've been looking into too...sorry ACE...no help from me.
I've hold off from buying one because of our stove does dry what I need...though tomatoes probably would not work..apple rings and such are easy to dry on piece of dowel that is hung up near stove as well as herbs.
But....I keep looking..sadly our kitchen is not getting any bigger and I would not even know where to keep one... :BangHead:

Jayb

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Re: dryer/dehydrator
« Reply #4 on: November 26, 2014, 12:09:00 »
I bought one of these http://www.amazon.co.uk/Andrew-James-Dehydrator-Adjustable-Temperature/dp/B00FF97SJ2 last year. It's the first dehydrator I've used so can't really compare, but find it does an excellent job. Easy to use, you can fit lots in and best of all I've been happy with the way fruit, vegetables and mushrooms dry and taste. Love the way the scent of whatever's drying wafts through the room. The fan is a little noisy to be in the same room as for any length of time, mainly use it in the utility or spare room. Downside, it does take up space for storing when not in use, it was in a wardrobe before I made some room in a kitchen cupboard!

The dried tomatoes are excellent  :drunken_smilie:

 
Seed Circle site http://seedsaverscircle.org/
My Blog, Mostly Tomato Mania http://mostlytomatomania.blogspot.co.uk/

ACE

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Re: dryer/dehydrator
« Reply #5 on: November 26, 2014, 12:53:41 »
Is Andrew James a  Business? because he sounds like one of those jumped up tv cooks and I will not be able to entertain it if he is selling knockoff chinese rubbish just because hes got his name on it.

Jayb

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Re: dryer/dehydrator
« Reply #6 on: November 26, 2014, 13:23:04 »
Just a business, I don't know, they may well be Chinese goods, it seems many things come from China these days. Perhaps email them?
They've a web site, but not clear where items are manufactured. https://andrewjamesworldwide.com/UserControls/footerPages.aspx?FooterPage=Our%20Story

I've bought a few things from them, one developed a fault, customer service was very helpful, they arranged for me to send the item back and when they were unable to fix it but sent a new replacement and all postage paid.
Seed Circle site http://seedsaverscircle.org/
My Blog, Mostly Tomato Mania http://mostlytomatomania.blogspot.co.uk/

sparrow

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Re: dryer/dehydrator
« Reply #7 on: November 26, 2014, 13:31:38 »
I have no idea Ace! But the dehydrator is one piece of kit that I don't regret getting. You don't really need a timer IMO, but a low temp for drying herbs is helpful and this is one that goes low enough.

Like Jay says, it is a constant humming noise, but I just shut the kitchen door and then don't hear it. It goes in its box under our bed for a few months of the year, and has been in very regular use May-September. It's used up most of my gluts...top tip is to make sure your slices are consistent in thickness, and perhaps shuffle the trays half-way through.

I have done: rosemary, sliced strawberries, apple rings, raspberries, pineapple chunks, banana chips, potato crisps (not very successfully - too hard), courgette beetroot and parsnip crisps very successfully, kale crisps were disgusting.

Was thinking of drying garlic, but that might just be too unsociable. I wouldn't do raspberries again unless I was going to blitz them for powder - I don't like the foamy texture when they do finally dry (takes 2 days).

It's nice to have jars of summer tastiness in the bleak midwinter and the flavours are really intense - but you might be surprised at how much it takes to fill a jar. My trays take 1.5kg of sliced strawberries but that only gives about 250ml strawberries when dried.

Jeannine

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Re: dryer/dehydrator
« Reply #8 on: December 06, 2014, 18:21:08 »
Hi Ace, I have the Excaliber which are available in the Uk too.

I have had several over  many years and this one beats all the others hands down.. not a cheapie but a wonderful appliance.. must be a online site over there to read about it. I have the largest size and it can do a lot at a time, this was a problem with the others I had..anyway something to look up and compare

XX Jeannine
When God blesses you with a multitude of seeds double  the blessing by sharing your  seeds with other folks.

 

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