Excalibur 9-Tray Food Dehydrator with Digital 48-HR Timer and Adjustable Thermostat, in Black (3948CDB)

Our first Excalibur has an analog temperature and timer setting where our second one has the digital temperature and timer setting. Both work wonderful, during growing season they are kept busy dehydrating primarily green beans, corn, carrots, celery, onions*, bell peppers, hot peppers*, and kale to name a few items. Prior to starting we determine the amount of fresh vegetable we would want in a pot of soup. and only putting that amount on a tray. Once dehydrated we put the desired vegetable combination in a food saver bag with the appropriate oxygen packet then vacuum seal. In theory they will stay good for 20 to 25 years, we don't know as we make soup multiple times throughout the year. As my wife starts the soup we just open a pack of the dehydrated vegetable dump them in and by the time the soup is ready to eat the dehydrated vegetable have rehydrated and unable to be distinguished from fresh. We also do apples, bananas, pineapples, veggie chips, and a variety of flavors of jerky. We also do fruit leathers. Figuring our family consist of: my wife and myself, our Children and their spouses (10), Grandchildren and their spouses (14), Great Grandchildren (12), our Sisters and their spouses (6), Nieces and Nephews and spouses (8) and Great Nieces and Nephews (4). Hopefully I counted correctly that gives us a total of 56 family members. As I am writing this I have Kale in one of the dehydrators and need to harvest more. We have the silicone tray liners but I have also found that I can use parchment paper particularly for items that have a tendency to drip (Jerky); Fruit leathers I definitely use the silicone tray liners then when done I roll them in plastic wrap wide enough to twist the ends when rolled. Fruit leathers we have done include Apple, banana, blueberry, strawberry, and strawberry-banana. If you can a quart jar requires about 16 square inches and 112 cubic inches of space. A canner hold 8 jars requiring 128 square inches and 896 cubic inches of storage space. In that same space instead of 8 jars of a single item I can store approximately 120 packets containing a mixture of fruits and vegetables. I purchase food grade plastic buckets with lids to store the various dehydrated items in. You need at least 3 buckets: (1) vegetables except for peppers and onions, (2) .peppers and onions for obvious reasons, and (3) fruit. You need to store the buckets in a cool place with as little light as possible. Buy now you can understand why the title says "1 - 2 I'd like another" allowing me to do multiple items with different drying times and temperatures. * these items must be done outside away from your doors for obvious reasons, learned the hard way.

I bought this dehydrator 4 years ago. I absolutely love it. Excellent dehydrator. I love how easy it is to program. Everything is digital. The trays are easy to wash and dry. I also love that if anything breaks or wears out Excalibur has replacement parts. I have made so many different things in my dehydrator. Carrots ... mushrooms ... all citrus ... onions ... garlic ... herbs ... ginger ... sweet potatoes ... peppers ... tomatoes ... cantaloupes ... apples ... pears ... tomatoes ... kale ... beef jerky ... turkey jerky ... and so much more. Sometimes my dehydrator is in constant use as I get a lot of food by the case. I keep lots of things on hand so if I run out of fresh items I have it dehydrated and dont have to run to the store. That isnt always feasible when I am cooking for the soup kitchen twice a week. I highly recommend this dehydrator. I am 62 years old and I just love the ease and the features this dehydrator offers. If you spend more money on a quality dehydrator you will never be sorry. Excalibur is just awesome.