Ovens? Dehydrators?

[khackett]

So...

If I heated my oven to 105 (just seems to be the common temp for the dehydrators) and let whatever I'm "cooking" just sort of hang out in there for however long, would it have the same effect as the dehydrator?

[Tanja_swe]

That's what I do. The main problem is that many ovens can't sustain such a low temperature. I've checked mine with a thermometer and it does I have to keep the oven door slightly open though... I would think that a dehydrator is better suited for the job since it's built for this purpose BUT at the moment I can't afford one and using the oven is the 2nd best option for me.

[Olive]

I used my oven before someone gifted me a dehydrator and I had mixed success. If you try it, I suggest dehydrating patties and thicker stuff over crackers. My crackers didn't turn out at all when I tried them in the oven.

[Sweet lips]

Make sure that you monitor the oven to adjust as needed. I have a dehydrator that requires some adjustment , and just discovered (duh, where have i been) that my oven can sustain itself as low as 100, and not change and I can increase it by 5 degrees - so until I get the excalibur, I am going to use that for patties and loaves, and the round one for crackers.

[Sharon in Colorado]

Try just turning the light bulb on. Better yet, replace with a higher wattage bulb (check w/manufacturer info first for safety). I've used 100 watt bulbs in the oven and the temp stayed right around 100.

[MaxMarie]

I’m lucky enough to have a little oven that easily maintains 90 degrees. Most of my dehydrating recipes call for 90 degrees.

These two are the best.

http://www.excaliburdehydrator.com/

http://www.lequip.com/dehydrator/index.asp

I did my homework before buying a dehydrator. LOL! I sent my Dad the specifics and asked for input. :D I was afraid I just like the cheaper one because it was cheaper! Together this is what we came up with.

The L'Equip 528 sells for $189. A number of sites have it on sale for $149. Everything Kitchens is having a $99 extra special sale. You e-mail in for the link to purchase. lequip@everythingkitchens.com (don’t need to type any text - it’s automated…)

The L'Equip comes with 6 stacking/removable trays, on/off switch, 24 hour timer, 550W motor and a 12 year warrantee.

Whereas the Excalibur:

4 drawer starter model is $149. $119 if you buy direct. Has a 220W motor. No timer. No on/off switch. Unplug it when you're done.

5 drawer model with an on/of switch and a 440W motor is $219 ($189 direct). If you want a timer on it - $249 ($209 direct).

9 drawer model with on/off switch and 600W motor goes for $269 ($219 direct). With timer $299 ($249 direct)

Purchased in a store, a 10 year warrantee costs you $25. If you buy direct it's a gimme. A freebee. Along with a few other nice things. Free shipping AND a 30 day free trial. (if you ask for it.) Dad’s opinion is extended warrantees are never worth the money.

With the Excalibur, if you start small and discover you love dehydrating. You have to buy larger machine.

The L'Equip works in levels. So if you're dehydrating a small amount, you can leave off levels and conserve energy. If you discover 6 trays aren't enough, you can buy more and stack them! The L'Equip is made to handle up to 20 trays. Two additional trays are only $25.

Whereas with the Excalibur you may end up heating 3 to 8 empty trays and using a lot of unnecessary energy. Not earth friendly. Also, it's largest model only has 9 trays.

The L’Equip comes entirely apart for easy cleaning. The Excalibur you have to pull out drawers.

The one drawback is the L’Equip heats from the center so when making “pizza” crust you have to make two small ones. One on either side of the heat element. Whereas the Excalibur is one large flat tray so you can make one large crust. But again, two smaller crusts have a shorter drying time than one large crust.