American Harvest SnackMaster Dehydrator Question

[Stargazer]

I know that many people here have this dehydrator and are very happy with it.

I took a look at it online at Walmart and I see that it is round and it looks like you can't put anything in the middle part. Is this only for the top level? Would I be able to make a round pizza dough? I'm wondering if there are any limitations you have found in the recipes you can make.

Thanks for any information you can pass along.

:) :) :)

Peace,
Stargazer

[rawjojo]

Hi Stargazer,

I really like my snackmaster. It dries everything perfestly. AND you can't beat the price. I make pizza dough and there is a small hole in the middle. It doesn't bother me. I use it for a kinds of stuff. It's so great that I purchased extra shelves and an extra unit!
rawjojo

[Rawkinlocs]

No limitations except for putting tall things in it and they even have a special tray available for that (don't have one yet) at their website: http://nesco.com

As for the pizza, no it won't be a standard round pizza with triangular slices, it'll be a round pizza with a hole in the center or you can make mini-rounds. I've made pizza several times and it's really not an issue for me as to the shape...the shape won't make it taste differently LOL! :D

But seriously, the only reason I can think of that it would matter is if you want presentation because you're serving it to someone and even then...does it really matter as once it's all sliced up and eaten, it won't be round anymore. :p

[heather]

i have one like that in storage (hubby uses it to make deer jerkey.....eeewww) and have been wondering the same thing.

[Stargazer]

Hi Rawjojo and Rawkinlocs - I was so glad to get a reply so fast! :)

You're right - you sure can't beat the price of the Snackmaster. I'm very anxious to start making some "heavier" raw recipes so I won't feel starving all the time, but I can't afford to buy an excalibur.

I don't have to worry at all about presentation because I don't think I'll be able to convince our extended family to try raw - they think my husband and I are crazy enough being vegetarians. :( So it will just be for me and my husband (he is willing to try what I make), and we don't care what our food looks like, as long as it tastes yummy. :p

I'm going to order my dehydrator as soon as I get home from class tonight. I can't wait!

Claudia

[Sweet lips]

If you do present it cut an orange or a tomato into a flower and put it in the middle - people ate mine so fast, they didn't notice the extra time I put in to make it purdy :D

[askcassyfirst]

I bought the snackmaster/nesco dehydrator several weeks ago, having decided that I kept putting of the excalibur so long, I needed something NOW, and so I popped over to the walmart and bought it. I had read about it here on the boards, so thank you guys!

I have made pizza, flat breads, cookies, snacks, you name it, and I am very happy. The only limitation I see, is that you can't put in pie dishes or something, as unlike the excalibur, it stacks the trays, so you can't "remove" a shelf to allow room, especially with the center hole. I did get some mini pie tins, and they fit in fine.

Once nice feature about the hole, however, when you slice it up, the flat bread actually makes a nicer sandwich, looking less like a slice of pie, and more like a piece of bread.

I highly recommend it.

Cassy. :)

[Rawkinlocs]

The only limitation I see, is that you can't put in pie dishes or something, as unlike the excalibur, it stacks the trays, so you can't "remove" a shelf to allow room, especially with the center hole.
Cassy. :)

If you visit their site, http://nesco.com, the have special trays available for getting "taller" items into the dehydrator. I think they're called "Convert-a-trays" or something like that. Haven't gotten them yet, but plan to eventually.

here's the direct link to those trays: http://nesco.com/products/product.phtml?&prodid=33

Convert-A-Tray Accessory Pack

Regular Price: $19.95
Sale Price: $14.95

Need more room to dry larger items, crafts, etc? Convert-A-Tray Accessory Packs add 2 extra trays to expand your dehydrator's capacity. Trays have removable center mesh and are used to dehydrate larger (taller) items in your dehydrator. Great for crafts, flowers, and hot peppers. Expands vertically.

[rawpriestess]

Hi,

The biggest thing about the excalibur dehydrator, I had to order mine on line to get a decent price, but use it everyday.

I gave my round one to my son, when he went raw, but it doens't have a thermostat, that you can change, Does this one?

That is the challenge with most dehydrators, they dehydrate at about 145, way too hot for raw. But maybe this one is like the excalibur where you can set the temperature.

I think any dehydrator could be used, if you could set the temperature, but the excalibur is certainly easy to work with, no lifting off shelves and shelves to get to the bottom one, no changing the shelves, so they all dehydrate at the same time.

The one I used to have, was really tempermental, hot on the bottom, and very dry, moist in the middle and the op was just icky.

Now it is all the same. I know Alissa sells the excalibur. They are spendy, but you're worth it.

blessings,
Rawpriestess

[Stargazer]

Hi RawPriestess - Just to answer your question, the American Harvest, model FD-50 has temperature control between 95-145 degrees F. I just ordered this dehydrator from the Nescoe site Rawkinlocs posted above.

I live in Canada and discovered that Walmart in the US won't ship to Canada. This dehydrator is also available through www.amazon.com, but they will not ship it to Canada. So I'm going to have to wait quite a while for my dehydrator!

But it's worth it to me because I can't yet afford the excalibur (I'd love to have that one some day!). :)

Claudia

[FEELIN'GOOD]

I have this one too- love it! No complaints- no troubles- easy to clean! And cheap!
:D
Melissa

[Wingsasaneagle]

Stargazer
I have a snackmaster that I ordered from the Sears Catalogue The Fall and Winter one or the Wish Catalogue. I have had it for a couple of years. I live in Ontario on the St. Lawerence Seaway. So you should be able to get one. Check a large Sears store in your area.

Debra <><

[PixieGreen]

I have the nesco dehydrator with thermostat control. I use it almost every day. It really does make being raw much easier. I soak almonds once a week then dehydrate them for almond milk and other recipes, dehydrate the left over almond milk meal, dehydrate extra produce I didn't have time to eat, and make some recipes including raw cookies [incredibly *easy*]. I look forward to exploring the world of raw granola and juice pulp crackers. The primary reasons I would recommend getting a dehydrator are to save money and reduce waste and broaden food choices.

I also find it really empowering that I can make everything I would buy at the natural foods store. Couldn't say that about cooked food!

Having never tried the excaliber I can't really compare the two, but I'm very satisfied with my purchase. I bought the convert-a-tray pack and a set of extra fruit leather trays for liquidy stuff. I can fit a regular cake pan in the very bottom section with one of the convert-trays above. I can also keep the dehydrator on a top shelf and set it on my counter when I use it. The excalibers looked too big to do that comfortably.

Good to know mini pie tins will fit in the regular trays.

Christa