In lieu of a dehyrdator...

[Turbolift]

I've got to wait a bit before buying a dehydrator. I know that the lowest temp my oven will heat = 170 degrees. (too hot) I've read somewhere, however, where people have used their ovens to dehydrate. Has anyone here done that? If yes, how did you control the temp?

Thanks

[Trolltyget]

I have used my oven in the past for dehydrating crackers and such but it goes down to about 122 degrees F (50 degrees C), and then I would also have the oven door half open so it didn't get that hot.

[StarFire]

I've read that too, use an oven temperature gizmo - you can get them at a grocery store or walmart - and set your oven on it's lowest possible temperature - and leave the door slightly open. I gues you can play with it a bit to see how far you need to leave your oven door open to get the temperature you need which is between 109 and 114 or 118 (depending on which school of thought you want to follow... !) I figure the lower the better so I dehydrate at 109! Good luck - let us know how it goes! ;)

[juliebove]

There is more to a dehydrator than heat. Air is the biggest thing. I saw Alton Brown use a simple box fan to dehydrate something. Can't remember what he was doing. He said air circulation is the most important factor.

[LearningDaily]

I don't have a dehydrator either. My oven only goes down to 170, but I do have a warming drawer under the oven that is temp controlled. I've used that, but think it's still too hot.

And the craziest thing I've used is the dash board of my car. If you crack the windows it keeps it from getting too hot and provides for airflow. Just be careful not to use a metal pan for support, it will heat up too much and will also make marks on your dash. I use a plastic cookie cooling tray thingie now.

I'm thinking of making a box with some extra screening material that I could just set outside. (I'm in FL) But man, there are some tiny bugs out there and that creeps me out a bit. I'd like to find a way to make dehydrated things without using electricity. We have that big light bulb in the sky...I'd like to use it.

[Stina]

I don't have a dehydrator either. My oven only goes down to 170, but I do have a warming drawer under the oven that is temp controlled. I've used that, but think it's still too hot.

And the craziest thing I've used is the dash board of my car. If you crack the windows it keeps it from getting too hot and provides for airflow. Just be careful not to use a metal pan for support, it will heat up too much and will also make marks on your dash. I use a plastic cookie cooling tray thingie now.

I'm thinking of making a box with some extra screening material that I could just set outside. (I'm in FL) But man, there are some tiny bugs out there and that creeps me out a bit. I'd like to find a way to make dehydrated things without using electricity. We have that big light bulb in the sky...I'd like to use it.

Yeah! old fashioned Essene style! I remember building a solar oven in physics class in high school and then actually being surprized it worked! it would be interesting to do that not and see how hot it gets and if it's an acceptable range for raw uncooking. Seeing as I'm on the coast of Oregon and it's just not sunny.......it would probably work!