Dehydrator Before and After

[rawlight]

This is a question for those of you who went raw before you got a dehydrator and felt pretty secure and happy with your raw life. But then you started wondering if it would make a difference, that is, give you more menu options etc and make you a happier raw foodist if you got one. Then once you bought one you found that it did make a positive difference for you...or I guess if it didn't make a difference.

I know we are all different and others experiences are not my own, but I am in this place right now and really wonder if getting a dehydrator would make a difference for me. I really enjoy trying new recipes and I think I am doing well without one, but I am curious as to what a dehydrator might bring to my life and wonder what other people have experienced.

Thanks in advance for your personal experiences and comments!

[Veganforlife]

I LOVE my dehydrator (9-tray excalibur) and so glad I got it! It has made a world of difference. I seem to use it more in the colder months though.

However, many folks do just fine without one.

It's a personal thing...

[LotsaRaw]

Freedom! You can do anything now with a dehydrator!

Basics for an uncooking kitchen: good blender, good food processor and dehydrator, and most of all - a sharp knife you love!

[contessa20]

Hmmm.... I LOVE having the dehydrator but in reality, I really don't use it all THAT much. I tend to use it in spurts.

I don't regret buying it one bit though. When I want something like pizza, cookies or tortillas, it's really, REALLY nice to have.

[Colorawdo girl]

Its nice to have one.Lotsa recipes call for one.If you want simple,you dont need one. I love melting coconut oil in it as well as honey and warming raw soups. Its nice for Grawnola too and drying nuts after soaking. Crunchy things(such as crackers ) are lacking if you dont have one.I love crunchy.
Whatever you want is up to you.I just heard of one thats 60 bux.A rawfood chef recommended it sooooo I guess its a goodie.I willlet you know if you want the name of it.

[glacierkn]

So far I've only used the dehydrator to warm my food...warm food is really nice in the winter! I haven't dehydrated any foods, but I'm still learning raw, so I don't really know what I would need to dehydrate. I just like eating foods fresh. BUT yes, warming foods is so nice.

[GreenVariety]

I have one and love it (9 Tray Excalibur as well)! But in all reality I have to agree with contessa20. I hardly use it. But if I want to make cookies or bread (or any other raw goodies like chili) I have it! Lately the only reason it runs is to dehydrate almond flour after I am done making almond milk :)

[KPainter]

I had a dehydrator even before I started raw, but if I hadn't had one, I would have gotten one. There's just too many great things to make with it.

[RawKnitster]

I've had a 9 tray Excalibur since the first of the year. I got by fine without it, except when I read a recipe that required it. That's the thing. I love to create food in the kitchen, I always have. The dehydrator has opened up a whole new world of possibilities for that. It has been running almost 24/7 since I got it. Maybe later I will calm down, but right now I want to try everything.

I'm glad we have a basement to put it in. It is loud and the smells coming from it though good, can be overwhelming.

[PamRaw]

I must admit, I've had one since the very beginning. I typically prefer fresh foods now over dehydrated. But as others have mentioned, it's nice when you want something warmed, particularly in the winter. I also like it for crackers, bread, cookies, granola and chips, as well as my favorite green popcorn. Also, they are great for dehydrating leftover sauces that might otherwise go to waste. Almost anything can be dehydrated into a cracker... LOL. I used to throw out almond and carrot pulp. Now I use it for cookies or bread. I don't make pizza very often but when I'm craving something like that, I love the "sausage" and pepper pizza recipe.

[cara4art]

I got my Excalibur(4-tray model, which is fine for just the two of us) back in 2000 way before I went raw - to dry fruits and certain veggies like tomatoes. Last year, I finally sprang for the teflex sheets for it(they cost extra), and that REALLY opened up lots of possibilities for raw food prep. I do like to make things, and to have the dehydrator stuff as adjuncts to my smoothies, wraps and salads. The teflex sheets opened me up to making crackers, breads, granola etc. Trust us, you WON'T regret buying one. My next project is making various kinds of tortilla/wrapper things in it which sound really cool! Having some dehydrator crackers, cookies, etc. is great and makes it easier to stay raw. Just being able to pop a few crackers or cookies into a small ziplock bag to have with while one is out, along with a couple of pieces of fruit or something, to avoid caving to junk is totally worthwhile in my book.

[rawlight]

Gee, these are great responses! Just what I was hoping for. I think there is a dehydrator in my (near) future. :D

[Frugal Raw]

I have the 9-tray excalibur, and I love it! There are less expensive models out now that also have controllable thermostats made by other companies.

[juliebove]

My dehydrator is sitting in the garage and hasn't been used in months. When I first got it, I used it a lot. Then rarely. Then not at all.

[jurence]

I've put fruit in there I don't want to finish, and bananas if we have too many (which is rare because i go through them FAST) because banana chips are AWESOME. But no, dehydrators don't change your life..

[rayofsunshine]

The dehydrator helps give you the flavor of some cooked food favorites with lighter foods. The pesto stuffed mushrooms and pizza crust both make it worthwhile.

I also think it is worthwhile for preparing foods you can travel with, even for a day trip.

[klomasius]

It opens your food choices up to a whole bunch of different tastes and textures you otherwise wouldn't have (unless you could buy that sort of thing in the shops, which we cant yet here).

I sometimes really want crackers and heavier foods and the dehydrator is really good for making these. I currently only have a round dehydrator which you can get for around $60-$70. I'm probably going to buy a ten tray second hand on in the coming days.

I also save HEAPS of money on things like dried tomatoes, roll ups and dried fruits as I buy fruit and veg on special and dry it. I just bought about 20 kilos of tomatoes for $20 and would never use them all fresh, but now I have a huge jar full of dried tomatoes for sauces and soups etc.

People are quite happy without them, and I've gone long periods without using mine, but I adore the choice of making things in it, and having the capacity to dry soaked nuts, dry leftover almond meal and coconut pulp from milks, warm foods and have crackers.