dehydrator confusion!

[StephieJo]

I'm going to buy a dehydrator. I have looked at both the Excalibur and the Good4U, and see the pros and cons of each. I've read a lot of threads here about them both! Here are my questions:

How loud is the Excalibur, really? And is it really much louder than the Good4U? My house is small, my bedroom near the kitchen, I don't want this thing keeping me up at night! hehe

Timers. I'm so confused. When they say timers they mean like an auto shut-off? Or just something that is keeping track of time? I know it sounds like a stupid question....
What I want is the auto shut-off feature, so if I'm at work and it's done I don't have to come home. Both models have this?

Has the Good4U actually come out with the little covers for when you take out a tray for larger items? I've seen everyone say they're coming but no one has yet said they've got them.

I am really leaning toward the Excalibur, I like that it's made in USA. I just am a tad worried about the noise and I really NEED it to have the auto shut-off!

[Revvell]

How loud is the Excalibur, really? And is it really much louder than the Good4U? My house is small, my bedroom near the kitchen, I don't want this thing keeping me up at night! hehe

Can't compare. Only have the Ex. The noise is like a "white noise". Some people keep theirs in the garage, basement, other room than the kitchen. Can't see it myself.


Timers. I'm so confused. When they say timers they mean like an auto shut-off?

Yes


Both models have this?

Ex does. Don't know about the G4U




Has the Good4U actually come out with the little covers for when you take out a tray for larger items?

Why not check with the manufacturer or distributor?

[rawffle]

I have the Good4U. With ten trays and lots of drying sheets included, it was a better deal to me. I haven't needed the covers for larger items yet. I love sleeping to "fan" type noises, so I can't speak to that part of it. I wouldn't call it loud at all, though.

[JennaBoBenna]

How loud is the Excalibur, really? And is it really much louder than the Good4U? My house is small, my bedroom near the kitchen, I don't want this thing keeping me up at night! hehe

Why not buy ear plugs to wear at night? That's what I do. I'm a very light sleeper and the slightest noises wake me up and I can't fall back asleep. The earplugs block small sounds, but I can still hear louder, important noises.
i would recommend the Good4U, I just bought one (it's on it's way!) and I've had the Excalibur before. I think the Good4U is a better option. Cheaper for more, also.

[RawFoodGuy]

Hi StephieJo,

I used to have to put my Excalibur dehydrator in the garage because of the noise, but the Good4U stays in the kitchen - in my opinion it is something like half as loud.

The Excalibur has a manual 24 hour timer, which I feel is not enough time for many raw recipes. The Good4U digital timer is 40 hrs, has an LCD display and turns of the heater but NOT the fan - this is VERY IMPORTANT since a lot of timers turn off the whole unit - but it is ssential to keep fresh air flowing through the unit even without heat to avoid mold and fermentation that can still occur in some items, especially if they are still a little moist (like the raw carrot cake bars I had recently).

The blank tray fronts or covers just came out about a week or two ago and are now available - and in fact you get one free now whenever you buy a Good4U dehydrator, so removing trays won't be a problem.

I hope this answers you questions. Feel free to email me if you have any more. Good luck on your decision.

RawFoodGuy

[Skyhawk85U]

I'm new to this but I just bought an STX DEHYDRA (extremely similar to the Good4U - same manufacturer?) from eBay: http://cgi.ebay.com/STX-DEHYDRA-600W-10-TRAY-FOOD-DEHYDRATOR-FREE-SHIP_W0QQitemZ230336588019QQcmdZViewItemQQptZSmall _Kitchen_Appliances_US?hash=item35a12168f3&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1546|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A13 09|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A50

Only thing missing is the timer. The seller was great - answered all my questions and even called me to discuss. For $130 (free shipping) I felt the value couldn't be beaten. I think it's a bit quieter than the Ex, but it's still pretty noisy and now lives in the garage (I'm pretty sensitive to noise.)