Does anyone have a Bee Beyer's Food Dehydrator?

[keke]

I found one on craigslist for very cheap, brand new. The seller says that there is no on/off switch and no dial to control the thermostat. Can anyone confirm or deny this? It probably wouldn't be worth getting if I can't dehydrate below 105*

[anniecat]

Looking at the ones on Ebay, which was the only place I could find any pictures of one, I'd pass. I'm not even sure it has a fan, which is a big problem with a lot of the cheaper round dehydrators. Keep a look out for a Nesco or Harvest Maid, as they have both a fan & adjustable temperature. Nesco bought out Harvest Maid at some point...some other names you might see are Snackmaster, FD50, and their larger model, the Gardenmaster. The only one of the older style ones, with the heating unit on the bottom (I'm not familiar with their newer styles), you want to avoid to is the Snackmaster JR, as it doesn't have adjustable heat. Of course if you get any other round Harvest Maid, other then the GardenMaster, picking up a Snackmaster JR for a couple bucks at a resale shop is a good way to get extra trays...I did that for mine, when I use to use them.

Now of course if you come across an Excalibur, or any of the other high end ones cheap, go for it. I did the next best thing- I picked up convection laboratory ovens from a university surplus store for $10-30 each. Not as pretty, but the temp control/consistency is great!

[keke]

Thanks for all the great info! I'll keep looking!!