Dehydrator issues

[CosimaMoon]

Does anyone else have the issue of EVERYTHING they make in the D takes way longer than it says? I've tried dehydrator recipes from all different sites and books so I know it's not just a bad source I have. Is it just my dehydrator? For example, I'm making Ani Phyo's hemp burgers right now, and they're supposed to take 3-4 hours, but mine have already been in there for 9 and they probably won't be done 'til morning. Same with kale chips. Most recipes I see for them I think are supposed to be anywhere from 1-3 hours, but mine must take at least 5 or 6.

And yes, I do make sure it's at the right temp!

[PunkRotten]

What dehydrator are you using? Yeah when I look at recipes the dehydrating hours always vary. Mine take a long time usually. Sometimes I over-dehydrate because I want to make sure they are really dry. One thing too is some people use higher temps on the dehydrator for the first few hours then bring it down to under 115 degrees. This cuts the drying times down too.

[CosimaMoon]

What dehydrator are you using? Yeah when I look at recipes the dehydrating hours always vary. Mine take a long time usually. Sometimes I over-dehydrate because I want to make sure they are really dry. One thing too is some people use higher temps on the dehydrator for the first few hours then bring it down to under 115 degrees. This cuts the drying times down too.

And using the higher temps first really doesn't kill all the enzymes?

I have a Nesco dehydrator, it's one of those round ones.

[blizzardfrisbee]

I have an Excalibur-- but I always have to dehydrate longer than it says. Yeah, I'd like to know the answer to Cosima Moon's question too

[Eva]

It really really really ranges ~ depending on where you live ~ in terms of humidity air temp even elevation.

SO ~ you kind of just have to be smart about what texture something SHOULD be before you flip or remove or whatever. Dehydration is something I screwed up quite a lot before taking classes on it... there's a bit of a learning curve... but when you really are jonesin' for some pizza or crackers... it sure is nice to have taken the time to figure out those little details!

[PunkRotten]

And using the higher temps first really doesn't kill all the enzymes?

I have a Nesco dehydrator, it's one of those round ones.

No turning temps up high is a trick some people use. The air temp is not the same as the foods internal temps. Its tricky to do this cause you must know when to bring the temps down. People usually do this for foods that are more watery than others. I always just dry below 115 though.

[CosimaMoon]

It really really really ranges ~ depending on where you live ~ in terms of humidity air temp even elevation.

SO ~ you kind of just have to be smart about what texture something SHOULD be before you flip or remove or whatever. Dehydration is something I screwed up quite a lot before taking classes on it... there's a bit of a learning curve... but when you really are jonesin' for some pizza or crackers... it sure is nice to have taken the time to figure out those little details!

Yeah, I had heard that depending on where you live you might have to dehydrate for different lengths of time--but I live in Phoenix, it's sooo hot and dry here, you'd think it would take a shorter amount of time. Is there anything you learned from your classes you could post here? Or do you have to do it to really figure it out?

[DebB]

Yeah, I had heard that depending on where you live you might have to dehydrate for different lengths of time--but I live in Phoenix, it's sooo hot and dry here, you'd think it would take a shorter amount of time. Is there anything you learned from your classes you could post here? Or do you have to do it to really figure it out?

A lot of times, when people post recipes using a dehydrator, it's an Excalibur. Things dehydrate soooo much quicker in the Excalibur than in the other types.

I had an older model of a round, Ronco dehydrator. All it had was a heating coil in the bottom - no fan, no thermostat, just bare bones.

When I got my Excalibur I couldn't get over how much faster it was with the fan in there and blowing out and across the trays rather than simply radiant heat.

I also live in the desert, so I understand what you're saying about it should take us less time than someone living where it's very humid. But a lot depends on the type of dehydrator we're using. *Ü*

[CosimaMoon]

A lot of times, when people post recipes using a dehydrator, it's an Excalibur. Things dehydrate soooo much quicker in the Excalibur than in the other types.

I had an older model of a round, Ronco dehydrator. All it had was a heating coil in the bottom - no fan, no thermostat, just bare bones.

When I got my Excalibur I couldn't get over how much faster it was with the fan in there and blowing out and across the trays rather than simply radiant heat.

I also live in the desert, so I understand what you're saying about it should take us less time than someone living where it's very humid. But a lot depends on the type of dehydrator we're using. *Ü*

Ah ok. I wondered if it was because of the Excalibur thing. Mine has the fan too but maybe it's just not a good quality dehydrator :(

[DebB]

Well, I'm not sure that it's not a good quality dehydrator - just not as zippy fast as the Excalibur.

We used our old Ronco for years and years - it worked okay, it was just slow (comparitively speaking) and then we'd have to rotate the shelves so things dehydrated more evenly. The Ex. does away with all that.

I just watched a YouTube video by John Kohler where he shows a new dehydrator by Tri-Best. I understand more information will be available by this December. Supposed to be the next generation of dehydrating. Always something shinier, bigger & better (wink!) *Ü*

[revdrcyn]

I have an Excalibur, and the time always varies according to humidity - we have some very dry weather and some very wet weather - so for me drying times usually seem either shorter or longer . . . (another reason to hate Northern California, but that is another story)

A friend of mine has a round dehydrator that cost less than $50 and hers takes way longer than mine.