Forum Thermomix
Welcoming Center, Management and General Chat => Chit Chat => Topic started by: KarenH on August 03, 2011, 12:02:40 am
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Hi everyone,
I have seen these food dehydrators mentioned on the forum a few times, and we are thinking of buying one. Any feed back from members who have got one?? Would you recommend getting the 5-tray or the 9-tray one?
Thanks!
Karen
PS: anyone else interested in getting one - www.vitality4life.com.au have them 25% off at the moment - as advertised in Organic Gardener magazine -much cheaper than anywhere else I have seen.
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I have not got an excalibur but I do have a dehydrator which I use quite frequently for herbs, fruit, mushrooms, ginger etc.
Great to use really useful. Would suggest that you look at one of the many books available on drying food before spending shed loads of money on this though.
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I have Excalibur dehydrators and first got a 5-tray some twenty-plus years ago and found it did nicely but still wasn't big enough.
After I moved up here and had a much larger garden and access to more fruits and vegetables, I got one 9-tray and about two years later a second one. I use them all when things really start popping.
Before getting my first Excalibur, I tried several other and none had anywhere near the capacity I wanted and commercial units available at that time were simply too large and too expensive.
Besides regular dehydrating of fruits, vegetables, jerky, sausage, &etc., I use them for drying candied fruits and ginger, drying baked crackers and cookies that I want to be very crisp, drying bread for stuffing, drying homemade pasta &etc. With the trays removed they are ideal for proofing bread doughs in the winter when my kitchen is fairly cool.
They work efficiently and do not use a lot of energy.
There are non-food uses. I occasionally make fancy hand-made laid paper and I dry the leaves and flowers and then the pressed paper in the Excalibur. A paper dryer made for hobby/semi-professional use costs well over $500. so the Excalibur is a bargain.
I know people who make jewelry and put the finished work in an Excalibur to dry the glue more rapidly.
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Thanks so much for all your advice - especially Andiesenji. I rang the company to buy one, and they have sold out - but at least they would let me back order one at the special price. I took your advice and went for a 9-tray one ($375 AUD with $15 delivery to Adelaide). Cant wait to get it now and start trying it out!
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oh I wonder if they would allow me to back order one as well - I have been hankering after one for ages and at 25% off it is almost too good to pass up ;)
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If you want the 25% off, you have to mention the advertisement in the latest issue of Organic Gardener magazine - otherwise they wont give it to you. The free call number is 1800 802 924. There is no special discount code on the page (they asked me for one, but there isnt one there) and the ad is on p43 with a Oscar Neo juicer and a composter (they asked me that too .......)
Good luck!
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oh thank you!! I usually buy the Organic Gardener magazine but haven't this month (yet!) might do that on the way home from the school run today ;)
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Hi Karen,
I have an Excalibur with 9 trays since 5 years. If I would buy a new one today, I would go for the new Tribest from Sedona:
http://www.tribestlife.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=79&idproduct=708 ;)
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I've had a cheap round one for many years and loved drying my own produce and jerky. I'm finding it's getting a bit tired now and I don't use it as often any more. Maybe it's time I looked at getting another one. Now with the Thermomix I have so many more uses for it such as drying vegetables to make vegetable salt and garlic powder. Thanks for this post Karen, I'll scan the magazine in our local library.
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Like you Sue, I felt that my old one was due for an update. I have ordered one, will have to wait approx three weeks before it arrives. The lady that took my order told me to go online to have a look at all the recipes and uses for the dehydrator as there is so much out there.
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Can we have the link to that site please Trudy - be interested to see the different uses of one of these machines. I shouldn't look but I will ;) ;)
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Hi Judy, Sorry I don't have any links. All she told me to do was google dehydrator recipes. When I did that up came a list and I just clicked on a couple. When I have more time I want to have a better look. This came about because I was asking what instructions came with the machine and the lady told me that she now gets all the recipes, times ect from the net.
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We will have to start a new thread for recipes using the TMX and then the dehydrator :D
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I like the look of the Sedona from tribest. I have found two sources trying to get it in Oz. It has plastic parts that are bpa free which is great and has a glass door on a hinge, you can also use just half the space as it has two fans. The Sedona also has a digital display on the front of the machine. I am told the wait time will be about 2 months.
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There are lots of the machines shown on Ebay and if you 'Google' as well!
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really annoying to see excalibur dehydrators on amazon.com for half the price we can get them for in Australia, but they won't ship here >:(
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Ohhh I am getting impatient!!!! Has anyone received theirs yet?? I am still waiting :'( :'(
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No Faffa. I gave them a ring last week to see what the delay was. They told me it will be at least another month so I asked to updated not left in the dark!!!!! They have told me they will keep me posted. Fingers crossed.
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I also rang and asked what the hold-up was. Apparently they are held up in customs. Maybe someone was dehydrating a naughty white powder in them :o :o Just joking ...... I am getting really impatient too.
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They also told me this Karen. They said the problem was with customs in the UK which isn't correct as they don't go through customs there. When I said this the girl changed the story to say that she didn't know what the holdup was. I feel that the orders weren't placed until they were received which is very naughty seeing they have taken the full payment.
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Oh :-)) :-)) :-)) I have been to busy to get back to this post. Now I'm not a happy camper!! I am going to phone them tomorrow and see what they say. I agree, it is pretty poor customer service since they took full payment to order them!
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Goodluck Faffa. Can't wait to hear what they tell you.
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I cant hear what they tell you either faffa ........Most other companies I have dealt with only take payment once the item is in stock and posted. I agree that it is poor service.
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ok so I have been really busy and forgot to ring until yesterday (not realising that it was a public holiday in half of Oz!!) Got a lady on her mobile (diverted) and she said that they hadn't cleared customs yet but would get someone to ring me back tomorrow.
Just had a phone call while I was on the other phone and the message left was that they are still about 4 weeks away :o :o :o considering they told you this over a week ago Trudy :-)) :-)) SO NOT HAPPY think I will ring them back in a couple of days and ask for the REAL STORY!!
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I just ordered one of these from the magazine special from Vitality 4 Life. I was certainly put off from what you were all experiencing, but was happy to get this special since it was from August!
I went ahead with it because it was the cheapest price I could find, & just about everywhere were giving the same story as V4Life that there is no stock. New shipments are due in a month, if we're lucky! Even eBay was more expensive!
V4Life did say that there was a new special in the mag this month - 15% off of an 8 tray Bio Chef. I still went with the Excalibur because it's so good.
So, I think we're all lucky to get such a good price & we'll just have to keep waiting. They will come eventually!
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I rang them again today too Faffa, and got the same story that you did, that they are about a month away. I agree with Soblessed that they are they cheapest around, and I have been looking for one for nearly 12 months now, and have never seen one this cheap, which is why I ordered one. However, I politely and firmly told them that I was unhappy with their service, in that I was told when I ordered it that it would be only 3 weeks, and that I thought it unreasonable to charge the credit card before they were ready for dispatch. I was told that someone would ring me back, but haven't heard from them yet. I am not that impressed with them, but at that price, I am still happy to wait until it arrives.
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That is about the size of it Karen - the poor customer service etc which is really what has got up my goat so to speak. I am happy to wait for it, just not happy about being kept in the dark and then getting so so answers when you phone :(
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Faffa and KarenH have you received your dehydrators yet? If so are they as good as you thought they would be?
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Not yet - I am going to wait until the end of the week and ring again - and ring weekly until it arrives. Nothing like being the "squeaky wheel" ;D
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Just been catching up with posts. Like you Faffa the thing that I am unhappy with is the fact that there has been communication from the company but they are happy to take your money upfront. After reading your post Karen I think that I too will give them a weekly call!!!! Fingers crossed they are here for all the summer fruit.
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Mine arrived today ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Mine arrived today ;D ;D ;D ;D
And? Worth the wait?
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Still in the box :D :D
Will unpack it tonight and read the instructions - but back to work tomorrow - so might have to wait until the weekend to try it out - unless DH gets in before me ;D
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Work! It's the curse of the cooking class!
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Gosh this thread has inspired me. Have just ordered one. Hope it won't be a long wait. Have been looking for dried veg for homemade seasonings etc and there is nothing really easily available and not much in the way of variety. Looking forward to hearing how everyone goes with this new gadget :). Wondering about making a dried version of the stock.
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Great news Karen. Hope mine gets here today as well!!!!!
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Fingers crossed trudy!
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OH YEAH Karen!!!! I hope mine arrives today - though it could be another blow in their customer service if it does as I was promised a phone call on dispatch as more often than not there isn't anyone here for couriers. :-))
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If it doesnt arrive in the next day or two - phone them again and get firmly but politely angry with them - I am wondering if mine was sent because of my slightly stroppy phone call last week :-X
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ordered mine this morning on the internet and just got a phone call .... was expecting them to say there were none in stock but she said that their recent delivery only had white - I had ordered black and quickly changed to white as she suggested. She said it would be dispatched today along with a complimentary sheet and would be here in Melbourne in 3-4 working days.
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Out of curiosity Karen - what colour did you order? I can't remember which I ordered!!
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Well done Jude - you are certainly getting yours quickly!
Faffa - mine is black.
Once we have all got ours, we can exchange recipes for these too ;D
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Rang them again this morning - told that they are still waiting!!! When I said that a friend of mine also in Adelaide had received her's they knew who I was talking about and told me that they were lucky to have been able to find just one on a pallet to send. This doesn't explain how you managed to get yours sent out so fast Jude but lucky you!!!! I have been waiting for over two hours for the manager to phone me back - he is on a VERY long phone call!!!!!!
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Just got the tracking no. and receipt via email. I think the website said the 9 tray models with no timer are sold out till the end of October. There's just the two of us here at home so I have ordered the smaller 5 tray model with timer. Maybe that is the reason.
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GRRRRR!! Dh has remembered that I ordered black :-\
Jude I think you are right that you have yours as you have ordered the smaller one - you will be well practised to give us plenty of tips by the time we get ours!
Trudy I think we just need to keep ringing them and see how many more they just might be able to find on a pallet!!
DH suggests that we let the know we are members of an online forum with nearly 5500 members and there is a thread dedicated to their service :D
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Must admit Katherine that I didn't think of telling them that. I finally called them back late this afternoon as they never got back to me. I wasn't allowed to talk to the manager but the girl I spoke to told me that she is sick off all the calls regarding this and just wishes like us they would arrive. She said she is ringing around to see if she can find somemore and call me back tomorrow to tell me the outcome. She said that if she can't locate one then the waiting time is still 4-6 weeks!!!!
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She might be sick of the phone calls Trudy, but if they had the brains and kept us in the loop we would be happy customers and not making the phone calls. It is fair to say that I don't think they are waiting to clear customs >:( >:(
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wow hope yhou guys get your product soon...very annoying when you get conned like that...its always coming...i feel your frustrations
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I really don't think you are being conned, and I think the girl is telling the truth. Unless they have a tracking system they are probably in the dark as where these items are in transit. They will come thru -- I am so sure of it.
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by conned I was talkig of the timing...when purchased if i remembe'r they were told it would be there in a number of days and its been weeks and its still coming and no idea of delivery time....did the site have customer reviews??? would be interested to know if they have had this problem before...im sure hte product will eventually turn up but not exactly professional. I prefer at times to pay a little more from a well known company that respects delivery times but I dont know who this company is and if they are well known or not...i really hope they come through soon but I would still be asking for some kind of compensation because it really is inexcusable
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How unfair, that you have to wait that long :-\
Hi Karen,
I have an Excalibur with 9 trays since 5 years. If I would buy a new one today, I would go for the new Tribest from Sedona:
http://www.tribestlife.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=79&idproduct=708 ;)
I had to buy a new one: My excalibur died and the Sedona Tribest moved in last saturday :D
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My 5 tray baby arrived on Monday and it is large. The 9 tray must be an impressive item. Have dried mushrooms, coriander, celery and chives and ground them together in TMX with salt and added dry onions and garlic to make a seasoning or veg sock. Today I bought apples, pears and Roma tomatoes for my next try - basically because they were all on special. Also bought some ascorbic acid to kep the color nice. Hoping ascorbic acid is ok? It's going to be humid in the next few days here in Melbourne so I think that makes drying times longer. Have been using my mandolin to make sure sizes are uniform. Am going to try some of the tomatoes as semi dried and put in a herby oil mix - have heard they only kep safely for a couple of weeks so will dry most of them thoroughly. Can't wait till more of you get on board with your new dehydrators and inspire me :)
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Glad you are having a great time with the dehydrator. After several more calls I heard yesterday that they found another one which today was dispatched to me. Should have it within 10 days but at least it's been sent. Can't wait. Kathryn I have my fingers crossed that they have also found one for you!!!!!!
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i am getting very tempted :-))
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i am getting very tempted :-))
So am I,
have borrowed my friends, dried apples and pears, its a round one,no instruction book. found one on ebay similar to the excalibur but not as expensive
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I rang them on Wed right after I got your message Trudy, waiting for them to ring me back - I haven't heard so will be ringing them in the morning. Probably not a good idea as it has been a very hectic week and I am quite liable to be rather short :-))
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Faffa, what an awful experience, they have taken the money I gather. Perhaps we should all note the name of the company. It is one thing the delay but not returning phone calls is just plain bad customer service and no excuse.
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There are some quite practical Excalibur videos at this website http://www.efooddehydrator.com/our_food_dehydration_videos.htm. I'm doing tomatoes today. Hopefully I'll have photos of a successful finished product. It was the thought of having dried tomatoes in a healthy oil rather than in crap oil that started me on this whole dehydrator thing - that and the enablers here on this thread;). Apparently most oils that are just labelled "vegetable oil" could be any sort of modified oil and that seems to be on the label for a lot of tomatoes in oil.... That and canola, which I don't want to eat.
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Thanks for the link Jude. I can't for mine to arrive now but will I buy from this company again NEVER!!!!!!! To think you have to keep ringing and complaining to get something that you have already paid for is not good. Kathryn I have fingers and toes crossed that yours is just "another" phone call away!!!!!
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I'm thinking of buying one.
which is the best brand.
Thanks,
Robyn
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I'm going to wait until you girls post some lovely photos of what you have done in your dehydrator. I need photos to tempt me on this one.
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me 2 JD . have you seen the video from the link that Jude59 posted :-))
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Just had a look fundj but videos buffer on my computer so gave it away. Will wait for photos from the girls.
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have a look at the size of this one
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/1943-Large-Dehydrator-Used-Preserve-Troops-Food-/260820676026?pt=Art_Photo_Images&hash=item3cba1fadba
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Haha! Love it! That would keep me busy for a while..... And I was surprised at the size of the 5 tray Excalibur.
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i think it would keep the whole forum busy ;D
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The thinly sliced tomatoes are looking and tasting great :) the quarters are nearly at the semi dried stage I want - will place them in seasoned oil when they are done. The colour of the tomatoes is really good and the texture. I sprinkled my homemade seasoned celery and herb salt (celery and herbs dried by moi) over the tomatoes before drying.
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looking good jude
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Wild success - two of my granddaughters have a sleep over here tonight and they are munching throug the dried apple slices (today's experiment ), with enthusiasm. And Eden (3) is VERY hard to please :). Makes a grannies heart very happy. I have to say that these apple slices were popular even after a dish of chocolate mousse (a la nigella)!
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Wild success - two of my granddaughters have a sleep over here tonight and they are munching throug the dried apple slices (today's experiment ), with enthusiasm. And Eden (3) is VERY hard to please :). Makes a grannies heart very happy. I have to say that these apple slices were popular even after a dish of chocolate mousse (a la nigella)!
I know bananas are very costly in OZ right now but wait till you try them (if you like bananas) - and pineapple actually candies itself when dried.
And if any of your dried fruits become too dry and hard - don't despair - steaming them will bring them back to life and you will have a tender and tasty product.
And I have a tip about bananas that are quite ripe. I slice them with the skin on and when they have been in the dehydrator overnight, the rings of peel separate from the slices and it is easy to discard them. The slices are much easier to handle when freshly cut.
I usually select bananas that are not yet ripe, peel and slice them into acidulated water (I use citric acid) drain and dry on paper towels before putting in the dehydrator.
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andi do you think a small one to start off is better, i have never used a food dehydrator
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Jude's looks huge - I don't know if I would need one that big ???
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When I ordered my first, I got the 5-tray but quickly found that while it was very efficient and handy, I really needed the bigger one.
The footprint is not any larger, it is simply taller (12 1/4 inches) and it is more versatile - the shelves can be removed and large mixing bowls holding dough (covered with plastic wrap) can be placed inside for proofing. Wet shoes (after rinsing the mud off) can be placed inside to dry as can other things that need more gently drying than the laundry dryer provides.
I use it to crisp large batches of crackers, cookies and for drying big batches of bread cubes when the ovens are otherwise occupied. I make jerky with various seasonings from beef, turkey, chicken, venison etc., and make liver treats for the dog.
And it is perfect for drying sausage that is going to be cured.
I've been making these kale "chips" (http://www.food.com/recipe/raw-vegan-kale-chips-443237) since I found the recipe a year ago. Healthy and tasty.
In the U.S. the price is not that much more for the large one so considering all factors, the large is more economical.
They now offer in the U.S. a small batch one 11 x 11 inch with 4 trays but it my opinion it is overpriced as it doesn't do much more than the less expensive ones that can easily be found on eBay.
This site (http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/07/24/how-to-use-a-food-dehydrator-to-preserve-your-harvest/) has a few more ideas.
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Would you believe it - mine was delivered today but because noone was at home they took it away!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think it's going to be delivered tomorrow, fingers crossed. Can't believe that I have waited so long and then nearly had it, only for it to be taken away again!!
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oh no..well i hope you get it tomorrow :)
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Parcels are always delivered when you're not at home - it is a long wait until the morning :(
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I have been using my friends Ezidri (snack maker) food dehydrator for the last couple of weeks, today I went and bought one. More than happy with the results that I have been getting. So far I have dehydrated parsley, apples, pears, capsicum, zuccini, lemon peel and mushrooms.
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Do you get good instruction manuals and lots of ideas with these dehydrators?
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Anyone ever dried eggplants ?
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Jude's looks huge - I don't know if I would need one that big ???
Have you decided to get one Judy ;D
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I don't know CC - I don't really think I need one but I would try and put it to good use if I got one. I'll have a bit of a look around at some of the smaller versions in home shops but I'd love to read a book which shows you everything you can dry and then what you do with them once they are dry in the case of things I am not used to using. I'm off to have a bit of a google and read up a bit more about it.
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Andie opened my eyes to other things you can use it for,proving bread,laundry etc ;) But with the central heating coming on in the mornings now I just pop the TM bowl on a hot radiator to prove,then when the dough is knocked back I place the bread tin back on there as well so the dough can rise. :-\
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i hope my kids ask me what i want 4 xmas this year ;D i usually say nothing :D
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i hope my kids ask me what i want 4 xmas this year ;D i usually say nothing :D
Print off a picture so they know which one you would like Uni ;)
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i have no idea which one i want, i think i will wait for JD to get one lol
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Well, I have browsed but I don't know if I really need one. If you had an endless supply of fresh fruit it would be handy, I don't like jerky and I don't use many dried tomatoes either. I do love dried bananas though and indulge myself occasionally with a packet of those. Where would I put it, the excalibur is rather big but that is obviously the best one because those who have gone before us have done their research and chosen it. Once all the girls receive their excaliburs and start using them, perhaps they can tempt me when they tell us all what they have been doing with it but in the meantime I can live without one. Sorry Uni, you have to make your own decision on this one (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-confused005.gif) (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php)
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I have several books on dehydrating and using the dehydrator for crafts and things. Some of the books are old and new techniques have been developed - often for treating the food prior to dehydrating with citric or ascorbic acid to prevent browning, etc.
There are two that I use most,
Food Drying with an Attitude (http://www.amazon.com/Food-Drying-Attitude-Fabulous-Creating/dp/160239220X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1319473404&sr=8-1) by Mary Bell - published in 2008 and updates her earlier book published in '94 (Complete Dehydrator Cookbook)
and Kristen Suzanne's EASY Raw Vegan Dehydrating (http://www.amazon.com/Kristen-Suzannes-EASY-Vegan-Dehydrating/dp/0981755682/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1319474431&sr=8-3)
Some reviewers complain that the first part of the book leans heavily on the raw foods bandwagon, but it is obvious with the "Raw Vegan" words in the title that this book is directed at that.
The ideas and techniques are good for expanding your ideas of what a dehydrator can do.
I've also got both the 1st edition(1984 140 pages) and the 3rd edition(194 pages) of Preserve It Naturally from Excalibur which was free with the purchase of my last Excalibur. The latter is more expensive - if you don't get it with an Excalibur but has a lot of excellent ideas.
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IT'S HERE!!!!!!!
Well finally after all the hullabalu the dehydrator was delivered this afternoon. It's now unpacked and ready to go!!!!
Judy I was a bit concerned that maybe it would be a lot larger that the one I already have. Well it's a bit smaller, so that's good. I have ordered a couple of books which I hope to have by the end of the week to give me extra inspiration.
Kathryn - is your on the way!!!!!
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NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(
I need to ring them again tomorrow, I have just been far too busy. They were last I rang them, waiting to hear from the technician if it was ok or a faulty one (sound familiar!!) I even gave them my email address and said that would be a great way to keep in contact with the 3 hours time difference etc but have not heard another word.
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Wooohoooo
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Listen you tempting lovelies THIS IS NOT THE SHOPPING THREAD - you are not a very positive support group, I stay away form that thread as much as possible and you all come up with a great discussion about a product I have only given a passing thought until now - similar to the pie maker that has been used frequently!!!!!!!! and you were involved in that discussion too Kathryn!!!!! :o :o
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Put your blinkers on Robyn - there's bound to be a lot more talk about these as the girls start using them. ;D
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NOT INTERESTED....lalaalaaa laaalaaa, not interested, whistling, laalaa, not....... :-\
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i will be doing a lot of shopping next week, maybe i will come across one and but it ;D
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Now Julie that is the type of talk that is supportive - (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-score010.gif) (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php)
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Fingers crossed Kathryn. I just can't understand why keeping in touch is such a problem for them. Last week I ordered a book direct from Excalibur Aust it was the same price and NO waiting time. Well I had an email the next day to tell me it's been dispatched and I should have it within 5 days depending on Australia Post. Now that is service!!!!!!
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WOW Trudy I know where I WILL be shopping ;D ;D
Listen you tempting lovelies THIS IS NOT THE SHOPPING THREAD - you are not a very positive support group, I stay away form that thread as much as possible and you all come up with a great discussion about a product I have only given a passing thought until now - similar to the pie maker that has been used frequently!!!!!!!! and you were involved in that discussion too Kathryn!!!!! :o :o
La la lala la la sing a happy song (yes my kids are into smurfs at the moment and it IS my ring tone lol)
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i haven't been on here for a while but just noticed this - i was excited there may be lots of ideas for recipes combining TM with EXC, but not yet :)
I have a share in an excalibur - so far there are 3 of us but we are planning to find a 4th and rotate it every week or two.
Still getting to grips with it beyond activating nuts and fruit leathers, but always on the lookout for good recipes sp will keep an eye out here :)
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I might be tempted into buying one.
which brand is the best. thanks,
Robyn
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I bought an ezidri last week and love it. Had been using my friends for a few weeks, so decided to go with the ezidri and can borrow extra trays from her if needed, and its available now. Hate waiting for things to arrive.
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... still waiting!!!!!!! >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(
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you must be fuming , this is the 3 week i am right or is it longer?
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that one looks good jeninwa as you can buy a smaller one and add up to as many trays as you like...will have to do more research ...thanks for the info :)
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kathryn, why don't you ask for a refund. or is it too good a price. really not good enough.
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Kathryn you have more patience than me, think I would have thrown a big wobbly and cancelled my order by now.
My dehydrator is the snackmaker one Frozzie, they are made in NZ (hope I am correct)
Here's there Aussie web site http://www.ezidridehydrators.com.au/
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thanks yes they have sites in france too...will have to check out the english sites to compare ;D
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Ordered and paid for on the 21st August ladies so more than 8 weeks now. I keep running out of time to ring them, especially with a 3 hour time difference! It was 25% off so a good price at the time but I am on the verge of cancelling my order and just paying the extra money as I started to get things ready for making Xmas gifts etc with it and now I don't think I will have the time for it even if I cancel and pay full price. Fair to say I am not happy and will NEVER NEVER BUY FROM OR RECOMMEND THIS COMPANY AGAIN :-)) :-))
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Are you the only one from the forum waiting Kathryn? It's one thing to be patient but you have waited far too long. :'( :'(
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you must be fuming , this is the 3 week i am right or is it longer?
Here i am thinking it was only 3 weeks :-))
wow 8 weeks that's crazy >:(
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It was actually the 20th I ordered and the payment shows on the 21st which is a Saturday. On this Friday it will actually be 11 weeks since I ordered it. Think I will set my alarm for extra early in the morning and make another phone call :'( :'(
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Trudy ordered one too JD which im sure you know but she got hers ...dont know if there is anyone else... faffa i hope you get it soon or get one anyway and quickly if you end up cancelling and going elsewhere...
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After this unacceptable length of time, I would cancel the order and get an immediate credit on the card.
While I love my Excaliburs, it is not the only game in town and I saw on another forum that the SunFood dehydrator (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NEW-10-TRAY-FOOD-DEHYDRATOR-Commercial-Quality-Dryer-/250829643609?pt=AU_SmallKitchenAppliances&hash=item3a669c9f59) is heavily discounted right now and they promise quick, free delivery.
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I have just scanned this thread for the first time and the thought that occurred to me is that I think it may be illegal to take the money before the goods are despatched. Now, I may be wrong here, it may just be a moral situation, but perhaps, if you are really angry (and I think you are and certainly have a right to be), you could look into this angle more deeply. There is an official mail order governing body that may be able to advise you on this. Please note my wording above, suggesting that this is the case, simply because I am not absolutely sure that this is true but it might be worth following up if things get any worse.
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we purchase alot online and i have never known a company to charge before dispatch...quite often this is noted that they dont charge until an item is posted so if they charged yiou what now 11 weeks ago I find that quite wrong on top of the already crappy service and general unprofessionalism...if you dont have time to ring often faffa then id be writing a number of unpleasant emails from a very unhappy customer!! and if possible cancelling your order and buying elsewhere...obviously your choice but I dont think they deserve your business!! As they say in France bon courage!!!
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Just as an aside, for people who have (or getting) a dehydrator and will dry tomatoes, theres some nice little recipes in which to use them at the bottom of this page.
http://www.seasonalchef.com/tomdehyd.htm
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julieo did you also use a fan for the oven drying or just the oven on a low temp??? by the way thanks for the site :)
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Frozzie, yes I used the fan with the oven on low temp. I was so happy with making my own that I want to pursue it a bit more, it's so satisfying adding more and more things that I make myself that are not store bought. ;D
I'm going to see how the small glass oven goes today with another small batch, but otherwise I may just buy a small dehydrator (I like the look of the one that Andi posted
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/250895591595?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649#ht_4325wt_1204
they range from 6 trays upwards. If you look in the gallery photos, you can see 'bread raising' is even mentioned, so that would be handy in the cooler months. I think 6 trays for me would be plenty and I think $175 is reasonable. :)
Fundj, if you look on page 22 of this booklet it says that eggplants can be dried and gives a bit of info.
http://www.dehydratorbook.com/support-files/dehydrator_cookbook__digest_.pdf
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thanks JulieO ;D
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Further to my experiment (if anyone is interested) :D I currently have cooking, another half batch of the toms (750g). I'm using the big Truss toms halved (as per the recipe) and this amount just fits in 2 layers in the Easy Cook. :D But I then started to worry :-\ that maybe these sort of ovens are not made for having on for around 4 hours ??? So I've just sent an email to Easy Cook to ask them if it's okay, don't want to burn out the motor. :o
It's looking more and more like I'll just get the dehydrator and be done with it. :-))
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thanks julieO...i will be looking at getting a dehydrateur shortly ...the dried tomatoes alone plus fruit or yoghurt roll ups for the kids etc will make it useful for me...not sdo much the dreied fruit and veg..my problem as always is storage...but I will find a way around it!
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After this unacceptable length of time, I would cancel the order and get an immediate credit on the card.
While I love my Excaliburs, it is not the only game in town and I saw on another forum that the SunFood dehydrator (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NEW-10-TRAY-FOOD-DEHYDRATOR-Commercial-Quality-Dryer-/250829643609?pt=AU_SmallKitchenAppliances&hash=item3a669c9f59) is heavily discounted right now and they promise quick, free delivery.
Thanks Andie, I have gone and bought it. Been uming for a while. My son wants to make jerky so I thought we could share. Today he tells me he is off to new Zealand to live for a couple of years ( been a probably for a while,now a definetly) pleased for him but funny how it happens. I will still enjoy it.
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Well .... I phoned again yesterday to be told the lady I have been talking to has gone on holidays :-)) :-)) I asked for the manager and got the usual story that they were in a meeting. I lost my cool a little and said that their manager was always in a meeting lol and I NEEDED to speak to someone today and HAVE answers today.
She asked how I wanted to be helped and when I told her she took my details and promised to be back to me by the end of the day. Of course this has been told many time so I was thinking that was going to be the end of it until I made another phone call on Monday ... but no she phoned me back, about 4 hours later.
With the bad news that it would be at least another 4 weeks before I would get my Excalibur!!!!!!!!!! :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o
I promptly cancelled my order and asked for a refund and am now just waiting for the money to show in my account (hoping that that isn't going to require phone calls as well!) >:( >:( >:(
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Oh you poor thing Kathryn, you've had nothing but bad luck with this darn hydrator. Obviously it just wasn't meant to be, you probably would have ended up with a dud anyway. Better luck getting your refund and with trying to buy one elsewhere.
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Kathryn, you put up with so much.
I hope you get your refund soon.
Robyn :)
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i would be ringing them back monday as it doesnt take that long to refund a credit card ...it is totally unacceptable what they have done and again the nerve to tell you another month..!! id start looking elsewhere and quick as to where you can purchase one that will be deliverd quickly...poor you :(
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I hope you get your refund quickly, Kathryn. This whole thing has been such a hassle for you. When we receive orders at work I feel terribly guilty if I don't despatch the goods on the day the order is placed - I can't imagine what state I would be in ducking and diving like those people you were dealing with.
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I've been put off buying an excalibur after the awful stories here (plus the cost) - there are at least two other types of dehydrator sold on ebay that look extremely similar to the excalibur but about half the cost. I'm not sure if they're 'cheap and nasty' copies but the general setup of a dehydrator doesn't look too technical (a heater and a fan basically) so I'm tempted to try one of these instead.
Hard to find reviews of the other types which worries me a bit, but might be worth a go. Has anyone else got the sunfood or airite models of dehydrator?
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Bonsai, I have ordered a Sunfood, 10 drawer. It should arrive in the next couple of days so I can report back once I've used it as to what I think. Like you say, they aren't too technical so I'm hoping it will be okay.
Happy with the service so far, ordered it last Thursday, they freighted it out on Friday from Qld, (free postage) with a tracking number. It arrived in Adelaide this morning, so shouldn't be too far off. :)
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It has just arrived and I've got as far as unpacking it. Hopefully I'll get some time later to wash all the drawers in readiness of using it. ;D
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oo thats exciting, hope I get mine soon
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Well I've got it working at the moment. I checked on google and watched a video on youtube by a woman who uses and sells Excalibur dryers (US) and she uses the method from the book that came with the machine which says to steam sliced onions for 2 mins before starting to dry them, so this is what I did.
As this is really an experiment to see how it works, I only used 1 thinly sliced onion today. They've been drying now for exactly 2 hours and they are nearly done I think, just have to wait until they snap into pieces then I'll know they are completely dry.
I also thinly sliced 2 cloves of garlic, both the onions and garlic is to grind into powder.
Have also sliced 3 large tomatoes, want to fully dry them, will do the semi dried ones as soon as my current lot have been used up.
They are also not too far away from being done.
My thoughts so far is of being very impressed, it's doing what it should, is not noisy and I'm glad I got the 10 tray, I think if I'd gotten a smaller one I would have been sorry.
So far, it's got the thumbs up from me. :)
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Julieo,
My sun food 10 drawer arrived, must say was surprised with the size. My family think I am going into production for a business.
Like the idea of the onion powder. Just trying to find time at the moment.
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Bedlam, yes it looks good doesn't it. My onion and garlic powders turned out great. I also turned some dried toms to powder too (onions and toms milled in the TM, garlic in my spice grinder as there wasn't enough). Haven't done anything else yet but I will soon, I'm interested to see how it copes with a full load.
I have ordered a couple of the excalibur mesh liners and a solid liner to try out, if I'm happy with them I'll probably order another 8 mesh ones. Also ordered from Book Dep, the Deydrator Bible, only $23 delivered. It supposedly has everything in there we need to know as well as recipes using all the dried stuff.
I can't compare it to any others as I've never seen one in person before or know anyone who has one so I'm blind here, but from my limited use so far it seems to do what it's supposed to do, only time will tell. :)
Hope you get to play with yours soon,
Julie.
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One thing that is especially helpful is crisping stored cookies that have become too soft or moist. That is, not the ones that are supposed to be soft and moist, but the ones that are intended to be crisp. Same with crackers, pilot biscuits, etc.
I make pizelles ahead of time and it is difficult to keep them crisp, no matter how they are stored.
An hour or so in the dehydrator will bring them back to the desired degree of crispness.
I make a lot of shallot chips to use in cooking where you want a bit of onion and a bit of garlic flavor, but not so overpowering.
The dried chips are easily ground to a fine powder in a spice grinder and dissolve almost instantly into any liquid that contains a bit of fat.
They also keep very well in a tightly sealed glass jar.
I make melba toast in the dehydrator. If you have a bread machine with a "Rapid-bake" cycle, you will get a denser loaf with an extremely fine crumb which is perfect for melba toast.
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Your wealth of knowledge always amazes me Andi. :)
The shallots you refer to are they the small brown skinned ones that are called French Shallots/Eschallots here in Oz?
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Your wealth of knowledge always amazes me Andi. :)
The shallots you refer to are they the small brown skinned ones that are called French Shallots/Eschallots here in Oz?
Yes. I grow my own - they multiply rapidly here. Plant one and four months later you have five or six. Unlike onions, they grow mostly on top of the ground with only the roots covered. There are a few varieties but all have about the same growth habits.
They do very well in containers.
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I am slowly leaning towards buying one after reading all the things you use them for. I'm worried that I may not use it enough though. Crisping biscuits would be very handy though.
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I know what you mean Cookie. It's not something I'll be using all the time either, well I don't think I will, but at least it's there when I want it.
I've been to the shops this morning and I picked up some good bargains in the fruit/veg section. Bought a heap of apricots for $4.98/kg. Will be making some jam and drying some. Also toms, both large Truss and Romas, eggplant and red capsicums. Will also be drying some bananas. This is all new to me so it's all experimental but it's fun at the same time. :)
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Oh JO apricots!! I haven't seen them in Perth shops yet :'( we are on our last jar of apricot jam!
I have just pre-ordered a Sedona tribest dehydrator ;D it was my reward for myself for achieving go-getters a while back with Thermomix. (with the bonus cheque) I wanted to wait for the tribest to arrive in Aus. Looking forward to its arrival late nov early dec :) :) :)
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I saw some in Woolworths this morning Meagan. $16.98/kg.
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Mine were from Woolies Cookie :o I think I may go back tomorrow and get more before the price goes up. :P
Meagan, I like the look of the Sedona and if I was going to pay more than I did, that would have been the one I would have gone for. ;D
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I am also loving my dehydrator. The past couple of days have made small mango wraps, dried mango, banana and some watermelon chips for my granchildren. They love them all.
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Oh JO apricots!! I haven't seen them in Perth shops yet :'( we are on our last jar of apricot jam!
I have just pre-ordered a Sedona tribest dehydrator ;D it was my reward for myself for achieving go-getters a while back with Thermomix. (with the bonus cheque) I wanted to wait for the tribest to arrive in Aus. Looking forward to its arrival late nov early dec :) :) :)
You're going to love the Sedona Meagan :)
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faffa did you ever get your refund?? and did you buy somewhere else?
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Just got a 5 tray Excalibur dehydrator this week. I wasn't sure about the plastic trays, so got a few stainless steel ones to fit instead. So far I've made my first batch of soaked & activated almonds. They turned out great!
Next up: kale chips. Although I haven't had much luck finding kale at the shops at the moment, so maybe some other leafy green substitute will have to do.
I see that you can get teflex sheets for the trays. Is there any reason why baking paper wouldn't do the same thing?
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Just got a 5 tray Excalibur dehydrator this week. I wasn't sure about the plastic trays, so got a few stainless steel ones to fit instead. So far I've made my first batch of soaked & activated almonds. They turned out great!
Next up: kale chips. Although I haven't had much luck finding kale at the shops at the moment, so maybe some other leafy green substitute will have to do.
I see that you can get teflex sheets for the trays. Is there any reason why baking paper wouldn't do the same thing?
You can use baking parchment but it will come loose at the edges with the fan action unless you secure it in some way.
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faffa did you ever get your refund?? and did you buy somewhere else?
I got my refund :) was going to buy from somewhere else but have decided that there was a reason I didn't get the other one when I too jumped up and down and am ordering this week a Sedona like Meagans ;D ;D I can't wait as I am sure this will be a much more pleasant experience :D
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Oh i had a look and love the senona with the glass front and digital control... Looks good but may have to wait a little but definately think this one is quite good plus has a silent function!!
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Hi Bellesy,
Just read your post, what are "soaked and activated almonds"?
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i was wondering the same thing trudy.
http://holisticfoundations.blogspot.com/2010/11/activated-almonds.html
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Thanks Fundj, I seem to spend half my life checking out things I don't know about that are mentioned on the forum. Who say's learning stops when you finish school!!!!!!!!!
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so true, i am learning something new most days
sound like a good thread to start. What did you learn on the forum school today. ;D
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If they are so good for you, how come they aren't sold already activated ???
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They are JD and they cost heaps more (of course!!) :)
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As you would expect Kathryn - like others, I had never heard of them.
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I think their science is a bit off. Nutritionists who are actual medical doctors and have spent a lot of time studying human physiology, have been giving thumbs down to this idea for some years.
Raw almonds are easier to digest than "cooked" almonds and there are more nutrients available to the processes in the gut that extracts these.
Any processing of any nut that involves heat, inactivates some of the protein and renders the vitamin E and magnesium insoluable so those important nutrients pass through without being absorbed by the body.
Someone asked about "activated" almonds in my local health food store a few years ago and one of the owners, who has a PhD in molecular and cellular physiology from Stanford, was at the point of ranting. She then quietly explained that this was something thought up by a merchandiser to make more money from selling something that had been processed cheaply, and sometimes, not processed at all, just sprayed with a weak salt solution and dried. The company was put out of business in California but has continued to operate in states with less strenuous food laws.
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Wellllll my dehydrator arrived on Monday and tonight I have finally had a chance to use it. It is currently dehydrating 9kg of tomatoes :) I have some great plans for it. ;D can't wait to make some kale chips and dried apple.
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Congratulations, Megan.
Wait till you try freshly dehydrated banana "chips" - there is no comparison between them and the commercial ones.
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OMG, I love this forum but it is going to cost me a fortune and cause me work :-)) I WANT a de-hyrdrator now and we can buy Excalibur ones here. We get cheap boxes of local tomatoes from March to November and it would be wonderful to de-hydrate them and store them in olive oil. Have to work on DD's father to get her a TMX and now DH to allow us to have a de-hydrator. I also love the idea of being able to use it as a warming drawer to get dough to rise if I am in a hurry.
Thank you for your wonderful topics - keep them coming even though it will mean Hard Work ;D
JB
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Great news Meagan, how long did it take to dry them? I've bought a bag of garlic to slice and dry, some to mill into powder as I've used up the little I previously made. Also onions and celery will be done at the same time I think. Have fun. :D
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Great news Meagan, how long did it take to dry them? I've bought a bag of garlic to slice and dry, some to mill into powder as I've used up the little I previously made. Also onions and celery will be done at the same time I think. Have fun. :D
Julie, if you can get shallots at a reasonable price where you are, try drying a batch sliced about 1/8 of an inch. The flavor intensifies as they dry and they are wonderful additions to soups and stews and I put them in rice, broken up into tiny pieces.
As they combine the flavor of onions and garlic and some other more subtle flavors, they work well in hearty dishes.
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We have a garden full of shallots. Perhaps I do need a food dehydrator after all. :'(
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We have a garden full of shallots. Perhaps I do need a food dehydrator after all. :'(
Drop them round to me Cookie ;)
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Julie, if you can get shallots at a reasonable price where you are, try drying a batch sliced about 1/8 of an inch. The flavor intensifies as they dry and they are wonderful additions to soups and stews and I put them in rice, broken up into tiny pieces.
As they combine the flavor of onions and garlic and some other more subtle flavors, they work well in hearty dishes.
Andi do you mean the brown shallots (French) or the green ones known as spring onions in Sth Aust? ;D
(http://www.juliegoodwin.com.au/images/august/shallots/600.jpg)
(http://lh3.google.com/bindiyasingh7/R6RHJf6dx2I/AAAAAAAABD0/wNbVFVu9ZPc/spring%20onions_thumb%5B6%5D)
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The brown shallots.
I've dried scallions, the young green onions, but their flavor does not last well.
I've also dried chives - sandwiched between two layers of nylon window screen, otherwise they blow around - and they turn out well but also do not keep their flavor more than a few months.
The brown (or red) shallots will keep their flavor for at least a year and I have kept them longer with good results.
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Andi, thanks for clarifying. The green ones also get called shallots in other areas of Australia, so just wanted to make sure. :D
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it does get a bit confusing at times. in syd they are called shallots
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Great news Meagan, how long did it take to dry them?
Well I'm not sure exactly. I think the temp was a bit low. Some are dry and others I have had to put in for longer... Waiting on my dehydrator bible for lots of instructions. I left the skin on too so not sure if that makes a difference.
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Yes, it's a learning game Meagan, sounds just like my experience. :)
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Oh good I am glad. I was kind of winging it from instructions on the net :-))
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After more than a 3 month wait my dehydrator arrived today!!!!
It's all washed, ready to go & I'll prob dry some tomatoes tomorrow.
I had almost forgotten about it, but rang them late Dec & they said it would arrive the first week of Jan.
I thought yeah, right & then forgot about it again!
So, a nice surprise today.
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This week I have dried mangos, apricots ,that I bought on the way back from Walpole and rock melon, loving my dehydrator. The apricots took 24 hrs to dry.
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My excalibur dehydrator is on the way. A great xmas present, can't wait to start experimenting :)
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jen in wa
how did drying the rock melon go . l have never heard of dryed rock melon before
does it taste yum
l would like to try it . l have the same dryer as you but have lost my book
did you treat it first ? how long did you keep it in there for and at what temp
thank you
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Congratulations, Megan.
Wait till you try freshly dehydrated banana "chips" - there is no comparison between them and the commercial ones.
When you say 'banana chips' do you mean you dry them to a crisp?
We love dried banana but I dry them as 'boats'.. Sliced lengthways into 3 and dried to a chewy texture.
They are so good and the flavour intesity is much stronger than fresh banana.
I bought about 5 kilos last week at $1.50/k and had a drying frenzy, :D
I experimented a bit with the slicing and found that if I split the banana into 3 using the natural segments of the banana they retained even mor flavour but didn't get the golden colour slicing gives. This way I didn't need to did in lemon to stop the browning either
I did have a Harvest Maid dehydrator for years until it died. I replaced it with an "Ezidri Snackmaker 5000' at Christmas time.
I chose Ezidri as the trays I had from the Harvest Maid are exactly the same size and so I now have quite a tower.
I think Ezidri must have bought out the Harvest Maid company.
I have never tried rockmelon. Sounds interesting.
Apples are great sliced very thinly (Use a mandolin) and layered into the dryer with a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar then dried to crisps.
Tomatoes and capsicum are good to add to packed sandwiches as they dont make the bread soggy and draw moisture out of other things to rehydrate.
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Just seeing your post now Nazar, from memory I just sliced the rock melon thinly and left in dryer over night, it was really nice, I just store it in an air tight container, it's like the mango that I dry doesn't last long :)
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What is a rock melon?
I dry a lot of mango and papaya - the large Mexican papaya is much sweeter than the common papaya and has a higher moisture content so takes longer to dry.
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What is a rock melony
It's a cantalope (sp?) Andi. :)
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Nazar, I have dried rockmelon which my granchildren really love as well as watermelon. They both hold their colour really well and the taste is a little more intense than the fresh version.
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Can someone help - I have been offered a dehydrater and don't know whether to accept or not... sometimes I think I wish I had one, other times not so much. Would like one for doing my own stuff for the girls - but just don't know... ???
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take it ;D
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take it Astarra
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Accept the kind offer astarra, if you find you aren't using it after 6 months then return it or pass it on.
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you wont know until you try it .
my sons love the dried apple and tomatoe in there
and fig is anther fav
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Astarra, do go ahead and take it. There are many more tasks you can do with it than just dry fruits and veg.
If you have crackers or cookies/biscuits that should be crisp but have become soft, the dehydrator will crisp them nicely.
If you don't already know, you can also make fruit "leathers" in it and they can be used for more than just snacks.
I no longer do any catering but I used to make cakes and take fruit leathers that were colored like jewels, red, gold, purple, etc., cut them into strips with a pinking shears and coil them into the shape of roses or cut them into petal shapes.
I did this when an event would be outside in the heat and where ordinary cake decor would melt and deform in the heat.
And of course you can make jerky from various meats and poultry, but you can also take that dried meat, grind it fairly fine and add it to fruit "mincemeat" for pies, empanadas, little tarts, etc., for a savory/sweet combination.
In very cold weather, I take all the shelves out of one of my dehydrators and use it as a proofing box for yeast dough. I have, in a pinch, used to to incubate yogurt when I had several batches going and my regular yogurt makers were in use.
For when I entertain a lot of people - in the cooler months - I put stacks of plates inside, turn it on medium to keep the plates warm - I stack them with the folded napkins in between so the napkins are also warm - I have linen, which in rainy weather tend to feel damp even when they are not.
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I know this post has not been added to for a long time, thinking about getting a dehydrator to go with my Thermomix, should I jump right in and get something like the Excalibur 9 tray or start with say a round ezidry and see how much I use it, I don't plan to do anything life changing with it, just fruit ( son that loves dried mango and eats a packet too fast to justify the supermarket cost! ) and excess from the garden, I also like the idea of dehydrating potatoes to make homemade "instant" mashed potatoes sealed in vac bags for my FIL so he can make easy mash for one rather than that dreadful packet stuff.
I am thinking that I would like to have something that I can keep well into retirement ( about 10 years off yet !) so upright cost is not the major issue.
Do those of you that bought them last year from this post still use them on a regular basis and if so which brand are you using?
Deeau
PS also like the idea of proofing bread dough in winter, instead of turning on my oven to do it.
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Hi Deeau, no I haven't been sorry for buying mine. It was one of the Excalibur ones and feel that it's great. I would also recommend the books by Mary Bell and also the Dehydrator Bible by Jennifer MacKenzie for ideas and recipes.
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Perfect timing Deeau and Trudy :)
Last weekend DH decided we needed a food dehydrator and got us the Sunbeam for $87. It has 5 trays and a layer for fruit straps (like Roll-Ups) and three temperature settings. Only used it once so far, but so far so good. I'm going to see how much value we get out of it and then maybe upgrade if we need to (but so far I don't think I'll need to).
I just purchased the Dehydrator Bible too as I think the lack of recipes in the booklet that came with the machine is very limited. I need a real book to get me started and then I'll be able to adapt etc, thanks for the tip Trudy :)
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I bought the Ezi dry about 8 months ago. I have used it quite a bit and now need to add 5 more shelves. It is great for drying excess from the garden when things are in season. Herbs have dried well and lemons and figs. I think it is worth having and I share it with my sisters so it is well used. I am looking forward to trying it when our fruit trees are producing.
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I got the 9 tray Excalibur a few months ago. I really only needed the 5 tray. Haven't used it for a couple of months - I will have to find some inspiration to get back into it.
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I got the 9 tray Excalibur a few months ago. I really only needed the 5 tray
Do you do both fruit and veg ? I was thinking of the 9 tray as when my veggie garden is productive again, I want to be able to dry that ( not that it is right now ) Maybe the 5 tray would be enough ? There seems to be about $100 difference in price and it is only 4 inches higher.
To be honest the idea of dried veg doesn't appeal to me ( this hopefully will change ) but then either does the idea of the prep involved with freezing and canning is out as I just dont have the time and think canned veg tastes yuk anyway.
Although I have not yet bought one I bought a book from amazon about dehydrating foods and some of the things they dry make no sense to me ie: cooking rice to dehydrate it and then it takes 30 or more minutes to redehydrate? WTF ? :o would you not just cook it from scratch?
Anyway any advise will be appreciated tips etc most welcome
Deeau
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The first Excalibur I got (thirty years ago) was a 5-tray and it was adequate for a while. Then I moved up here where I could have a more extensive garden, vegetables, fruits and herbs and could buy local fruits and bought one of the 9 tray models. I bought a second 9 tray units when I began making candied ginger and glace fruits - as well as using them as proofers for big batches of dough (with the shelves removed) because it gets very cold up here during the winter and that was a less expensive option for me.
I slacked off on the amount of stuff I dry during the past year or so and gave one of the 9 tray units to a friend. I still use the other 9 tray for apple slices, apricots, peaches, pears, plums, mango, the ginger, cranberries and other berries, and I put macaroons in to "crisp" during the rainy season when they tend to get chewy and tough. Also great for crisping lavosh, pita and other flat breads that also get tough when the humidity is high - not often but we do occasionally get some humidity.
Last weed I made a big batch of dried celery and onions (chopped) to use in soups and stews.
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Thanks Andiesenji....can I ask is the 30 year old 5 try still working after all this time?
It looks like it will just make sense to get the bigger one even if I dont always use it full
Deeau
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Hi Deeau - I haven't really tried a lot yet however I have done fruits, vegies and activated nuts. My favourite so far is sweet potato chips and garlic powder.
It is only myself and my daughter so that's probably why I don't use the 9 trays. I did notice quite a difference in my power bill though which I can only attribute to the dehydrator. I am thinking it probably costs more to run the 9 than the 5 but I am not sure :)
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Thanks Andiesenji....can I ask is the 30 year old 5 try still working after all this time?
It looks like it will just make sense to get the bigger one even if I dont always use it full
Deeau
No, I used it up. The 5-tray died after working great for twenty years. I had it running constantly for several days and probably pushed it beyond its capability. It was also outside on the deck during very hot weather.
I certainly got FULL value and then some from it.
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Thanks Andiesenji....can I ask is the 30 year old 5 try still working after all this time?
It looks like it will just make sense to get the bigger one even if I dont always use it full
Deeau
No, I used it up. The 5-tray died after working great for twenty years. I had it running constantly for several days and probably pushed it beyond its capability. It was also outside on the deck during very hot weather.
I certainly got FULL value and then some from it.
Wow! That is pretty good purchase to last 20 years! I just bought a 5 tray with timer on Sunday and received it on Tuesday. I bought it through Melbourne naturopath on eBay. Quick delivery. I tried it out last night with some mango but I must of cut it too thinly but it is still good. Can't believe how awesome these things are. Dried mango costs $20 in shops here for 350grams. My husband loves the stuff. I like dried vegetables as chips.
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I'm thinking of upgrading my dehydrator from the Aldi one I purchased a while ago and wondering if I should spend the money on either an Exacilbar or the Sedona or go for a cheaper one off eBay. At the moment I'm back to drying fruit straps for DS in the oven and it would be great to be able to dry more than 2 trays. Would love any advice.
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Wonder I bought one from the, not excalibur. The excalibur has a cover which i think would be better, mine when the draws are shut close the front off. Much cheaper and does dehydrate well ( although it hast had a lot of use). Wish you lived closer you could trial it and see what you think.
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Thanks Bedlam. I really like the look of the excalibur and they have a great name. I've been in contact with a women who is selling a 5 tray one on gumtree which she purchased in September last year ,and has only been used once (or so she says). She is only about 15 mins drive from my place and she's offered it to me for $290 which is approx $70 less than the best price I can buy new. I think I will go with this one as I'm sure it will be a lot better than the aldi one, and I'll be able to do the fruit straps much quicker than the oven.
If only you lived closer - thanks.
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Wonder mine is a massive 10 tray and 5 really would be big enough for me. Sounds like a good deal, i would go for it.
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already done and picked up. The guy was really nice and he's only had it since September last year and purchased directly from Excalibur Australia, the invoice is included so I'm happy I got a good deal. He's a chef and as soon as he purchased the 5 drawer realised he would be better off with the 9 so is upgrading. He also has a hotmix pro for sale and is upgrading that to the gastro model. I had an interesting chat about the TMX and he said there is a new model coming out late in 2014 which will got to a much higher temperature, has a bigger motor and is more stable - interesting!!
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Ooo Wonder that sounds very interesting about the new thermomix. Wait with baited breathe!
Good on you with the excalibur.
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What a good buy on the dehydrator wonder. I love mine.
Interesting about the thermomix.
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I am in the process of trying to decide if I would use a new food dehydrator, or would it turn into a white elephant. I have a very old Sunbeam that is so noisy I can't stand it - put it in a bathroom behind two closed doors and can still hear it! So haven't done any dehydrating for months.
Are people still happy with their purchases? I followed this thread but talked myself out of buying last time. I have narrowed down to an Excalibur or just saw one on EBay that looks a bit similiar but a third of the price. Described as - New 8 Tray Food Dehydrator Dryer Commercial Preserve Yogurt Fruit Beef Maker (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/8-Tray-Food-Dehydrator-Commercial-Quality-Preserve-Yogurt-Fruit-Dryer-Maker-/350790010850). Sorry, cant make the link work. Does anyone have one of these? The Sedona looks really nice, but can't justify the priced for something I am not convinced I would use regularly.
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I've got the link working for you Elle.
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Thanks Judy.
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ElleG I had a very bad experience buying a dehydrator on ebay - it seemed very similar to an Excalibur but a fraction of the price. The first time I used it the motor stopped working because wires were caught around,the fan. When I contacted the seller they initially said they'd repair it if I shipped it back to them (other side of Australia) and then offered to have it repaired locally but only to minimum cost. When I pointed out that this (and their dodgy repairs note on their website) contravened consumer law in Australia they refused to answer emails from myself or consumer affairs in WA. I couldn't follow it through the small claims court as their address had changed so a summons couldn't be delivered. As my Mum had bought it for me as a gift there was no Paypal protection. I did report them to ebay.
I'm sure there are reliable sellers of dehydrators on the market but just be very sure you have a reliable address/phone nimbler for them and check their returns/refunds policy to make sure it meets local laws.
I ended up buying an Excalibur and love it. It's worth it if you plan to dry lots of things. It is quite quiet - it can run in my kitchen overnight and I don't hear it in the bedroom which isn't that far away.
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Thanks Bonsai, for your very helpful comments. And good to hear how quiet you have found the Excalibur and how much you love it. Still trying to decide if I would use it enough to justify its purchase.
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I bought the 9 tray Excalibur without the timer. Tried it out, dehydrated cayenne pepper pumpkin chips, bananas, onions, pumpkin seeds, fruit leather and fruit and yogurt leather. Very happy with it.
I made room for the dehydrator in the kitchen. However it is to noisy for my small kitchen, so it has been banished to the garage. It sounds like a clothes dryer and it heats up the space. I am sure DH doesn't mind sharing his workbench :D