hello all! i've enjoyed cooking most of my life but had lost the feeling. i have found a new zest for cooking once again in this raw diet! i've only tried a few recipes but they are now staples in my diet. i began juicing many months ago and now i am out to conquer these delicious raw foods recipes.

i've seen the ronco brand dehydrator for $40. i'm wondering... is this too inexpensive? will i be angry i didn't invest more money? what's the most practical and effective dehydrator for a newbie cooking for two? any help would be appreciated. thanks!

I've had an Excalibur 9 tray Food Dehydrator for 12 years.
Still works like a charm.
They have gone up in price a lot.
The 4 tray model is $117 HERE .
The 9 tray model is $217 HERE



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/04/2008 05:08AM by warm-glow.

whoa! it's not bad actually. however, it's a huge leap from $40. can you tell me this? will a less expensive machine for a novice like myself be a disadvantage? i'm wondering if because it is less expensive it might take hours longer to achieve the desired effect as opposed to a better machine. i thank you for your advice!

The main requirement for a good dehydrator is that it has a thermostat to control the temperature and a fan to distribute the heat. Most inexpensive dehydrators just have a heating element at the bottom of the trays so chances are, you will still be "cooking" your food. I keep my Excalibur at a very low setting (<100 degrees) and everything comes out fine. I'm actually snacking on some rosemary/sweet potato crackers from my dehydrator as I write this... a worthwhile investment in my opinion.

Aloha Nui Loa,

Greg

A great many people think they are thinking when they are really rearranging their prejudices. - William James

There is no pill that can be swallowed,
There is no guru, that can be followed, - Michael Franti (Pray For Grace)

The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion. - Albert Camus

An inexpensive machine would be 4 paper air filters bungeed to a box fan with the food inside in the slats. Just air-dry on medium for 24-72 hours or until dry. Cool temps and better sanitation!

-David Z. Mason

WWW.RawFoodFarm.com

I live quite happily without a dehydrator. I'm happy with my food just as it comes

hey dlaw71...

i had the same problem...i do want to get a dehydrator but im torn between getting something cheaper and seeing how often i use it before i plunge ahead and get an excalibur...i'm moving to cali in september so i think i'm going to do it then.

let me know if you do decide to get the ronco and keep me updated on how it works? i knew there are some pretty cheap ones you can get at target

I have an Excalibur, but I've also has the less expensive dehydrators in the past. I use my Excalibur more, but that could be because I'm now raw and when I had the less expensive ones I wasn't eating raw. :-P

I've noticed that some raw foodists use the less expensive ones. I've seen them when they are posting recipes/pics showing their creations. So, other raw foodists are using them. I can't say whether the temperature is too hot for raw foods, though, since I can't recall.

Lots of love to you,

Wendi
XOXO

thank you all
what is the highest temperature the dehydrator should reach to keep in the raw food way?

Keep in mind that ANY processing of foods will result in decreased vitality/enzymatic activity. This is just my opinion. Just remember that the issue is less about a 'magic number' that is ok to process/dry food at, but rather the level of processing (or no processing) that YOU choose to allow in your food.

Check this out dlaw71:

[www.excaliburdehydrator.com]

-It talks about the difference between food temperature and air temperature in the dehydration process.

-David Z. Mason

WWW.RawFoodFarm.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/04/2008 05:40PM by davidzanemason.