by: Susan Gast / Author, Blogger at Beesville Books, Bored Boomers, and a Food Dehydrating Fanatic!
Thanks for checking out this Podcast Difference Between Nesco and Excalibur Dehydrators
Head on over to our Podcast Host to see a list of all our Easy Food Dehydrating episodes... or go to our hub page on this site. Please note that for your convenience, the episodes on our site contain the Podcast transcripts, too!
00:07
Hello and welcome to Easy Food Dehydrating, the show that teaches you how to safely dehydrate and store fresh (or frozen) fruits and vegetables, along with cooked meats. I’m your host, Susan Gast.
00:23
Hi there, Susan here, and today's episode explains the differences between the Nesco and Excalibur starter model dehydrators.
Aren’t all food dehydrators the same?
The aim of a food dehydrator is simple: dry food. Period end. But is one dehydrator better than another? In today’s episode, I’ll list the differences between my round Nesco dehydrator, and my square Excalibur dehydrator.
00:55
It’s been pointed out that many dehydrators only produce heat to 160°F. Yet you need 165°F to kill salmonella, but when curing meats such as cured country hams, they are ready to eat after being cured and aren’t heated to 165°F to kill salmonella. Why? Because water activity and salt control bacterial growth.
NOTE: Use our Fahrenheit to Celsius converter HERE.
When using a dehydrator, we use low-heat (hotter for meats, lower for fruits and vegetables) and we use PRECOOKED meats for dehydrating for that reason. Salmonella-safety!
01:36
An Amazon reviewer posted:
“The USDA specifies temperatures and times for killing Salmonella from 151°F for 41 seconds to 157°F for 10 seconds. Lethality to microorganisms isn't a simple measure of temperature but a combination of temperature and time. I am very confident that a temperature of around 160°F for the hours it takes to process meats is very effective at eliminating Salmonella.”
02:15
Nesco Dehydrator starter model
Now, I love these round Nescos because you can add as many trays as you like! BUT be sensible. There’s no point in stacking 15 trays… there’s only so much a heat-circulating fan can do! Aim for no more than 8 trays max. I joke that we’re not building the Leaning Tower of Pisa here, but they claim you can use up to 12 trays with this model.
02:44
The air-circulating fan is in the lid and it's easy to keep clean! My particular Nesco is an FD-75A model called a Snackmaster Pro and it’s suitable for snacks, fruit, and beef jerky. It has a light grey speckled body and the lid has an embedded handle that you can lift up and fold down. But a warning: There IS NO on/off switch. Merely plugging it in starts the fan. I don’t like that. What if your hands are a bit damp? So, to get around that scenario, I have a small outlet strip that has a switch on it.
03:22
So, the dehydrator is plugged into that, and I turn the dehydrator on and off using the outlet strip’s on/off button. But also, if you wish to have it come on, and go off at a specific time, get one of those lamp timers that plug in, so you can simply plug your dehydrator into that, then plug the timer into the wall outlet (or the strip outlet) and you’ll be good to go. Now you can get to work on other stuff without wondering if you forgot to turn it on… or off!
03:50
When I expanded from four trays, I purchased additional trays online and the color matched perfectly. JUST NOTE: Just make sure that you are ordering the correct diameter trays for your specific Nesco Snackmaster!
04:06
The FD-79 is very similar to the FD-75A with the upgrade of there being a built-in timer! This model says it can handle up to 12 trays. It also comes with two Clean-a-Screens t(hey are the mesh screens) and two Fruit Roll (solid) sheets… and a sample of Jerky Seasoning and Cure and a recipe! This is a ‘good buy’ in my humble opinion for fifteen bucks more than my FD-75A model.
04:37
One of the more expensive Nescos is an FD-1018A Gardenmaster Pro. It’s got a higher wattage than the previous models I mentioned. And, get this, it claims to be able to handle up to 30 trays! So with that being said, it comes with more accessories: 8 fruit roll solid sheets, 8 mesh screens, and a Jerky Spice Pack with Cure and the recipe/instruction book.
05:03
Let’s talk about the
Nesco Accessories
Nesco has solid sheets and mesh sheets. Why use those?
* Keep your trays clean(er)
* Keeps your smaller dried pieces of food from falling through
* Solid sheets are great for ‘runny’ fruit leathers and tomato sauce
05:26
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06:10
Let’s talk now about the
Excalibur Dehydrator starter model
These models come in various sizes. The starter model has four trays.
The 4-tray model’s front ‘flap’ is lifted upwards for easy removal and the trays slide out like a chest of drawers. Its fan is at the rear. Even though ALL dehydrator brands may claim you don’t have to rotate the trays, I beg to differ. Foods closest to the fan are bound to dry out faster than food farther away. That makes sense, right? That’s why I harp on about ‘rotate your trays.’ It’s not hard to do.
06:49
If the food you’re dehydrating has a projected dehydrating time of say, six hours, rotate the trays every two hours. So ROTATE trays whatever brand you're using.
Excalibur has many models and their 9-tray model has a 26-hour timer with auto shut-off and temperature settings. It comes with a flexible poly-screen insert but that’s about it! It looks like its front access flap snaps on and off, but I’m only guessing here as I don’t have that model.
07:22
Excalibur Accessories:
Excalibur has solid sheets and mesh sheets, too. For the same reason as Nesco:
* Keep your trays clean(er)
* Keeps your smaller dried pieces of food from falling through
* Solid sheets for ‘runny’ fruit leathers and tomato sauce
.
07:37
Handy bonus:
The Excalibur’s design allows you to proof bread! (Probably NOT designed for that but many folks do it!)
Here’s how:
* Remove the bottom tray.
* Leave the 2nd from the bottom tray in.
* Remove the top two trays.
* Beneath the lower tray, add a shallow foil pan of water.
* Stick your bread on top of the sole tray and put the dehydrator on a low heat setting.
So there you have it, a bonus bread-proofing use for an Excalibur dehydrator!
08:12
There is not a “timer” on this specific 4-tray starter model, but if you wish to invest a few more bucks, then treat yourself to a model that has one that’s built-in. That way, you can leave the house and not worry that you forgot to turn off your dehydrator!
08:26
I hope you enjoyed these Nesco and Excalibur dehydrator differences podcast, and I’ll see you next week where I'll tell you more about Mylar bags and their specific job in terms of long-term food storage!
Bye for now!
But, before I go, If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it with other people whom you think might like it too! Thanks a lot.
08:53
Closing:
Thanks for listening to the Easy Food Dehydrating podcast.
Visit Easy-Food-Dehydrating.com for much more information on how to dehydrate food and the best way to safely store it.
Head on over to our Podcast Host to see a list of all our Easy Food Dehydrating episodes... or go to our hub page on this site. Please note that for your convenience, the episodes on our site contain the Podcast transcripts, too!
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I show you how to keep your food pantry full, whatever the reason or season!
AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE: I am an Affiliate for Amazon, and other sellers of quality merchandise.
Should you purchase an item through their links, I may receive compensation. The price you pay does not increase.
THANKS for your support! Read full disclosure here.
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