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Checkout this great video which presents both Excalibur 9 trays and Tribest Sedona dehydrators.
Stöckli, the famous Swiss dehydrator brand (finally) offers in its catalogue a silicon sheet to dry more juicy fruits and fruit leather.
These silicon sheets are designed for all trays from the full Stöckli Dörrex dehydrator range but they can also be used for all other dehydrator models with trays equal or larger than 32cm in diameter.
These sheets are available on the Stöckli official webpage and on the french online store Simaco at a price of 14.95 € for 2 sheets.
The Tribest Sedona dehydrator looks very much like the Excalibur dehydrators. But looking closer there are many differences:
- all dehydrator controls are located at the top front and all buttons are digital: on/off switch, 99h timer, thermostat from 30 to 68°C (perfect for raw food)
- the door is clear so it's easy to check the drying fruits inside. The door is fixed to the cage and open like a conventional oven (useful compared to Excalibur dehydrator door)
- this Sedona dehydrator has 9 rectangular trays slightly smaller than the Excalibur trays
- the major difference is the 2 fans that produce a horizontal drying and allows drying in two separate compartments. These 2 fans are controlled individually, which allows you to only dry food in the top compartment for energy saving or to have 2 different temperatures in the 2 compartments
Currently, in Europe this dryer is only available for purchase on the online store Keimling for 399€ free shipping included. This model is also in North America.
For more details on the Sedona dehydrator have a look on its dedicated and detailed page: Sedona dehydrator
Compare this dehydrator with the Excalibur and Stöckli dehydrators and check out where you can buy cheapest Tribest dehydrator: compare all dehydrators
When you think about drying watermelon, you may think there won't be any leftovers because the watermelon contains so may water. But the result is stunning and really delicious. You need to cut large pieces of watermelon that you put on the dehydrator trays to have dried watermelon pieces you can remove from the trays.
Check more details about how to dry watermelon with a dehydrator.
First of all, we would like to wish you a Happy New Year 2011 full of good homemade dried fruits.
Dried rhubarb fruit leather
Rhubarb is not really used in your all day cooking but don't forget this nice and acid flavour fruit. We tried to do dried rhubarb and rhubarb fruit leather. Dried rhubarb pieces don't really taste good: they are too hard and have no more flavour but they look nice. On the other hand rhubarb fruit leather gives an unique and tangy taste that will please many.
Check out the dried rhubarb section for more information and pictures.
Your new dehydrator
If santa was nice with you and brought you a brand new dehydrator, here are some pages that will be useful. First step is to register your food dryer on our webpage for easier navigation:
Christmas is approaching and it's never too early to think about gifts for your loved ones. We present you with a large offer of gifts ranging from assorted dried fruits to dried fruits recipe books including of course a dehydrator.
For the greedy
A homemade gift is always nice, so if you already have a dehydrator you can make nice assorted dried fruits. In a bag or in a jar for instance, assorted dried fruits is full of colors and flavors. For Christmas the word chocolate is never far away, so why don't you try dried apples in chocolate. Follow the how to below.
Our how to for these gifts: How to dry your fruits with a dehydrator - Dried Apples with Chocolate - Assorted dried fruits
For those who want to try
The first step to dry fruits at home is to buy a dehydrator. Isn't it a nice gift to offer and/or to receive? You can find dehydrators for all budgets and all sizes. If you are unsure about purchasing your dehydrator, you can contact us for any advice. If you plan to offer a dehydrator, why don't you add a drying note sheet to keep track of all drying record or any kitchenware to prepare fruits and vegetables.
Our guides for these gifts: How to choose a dehydrator - Compare all dehydrators - Kitchenware to prepare fruits
For experts
To make the task easier, there are a lot of accessories and kitchenware useful if you have a dehydrator. Why don't you try the apple peeler that makes peeling and cutting apples easy. The mandoline is the most useful kitchenware for all those who dry fruits.
If there are not enough dried fruit each time your loved one dry some fruits, you can offer him or her some additional trays to increase the drying capacity: the accessories page will let you know which accessory is available for each dehydrator. The world of dried fruits also includes books that can make a beautiful gift.
Our guides for these gifts: Kitchenware to prepare fruits - Accessories for dehydrators - Books on dried fruit
Finding the right gift is sometimes difficult, for any assistance or questions feel free to contact us or visit our FAQ page which includes frequently asked questions about dehydrators and dried fruits.
Everyone has already asked the question: "How does a dehydrator work" or "What makes a dehydrator". To answer this question, we will have a closer look to 2 dehydrator, the Rosenstein and Söhne and the Excalibur 9 trays with timer, detailing all their elements.
The overall shape
The majority of dryers are:
- eighter shaped as a rectangular box like the Excalibur: trays are sliding drawers and because of the box, the number of tray is fixed and cannot be expanded.
eigther round with a trays stack like the Rosenstein and Söhne. It consists of a base that contains the electronics (power supply, fan and heater), the trays and a lid.
Trays
Their shape follows the general shape of the dehydrator. Excalibur trays are square and slide into the cage. Trays are most often plastic but for example Stöckli propose metal trays which have a smaller mesh perfect for drying herbs.
The heater and the fan
The primary purpose of a food dryer is to blow hot air over the trays and the fruit pieces. The hot air is heated by an electronic resistance and then blown by a fan.
In most electric dryer, the heater is only a wire shaped like a spring. The wire gets hot when powered and heats the air around it. Dehydrators can have a thermostat like the Excalibur which can adjust the drying temperature by adjusting the current flow in the wire.
To increase the efficiency of hot air, a fan is used to blow that air. Excalibur models have a big enough fan to be considered as ventilated dryers. On the other side cheap models such the Rosenstein & Söhne have only a small fan which is not optimal.
Settings
All dryers have at least a On/Off button. The more advanced models have either a thermostat, a timer or both. The thermostat controls the drying temperature. Models without a thermostat have a fixed temperature.
Timer is usefull to stop the dryer after some hours.
Additional photos
Excalibur:
Rosenstein & Söhne:
