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I feel confident in saying this Nesco Gardenmaster is a better quality product than the Excalibur 9 tray, both of which I have used. I first tried the Excalibur and quickly realized it took too long and was too cumbersome to be effective and needed a new thermostat after just three weeks. I found myself babysitting the unit, switching trays and drying only during the day when I could turn it off manually. The 9 tray I had did not have an automatic timer and was just a pain in the neck. I sold it on Ebay after two months. I ventured out into the world of dehydrating again after two long years of resentment. I tried the Nesco and was so happy I did. The digital controls offer exact results every time, the automatic shut-off allow you to dry at night without waking to adjust trays or check results.
The capacity is huge with the add on trays offered and the powerful fan dries the bottom tray equally as fast as the top. The top mounted motor keeps drips from causing a clean-up nightmare and the quality of food is excellent. I've dried fruits, vegetables, made pounds and pounds of jerkey and have experimented with some raw food "baking" which all turned out perfect.
I love the Nesco Gardenmaster and suggest you seriously consider it whether a novice or pro. If you are considering an Excalibur, I highly recommend the Nesco as I found it performed substantially better than the Ex,has design features to make your drying easy and fun, and costs about $50.00 less.
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I bought 2 Nesco American Harvest Food Dehydrators in 1974. One for me and one for my grandmother. They were used extensively for drying fruits and vegetables as well as making jerky. After 24 years, the plastic became brittle so I thought it was time to replace them. Because the original dryers worked so well for so long, I immediately looked for the same brand. I bought the Gardenmaster plus 6 extra trays because it is the largest model and I dry large quantities. Within the past 2 weeks how long I've had my new dryer I have dried about 8 bushels of apples. Since the tree is still full, I will probably dry that many more before moving into jerky season.
The only complaints I have seen on this dryer have related to concerns regarding "recipies" not listing exact drying times. As an experienced food dryer, I can tell you this is the same no matter which dryer you use. I would be concerned about any dehydrator that stated otherwise drying time depends on the moisture in the item your drying, humidity in the room where you have your dryer, and the amount of food placed on trays to dry. The apples I'm drying right now are VERY juicy so it is taking about 18 hours to dry 10 trays of them to perfection. After you have dried food for a while, you will be able to guess about how long it will take to dry a pariculy batch of food.
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This is a high quality food dehydrator that is simple to use because of the digital control and the top heater and fan. I wouldn't even consider a food dehydrator that does not have the top heater/fan. This one does not need to have the trays rotated during use and also heats to the recommended 160*.
I have had my Nesco American Harvest FD-1020 for a year and have used it so far only to make ground beef jerky, but I've given it extensive use for that. I cook the meat at the 160* setting for approximately 6 1/2 hours, but the amount of time varies by the ambient humidity. I set it outdoors to use and when in southern Arizona, if the meat slices are thin, 6 hours was sufficient. In Texas, I have needed to leave the meat cooking for 7 hours. I don't care for the smell of the cooking meat, necessitating the outdoor use.
For ease of cleaning, I recommend purchasing the clean-a-screen mesh sheets for each tray, Nesco American Harvest MS-2-6 Clean-A-Screen Plastic-Mesh Dehydrator Screens, Set of 2. Also, buy at least one additional set of trays, Nesco American Harvest Add-A-Tray for FD-1000, Set of 2. Buy a set of the mesh screens for each set of trays. Only a single mesh screen comes with the dehydrator. Do be careful to order the correct trays and screens for the specific model of Nesco deyhdrator.
I'm the type who wants detailed instructions, and the included instructions are poor. I finally had to dive in and give it a try when I didn't know exactly what to do. After experimentation, for the ground beef jerky, I use one packet of the Nesco Jerky Spice Works, hot and spicy flavor, plus a teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper to 1 1/2 pounds of 96% lean ground beef. It is easy to make the jerky strips using the Nesco BJX-5 American Harvest Jumbo Jerky Works Kit. For 6 lbs of meat, I needed 8 trays, and they were totally filled. Perhaps it would be better not to crowd the slices, but mine has worked OK and I want to make lots of jerky when I'm going through the trouble of making it. I store the jerky is an airtight container in the fridge or in sealed bags in the freezer.
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This is truly a set it and forget it machine. Since receiving the 1020 I have put it through many hours of dehydrating. It is quiet, Which makes placing it your choice and not determined by the noise level. I am very pleased that I chose a top heater and blower. I never have to worry about particles or drippings getting into the fan or heater. It has fulfilled my expectations and for me worthy of 5 stars.
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The first summer after moving into our new home, the husband and I found ourselves buried under a deluge of fresh produce. Some of it, such as the watermelons, cantaloupes, green and yellow zucchini, jalapenos, green and yellow peppers, and tomatoes (oh, the tomatoes!: Roma, Beefsteak, cherry and grape) came as no surprise, since they were planned, planted and grown in our very own garden. Most of the fruit, on the other hand, was wholly unexpected; when we purchased the house the previous spring, we had no idea that many of the trees in our front yard were of the fruit-bearing variety. The apricots, pears and apples (120 grocery bags full, for reals!), then, came as a shock. A happy shock, but a shock nonetheless.
With the threat of an overabundance of fruit and veggies looming, I hurriedly began researching methods of preserving the extras for winter. Canning struck me as intriguing, if a bit risky for a newbie like myself. Freezing, while quick and easy, brings with it the obvious space and energy limitations. Eventually, I decided that dehydrating the excess food was my best option: safe, uncomplicated and requiring the minimal upfront investment.
Enter: the Nesco American Harvest Gardenmaster FD-1020 Digital Pro Food Dehydrator. After quite a bit of online window-shopping, I finally opted for this make and model. A mid-range dehydrator, the Gardenmaster FD-1020 is one of the pricier models offered by Nesco, and yet it's still less expensive than those made by Excalibur (which, if the Amazon listings are any indication, is the Lexus of food dehydrators). All things considered e.g., price, customer reviews, expandability, accessories the Gardenmaster FD-1020 struck me as the wisest choice: suitable for my needs, without going over the top.
This is my third year with the Gardenmaster; in this time, I've used it to dry a variety of fruits and veggies, including tomatoes, sweet potatoes (for the dogs, natch!), all manner of jalapenos and peppers, apples, and even watermelon (looks like HuFu, yo!). My favorite use by far has been fruit leather (yum!).
Construction: Solid. The top of the machine (its "lid," you might say), which houses the heating unit and fan, is substantial but not heavy. The plastic trays are lightweight but durable; supposedly they're dishwasher-safe (ditto: the plastic base), though I haven't yet tested this. The Fruit Roll-Up Trays and Mesh Screen are (obviously) flimsier since they're designed for use in concert with the trays but have held up well.
Durability: Good I haven't had any issues in the two years I've owned it.
Ease of use and care: With its LCD display and simple design, the Gardenmaster is quite easy to use: push one button to change the LCD display from time to temperature and back again, one of two arrows to set each up/down, and a start/stop to start and stop the drying. (As long as the machine remains plugged in, the digital screen stays on.) Recommended temperatures for fruits, veggies and jerky (here defined as "dried TOFU") are posted on the top of the machine, which can run between 90 and 160 degrees F. Does it get any easier than this?
Clean-up is a bit trickier. Because the machine is so large circular in shape, it measures 15' across I have to clean the trays, accessories and base in a bathtub. (For serious, they don't fit in my kitchen sink!) The Fruit Roll-Up sheets and machine base are rather easy to clean just wash with a bit of detergent and a soft sponge but the trays, what with their closely positioned spokes, require some elbow grease and extra diligence. Air drying is the only way to dry them completely, and can take quite a bit of time and even more space.
Finally, because the machine is so large, it probably isn't the best choice for those with limited storage space. The Excalibur models seem more compact, at least judging from the photos available on Amazon.
Extras: When I purchased the Gardenmaster FD-1020, it came with two Fruit Roll-Up Sheets, as well as one Plastic Mesh Screen for drying herbs and other items too small to rest on the trays. If you're a fruit leather person and/or grow your own herbs, neither will be sufficient. Luckily, add-ons are available: extra trays, Fruit Roll-Up Sheets and Mesh Screens are all sold separately, and for a reasonable price.
I also received a recipe book and jerky spice packet, both of which have sat, untouched, at the bottom of a miscellaneous kitchen drawer since their arrival. (Beef jerky, yuck.)
Value: Not bad. Even at retail price, I think I've more than made my money back in the amount of food I've managed to save through dehydration (the value of my time excluded). Possibly I might have done just as well with a lower-end model, though the lackluster reviews scared me away from those in the < $100 range.
Overall: I'd recommend it!
...Though newbies on a budget might get just as much use of out a slightly less expensive model. Just sayin'.
