Showing posts with label installing a thermostat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label installing a thermostat. Show all posts
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Cheap GE Zoneline AZ61H09DAB PTAC Heat Pump Air Conditioner
This unit works well and is very quiet. It replaced a 10 year old model.This model is a upgrade. It is supposed to be more economical. I hope this unit will last 10 years.
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Buy Riverstone Industries Electric Fireplace Mantel Oak
Customer Ratings: 
List Price: $299.99
Sale Price: $289.47
Today's Bonus: 4% Off

The flames do not look as realistic as the photo. Heater does not put out as much heat as expected.
Definitely recommend it!
List Price: $299.99
Sale Price: $289.47
Today's Bonus: 4% Off
The flames do not look as realistic as the photo. Heater does not put out as much heat as expected.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
It is just the perfect size for our RV. And I put it together in about 2 hours... simple instructions,And it was delivered much sooner than I thought it would be with the holiday shipping rush!Thank You AgainBest Deals on Riverstone Industries Electric Fireplace Mantel Oak
It gives off good heat in the room. I am thinking about ordering another one for a different room.Definitely recommend it!
Monday, July 28, 2014
Cheap Honeywell RTH6450D1009 5-1-1-Day Programmable Thermostat
Customer Ratings: 
List Price: $69.99
Sale Price: $47.59
Today's Bonus: 32% Off

This is a nicely designed unit, and the instructions are easy to understand and follow. However, the product description is missing an important fact in that this particular model cannot accept a power feed from the system, and therefore REQUIRES the batteries to function. If your home doesn't have a system power feed, this functionality is of course irrelevant; however for those of us with this feature, other thermostats are probably a better buy.
As of January 2011, the following Honeywell and LUX products on Amazon.com have the ability to accept system power:
Honeywell RTH7500D Conventional 7-Day Programmable Thermostat
Honeywell RTH7600D Touchscreen 7-Day Programmable Thermostat)
Lux Products TX1500E-010 Smart Temp Programmable Thermostat
Lux Products TX9000TS-004 Touch Screen 7 Day Programmable Thermostat
I decided to go with this more expensive model-but I had reservations after having read some reviews and comments elsewhere where some people complained that the furnace was always on, or they were burning more oil or gas than before. . .
I found the reason--
It's called 'Smart Response Technology'
It's 'ON' by default if you do the quick DIY install.
To turn it 'OFF' you have to download the FULL MANUAL from the Honeywell site to see how to get into the ADVANCED Settings of the device. The pamphlet you get in the package is just your BASIC setup.
I bought the programmable Honeywell to control my oil usage and keep the furnace from heating the house in the dead of the night when everyone is in bed. And I would set the Program to turn the Furnace ON and reset the Temp back to 70 degrees at 7 AM. In short-The Furnace turns ON at 7 o'clock and in time, (20 minutes or so) the house gets warm.
What SMART RESPONSE does is uses an algorithm to attempt to get the house to the Programmed Temp BEFORE the Programmed Time. The result is the Furnace will turn ON an hour or more BEFORE the time you set to raise the temperature until it hits 70 degrees EXACTLY at 7 AM.
Okay-it's a nice, cute helpsy idea that I'm sure a Honeywell Programmer/Engineer is rightly proud of. Problem is, the Furnace is BURNING OIL when I don't WANT IT TO.
I didn't notice what the Thermostat was doing until late one night I was watching a movie real late-when I heard the Furnace go ON and STAY ON at 4:30 in the morning. And I was like: "WTF?" When I went to look at the Thermostat, it displayed: 'In Recovery Mode'
That was the Smart Response circuit attempting to ease the night-time temp back up to 70 degrees in time for 7 AM. Except that meant the thing was BURNING MY OIL AT 4 IN THE MORNING!! If I hadn't been awake, I would never have noticed this.
So disable "Smart Response". That way the Furnace only comes on when YOU program it to.
I have a forced air fuel oil furnace.
The old thermostat would turn on the burner and not turn it off
untill the air temperature rose one degree.
The problem is the burner heats the heat exchanger in the
furnace and the blower runs until it cools.
It would overshoot the desired temperature by 5 degrees.
This thermostat turns on the burner and turns it off even before
the blower starts. When the blower DOES start it blows over
a cooler heat exchanger. When the blower shuts off the
temperature is at the set temperature.
No temperature overshoot must mean I'm saving money.
PS: Backlit display (Push the left button twice to illuminate
the display without changing settings)
PS:4 programmable events each for Weekdays, Saturday and Sunday.
PS: Easy install... my setup needed only two wires.
After consulting Honeywell phone support and trying several things, I was told my unit was defective and to send it back to where I bought it.
The auto change feature is the main reason I purchased the RTH6450 instead of the RTH6350. Living in Tucson, AZ it's nice to have this feature in the spring and fall as you may need heat overnite and AC during the afternoon.
Update 2/23/12: I received the replacement unit from Amazon today and it works as advertised. I have weekdays, Sat and Sun to program and the auto function also was there when programming the unit. It would seem that the 1st unit that I received was mis-marked at Honeywell.
I have sent the defective unit back to Amazon using their return paperwork and mailing label that I did online. So...I'm not crazy...the thing was defective, whew.
FYI-I did all the programming of this 2nd unit, including the scheduling, while sitting in a comfy chair. All of the functions and schedules can be set once you put in the 2 AA batteries. Then after I was done, I plugged/pushed it onto the wall mount plate which I had already screwed to the wall and hooked up the wires.
Hope this helps.
List Price: $69.99
Sale Price: $47.59
Today's Bonus: 32% Off
This is a nicely designed unit, and the instructions are easy to understand and follow. However, the product description is missing an important fact in that this particular model cannot accept a power feed from the system, and therefore REQUIRES the batteries to function. If your home doesn't have a system power feed, this functionality is of course irrelevant; however for those of us with this feature, other thermostats are probably a better buy.
As of January 2011, the following Honeywell and LUX products on Amazon.com have the ability to accept system power:
Honeywell RTH7500D Conventional 7-Day Programmable Thermostat
Honeywell RTH7600D Touchscreen 7-Day Programmable Thermostat)
Lux Products TX1500E-010 Smart Temp Programmable Thermostat
Lux Products TX9000TS-004 Touch Screen 7 Day Programmable Thermostat
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
I had to replace an older cheaper Honeywell that decided it didn't know what time of day it was.I decided to go with this more expensive model-but I had reservations after having read some reviews and comments elsewhere where some people complained that the furnace was always on, or they were burning more oil or gas than before. . .
I found the reason--
It's called 'Smart Response Technology'
It's 'ON' by default if you do the quick DIY install.
To turn it 'OFF' you have to download the FULL MANUAL from the Honeywell site to see how to get into the ADVANCED Settings of the device. The pamphlet you get in the package is just your BASIC setup.
I bought the programmable Honeywell to control my oil usage and keep the furnace from heating the house in the dead of the night when everyone is in bed. And I would set the Program to turn the Furnace ON and reset the Temp back to 70 degrees at 7 AM. In short-The Furnace turns ON at 7 o'clock and in time, (20 minutes or so) the house gets warm.
What SMART RESPONSE does is uses an algorithm to attempt to get the house to the Programmed Temp BEFORE the Programmed Time. The result is the Furnace will turn ON an hour or more BEFORE the time you set to raise the temperature until it hits 70 degrees EXACTLY at 7 AM.
Okay-it's a nice, cute helpsy idea that I'm sure a Honeywell Programmer/Engineer is rightly proud of. Problem is, the Furnace is BURNING OIL when I don't WANT IT TO.
I didn't notice what the Thermostat was doing until late one night I was watching a movie real late-when I heard the Furnace go ON and STAY ON at 4:30 in the morning. And I was like: "WTF?" When I went to look at the Thermostat, it displayed: 'In Recovery Mode'
That was the Smart Response circuit attempting to ease the night-time temp back up to 70 degrees in time for 7 AM. Except that meant the thing was BURNING MY OIL AT 4 IN THE MORNING!! If I hadn't been awake, I would never have noticed this.
So disable "Smart Response". That way the Furnace only comes on when YOU program it to.
Best Deals on Honeywell RTH6450D1009 5-1-1-Day Programmable Thermostat
I needed to replace my fifteen year old thermostat for one which was easier to adjust and change settings if needed. I chose Honeywell as they have always gave great life and service. I am using this on a steam heat system only, so I needed to connect only two wires. I did leave the jumper in as directed in the manual. I did power off my heating equipment (very important) we don't want surprises. This thermostat has a large display which can be back-lit simply by quickly pressing one of the control buttons. I only needed to program morning and night settings, you simply skip over the times you don't want to program. When in operation it displays both set temperature and room temperature. I would have to say it is accurate within +/1 degree as I compared it with three other thermometers. I installed the batteries before I attached it to the wall base and did all setting and programming ahead of time. The batteries are easy to replace when needed as they fit in a flip out holder from the side, no need to remove any covers or remove the thermostat from it's base.Honest reviews on Honeywell RTH6450D1009 5-1-1-Day Programmable Thermostat
I replaced my RTH230B with the RTH6450D.I have a forced air fuel oil furnace.
The old thermostat would turn on the burner and not turn it off
untill the air temperature rose one degree.
The problem is the burner heats the heat exchanger in the
furnace and the blower runs until it cools.
It would overshoot the desired temperature by 5 degrees.
This thermostat turns on the burner and turns it off even before
the blower starts. When the blower DOES start it blows over
a cooler heat exchanger. When the blower shuts off the
temperature is at the set temperature.
No temperature overshoot must mean I'm saving money.
PS: Backlit display (Push the left button twice to illuminate
the display without changing settings)
PS:4 programmable events each for Weekdays, Saturday and Sunday.
PS: Easy install... my setup needed only two wires.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Honeywell RTH6450D1009 5-1-1-Day Programmable Thermostat
The first RTH6450 thermostat delivered to my home would not let me enter the "auto" system mode. It would only switch from "off" to "heat" or to "cool". The programming menu skipped over this function (#12, auto change) during programming of the unit. The thermostat, although marked everywhere as an RTH6450, behaved like an RTH6350. It only showed weekdays and weekends in programming (Along with the "auto" function not working, it also didn't separate Sat and Sun like it was supposed to, per the package and the instructions).After consulting Honeywell phone support and trying several things, I was told my unit was defective and to send it back to where I bought it.
The auto change feature is the main reason I purchased the RTH6450 instead of the RTH6350. Living in Tucson, AZ it's nice to have this feature in the spring and fall as you may need heat overnite and AC during the afternoon.
Update 2/23/12: I received the replacement unit from Amazon today and it works as advertised. I have weekdays, Sat and Sun to program and the auto function also was there when programming the unit. It would seem that the 1st unit that I received was mis-marked at Honeywell.
I have sent the defective unit back to Amazon using their return paperwork and mailing label that I did online. So...I'm not crazy...the thing was defective, whew.
FYI-I did all the programming of this 2nd unit, including the scheduling, while sitting in a comfy chair. All of the functions and schedules can be set once you put in the 2 AA batteries. Then after I was done, I plugged/pushed it onto the wall mount plate which I had already screwed to the wall and hooked up the wires.
Hope this helps.
Monday, June 16, 2014
Buy Bionaire Mini-Tower Ceramic Programmable Digital Thermostat Heater
Customer Ratings: 
List Price: $129.95
Sale Price: $128.96
Today's Bonus: 1% Off

Purchased at a brick and mortar retailer. Worked well for about four months. It almost went out in a blaze of glory when it shorted out dramatically and smelled like it was catching fire. Fortunately I was in the room when it happened and was able to unplug it before it did any damage.
WHAT I WANTED, A HEATER THAT WAS NOT BIG AND INTRUSIVE, BUT GENERATED, ENOUGH HEAT TO GET THROUGH THOSE COLD, COLD,
WINTER NIGHTS!! THE HEATER IS OF COURSE REMOTE, AND THAT WAS GREAT, I TURNED IT ON, AND THE HEAT WAS TREAMENDOUS,
THEN, I CHOOSE TO USE THE ROTATING FAN, THE HEATER WILL ROTATE BACK AND FORTH, LEFT TO RIGHT, IT'S GREAT!
LAST YEAR I FROZE, BECAUSE MY HEAT SYSTEM COULD NOT KEEP THE HOUSE HEATED, BUT KNOW I HAVE HELP!! I BROUGHT
ONE FOR THE BEDROOM, AND I GOT ONE FOR THE DINING ROOM. WHERE IAM THE MOST, ON MY COMPUTER, THESE HEATERS ARE
SMALL BUT, BOY THEY GIVE OUT HEAT, JUST AS IF THEY WHERE BIG STANDARD HEARTERS. ALSO, THEIR LESS ON THE BGE BILL!
BETTY PARKER
WARM & TOASTY IN MARYLAND
List Price: $129.95
Sale Price: $128.96
Today's Bonus: 1% Off
Purchased at a brick and mortar retailer. Worked well for about four months. It almost went out in a blaze of glory when it shorted out dramatically and smelled like it was catching fire. Fortunately I was in the room when it happened and was able to unplug it before it did any damage.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
I HAVE RECIEVED THE BIONAIRE TOWER DIGITAL HEATER, IT WAS PACKAGED AND ALL THE ITEMS WERE DELIVERED, IT WAS JUSTWHAT I WANTED, A HEATER THAT WAS NOT BIG AND INTRUSIVE, BUT GENERATED, ENOUGH HEAT TO GET THROUGH THOSE COLD, COLD,
WINTER NIGHTS!! THE HEATER IS OF COURSE REMOTE, AND THAT WAS GREAT, I TURNED IT ON, AND THE HEAT WAS TREAMENDOUS,
THEN, I CHOOSE TO USE THE ROTATING FAN, THE HEATER WILL ROTATE BACK AND FORTH, LEFT TO RIGHT, IT'S GREAT!
LAST YEAR I FROZE, BECAUSE MY HEAT SYSTEM COULD NOT KEEP THE HOUSE HEATED, BUT KNOW I HAVE HELP!! I BROUGHT
ONE FOR THE BEDROOM, AND I GOT ONE FOR THE DINING ROOM. WHERE IAM THE MOST, ON MY COMPUTER, THESE HEATERS ARE
SMALL BUT, BOY THEY GIVE OUT HEAT, JUST AS IF THEY WHERE BIG STANDARD HEARTERS. ALSO, THEIR LESS ON THE BGE BILL!
BETTY PARKER
WARM & TOASTY IN MARYLAND
Best Deals on Bionaire Mini-Tower Ceramic Programmable Digital Thermostat Heater
Simple to set up, small, and safe. Bought it for the 80-something mother-in-law's room. Push button controls on the unit, control it's operation and this is good as I hate searching for my mother-in-law's lost remotes (bad enough that I have to find her cane or teeth). My wife moves it to the shower for the 80-somethings comfort --so it is easily carried too. A little more money for this one but it is quiet, easy, more-safe, portable, and WORKS!Honest reviews on Bionaire Mini-Tower Ceramic Programmable Digital Thermostat Heater
I bought this for our boys room. I liked that it had a digital programmable thermometer. The one we had only had heat settings in increments of 5 degrees. I wanted to keep my sons room at 68 degrees so I bought this model. It goes on and off a lot and you can't see the temperature that it is set at unless you turn on a light. Next time I buy a space heater I want the display to be back lit. It is in our 4 month old's room now and it doesn't seem to wake her up (she's a heavy sleeper just like her brother. I've vacuumed and the dogs have barked etc. while she's slept since she was born). It keeps the room warm but it drives me nuts when I am nursing and it keeps clicking on and off every minute or so (even when the door is shut). It seems like it is wasting energy. I would buy a different one next time.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Bionaire Mini-Tower Ceramic Programmable Digital Thermostat Heater
I LOVE THIS HEATER... it does a great job with little space and is totally adjustable the heat is perfect and I find no faults with the design as it is almost impossible to tip... buy itMonday, May 19, 2014
Supco 43154 Programmable Wall Thermostat with Blue Night Light, 45 Review
Customer Ratings: 
List Price: $35.97
Sale Price: $32.87
Today's Bonus: 9% Off

The thermostat at my cousin's house would no longer recognize the down button. So, I looked inside of it and found out what the product number was and found this on Amazon. It was a perfect match and now the thermostat does everything like it should.
Problem is the actual thermometer inside the thermostat. It is having a great difficulty with the Hold temperature at my apartment. I set it to 71F, and once it reaches the temperature it turns off just fine. However, 30 seconds later, it shows that the temperature drops 2 degrees and kicks my HVAC in again. (And of course the temperature cannot drop this quickly). This throws off the circuit breakers on my HVAC, because they cannot withstand such sudden surge changes. My HVAC starts blowing cool air.
The problem is the construction of the thermometer. It is placed inside the unit (almost facing the wall), so my theory the temperature readings are not accurate.
List Price: $35.97
Sale Price: $32.87
Today's Bonus: 9% Off
The thermostat at my cousin's house would no longer recognize the down button. So, I looked inside of it and found out what the product number was and found this on Amazon. It was a perfect match and now the thermostat does everything like it should.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
The item is pretty simple to use, fairly easy to program and easy to install with a person who can read a manual.Problem is the actual thermometer inside the thermostat. It is having a great difficulty with the Hold temperature at my apartment. I set it to 71F, and once it reaches the temperature it turns off just fine. However, 30 seconds later, it shows that the temperature drops 2 degrees and kicks my HVAC in again. (And of course the temperature cannot drop this quickly). This throws off the circuit breakers on my HVAC, because they cannot withstand such sudden surge changes. My HVAC starts blowing cool air.
The problem is the construction of the thermometer. It is placed inside the unit (almost facing the wall), so my theory the temperature readings are not accurate.
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Comfort Zone Radiant Baseboard Heater - 1320 Watt, Model# 125121 Review
I considered giving this a 1 star but since it does turn on I gave it a 2 star. This unit has an automatic shut-off if it gets too hot. The problem is that if you turn this thing on it overheats in a few minutes and shuts off. The manual says wait 10 minutes and try it again.. Guess what it over heats again and shuts off.. I'm not even turning this thing on high. 1/2 way on the dial gets this unit to overheat and shut-off in a few minutes.. This heater is basically unuseable. A few minutes of heat is not enough heat to do anything.. I would send this back but the hassle of returning it is more than the money I spent on this.. My recommendation is don't buy this... I have a little 800 watt heater that puts out less btu's but at least it runs for as long as I have it turned on...
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Best Whirlpool 61006116 Heater and Thermostat Assembly Deals
Customer Ratings: 
List Price: $48.74
Sale Price: $20.95
Today's Bonus: 57% Off

Great Company to work with! Received the new Heater and Thermostat Assembly for my Maytag Side by Side Refrigerator, and both the freezer and the refrigerator are working just fine once again. Easy DIY replacement for anyone Just too bad that Maytag made such terrible products which require ongoing fixing. Installation was easy. The product work and continues work with no problems whatsoever. Im very happy consider the I was thinking the fridge was really bad, but after replace this looks like is going to give more years of service...
List Price: $48.74
Sale Price: $20.95
Today's Bonus: 57% Off
Great Company to work with! Received the new Heater and Thermostat Assembly for my Maytag Side by Side Refrigerator, and both the freezer and the refrigerator are working just fine once again. Easy DIY replacement for anyone Just too bad that Maytag made such terrible products which require ongoing fixing. Installation was easy. The product work and continues work with no problems whatsoever. Im very happy consider the I was thinking the fridge was really bad, but after replace this looks like is going to give more years of service...
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Whynter WC-16S SNO 16 Bottle Wine Cooler, Platinum with Lock Review
Customer Ratings: 
List Price: $215.00
Sale Price: $179.00
Today's Bonus: 17% Off

After reading the mixed reviews I decided to roll the dice and order this item. I could not find a 16 bottle fridge anywhere close the price.
The packaging was excellent, no signs of damage to the box at all (it came from Dallas to San Antonio).
The setup takes minutes. The handle does not come pre-attached but was easy to install. You can use it without. I don't currently have a use for the keys, but once I have children I think it will come in handy.
I read other reviews about it not being able to store white wine, which is not true, wine needs to be stored around 60F to maintain its life. White wine should be "served" at a lower temp which is differant. I don't think its a big deal stick a bottle of white in the kitchen fridge 30 minutes before I start drinking it.
Only had it a week but so far so good, it is very quiet and maintains the temp it is set too.
One thing to note when placing the cooler is to make sure you have the proper clearances to maintain airflow (2" on the sides and 4" at the back). I suspect this may have been a problem people with burned out fans/motors have had. This is not a "built-in" unit.
Happy to report that my lovely wife, who is the picky one, was very pleased with the design and finish of this unit. It cools down fast to the the supposedly ideal 58F and maintains the tempreture well. It's a couple of bucks pricier than some others but I'm not complaining. This is working out great for us and would happily recomend it. BTW, Amazon prime is the best thing ever.
List Price: $215.00
Sale Price: $179.00
Today's Bonus: 17% Off
After reading the mixed reviews I decided to roll the dice and order this item. I could not find a 16 bottle fridge anywhere close the price.
The packaging was excellent, no signs of damage to the box at all (it came from Dallas to San Antonio).
The setup takes minutes. The handle does not come pre-attached but was easy to install. You can use it without. I don't currently have a use for the keys, but once I have children I think it will come in handy.
I read other reviews about it not being able to store white wine, which is not true, wine needs to be stored around 60F to maintain its life. White wine should be "served" at a lower temp which is differant. I don't think its a big deal stick a bottle of white in the kitchen fridge 30 minutes before I start drinking it.
Only had it a week but so far so good, it is very quiet and maintains the temp it is set too.
One thing to note when placing the cooler is to make sure you have the proper clearances to maintain airflow (2" on the sides and 4" at the back). I suspect this may have been a problem people with burned out fans/motors have had. This is not a "built-in" unit.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
I bought this specific wine fridge because it has a lock. In order to be a licensed foster home, all of your alcohol must be locked away. It fits 16 bottles very comfortably inside and always shows the inside temperature in a nice blue digital light. I keep mine at the lowest possible, 51 degrees and it only seems to go up if I open the door. I like that there's room on the bottom of the fridge that can fit 6 bottles of beer laying on their side. If you're buying better beer (not miller/coors/bud) this is actually the right temperature to store it. We're brainwashed into thinking beer has to be ice cold, because crap beer does need to be ice cold in order to mask the skunked flavors. Anyway, the fridge also has an inside light you can turn on to display your wines. You have to put the cheap plastic handle on yourself, but I left it off. The lock is kind of a joke. The key is just a pentagon allen wrench. I think if your kid can uncork a bottle of wine, he/she can probably pick this lock with a screwdriver. Remember to keep it a few inches away from the wall on all sides or it won't get the proper air flow and you'll burn the motor out.Best Deals on Whynter WC-16S SNO 16 Bottle Wine Cooler, Platinum with Lock
We're aspiring but very budget conscious wine "appreciaters". Been slowly working our way up from 2buck chuck many years ago to Willamette Valley and even some interesting Chilean wines. Our 10 year old wine cooler finally had enough abuse and passed away peacefully a week ago and we decided to replace it with a compact countertop unit that would work with our 850 square foot apartment. We were tempted to get one of those very small "microwave looking" 12 bottle coolers but could not bring ourselves to live with something that tacky looking. Finally decided on a 16 bottle and after lots of indecisiveness went with this Whynter 16bottler.Happy to report that my lovely wife, who is the picky one, was very pleased with the design and finish of this unit. It cools down fast to the the supposedly ideal 58F and maintains the tempreture well. It's a couple of bucks pricier than some others but I'm not complaining. This is working out great for us and would happily recomend it. BTW, Amazon prime is the best thing ever.
Honest reviews on Whynter WC-16S SNO 16 Bottle Wine Cooler, Platinum with Lock
Very pleased with the unit. Had a Cuisinart that kicked the bucket after a year and was noisy to boot. This thing is ultra quiet and is terrific so far. Leave the handle off, it looks a lot better without it.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Whynter WC-16S SNO 16 Bottle Wine Cooler, Platinum with Lock
I've had this for more than a year now and it has done its job almost perfectly. Only negative is bottle size issues but almost all coolers have that problem and I just lay them in a different direction. Unit is not too loud and has kept wines at optimum temperature.Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Buy Excalibur Excalibur 5 Tray Deluxe Dehydrator, 1
Customer Ratings: 
List Price: $250.00
Sale Price: $186.99
Today's Bonus: 25% Off

This Excalibur dehydrator has exceeded my expectations. It makes great organic, "less sweet" fruit rollups and dehydrates cooked broccoli to a crunchy treat. It does make more noise than a fan so make sure to put it away from your bedroom if you will be running it overnight. Make sure to buy the Paraflexx sheets sold separately if you intend to make rollups. The recipe book is very helpful and quite extensive. I'm delighted with it and wish I had purchased this dehydrator sooner.
The first thing I tried was Kale chips. Since kale is a leafy produce it is a bit high so you have to take out three trays to fit which only leaves you two trays of kale (Which isn't very much). I guess you could squash another tray in there but didn't want to try that for my first attempt. Already I am wishing on the 9 tray.
Kale came out pretty good. You really need to try and get the leaves as uniformed as possible since the smaller ones dried first and the larger ones were still a bit chewy in spots. Obviously you could leave the larger ones in longer. The yield was nice size bowl but would really like to have done more.
I know for almost all the other items: fruit, jerky, veg's., they are flat and five trays will be enough.
Next, I tried beef jerky. The EXC did a nice job but again, keep an eye for the proper time. I did mine for 6 hours and it was bit tough. I prefer them a bit more chewy. And, London Broil was better than Eye Round. Still experimenting on "with the grain" or "against".
The I tried an onion bread. Was in there for 15 hours and was cracker like (which I wanted). The EXC did a nice even job on them. Now I am doing an apple fruit leather, apples, grapes and pineapple.
Cons: The one thing I didn't like was when I was doing the kale, I had one tray on the 2nd level, and one on the 4th level. I definitely had to rotate the trays (top/bottom)since the bottom tray had more moisture than the top. I also rotated front/back for the heck of it. I was surprised that the trays NEEDED to be rotated. This is why I took off 1 star.
As I mentioned, I wanted to give a first impression on this dryer and after I get more experience, I will give an update.
With the fan in the back, all of the fruit and vegetables placed on a single tray appear to be drying at the same speed so there is no need to rotate the tray from front to back, However, I have found that when I have all 5 trays loaded, I need to rotate the trays vertically. I move the top tray to the bottom and each tray up one slot. I usually will only do this a couple of times in a 12 hour period. As the fruit and vegetables get smaller from dehydration the air is able to circulate better.
The 5 tray size has been all we have needed so far but I could see a time down the road that I might have need for the 9 tray.
Yes, the machine is huge, much bigger than I thought it would be and it takes a good space of the counter in my mini kitchen. So plan ahead, for me it means no cooking while drying. When not in use make sure you have a lovely spot for it in some closet or move to a place with a bigger counter.
So far I have dried a variety of fruits, mostly apples, which all turn out to be delicious. Although it was already mentioned in the book (comes with the dehydrator), that Blueberries are not a good choice to dry, I wanted to try it out for myself. The result is don't do it, believe what's written in the book.
Veggies, like celery, carrots and onions are extremely flavourful when revived in water. I couldn't believe it. It's important to cut everything as equal as possible. If you don't have a machine and only use your hands and a sharp kitchen knife, that's what I do, check the trays often once drying process has started.
Since this is the first time I'm using a dehydrator I'm not able to say if this one is the best on the planet, but I can say that 5 trays is the way to go. They are quickly filled up and whatever you dry it lasts for weeks, so don't hesitate to go for more trays.
List Price: $250.00
Sale Price: $186.99
Today's Bonus: 25% Off
This Excalibur dehydrator has exceeded my expectations. It makes great organic, "less sweet" fruit rollups and dehydrates cooked broccoli to a crunchy treat. It does make more noise than a fan so make sure to put it away from your bedroom if you will be running it overnight. Make sure to buy the Paraflexx sheets sold separately if you intend to make rollups. The recipe book is very helpful and quite extensive. I'm delighted with it and wish I had purchased this dehydrator sooner.
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I wanted to write a review after immediately trying it and an then do an update (in the near future). I have had the 5 tray model (2500) for three days. I was hesitant about getting the 5 tray since everyone says it is not large enough and to get the 9 tray. Since I live alone, I opted for the 5 tray. It's a nice looking machine with minimal parts. The trays are a little flimsy but sufficient. I had heard a lot of people complain about the noise but I don't think it is loud at all. Maybe the 9 tray has a larger fan making it loud but the 5 tray is like a box fan on medium speed.The first thing I tried was Kale chips. Since kale is a leafy produce it is a bit high so you have to take out three trays to fit which only leaves you two trays of kale (Which isn't very much). I guess you could squash another tray in there but didn't want to try that for my first attempt. Already I am wishing on the 9 tray.
Kale came out pretty good. You really need to try and get the leaves as uniformed as possible since the smaller ones dried first and the larger ones were still a bit chewy in spots. Obviously you could leave the larger ones in longer. The yield was nice size bowl but would really like to have done more.
I know for almost all the other items: fruit, jerky, veg's., they are flat and five trays will be enough.
Next, I tried beef jerky. The EXC did a nice job but again, keep an eye for the proper time. I did mine for 6 hours and it was bit tough. I prefer them a bit more chewy. And, London Broil was better than Eye Round. Still experimenting on "with the grain" or "against".
The I tried an onion bread. Was in there for 15 hours and was cracker like (which I wanted). The EXC did a nice even job on them. Now I am doing an apple fruit leather, apples, grapes and pineapple.
Cons: The one thing I didn't like was when I was doing the kale, I had one tray on the 2nd level, and one on the 4th level. I definitely had to rotate the trays (top/bottom)since the bottom tray had more moisture than the top. I also rotated front/back for the heck of it. I was surprised that the trays NEEDED to be rotated. This is why I took off 1 star.
As I mentioned, I wanted to give a first impression on this dryer and after I get more experience, I will give an update.
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This is a great dehydrator that I recommend for all people who would like to save food in an economical way. The food is very, very tasty and also very convenient to use. Be careful of dehydrating onions though. I did and smelled up my house for weeks! The fan is loud and annoying to me but can't be helped. My kitchen is in the open right by the living room so we moved the dehydrator to a back bedroom and set it on a foldable table. That worked great until I did the onions and that stunk up the entire guest bedroom and I tried opening windows, washing bedding, putting out baking soda, and even coffee to try to deodorize the area. I also tried opening up windows and blowing fans--still have the smell. So, be careful of what you dehydrate.Honest reviews on Excalibur Excalibur 5 Tray Deluxe Dehydrator, 1
This was my first venture into dehydrating foods. After reading all of the reviews I made my choice to go with the Excalibur brand. I have been extremely pleased with the ease with which it works and the product it produces.With the fan in the back, all of the fruit and vegetables placed on a single tray appear to be drying at the same speed so there is no need to rotate the tray from front to back, However, I have found that when I have all 5 trays loaded, I need to rotate the trays vertically. I move the top tray to the bottom and each tray up one slot. I usually will only do this a couple of times in a 12 hour period. As the fruit and vegetables get smaller from dehydration the air is able to circulate better.
The 5 tray size has been all we have needed so far but I could see a time down the road that I might have need for the 9 tray.
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Based on previous reviews I decided to buy this model. I got it to have more control about what's in the food I eat and to take dried veggies and fruits for our camping and hiking trips. I'm not disappointed.Yes, the machine is huge, much bigger than I thought it would be and it takes a good space of the counter in my mini kitchen. So plan ahead, for me it means no cooking while drying. When not in use make sure you have a lovely spot for it in some closet or move to a place with a bigger counter.
So far I have dried a variety of fruits, mostly apples, which all turn out to be delicious. Although it was already mentioned in the book (comes with the dehydrator), that Blueberries are not a good choice to dry, I wanted to try it out for myself. The result is don't do it, believe what's written in the book.
Veggies, like celery, carrots and onions are extremely flavourful when revived in water. I couldn't believe it. It's important to cut everything as equal as possible. If you don't have a machine and only use your hands and a sharp kitchen knife, that's what I do, check the trays often once drying process has started.
Since this is the first time I'm using a dehydrator I'm not able to say if this one is the best on the planet, but I can say that 5 trays is the way to go. They are quickly filled up and whatever you dry it lasts for weeks, so don't hesitate to go for more trays.
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