Presto 06301 Dehydro Digital Electric Food Dehydrator

Although I have a huge dehydrator that I bought from Cabella's, I haven't used it much because I never had enough to dehydrate to justify the cost of the electricity to run it. I recently got into growing my own herbs, and they became so prolific, I couldn't use them fast enough. I found this dehydrator, and decided, judging on the reviews, that it would be perfect for smaller jobs. My first project was to dehydrate basil leaves since my basil, which I grow indoors under lights, was exceeding its bounds. Since there has been some concern about the running noise of this dehydrator, I am initially including a video that you can hear the noise level. Personally, I don't think it is more than a hair dryer, but you don't have to listen to a hair dryer for 12 hours or more. Since I have a number of macaws, I am not sensitive to noise, but I have to admit that the constant noise did get to me after a while. It isn't unbearable and is much less than the larger dehydrator we have, but I may find a place for it that I don't have to hear it for so many hours. Even so, I believe this dehydrator will do the job for the smaller portions I want to dehydrate. I like that this dehydrator can be set up for one or more trays as needed, and that it has temperature and time controls. When the time set is done, it will automatically shut off. If you want to check food before the done time, you can press the off button to check the food and then press the on button to continue the dehydrating process where it left off. UPDATE 09/30/18: The more I use this dehydrator, the more I love it. I am growing so many herbs indoors that I can't possibly use them all before they get overgrown and the taste goes bad. This is particularly true of basil and parsley. With this dehydrator, I can easily dehydrate what I can't use and freeze them for later. Using this method, the herbs are still so much better than the jarred herbs you can buy in the store. I still plan to try the fruit leathers, and will update this review when I do. UPDATE 10/16/18: Tonight, I decided to try making the fruit roll ups in this dehydrator. It was so incredibly easy. We have a variety of different fruits that we buy when they are on sale and then freeze them. I have been using them to make smoothies, but I now have a new use for them. As I try more foods in this dehydrator, I will update this review and also add pictures. If you find this review helpful, please click on the helpful button. Tonight, I chose strawberries and bananas because the flavors go well together and both have enough pectin in them. I added an equal amount of each to the large cup of my Ninja food processor, and put the cup in the microwave to thaw the fruit. As the fruit was thawed, I added more of each until I had about 12 ounces.When using frozen fruit, you shouldn't add additional water, and since there is a lot of water in most fruits, most of it should be poured out to speed up the dehydrating process. Once the fruit was pureed, I poured it into the fruit roll tray and spread it evenly in the tray. I did use a spray oil in the tray as suggested, but next time I will use less or try skipping it. The instruction book says it will take 4-7 hours to dehydrate a fruit roll, and mine took about 6 hours, I did flip it in the middle to dry the underside more quickly. It smelled so good, I could hardly wait to try it. OH my, this is so yummy, I now have a new healthy snack for my family. The next time I plan to make 6 of them in different flavors. I have added a pictured of this fruit roll in the dehydrator,and one of what the fruit rolls looked like after I cut them. I must confess I ate a couple of them before I took the picture. My suggestions for fruit rolls is to use no more than 1 1/2 cups of pureed fruit, and make sure it is spread on the fruit roll tray as evenly as possible.

I bought this because beef jerky should be tough and hard to chew, not sugary and tender. I like sucking on it a bit before being able to actually eat it. I've made three batches and only the second one was bad, but that was totally operator error as I used a cut of meat that wasn't so great and didn't use the right temp. The flavor was good, but the pieces went bad much sooner than the first batch. My second batch is cooking right now and I'm watching the temp closer. I did not use the seasoning packets that came with it, yet (not sure I will). I used garlic, soy sauce, and Worcestershire, marinated it over night, let it drain a bit before adding them to the racks. Per the other reviews I did cover the fruit tray piece with aluminum foil and put in on the bottom before putting the racks on. Haven't had any issues with any drips (letting the marinade drip off for about 10 minutes probably took care of any issues that might happen to others), and I haven't had any issues with it overdrying anything based on where it is on the rack (center or outside). I do put thinner cuts on the upper racks so I can pull them off when done and let the thicker lower pieces cook longer. I have had no issues cleaning the trays. There is a on/off button that will stop it when checking it, but I just let it continue to run for the few seconds it takes. The time/temp can be adjusted while it is running. I tried to toast coconut in it, but it doesn't get it warm enough to officially toast it. It did try out beautifully though and was still tasty. Going to try toasting almonds later and see what that does. It is a bit loud, so I keep it in the laundry room. It is about as loud as my washer/dryer or a bathroom fan, so while doing laundry all day I don't notice it. My son wants to use it for drying pineapple, and once my apples are ripe I plan on dehydrating a lot of them. Plums too.

I am new in the world of dehydrating (been at it for about 6 months). I found this in my search for the solution to my kids expensive taste for Jerky. I took a leap or faith, per say, and purchased this and NEVER LOOKED BACK! My only complaint is completely on me.... I should have bought a bigger one!!! I am now making jerky for my entire family and taking orders from co-works and making cheap homemade healthy snacks for the people and animals in my life. I am considering buying another one in the near future just to keep up! My Chihuahua is very dear to me and I was concerned about the treats I was buying in the stores as the only ones I could afford were made overseas; Made in USA were just too pricey. ,(Don't get me wrong family comes first, but lets face it you have less control with pet food and my pets are members of my family as well) Well now he eats like a king! I can dehydrate anything for him! (except pork, you can't dehydrate pork safely from what I have read) I can purchase boneless skinless chicken breasts from the store or I go to a friend of mine and purchase raw organic chicken from her makeshift farm at a dirt price (a whole chicken traded for a live young chick) and 4 hours later I have heaps of treats at a fraction of the cost of the commercial dogs treats without any mystery or artificial ingredients, just chicken. I am now expanded into the fruit realm of dehydrating and now for my family and co-workers they get Jerky and fruit leathers (Fruit roll ups) to order. I have found the fruit leathers to be a wonderful project for the kids. They are learning to cook in a safe manner for their age, learning what tastes good mixed together and what doesn't. and the money I save from not having to throw out slightly over ripe fruit..... I wouldn't be surprised at all to find out that this machine has already paid for itself in 6 months! Functions: - Has digital controls for temp and timer. - Timer works 2 ways: - You can set it for 4 hours and walk away and the machine will shut off when the time is up. (set it and forget it!) - You can start the machine w/o setting the timers and it counts the time it has been on. - If you used the timer, a green light flashes when the time is up. So it is very easy to check. You can tell from across the house. - Temp ranges from 95 degrees - 165 Degrees - Timer goes into double digit hours. - Trays and lid are dishwasher safe on top shelf only, you must hand wash the mechanical portion. (but I used a fruit leather tray under the jerky trays to catch any drips and crumbs to keep the unit clean, and then I can just throw that in the dish washer also. :-), laziness is the mother of invention in my world.) - The noise it produces is simply white noise from the fan. I can place this in the garage or just in another room and I forget it's even on. 1/4 of the noise a box window fan makes by my estimate. - Mine came with 1-lid, 1-dehydrater, 2-fruits leather trays, 2-fruits drying trays, 5-jerky trays, and wait for it......... Instructions!!!! Please don't hesitate take the leap I did. You won't regret it!

I recently broke the Nesco American Harvest dehydrator that I have owned for many years. I dropped it when my dog tripped me. The model that I had isn't even made anymore so I started shopping for a new one. I use my dehydrator very often for a lot of different things. I know from experience exactly what temp I want and exactly how long to dehydrate things. The thing I loved most about my old Nesco dehydrator was the digital temp and timer and that is one thing I would not forgo in a new one. They are a bit more money but they are much more accurate. Most of the ones for sale these days don't even have a timer and the temp control is just a cheap dial. My new Presto 06301 arrived on time and in perfect condition. I have already used it a couple times and I love it. It works perfectly but it is a little on the noisy side. With the digital temp control and digital timer that's not really an issue for me because I get everything ready to go in the evening, set the temp and timer and go to bed. When I get up in the morning I know that my jerky or whatever I'm dehydrating is going to be done perfectly and I don't have to listen to it in my sleep. For the money this is an excellent product and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants precise temp and an accurate digital timer.

This is my first dehydrator, and I got it for the purpose of making my own jerky/beef sticks, as well as chicken treats for our dogs. I've been really happy with this unit for the four times I've used it. The temperature setting on this goes up to 165 degrees. Being a suspicious kind of guy, I figured the internal temperature probably never really matched the digital setting on the display, so used a calibrated probe thermometer to verify the accuracy of the dehydrator display temperature. To my incredible surprise, the digital probe thermometer read 164.9 degrees when the dehydrator was set to 165. This has given me an extra level of comfort when dehydrating beef/poultry for food safety reasons. Initial startup and setup was incredibly easy and basic. The six trays provided should be alternated based on trays that have or don't have tabs hanging off the edge of the tray, which read "This Side Up". As you get the trays oriented, slap some beef or fruit on the trays, put the lid on, set the time/temp, and hit the start button. Wait X hours and eat. On my first batch, I mixed the provided spice and cure packs that came with the dehydrator into 1 pound of 93% lean beef, and it came out pretty damned good after 4.5 hours at 165 degrees. I wouldn't add a star onto my review or knock one off based on the results of spice packs that come with any dehydrator, but It was nice that my first attempt was a decided success. If that's the only recipe I ever did with this dehydrator, I'd be very happy to stick with it. The chicken breast strips that I dehydrated were absolutely perfect. Keeping in mind that I am not a kitchen guru by any means, my unevenly cut strips dehydrated evenly enough that the end result was a major success according to the dogs. Knowing that I am feeding "the kids" 100% chicken with no preservative and foreign junk justifies the cost of this unit by itself. I've only dehydrated on the first four trays, so based on that experience, the dehydration seems evenly distributed and I haven't found a need to rotate trays to get an even distribution of airflow. I know that more elaborate models such as the Excaliburs negate this need altogether by supplying airflow horizontally, but this unit doesn't seem to have a negative effect from bottom --> up airflow based on my limited experience. I bought extra "fruit tray" solid platters separately so that I could keep one extra platter on the very bottom of the dehydrator to catch liquid drippings for easy cleanup. I haven't dehydrated anything marinated yet, so I haven't had to worry about cleanup on the bottom too much, but it sounds like a good tip. At the end of the day, I'd say this is the unit I'd recommend for someone getting into dehydrating. Knowing what I know now, the single most important factor for me is that this unit can actually reach 165 degrees. Almost every dehydrating recipe I've found on the net has concessions for the dehydrator only reaching 150-155 degrees. These recipes typically include "in-your-face" warnings about having to bake your beef/poultry in your oven before/after the dehydration process to ensure food safety. I didn't realize that when I decided on this unit, but I'm glad I picked this one for the 165 degree temperature alone. I am not advocating this product to be 100% food safe based solely on the fact that it can reach 165 degrees; I just like the fact that the higher temperature gives me an added level of comfort with regard to food safety. If you're looking to get your feet wet in the food dehydrating arena, I would suggest this product with high praise!

First, I dried a bunch of hot Habanero peppers. This machine is fantastic. Buy one. You will be impressed! I do have one problem with the directions for using too much cure with ground beef Jerky. I am experienced making Jerky with sliced meat, but ground beef was new to me. I made some ground beef Jerky last night. I see a problem with directions for the 2 sample packs of Jerky cure that come with the machine. In the directions for the Presto Dehydrators 2 sample Jerky cure packs, It is suggested to mix one pack with one pound of ground beef. (One pack includes Cure & Spices, separated until using). Most cures are like that. I don't know why. Maybe they react if pre-mixed. I had a little over two pounds of real nice freshly ground beef, so I put in both packs as directed. It turned out way too salty, but edible. Note: I mixed the packets very well, sprinkled it evenly on the meat, then I hand mixed the meat for a long time. Then I laid down strips with a "Jerky Gun". Using that is an art in itself! I suggest holding the Jerky gun at about 45 degrees and keep the nozzle touching the shelf while pulling the gun along as you go. You will learn very fast. Note: Jerky Gun is not included. They are sold separately. I bought the Open Country Jumbo Jerky Gun w/3 Tips: Open Country Jumbo Jerky Gun w/3 Tips I started with the 2-slot tip, but the home ground beef had some stringy stuff in it that collected between the slots and clogged it up. I ended up using the wide slot tip. It worked perfectly. There's also a round tip. Slim Jim's maybe? The drying process was perfect after 5 hours @160 degrees. The finished product came out semi-rigid but bendable, very much like regular Jerky. I was expecting "crumbly". I really like that dehydrator, and the cure is good but I don't think they did enough research using the cure with ground beef. I would like to suggest using one pack per TWO pounds of ground beef instead. I think that would work out just about right but I haven't tried it yet. The packs should work fine for sliced beef because it's just a soak and most of it goes down the drain. Lastly, the cure has good flavor. Photo attached. Update: I bought 4 lbs. of 80% ground beef. As I was prepping 2 lbs. with one set of cure (see above) I decided to go ahead and do the entire 4 pounds all at once. Well, everything worked out well until the end, when I noticed the "drip pan" was full of grease, and most importantly, some of the grease had run down the side vents and got all over the inside of the machine. Now I've got to clean it...... Note, I'm an electrician, so I'm comfortable doing this. If you are mechanical at all, you should also be able to clean it, but MAKE SURE IT'S UNPLUGGED! First, I removed all the obvious screws, EXCEPT the ones that are on the fan under the tin part. I studied it for a while and decided that if I cut slots in the white plastic where the red fan wires go through the main piece, I could stuff the 2 circuit boards backwards through the hole to get them out of the way so I can wash the parts in the left sink without getting the circuit boards in the dry right sink wet. The 2 cuts worked out well and will not affect the strength or design of the machine. The heater coil part was also afflicted with grease. You can totally immerse that part in the dishwater to clean it, but it must be dried very well. Mix the dishwater about double what you use for dishes. Yes, I know I killed the warranty. The photo below shows the cuts when I had the parts on the floor with a fan on them. What I have learned: 1). Don't do more than 2 pounds of ground beef at a time. 2). Keep the meat well away from the tray edges. 3). Don't trust your Butcher when he quotes ground beef percentages. (See Graph). Any questions? Just comment. I like to help. That's about it. I'm back in business again with a clean machine. I have another big batch of Habanero's to dry.

Super stoked to get this. Chose it because it was able to store smaller than its functional size. I don't know what I was expecting in that regard because it doesn't physically collapse. The trays just flip upside-down from in-use orientation to nest which I found to be neat. There's plenty of space inside. The base has useful cutouts for easy moving and space for the cord. It ended up being larger than I thought it would be, but it's not heavy at all. The noise, as others have pointed out, is quite noticeable. I just let it run in the kitchen while I turned up the volume on the TV. There's a digital timer and temperature control with a green light to indicate on/off. I tried some apples so far (at 135F, 9 hours, and 1/4" thickness it ended up somewhere between an apple ring and an apple chip) and am eager to try other yummies!

Update after 1 1/2 years of moderate usage: this dehydrator continues to perform very well. I purchased a couple of extra trays and screens as well as a tray for fruit leather. NOTE: I find the fruit leather tray extra useful as I put it in the very bottom tray to catch any stray bits or drips, then stack the other loaded trays on top of that. I am doing a lot more dehydrating this summer, so I just ordered a second one of this wonderful dehydrator. Original post: After reading about using a food dehydrator to make “sun dried” tomatoes (which I usually do in my oven), I spent a couple of days reading about dehydrators online and getting an idea which were the best for home use. After also reading reviews on Amazon for those reputed to be better choices I chose this dehydrator along with 2 extra regular drying screens for the unit. Knowing that it was finally time to be able to harvest a good crop of Roma tomatoes from my garden I was glad when this dehydrator unit arrived. I prepared the base and screens for use (ran the screens through my dishwasher on a short cycle), and then loaded it up with slices of the tomatoes. Turned the slices over once and rotated the screens at the same time, about half way through the drying process. This morning I gathered the dehydrated slices for storage, then washed screens in dishwasher and reloaded with more tomato slices. Easy process from start to finish. The lid is clear making it easy to do visual checks. The size of the drying trays are generous. When running, the unit sounds like my tower fan, so not annoying. Setting temperature and timer are quite simple. The trays fit together very nicely for usage, and then can be restacked in a very compact manner for space saving storage. The booklet that comes with the unit is helpful. I am a little disappointed in the “Classic Jerky Spice” packet that comes with the dehydrator as the ingredients listed are mainly sugar, brown sugar and maple sugar, plus a few preservatives. Ugh! That, however, is inconsequential. All in all, I am very well pleased with this unit so far. If I encounter any problems down the road I will amend my review, but this unit seems to be well made and easy to use at this point.

Great product. Have been using it consistently for last 15 days since I got it. Only problem, it runs on 110 Volts and required an additional expenditure of a Step Down Transformer for India

Funciona perfecto!! Frutas y verduras deshidratadas son lo mejor!! Si están buscando un deshidratador no tan caro y que funcione bien, ésta es la opción!!

Tras unos meses de uso tengo que decir que el deshidratador se ha convertido en un electrodoméstico indispensable en nuestro hogar, hemos deshidratado frutas, verduras y hasta chiles, todo queda siempre excelente y la factura de la electricidad no ha aumentado apenas . A todos nos encanta y disfrutamos mucho de los resultados. Además es fácil de limpiar.

es un producto de fácil uso y muy efectivo

This is my first dehydrator so please keep this in mind when reading my review. Pros - you can make jerky with this and it is digital controlled temperature -making healthy dog treats is a snap -great for dehydrating herbs like cilantro...the stuff that you buy in the store that goes bad soon and you throw out 90% of -amazing for prepping for camping or long term storage -comes with 2 fruit roll up trays -comes with 2 inserts for foods that can fall through the regular tray -comes with 2 sets of spice for jerky and a great instruction manual -breaks down to half the size for storage -easy to use Con - This is where my inexperience comes in. I am not sure if all the dehydrators make the same amount of fan noise. Was expecting some but did not think it would be like that. Ended up setting it up down stairs as I am a bit sensitive to this kind of noise. In general i am quite satisfied with spending a few more $$ and getting a good unit with digital temp control. The standard ones with one temperature limit you a lot. Update feb 2020 I use this in bursts. I like it quite a bit. Very useful for camping. It gets stolen on me...alot... by my mom and neighbors wife.