Customer Reviews

Nesco American Harvest FD-37 400 Watt Food Dehydrator

5 star:		(48)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Hi Folks I rcently had bought the Ronco dehydrator and I liked it except it wound up overheating and melting the trays so I returned it and bought this Nesco unit. Well I'll say this - there is a world of difference in workmanship. This is just great. I just ordered the 2 tray expansion and the Nesco Jerky Gun . I would recommend this product because of the quality and many years of experience Nesco has of making Dehydrators.

I love this product!

I bought this and the add-a-tray set for it, with or without the two extra trays within 12-15 hours I have dried fruit chips and great beef jerky.So far I've done 5 pounds of beef into jerky in one batch.I used a non-alcohol marinade of zesty italian dressing with added pepper, soy sauce, worchestershire sauce, and dried herbs on beef round and beef tip steak strips.I could have used far more pepper as I like zingy jerky, but even so the 5 pounds is going fast, it added up dried to enough jerky to fill half a gallon plastic zippy bag.For the fruits I used 1 TBSP Fruit Fresh to 1/4 cup honey and 1/4 cup water in a gallon plastic bag to pre-marinade the sliced fruit for 10 min. or less.I simply sliced bananas into chips and dropped in bag until I had finished 3-4 whole bananas then I placed each slice flat on trays till they were covered in 1 layer. I used the same recipe for every fruit. Blue berries I pre-treated by putting them in colander and dropping it into boiling water for 1-2 min. then ran under cold water to chill, I wished I had dropped them into ice water it would have worked better, or sliced the fat ones in half. they went into dehydrator for 15 hours but only the smaller ones really dried well, so I keep them stored in freezer til use to keep from spoilage, cutting the large ones in half they all would have dried well enough to be stored in bags or jars at room temp. The peaches and strawberries I cut into slices about 1/8-2/8ths inch thick dropped them into marinade bag and then onto trays 1 slice thick.I rotate trays at the 4 hr and 8 hr times so everything gets dried faster. I switch top trays to bottom and on up so botto tray becomes new top tray at 4 hrs. At 8 hr switch I consolidate the 4 driest trays down to 2 and put them on the bottom.I leave the base tray empty for a drip tray even tho you can use it for slices. I found that pre-oiling all the trays lightly with a mist or brushing of canola oil makes removing the dry fruits much easier and the light oil doesn't effect the final flavor at all. 2 large cans of pineapple wedges packed in its own juice from store using same marinade dried down in 12 hrs to 1/2 a plastic quart zippy bag and ran out the door attached to my Brother in Law as soon as it was bagged. I have already placed an order for peaches and pears by the bushel with my local fruit stand so I can dry them. 10 pounds of bananas have already gone with Hubby to work for break snacks instead of him hitting the candy machine 3 times a shift. Cleaning trays is fast and easy with a soft brush and soap and hot water, I don't have a dishwasher and I wouldn't trust the plastic trays in one except on top level without drying cycle.I have yet to find a dishwasher that does washing as well as I do by hand. I do put 1/4 cup bleach per full sink in my wash water for sanitizing items. Spraying the trays after washing with 1/2 solution of white vinegar and water then air drying them would do the same sanitizing that is so important in getting good dried products. I cover all the trays during drying with cloth to keep them from dust and flies between uses. WARNING: everything you make in this will fly out the door faster than any candy or store made jerky, so plan to make far more than you think you will need !!!!!

I most certainly would recomend this as a gift to anyone you know for holidays and birthdays !!!!!!!

I basically got this for drying herbs. People said it was loud, so I was kind of hesitant of buying it, but I'm glad I did. It's not loud and dries my herbs in about an hour.......

I have been dehydrating the OLD FASHIONED way for over 2 1/2 years many vegetables and herbs from our harvests. However, this year was a monumental humid climate and I couldn't get quick enough results to prohibit spoilage in my dehydrating projects. I did't want to spend much to try an electric dehydrator, and I liked the reputation of Nesco as I researched my options. I am VERY PLEASED with the results I have gotten. Yes, it takes a little longer than the instructions say to dehydrate, but I attribute that to the high levels of humidity currently in our climate and in our home. I have been able to bypass this problem with slicing the vegetables thinner than written in the instructions. I also like the flexible plastic design. I have some old thicker plastic dehydrator trays that I use for my OLD FASHIONED dehydrating methods, but they are so rigid that they can easily break if dropped. These Nesco trays are not like that. They have a proper give to the plastic to protect it from damage even if they are accidentally dropped, etc. I also like the fact that the low wattage is easily able to be managed on a power adapter that we have in our vehicle, if we have a limited source of electricity available. Overall, it is a GREAT BUY! I am very peculiar and have high expectations of products I buy. I buy quality things that I do not expect to replace. I usually have to pay a high price for that....but not this time.

With the rising cost of food in general, and huge leaps in the price of dried fruits, I ordered the Nesco American Harvest FD-37 400 Watt Food Dehydrator to take advantage of in-season sales now on fruits for dried fruits later, at holiday baking time. I'm not entirely new to dehydrating fruits, as I've done it for years in a low oven on cookie sheets. This machine, I felt, would enable me to dry bigger batches.

Since I am new to using a dehydrator machine, I wasn't sure what to expect. I read the reviews here at Amazon and was hopeful. It's running on my kitchen counter right now (with a batch of sliced red plums), and I have to agree with reviewers who have complained about the noise level. It sounds almost identical to stove or bathroom exhaust fans. Not ear-drum splitting, yet loud enough. I'd also agree with those reviewers concerned by how hot the machine gets. It'd be worrying to allow it to run overnight while you're sleeping, because at least mine gets pretty toasty to the touch. Someone in my family turned it off in last night after I'd fallen asleep.

Overall, I'd say it's just okay. I can use it during the day since I work from home. Not sure If I'll return it. Others have said theirs isn't as loud, so maybe I just got a not-so-great one? The heat is more of a concern on a wooden, butcher block counter. Glad I didn't order the 700 Watt one!

This is the first dehydrator I have bought, and, so far, I'm extremely happy with the purchase. I tried it this weekend and it worked flawlessly. Yes, it's not silent, but the humming noise didn't particularly bother me. I made Kale chips and dried a large batch of jalapeños, and both came out perfectly. They dried evenly even without rotating the trays, and faster than the recipe called for. I highly recommend this as an affordable, well-made product!

I have had 6 different dehydrators over the last 20 years. This model (Nesco American Harvest 400 watt) works well, but if you are going to use it a lot I recommend spending a bit more money to get one of the other Nesco models. The fan on this model is fairly loud and after time the heat started melting the inner portions of the trays. I now have the square model from Nesco and it was worth the extra money. The trays have more surface area, the fan is much quieter, you can adjust the temperature and the heating unit doesn't go down the center of the trays so they don't get as hot and don't melt.

Fast shipping! When I recieved it I was dissapointed, it was all plastic. But the first time I used it I really liked it! Made beef jerky in 6 hours, I only had to rotate the trays once! I am glad I ordered the extra trays. I was in awa how something so simple worked so well! I love it, very happy. Even better the beef jerky was great!

Just finished a batch of bananas and the dehydrator worked great. After reading the other reviews, one can really make informed choices, and getting this Nesco product is worthwhile. It does what it says and following the drying times makes for excellent results.

I believe the simple design, selling price and dried products are the best reasons to get one.

I received this item in great condition and on time, maybe quicker. It works very well...but, if you're planning on dehydrating various things, you really, really need a dehydrator with a thermostat. This one, to me, gets a bit too hot for most of the things I will use it for such as herbs and fruits. I got it primarily for drying my herbs, i.e. basil, oregano, rosemary and chiltepin peppers. I tried drying banana slices and it almost cooked them before they dried. They were so hot, I had to use a spatula to remove them. To me, that's about 130 to 140 degrees F. It actually heated the kitchen up (I left it on overnight) to the point where I may use it outdoors next time.

I already have it so I will attempt to use it. I've never owned one before so I didn't know all the specifics. If I had to do it again, I'd order the same brand (well built I think) but it would have a thermostat on it for temp control.