HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE – MUST HAVES – Excalibur Food Dehydrator Review

I was introduced to fresh homemade jerky about twelve years ago. My friend’s husband used to make it and she brought it in for me. Eventually I was gifted an inexpensive little round dehydrator that I could make jerky and fruit leather with. I made my own jerky for a while. The round trays were a pain in the butt – things didn’t always cook the same and the trays seemed like an inefficient use of space. After a while the plastic spokes on the trays started to break and the meat would fall through. Finally the plastic on the outside of the round trays started separating. The whole dehydrator was falling apart and wasn’t even close to being air tight. Making jerky took so long that it was more trouble then it was worth so I stopped using it. We really missed having jerky for a long time, which is the main reason I was so excited when I received the opportunity to review an Excalibur Food Dehydrator.

Until a few weeks before my review I was not familiar with Excalibur. I had never seen them in stores. What a treat I was in for!

I received a 9 tray Large Excalibur, model #3900. This dehydrator has 9 large trays combining to offer 15 square feet of tray area! I know, wow! I have a room barely that big, seriously. It operates at 600 watts and has a built-in on/off switch, a 7″ fan and an adjustable thermostat. Unit dimensions are 12 1/2″H x 17″W x 19″D.

To use the Excalibur you simply place the items you’re dehydrating on the trays, set the temperature setting you want and turn it on. I set the oven timer so I know when to turn it off. I try not to open it to peek too often but my curiosity usually gets the better of me. The Excalibur is big and square, and is the size of some microwaves. Now if you’re like me, you may have only seen round dehydrators. I was curious why Excalibur’s food dehydrator was square.

About the Excalibur

The Excalibur is just about the only SQUARE dehydrator. Round dehydrators have significant design flaws that make them inefficient and slow. They’re designed for low cost, not high performance as the Excalibur is. They’re made to stack up in sections. They have a heating element in the bottom that can collect drips and spilled food. They usually have no fan or thermostat to regulate or circulate heat so temperatures can vary 50º from top to bottom. That means you have to constantly re-stack trays and “babysit” the machine. Each tray has limited headroom so you can’t dry tall items. And each tray has a “donut hole” which severely limits your ability to dry large items. It can take 10 times longer to dry foods in a round dehydrator as in the Excalibur!

When I first opened it I was surprised to see that the top, bottom and sides are solid and fixed, leaving the trays which slide in through the front like drawers. I love this. It makes the food so easy to load, unlike the round trays that stack on top of each other. Speaking of the trays, I love the large slide out square trays. They hold so much more than the round trays I’d used previously. They were so easy to work with (especially when I was peeking in there to see how things were doing) and seem much sturdier than the round ones.

What I love the most about the Excalibur is that it works quickly and reliably. I love the large family size. With nine trays it’s possible for me to dehydrate lots of one thing or several different things all at once, rather than having to make numerous different batches. Another great feature is the adjustable thermostat. With every round dehydrator I’d seen in the past there was no thermostat. Different foods should be dehydrated at different temperatures to ensure freshness and quality.

I have learned so much since receiving the Excalibur. I used to think that dehydrators were basically only for making jerky and drying fruit. I had no idea how many things you can do with a good dehydrator. My new knowledge came courtesy of a copy of a food dehydration book called Preserve It Naturally. This book is amazing – it contains everything you could ever want to know about food dehydration. It has chapters on fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, herbs, nuts, grains, dairy products, crafts, potpourri and more. Everything is explained clearly. I never really thought about some of the “quick” foods that we buy and eat. Since surgery one of the instant foods that we always have in the house is mashed potatoes. I can actually make these myself now. I think that’s cool. I can also make something my family (especially TJ) loves – potato chips. I can make my own instant soup and sauce mixes too. That’ll save me money at the store and they’ll have no preservatives either. The dehydrator turns out to be an extremely versatile appliance.

If you’re interested in learning more about Excalibur or their products visit the Excalibur website. Excalibur products are all made in the USA. The family run company has been in business for over 35 years and prides itself on producing green products and sets aside a portion of all profits to fund global outreach & education programs.

Excalibur offers consumer dehydrators starting at about $119.99. They also carry commercial dehydrators, spices, accessories and books on dehydrating. Products may be purchased online at www.excaliburdehydrator.com.  Excalibur has graciously offered to provide any of my readers that place an order an additional 10% off . Just use coupon code MB09 in the discount coupon box when you check out. When the order is completed, it will reflect your 10% off. They’ve also got some specials going on now where you can get some free items and free shipping.

You can also visit Excalibur Food Dehydrators on Facebook.

Check back soon for my homemade jerky recipe!

The product(s) featured in this review was provided free of cost to me for the sole purpose of product testing and review. This review has not been monetarily compensated and is based on the views and opinions of my family and/or self. Please note that the opinions reflected in this post have not been influenced by the sponsor in any way.