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Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 703
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OP
Campfire Regular
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 703 |
I was looking at getting an Excalibur food dehydrator for drying fruits and vegetables but, primarily be used for making jerky.
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 15,680 Likes: 3
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 15,680 Likes: 3 |
Drying rack next to a woodstove
Z
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 3,774
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,411 Likes: 3
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,411 Likes: 3 |
I've using the Cabelas Pro Grade for about 15 years, still purring.
To preserve liberty it is essential that the whole body of people always possess arms and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them.-Richard Henry Lee
Endowment Member NRA, Life Member SAF-GOA, Life-Board Member, West TN Director TFA
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,701
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,701 |
I’ve been using a friend’s old Magic Aire II for years and years. I finally decided to get my own. They are a discontinued item, but EBay had some listed. Now I have 2of my own. Very easy to use. Very easy to clean.
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Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 1,833
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Apr 2012
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 9,743 Likes: 15
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 9,743 Likes: 15 |
Drying rack next to a woodstove
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Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 17,143 Likes: 4
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 17,143 Likes: 4 |
The GF suggested getting a freeze dryer? $3k.
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Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 34,240 Likes: 2
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 34,240 Likes: 2 |
Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Give a man a welfare check, a forty ounce malt liquor, a crack pipe, an Obama phone, free health insurance. and some Air Jordan's and he votes Democrat for a lifetime.
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Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 39,117 Likes: 23
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 39,117 Likes: 23 |
Nesco Snackmaster from Fleet Farm. Like 100 bucks.
Me
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Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 12,031 Likes: 2
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 12,031 Likes: 2 |
Emeril Legassie's. He has pretty women in his commercials.
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Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 348
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 348 |
The excalibur is worth the money, can do so many more things in it besides just make jerky. My wife even makes her own yogurt in ours. Does a much better job of drying and dehydrating than the cheap ones. On a side note about the freeze dryer, a friend of mine has one and honestly there isn't much that comes out of it that I would eat. It does an ok job on freeze drying vegetables but unless you are trying to save weight to pack them somewhere home pressure canned in jars has a lot better taste. He does all kinds of stuff and I have tried most of it and I guess if I were starving it would make a turd but that's about all I can say for it.
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Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 2,386 Likes: 1
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 2,386 Likes: 1 |
Wife loves her Excalibur.
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Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 34,240 Likes: 2
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 34,240 Likes: 2 |
My 9 tray Excalibur even when loaded to the nuts with jerky requires no rotating or any other such nonsense that is often required by the cheap ones.
Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Give a man a welfare check, a forty ounce malt liquor, a crack pipe, an Obama phone, free health insurance. and some Air Jordan's and he votes Democrat for a lifetime.
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 16,076
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 16,076 |
LEM Big BiteI used one of the cheap, WalMart dehydrators for years. It died and I bought another. A few years ago, I finally bit the bullet and bought this model with the stainless steel racks. My only gripe with it is that it did not come with a drip tray. At the time I bought it, they did not offer one. Today, I see they now sell a drip tray for it, so I just ordered one. Why it doesn't just come standard with one bewilders me. I hated lining the bottom with aluminum foil. Short of that, it is awesome! I can fit an entire deer on it to dry assuming it wasn't an exceptionally large deer.
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Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 19,009
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 19,009 |
An old white round American Harvester.
Prolly came from the Walmarks some 20 yrs ago.
No frills. Does the job.
Bought another from a yard sale for the trays.
I run 2x the trays on it.
Dave
�The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely to be the one who dropped it.� Lou Holtz
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 3,774
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 3,774 |
Harvest Rights have come down in price(about 2.5K for the medium). This is the model that you want to be. They do a fantastic job if you know how to run them. The key is that you have to keep the oil in the pump clean. We do a tremendous amount of fruit- three loads per week. We also do meats that are low in fat. We have a Presto dehydrator for mushrooms and a LEM 10 tray stainless for jerky and meat. The secret to the LEM is making sure that you rotate the trays. We have been slowly putting together preps so we would be fine if we have 6 months to a year without going to grocery store. We have basic subsistence for two years but we have what we generally eat for about 4 months.
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 16,076
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 16,076 |
Harvest Rights have come down in price(about 2.5K for the medium). This is the model that you want to be. They do a fantastic job if you know how to run them. The key is that you have to keep the oil in the pump clean. We do a tremendous amount of fruit- three loads per week. We also do meats that are low in fat. We have a Presto dehydrator for mushrooms and a LEM 10 tray stainless for jerky and meat. The secret to the LEM is making sure that you rotate the trays. We have been slowly putting together preps so we would be fine if we have 6 months to a year without going to grocery store. We have basic subsistence for two years but we have what we generally eat for about 4 months. I’ve never needed to rotate trays on the LEM. Set timer for 8 hours and all is done.
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Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 45,179 Likes: 16
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 45,179 Likes: 16 |
An old white round American Harvester.
Prolly came from the Walmarks some 20 yrs ago.
No frills. Does the job.
Bought another from a yard sale for the trays.
I run 2x the trays on it. I'm like this guy ^^^ but I also have an old Mr Coffee one that might get some use this year. Both are likely well past 15 years and the American Harvester gets used every year, multiple loads. OP, how much are you planning on doing? I just bought a 27lb box of apples to go with the 10+ lbs a friend donated me. 1/2 will likely be dried, the rest turned into applesauce and pic filling. It's made plenty of jerky too. If the 4 trays that come with it are not enough, get add on trays for it, I did.
The desert is a true treasure for him who seeks refuge from men and the evil of men. In it is contentment In it is death and all you seek (Quoted from "The Bleeding of the Stone" Ibrahim Al-Koni)
member of the cabal of dysfunctional squirrels?
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 16,076
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 16,076 |
Quick tip: Spray your racks with Pam before drying jerky. It sure makes cleanup easier!
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