This compact, budget-friendly dehydrator is ideal for anyone who wants to start dehydrating fruits, vegetables, herbs, meats, and pet treats.
Why Did I Buy a Dehydrator?
My food-related reason for buying a dehydrator was to save money by making healthy, money-saving snacks. But I would be remiss if I didn’t admit that the main reason for my purchase was simply out of curiosity. In other words, I was curious to know how hard it could be to dehydrate foods.
While dehydrating is easy, I quickly learned that the process of dehydrating foods is not a fast method. Patience is a virtue. For example, dehydrating apples to make apple chips could take between 6 to 8 hours. And yes, you can drive to a store and buy a bag of dehydrated apple chips, but most have preservatives. Foods dehydrated at home are preservative free, low calorie, and less expensive than buying a 3.4 ounce bag of apple chips for $7.19 at my local grocery store.
Why Did I Select the Elite Gourmet Food Dehydrator?
In addition to some solid recommendations, truth be told, I selected this model because I liked the round design of the Elite Gourmet Food Dehydrator. It immediately caught my attention, and I thought it would look fun on my kitchen island. I paid $51.99 on Bedbathandbeyond.com.
Here are some quick facts about the Elite Gourmet Dehydrator, (Model EFD319X):
:: 5 BPA-free trays allow you to dry more food at one time
:: Offers 350 watts of drying power
:: Air flow forces hot air up into the 5 trays so no manual tray rotation is required
:: Adjustable control from 95-158°F makes it ideal for a variety of foods
:: Features overheating protection for safety
:: Trays are top rack dishwasher-safe
How Does a Dehydrator Work?
A dehydrator removes moisture from food to preserve the nutrients and enhance the natural flavor and texture. In the process of removing the moisture, it prevents the growth of bacteria which significantly increases the shelf life of the dehydrated food.
Make Delicious, Nutritious and Low-Carb Snacks
With the Elite Gourmet Food Dehydrator, you can easily make dried fruits, vegetable chips, and meat jerky, providing healthy snacks free from added sugars, preservatives, and additives. Dehydration has long been relied upon to create a food supply with a long shelf life. The process of preserving food retains the nutrients.
The Elite Gourmet Food Dehydrator has certainly reduced the number of processed snacks in our house. Here are some foods we love to dehydrate:
:: Apples
:: Bananas
:: Basil
:: Carrots
:: Chickpeas
:: Cranberries
:: Herbs
:: Kale
:: Mangos
:: Meat – Beef, chicken, turkey
:: Parsley
:: Peppers
:: Pineapples
:: Strawberries
:: Sweet potatoes
:: Zucchini
In addition to fruit and vegetable chips, and jerky, you can also create healthy fruit leather rolls, fruit bars, granolas, and trail mix. I love apple chips, so I add a sprinkle of cinnamon before dehydrating. For meats, you can add any spices you like.
Tip: Since I know that it takes a very long time to dehydrate foods, I prep my weekly snacks on Sunday afternoons, so our healthy, preservative-free snacks are ready for the week. Homemade beef and turkey jerky is tastier and healthier than any I have bought in a store.
Dehydrator for Pet Snacks
Have you looked at the terrible ingredients in pet snacks these days? And if you buy all-natural snacks, have you noticed the high price? Well, with the Elite Gourmet Food Dehydrator, we make our own dog chews and treats. With simple ingredients like carrots, chicken, and sweet potatoes, the dried snacks are healthy, preservative-free and from what I can interpret from our dogs’ continually begging for more, the results are delicious as well.
Dehydrator For Crafts
The Elite Gourmet Food Dehydrator makes a fun tool if you like to do crafts. You can dry flowers, fruit, potpourri, and dough crafts. Dried fruits like lemons, limes, and oranges along with flowers can make natural garlands, ideal for any occasion. Fragrant potpourri can be as simple as mixing the dried fruits that you dry in this dehydrator with essential oils and spices.
Adjustable Temperatures and Even Heat Distribution
The Elite Gourmet Food Dehydrator comes with an adjustable temperature ranging from 95°F to 158°F that dehydrates foods at their optimal temperature. The horizontal airflow provides even heat distribution, thanks to a base-mounted fan. The Owner’s manual provides the recommended drying temperatures and drying times based on each specific food item. Tip: Cut the fruit, vegetable, and meat slices uniformly to promote even drying.
Clear Round Design
The clear view lid allows us to monitor the food dehydration process on all five trays. This eliminates the need to lift the lid to check the food, so the drying out process continues without any interruptions. The 11.5″ diameter of the round trays fits a lot of food on each tray so you can dry plenty of snacks at one time. This dehydrator is compact so it’s ideal for homes with limited kitchen counter space.
Easy to Use
It’s so easy to use the Elite Gourmet Food Dehydrator. All you do is prep the fruits, vegetables, herbs, and meats, place the food on the 5 trays, and press start. The appliance’s fan is mounted at the bottom for optimum air circulation and drying. It takes hours for the drying process based on the type of food, but the results are always worth the wait. Be sure to store the dehydrated foods in airtight containers in a cool, dark place to maintain freshness up to a year.
Material, Quality, and Clean-Up
The 5 BPA-free trays are made of plastic so they’re lightweight and a bit thin. I’m just careful when adding the food, placing the trays in the unit, and cleaning up. I can see how they could easily break if not careful.
The brand claims that the trays are top rack dishwasher safe but I handwash with soap and water to play it safe. Occasionally, food sticks to the pan so a bit of soaking is required. Even if you think the tray looks clean after a food drying process, be sure to wash the trays after each use to prevent food buildup or transfer of bacteria to your next batch of foods.
Specifications of the Elite Gourmet Food Dehydrator
:: Model Number: EFD319X
:: Base color: Black
:: Material: Plastic
:: Dimensions: 12″ W x 12″ D x 9″ H
:: Weight: 4.25 lbs.
:: Tray Size: 11.5″ diameter
:: 1 Year Limited Manufacturer Warranty
My Expectations For the Elite Gourmet Food Dehydrator Were Met
I won’t go as far as saying that sweet potato and apple chips have completely eliminated my need for Doritos or sweet treats, but the majority of my snacks have been healthy with the Elite Gourmet Food Dehydrator. The idea of eating food that is preservative-free with no added sugars and other additives with names we can’t even pronounce is a win for us.
The Elite Gourmet Food Dehydrator – Model EFD319 – was a great selection as it was offered for a reasonable price and easy enough to use for dehydration “newbies” like us. For the most part, our dehydrated foods have been a success. A few vegetables like mushrooms and a few herbs like basil did not fare well but we will keep practicing. We have become quite the dehydration experts.
One more suggestion: While dehydrated foods can last up to one year stored in an airtight container in a cool, dark place, you’ll want to label the containers with the date that you dried the food in your Elite Gourmet Food Dehydrator so you can monitor the shelf life.
There are endless dehydration recipes online and you’ll be shocked at what foods you can dry into healthy snack alternatives. Now that I’ve added this cool way to preserve food and create great snacks, I wouldn’t want to be without it.
