yakkowarner's Full Review: Nesco Snackmaster Express Food Dehydrator and Jerk...
I love dried apples but I do not really like paying for them. So when my in-laws got a food dehydrator I had to try it out for myself. I knew after about 2 months of usage they would get bored of it and put in on the shelf like so many other toys they have bought in the past. So I patiently waited and popped the unassuming question, and they granted my request. I quickly went to work testing everything I could with pretty positive results. This test was short lived because it only lasted for about a month then it got returned. But a year later I borrowed it to prepare some food for a backpacking trip and this time I was able to borrow it for much longer, so long that the motor died on me a few years later. So what did I do? I bought myself the next model up which explains this review.
What is it?
This is a food dehydrator. It heats up food slightly and blows air across it to remove moisture from the food. Once food is dehydrated it will have a longer shelf life. You also have option of making your own jerky and leathers for a lot cheaper than you can buy them for. It also beautifully dries fruits and vegetables for a lot cheaper than you could ever buy at the store.
Setup
There is nothing to set up. Just stack the unit into the tower configuration, plug it in, and you are ready to go. You do have to take out the trays to put the food in but that is not much of a hassle.
How it works
All the food rests on trays that allows air to flow freely through them. The base is on the bottom and the heating element/fan is on the top (the older version used to have the motor on the bottom.)
The food must be cut in small enough pieces and it cannot contact each other. This will ensure the fruit can contact enough air and dry properly. If you do not do this you will have problems with food not drying out properly or drying out irregularly.
Cleaning
Cleaning is fairly easy. Just get a sponge and scrub the plastic down with it. The trays can go in the dishwasher if they are really bad, just avoid the heated-dry setting.
How many have I owned?
This is actually my first one I owned. The previous model I used was my in-laws. I borrowed it for an extended period of time until I burnt out the motor. I could not live without this tool so I bought a new one. I stayed with the same brand for two reasons. The first is I like the old dehydrator a lot. It worked and it was cheap. The second reason is I wanted to use the old trays. So now I have 6 trays that work beautifully.
How long does it take?
It varies on the product and how dry you want it. I will put my thick cut apples in for 6-8 hours at the fruit setting. This leaves enough moisture in so it tastes good but dry enough that it will stay good for a month. Another 3 hours will give another month or two to the shelf life but the apples are dry than I like.
Meats will take 6-10 hours depending on how they are cut.
Fruit leathers will take about 4 hours.
Frozen peas will take 3-4 hours.
Watermelon chunks will take 6-10 hours to dry them properly.
Flowers/ornaments will take 2-10 hours at low heat depending on the thickness of the product you are drying.
It will take about 4 minutes to prepare 4 apples to fill one tray. So expect to take 20-30 minutes to do all 6 trays. That includes peeling and coring. Most other foods will take less work. But needless to say you will put a bit of effort in preparing the food, but it is well worth it.
About leathers
I have no idea why they are called that but a leather is just a fruit-rollup. If you love fruit roll-ups then stop reading this and go buy this machine. All you do is use any pureed fruit (maybe some sugar) and dry it. You will be amazed at the taste, it is so much better than anything at the store.
You can also turn soups/stews and other liquids into leathers. To reuse them you just put them in hot water to rehydrate.
My experiments and uses
Apples- These come out beautifully and better than the store bought because you control the quality. Just remember if you buy sour apples then they will still taste sour, so use sweeter apples.
Jerky- I prefer to use my smoker but if it is cold outside then this is a good alternative to smoking. The teriyaki sauce will be sticky so you will probably want to wash these in the dishwasher after you are done drying them. I recommend round steak for drying since it has a lower fat content. High fat content foods will not dehydrate well.
Watermelon- Comes out like candy, just not as good as candy. They are sticky to the touch and taste like watermelon. Those of you that are wild about having fruit for dessert may want to try this. If you are not wild about watermelon then this will not win you over.
Apple sauce- This is what you use to make leathers, otherwise known as fruit roll-ups. The leathers taste much better then any store bought ones you can get.
Banana- Works very well for this type of fruit. Sadly I do not like banana chips.
Canned pears- Kind of like the watermelon. It is sticky and sweet.
Carrot- Works ok but not as well as frozen carrots. I recommend cooking the carrots first before drying them. This will soften them. They rehydrate to about 70% of their original capacity.
Chicken- Works well. When I rehydrate them they only rehydrate to about 50% of their water volume and they do not taste very good (so coat them with spices.) But if you need to eliminate weight for a backpacking trip then this is a good solution.
Frozen vegetables- I have done green beans, carrots, peas, and corn. The peas and corn will fall through the grating so I usually put in on the fruit roll sheet (for making leathers.)
Garlic- There seems to be too many oils in garlic to do it right. I personally will rely on the garlic powder or the real thing, but drying it out and putting it in a food processor is still an option if you are obsessed with controlling every aspect of your garlic.
Ice cream- All you are really left with is a powder that really isnā€™t significant. A complete waste of time.
Onions- Onions seem to be made for dehydrating. It works very well and are a must addition to any backpacking stew.
Peppers- Works very well. Tries the peppers just like the ones you get at the store.
Potatoes- When sliced thin they dried well. I have not created a good dish using them though. You should put them in an acidic bath after you cut them to preserve the color otherwise they will be a little brown.
Strawberries- It dried them well and they will be preserved for 6-12 months. Unless you have sweet strawberries, they will not taste good. Also the taste and texture is completely different so I do not like these very much. These may work well in trail mix.
What does it come with?
4 trays
top motor unit
bottom base unit
instruction/recipe booklet
1 fruit roll sheet.
Optional equipment
You can buy extra trays if you wish. This unit can hold up to 12 but other models can hold up to 20. You can also buy extra fruit roll sheets.
There is also a cocking gun that is used to make beef jerky. You use ground beef and a spice mix in the gun and squeeze it out like you would if you were making long Christmas cookies.
Durability
Durability is average. I expect this to last 5-7 years max. I use it about once a month so that would come to around 1000 hours for the motor.
The plastic will last for a very long time as long as you do not leave it near a hot stove. I have two trays that are slightly warped because I did this. The two trays from the original unit still work well and are not damaged in any way. I am amazed at how well the plastic has held up to my typical abuse.
Dimensions and stats
Height of my unit with 6 trays: 12 inches
Height of my unit with 4 trays: 10 inches
Diameter: 13.5 inches
Cord length: 49 inches
Watts: 500
My recommendation if you want a dehydrator
Since I bought the same brand it should be obvious that I am very happy with this unit. If you only dehydrate occasionally then I recommend buying this unit. It designed for occasional household use and not for massive amount of dehydrating. If you need to dehydrate 100 pounds of deer or massive amounts of fruit for your large boy scout troop then this is not the unit for you. I recommend an oven or one of the expensive dehydrators available that are designed for large amounts of food. These unit are good buy expensive.
About the rating
For the price I think it is a 5 but I am rating it without considering price so I feel it is a 4. It does the job and it does it well.
Summary:
This is a great food dehydrator. It is inexpensive and easy to use. The only drawback is it is not designed for massive amounts of food. This is one kitchen appliance I cannot live without.
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