Review on 👨 Colzer 8-Tray Food Dehydrator Machine (with 67 Free Recipes) - Stainless Steel, Adjustable Thermostat, Digital Control - Ideal for Beef, Jerky, Fruit, Dog Treats, Herbs by Stacey Veeramachaneni

I've been making beef jerky since August 2011 when I bought my first Nesco FD-80 dehydrator (it still works). During all this time I have dehydrated the following: - Fruits (bananas, persimmons, pineapples, etc.) - Herbs (including leaves and flowers for tea) - Cured meats (mainly beef. Other meats require too much preparation for them to be safely dehydrated) When Nesco's plastic trays started falling apart, I had my eye on the Excalibur Premium Food Dehydrator, but its high price made me give up every time I was about to buy it. The alternatives were less than desirable as their maximum heating temperature is usually only around 158°F - this is not usually a problem for beef, although an internal meat temperature of 165°F is considered safe (especially for poultry). Also, unlike Nesco's round trays, the Excalibur has square trays which have more capacity but don't dry as evenly. This Colzer unit caught my attention with its 194°F maximum temperature, but like the Excalibur, its square trays aren't immune to uneven drying effects. However, I found drying was better than with a dehydrator that was mostly plastic. I'm not sure if an all-metal body is a positive thing, but it looks like it would be. BENEFITS - Square trays provide more space for drying items - Clear glass allows you to check the status of items without opening the door. - Multiple temperature settings reach a whopping 194F! (Warning: Climbing to this height may not be a good idea. More on that later) - Built-in timer for approximately 24 hours (30 minutes minimum) - Dishwasher-safe, BPA-free trays - Large capacity of 8 trays (each 8.7 inches ) x 8.7") - 4 silicone sheets for drying fruits and small herbs that would otherwise fall through the holes of the metal trays - All-metal body - Higher value than 8-tray Excalibur - Sleek, tall design takes up less space than a NescoCONS -Device - Temperature locked on degrees Celsius No option to change to Fahrenheit -- The control panel has a built-in guide that shows the conversion from Fahrenheit to Celsius (if it didn't I would return the item) -- Square ones Trays dry food more unevenly than round ones, partly because rounded ones generally dissipate heat more evenly downwards - All-metal body for the whole device feels very hot - There's no drip tray on the bottom of the device to catch dripping juice, making cleaning a little more painful than the Nesco (whose base can be removed for washing). As a workaround, I used heavy-duty aluminum foil as the liner, but I'll look for an 8.4" x 8.4" tray instead. As I said, the price-performance ratio is very good with this product. It dehydrated my fruit and herbs very well and the beef jerky came out pretty good (the pieces facing the glass door weren't as dry as those on the back. You can alleviate this by rotating the trays halfway through drying ). Strange. , the manual says to precook or boil the meat to an internal temperature of 165F and THEN dehydrate it (to ensure all germs are fully neutralized) but thankfully we haven't encountered food poisoning yet. I keep jerky in the fridge for up to a month. Keep in mind that while a dehydrator can reach up to 194°F, the higher temperature isn't always good for food. High temperatures will fry the outside first but won't leave the inside as dry and can lead to microbial growth. I'm sticking with 165F for jerky (Nesco recommendation), although Colzer's temp manual states up to 155F. RECIPES and TIPS. You will learn a lot. After that, just experiment with different recipes that you can find online. You can also use a meat grinder to reduce cooking time and keep the meat at an even depth. Some butchers will be happy to cut you the right size. Remember that fats spoil faster than meat in beef jerky. To keep your jerky as long as possible, trim off as much fat as possible and/or use as lean meat as you can find. I like jerky with a bit of fat so keep it in the fridge as an extra precaution, although I ate it on a 4 day wilderness hike with no problem. - A tray dehydrator that works well without spending as much money as an Excalibur. If it continues to work reliably, I'll happily send my 9-year-old Nesco FD-80 as a gift to a retired friend (partly so she won't ask me to dry it as often). I just wish this colzer could be changed to Fahrenheit, but that's okay.