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Reviews > Food Preparation Gear > Dehydrators > Excalibur 2900 Dehydrator > Owner Review by Leesa JoinerExcalibur Dehydrator
Personal Information:2900 Model Report Date 8/2/2002 Report Revised 2/8/04 Leesa Joiner ljoATmidmaine(dot)com Southwestern Maine 41 years old Female 5'7" (1.7 M) 150 lb. (68 kg) Product Information: Manufactured by: Excalibur Products 6083 Power Inn Road Sacramento, California 95824 http://www.excaliburdehydrator.com Model: EX 2900 9 Tray Dehydrator 7" Fan, 110 Volt 60 Hz. 1998 Model Background: My camping, hiking and backpacking experience has included trips varying in length from one day hikes, to two week trips. My experience hiking began with my father, when I was about 6 years old. We hiked along the river pathways in northeastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania. During cold weather, I backpack, hike, snow shoe, cross-country ski, go ice fishing and winter camp with friends and family. Although I am not an lightweight backpacker, I am trying to `lighten up' and even have converted to using a hammock while camping. I enjoy both looking for wild edible plants while hiking and eating well while outdoors. Sometimes these two 'hobbies' are intertwined. Product Information: We purchased our dehydrator 3 years ago, and use it extensively. I use the dehydrator for making jerky (venison and beef), fruit leather, dried apple, pear, banana, kiwi and blueberries. I also have dried tomatoes, then powdered them to add to sauces and soups. I also use it to dry herbs. We have been very happy with it. It has temperature settings that are clearly marked as to what type of food should be dehydrated at each setting. The temperature range is 0-155 degrees F. There have been comments by friends as to the fact that there is no timer. I don't find that to be a problem, as I wouldn't go off and leave it running anyway. A full load of jerky, will dehydrate in approx. 8 hours. I load it up at night before going to bed, and turn it off when I get up in the morning. We do not find it necessary to rotate trays. Herbs dried at a low setting will be dry in less than two hours. They retain a very ‘clean’ taste, even when different herbs are dried together. I estimate that we have used this over 1000 hrs. with no problems. At harvest time, a friend and I will put both our Excaliburs to use, one doing apples and the other pears. We then split the results. When it comes time for hiking or a camping trip, we have all the ‘snacks’ ready. We plan on taking an extended trip this summer, so I am preparing some more substantial foods. I have dried vegetables for soups and stews. After dehydrating, I keep the vegetables in clear, glass jars until needed. When I am getting ready to make up meals to take on a backpacking trip, I add a little of each type of veggie to each persons container. With the vegetables, I add some pasta, rice or cracked wheat, seasonings and seal the container. I keep the dehydrated meat (if that's what we're having) when I am ready to rehydrate. This is just my personal preference and habit. Cleaning the dehydrator can be a challenge after making jerky or drying things that are 'wet', such as tomatoes. Most other items do not leave much of a residue behind. The rigid trays get scrubbed in the sink- but they are awkward due to their large size. The flexible screen tray inserts prevent foods from sticking and keeps small items from dropping through spaces in trays. These are easily cleaned in the dishwasher. My son is in Boy Scouts and is the designated ‘Jerky supplier’ ! They have learned about healthy diets and nutritional needs while outdoors for extended periods of time and love taking dehydrated foods with them. I continue to use the dehydrator and am glad that I made the investment. Read more reviews of Excalibur gear Read more gear reviews by Leesa Joiner Reviews > Food Preparation Gear > Dehydrators > Excalibur 2900 Dehydrator > Owner Review by Leesa Joiner | |||