[surbie100]

You might want to have a look through this thread - it was really helpful when I was being tempted into buying one by this lot. (And it is my favourite kitchen gadget, apart from the pizza oven!) I went for the round Andrew James one in the end.

what do you look for in a dehydrator?

[Organic chick]

I regularly dry kale to make lovely crisps.  Wash kale and tear into small pieces.  Pat dry.
 Place in a bowl.  Pour in a small amount of oil plus flavourings of your choice.  We alternate between ground cashew and dried tomato, cinnamon, garlic and cashew, sea salt and smoked paprika or tahini.  My favourite is wasabi powder and garlic. Mix oiled kale and flavouring well with your fingers and then place into dehydrator.  Dries really quickly. Also means you can use the slightly older kale leaves leaving new growth for cooking or kale and mushroom lasagne etc.

[RJR_38]

I tried the kale crisps... And don't think they are for me. They still have a very 'bitter' taste that greens have - which is fine as part if dinner but wasn't convinced as a snack. I did a smoked paprika/Cajun flavouring.

I have had lots of success with sweet stuff but want to try a few more savouries now as have only tried kale as above and courgettes (used too much oil so they were a disaster)

[RJR_38]

Piero eats the fruit almost as quickly as I can dehydrate it....I need somewhere to hide the jars or the dehydrator will never be put away.

Am doing more of the veggie crisps now - beetroot, parsnip, potato and kale.

Do you not need to cook the potato first somehow of does the dehydrator cook them enough?

[LotuSeed]

Ideally, potatoes should be cooked for several minutes first. If you put them in the dehydrator raw they'll turn an icky color as they dry out (they'd still be edible though).

[gypsy]

Do you flavour the potatoes?

[surbie100]

After much trial and error I cook the potatoes whole and then slice when cool. Though it's a proper  getting them consistently thin enough not to break your teeth when they are dried. I use salt and pepper on them, plus a little lemon juice with water sprayed on.

I don't really like them though. Nor kale crisps, which I've tried but think are definitely an acquired taste. I really don't like the greasy taste from the oil either.

Beetroot crisps though, they are a revelation. 

[RJR_38]

I used to make beetroot crisps in the oven and they are definitely moreish! I might try the potatoes next weekend. What do you do with the parsnips? Do you cook them slightly first or do them from raw?

[surbie100]

The parsnips are done raw, and sliced with a veggie peeler. They are very fragile though. I love 'em.

I cook my beets first because I like sliding the skins off, but was wondering if anyone does them raw? Think I feel a taste test coming on..

[gypsy]

I have just put some baked spuds in the dehydrator, I sliced them with an egg slicer, brushed sparingly with oil and seasoned with salt and pepper, fingers crossed that they will be ok.

[Annen]

The parsnips are done raw, and sliced with a veggie peeler. They are very fragile though. I love 'em.

I cook my beets first because I like sliding the skins off, but was wondering if anyone does them raw? Think I feel a taste test coming on..

I have been doing them raw, first dipped in vinegar, water and a little oil.  They are ok, but just ok and go rubbery very quickly.  I haven't tried them cooked...yet!

[Paul Plots]

mine is a 500w Paul so max its 7p an hour but the heating element is not on continuously just the fan. When i used it last year i did not notice a huge rise in my bill infact I only pay £12 a month once my standing charge is paid.

One the food is dried it takes no energy to store unlike a freezer so yes very cheap. I dried huge amounts of apples last year nearly 2 sweet jars full so the saving of food cost easily out weighs the running.

Thank you for this reply... just revisited months later. 

That is a good point about cost of storing in a freezer v dehydrating although we have freezers containing foods that I'm pretty sure couldn't be dehydrated.

£12 a moth lecky bill!!  Amazing. Mine is £65+ but I've given up worrying about it - it makes my arm ache constantly turning off lights when they are not needed and grouching at the family for having tvs on and wandering off to say nothing of "discussions" about the tumble-drier. 

Life is too short to worry anymore.

I'll dig out that magazine showing how to "build your own dehydrator". I wonder if I could run it in the aviary bird room? The heat would help keep the birds warm then I could share the dried fruit with them. 

[Madame Cholet]

Well there's only me to use the leccy don't watch tv no tumble dryer ect.

[Paul Plots]

Well there's only me to use the leccy don't watch tv no tumble dryer ect.

That certainly seems to make a big difference. 

[Madame Cholet]

I love the dehydrator for fruit leathers and apple rings. I've had limited success with veg though great for short term storage and back packing but the veg seems to go moldy over a longer time my house is too damp.