Dehydrator suggestions?

[Rose]

Does anyone have a particular food dehydrator they use and like for making dog treats? I would love to make some dried apple, yam, even jerky treats for Pearl, and Amazon has some for under $50 that look okay but I have no experience in this department.... any recommendations would be much appreciated!

[doubledip1]

I have this one and I really like it. It's so simple.

Amazon.com: Nesco Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator FD-75A: Kitchen Dining

[Snowshoe]

My comment is, I'm telling the OH over and over I DON'T WANT ONE. It depends how often you will use it and what you will use it for. I make kangaroo jerky about once a month using the dehydrating setting on my convection oven and rolling the stuff out on two cookie sheets. It takes six hours with a flip or rotate of my two trays every 1.5 hours. Then clean up is easy peasy. The commercial dehydrators look like they will be a pain to clean and I actually won't be able to do as much jerky at one time in them, unless we buy a super big fancy one. Plus where will I store the darn thing?

[Jeff]

My comment is, I'm telling the OH over and over I DON'T WANT ONE. It depends how often you will use it and what you will use it for. I make kangaroo jerky about once a month using the dehydrating setting on my convection oven and rolling the stuff out on two cookie sheets. It takes six hours with a flip or rotate of my two trays every 1.5 hours. Then clean up is easy peasy. The commercial dehydrators look like they will be a pain to clean and I actually won't be able to do as much jerky at one time in them, unless we buy a super big fancy one. Plus where will I store the darn thing?

Where are you hunting Kangaroo in Canada? Inquiring minds want to know.

[Snowshoe]

LOL, there's a butcher shop near me and another one near my Aunt's nursing home that carry ground, roasts and steaks. I buy from which ever one I happen to be near when I need some. Neither has bones though, and I'd like some for recreational chewing.

Good question about the hunting, I never thought to ask if it's wild or farmed. Oban's kangaroo kibble is from wild kangaroos. Hmmm, just googled, it's wild. Lots of controversy.

[Rose]

My comment is, I'm telling the OH over and over I DON'T WANT ONE. It depends how often you will use it and what you will use it for. I make kangaroo jerky about once a month using the dehydrating setting on my convection oven and rolling the stuff out on two cookie sheets. It takes six hours with a flip or rotate of my two trays every 1.5 hours. Then clean up is easy peasy. The commercial dehydrators look like they will be a pain to clean and I actually won't be able to do as much jerky at one time in them, unless we buy a super big fancy one. Plus where will I store the darn thing?

We have a convection toaster oven but it is small and I don't think it has a dehydrating setting... I bet it would still take less time than a regular oven on low though. hm. I may try drying some sweet potato in it for kicks- there's lots of directions on pinterest for that in a regular oven but I bet the convection would make it take less time.

Also, whats your recipe for kangaroo jerky in your convection oven?

[Snowshoe]

My big oven is convection, that's what I use. And it has a low temperature, 140F, dehydrating setting.

Jerky is SO easy, I had no idea. Because it's for my dog there is no recipe, no added spices and things like we do for ourselves. However I do add baked sweet potato or mushed up banana just to make the ground kangaroo go a bit further. About 70:30 Kangaroo to SP. or B. I mix it together with my potato masher, then lay it out in a rectangle on the cookie sheet (on parchment paper) using my hands. I pat it down to about 1/4 inch thick, score it lengthwise with my pizza cutter in about 3/4 inch stripes and in it goes. At 90 minutes I switch the cookie sheets top rack to bottom and re-score. At 3 hours I flip the sheets again and I use another new sheet of parchment paper to flip the whole rectangle over so it will be brown on both sides. And re-score again. Then in another 90 minutes I switch the sheets, re-score and at 6 hours, usually, it's done.

LOL, I watched a Youtube video of someone making jerky and he used a ruler when he scored the lines, so they would be absolutely equal and even.

[Maxx&Emma]

I have an Excalibur 3926TB model. It was a bit pricey but I LOVE it!

[Snowshoe]

I have an Excalibur 3926TB model. It was a bit pricey but I LOVE it!

Do you use it for ground meat jerky? Is it hard to clean?

[Maxx&Emma]

Do you use it for ground meat jerky? Is it hard to clean?

I have never made ground meat jerky! It is pretty easy to clean, no complaints!