Stainless Steel Excalibur Dehydrator Review

Heather Dessinger

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excalibur dehydrator giveaway

Ten Bucks

It was a bet I was willing to take for the prospect of fruit roll-ups, freshly dried garden herbs, and salty sweet almonds. My garage sale purchase was nothing fancy, but it saved me a lot of money, and what’s not to love about THAT??

I wore out the motor on that little dehydrator in less than a year, so I started shopping for a better one. This month I’m giving away the one I chose for myself, only better!

The Excalibur Stainless Steel 5-Tray is incredibly durable – it comes with a 10 year warranty – and it has a few features that I absolutely love:

  • The 26 hour timer allows you to leave the house while your dehydrator finishes up a batch of goodies – no need to rush home to turn it off. (Also, even if you’re home it’s just one less thing to have to keep track of during the day)
  • Unlike my older version which has plastic trays that I line with parchment paper, this one comes with stainless steel trays
  • More inexpensive models often only have one temperature setting, but this one has an adjustable thermostat that ranges from 95F to 155F

Wondering how I save money with my Excalibur? Here are a few ideas:

How To Save Money With A Dehydrator

One of the best ways to maximize great deals on produce is to stock up and preserve them for later. Summer tomatoes are dried for a zesty addition to Italian dishes later and fruits such as apples can be dried with cinnamon for a kid-friendly treat. You can also dry herbs you grow for use in the winter, make beef jerky, yogurt, dry coconut flour, and make your own soaked and dehydrated nuts/beans/grains.

Dehydrated Recipe Suggestions

If you’re looking for some recipe ideas to use with dehydrator, here’s some of my favorites:

Ever use a dehydrator? What is your favorite food to dehydrate? Please share below in the comments!

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About HEATHER

Heather is a holistic health educator, herbalist, DIYer, Lyme and mold warrior. Since founding Mommypotamus.com in 2009, Heather has been taking complicated health research and making it easy to understand. She shares tested natural recipes and herbal remedies with millions of naturally minded mamas around the world. 

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237 thoughts on “Stainless Steel Excalibur Dehydrator Review”

  1. I’m a new stay at home mom trying to save money and have healthy options for my little family. My husband would be psyched for some homemade jerky!

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  2. I’d dry the herbs that are somehow still green despite the snow first, but what I’m really looking forward to is drying tomatoes from our garden!

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  3. I love dried apples to snack on, and since they’re readily available (even now), it would probably be first… but oh, the things I’d like to try: strawberries, persimmons, apricots, pear… the list is endless!

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  4. I really love that it has metal trays and temperature settings.
    I had a cheap one with plastic trays, followed the directions carefully, rotating the trays every few hours… and it still melted the trays. It was really depressing.

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  5. I love the oil cleansing among so many of your other recipes!!! You are such a help in my efforts to leaving a healthy lifestyle! Thank you!

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  6. I use my tiny little dehydrator for dehydrating nuts and seeds– I would love to have one big enough that I can do a bunch at once. The kids have been begging for fruit roll up snacks, which I never have the space to make because the dehydrator is always full of nuts and seeds– I think this would solve that problem and then some! 🙂

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  7. Since all I make is jerky in my old one and the smell & taste has leached into the plastic I’d like to do something sweet for a change

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  8. My husband and I are working closely this year on an organic vegetable farm, and we hope to expand into more fresh herbs this season. I would love to use this dehydrator to dry our own herbs and vegetables! Onion rings, kale chips, dried basil!

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  9. Oh, how I want one of these! I would make banana, plaintain, pejibaye and coconut flour for baking. I would also love to make soaked and dried nuts, yogurt, and sprouted and dried beans.

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  10. I would probably start with the nuts. I use them pretty much daily. Then would be dehydrating pears and cherries. They’ve had some really nice ones at the stores lately!

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  11. oooh!!! Thank you for this competition!!! I would first make cauliflower popcorn, and then I’d dehydrate some pineapple, and fruit bits, and olives, and .. and … and…!

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  12. I have not used a dehydrator before although I would love to have one. Having eight children at home makes finding nutritious snacks a little tougher and a lot more expensive. I think with this I would be able to buy bulk in season produce and make a large amount of snacks! Wish me luck!

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  13. I wish this was the bigger 9 tray model. I already own a regular 9 tray model. and it is always full( there is only 3 of us with a small garden) we do a lot of fruit and raw food style type dehydrating sprouting nuts grains etc and then dehydrating. As well as dehydrating almond flour coconut flour. But we do just our normal produce as well… It is a main staple in my kitchen. It is great not to waste food. IF your fruits or veggies are looking a bit wilted you can just dehydrate them instead of wasting! fruit type snack are wonderful. ( try different melon chunks!! heavenly!I cut them big though they shrink a lot) would love this though This one looks a lot easier to clean! And i need more shelves!

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  14. Hubby is Italian, so I make a ton of recipes that include garlic powder. Would love to make it myself. Thanks so much. REally love you recipes, not just saying that. (0:

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  15. First thing I would make is fruit roll-ups, followed by soup stock base, then dried nuts. So many things I’d like to get moving in this beauty!

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  16. I would make some amazing seasoned nuts. Almonds or cashews. I have had blueberry almonds before and I would try to make something like that. Yummy!!

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  17. I’ve been eying them for awhile, but it’s not in the budget. I’d love to use it to make kale chips ooh and other fruit chips and fruit roll ups for the kids and jerky!

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  18. I have been wanting one of these for YEARS! There are so many things I would love to dehydrate. coconut strips, tomatoes, blue berries, jerky….the list goes on.

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  19. Mmmm. Can’t wait for plum season to turn my mom’s italian plums into yummy prunes. In the meantime, cranberries are on sale…

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  20. Would love to make crispy nuts with this. My oven can’t be set for a low enough temperature for it to be beneficial to making the soaked nuts.

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  21. tomato, onion powder – we love it on chicken, pork, potatoes etc
    I go through app 1 dehydrator a year, so maybe like you – its time for a better quality one 😉

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  22. I would make Jerky, Dried Fruit & Fruit Leather (our little lady will love this!) and definitely a whole slew of new things I didn’t know I could dehydrate 😉

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  23. Being able to dry and encapsulate my placenta is the main reason we are researching dehydrators. After that, apples from our tree, and tomatoes from our garden as well as “raw” cookies and crispy nuts.

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  24. I always use the dehydrator to dry soaked nuts, but I would love to make more jerky out of beef heart! We tried it last month and it was great!

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  25. I would take advantage of the wonderful produce we have here in the Central Valley of California, and use it to preserve seasonal produce!! Dried pears, jerky, fruit leather….I love it all!

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  26. The first things I would make would be crispy nuts, dry sprouted grains (so that I could grind them), and make raw milk yogurt.

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  27. wild salmon jerky – I think that would be such an awesome snack to have on hand for my boys! Thank you for all the wonderful info you share!

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  28. I’d start with veggie chips. My son gets migraines from MSG and has food dye allergies…. making my own chips would allow me to control the ingredients!

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  29. I have some fruit I haven’t canned yet so I would make dried fruit and fruit leather…might even try the dried chicken broth. Probably not at the same time! 🙂

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  30. I would probably do some apple chips since there are a lot of recently harvested apples available around here. Would also go get some more of the organic sweet potatoes from costco and do up some of them just to have a bunch stored up. I love sweet potatoes.

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  31. I didn’t know that yogurt could be made in a dehydrator, so that would be my first attempt.
    Trying to eat more protein so the dehydrator would be awsome!

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  32. It’s dried tomatoes and peppers for me. I cannot wait till I will not have to purchase those… 🙂 And yes, fruit leather 🙂

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  33. I would probably try a fruit and veggie snack mix first. My toddler *thinks* he doesn’t like veggies, but maybe I could sneak some into a fruity mix.

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  34. First on my list would be deer jerky from the deer my grandson brought me. Second would be ingredients for my dehydrated soup mix I came up with this summer that the whole extended family loves (dehydrated carrots, celery, onion, mushrooms, potatoes with some spices). This dehydrator would be the newest and much loved member of our family.

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  35. Dried flowers & weeds, salt dough characters & personalize objects to decorate wreaths, driftwood, picture frames, etc. For food: chives ($19.99/lb!), fruit chips and leathers for nutritious snacks and then garden produce so it wouldn’t take up so much space in the pantry… dream on to peppered kale chips and teriyaki jerky and finally herbs… imagine, herbs with no strange additives and FRESH, any time you wanted!

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  36. Beefy Jerky!!! I’m a celiac and most beef jerky has wheat in it from the soy sauce they marinade it in. I will make some gluten free 🙂 …and probably eat it all in one sitting!!! haha! I really, REALLY miss beefy jerky.

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  37. I would probably start with cinnamon apple chips for the kids and hubby, who love the store bought ones so much. Now that I do nearly no packaged foods, I would use this for soooooo many made-from-scratch items. This is on one of my must haves some day!

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  38. Hard to decide what to dehydrate first. Dehydrated stawberries, cherries, and watermelon taste just like chewy candies but oh so much more healthier. A friend dehydrates her own soup mixes by dehydrating minced carrots, onions, celery, celery leaves, parsley, then storing combined in a jar with some sea salt. Love this idea and so easy to add a few spoonfuls to water to make “soup in a cup”.

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  39. I would love to try dehydrating our extra eggs in the spring! Our chickens do not lay well in the darker months and I usually resort to buying eggs in January and February, but giving them away by May.

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  40. Well, I want to try everything, but I think I’d start with fruit and herbs. My fave pin is your marshmallow recipe! I have made them many times and even gave some as Christmas gifts this year!

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  41. We have some elk meat in the freezer that’s dying to be made into carne seca! That Excalibur sure would help that process. Not the norm, but I love your “I’d take this over a dress any day” outfit pin. Looks so comfy!

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  42. Dried herbs and berries would definitely be my first. I love to grow herbs every year, and since the berry season is so short, I would like something to do besides freezing and jam!

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  43. I would make some yogurt. The ones in the store are overpriced and full of preservatives, and they use aspartame for sweetners. Sometimes I buy the Oikos Greek Yogurt as a better choice, but again it’s just so expensive. I’m trying to incorporate healthier snack alternatives and save some money at the same time.

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  44. Wow this is awesome! There are so many things I’d like to make, number one would be dried fruit–apples especially–so we don’t have to buy them pre-dried!

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  45. I would definitely dry fruit and nuts for trail mix – a staple in our home. Also would like to make fruit strips for the children, and probably dried herbs and possibly dried veggies.

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  46. I’d give this to my son to make jerky! He loves to cook and experiment and it would be a great item for him to enjoy (and then he can share it with me!!)

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  47. Oooh – the first thing I want to make is soaked & dehydrated sunflower seeds. Have been wanting to do this for a while, but using the oven is problematic with a 2-year-old because I’d have to keep the oven door open. After that, there are soooo many other things I want to try!

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  48. I will make beef jerky and crispy nuts! Next fall, I’d like to start dehydrating our apples as we can’t use them fast enough.

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  49. It would depend on the day, probably some crispy nuts. The hings others are listing about banana chips and other dehydrated fruits sound really good too.

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  50. I’ve been wanting to make my kids dried fruit without all the oils and sugar like the ones in the store, and make beef jerky for my husband so he stops eating the ones with junk in them.

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  51. banana chips…no wait jerky…no wait strawberry fruit leathers…oh I would just make my husband some awesome raisins for the oatmeal cookies.

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  52. I’d make sweet potato chips! I’d fill all the trays, b/c we go through them faster than I can cook them. Love that you can keep things raw, that’s the dream!

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  53. I would be making jerky! Both for the family and for my dog. We go through jerky like CRAZY in this house.

    Then I would be making sweet potato chips and fruit leathers. I don’t think I would stop making much of anything the first week alone! haha.

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  54. I would love to start with apples and bananas…and continue to work my way through the alphabet with every fruit known to mankind! (:

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  55. Would LOVE to make some kale chips and other organic raw goodies. Trying to become a vegetarian by year’s end and this would definitely expedite the process 😀

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  56. That’s a tough one because I love so many types of foods and all those foods can be dehydrated
    and used for a snack or even used for that perfect salad topper. However, I think I would make
    some fruit snacks as well as kale to make kale chips. I’m going to be detoxing my body and
    going to a clean eating diet.

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  57. I will make my pumpkin spice balls, fruit leather and jerky that I was unable to make this fall because my dehydrator went to foodie heaven!

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  58. I have always wanted to try fruit leather. Or dried fruit (my kids eat it so fast). Or more yogurt. Or jerky… How can I choose just 1 thing.

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  59. I have been experimenting with making my own make-up, with clean all natural, non-toxic and organic ingredients. Various fruits and vegetables are used for color. One difficulty in this is keeping the powders from spoiling (without using preservatives) once I have added food components. A great friend recently suggested that if I dried the skins of the fruits and veggies it would make for a longer lasting make-up that would be 100% organic. As a vegetarian, and a single mom of 3 teenage boys, a dehydrator would also extend our food storage capabilities and be a great natural way to preserve the fruits and vegetables of our summer garden.

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  60. The first thing I would make with the dehydrator if I won it is to make dried fruit! It is so expensive, plus the packaging it comes in is a waste. Apricots would be on one tray, bananas on another, and cranberries on the 3rd.

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  61. I would make fruit leather. And encapsulate my own placenta next time around! The woman that did mine brought her dehydrator over but I could do it on my own ☺

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  62. I have been swooning over dehydraters for a while… I need dried fruit, and meat, and veggie snacks…and anything else I can stick in it to save for healthier snacking!

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  63. My former neighbor had this same one (I’m pretty sure the same model), and we used it to make jerkey, fruit leathers, and just plain old dried fruit. It’s beyond awesome and I’d love to do the same things with it!

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  64. I’d start with making dried apples and bananas, though I’m also intrigued by the idea of using a dehydrator to make yogurt!

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  65. This is all making me very hungry! I’d have to go with cajun beef jerky … but I sure wouldn’t mind some apple crisps to snack on while doing the jerky …. Hmmn, choices choices.. 😉

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  66. This will be my first dehydrator!
    I will learn to make…
    fruit leathers, dehydrated veggies, beef jerky for me and pet. Then figure out what else could be done!
    Thanks!

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  67. Hmmmm, I’d probably be inclined to fill the trays with different fruits and vegetables and experiment with the flavours. Or….I’d be strongly encouraged by ‘someone else’ to start with some beef jerky!

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  68. I have been wanting a Excalibur dehydrator for a few years now. I would probably make jerky first and probably until we start getting fresh produce from our CSA.

    I love the lemon probiotic jello.

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  69. I would dehydrate anything and everything I could from vegi’s that are on sale to throw in soups and such to fruits for healthy snacks and granola. I would really like to soak the grans before I dehydrate them,

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  70. I would be able to fix veggies, fruits and leathers for my family. I have recently had to change my diet to low sodium and have been preparing more homemade items since. I make my own seasoning and would love to be able to buy fresh and dehydrate herbs to make them with instead of the store bought dried herbs. It would be great to have more control over what I use in preparing my family’s meals. 🙂

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  71. I’;d love one to save much of our extra garden and orchard produce. Great alternative to canning or freezing and makes simple snacks!

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  72. What WON’T I dehydrate would be easier to answer! If my herbs are up- they will be the first, if they are not up, apples and bananas will be first.

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  73. I have really wanted to try soaking and dehydrating nuts. I love nuts, but would really love them more properly prepared because they don’t always love me. Also, with two kids, dried fruit and fruit leather would be really popular as a snack!

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  74. I have an autoimmune illness, and I crave crispy stuff that I can’t get from a bag anymore. I’d love a dehydrator to make veggie chips and meat jerkies!

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  75. I would experiment with speed drying homemade kefir-cheeses into hardcheeses. Then I would salvage some of the enourmous amounts of beautiful fruits, berries and veggies my overwhelmed gardening mother drowns in every summer and atumn during her annual preserving frenzie. I would also take care of stale levain loaves by slicing them into beautiful, irregular sail-resembling croutons for salads or soups. I would slice the tender, pink first stalks of rhubarb on a mandolin, dip them in sugary water and have beautiful, paperthin pink ribbons to use as garnish.

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  76. I have SOOOOO many things that I would love to use this dehydrator for!
    We just bought a farm, with a large garden, grape vines, fruit trees and will be planting some wolfberry bushes! So There are many, many things I can dehydrate. We have also been making our own jerky, for a quick snack for my truck driving hubby, for the last couple years with our tiny plastic dehydrator. So this solid one would be a HUGE blessing and welcomed addition to this homesteading home! 😉

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  77. I’d make jerky and various dried fruits and veges and then put them up in mason jars (and O2 absorbers as needed) and suck the air out of them with the food saver with mason jar attachments…. fun fun money saving fun!

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  78. The first thing I would do with a dehydrator is dry my herbs from the garden at their peak. There are always more than I can use fresh. Some might say I over plant, but I don’t think there is such a thing!

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  79. I would use this for placenta encapsulations! This would *really* help me out providing this service sooner for mommies in my community! Thank you so much! 🙂

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  80. I would have to make dried fruit snack or fruit leather, even the “organic” ones I send with my son to school have way too many mystery ingredients.

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  81. flax seed crackers! one of the least expensive bulk items in the store is whole flax seeds, but dang it if those tasty raw flax seed crackers aren’t one of the most expensive!

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  82. Our dehydrator died some years ago. We miss our dried banana slices mostly, but we also would love to be able to dry apples for snacks, and vegetables for soups.

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  83. Ohhh, I would make so many things! I’ve wanted one of these for a long time. It would be so helpful on our journey to a healthier lifestyle 🙂

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  84. Oh my God! I just moved out on my own for the first time and keep saying that in my dream kitchen one of the things I would have is a dehydrator! This would be so amazing. I would love to make vegan jerky and kale chips and just so many yummy thing! Holy crap, the possibilities! Fingers seriously crossed for this one x

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  85. Not to mention, it’s a gorgeous looking appliance and would go super well with my other stainless steel appliances I’ve managed to find at thrift stores for myself.

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  86. I’d make a lot of dried citrus peel…a friend of mine gave me a jar that she made, and it’s a fantastic addition to a lot of dishes.

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  87. with sensory issues, ill only eat fruit in 3 ways…crispy [like apple chips or freeze dried strawberries…YUM!], chewy [dehydrated like raisins], and fresh THICK [like eat with a spoon] smoothies [but once the liquid starts to separate, im done…thats just texturally disgusting to me.] SO, if i dont have to shell out $6 for a tiny bag of dried chewy fruit, id be SO game! but, until then, i just avoid fruit for the most part. 🙁

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  88. Sheesh the possibilities are endless!
    Def dried banana chips. And maybe I would try my hand at jerky… Sun-dried tomatoes when they are in season. Fruit leather for my kiddo for sure! What first? Ack! Banana chips. Easy peasy always around.

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  89. Well, we are 6 days into the GAPS Intro for my 3 year old son, and I know I would put it to good use! …Just not sure exactly yet, but I’m thinking beef jerky and dehydrated nuts and fruit.

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  90. You have so many amazing things that I love them all. However, the one I picked just randomly was the healthy sour gummy stars. My Grandchildren D.J who will be 2 April 1st & Katelynn who will be 6 June 13th love their snacks but also love their sweet treats. I’m slowly getting them to put down the processed garbage and go for Grandma’s goodies. 🙂 Thanks for all the amazing recipes as well as all the other tips & tricks!!!

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  91. Beeswax candles! I am so excited to make these and brighten up my home with the sweet smell as it purifies the air! The beauty the bees bring into our lives, as pollinators and nectar eaters. Blessed be the bees!

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  92. I would probably go crazy making some sort of meat jerky. I love deer jerky but usually don’t get any because I don’t have a dehydrator.

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  93. There are soooo many things I want to make with a dehydrator—it’s difficult to choose only one! I think I would start with making some southwestern-flavored beef jerky. …Or fruit leather. Oh dear…

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  94. crispy nuts! I’ve been super interested in trying to soak and dehydrate my own nuts; in Florida it is too humid to attempt in the oven

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  95. Kale chips, because I have kale in the freezer. Then I’d make fruit and fruit leather snacks, and when I get my new place and buy a freezer, I’ll stock enough meat I can make jerky!

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  96. Making yogurt on a hot plate is difficult – my sister showed me how to do it in her dehydrator and I truly look forward to the convenience of that alone, along with yummy fruit leathers, and jerky, yes definitely jerky! Thanks for sharing!

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  97. My little ones love kale chips, so that’ll be the first thing I make! I currently bake them in the oven, but as soon as they come out, they’re all gone! At least I could make slightly larger batches over the weekend while we’re out using the dehydrator. Yay! 🙂

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  98. I can’t decide between fruit leather or dried apples. I would have to do a coin toss or a majority rules vote at my house. But oh man what a prize!!!!!

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  99. I’ve wanted an Excalibur for years, use the oven now. So, the 1st thing that I’d make? Everything! Probably start with all my garden veggies and herbs!

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  100. I’ve wanted an Excalibur for years! It would surely spend a lot of time with mango, but I want to try all kinds of raw recipes! I’d also like to experiment with making dog treats!

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  101. Our go to recipe is the Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe. My kids love it, and it has also been a favorite with the kids friends & at youth group! 5 stars!!!

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  102. Beef jerky. My husband and I love beef jerky! We’ve always talked about getting a dehydrator and said that the first thing we would make is beef jerky.

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  103. i used to make beef jerky in my oven when i had one that would go under 170. now my oven wont do that and i’d love to have a dehydrator so that i can make beef jerky again! i’d also like to grow and preserve my own spices.

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  104. I would make my dehydrated crispy almonds (first soaked for 8 hours) – from Italy – where they come truly raw!! They are SO good and you can eat them raw or make them into delicious almond butter.

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  105. I would make a batch of almond-kale crunchies. It’s almonds, kale, cheese rumbles and turmeric (and some other secret ingredients).

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  106. Fruit leathers… and dried fruit in general. My kiddos LOVE that kind of stuff, but it’s SO expensive to buy all of the organic dried/dehydrated fruits! 🙂

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  107. This dryer would be a fabulous tool to dry the wild berries I pick in the summer and to make the dried fruit that I love to put into my homemade granola!

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  108. I am startig an organic farm with my husband and I would dry EVERYTHING! Herbs, veggies, fruits…the sky is the limit! I have ALWAYS wanted one of these!

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  109. I have always heard Excalibur dehydrators are the best. I have an inexpensive plastic one, but I could certainly put this one to good use. I will make a date/apple/walnut yummy cracker to go with cashew dip.

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  110. I’ve never seen or heard of a stainless steel dehydrator before. It looks and sounds amazing! I would first make some almond meal savory crackers I’ve been wanting to make. Of course raw macaroons sound pretty great too, and since there’s five trays I could do them at the same time. 🙂

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