NESCO FD-37A Food Dehydrator Review

Buy on Amazon Nesco Food & Jerky dehydrator, 1, Speckled

400-watts of drying power
Expandable to 7 trays
Clear top to monitor the drying process
Fan forced radial air flow means no tray rotation needed
All components dishwasher safe except the power head
Made in the USA of Global and Domestic parts
Ships in Certified Frustration-Free Packag

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Stocking up on fruits and vegetables can be hard when they last only a week at a time, and going to the grocery store nearly every day doesn't fit very well into a busy lifestyle. Or, if you are someone who grows their produce or is getting ready for the winter months, you will need an effective way to preserve them without taking away their nutrients.

Luckily, there is a way to dry out the foods you want to preserve without the extra time and effort it takes to freeze them. With dehydrators, you can do more than preserve fruits and vegetables, like making jerky or treats for your kids and pets.

Dehydrators are a very useful household item that can be used by anyone, and the NESCO FD-371A Dehydrator is a product that you need to consider if you want the best one on the market. In this article, we will review this product's features, price, and everything else you need to know to decide if it's right for you. But first, let's take a look at what makes a dehydrator better than the rest.

Airflow Direction

Dehydrators come in two basic categories depending on which direction the air flows to dry your food. You have vertical airflow, which means that there is a fan that works at the bottom to create heat that travels up for all the trays, and you have horizontal. Horizontal airflow is when air is used from the surrounding area through vents that travel across.

While they both get the job done when it comes to dehydrating, they have pros and cons that depend greatly on your preference. The only thing to keep in mind is that vertical airflow usually means that the dehydration process will be faster, while the horizontal might have more consistent drying throughout.

Controls

Controls can be useful and beneficial on a dehydrator, but they are not a necessary feature to have. Ones that do have controls may give you the option to have a timer to help you keep track of when the process is complete or give you the ability to adjust the temperature when needed.

Temperature controls are only useful for those that want to use the dehydrator for many different purposes. For example, if you are looking to dehydrate herbs or delicate plants, being able to lower the temperature can help to prevent any damage. Or, if you want to use it for raw foods, higher temperatures are needed. If you are simply looking to preserve things like fruits, vegetables, and cooked meat, this feature will only result in higher costs.

The Product

Specifications

Has a clear top to monitor the drying process
Parts are dishwasher safe
Made with four trays
Can be expanded to seven trays
Uses 400 watts of power

Overview

NESCO has created dehydrators that help to give you the jerky, dried fruits, vegetables, and more without stripping away their nutrients or buying them in stores. Their main goal of sustainability is achieved with every product, as they reduce the amount of wasted time and energy by allowing you to dry your food the way you like it.

Results

If you are looking for a practical, everyday machine to dry your favorite fruits and vegetables, this product is the way to go. The NESCO FD-37A food dehydrator is a great affordable option for anyone new to dehydrating foods on their own with how simple it is to use.

Despite its small size, it can dry a large amount of food with its four-tray system. We found that this is the perfect capacity for regular amounts of foods, so if you are someone who needs a lot of goods preserved frequently or in short amounts of time, you can get additional trays for added room, with the maximum being seven altogether.

The machine has 400 watts of power, making the drying time a lot faster than other brands. However, we noticed that because of this, we had to check up on the food quite often to make sure that we weren’t drying anything out. The clear, see-through lid made it easy to monitor.

The power is great, but it is a little on the noisy side. The sound isn't deafening, but it is a little louder than a microwave oven. We didn't mind the hum, but a few of the other customers did.

After using, the dehydrator was very easy to clean inside and outside of the dishwasher. We saw no issues with any unevenness in the dried foods, but keep in mind that this may become an issue with the more trays that are added.

Pros And Cons

Pros

Dry out non-edible and edible items
Easy monitoring
Easy to clean
Doesn’t require rotation of the tray
Expandable size
Affordable price
Well distributed heat

Cons

There is no thermostat
Not very spacious
It will take more time
Fan is loud
There is no timer

Nesco Food & Jerky dehydrator, 1, Speckled 400-watts of drying power; Expandable to 7 trays; Clear top to monitor the drying process; Fan forced radial air flow means no tray rotation needed $57.00

Last update on 2020-12-30 PST - Details

What Others Say

The majority of customers enjoyed using this product, with many that never used a dehydrator before being able to try it out without any issues. It exceeded many expectations with its fast drying times, and most that have used it a long time were impressed by how long it lasts for the price.

A couple of issues that some had was that it didn’t have temperature control and that it was a little too noisy for their liking, as we mentioned above. It was also reported that after using, the machine gets pretty hot, so handling it right after with bare hands can be risky.

Buying Advice

You can get this dehydrator for around $57.00, which is incredibly low for how much this machine can handle. Besides dehydrating food, you will also be investing in a machine that you can use to dry out plants like herbs and flowers for decoration or to add to food and drinks.

Conclusion

The NESCO FD-37A food dehydrator is the perfect option for every household who loves dried foods and doesn't mind making them on their own. Hopefully, we have given you all the details and information you need to get to know this product and helped you decide if it's right for you. Thank you for reading.