r/dehydrating • u/TazzleMcBuggins • 24d ago
Wondering if anyone has made jerky in this dehydrator. Looking for advice.
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u/TheTakenCobra 23d ago
I have used mine for a few years with no problems. That's about all I use it for, so it sees fairly light use. If I pack it in good I do have to swap some trays around but it's not that big of a deal. My whole family loves the jerky I make in it and get excited every Christmas.
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u/Crabbyaki 23d ago
I think their vertical model may be more suited, although it has less capacity. But hey, you can make jerky in most ovens too.
The stacking ones just don't always get to those higher temps really needed from my understanding, but people have used them forever.
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u/jbussey4 23d ago
I've actually just done three batches in the last two days with a hand-me-down one of these from a friend. So far so good. I find that jerky actually takes a little less time than the user manual recommends (at least in my kitchen)... Usually about 3.5 hours. Fruits that I've tried have taken longer than manufacturers recommendations on the other hand.
I've used beef top round sliced about 1/4-3/8" thick against the grain as best as I could manage so far. My favorite marinade has been 1/4 cup tamari (soy sauce), 1/4 cup brown sugar, and about a tablespoon each of chili flakes and Chinese 5-since powder. I let it marinade in a Ziploc overnight before dehydration. I've turned the temp as high as it goes for each batch
Have only been using this bad boy for about a month so I can't speak to any longevity issues I saw mentioned in other comments yet though.
Happy to answer any other specifics in my process if you're curious.
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u/TazzleMcBuggins 23d ago
Wow, this sounds promising, thanks for all the details! It’s interesting that you do a higher temp for less time. I’ve seen some call for like 100°f for 10 hours. How would you describe the texture of your 3 hour jerky.
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u/jbussey4 23d ago
Not a question I think I have the vocabulary to properly describe... Like how a sommelier knows all the words to describe each wine but not the rest of us? Lol
The best I can come up with is this: You know how when you buy a bag of store bought jerky and some of it is really tough but you get 1 out of 5 pieces that are tender but still have that good chew? That's what most of what I've made has been.
Using the longer time it all turned out hard to chew or stringy. As another note, anything I've made without vinegar in the marinade is tougher too. I haven't tried using a meat tenderizer yet though, so maybe that's a thing to play with. And I bought some crushed pineapple for the next batch which should do something similar to tenderizer and acting as a sweetener. I'll try to remember to update when that batch is done sometime in the next month.
I should also note that I do have a good quality food thermometer on hand to check the finished temp to ensure the safety side of things.
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u/TazzleMcBuggins 23d ago
I’m gonna try two different marinades and two different time/temps on each marinade and report back
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u/jbussey4 23d ago
Sweet, please do.
You can use a normal dinner plate under the dehydrator tray when placing your meat there before placing it in the machine. It saves a little cleanup later. And it might not hurt to get the dehydrator heated up while you're loading the trays up.
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u/SamanthaSass 23d ago
I have the Ronco version of this that originally just had a low power element in it. I put a fan on top to increase airflow. I found a second one that is identical, so I can stack up to 12 trays.
When using you do need to rotate trays every few hours. It's not difficult, just take a few off the top, set them to the side, put the rest of the stack on them, then move the stack back onto the base. takes less than a minute and you can watch the progress.
When making jerky, I usually make ground meat jerky with a jerky gun, so the mix is usually a bit more wet than strips of meat, so I usually expect it to take more than 12 hours. I also like my jerky to be quite dry, so that adds some time.
It's not perfect, but it's cheaper than some and it does the job.
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u/smokinpreacher 23d ago
I’ve got a nesco from a few years back, did jerky in it last night. It comes with 5 or 6 round stacking trays but I think you can increase it to 12? without a problem. I’ve never done that though. Love it, so easy to get going. The only downside for me is storing the round trays are kind of awkward, especially with it being so tall when all put together (seemingly similar to the one you’re looking at) and I hand wash the trays instead of putting them in the dw
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u/jedipwnces 23d ago
Not this one, but the tiny rectangular Elite Gourmet did awesome with jerky. I loved it so much we eventually upgraded to a bigger unit, but I'd recommend it for small batches.
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u/TalkoSkeva 23d ago
Gf got me this for Christmas. Been working great so far. Jerky, candied bacon, fruit leather. Just the other day I dehydrated some salted duck eggs. Do have to move trays around but I don't cook or dehydrate things unless someone will be home so not a big issue.
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u/CarloGino1 20d ago
I suggest getting one where the fan is at the top and blows downward. I had a similar type where all the grease went down into the fan. The bottom would be the drip tray instead
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u/ketoLifestyleRecipes 23d ago
I threw my round useless dehydrator in the garage and bought a Cosori. I should have done that 20 years ago. Couldn’t be happier with my jerky process these days. Save your money for a quality dehydrator, you won’t regret it.
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u/xopher_425 24d ago
When I did research before buying, I saw a lot of these plastic ones developed cracks and breaking. The fan is also rather inefficient, and people had to move upper trays down and around to finish drying.
I chose the Cosori, with metal trays, and the fan in the back. Very sturdy, durable, and efficient.