Brand | NESCO |
---|---|
Model Number | FD-75A |
Colour | Gray Speckled |
Product Dimensions | 34.93 x 56.21 x 35.23 cm; 3.52 Kilograms |
Power/Wattage | 600 watts |
Voltage | 120 Volts |
Material | Plastic |
Special Features | Manual |
Item Weight | 3.52 kg |
To see product details, add this item to your cart.
Ships from: Amazon.ca Sold by: Amazon.ca
To see product details, add this item to your cart.
Ships from: Amazon Sold by: Warehouse Deals
Compare Offers on Amazon
70% positive over last 12 months
Nesco FD-75A 600-Watt Food Dehydrator, Gray Speckled
Purchase options and add-ons
Brand | NESCO |
Material | Plastic |
Colour | Gray Speckled |
Wattage | 600 watts |
Voltage | 120 Volts |
About this item
- 600-Watt 5 tray food dehydrator dries in hours instead of days
- Top-mounted fan; adjustable thermostat from 95-to-160 -Degree F
- Flavors don't mix; no need to rotate trays; opaque exterior blocks harmful lights
- Includes recipe book, 2 solid sheets, 2 mesh sheets and 3 jerky spice-Packets
- Ships in certified frustration-free-Packaging
Customer ratings by feature
Frequently bought together
What do customers buy after viewing this item?
- Nesco FD-60 Snackmaster Express 4-Tray Food Dehydrator, WhiteFREE Shipping by AmazonGet it by Monday, Apr 1
- Nesco FD-79 Snackmaster Pro Digital Food Dehydrator for Snacks, Fruit, Beef Jerky, Meat, Vegetables & Herbs, Gray, 4 Trays, 1 Count (Pack of 1),GreyFREE Shipping by AmazonGet it by Monday, Apr 1
From the manufacturer
NESCO/American Harvest has been the leader in food dehydrators for over 30 years! These units feature patented technologies that dry your food faster and more evenly than any of the competing models available, we know, because we've tried them all! Our Converge-a-Flow air flow assures even drying from top to bottom, without the tray rotation required by others.
Whether you're a beginner or an experienced 'pro', making beef jerky, drying fruits, vegetables, herbs, or flowers, NESCO/American Harvest offers the best units available.
Nesco Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator
Model FD-75A
The Snackmaster Pro is one of the newest dehydrators in the Nesco/American Harvest product line. It's sleek, contemporary design In grey and marble color features a top mounted fan, 700 watts of drying power, and generates maximum speed and quality for dehydrating fruits, vegetables, beef jerky, and venison jerky. Helps dry food in hours, not days like ordinary food dehydrators.
Makes delicious Beef Jerky even turkey jerky, and fish jerky. Make trail mix, homemade yogurt, apple snacks, banana chips, dried soup mixes, dried tomatoes, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, mangoes, papaya and other dried fruits at a fraction of the cost. Make dried herbs and spices; also make potpourri and dried flowers for any occasion.
- 5 Drying Trays
- 2 Clean-A-Screens
- 2 Fruit Roll Sheets
- 3 Original Jerky Spice Packets
- 52-page Recipe and Instruction Book
Coverga-Flow System
Drying Time
Because of the unique design of the patented Converga-Flow system of your NESCO/American Harvest dehydrator, you’ll be surprised at how quickly most foods dry. Drying times may vary, depending on the type and amount of food, thickness and evenness of the slices, percentage of water in the food, humidity, temperature of air, altitude and the model of NESCO/American Harvest dehydrator you are using. Drying times may also vary greatly from one area to another and from day to day, depending on the climatic conditions. Keep records to help you predict drying times for specific foods.
Drying Temperature
Fruits, fruit rolls and vegetables should be dried at 130ºF to 140ºF (55º to 60ºC). By drying foods in this temperature range you will minimize the loss of heat-sensitive vitamins A and C. All foods sweat when they begin to dry, the temperature may be set higher than 140ºF (60ºC) during the first couple of hours of drying. The actual temperature of the food will remain 15ºF to 20ºF (6º to 8ºC) lower than the air temperature for the first couple of hours.
Meats and fish should be dried on the highest temperature setting of your dehydrator. These temperatures also keep bacteria and other spoilage micro-organisms, common to meat and fish, to a minimum during the first stages of drying.
Nuts and seeds are high in oil, and if higher temperatures are used, they will tend to become rancid, developing off flavors. The best temperature is from 90ºF to 100ºF (30º to 40ºC).
Herbs and spices are most flavorful when they first open and should be harvested while very fresh, before they begin to blossom. Because the aromatic oils are very sensitive, temperatures should be 90ºF to 100ºF (30º to 40ºC) for drying. Take care not to load trays too heavily as this will prolong the drying time.
Dried flowers, herbs and spices used for potpourri should be dried at temperatures ranging from 90ºF to 100ºF (30º to 40ºC) to maintain aroma and color.
Drying Fruit Rolls
Fruit rolls are a favorite snack for young and old alike. It is a chewy fruit product made from puréed fresh fruit, which has been dried and rolled into snack sized pieces. Fruit rolls are easy to make and cost less than those bought at the store.
Almost any fruit will make an excellent fruit roll. Most fruits can also be combined with others. Some fruits, such as apples, are high in pectin and fiber, and have an excellent texture when dried. The combinations are limitless. Use your imagination and have fun!
Features
- Adjustable Thermostat allows you to dry different foods at proper temperatures (95º-160º F), providing the flexibility to produce the best drying results.
- New-Powerful Top Mounted Fan has 700 watts of drying power generate maximum speed and quality for dehydrating fruits, vegetables, and jerky. Helps dry food in hours, not days like other food dehydrators.
- Expandable unit comes with 5 trays, but is expandable to 12 trays with optional Add-A-Trays.
- Opaque Vita-Save exterior helps block harmful light which destroys nutritional content of food being dehydrated.
Drying Jerky
Jerky is a favorite snack for school, lunch, on the trail or just about anywhere! It is made by seasoning lean, raw meat in a salt mixture, then drying it without cooking. The finished product is a protein-rich exercise in chewing and ever so delicious! Jerky also makes a savory broth base for soups and stews.
Meat Jerky
Homemade jerky is much less expensive than jerky slices or sticks purchased at a grocery or convenience store. Most lean meats will yield about 1 pound of jerky for 3 pounds of fresh meat.
FAQ
1. What is dehydrating?
Dehydrating is a method of food preservation in which moisture is removed from the food. Dehydrating inhibits growth of microorganisms and decay. Dehydrating can dramatically increase storage life for food.
2. Does Dehydrating food destroy its nutrients?
Dehydrating causes minimal loss of nutrients, but if done properly that loss is quite small. You will retain about 90% of the vitamins and minerals. When using higher heats, foods will dehydrate faster, but this will result in more nutrient loss.
3. How do you know when foods are dry?
Always let foods cool for a few minutes. Check to see if the food is still moist or sticky. If it is leathery and pliable, it is usually done. However, foods that are overdried may become brittle and turn brown.
4. How do you store dried foods?
Always store dried foods in airtight containers. Store containers in a cool, dry place. Exposure to humidity, light and air during storage adversely affects storage life of dried foods.
5. How long can I store dried food?
We recommend a maximum storage time of one year for the best appearance and nutritional value. Vacuum packing greatly extends shelf life. Refrigeration or freezing will double or triple shelf life.
6. How long does it take to dehydrate foods?
It depends on the type of food you are dehydrating, quantities, and capabilities of dehydrator. Refer to your fruit drying guidelines.
7. If I powdered my dried vegetables, what could I use them for?
Powdered onion and garlic, of course, are great seasonings for meats and sauces. Powdered tomatoes can be reconstituted into tomato sauce, paste, catsup, juice or soup. A blender or food processor will give you the finest texture. Store in air-tight container.
8. Is it necessary to pretreat foods before dehydrating them?
Pretreating can enhance color and flavor of certain foods, but is not necessary. Pretreatment options are dipping, blanching, and marinating.
9. My apples and pears have darkened to a rusty-brown color while drying. Are they safe to eat?
Yes. Fruits that have turned brownish color are safe to eat. Many fruits will oxidize when the flesh of the fruit is exposed to air. By pretreating fruits, oxidation is reduced.
10. What kinds of foods can you dehydrate?
You can dry fruits, vegetables, meats, herbs, flowers, pet treats, etc. Dry left over bread for bread crumbs. You can dry almost anything that contains water.
11. Why should the edges of my fruit leather be thicker than the center?
With fruit leathers, the edges of mixture tend to dry first. If edges are the same thickness as center, they will dry too quickly and become brittle.
12. Will flavors mix if I dry different foods together in the same dehydrator?
If you dry foods in the same category, such as fruits with other fruits and vegetables with other vegetables, the flavors should not mix. However, we do not recommend drying onions with any other foods.
13. Are dehydrated foods recommended for camping and hiking?
You can use dehydrated ingredients to speed up preparation time. Dehydrated foods are lightweight and easy to carry in your backpack or camper.
14. What are the benefits of food drying?
There are many benefits of drying food. Here are some:
- You are in control of the quality of food you eat.
- You will save money.
- You can take advantage of supermarket specials.
- You can create a tasty snack that is good for you.
- You can take advantage of your own garden by drying your fruits and vegetables to be used year round.
15. My banana chips don't taste or look like the ones in the stores. What can I do?
The banana chips you buy in the store are deep fried. Dehydrating your own banana chips taste great and are more nutritious than store bought.
16. The fruit sticks to the trays. How can I prevent this?
Fruits or thinly sliced vegetables may stick to your trays. You may want to purchase Clean-A-Screens to put on your trays to prevent these items from sticking.
FD-60 | FD-75A | FD-80A | FD-1010 | FD-1018A | FD-1040 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Customer Reviews |
4.4 out of 5 stars
1,261
|
4.5 out of 5 stars
14,103
|
4.5 out of 5 stars
2,017
|
4.3 out of 5 stars
1,931
|
4.4 out of 5 stars
2,707
|
4.3 out of 5 stars
1,931
|
Watts | 500 | 600 | 700 | 1000 | 1000 | 1000 |
Thermostat | Adjustable | Adjustable | Adjustable | Adjustable | Adjustable | Digital Adjustable |
Double Wall Converga-Flow | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Drying Levels/Trays | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 4 |
Expandable to Levels/Trays | 12 | 12 | 8 | 30 | 30 | 20 |
Tray Color | White | Speckled | Speckled | White | White | White |
Includes Clean-A-Screen | No | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 1 |
Includes Fruit Roll Up Sheet | 1 | 2 | No | 1 | 8 | 1 |
Matched Accessory Model Numbers | LT-2W, LM-2-6, LSS-2-6 | LT-2SG, LM-2-6, LSS-2-6 | SQT-2, SLD-2-6, SQM-2-6 | TR-2, MS-2-6, SLD-2-6 | TR-2, MS-2-6, SLD-2-6, HP-9 | TR-2, MS-2-6, SLD-2-6 |
Looking for specific info?
Product information
Technical Details
Additional Information
ASIN | B0090WOCN0 |
---|---|
Customer Reviews |
4.5 out of 5 stars |
Best Sellers Rank | #20,876 in Home (See Top 100 in Home) #14 in Dehydrators |
Date First Available | April 7 2018 |
Manufacturer | Nesco |
Place of Business | TWO RIVERS, WI, 54241 US |
Feedback
Product description
Dry fruit, vegetables, and jerky in hours instead of days. The unit's patented Converga-Flow drying system forces air down the exterior pressurized chamber, then horizontally across each individual tray, converging in the center, for fast, even, and nutritious drying. Flavors don't mix, and there's no need to rotate the trays. It's top-mounted fan eliminates the worry of liquids dripping into the heater chamber, and an opaque Vita-Save exterior helps block harmful lights in order to retain more of the food's nutrients and vitamins during the drying process. The unit's adjustable thermostat ranged from 95 degrees to 160 degrees F, providing the flexibility needed to ensure excellent results. It's a 600 watts unit. Five trays come included, but the unit can be expanded to 12 trays (additional trays sold separately) for drying larger quantities at one time. Accessories include two fruit roll sheets, perfect for drying semi-liquids like soups, sauces, and fruit rolls; two Clean-A-Screen flexible screens, which allow for easy drying of small items such as herbs, spices and potpourri; and three original jerky spice packets for making jerky. A 52-page recipe and instruction book also comes included. With a speckled gray design, the food dehydrator measures approximately 13-inch by 13-inch by 10-inch. FD-75A is Frustration free packaging and FD-75PR is retail packaging.
Top Brand: NESCO
Compare with similar items
This Item NESCO Nesco FD-75A 600-Watt Food Dehydrator, Gray Speckled | Recommendations | dummy | dummy | dummy | dummy | |
Try again! Added to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart | |
Price | -31% $92.48$92.48 Was: $133.07 | $79.98$79.98 | -10% $79.19$79.19 Was: $87.99 | $167.95$167.95 | $110.98$110.98 | $79.99$79.99 |
Delivery | Get it by Monday, Apr 1 | Get it by Monday, Apr 1 | Get it by Monday, Apr 1 | Get it by Monday, Apr 1 | Get it by Monday, Apr 1 | Get it by Monday, Apr 1 |
Customer ratings | ||||||
Easy to use | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.2 | 4.4 | 4.7 |
Temperature Control | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.6 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 4.5 |
Easy to clean | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
Value for money | 4.5 | 4.4 | 5.0 | — | 4.1 | 4.6 |
Sold by | Amazon.ca | Amazon.ca | Amazon.ca | Amazon.ca | Tyche-Home Kitchen Small Appliance | Amazon.ca |
material | Plastic | — | Polypropylene | Plastic | Stainless Steel | Plastic |
number of trays | — | 5 | 5 | 12 | 5 | 5 |
shape | Round | Round | Round | Round | Square | Square |
temperature range | 160 | — | 95-165 | 95-160 | — | — |
wattage | 600 watts | 600 watts | 350 watts | 600 watts | 300 watts | 500 watts |
dishwasher safe | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
weight | 7.75 pounds | 5.9 pounds | 4.85 pounds | 0.01 ounces | — | 2.6 kilograms |
Customer reviews
Reviews with images
-
Top reviews
Top reviews from Canada
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
It's very easy to use, and it's reasonably quiet. You can hear it if you stand around it, but otherwise it is not much louder than my refrigerator. That the fan is at the top makes it odd to manipulate, but makes perfect sense as a design choice. All of life is tradeoffs.
What I really like about it is that I don't need to swap the plates around, everything dries evenly across the whole machine. It is also very easy to clean. I wish that it would have come with a couple more liquid sheets and fine-screen meshes, but I can buy those. Those that came with it be default were a reasonable offering.
This surprised me a little bit, but the book that came with it included instructions on dehydrating a variety of items. I would not have thought that this would have been particularly valuable, but it turned out (and continues to be) quite useful. It's a small thing, but I believe that manuals are good indicator of a product's quality and attention to detail by the people who make a product.
If I have one minor complaint it would be that the machine lacks and on-off switch. One might perhaps be included in the thermostat dial. The only way to turn it off is to unplug it. It would be nice to simply flip a switch before lifting the lid and setting it down. Overall, I'd say that this is a good deal. The quality seems pretty good, and I think that I can count on it for many years of growing seasons. I've already recommended this model to three family members just because I like it.
I never expected to buy another but with this year's enormous apple crop and a freezer already stuffed with raspberries and apple sauce, I took a chance. And I love it. I have filled 7 trays twice a day, mostly with apples but also with the second crop of figs, which take like candy when dried, nothing at all like bought dried figs. And it is not huge or unwieldy, so far easy to clean, it makes a quiet humming noise and I suspect is generating some heat which would not be good in mid-August but is welcome in October.
However, if you buy this, check the manual. Mine was missing pages 9-16 (fruit drying) and had two copies of another section. This would have cost a star but a single call to Nesco got me the very helpful Jody who told me the key information, followed up with the link to the manual and a few more tips, and is mailing me the complete manual. Good customer service, Nesco.
Edit: Nesco delivered. The manual has arrived. Two other comments: the scent of apples fills the house as it works, and it is wonderful. And I have been starting it just before bedtime and putting it in the bedroom. I drift off to sleep to a white noise hum ( I like this, but some may not), the scent of apples, and a warmer room. I wake to the same, well slept.
Gotta try some jerky in it (came with a nice pack of marinade stuff) but so far I've done apples, beans, cranberries, oranges, yam, and plaintain.
The manual is thorough, though food drying (or not just food, crafts/leaves/Potpourri too) is not an exact science.
It's very much an art, but so far I'm getting used to it, and it's loads of fun. Not sure if it's exactly economical per se, since you gotta leave it plugged in (kinda annoying that it doesn't have an off button...) for like a whole day to dry stuff. With the cost of hydro these days, hmm...
Anyway, Nesco definitely gives you everything (and I mean everything - I guess, except for an off button, but you do have to keep tabs on it anyway) to get started.
You can make all sorts of stuff in this, and it really opens up some interesting possibilities. Pretty big device all said, but not heavy or anything because the trays are light plastic. It all washes pretty well too.
I'd definitely recommend this if you're getting started in the dehydrating game. Probably wouldn't pay more than $100 for it, though (mine was apparently "used" but it came with everything in perfect condition for way less than the cost of the "new" one at the time).
There was a bit of a plastic smell the first time I fired it up. I would recommend running it to dry the trays after you first get it, and get the smells over with before putting food into it. The smell was brief and not too intense, but I knew it was the 'new' burning off the element or something.
Top reviews from other countries
- beef jerky
- orange slices
- grapefruit slices
- apple slices
- banana slices
- green beans
There are many recipes for beef jerky, but I would recommend the one on allrecipes.com which is a good, hearty, all-around tasty jerky. The Nesco came with packets of jerky spices, but I haven't used them, nor have I used the Nesco recipe. Just slice your beef (an electric knife is best), marinate overnight in a mixture of Worcester, soy sauce, pepper, garlic, onion, cayenne, and pepper flakes, then dehydrate them on high for 8-10 hours. Delicious!
The jerky can be tough to chew. They recommend slicing against the grain, to minimize the length of fibers, which does help a bit. I've tried pounding the beef with a 48-blade tenderizer to make the jerky less tough, but it doesn't really make much difference for all of that work, though it does help with marinading more thoroughly. The best solution I've found is simply to take smaller bites, and it's just easier to chew up! Lasts longer, too.
The other success story is apple slices. I don't bother with their special fruit tray. Just core and slice the apples (we have one of these old fashioned "Johnny Apple Peeler" hand cranked models that does a whole apple in 10 seconds, a must-have if you do a lot of apples), stick them on the regular trays, and give it about 8 hours on the fruit setting. I freeze the slices afterwards to maximize longevity. I bought a 6-pack of mealy, mediocre apples off the local supermarket discount cart for $1.29 and dehydrated them -- and they turned out sweet and delicious. Then, after a month or two in the freezer, in a freezer bag, they became apple crisps!
I would also recommend trying orange slices. Give it a good 12 hours because there's a lot of liquid to evaporate. They come out sort of like orange crackers. They're crunchy and delicious, peel and all. It's not for everyone, perhaps, but a great trail food along with dried apples and beef jerky.
The green beans came out unappetizing. Note that one side effect of dehydration is to concentrate the flavor. The grapefruit came out rather bitter. Still not too bad but don't expect it to be a hit with the kids.
Some people use it to dehydrate herbs and spices from the garden. We haven't tried this yet but for this, you probably do want to use the provided special tray that has smaller gaps.
The product is assembled in the U.S. from domestic and foreign components. That's OK with me; a little is better than nothing. At least they have a factory here. The important thing is that the company make a good quality product that lasts a long time, and so far, there have been zero problems with this unit. If anything goes wrong, I'll update this review.
One deficit is the lack of a built-in timer. However, this problem is easily solved with a $5 lamp timer you can get from the hardware store or online. You just set it to turn off at a certain time, and then you can go to bed or go to work with no worries. It's handy when you have prepared a 10-hour batch of beef jerky and it's only 4pm; you can rest assured it will run the required amount of time and shut off at 2am. Jerky is designed to last for weeks at room temperature, so it will be fine to leave it in the machine for a few hours. The salt is a preservative, but without sulfites or other preservatives, it's a good idea to freeze the jerky and it will last you for weeks or months.
This is a great appliance that is very easy to use. We love using it, it's not too noisy, and the main problem has been finding a spot to keep it in between uses, in our crowded kitchen. I have just ordered two more trays, to be able to make larger quantities; they just stack right in and add a couple of inches to the height of the unit, no big deal.
When I started thinking about purchasing a dehydrator, I did a lot of research including visiting my local Cabelas store and doing a lot of online research. The main reason that I initially shied away from purchasing this model was how inexpensive it was compared to so many of the other models. I just couldn't imagine it could be as good as all the reviews said it was. I was also concerned about some of the features that seemed like they would be important such as no timer and a top mounted fan (as compared to a side mounted which supposedly created irregular dehydrating times)
In the end though, I listened to the reviews and purchased it. WOW. I have been so pleased.
First, I have owned the unit now for about two months. I have literally run it non stop. I have five kids and I wanted to use it to stretch our grocery budget by being able to buy foot in bulk and store them by dehydrating them. My main issue is that I can't seem to store anything because we end up eating the food as soon as it comes out.
This cheap little machine is amazing. First, it's not too big so sits easily on the counter and doesn't get in the way. Second, it dehydrates to food evenly and simply. Third, it is extremely easy to clean (I strongly recommend purchasing extra clean a scrren sheets when you purchase it). Fourth, it's so simple to use. All you do is cut up your foot and throw it on a tray, stack it up and let it go. It's great.
Don't worry about the lack of a timer. I have found out you can't really "over-dehydrate" most foods so if you accidentally leave it running for a few hours, no big deal. Lastly, and probably most obviously, is the price. Don't worry, this is one of those times you get so much more than you pay for. Especially if you are like me and new to dehydrating, it's a great place to start.
I've subsequently purchased two expansion trays and the machine works just as efficiently with seven trays as with five. I think it goes up to 10 but cant remember. I've dehydrated tons of different stuff on it including carrots, corn, apples, bannanas (the only thing my kids haven't liked), bell peppers, hot peppers, cucumbers, onions and lots of jerky. I've even tried dehydrating some leftover soups and stews which worked remarkably well. Definately recommend you purchase a book or two on dehydrating as it helps to know how to do it.
One side note: Nesco's jerky flavorings are great and I've purchased more of them which I got for free with their jerky gun, which i've used to good effect also.
Well, that's it, I really, really, really have been impressed that something so...cheap, has worked so well.