I bought this dehydrator mainly to make beef jerky, and after seven months of use we have not been disappointed. So far we have made the following:
- 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.
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From the manufacturer
NESCO FD-75A, Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator
The NESCO FD-75A Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator dries your favorite foods in just hours. With Converga-Flow drying action, air is forced up and across the trays where it converges in the center for quick, even, and nutritious drying. The top mounted fan prevents liquids from dripping into the center. Instead of purchasing store-bought, the NESCO Snackmaster Pro allows you to enjoy dried fruits, jerky, veggies, and more right from home. This model includes 2 Fruit Roll Sheets, 2 Clean-A-Screens, a sample of jerky seasoning with cure, and a recipe and instruction book.
Features
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600 Watt PowerheadGenerates maximum speed and quality for dehydrating foods safety. |
Adjustable ThermostatAllows user to dry different foods at proper temperatures (95°F - 160°F). |
Converga-Flow SystemProvides even heat distribution without having to rotate trays. |
Features
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BPA Free Drying TraysMade of high-quality food grade plastic. Each tray provides 0.8 sq. ft. of drying space. |
Expandable Up To 12 Drying TraysIncrease the overall drying area by expanding your dehydrator with additional trays. |
Recipe BookletGreat recipes, tips, and tricks to help you get the most out of your dehydrator. |
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| FD-37A | FD-75A | FD-80A | FD-1018A | FD-1040 | |
| Customer Reviews |
2,030
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13,532
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2,091
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2,818
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1,948
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| Price | $41.99 | $86.48 | $79.99 | $159.99 | $109.30 |
| Wattage | 400 | 600 | 700 | 1000 | 1000 |
| # of Trays Included | 4 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 4 |
| Max Tray Capacity | Expandable Up To 7 | Expandable Up To 12 | Expandable Up To 8 | Expandable Up To 30 | Expandable Up To 20 |
| Temperature Control | Fixed | Adjustable Thermostat | Adjustable Thermostat | Adjustable Thermostat | Digitally Controlled |
| Additional Accessories (By SKU) | LM-2-6, LSS-2-6, WT-2SG | LM-2-6, LSS-2-6, LT-2SG | SQM-2-6, SLD-2-6, SQT-2 | MS-2-6, SLD-2-6, TR-2 | MS-2-6, SLD-2-6, TR-2 |
| Approximate Size, Inches (L x W x H) | 13.5 x 13.5 x 9 | 13 x 13 x 11 | 14.5 x 14.37 x 9.75 | 14 x 14 x 10 | 15 x 15.5 x 9.5 |
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This Item  Nesco NESCO FD-75A Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator, For Snacks, Fruit, Beef Jerky, Gray |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | $86.48 | $164.89 | $49.99 | -10% $44.99 List: $49.99 | -35% $129.99 List: $199.99 | -13% $69.99 List: $79.99 |
| Delivery | Get it as soon as Friday, May 3 | Get it as soon as Friday, May 3 | Get it as soon as Friday, May 3 | Get it as soon as Friday, May 3 | Get it as soon as Friday, May 3 | Get it as soon as Friday, May 3 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Temperature Control | ||||||
| Easy to clean | ||||||
| Noise level | ||||||
| Easy to use | ||||||
| Durability | ||||||
| Sold By | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | qingwanjian | Amazon.com | Royal Kitchen | Amazon.com |
| material | Plastic | Stainless Steel | Plastic | Polypropylene | Stainless Steel | Plastic |
| number of trays | 4 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 5 |
| shape | Round | Square | Rectangular | Round | Round | Rectangular |
| temperature range | 160 | 90-160 | 158 | 95-165 F | — | 100-160 |
| wattage | 600 watts | 600 watts | 240 watts | 350 watts | 480 watts | 500 watts |
| dishwasher safe | ✗ | ✓ | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
Reviews with images
Much quieter than the older versions, and more powerful.
I searched a long time to replace the older FD-60 dehydrator which only had 4 layers, and quite noisy. While this is more expensive, I was surprised how quiet this dehydrator is, and you can hide it some where after use. This one has five layers, and that is enough for most dehydration. I truly recommend this product if you are into dehydrating fruit and jerky.
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Top reviews from other countries
Jesus Beltran Aranda
lo mejor
Reviewed in Mexico on March 18, 2021Style: DehydratorVerified Purchase
Frank
I really love this machine
Reviewed in Canada on December 6, 2016Style: DehydratorVerified Purchase
Eve
Love it. But check your manual for all the pages
Reviewed in Canada on October 14, 2018Style: DehydratorVerified Purchase
