Nesco American Harvest FD-61WHC Snackmaster

Having lost my earlier Nesco food dehydrator while relocating from one state to another, there was an urgent need to buy a new dehydrator before winter came. As I wanted a food dehydrator that was versatile, I dived deep into this world to find the right match. My extensive study of food dehydrator reviews told me that accessories for such products are made with extremely narrow range of appliances in mind, and hence it is better to choose an all-in-one food dehydrator kit than go for an individual product. After much dithering, I chose the Nesco American Harvest FD-61WHC Snackmaster. Why this dehydrator you ask? To begin, I had a good opinion about Nesco. Further, this was the only affordable product that included all the accessories I wanted or would classify as “necessary” in my book. Having tried out the accessories and the product itself in a wide range of scenarios over a year and a half, I can now certify to its quality by discussing the pros and few cons in a detailed review.

Complete Range of Accessories

If you’re planning to go beyond the usual cinnamon apple chips and sweet kale crisps, then you need a dehydrator that’s decked out with accessories. The Nesco American Harvest FD-61WHC Snackmaster came with a number of fruit roll sheets and a sheet for drying herbs and sticky fruit, which Nesco calls “clean-a-sheen”. Furthermore, we were provided with a jerky gun that made preparation of mince meat jerky a whole lot easier than before. In fact, should you have another dehydrator, you can even use these accessories with it as, because unlike most dehydrator accessories, these are compatible with many non-Nesco products too. Most importantly though, these accessories can provide excellent functionality for a long period of time, regardless of how frequently you avail their use. So, your family can enjoy jerky, fruit leathers, roll ups, crisps, and chips for a long time to come.

Top Mounted Fan and Powerful Heating Element

Like most premium stackable food dehydrators, this product has a top mounted fan that is compact yet efficient. The fan and heating apparatus have a power rating of 500 watts, considered ideal for most drying purposes. Indeed, when coupled with the Converga Flow technology that is patented by Nesco and allows for air to move down the outer shell to spread radially across the racks, the heating apparatus proves to be a winner regardless of the circumstances. We’re talking even dried foods no matter what that food may be and no rotation of trays! Now if you’ve previously used dehydrators that have fans on the bottom, you know how important this feature is and the profound impact it can have on your dehydrating session.

Temperature Control

The right temperature is critical for superior results when it comes to food dehydration. The Nesco American Harvest FD-61WHC Snackmaster boasts of adjustable temperature control that ranges from 95°-160° allowing you to dry a variety of different foods with perfection. As the temperature goes up to 160° F, this dehydrator also meets the USDA guidelines for preparation of jerky which promotes high temperatures for preventing growth of bacteria in the meat.

Good Number of Compact Trays/Racks

One of the major problems associated with the ordinary all-in-one solutions is that the number of trays is either too few, or the trays are of poor quality. The Nesco American Harvest FD-61WHC Snackmaster comes with 5 well built plastic trays, which are designed so as to be easily removable without one having to touch the central hot areas. Further, they are compact and fit the overall form factor of the product well. These trays are also expandable up to 12, should you develop a penchant for dehydrating (which you almost certainly will) and want to broaden your playground—dry bigger batches of your favorite foods, test new foods, or simply prep for camping trips in one go.

Made of BPA-Free Plastic

Ordinary plastic can produce noxious fumes when heated for long periods of time. BPA-free food grade plastic eliminates the risks involved and allows one to keep the dehydrator on overnight without having to worry about damage to the appliance or food. Of course, you should also take into consideration the containers you’re using to store your food and that those too are BPA-free, so no unwanted toxins tamper with your healthy diet.

A Minor Disadvantage

Since the product comes with only 500 watts of power, it is not capable of drying foods that are extremely thick (like turkey), or it takes an inordinately long time to carry out such dehydration. That said, turkeys aren’t part of the average household’s idea of dehydrated foods, so unless you have a particular affinity for having turkey all year round, chances that this product will disappoint you are remote.

Conclusion

It is easy to be fooled into buying a cheap, inefficient, and malfunction-prone all-in-one dehydrator without reading dehydrator reviews, especially if you’re a novice. Having made such mistakes myself, I can say with palpable relief that the Nesco American Harvest FD-61WHC Snackmaster does not fall into the category of such cheap products. Instead, its complete range of durable accessories, great heating mechanism and use of good materials allow it to stand out as one of the few truly value for money all-in- one food dehydrators in the market today. So, go ahead and make that jump into the world of food dehydration with this model. You won’t regret it.