New Digitally Controlled – Nesco FD-1040 Gardenmaster Food Dehydrator

A dehydrator is a smart and economical way to dry fruits and vegetables, to make delicious beef jerky, and prepare a healthy family snacks. So, it comes as no surprise that this kitchen gadget has been gaining popularity. Amongst the names known for the top food dehydrators on the market is the brand Nesco. Nesco offers the best home appliances with advanced technologies and the Gardenmaster Fd-1040 food dehydrator is its best example. This dehydrator dries large amount of fruits and vegetables, which are produced by your home garden or grabbed on your grocery trips, turning them into healthy and scrumptious meals and snacks. It is equipped with best and latest technologies. The unit is available at very reasonable price in the market with such amazing features. What features your ask? Read on and we’ll share everything you need to know about this dehydrator below.

Features and Specifications

• The Nesco Gardenmaster FD-1040 has a digital timer, much like the other expensive devices on the market. The programmable timer is a very important feature which gives you the freedom to do other activities during food dehydration. The timer can be programmed for up to 48 hours, enough time to dehydrate something small like berries and tough foods like beef jerky.
• The unit has a top-mounted, powerful 2400 fan motor which eliminates many problems seen in cheap devices. The fact that its top mounted means that the drips or liquids released from the food won’t fall into the fan. In cheaper devices, liquid runs into the motor and destroys it, so this problem is overcome in this unit.
• The Nesco Gardenmaster has Converga Air Flow System, another key feature to keep in mind. This design allows the heated air to flow under pressure down the device’s exterior chamber. In this way, it spreads across each tray before it turns back to the chimney where it is reheated. The problem of reshuffling of trays is overcome with this design as it ensures even drying. Up to 20 trays can be dried in it without reshuffling of trays, if the pressure is adjusted that’s how many trays have to be loaded.
• The major issue when it comes to cheap dehydrators is the lack of ability to adjust the temperature. That’s not the case with Nesco though. The Nesco Gardenmaster has an adjustable thermostat that ranges from 90°-160°F. This range is enough to dry different fruits, vegetables, and even jerky, quickly before it is attacked by bacteria, all the while ensuring superior results for every food that you put in the trays.
• The unit has about 1000 watts of drying power and boasts flexibility as it is expandable up to 20 trays. With so much space to play around with, there is more than enough capacity for drying fruits and vegetables in a single batch. Further, trays can be added and removed from it easily, so there’s no hassle involved when you want to switch from small to large batches or vice versa.
• As with other Nesco food dehydrator models, the Gardenmaster too boasts of opaque vita-save exterior. This technology prevents light from getting into the dehydrator as the machine dries your food. Why you ask? Well, light directly impacts the quality of dehydration. By blocking the light this machine is able to lock more nutrients and minerals in the food, keeping it as close to raw and unprocessed fresh food in nutritional value as possible.
• The Nesco GardenMaster has some other accessories too that come with the dehydrator. These include 4 trays, a recipe book, 1 solid (no-spill) fruit roll sheet which is designed for drying gooey substances, 1 flexible mesh which allows you to dry smaller items like herbs, and 1 packet of jerky spices.
• The device is designed with 15 inches in diameter and 10 inches in height, so it takes up no more space on your counter than a dinner plate. The style of the dehydrator is just like a box so it is easily stored in a kitchen cabinet.

Pros

• The unit has digital timer
• It is expandable up to 20 trays
• Has a top mounted fan
• The unit has Converga-Flow patented air flow system, a major design boon for avoiding over dried or under dried foods
• There is no need for rotation of trays
• The dehydrator has a one-year limited warranty
• The device is very easy to use
• It has opaque vita-save exterior
• Comes with variety of bonuses, including a recipe book, 1 fruit roll sheet, 1 mesh sheet, and 1 packet of jerky spices

Cons

• Can be considered a little bit expensive
• Comes with only 4 trays

Summary

The Nesco Gardenmaster FD-1040 dehydrates many types of meat, fruits, and vegetables to make healthy snacks for your family. It is designed with advances and excellent features. It is quite easy to use and it takes very less space on your kitchen counter, ensuring you don’t have to pack it up into the cabinet for every use (which eventually leads to the appliance staying inside the cabinet forever after initial use). It is quite efficient and easy to use for beginners. It has a top mounted fan with the converga-flow patented air flow system that ensures even dehydration. By using this device, you will be able to leave this machine on overnight without having to worry about tray rotation or switching it off when your timer goes off. The device is bit expensive, but the convincing point is its digital control and its automatic shut off.