You’ve probably heard all about the health benefits of dehydrating food, as well as how tasty it is – but you’re just not sure where to get started, right?
Dehydrating food has so many benefits, but a lot of people think they can’t manage it because they don’t have the right equipment. Well, it’s not that difficult to get your hands on a food dehydrator and start producing your own delicious foods.
Here, we give you an insight into the Magic Mill Dehydrator – a machine that has been developed for you to use at home. It has a lot of great features to make dehydrating food an easy task.
You love smoky beef jerky and sweet dried fruit. Now, you can make your favorite dried snacks at home! Learn more with this guide about the Magic Mill Dehydrator.
Magic Mill 7 Tray Dehydrator
Features
- 480W dehydrator
- Weighs 21.4 pounds
- Dimensions: 13 x 18 x 14 inches
- Seven trays
- 24-hour digital timer
- Adjustable thermostat with a temperature range of 95°F to 165°F
- Fan for optimal air circulation
- Even airflow so no need to rotate trays
- Transparent front so you can see progress
- Overheating safety protection
- Stainless steel trays are dishwasher safe
- Automatic shut-off when the timer is finished
- Overheating safety protection
If you’re a lover of eating dried fruits and veggies, this food dehydrator is great for kick-starting your drying food adventure. It is great for beginners because of its automatic shut-off system that turns off after drying your food. You don’t have to read the user manual to know how to use the machine. The product has clear and user-friendly functions that make your drying experience easier.
Its stainless steel design makes it easy to wash the machine. You can also put the food dehydrator in the dishwasher and let it work. The dehydrator is dishwasher safe.
This food dehydrator has a transparent cover on the front. This makes it possible for you to check the progress of your food drying, preventing overheating of food.
The Magic Mill dehydrator has a fan. This fan is important in keeping your food fresh by ensuring optimal air circulation in and out of the machine. The optimal air circulation also eliminates the need for rotating the trays as there is enough air getting in; therefore, all food is dried evenly.
Power is required in ensuring fruits and vegetables are well dried. This machine gives 470 watts of power to ensure your favorite meat and veggies are evenly dried. The good thing about this appliance is that it comes with overheating safety protection. This means your machine won’t fail you when drying your food.
Variety is what you can find in this dehydrator. There are lots of foods you can dry in this appliance. It has stainless steel trays for drying regular foods, leather sheets for making delicious fruit rolls, and mesh trays for drying your favorite herbs and nuts.
Don’t worry about your food getting cold after drying it. You can leave it in the machine as it has a keep-warm function that keeps your food at optimal temperature for an additional 24 hours.
Pros
- Versatility: lowest temperature setting can dehydrate fruit and vegetables while maintaining their healthy enzymes; the highest heat level can safely dehydrate meat to make healthy jerky
- Digital timer and temperature allows easy management of foods
- Up to 24 hours of drying time with 30-minute increments allowing flexibility for different food products
- Also features a keep-warm function to keep food at optimal temperature once dehydrating finished – can be pressed at any time during the dehydration process and the machine will keep food warm for a further 24 hours
- Countdown timer allows you to know exactly how far away food is from being ready
- Clear and user-friendly controls
- Comes with a free set of oven mitts
- Multiple trays with flexible options (7 x stainless steel, 2 x fine mesh sheets, 2 x fruit leather trays)
- Stainless steel trays for regular foods
- Mesh trays for nuts and herbs
- Leather sheets to make fruit rolls – can also be used as drip trays
Cons
- Limited to a 24-hour timer (less than other units of a similar size)
- Larger than other home-designed units, so may take up a lot of space for the casual dehydrator
- Features plastic base, rather than the stainless steel of Magic Mill’s higher grade (commercial dehydrator) model
Summary
The Magic Mill 7-tray dehydrator is a fantastic entry-level dehydrator for home use.
With seven trays, the dehydrator is larger than a lot of other models pitched at the amateur home dehydrator. This may be a bonus for someone who expects to dehydrate in large quantities (the machine can dehydrate 7 lbs. of food in one session).
If you are just starting out, a smaller model may be more appropriate to begin with, unless you already know you are going to be dehydrating regularly. It is also a great option for those people who are looking to upsize from smaller entry-level systems.
One of the most attractive features of the Magic Mill food dehydrator is the versatility it offers. The machine can take a total of seven trays. However, Magic Mill has offered a total of 11 trays of different types so that you can use trays that are optimized for the foods you want to dehydrate.
This includes seven regular stainless steel trays for fruit, vegetables, and jerky, as well as two fine mesh trays for herbs and nuts, and two leather trays designed for fruit and fruit roll-ups. To learn more about what you can do with your food dehydrator, check out these snack ideas.
Another very important feature is the temperature range, which also adds to the versatility of the unit. The lower temperature range allows you to preserve the enzymes in fruit and vegetables, which is one of the most important reasons why we dehydrate foods at all.
On the other hand, it is important a food dehydrator provides sufficient heat to dehydrate meat safely. The 165-degree upper limit of the unit achieves this easily.
So, the Magic Mill dehydrator offers all-round reflexibility and versatility for the home user to produce a range of healthy snacks. If you’re unsure about the health benefits of dehydrated food, check out the science behind it.
Magic Mill 9 Tray Dehydrator
This dehydrator comes with a 19.5-hour timer and a digital thermostat ranging from 95 to 158 degrees Fahrenheit. It has a rear-mounted fan which promotes even drying and prevents overheating, and its automatic shutoff ensures that optimal temperature is used until the food reaches the desired crispiness.
It is spacious, and it comes with nine stainless steel trays which are adjustable to accommodate large food and a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. It has a horizontal airflow system, and it has a drying power of 600 watts.
Features:
- It comes with nine stainless steel trays.
- It includes one fine mesh sheet, two non-stick fruit leather sheets, one hanging rack, and one set oven mitts.
- It has an automatic shutoff feature with a 19.5-hour timer.
- It comes with a digital thermostat ranging from 95 to 158 degrees Fahrenheit.
- It has a drying power of 600 watts.
- It has a transparent door.
- It has an overheating protection feature.
Pros:
- Its nine stainless steel trays are durable and adjustable.
- It has a horizontal airflow drying system which allows heat and temperature to be distributed evenly.
- It has a 19.5-hour timer and an automatic shutoff feature once the cycle is complete.
- It has a digital thermostat ranging from 95 to 158 degrees Fahrenheit and a drying power of 600 watts.
- It has a transparent door which allows you to monitor the status of the food without interrupting the drying cycle.
Con:
- It only has a 19.5-hour timer capability.
Magic Mill Food Dehydrator Bundle: Summary of Features
The unit comes with nine stainless steel trays which are adjustable to accommodate large food items or a wide variety of food or vegetable choices in one drying cycle. It has a glass door which allows you to check the status of the food without the need to interrupt the process. It also includes an overheating protection system to make sure that it is safe to use and so your foods do not get burned.
Furthermore, it comes with an automatic shutoff feature, so it turns off when the process is completed. It has a 19.5-hour times capability, a digital thermostat of 95 to 158 degrees Fahrenheit, and a drying power is 600 watts. It also has a horizontal airflow system which allows for the heat and temperature to be evenly distributed and makes sure moisture is completely removed.
Its package includes one fine mesh sheet, two non-stick fruit leather sheets, one hanging rack, and one set oven mitts. The drip tray collects residues from the drying process. It is spacious and can accommodate six trays or up to six lbs of food in one dehydration cycle. It is also equipped with a rear-mounted drying fan with 400 watts power which aids in even drying and prevents overheating.
Compare Dehydrators
Food dehydrators come in all shapes and sizes with different functions. If you are looking to buy a food dehydrator, it is important that you take a moment to compare the models on offer.
One of the major factors for the home dehydrator to take into consideration is the size of their unit. This is a mid-sized unit. Magic Mill also offers a 6-tray stainless steel unit, which is a lot more compact than this model.
You can also find other five, four, or three-tray units from other manufacturers.
In terms of functionality, the Magic Mill has the standard entry-level options available in most comparable models. Its temperature range of 95°F to 165°F is better than other similarly sized models, like the Chefman or the Ivation 9 dehydrators.
However, its timer functions and temperature controls are more limited than something like the Excalibur 3548CDB Dehydrator, which features a 48-hour timer that can be pre-timed to shift between temperatures.
The Excalibur 3926TB Food Dehydrator is another competitive product of the same genre. It comes with nine trays, a built-in on and off switch, and a 26-hour timer with an adjustable thermostat ranging from 105 to 165 degrees Fahrenheit. It also includes a poly-screen tray which prevents the food from sticking. Trays are adjustable and removable to accommodate large food items.
Another related item is the STX International Dehydrator which has a drying power of 600 watts. Its material makes it durable and strong, and its front door is heat-retentive. It comes with ten stainless steel trays which are dishwasher-safe, and are adjustable. Uniform drying is ensured with its rear-mounted motor and fan which also allows the horizontal flow of air. It has a 40-hour timer with an adjustable temperature ranging from 85 to 155 degrees Fahrenheit.
The Chefman Food Dehydrator is also a wise option with its nine adjustable plastic trays. It has a 19.5-hour timer and an adjustable thermostat ranging from 95 to 158 degrees Fahrenheit. It has a drying power of 600 watts, and it also comes with a transparent door which allows you to monitor and check the status of the food every now and then.
Magic Mill Dehydrator – Verdict
More people are turning to dehydrated food than ever before. If you have been wanting to buy a dehydrator, the Magic Mill dehydrator may be an outstanding entry-level option. The unit offers high versatility so that you can experiment with a number of different types of food. This is a major bonus if you are getting into food dehydration for the first time.
On the other hand, if you are looking to upgrade from another food dehydrator, you may want to look at other units that have higher functionality specifications. The more technical features of some other food dehydrators allow you to do a little bit more with your foods.
The Magic Mill food dehydrator is an excellent all-round unit that has been specifically designed for the amateur home food dehydrator. It offers sufficient versatility to make a range of delicious and healthy snacks, making it a great option for those looking to buy a dehydrator for the first time.
Are you hooked on the idea of dehydrating your own food? Why not commit to a new healthy lifestyle and invest in one of these great machines today? Look at our other food dehydrator reviews to see which one is best for you!
