The Nesco brand is one of the largest sellers of high-quality kitchen countertop appliances and accessories with years of experience. Nesco is also a manufacturer of some of the best dehydrators of today.
Today we will be taking a closer look at the Nesco FD 1040 Gardenmaster and what it offers to the buyer.
The Nesco FD 1040 can manage to dehydrate massive amounts of food. Many customers have been in love with Nesco products as it has an impressive number of user ratings on Amazon.
This product stands out from many other brands because it is made in the US. No more worrying about your dehydrator dying out due to cheap materials from other countries; everything is made in house.
Nesco FD 1040 Gardenmaster
What Is Included?
- Nesco Gardenmaster FD-1040 Digital Pro Food Dehydrator
- White Trays (4)
- Fruit Roll Sheets
- Clean-A-Screen
How Does It Work?
The Nesco Gardenmaster FD-1040 uses a patented Converga-Flow drying system which forces air down the exterior pressurized chamber, through the trays and back up through the unit’s center. This airflow system ensures that food dries quickly and evenly, so there is no need to rotate the trays.
Features of the Nesco FD 1040 Gardenmaster
- It comes with an adjustable digital timer and temperature control (90 Fahrenheit – 160 Fahrenheit)
- This unit has 1000 watts of dehydrating power that distributes heat evenly.
- Comes with its unique patented air-flow ( Converga Flow )
- This appliance can expand to a massive 20 trays with the Add-A-Trays.
- The digital programmable timer can be programmed up to 48- hours of dehydrating time.
- It comes with an instruction book.
- The Nesco FD 1040 Digital Dehydrator 1000W comes with 4 BPA free trays.
Timer
The Nesco FD 1040 dehydrator can be compared to the more expensive appliances when it comes to the programmable timer that can turn off your dehydrator before your food overcooks.
This feature is crucial and is typically found in high-end dehydrators. This is great for the user as it gives them more time to do other things instead of standing around looking at the dehydrator. This is a must-have feature when purchasing a food dehydrator.
This unit comes with a programmable timer up to 48-hours
Power
The Nesco FD 1040 comes with a massive 1000 watts of power; this is more than enough for your food dehydrating. The higher watts is also essential in safely drying a large number of your foodstuffs.
The Nesco Brand has claimed that this unit can handle up to 20-trays simultaneously ( make sure to check the manual ). This also depends on the food you are dehydrating and the size of the food.
Fan
When looking for a dehydrator to purchase always look for a unit that has a fan at the top and not the bottom, the reason for this is when you dry your food, and the juice drips it will end up falling into the fans blade which will become sticky, this can become hard work cleaning them.
Some lower-priced machines don’t come with fans; this can be a burden as the liquid from the dehydrated food can destroy the motor, which can be costly to fix.
What makes the Nesco FD 1040 Gardenmaster stand out from most of its competitors is that it comes with a top-mounted fan with a powerful 2400 rpm speed. No more worrying about liquids or drippings falling into the motor.
Adjustable Thermostat
To have full control of a unit, you should look for one that allows you to adjust the temperature range to your liking. The Gardenmaster Dehydrator gives you the Adjustable Thermostat feature that can be changed from 90°F to 160°F. The adjustable thermostat can be beneficial for drying fruits at low temperatures and dehydrating jerky at high. This feature is a must-have in any dehydrators; unfortunately, some smaller-priced units don’t have this option.
FD 1040 Gardenmaster Accessories
The Nesco FD 1040 Gardenmaster comes with:
- 4 Trays
- 52-Page Instruction and Recipe Book
- 1 Fruit Roll Sheet
- 1 Clean-A-Screen
- This unit comes with one sample of Jerky Seasoning & Cure.
Pros
- The Gardenmaster Dehydrator controls are easy to use.
- It has a 1000 watt of power that is quiet and great for drying large amounts of food.
- This appliance also has adjustable temperature settings.
- The FD 1040 comes with an auto-shutoff timer ( 48 hours )
- It gets to work immediately, dehydrating your food.
- Made in the USA.
- It comes with four BPA free trays.
Cons
- The Nesco Gardenmaster dehydrator is a bit pricey.
- It uses a lot of energy; this will increase the cost of your electricity bills.
- Because the Nesco FD 1040 Gardenmaster can expand to 20 trays, The company could have added a couple of extras with the purchase instead of the four trays.
- Some Nesco Gardenmaster reviews on Amazon have reported that the unit gets mold when they use 18 trays.
Rating
Build
3/5 out of 5
Heat distribution
4.6 out of 5
Easy to use
4.6 out of 5
Easy to clean
4.4 out of 5
FD 1040 Gardenmaster Dehydrator Parts
You can find the Nesco FD 1040 Gardenmaster dehydrator parts at the Nesco website. They also provide replacement parts for all the other models.
Nesco Gardenmaster Dehydrator Manual
You can find the Nesco Gardenmaster FD-1040 manual on the Nesco website. The manual includes important safeguards, dehydrator use and care, fruit drying guideline, warranty and service satisfaction, etc.
Where Else To Buy?
The Nesco Gardenmaster FD-1040 Digital Pro Food Dehydrator is available on the official Nesco website and on Amazon and Walmart.
Alternative Products
Suppose you are searching for an alternative to the Nesco Gardenmaster FD-1040. In that case, a few other options are available on the market. The Excalibur 3926TB 9-Tray Electric Food Dehydrator is a similar product that features a 26-hour timer and an adjustable thermostat. The Presto 06301 Dehydro Electric Food Dehydrator is another option that includes a see-through top cover to monitor the drying process easily.
Summary
The great thing about the Nesco FD-1040 Gardenmaster is the BPA free trays. It seems somewhat expensive, but unlike other brands, you don’t need to be continually looking at your dried snacks; cleaning is also easy to do. Another good point about this dehydrator is that it is made in the US. We particularly liked the fan, which is at the top, making the unit design and functionality better than the ones that have a fan at the bottom.
For a dehydrator to function correctly, it needs to have enough space around each item; the Nesco FD 1040 Gardenmaster does this well with its spacious interior. It is also fairly easy to use.
We don’t like that the plastic trays don’t seem to be made from robust materials. With constant use, we don’t know how long they would last. If we are comparing to other brands, the Excalibur will last longer due to the high-quality materials. Some of its competitors, such as Excalibur, have trays that slide out, making it easier to dehydrate your food, whereas the Gardenmaster dehydrator has to be stacked.
This unit does come with a year warranty whereas the Excaliburs warranty is ten years no question asked.
Even with all this, Nesco is an excellent company with fantastic customer service. When it comes to buying their products, you know you are purchasing quality appliances with years of experience.
Final Word
We feel that the Nesco FD 1040 Gardenmaster can dehydrate various foods such as fruits, vegetables, and more with ease without breaking the bank. This appliance is not for the serious food lovers and paleo, for that you will probably need a high end dehydrating unit.
If you’re an avid hunter or raw foodie, you will be better off going for a high-end unit such as the 9-tray Excalibur 3926TB.
