Embarking on a culinary adventure with the Open Country Gardenmaster Dehydrator, you’ll discover an endless world of possibilities ranging from homemade beef jerky to dried fruits and herbs. The Open Country food dehydrator stands as a front-runner in the market with unique features like its adjustable thermostat and top-mounted fan. This device gives you the power to make wholesome, preservative-free snacks right in your kitchen. This review will guide you through the pros and cons of the Open Country digital dehydrator, ensuring you make an informed choice.
Unboxing the Open Country Gardenmaster Dehydrator
Out of its box, the Open Country Dehydrator conveys a sense of rugged durability combined with a sleek, modern aesthetic. It’s a look that says, “I mean business” which immediately resonates with its user base: practical folks who place a premium on function and durability. Forget the fancy, superfluous frills—this dehydrator is all about getting the job done well.
The body of this compact unit is made of sturdy, food-safe plastic and features a unique convection airflow system. The design is punctuated by an impressively large top-mounted fan unit which takes up a considerable amount of its top surface area. The main dehydrator comes with standard 4 to 8 drying trays, but it can be expanded to fit up to an impressive 30 trays for larger projects.
Its charcoal color confers a minimalistic elegance, which is accentuated by the absence of complex digital layouts as found on other models. Instead, the front of the unit sports a simple analog dial to control temperature. In an era gripped by the fever of digital interfaces and touch screens, this bare-bones design is a breath of fresh air.
The trays of the Open Country Food Dehydrator & Jerky Maker are unchanged from the design used in previous models. They are evenly spaced with suitable regularity in their pattern to allow for the radial air to circulate beneficially without tray rotation being a necessity. A nice touch is the opaque finish.
Overall, the Open Country Gardenmaster radiates a simple, no-frills charm that is, frankly, refreshing. Its uncomplicated layout, sturdy build, and appealing design strike a balance between aesthetics and functionality that is sure to appeal to any home dehydration enthusiast.
Open Country Gardenmaster Dehydrator Review
The Open Country Gardenmaster food dehydrator offers you a powerful and fast method of dehydrating food for hiking, camping, or storage. It boasts 1,000 watts of drying power in an ultra-quiet 2400 RMOS motor that circulates air up the exterior pressurized chamber, and then horizontally across every individual tray.
This air then converges in the center of the appliance so that each tray can receive its own supply of fresh and dry air. This unique food dehydrator from Open Country features a design that prevents flavor-sharing and pollution and produces an even drying without the need for rotating trays.
The thermostat is adjustable to allow for a more customized food dehydrating experience. It has a range from 95°F to 155°F. The triple-wall insulated trays help reduce energy loss and make the appliance as efficient as it possibly can be. The four tray unit can be expanded to up to a whopping 30 trays if the need for such a capacity arises.
The Open Country Gardenmaster comes with four extra-large drying trays, one clean screen, one fruit roll sheet, one packet of jerky cure and spice, and a 52-page instruction manual and recipe book.
Who Is This Product For?
This food dehydrator from Open Country is best suited for folks who want to be able to dry out food while on the road tailgating, while camping or hiking, or any other outdoor activities. It is super lightweight and portable, making it efficiently packed into any luggage.
The drying pans on this food dehydrator can also be expanded to house up to 30 trays if the need arises. This makes it perfect for indoor kitchen use when you need to dehydrate a large amount of food at the same time and need it to be ready all at the same time, or for camping trips where such a large capacity is not required.
The Gardenmaster is excellent for taking on camping trips when you grow tired of roasted marshmallows and smores and crave a different, unique snack. It can be packed into any bag easily, and is unobtrusive and quiet, meaning it will not disturb your fellow campers whom you may be sharing a campground with.
What’s Included?
This super helpful kitchen and camping appliance comes with four large trays, which can be expanded up to an impressive 30 trays, but doing so will also increase the overall price. f you do decide to purchase the additional trays, you will be receiving around 30 square feet of drying space, meaning that you can dehydrate and preserve a substantial quantity of food.
Unique Selling Points of Open Country Food Dehydrator & Jerky Maker
If there’s one thing that stands out about the Open Country food dehydrator, it’s its expandability. This unit starts with a base set of 8 dehydrator trays, which is more than generous for the average user. But here’s where it really shines: You have the option to expand it to a whopping 30 trays if the need strikes you. That’s a whole lot of drying real estate for your fruits, vegetables, herbs, and jerky in one batch.
“In terms of capacity, there’s virtually no limit to what you can do with the Open Country digital dehydrator. It will grow with you. If you find yourself becoming a more serious dehydrator or if you have a larger family, you can simply invest in more trays.”
- Think of all the batches of homemade beef jerky you can whip up in the convenience of your kitchen.
- Or how many trays of fruit you can dry at the recommended temperature for healthy, chemical-free snacks.
- You don’t even need to rotate trays thanks to the unit’s fan flow technology.
On weeks when you’re not engaging in heavy-duty food prep, you can simply use fewer trays. This genius design demonstrates how the Open Country dehydrator works to be both flexible and capable of handling bigger jobs. It’s all about making the dehydrating process easier and more efficient for you. And for anyone asking, “Can a dehydrator handle my weighty food-preserving needs?”, with Open Country dehydrator trays, the answer is a resounding yes.
Overview Of Features
The Open Country Gardenmaster is unique in that it automatically adjusts the drying pressure and temperature depending on the number of trays you are currently using during each drying session. It also features adjustable temperature control, ranging from 95°F to 155°F, which is standard for most food dehydrators on the market these days.
This adjustable thermostat functionality lets you dry different foods at the same time by making use of a range of temperatures. This gives all the foods in the dehydrator the best drying results.
This appliance boasts an impressive 1,000 watts of drying power, as well as a unique Converga-Flow fan that directs heated air inside a pressurized chamber that is located on the outside of the unit.
Once the air is flowing through this chamber, it flows in a horizontal direction to allow for fast and even dehydration. This appliance also has a 4 1/2-inch fan that increases the power and speed of the drying process.
This allows for a more nutritious drying that is five times faster than dehydrators that do not possess a built-in motor or fan. Additionally, the exterior of the open Country Gardenmaster prevents light from entering the unit, which helps keep a good nutritional spread amongst the food during the dehydration process.
The trays also have no need for rotation inside this dehydrator, which is a great bonus for folks who are always busy and on the move. One of the main selling points of the Open Country Dehydrator is that you are able to dehydrate a wide variety of foods at the same time without the flavors mixing, which can not be said for a majority of food dehydrators on the market today.
The dehydration process for this food dehydrator can be finished in hours rather than days, depending on the food that you are dehydrating. As is the case with most food dehydrators, you will want to experiment with different foods and different drying times to find the results you like the most.
How To Get The Most Out Of It
The trick to getting the most out of your Open Country Gardenmaster food dehydrator is quite similar to pretty much all other food dehydrators out there. The adjustable thermostat allows you to ensure that you have the right temperature for the job.
Choosing the right temperature for dehydrating your food is essential, as different foods will require different temperatures to dry adequately. General temperature and time guidelines are usually printed on the dehydrator label or are included in the appliance’s instruction manual.
You should also make sure that your foods are at least 95% dehydrated before you store them. If your food feels spongy, soft, or sticky, you should put it back in the dehydrator for a little while longer. When they are crunchy and breakable, they are done.
Finally, remember that preparation is vital. You do not need to worry about over-drying your food. Do not increase the temperature to attempt to dry the foods after – instead, let them sit in the dehydrator longer.
Pros
- Food is dried four times faster than standard dehydrators
- Bottom-mounted fan for improved efficiency
- Evenly dries food without tray rotation
- Temperature range of 95°F to 160°F
- Dishwasher safe for easy cleaning
- BPA-free – safe for the whole family
Cons
- No timer or drip tray included
Performance Review of the Open Country Dehydrator
If you’re like me and love homemade jerky or dried fruits, then the Open Country Food Dehydrator is a game-changer. When it comes to performance, this machine truly shines. With a top-mounted fan offering radial airflow and a mighty 1000 watts of drying power, it outperforms many models in its class.
- Drying time: Open Country dehydrator times are impressive. Meats and fruits become perfectly dehydrated within hours, not days. From the moisture-rich beef for your jerky to the succulent strawberries for your cereals, this unit zaps the water content right out, leaving behind an explosion of flavor.
- Jerky-making: Got a hankering for homemade jerky? Whether you’re a fan of beef, turkey, or game, the Open Country Food Dehydrator & Jerky Maker has got you covered. Using the included jerky gun and cure packs, you can turn ground meat into scrumptious jerky snacks. Trust me, once you’ve made your jerky with this device, you’ll never go back to store-bought.
- Temperature consistency: Equipped with an adjustable thermostat, the Open Country digital dehydrator ensures precision drying. You can set the recommended temperature for different types of food, and the machine maintains it evenly across the drying trays. This lets you achieve the ideal dryness and texture every time, whether dehydrating meat, vegetables, fruits, or herbs.
- Capacity: Need to dry a large batch of food? This dehydrator’s got your back. It comes with 4 drying trays, but you can expand it up to 30 trays for serious drying jobs. And the best part? No need for tray rotation. Just set it, forget it, and let the Open Country dehydrator work its magic.
“In my 10 years of dehydrating, I haven’t found many units that can rival the Open Country Dehydrator. It’s easy to use, consistent, and mighty powerful. But what really sets it apart are the adjustability and capacity.” – Jeremiah, a satisfied user and jerky enthusiast.
Open Country Dehydrator Price
When thinking about the value proposition of the Open Country dehydrator, it’s crucial to consider what you get for this dehydrator’s price point. In the world of dehydrators, you’ll find a wide range of prices, and Open Country has managed to nestle its product comfortably in between – not too cheap, but not too expensive either.
Given the Gardenmaster’s ability to handle significant volumes of food in one go, thanks to its expandable drying trays, it offers excellent value for money. Couple that with the convenience of its digital thermostat, and top-mounted fan, and you’ve got a high-performing machine that aligns tidily with the price.
Sure, there are less pricy alternatives, but with these, you often have the problem of evenly distributing heat or the need to manually rotate the trays now and then. More expensive dehydrators might offer additional features, such as wifi connectivity and touchscreen controls, but ask yourself if those features are really necessary, or if are just nice-to-haves.
Let’s not forget the additional assets that come with the Open Country Gardenmaster – the jerky gun and cure packs included with the purchase, which are a decent bonus for all the jerky lovers out there. When you sum up all these components, it’s clear, you’re getting a lot of bang for your buck.
In the end, as with most purchases, the key is to balance your budget with your specific needs and how regularly you plan to use the unit. For the casual user looking to make their own dehydrated snacks, fruits, and jerky occasionally, the Open Country dehydrator is a solid pick, offering a robust feature set without breaking the bank.
Alternatives
If the Open Country food dehydrator does not interest you, you could always try the New House Compact Dehydrator. This dehydrator is multi-tiered to allow for many foods to be dehydrated at the same time. It is also extremely compact, just like the Gardenmaster, making it great for those who want to save as much space as possible.
If you are looking for something even more compact, then the Hamilton Beach 32100A dehydrator is the best choice for you. It is capable of dehydrating meats, fruits, and vegetables, all in one of the most compact designs on the market, making it perfect for standard household kitchens.
Comparing Open Country Gardenmaster with Other Dehydrators
Are you curious to know how the Open Country Gardenmaster stacks up against its competitors? You’re not alone. Since you’re pondering purchase options in the food dehydrator category, it’s crucial to see how the respective devices compare.
The Open Country Dehydrator, out of the box, shines brilliantly with some exceptional features that can’t be ignored. Measured up against many of its counterparts such as the Excalibur, the Nesco, or the Presto dehydrators, the Open Country Gardenmaster solidly holds its ground.
- Capacity: This dehydrator easily outpaces others in the market. Open Country Gardenmaster’s potential to accommodate up to 30 trays at once is unrivaled. Meanwhile, Excalibur and Nesco only offer up to 9 and 12 trays respectively, and Presto comes in even smaller with a maximum of 8 trays.
- Power: With its strong 1000-watt power output, the Open Country digital dehydrator staves off competition. Many of the others fall short, operating in the range of 500 to 600 watts.
- Fan Location: Another noteworthy aspect is that the Gardenmaster houses its fan at the top, preventing drippings on the heating element. Most other comparable dehydrators, such as Excalibur, feature their fans at the rear.
Keep in mind that although the Gardenmaster excels in terms of capacity and power, it might not be the most compact or budget-friendly option. Other brands like Presto might be better suited for someone seeking a smaller, less expensive device.
My take? If you’re looking for a dehydrator that can go toe-to-toe with the heavyweights in terms of capacity and power, the Gardenmaster Dehydrator is a worthy contender. However, if space and budget are constraints, looking at other options like Presto might be the prudent choice.
Open Country Gardenmaster vs Excalibur
When it comes to food dehydrators, Excalibur and Open Country are two brands that stand out in the market. Excalibur, known for its assortment of dehydrators, packs quite a punch with premium features and a higher price tag to match. They offer a broad range of units designed to cater to a variety of desires and décor, ensuring you find a dehydrator that fits your unique needs and style.
On the other hand, Open Country sets itself apart with a more budget-friendly approach. This doesn’t mean they compromise on their dehydrators’ performance, though. Even with its focus on affordable plastic materials, the Open Country Dehydrator proves to be a potent contender thanks to its array of handy features and robust drying powers. It’s perfect for anyone on a budget who still desires a high-performing dehydrator.
So, whether you’re looking to splurge on a top-notch Excalibur unit or save a few bucks while still snagging a reliable dehydrator from Open Country, both brands cater to the different needs of every jerky maker and food dehydration enthusiast out there.
Conclusion
The Open Country Gardenmaster is one of the best food dehydrators on the market today and is excellent for both beginners and professionals alike. Regular household cooks and campers alike will find this food dehydrator useful. It has one of the biggest drying capacities as well, which allows you to dry a large amount of food simultaneously. You can’t go wrong with this one!
