A food dehydrator is a small kitchen device that uses techniques to dehydrate or dry your food items, which is how they earned their name. They use a small built-in fan and a steady, light flow of hot air to reduce the overall moisture found in foods like fruits, vegetables, meats, and several other foodstuffs.
They are a great way to make quick and easy delicious snacks or dry out vegetables and fruits to make other things like spices. We found one of the best options on the market. It is a dehydrator by Open Country. Let’s see what it has on offer.
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 1,000watts 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, or 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 both 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.
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 individual 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 of 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 them 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
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.
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!