If you’re in the market for a new food dehydrator, you’re making an excellent investment for your time and your health. Not only does dehydrated food stay fresh longer in your pantry, but it also retains its nutritional value. You’ll be enjoying all the benefits of fresh, raw food without worrying about it spoiling.
With this in mind, continue to read our Excalibur 3500 review and learn why this food dehydrator could be the right choice for you!
An Excalibur 3500 Review for Beginners and Professionals
A food dehydrator is a small kitchen appliance that you can set on your countertop. Through a fan and low amounts of heat, it reduces the amount of water in vegetables, meat, fruit, and other foods you decide to use.
You’re able to keep dehydrated food for far longer before it spoils. Plus, if food is adequately dehydrated, it will keep similar nutritional values.
The Excalibur 3500 is a 5-tray food dehydrator. Its manufacturer states that it’s built to last at least 20 years with upgraded electrical components and innovative plastics. Even with this great workmanship, it comes with a 10-year warranty.
The unique selling point of the Excalibur 3500 is its proprietary Parallexx Drying System. Mounted to the rear of the dehydrator, this system allows horizontal or parallel airflow so that your food is dehydrated evenly.
Pros
- The Excalibur dehydrator dehydrates food safer, better, and faster.
- Great for preppers, large families, gardeners, and sportspeople.
- It has an adjustable thermostat ( 105 to 165 degrees Fahrenheit).
- It has Hyperwave Technology and Horizontal Parallexx Airflow which is exclusive to Excalibur.
- It has five poly-screen trays equaling 8 square feet of drying space.
- Excalibur has been making dehydrators since 1973.
Cons
- The Excalibur dehydrator 3500 is costly.
Feature Overview
The most efficient way to dehydrate food is to dehydrate in bulk, and the Excalibur 3500 allows you to do this easily with its five trays and eight square feet of drying space. Since the trays are movable, you have the flexibility of removing some if you have taller food that needs more space.
Its components are sturdy and long-lasting with a heavy-duty 5″ fan and a 400-watt heating element.
Its adjustable thermostat allows you to dehydrate foods of all types, shapes, and sizes as the range is a generous 105 degrees Fahrenheit to 165. Even better, it also comes with a 26-hour timer that will allow you to dehydrate food while you’re at work or asleep.
The Excalibur 3500 comes in both black and white, so you’re able to match it with the other appliances or decor within your kitchen.
Last but certainly not least, your new dehydrator also comes with the “Preserve It Naturally” recipe book. This is absolutely necessary for people who are new to food dehydrating as it comes with over 50 recipes with instructions on heating and timing.
Who Is a Food Dehydrator For?
A food dehydrator is great for everyone who wants a healthier snack or meal throughout the day. Vegans or people who are getting into eating more raw food will find a dehydrator necessary for an easier way to enjoy meals throughout the day.
People who often travel for work or who hike, camp, or bike will find that dehydrated food is easy to pack, and the nutritional benefits will keep them energized throughout the day.
Since the Excalibur 3500 has so much space, it’s meant for those who want to dehydrate food in bulk to enjoy throughout the week. This is great if you have a big family or live with multiple people who would like to enjoy its benefits.
Reviews
The Excalibur 3500 dehydrator has a majority of five-star reviews across all major review sites. Many people cite how easy it is to clean and the convenient size of the trays so that they can dehydrate more food at once. One of the most significant complaints was the noise level of the fan. This is to be expected with a food dehydrator that large.
Another major positive cited is the variable temperature controls, as it allows users to dehydrate a variety of foods without worrying about over-drying them.
How to Use Your Food Dehydrator
Once you purchase your food dehydrator, you need to make sure you need how to use it to reap its benefits. Here are a few guidelines to keep in mind:
1. Choosing the Temperature
Make sure you have the right temperature calibrated for the type of food you’re dehydrating. Typically, manufacturers will supply their temperature requirements.
2. Dehydrate Correctly
For items to store correctly and to keep their nutritional value, you want to make sure that they’re being dehydrated by 95%. Any more and you could kill the healthy enzymes and vitamins in the food or even change its pH level.
3. Food Prep
Before you pop your meat, vegetables, fruit, or other food into the food dehydrator, make sure they’re prepped correctly. For instance, thoroughly wash all your fruits and vegetables. You can even do the extra step of spritzing your apples and bananas with lemon juice to keep them from browning.
Another trick is to slice all your food items with the same thickness and size. For efficiency, group similar items together. Dehydrate a batch of fruits and then a batch of meat afterward—don’t combine different food groups.
A Food Dehydrator for Everyone
By reading this Excalibur 3500 review, you should know that this is an excellent choice for people who want to dehydrate large amounts of food at the same time. With its variable temperature controls, its patented horizontal airflow technology, and its 10-year warranty, the makers of the Excalibur 3500 are confident that their product will last you a long time even with heavy use.
Even if you’ve never dehydrated food before, the 50 recipe book they supply will help you cover all the bases and get you started quickly and easily.
Check out more of our dehydrated food tips to get started on your healthy raw food diet today!
