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When I was younger, before my parents built a successful business, grocery money was in scarce supply. We never suffered for lack of produce, however, because we always planted huge gardens. My mother, who grew up on a farm had inherited an enviable green thumb, and we were the lucky recipients of her knack for making plants grow in any kind of soil.

Our primary method of preserving food was canning, a process I both looked forward to and dreaded. We had no air conditioning and the heat would be incredible during the hot harvest months. But the product was beautiful to look at.

Somewhere during that time, I discovered the blessings of dried produce. Drying foods did not require a hot stove, glass jars, and could last a long time. And the very thought of beef jerky made my mouth water. Unfortunately, the Nesco American Harvest FD 1018P Dehydrator was not available, and my early attempts to dry food were less than satisfactory. It didn’t take long to give up and go back to canning all of our surplus produce.

As an adult, I would frequently buy dried fruit and beef products for vacations, hunting trips, and to stick in the kids sports bags as an after practice snack. Dried fruit became a fun ingredient in hot cereals and fresh salads. I would occasionally consider trying to dry my own food again, but after reading the instructions and seeing how much time and attention was required to continually rotate the trays, I would walk away. Then along came the Nesco American Harvest FD Dehydrator, and I once again became eager to enjoy my own dried food products.

A Revolution in Food Dehydration

Unlike previous dehydrators, the Nesco American Harvest FD 1018P Dehydrator does not require you to watch the clock and manually rotate trays for hours. Nesco, a company with 30 years of experience in the development and production of dehydrators, has included a patented Converge-a-Flow ® air flow system which completely eliminates the need to rotate trays. You simple load the food, set the thermostat and walk away.

The adjustable thermostat in the Nesco Dehydrator is another wonderful feature. Earlier dehydrators generally did not contain this vital feature, and the consumer had to buy a thermostat and monitor the temperature control. If you have ever become sick from improperly cooked meat, you will appreciate the ability to make certain your meats are dried at a high enough temperature to prevent spoiling. There is a lower temperature range suitable for fruits and vegetables.

Other Features

Another wonderful feature of the Nesco Dehydrator is its increased capacity. The unit measures 17.5 in x 17.2 in x 16 in. This 1000 watt appliance comes with 24 trays; 8 each of all-purpose trays, fruit trays and non-stick trays, but can adjusted to accommodate up to 30 trays. Beef and game jerky usually needs 4 hours to process and fruits can take up to 6 hours for dehydration, so the increased capacity is a great feature.
This Nesco American Harvest FD 1018P Dehydrator kit also includes a helpful, step-by-step instruction guide to assist beginners and pros alike in the dehydration process. Hunters who have had to pay premium prices to a butcher for jerky can quickly recoup the cost of the product in just one season.

Pros

• Adjustable thermostat

• Large capacity

• Consistent air flow system which eliminates the need to manually rotate trays

• Easy to use

• Easy to clean

• Variety of trays available so even small fruits and berries can be dried

• Dries produce quicker than older models

Cons

• Fan in the unit can be noisy

• Does not come with a jerky gun – this needs to be purchased separately

• Open whole in top – you may need to tape a screen on this yourself in order to prevent insects from landing on your food if procession outdoors

• Larger size makes it a bit awkward to use in the kitchen

What people are saying about the Nesco-American-Harvest-FD-1018P-Dehydrator 

Hunters and avid gardeners rave about the increased capacity of the Nesco American Harvest FD 1018P Dehydrator and the fact that the air circulation system turns drying food into a painless process. While some people mention that the product is a bit noisy, that is only to be expected. The noise is from the fan which makes rotating trays unnecessary – a most acceptable trade off. Several customers mentioned that they simply moved the Nesco Dehydrator to the garage or an outside location and weren’t bothered in the least by the sound.

While the unit is too tall to sit well on the kitchen counter, it is not really a daily use appliance like a coffee pot or toaster so it doesn’t need to sit out. It can be easily stored on shelves anywhere else in the house or garage. Several reviewers have suggested that the company install a shut off timer in future models.

Recommendation

The Nesco American Harvest FD 1018P Dehydrator is a great product for people who love dried meats and produce but were put off in the past by the cumbersome process for producing these items at home. The unit is listed for a retail cost of $189.99, but can be found online at sites like Amazon.com for significant discounts.

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