# Best dehydrator for making jerky?????



## msinc (Mar 4, 2010)

If you just won the lottery....if money was no object....if you didn't have a wife to complain about it....which dehydrator would you buy???? I have never owned one but will as soon as i figure out which one to get. I have heard the biggest pain about these things is cleaning them. Is there such thing as one made with non stick surfaces where you put the meat???? I dont necessarily need/want one that is fast. But to hear most guys talk about it, they would make more jerky or use the thing alot more if it wasn't so hard to clean. Which one is the best???? Thanks in advance for any info or tips you can provide.


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## outdoorsman3 (Nov 15, 2010)

our big commercial cabelas one works great!


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## okiehunt (Sep 30, 2009)

I have the regular cabelas 10 tray and it does an oustanding job so for $90 i really would not need a different one.


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## jdrhoads (Nov 16, 2010)

Your oven. Set the temp at 175 degrees and it will make all the jerky you want. Use grilling skewers through one end of the strips then hang them on the top oven rack.


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## GOOSE96 (Oct 13, 2011)

NESCO GARDENMASTER. Bass pro sells them. Much larger trays.Ive used 10 trays at a time.It has much larger wattage output.Stay away from lower wattage units,they take forever.Using a stiff bristle brush,hot soapy water,it cleans up great.Not as pricey as some others.:wink:


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## kwilde (Jul 10, 2006)

> our big commercial cabelas one works great!


x2!


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## rigginuts (Dec 27, 2008)

I buy the ones Walmart sells, they are like $40.00. After I finish making my jerky I soak the trays in water for 2 or 3 days and all the stuff just falls off. The trays last for a couple of years before they start to break up. They make jerky in about 7 to 
7 1/2 hours per load @ 3 to 4 loads per large ham so figure 2 days to do a ham.


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## manowar669 (Apr 8, 2009)

jdrhoads said:


> Your oven. Set the temp at 175 degrees and it will make all the jerky you want. Use grilling skewers through one end of the strips then hang them on the top oven rack.
> 
> View attachment 1494523


How long in the oven? (roughly)

I use a dehydrator, one of the round table-top kind, and it works great. I've had several, and they're all about the same. I put it on a timer, so I can set it and go to work or bed. I think, as the OP asked, if money or inconvenience were no object, that a smokehouse/smoker would be best.


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## Lowlevlflyer (Aug 2, 2011)

I use a Nesco that I bought at Wally World a few years ago... has worked perfectly and made a lot of jerky. That said, if money wasnt an object, I have plans drawn up to build my own. There's a company here that builds stainless steel electronics enclosures for the telecom industry, and one of their smaller cabinets configured with 120mm fans and 600 watts of thermostatically controlled heat would make a ton of jerky at a time!


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## jdrhoads (Nov 16, 2010)

manowar669 said:


> How long in the oven? (roughly)
> 
> I use a dehydrator, one of the round table-top kind, and it works great. I've had several, and they're all about the same. I put it on a timer, so I can set it and go to work or bed. I think, as the OP asked, if money or inconvenience were no object, that a smokehouse/smoker would be best.


Depends on how thick you cut the meat but usually between 8 and 9 hours. Some people say to crack the oven door open but I can't tell that it makes any difference.


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## KRATZMOG (Aug 20, 2012)

I prefer making my jerky in the oven, that way I'm assured the meat reaches the proper temps for the recommended amount of time to kill nasty crap like e coli and salmonella. I also prefer making my jerky from ground meat, and find the oven dries more efficiently (and faster) than a dehydrator. 

200 degrees for about 2.5 - 3 hours and you have great jerky.


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## Switchbackdude (Jul 5, 2012)

I got a Nesco Snackmaster for Christmas and I can make 3 lbs of ground venison jerky in about 4 hrs. That will fill a 1 gallon Ziplock bag. It came with 4 trays, but you can add more up to 12 trays. I fill up 6 trays for a batch. Just make sure you dehydrate to at least 160 degrees F to kill bacteria. Most of the time the jerky doesn't stick to the trays and I just hand wash in the sink. If you want to do a lot of jerky at one time I would get one from Cabela's, but if it's just for home use every once in a while a counter-top model will work.


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## MidMoJeff (Jul 24, 2009)

jdrhoads said:


> Your oven. Set the temp at 175 degrees and it will make all the jerky you want. Use grilling skewers through one end of the strips then hang them on the top oven rack.
> 
> View attachment 1494523


Exactly the same thing I do...works great! Sometimes I take it straight from the oven to the smoker for a bit of added flavor.


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## MidMoJeff (Jul 24, 2009)

jdrhoads said:


> Depends on how thick you cut the meat but usually between 8 and 9 hours. Some people say to crack the oven door open but I can't tell that it makes any difference.


I crack the oven door open slightly using a wooden spoon to hold the door open. It drys the meat a little better IMO.


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## lightsoutcalls (Oct 1, 2009)

Check out the Excalibur dehydrators. You can buy them direct from the manufacturer. I use my propane smoker and love the results.


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## Timinator (Feb 10, 2012)

I do my whole deer(s) in jerky every year. I use to have one the Walmart plastic Nesco ones but they don't do much at a time and are a pain in the butt to clean. I spray with Pam and soak and scrub. If you just do one or two batches, it's OK, if you have it going for a week or so (which gives you about 3 large ZipLoc's full) it's such a pain to clean I dread it. Even soaking for day's it's just baked on. Since the trays are plastic, you can't really scrub them aggressively. So, I just bought a full stainless model with 10 large stainless trays at Sportsman's Warehouse. It was $199. I'm soaking the jerky in my marinade right now and haven't used the machine yet, but it looks to be a well built unit. 

So, moral of the story; if you're just doing a little the Nesco is nice. If you want to do about a 1/4 of a deer or more, get a bigger stainless one.

Here's of picture of the jerky in the old Nesco unit.


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## JFoutdoors (Jul 5, 2012)

i would get one from cabelas but we just bought one from walmart and made jerky in the dorm room and it came out pretty good.


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## Biblethumper (Aug 5, 2012)

I use a tabletop unit mainly. But my Traegar pellet grill makes great jerky as well


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## scott cooper (Nov 2, 2006)

dish washer cleans them no problems


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## carybcom (Oct 28, 2009)

I've been looking at the Excalibur, Sedona and Cabela 80L. Excalibur is tried and true but many users complain about the fan noise and having to open the front cover, which lets out heat, to check on product. Sedona is a digital version with a glass door & upper and lower fans. Cabela's unit has a glass front door, 10 tray capacity and 4.5 out of 5 stars based on 212 user reviews. I'm going to give the Cabela unit a try. The customer service rep informed me that I could return it within 90 days if not satisfied.


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## Eastcoasthunter (Jul 9, 2012)

Cheap one from bass pro, $40 works great


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## msinc (Mar 4, 2010)

Thanks a million to everyone who posted so far...here is another stupid question...When you are actually drying the meat does it smell up the house??? Or, does the jerky maker just kinda sit there and dry the meat inside and that jerky smell isn't really an issue until maybe when it's done and you open it up??? Thanks again for all the info so far. I ordered a new meat injector yesterday but still looking at these dehyrators.


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## phildaddy (Dec 19, 2007)

jdrhoads said:


> Your oven. Set the temp at 175 degrees and it will make all the jerky you want. Use grilling skewers through one end of the strips then hang them on the top oven rack.
> 
> View attachment 1494523


Glad I saw yours before I posted cause mine looks identical....


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## Timinator (Feb 10, 2012)

Just a side note. I bought something on eBay called "the jerky board" I'll post a link below. It was a REAL time save slicing the jerky from all the chunks of venison. It get's a full 10 on my 1-10 scale. Really nice item. It's solid Teflon (I think), the knife just glides over it and every slice is exactly the same depth. It honestly cut my slicing time to less than half. 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/221126481522?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649


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## 25ft-up (Mar 14, 2010)

I have the excalibur, and yes the house will smell good. You're gonna want to open the doors on the other brands as well, to check for moisture content. I like how easily it cleans up, and how evenly it dries from the top to bottom. No need to open door and rotate shelves. The door does rattle if it isn't sitting right. I can put it in the garage, set the timer and temp, and not have to hear, or smell, or check it, until it shuts itself off.


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## msinc (Mar 4, 2010)

Thanks again for the addition posts/info...I think I am going with the Excaliber and that Jerky Board thing. Definately a good idea. I saw a slicer that actually cuts the meat to a specific size. You just kind of feed it in and turn a handle...it cranks out the meat the "ideal" {I guess} size to make jerky. But, it is rather expensive for no more than what it does...you still have to cut the meat to a size to feed into the chute. I couldn't find any reviews or info on how it was to clean up. I guess if I was doing it all day long it might pay to have it.


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## ReezenHunter (Sep 20, 2009)

I have not had the same experience with my 5 tray Excalibur. It does not dry evenly at all. I've tried rotating, flipping they trays, and it still doesn't help any. I've thought about calling them to ask if they have any other suggestions because it's a pain everytime I make a batch.


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## daniel.thorn318 (Nov 14, 2006)

Thought about buying a dehydrator this year (maybe for christmas) but thought I'd try the oven method. Glad I did, jerky turned out great and can now save the money I was going to use on dehydrator for some more hunting gear.


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## TommyNoShoes57 (Sep 25, 2014)

I would recommend the Excalibur 9 Tray Dehydrator, as reviewed on this site. Excaliber has had great reputation and they proved it again with this machine. Many others have recommended an Excaliber as well, which showes its popularity.


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## briguy-ia (Nov 19, 2013)

KRATZMOG said:


> I prefer making my jerky in the oven, that way I'm assured the meat reaches the proper temps for the recommended amount of time to kill nasty crap like e coli and salmonella. I also prefer making my jerky from ground meat, and find the oven dries more efficiently (and faster) than a dehydrator.
> 
> 200 degrees for about 2.5 - 3 hours and you have great jerky.


Yep. That's pretty much my method. I leave the door cracked open while it's on.


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## ericmitchell (Sep 16, 2018)

Hey there!
Some time ago I came across a good website that has some excellent reviews about food dehydrators for making jerky.
Here is the link.
Hope it helps!


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## ericmitchell (Sep 16, 2018)

It seems I can't post the link.


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## 77chevy (May 26, 2017)

nesco works good


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## hoyt fo life555 (Jan 31, 2005)

MidMoJeff said:


> Exactly the same thing I do...works great! Sometimes I take it straight from the oven to the smoker for a bit of added flavor.


The smoke process should be done while the meat is wet,raw what ever you want to call it. It's actually a chemical process that it goes through and can't really be done ( nearly as effective) once the meat is " cooked". I think you will find if you smoke it first, then dehydrate, it will be far far better. Just putting it out there.


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## davidson53 (Jan 25, 2021)

I think you should try Excalibur 9-Tray Electric Food Dehydrator because the temperature control on this is hydrated super easy. You can reach up to the temperature of 165-degree Fahrenheit with the use of buttons. It is spacious, and you can stack a lot of meat and vegetables in there. It takes up a space of 15 square feet.


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## basnbuks (Jul 13, 2010)

msinc said:


> If you just won the lottery....if money was no object....if you didn't have a wife to complain about it....which dehydrator would you buy???? I have never owned one but will as soon as i figure out which one to get. I have heard the biggest pain about these things is cleaning them. Is there such thing as one made with non stick surfaces where you put the meat???? I dont necessarily need/want one that is fast. But to hear most guys talk about it, they would make more jerky or use the thing alot more if it wasn't so hard to clean. Which one is the best???? Thanks in advance for any info or tips you can provide.


I use the nesco and sometimes my oven, spray your trays with a non stick spray for fast and easy cleanup!!


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## MNarrow (Nov 10, 2009)

Little Chief


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## saglick (Sep 5, 2016)

love jerky out of my pellet grill


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## conquestador (Mar 28, 2010)

Old thread but still pertinent. I wouldn't get a dehydrator unless you were planning on drying fruit or something other than jerky. I've done plenty with mine but the gas oven results are better. Aluminum on the bottom of the oven. Oil your oven racks. Put two strips of venison on a toothpick and suspend them from the racks. I usually do 5 lbs per batch and have plenty of space on one rack. Clean up is clean up but it's not too bad.


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