STX INTERNATIONAL Dehydra STX-DEH-1200W-XLS 10 Tray Stainless Steel Digital Food Dehydrator 1200W

100% perfect beef jerky, Best of the best! Worth paying an extra couple 100$ vs the 200-400$ machines

I just received the dehydrator, putting the side rack bars and racks in was very straightforward. The unit is very well built. I really like that the heating unit that is attached to the back of the unit is separate because God forbid, anything goes wrong with it, it will be easy to replace. I read the other reviews and complaints so the first thing I did was run the temperature up as if I were making jerky to make sure it would get warm enough for jerky, one of the reviewers said theirs would not get hot enough. It took 20 minutes and it went to 165 degrees so I was pleased that I was not going to have to return it. I also read a review that said theirs was noisy, mine is very quiet so some poor person must have received a bad unit or something. I am very impressed with the quality of this unit. The heater and fan are in the very back and I LOADED it with frozen mixed vegetables so of course it took longer than it would have if the vegetables had been fresh but there was great flow over all of the vegetables and they dried well. Be sure to order the 2 of Non Stick Silicone Food Dehydrator Sheets, 15.75''x15.75'' Pack of 5, Chinese Bun Steamed Bread Silicone Screen Mesh Mat For Fruit Dryer Dumpling Sold by: Zhovee-Mall $10.59 or something similar because the corn and small vegetable pieces fall through the mesh of the stainless rack which is to be expected. I made the mistake of ordering only one pack of 5 and there is ten shelves so I had to put tin foil on the other five racks in order to fill the dehydrator. The tin foil worked ok but because it made a solid bottom on the tray, they dried a little slower. Needless to say I ordered another pack. I will keep this updated if I have any problems. 1st update. This unit has not been turned off since I received it. The stainless is excellent. It is easy to clean and maintain. The tray that is on the bottom of the unit is exactly the size of the bottom of the unit so anything that falls off as I remove the racks is caught by the bottom tray so I am not trying to pick up scraps out of the bottom. All I have to do is remove the tray. Some of the items being dried sometimes get over on the rack holders and the rack holders are easily removed and easily replaced after I tap them on the bottom tray to remove anything. The temperature is always within what the margins designated on the unit. Still loving it.

Hello, I don't generally do reviews, i know I should because I read other's all the time and it helps to make a better purchase. This time I felt I should. I've had this thing only a few weeks at this point, but its been running almost non-stop. I can't comment on longevity just yet. On the other hand i will on what I've see so far. -Very easy to assemble, no damage during shipping -Some people have commented that its loud. Cannot be farther from the truth, this thing is so quiet i can barely hear it running. There is no rattling, and the pieces all fit together snuggly. -Temperature settings are accurate to a couple degrees, (well within any industry standard for any product.) -It's easy to clean as it all comes apart well. -So far I've done Garlic, Green onions, bell peppers, and Jerky. All have come out perfectly. The veggies have been taking longer than I'm used to, but its because im at a lower temperature with this one, past dehydrators I've used are one temp only and usually around 155 degrees. So it makes sense that its taking longer and that's fine. -The capacity as you would figure is huge! i do huge batches of jerky at a time and used to need 4 of the circular dehydrators (with add on screens) all going at once, and still have to do at least an additional few batches. This thing handles a ton with no issues. -So all good so far! -The only issues I have with this unit is that there is a 15 hour timer. i have to keep resetting it to make sure it doesn't shut off on me during long dehydrations. The other issue is the large grating on the racks, with small stuff like garlic its a bit tough to not have it fall through. I'll get some baking racks or something for those. Other than those 2 issues, its great. Definitely worth the price tag! In the picture that's 5 whole bunches of green onions all separated, and barely uses 3-1/2 racks. Huge capacity! Thanks, G

I've used this daily since I got it a week ago, and I'd say I'm pleased with the purchase overall. It is massive in size, even bigger than I expected, but it works well. I have two complaints about it, however. First is the grid size (and others commented on this). It just isn't big enough for smaller items. Even banana and plantain chips will fall through the racks as they shrink unless you buy the biggest bananas and plantains you can find. Since banana chips are kind of a staple for lots of people who dehydrate, I find that to be short-sighted in terms of the design for something so expensive. It does come with the fruit leather mats, but the point of spending more to get a stainless steel dehydrator (for me, at least) is not to have to cook my food on any kind of plastic - silicone included. I have used parchment paper, but I don't feel like I should have to. I will probably eventually buy Excalibur's accessory racks to set on top of the ones that come with this dehydrator, but they are pricy - about $21 each, and I'll need at least four. The second complaint I have about this dehydrator (and it hasn't been a huge deal) is that the recommended temperatures for each type of food that are printed right on the dehydrator aren't possible settings. Why identify "125 degrees" as the appropriate temperature for vegetables if 120 and 131 are the only two options close to that number available on this machine? I keep thinking I'm missing some way to achieve alternate temperatures with the machine, but I haven't yet found a way. I wasn't willing to spend $500 for the stainless Excalibur, so this is a suitable compromise for now. So based upon that, I can recommend this one.

I researched dehydrators intensely before making my choice. I was certain that I did not want heated plastic in contact with my food for hours. The stainless steel option was more expensive, but well worth it for long-term safety. The STX Stainless Steel Digital Dehydrator provided all the features that were important to me. On receiving the product, I unpacked, washed the parts and put it together which took about 20 minutes. The operation is very intuitive, no instructions required, but they are there if you want them. The back of the dryer with the digital parts and fan is completely separate from the dryer box. The two sections hook together with easy to use latches, and the dryer is completely secure once latched. Next, I put in the shelf guides and the shelves. This shelf design makes the dryer exceptionally easy to clean. The shelves come out, of course, but the guides also come out leaving the smooth dryer box that I can wipe down or wash, with no `nooks and crannies' to trap dirt or food particles, and if I want, no electronics to protect from water. Just unlatch the back and everything else is completely washable. Just re-hook the latches,and the guides slip back in easily. I love the fact that I can set the dryer for up to 15 hours. After setting it up, I immediately started drying things. I have dried apples, bananas, tomatoes, pears, zuccihini, sweet potatoes, banana leather, Satsumas, oranges, broccoli, potatoes, and asparagus in the past month, and I am as happy with the product as I thought I would be. More, in fact, because it is easier than I expected it to be. The reviews claim that the dryer is noisy, but mine is not. At about 4 feet, all I can hear is a faint air movement - it's a whisper. The front door does not fit tightly. I feel that this is part of the design, to increase airflow. I do not want the temperature to get high. I do not want to cook my food; I want to dehydrate it, and bringing in dry air, moving it over the food, and moving it out of the dryer is necessary for effective dehydration. Therefore, this design works fine for me. It does not rattle or make any noise. It dehydrates well, the timing can be monitored easily and set to prevent over drying. The shelves have a one-inch grid, which works fine for large pieces, but it also comes with two silicon mats for leathers and small pieces. You can always add parchment paper or screening if you use a lot of small pieces. Someone complained that there are sharp edges. They are not rolled, but I have not harmed myself on them either. The product is simply constructed, easy to put together, easy to use, and easy to clean. I had one question for the company, so I left a voicemail. Someone returned my call and answered my question within 24 hours. I love the STX Stainless Steel Dehydrator, and my only regret is that I waited so long to buy it.