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I am a big fan of beef jerky. Not so much the retail price, mind you, or the untraceable nature of commercial product precursors, as when you get that bag that is nothing more than scraps, unidentifiable knuckles, and strands of desiccated meat, ew. So I decided, in keeping with my recent drive for self-sufficiency, to start dehydrating my own food for fun and presumably eventual profit. Surely not because the USDA is warning that in 2022, “all food prices are projected to increase by 8.5 to 9.5 percent,” and that “household food prices are projected to rise by 10 to 11 percent.” percent”.
Dehydration is one of mankind’s oldest and most useful food preparation techniques. We used to do it before we started farming, sun-drying meat and plant matter to remove moisture that leads to spoilage, extending its durability and making it easier to transport. Even with subsequent advances in fermentation, pickling, curing, and canning, drying remains a ubiquitous practice in the global meat snack industry. estimated at $9.47 billion in 2021.
Since I was just getting into the business, and I’m usually a cheap sucker, I ignored advice from popular review sites and gave up the bells and whistles of Wi-Fi connectivity, stainless steel construction, and phone apps. smart associates, opting instead for the bare minimum. The most expensive and basic dehydrator I could find: the Cosori C0165. It costs $70 and perfect.
Andrew Tarantula / Engadget.com
I mean it’s a food dehydrator. It is, by definition, a box that blows hot air. You could literally MacGyver one of a hair dryer, a plastic milk carton, a two-gallon jug of water, some chicken wire, and a roll of duct tape if you wanted. And there’s nothing fancy about the dehydration process. You set the temperature and a timer, then wait 6-18 hours for a bell to ring, so why would you spend more than $200-500? for lots of features that only give the illusion of more control but don’t make the actual process go any faster?
The C0165 does exactly what it is supposed to do and not one iota more and I love it for it. You get five BPA-free plastic stackable trays, a fruit roll sheet, and a mesh herb sheet (yes, those herbs too). You put things full of moisture in those trays, stack the trays, turn on the machine, set the temperature (95ºF-165ºF) and time (30 minute increments up to 48 hours), and then you go on with your life. There are no pop-up reminders to clear, no app permissions to grant, and very little to break, as long as you don’t submerge the base unit in liquid. It’s nearly silent, runs below 48 dB (you won’t notice it running at night unless it’s in the same room as you), and is compact enough to fit in a cabinet when not in use. Cleaning is also easy: simply wipe the base with a sponge and lightly rub the trays to remove any dried-on debris.
Andrew Tarantula / Engadget.com
To date, I have managed to fit over 2 pounds of slices and marinades into the machine at one time, as well as about 3 pounds of roasted heirloom tomatoes at a time. Taller items (or wider, depending on your viewing angle) can be tricky as there isn’t much space between each level of the tray, so things like hatch peppers need to be cut to size before processing. And while I have to run the machine for most of the day to see results, it’s still much more efficient than using a full-size kitchen oven (which draws 2000-3000W, on average, vs. the C0165’s 450W) and magnitudes faster than waiting for the silly old sun to do it, and that’s assuming you live somewhere warm and dry enough to keep food from spoiling before it’s completely dry (hint: that place sure which is not San Francisco).