Excalibur

I used to dry things in the oven on the lowest setting and it was a nightmare with the door open all day. This is far more efficient and the results are more consistent. Mango slices came out chewy in the right way, so I'm sold.

Bought the large tray version with the timer and I've used it for chillies, peppers and banana chips. The timer is handy because you can set it and forget it, and the trays slide out easily when they're done. Cleaning the mesh takes a bit of effort but that's about it.

I bought this for drying herbs and flowers from the garden and I've used it every summer since. Lavender and mint come out really well and keep their colour, which is what I was after. The trays are a bit tricky to clean but I never regret the purchase.

My husband and I have a large garden and I found we were losing a great deal of fruit each autumn. I wanted a machine that would deal with the bulk of it without taking over the kitchen. This one has managed very well, and I am glad I went for it rather than the smaller model I had been considering.

This is the best thing I've bought for meal prep, full stop. Made a big batch of turkey jerky over the weekend and it lasted the whole week at work. Just pop the trays in the dishwasher, it's that simple. Would definitely get another one if this one ever packs in.

We grow far more runner beans and herbs than we can eat so I needed a way to keep them. I compared a few options and went with this one mostly because of the trays. It works well, though the lid latch is a bit fiddly to close the first few times.

The first thing I noticed was how bulky the unit is on the worktop, it took up far more space than I expected from the photos. Once it was set up the drying itself was fine, but the trays don't stack neatly and I've knocked a couple of the racks loose. Sending a reply to the site took a few days too when I had a question about the liners.

Honestly this is the best purchase I've made for the kitchen in ages. I was nervous ordering something I'd never used before but the instructions were clear and the first batch of beef jerky came out spot on. Would have ordered sooner if I'd known how easy it was to keep going with it.

We had a glut of tomatoes and plums one summer and I was tired of watching them go to waste. I've been using the dehydrator every year since and it has paid for itself many times over. Nothing has broken and the thermostat has held up well.

We looked at a couple of other food dehydrators before picking this one and the difference is obvious, the cheap one we had before took ages and the trays warped. This one dries the apple slices evenly across all the racks and it's quiet enough to leave running overnight in the kitchen.

Busy week so I just grabbed the machine and set it going with apple rings in the morning. Came back to them dry and crisp by the evening. Easy to load and easy to clean, and I've not had a single problem since I got it.

I had never dried anything at home before so I was not sure what to expect from the machine. It came with a small recipe card for fruit leather and the mango batch turned out really well. The trays have a bit of a learning curve when you first load them, but after a go or two it all comes naturally and the kitchen smells lovely.

Paid a fair price for a machine that does the job, and the trays and mesh liners came with it, so there was nothing else to buy to get going. Used it for a couple of months now on fruit leather and it's still working well. The spare liners were cheap too, which helps keep the running costs down over time.

I wanted to stop buying expensive dried apricots, so I bought this to make my own. The first batch of apricot halves paid back the cost of the electricity many times over. It's a simple machine with simple controls and I have not needed to read the manual twice.

Got the mesh liners with it and they're the thing that makes this work so well for me. I've done mushrooms and kiwi slices and nothing sticks. Took it out of the box and was drying within the hour, which was a nice surprise.

Dried mango and apple rings are the first things I made and they came out brilliant, sweet and not sticky. Only thing I noticed was the trays have a lot of gaps so the smaller bits fall through, which was fine once I put a liner in. Packed the drying time in while I was on the bus.

The most useful part of the package for me was the booklet, which explained the temperature settings for different foods in plain language. I have used the unit several times now for beef and fruit, and the results have been consistent. The only small niggle is that the power cable is rather short, so the machine has to sit close to the socket.

I looked at the cheaper one from the supermarket and a couple of others before deciding. This one holds its temperature much more steadily and the airflow is better, so the herbs come out properly dry. Easy to wipe down afterwards as well.

Used to hang herbs to dry and half of them went mouldy or lost all their colour. Now I run a batch through the machine after picking and they keep their green. Takes a day or so and the house smells lovely, and I've not had to throw any out since.

I compared a few different dehydrators and the other one I looked at had far fewer trays for the money. This one is roomy enough for a full batch of kale crisps and the temperature setting is easy to use. Happy with it so far.