Contents
The history of the food dehydrator
Before the review EXCALIBUR 3948CDB Dehydrator, let’s dive into the history of how the dehydration process originated in the first place. Dewatering technology has a thousand-year history. The traditional way of preserving meat in many civilizations was to dry it on a stick or smoke it. Dewatering technologies became increasingly important after the industrial revolution in the early 1900s. It was for this reason that the first food dehydrator was invented. At first, it looked like a stack of wooden trays filled with different products and placed on shelves. An exhaust hole on the top of the roof allowed smoke and hot gases to escape along with water vapor. As the fire heated the air, it rose upward, providing airflow and the low humidity needed to dehydrate. This was the first commercial dryer.
This was followed by a series of improved dryers with small fans. Mr. Miller has developed a completely new dryer – a tunnel dryer, which is introduced in 1920 and then formed the L. N. Miller Dehydrator Company. Next came a series of ever-improving dryers that incorporated small fans. Between 1910 and 1920, Mr. L.N. Miller of Miller Dehydrating Co (now Commercial Dehydrator Systems, Inc.) invented a box-like dryer, with artificial heat produced by oil, and later electricity, using a large fan capable of high air velocity, humidity shutters, and bleeder vents. In 1988, the Miller Dehydrator Company reorganized into Commercial Dehydrator Systems, Inc. as the manufacturing element, and the Miller Dehydrator Company name survives.
Review best EXCALIBUR 3948CDB dehydrator
Excalibur is considered to be one of the trusted brands in food dehydrators when it comes to quality and reliability. Using the best features of the past as well as the most innovative features from the digital and computerized world, the Excalibur model 3948cdb is one effective roundup device.
The Excalibur Home Dehydrator is made from safe materials at the Excalibur plant in California. The Excalibur is a modern kitchen appliance designed for drying fruits and vegetables. The dehydrator can also be used to make marshmallows, energy bars, natural yogurt, dried fish, and meat, and also use it to rise the dough.
Excalibur 3948cdb
Square-shaped dehydrator that highlights nine removable trays. In addition, its large, 15 square feet of drying area is more generous than those of round food dehydrators. It means it can be used as a bread riser by removing the plates to create more space, which is great for larger amounts of food or bread.
Specifications
POWER: 7’’ fan, 600 watts for increased air circulation
TEMPERATURE RANGE: 95 – 165°F
AIRFLOW: Horizontal airflow
THERMOSTAT: Adjustable thermostat
NUMBER OF TRAYS: 9 trays
DRYING SPACE: 15 square feet
WARRANTY: 10 year
TIMER: Digital
COLOR: black
Next, we will make a detailed review of the Excalibur 3948CDB and find out how it fundamentally differs from other models.
The dehydrator is very versatile; You can make pet food and jerky, a delicious snack. If you limit the amount of salt, spices, or other ingredients, you can get a low-fat, high-protein snack. With Excalibur 3948cdb you can dehydrate fruits, vegetables, fruit puree for fruit roll-ups, lift bread, or make homemade yogurt. As you can see, with Excalibur 3948cdb your imagination has no limit.
Raw food eaters can make homemade crackers especially since this dehydrator goes up to 40 degrees so you can stay within the safe range and still enjoy fresh foods. You can dry the peppers, then grind them in a meat grinder and use them as a homemade herb. The same can be done with other products that are suitable for making various seasonings.
Dehydrating food is healthier than what we buy at the department store, and yes, we’re talking about foods that contain preservatives and sugars. Dry food retains enzymes in food and prolongs its lifespan, so you can use them when you need them most. For example, dry fruit in summer and use in winter.
The Excalibur 3948cdb has a “Twice, Two Temperatures” function that speeds up the drying process.
The device automatically configures after the first setup and turns off after the second setup. It is very convenient. This Excalibur 9 Tray Food Dehydrator features Excalibur’s patented Parallex Horizontal Air Flow and Hyperwave Fluctuation Technology, the most efficient heating/drying combination on the market.
The perfect snacks for you and your guests are guaranteed.
What is the essence of the proprietary Excalibur dehydrator technologies?
Dehydrator Excalibur engineers are constantly improving their own drying technologies to maximize the beneficial vitamins and trace elements in products. The ingredients dried with the Excalibur food dehydrator have a delicious crunchy crust while remaining juicy on the inside. This is achieved by two technologies:
Hyperwave –The method consists of alternating warm and cold air currents. Exposure to warm air removes moisture from the surface of the food, and cold blowing moves the liquid to the drying surface. Each cycle of air is replaced by the next, ensuring high-quality drying of your products;
Parallex – As a result, parallex horizontal airflow cold air is sucked into the tray, and then slowly heated and distributed equally over it. Dried products preserve all their beneficial enzymes when they are dried at the optimal temperature.
Review equipment Dehydrator Excalibur 3948cdb
This model has a stand-alone design consisting of a box-type drawer with a transparent door on the front. The interior and the fan are made of stainless steel. The dehydrator holds nine non-expanding polycarbonate plastic plates for food storage. A variety of moist fruits and vegetables can be dehydrated using the meshes on the Excalibur Dehydrator. Polycarbonate is the material used for the door. Because there is an opening between the door and the housing, humidity escapes, which prevents the device from drying or working properly. Having the trays removed from the device is not a problem, and you won’t have to worry about getting them back in.
The temperature and timer controls are located at the top of the rear of the unit, and may not appeal to those who would like to place the food dehydrator in a cabinet as this increases its height.
Dehumidifiers are FDA approved, so they do not emit harmful vapors at the temperatures they operate at.
Heat Circulation
Excalibur 3948cdb differs from other dehydrators by having its heat source on the top instead of the bottom. The fan and motor are mounted on the back. As a consequence, if heat is only coming from the bottom and hot air reaches the top, the temperature may not be as high as it was initially, so you will have to rotate the trays. This is not a problem if you have an Excalibur 3948CDB, as the heat is evenly circulated.
Review Excalibur 3948cdb Hyperwave Technology
The best feature of any Excalibur product is its trademarked Hyperwave technology.
Essentially, it fluctuates the temperature within a range of about ten degrees to accelerate the dehydration process.
Without this what happens is that the food will be dried and it will create a crest on the outside of the item where the inside shall stay moist. Hyperwave helps in Avoiding dehydration by shortening your time.
Control of the temperature
The temperature can be set anywhere between 95°F and 165°F.
This is fine because most food shouldn’t be dried above 118°F to prevent food enzymes from being destroyed. It is necessary to have a minimum temperature of 160° F to make meat jerky.
The Excalibur has a 48-hour digital timer. Model 3948cdb is much better than the previous ones as it is programmable.
The 48-hour digital timer grants the buyer to take advantage of 2-temperature settings for dehydrating. Excalibur 3948cdb can be configured to hold one temperature for a specific amount of time (say approximately 5 hours at 140 ° F) and then hold another temperature at a lower temperature (say 20 hours at 111 ° F).
For those first 5 hours, we take advantage of the high heat that’s set to raise the air temp immediately. By evaporating the moisture, the surface of the product would not be a breeding ground for bacteria.
The timer also features a build in-memory system. Due to this feature, it can recall its stage settings even during a power interruption; it also allows the door to be opened freely without affecting the timer settings, as opposed to some dehydrators.
The benefit of having a built-in timer is that once the dehydration process is over the device will automatically shut itself off. When it reaches zero, no need to watch over it and wake up in the middle of the night to turn it off.
Review Excalibur 3948cdb dehydrator size and performance
It is 12.5 inches in height and 17 by 19 inches in width and depth. The Excalibur 3948CDB Deluxe Dehydrator has 9 poly-screen trays equaling 15 square feet of drying space. The plates measure 15 inches by 15 inches each.
They are easily removable for making more storage for some more substantial foods, plus the trays are dishwasher-friendly and easy to clean. Black is the only color available for this model.
Guarantee
Despite being simply built, Excaliburs provide excellent quality and have earned themselves a reputation over the years for quality.
The customer service at Excalibur is great, and if you get a defective machine at any time, you just contact the manufacturer, and they are going to send you a replacement in the shortest time possible.
With its ten-year warranty, there is not much to say about it.
Additional Accessories
The meshes on the trays make it difficult to dry liquid foods like soups and sauces as well as tiny substances that may fall through.
To prevent this, Excalibur also sells a non-stick backing for Teflon-coated plates. They are sold separately and are not included with your food dehydrator.
With the unit, you also get the user manual with basic instructions, some guides and tips, and a collection of recipes.
Also, a useful and nice bonus is a book called Save This. Naturally, it contains a lot of information that is included in color photographs and detailed instructions for dehydrating all types of food.
Dry nuts, seeds, and spices
The food dehydrator is used not only for drying fresh vegetables and fruits but also for removing excess moisture from nuts, seeds, and herbs. It’s no secret that nuts must be thoroughly washed before using them because they don’t grow in sterile environments. However, so that the nuts do not become damp, moldy, and do not lose their taste, they must be dried well. Seeds and nuts dried in a dehydrator become crispy, aromatic, and tasty. In order to prepare some dishes more quickly, it is important to know that after drying, nuts can be better shelled.
You can also dry herbs and salt in the food dehydrator, in addition to seeds and nuts. Many people have noticed that damp spices, salt, and seasonings lose their physical properties (for example, free-flowing) and become unusable. You can correct the situation by drying the product. If you leave it in the Excalibur dehydrator for a few hours, the product will return to its original state. Dehydrated herbs can be used for homemade remedies such as balsamic vinegar.
Making oil
The dehydrator will become an indispensable assistant for those who make oil on their own using an oil press. By evaporating excess moisture from the seeds, the efficiency of oil extraction increases. If the seeds are dried at 50–55 ° C for 2–4 hours, the final result will increase by 4–7%. Use the oil press more efficiently thanks to the food dehydrator, because regular consumption of natural vegetable oil will make your diet healthy and balanced in the composition of fatty acids.
In order to prepare 100 ml of the well-known sunflower oil, place 250 g of peeled sunflower seeds in a dehydrator and leave for 2.5 hours. Use Teflon sheets to apply seeds in the food dehydrator. After drying the seeds, squeeze them out with an oil press and pour the fresh oil into a glass or plastic container. Feel free to add it to vegetable salads, use it for frying and use for cosmetic purposes to improve the condition of hair and skin.
Preparation of winter tea
It has long been known that drinks made from natural herbs have a special effect on the physical and mental state of a person. In addition to toning, soothing, and relieving pain, they can also heal illnesses.
Nowadays, natural products are becoming a rarity, and teas bought in the store do not always have decent taste and useful properties. In the Excalibur 3948cdb 9 tray food dehydrator, you can quickly dry the herbs collected from nature, and then independently prepare a tea or health drink from chamomile, St. John’s wort, oregano, willow tea, and many other plants. Through dehydration, you can strengthen your immune system and enjoy amazing drinks all year round.
To prepare a dry mixture for tea, collect them outside the city, then rinse thoroughly and leave them in a dehydrator overnight at 57 ° C. The resulting dried herbs should be stored in a dry place.
Insist fragrant oils
One of the most unusual uses of the Excalibur 3948cdb 9 tray food dehydrator is the preparation of herbal extractive oils. With the help of a dehydrator, you can infuse various oils on herbs in a short time and subsequently use them for treatment, as well as use them for cosmetic purposes and in cooking when preparing salads, sauces, and hot dishes.
Due to continuous heating in a 9 tray food dehydrator, herbs soaked in oil release beneficial substances much faster, and the infusion is more useful and aromatic.
Make a pastilla
One of the most common uses of the 9 tray food dehydrator is to make fruit pastille. For those who look after their health and prefer natural products, it can be an excellent alternative to the usual delicacies. It contains a lot of vitamins and nutrients, and it only contains natural fruit sugar.
There are many varieties of fruit pastille: grape, apple, berry, pineapple, banana, kiwi, and many others. Pastilla is perfect as a snack for children and adults, and will also serve as a great addition to any tea party.
In order to make them pastilla at home, you need to grind the ingredients in a blender, put them on silicone sheets and leave them in a dehydrator for 10 hours at a temperature of 57 ° C. You should then roll them into tubes and cut them into small pieces when they have hardened.
Vegetarian marmalade in the dehydrator
As a gelling agent in confectionery products, gelatin is often used, which is made from animal bones. It is a protein mixture rich in amino acids and collagen. If your diet does not include animal products, the recipe for homemade vegan agar-based marmalade is suitable for you.
This substance is made from algae and perfectly gelates fruit and berry mixtures. To dissolve agar-agar, it must be filled with liquid and heated to a temperature of 100 ° C. After cooling to 40 ° C, the liquid begins to solidify, turning into a jelly state. Afterward, the jelly becomes elastic marmalade, which is dried in a dehydrator at a raw food temperature.
Try making an alternative to dubious gummy bears with your own hands. In our opinion, grapes, apples, apricots, peaches, pears, strawberries, currants, and raspberries are the best for homemade marmalade without gelatin. The pectin that is contained in these fruits thickens the mashed potatoes naturally.
- Squeeze the juice on a screw juicer, add agar-agar (5 g per 1 liter of juice) and, if desired, cane sugar (1 tsp per 100 ml);
- Heat the mixture in a saucepan and simmer for 2 minutes;
- Pour into molds (deep silicone ice cube trays are perfect);
- After half an hour, layout the candies that have formed on trays and send them to the dehydrator. Drying time at 40 ° C will be 4-12 hours, depending on the size of the gummies.
CONCLUSION
If you like eating healthy or you want to change your lifestyle and eating habits, you should get the Excalibur 3948CDB. It’s a quality device, reliable, user-friendly dehydrator and if you don’t mind the extra price for its excellent features, this is a machine for you.
No matter if you’re going to use the device professionally for business or at home for home consumption, dehydrating your food will pay for itself quickly.
