Just poor it on your fruit sheet and spread it with your fingers. If you make the layer of fruit thin it will dehydrate with cracks and not peel up as easy. I wasn’t going to buy this one because of the price, but you really get what you pay for and this is worth the money. It does make a little noise but not bad. I made jerky using the two tray liners that came with the machine and then just put the rest of the meat on the trays. The liners make for easy cleanup and prevent the meat from sticking. Also when dehydrating onions or garlic, it’s best to do it outside or in the garage, as the scent can be overpowering indoors. When drying apples or potatoes, soak them in lemon water first to prevent browning. For best results I cut a circle of parchment to fit tray (as recommended by one reviewer)-works better than the fruit leather sheet- and you can reuse them a few times before tossing. I made the apple slices for my weight watcher class, and they all had a fit over them. I bought the Nesco Dehydrator (with the digital temperature control, not the dial) Nesco American Harvest FD-1020 Gardenmaster 1000-Watt Digital Food Dehydrator unit last fall based on the positive reviews on Amazon. Worked great the first 12 times we used it. All told, if you’re just looking for a decent, solid, cheap dehydrator and you don’t mind the above issues for whatever reason, this is a great machine. I just wonder if maybe I should have spent a little more to get something a little more user-friendly as far as my own personal specifications go. I love this product; my 1st attempt at dehydrating; it is time consuming but I cannot buy sugar-free dried apple slices that I like. The home-dried ones with Splenda and cinnamon are out of this world.Read More

First, I have owned the unit now for about two months. I have literally run it nonstop.Read More

The FD-75PR does go up to 160 degrees F, while the FD-60 only goes up to 145 degrees F. Thus the FD-75PR can be used for creating jerky. The second jerky method is to use ground meat. The major advantage is that it is much easier to make consistent ‘strips’ and the jerky is a lot more tender. They make the best snack foods ever! My kids loved the sweet potato chips and the banana chips. Cannot wait to do jerky with my grandkids! Since purchasing this, I’ve dried several items – pears, plums, bananas, tomatoes, thyme, oregano and cranberries.Read More