Dehydrator (Hilo: buying, to live, cost of)

[oregonwoodsmoke]

My dehydrator is solar, which I have a sneaking suspicion will not work in an area of high humidity and low hours of sunlight.

Is anyone having any success with a solar dehydrator? If not, what are you using?

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

What are you planning to use a dehydrator for? Books? Furniture?

Do you know where on the BI you are going to live? The only thing I use a dehydrator for is to dry fruit, since where I live in Na'alehu is not as humid as Hilo side.

[BigIslandBum]

I built a solar dehydrator but due to the relative "moisture" that is Hilo, things like bananas and pineapple tend to mold before drying. However, it does work nicely for coffee and Hawaiian peppers.

[hotzcatz]

We have a gas oven with a pilot light so we use the oven as a dehydrator. Works a treat, too. There is usually half a bag of chips in there staying crisp, some chives or oregano drying, a skein or two of yarn (I make angora yarn and it gets washed after it's made to set the twist - hence yarn in the oven all the time) and occasionally my friends will bring things over to put in the oven to dry, too. My friend had a bumper crop of basil and even after pesto pizza, there was still basil all over the place.

[CyberCity]

We have a mesh screen hanging dehydrator that we use for drying bite size pieces of fish.

[OpenD]

I have a big Excaliber, the cadillac of dehydrators, that I used all the time on the mainland, but less so in Hawai'i than I thought I would, mainly because I keep buying dried fruit at the farmer's market instead of making my own.

Cost of electricity is a factor too, although this one is pretty efficient... 5 trays, 440 watts:

Food, Fruit & Beef Jerky 5-Tray Small Garden Excalibur Dehydrator with 26 Hour Timer

[OpenD]

Oh, look at the serendipity at work... this just crossed my path... plans for a homebuilt solar cooker...

Cooking off the grid, part 1: Building a solar cooker :: The Ethicurean: Chew the right thing.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Originally Posted by Dreaming of Hawaii

What are you planning to use a dehydrator for?.

Mostly fruit. I make some beef jerky and dry some herbs, but mostly, it is for dried fruit.

I haven't seen a gas oven with a full time pilot light for decades. They are all electronic ignition now. I used to make the best jerky in a gas oven that had the pilot light burning all the time. It was the perfect temperature.

[Big Island Cat]

Originally Posted by OpenD

I have a big Excaliber, the cadillac of dehydrators, that I used all the time on the mainland, but less so in Hawai'i than I thought I would, mainly because I keep buying dried fruit at the farmer's market instead of making my own.

Cost of electricity is a factor too, although this one is pretty efficient... 5 trays, 440 watts:

Food, Fruit & Beef Jerky 5-Tray Small Garden Excalibur Dehydrator with 26 Hour Timer

Now if you got some solar panels setup, using that puppy would just make too much sense! Loved your link to the solar oven too.

[HiloDiver]

And if you want a solar cooker but aren't up to building one, there is a woman in the Hilo area who sells them. Her link is Global Sun Oven- Free Fuel To Cook Food | This ole oven has nothing to do all day, but cook my dinner. and she also includes instructions on how to build one if you don't want to buy one.