If you have been looking for a solution to conveniently and easily dehydrate fruits, vegetable and meats right at home look no further. The Hamilton Beach 32100A Food Dehydrator is what you need.
The dehydrator is built to dehydrate variety of meats, vegetables, fruits and herbs. It works with continuous airflow penetrating the trays resulting in even drying of food across all shelves. The dehydrator is extremely user-friendly with automatic turnoff, an adjustable thermometer and a timer.
The dehydrator features 5 drying trays that are stackable with a mesh sheet to accommodate smaller food items and a solid sheet to accommodate fruit rolls.
Hamilton Beach 32100a Food Dehydrator Specifications Overview
Hamilton Beach 32100A Food Dehydrator
- Temp Range (°F): 100 to 160
- Wattage (Watts): 500
- Trays:
- 5 drying trays
- 1 mesh sheet
- 1 solid ‘fruit-roll up’ sheet
- Airflow: Continuous
- Thermostat: Adjustable
- Timer: 0 to 48 Hours
- Product Dimensions (inches): 11 (W) x 13 (L) x 10.5 (D)
- Warranty: 1 year Limited
- Editor Rating: 4/5
- Product Link: Check this Product on Amazon →
Main Features of the Hamilton Beach 32100A Food Dehydrator
The Hamilton Beach 32100A Food Dehydrator comes bundled up with the following features:
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Stackable 5-Tray Design
The Hamilton Beach 32100A Food Dehydrator comes in a stackable 5-tray design. The trays are spacious enough to accommodate large amounts of food at any instance. It is very user friendly, stack up the trays and plug it in to dehydrate any food you desire.
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Clear Lid
The dehydrator comes with a clear lid to enable you to see dehydration progress without having to lift it off. This helps in maintaining a regular temperature and in turn even drying of food.
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Create Fruit Rolls
To accommodate smaller food items and fruits a fruit-roll up specialty tray is included with the package. The fruit roll up tray can accommodate pureed frozen, canned or fresh fruits to create the delectable snacks.
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Drying Herbs
A mesh specialty tray is also included and it helps with drying smaller food items. It also works well with drying herbs right at home making them available all year round.
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Timer and auto Turnoff
To help you take the guesswork out of it, a timer is included and you can simply set it accordingly to go off after dehydration is complete.
An auto turnoff feature is also included, which instantly turns off the dehydrator once the timer goes off. This frees up your time and you can tend to other chores without having to keep on checking on the dehydrating food.
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Adjustable thermostat
The dehydrator does come with an adjustable temperature feature, which enables you to dehydrate/make diverse food items using it. Whether you want to dehydrate fruits and vegetables to preserve them or make beef jerky or fruit roll ups; the Hamilton Beach dehydrator enables you to dehydrate/ make them by simply adjusting the temperature.
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User Manual
The package includes an instructions manual, which includes a dehydrating chart. The chart lists different food items as well as how to prepare them for drying, pretreatment time and dehydrating time.
The user manual also includes 3 recipes for making beef jerky in 3 different ways.
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Warranty
A limited 1 year warranty is offered for products bought and used within Canada and the U.S.
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Clean Up
The trays are easy to clean and washing them in warm water with soap is sufficient. They are also dishwasher safe, but the ‘SANI’ setting on dishwashers shouldn’t be used because it could damage the trays.
To clean the base, wiping it down with a damp cloth with soap does the trick.
Full Technical Features of the Hamilton Beach 32100A Food Dehydrator
The Hamilton Beach 32100A food dehydrator comes with the following full technical specifications:
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Product Dimensions
The Hamilton Beach dehydrator measurements are 11 by 13 by 10.5 inches. It weighs 8 lbs and easily fits onto countertops or stores away easily when not in use.
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Timer and auto Turn off
The timer runs from 0 to 48 hours and an auto turnoff feature is included to instantly turn off the dehydrator once the timer runs down.
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Clear top Lid and First Tray
The first tray is clearly marked ‘TOP’ and features a center mold where a cap is fitted. The tray is supposed to be positioned at the top at all times for effectiveness when using the dehydrator.
The top lid is clear allowing you to check on the progress of dehydration without having to open the lid.
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Plastic Trays
The trays are made of plastic and feature a gloss finish making them easy to clean up.
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Control Panel
The dehydrator comes with a control panel located on the base of the dehydrator. It features a start/pause button, LED display panel and a time/temperature selection button.
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Adjustable thermostat
The dehydrator comes with an adjustable thermostat enabling you to regulate dehydration temperature. The temperature range runs from 100 to 160 °F.
For instance, using the Hamilton Beach Dehydrator a temperature of 125 °F is required to dehydrate vegetables, while a temperature of 135 °F is required to dehydrate fruits.
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Wattage
The Hamilton Beach 32100A Dehydrator is powered by 500 watts.
Pros of the Hamilton Beach 32100A Food Dehydrator
Here are some of the pros of the Hamilton Beach 32100A Food Dehydrator which sets it apart from the rest:
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Square Shape
The Hamilton Beach dehydrator comes in a square shape, which makes it easy to accommodate on a countertop. It also makes it easy to clean the trays in a dishwasher and store the dehydrator when it is not in use.
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Easy Controls
The dehydrator controls are easy to set and simple to use. It comes with clearly labeled Start/Pause button and a Time/Temp button.
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Dedicated Fruit-Roll Tray
The dedicated fruit-roll tray included is quite an asset, because many people love making fruit roll ups at home.
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Adjustable thermostat
The ability to regulate temperature as desired is quite helpful. Not all dehydrators come with this function and this places the Hamilton Beach dehydrator amongst the best at its price point.
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Clear Lid
The clear-lid allows you to check up on the drying progress without having to open the lid each time. This helps to regulate the internal temperature for efficient drying.
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Even Drying
The Hamilton dehydrator is able to dry up food evenly without having to rotate the trays. This is quite helpful, because it reduces on the need to check up on the drying progress.
Cons of the Hamilton Beach 32100a Food Dehydrator
The following aspects of the Hamilton Beach 32100A Food Dehydrator need improvement:
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Noisy Fan
The fan isn’t silent and it can be heard through most rooms near the kitchen.This doesn’t make the dehydrator ideal to use overnight.
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Inconsistent Temperature
When using Fluke temperatures to check on the internal temperature of the dehydrator, the temperature is often less than what was set.
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Poor Fitting Lids
A number of buyers have complained about poor fitting lids. This could simply be an issue of a few defective units.
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LED Readability
The LED display isn’t as easy to read from any angle other than straightforward. While this isn’t quite a huge deal breaker, it does call for standing right in front of it to read the display.
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Longer Drying Time
The instruction manual lists drying times, but overall user experience with the Hamilton Beach Dehydrator shows that it generally takes longer. It takes about 2 to 3 times longer than the recommended time to dry food completely using this dehydrator.
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It Isn’t Expandable
The dehydrator isn’t expandable and while the 5 drying tray design is adequate enough for home-use some would prefer additional drying space.
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Cleaning the Trays
While you can easily clean the trays in a dishwasher, sometimes this won’t get the job done. Cleaning them is quite the chore owing to the little slits they have where food can get lodged in.
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Plastic Trays
The trays are plastic-made, which doesn’t make them as durable compared to other stainless steel dehydrators with a similar price point.
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Defective Units
There have been reports of many defective units by consumers. However, there hasn’t been any official word from the manufacturer acknowledging that there are some defective units. Although buyers can always return the defective units for replacements, this tends to be an inconvenience to the buyer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Does It Come with a Temperature Control Setting?
Yes, the Hamilton Food Dehydrator does come with temperature control ability. This allows you to adjust the dehydrating temperature as needed. The temperature range is 100 F 160 F. For its price point, this sets it steps above others that don’t come with this function.
Q: Does It Come with a Timer?
The Hamilton Dehydrator does come with a timer allowing you to set dehydration time up to 48 hours.
Q: Are the Trays Made of Metal?
No, the trays are made of plastic. They have a glossy coating, which makes them easier to clean.
Q: Can You Clean the Trays in a Dishwasher?
Yes, you can clean the trays in a dishwasher. However, in the instance where food gets stuck on the trays you might need to clean them up manually. However, the manual says that you shouldn’t use the SANi setting when washing the trays in a dishwasher.
Q: Does It Dry Jerky Well?
Yes, the Hamilton Dehydrator does a pretty good job at drying jerky. You might have to give it some extra time than what is recommended in the manual, but it does a decent job with jerky.
Q: What Is the Height Measurement of the Trays?
The trays measure about 1 inch high.
Q: Are the Trays BPA Free?
Yes, the trays are certified BPA free.
Q: What Is the Hamilton Dehydrator Voltage?
It is 120v.
Q: Do the Trays Rotate?
No, the trays do not rotate.
Q: Is there a Recommended Food Placement on the Hamilton Trays?
Generally, it is recommended to place food items that take longer to dry on the bottom tray and those that take shorter on the top tray.
Q: Can I Leave the Dehydrator Unattended?
Yes, this is made possible with the timer and auto turn off functions.
Q: Can I Buy additional Trays for the Dehydrator?
Yes you can buy additional or replacement trays for the dehydrator. However, it isn’t expandable.
Q: Does It increase Your Electricity Bill?
Not that much. It all depends on how often you use it, but even then it will increase your electricity bill; by only a few cents or dollars.
Q: Is the Fan Noisy?
The fan tends to be noisier compared to other dehydrators, but it is a bearable noise.
Q: Does It Come with a Drip Tray?
No, but the residue from drying collects at the bottom and it can easily be cleaned up.
Q: What Quantity of Beef Jerky Can I Dry at a Go?
You can dry about 30 pounds of jerky at any instance.
Q: Where Is Its Fan Located? The fan is located at the bottom.
Q: Can I Make Yoghurt Using the Hamilton Dehydrator?
No, the Hamilton Dehydrator isn’t ideal for making yoghurt.
Conclusion
To sum it all up, the Hamilton Beach 32100A Food Dehydrator is a great appliance to introduce to your kitchen.
It comes in a square shape and takes up minimal counter space. It is easy to clean and store when not in use. The dehydrator features a timer, auto turnoff and temperature control functions. It also comes with a specialty mesh tray for drying smaller food items and a specialty fruit roll up tray.
On the downside, several buyers have complained about getting units with lids that don’t close well or units that don’t work entirely. It does take longer to dry up food using the Hamilton Dehydrator compared to the times listed in the user manual. The trays are plastic-made and not stainless steel. It is not expandable and smaller than most units, making it ideal for small scale home use.
All in all, at its incredibly low price with advanced features and functions; the Hamilton Beach 32100A Food Dehydrator is a great asset to have in any kitchen.