Home made dried food is a joy that can’t be had in dried food that you buy from a store. One of the biggest advantages of home made jerky and dried food is that you can rest assured it’s dried in hygienic conditions. It is also more economic to dry your own food instead of buying it from a supermarket. You can also add your own twist to traditional flavors and enjoy fried food that’s prepared to your specific tastes and requirements. What’s more, you can dry as much food as you like and store it for later usage.
When you have such intense requirements from a dehydrator, you need a device that offers power and capacity. The STX International STX-DEH-800W-XLS Dehydra 800-watt 10 tray food dehydrator is just the device that fits the bill. This dehydrator comes with ten trays that can be used to dry a variety of food, meat, nuts, vegetables, and herbs. The powerful six inch fan at the back of the dehydrator ensures every tray gets equal amount of heat and everything gets dried properly. Let’s find out more about this dehydrator in this review.
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Quick Specifications of STX-DEH-800W-XLS Dehydra 800 watt 10-Tray Food and Jerky Dehydrator
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Product Dimensions |
19.5 x 15 x 20 inches |
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Item Weight |
23 pounds |
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Manufacturer |
The Mercantile Station 2 |
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Power |
800 Watts |
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Temperature Range |
85-155 Degrees |
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Fan System |
6 Inch Rear Mounted Fan |
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BPA Free |
Yes |
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Tray Included |
Ten |
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Auto Timer |
40 Hours |
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Warranty |
1 Year |
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Editor Rating | 3.9/5 |
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Product Link | Check this Product on Amazon → |
Key Features of STX-DEH-800W-XLS Dehydra 800-watt 10-Tray Dehydrator
This dehydrator comes with a wide range of features, many of which set it apart from other models available in the market. Whether you want to dry fruits and vegetables, or you want to make delicious and hygienic jerky, you can do it all in this dehydrator and much more. Let’s have a look at some of the key features of this powerhouse kitchen appliance that can make drying foods a breeze.
- Large Capacity
The ten trays of this dehydrator are ideal for drying large quantities of food. You can line up different types of fruits, meats, vegetables, and nuts in the trays and dry them all at once. With over 3 cubic feet of drying space, you won’t need to dry everything in batches.
- Highly Efficient
The dehydrator has a six inch rear mounted fan that throws hot air over all the trays so that every tray gets an equal amount of heat. This helps in uniform drying of the ingredients and provides with highly efficient results every time, all the time.
- Auto Timer
With a 40-hour auto timer, you don’t need to be present to check on the food in the dehydrator. Simply set the timer for a given duration and the dehydrator will switch off once the timer is complete. This adds an extra measure of ease in case you dry your food late at night or you have to be out of the house for a time period.
- BPA Free Trays
The trays that come with this dehydrator are BPA free, which means you can safely use these for drying all kinds of foods without worrying about any harmful chemicals affecting your food.
- Extensive Warranty
This dehydrator comes with a one-year extensive warranty. Under this warranty, if your dehydrator develops a snag or breaks down, you can get a full replacement or repair done at no cost to you.
- Digital Control
The digital control of this dehydrator makes it easy to set the right temperature and time for dehydrating. Easy to read, the digital display panel is perfect for when you want to set precise temperature for drying your choice of foods.
- Silicone Mats
The dehydrator comes with silicone mats that are perfect for preparing fruit rollups and fruit leather. These silicone mats are made from high-quality materials and these are easy to clean too.
- Dishwasher Safe
The trays in this dehydrator are easy to clean and you can put them in your dishwasher with other utensils. Just make sure that the water is not too hot and the trays are added on the top shelf of the dishwasher. You can later air dry the trays to remove any trace of moisture.
- Easy To Clean
The base of the dehydrator is also easy to clean. You can use a damp cloth to wipe off any residue from the inner walls of the dehydrator. You can also use a small brush to remove any sticky food materials from the inside of the dehydrator.
- Robust Construction
The dehydrator is designed to last and its robust construction will give you years of usage. The trays are easy to slide in and remove from the dehydrator which makes using this device a complete joy.
Full Technical Specifications of STX-DEH-800W-XLS Dehydra Food Dehydrator
- Horizontal Air Flow
The Horizontal Air Flow utilized in this dehydrator is perfect for drying all trays of food with an equal amount of heat. The food gets dried quickly and efficiently. Unlike vertical dehydrators, the heat doesn’t travel through other trays but reaches every tray equally.
- Heat Retaining Design
The trays of the dehydrator are designed in a such a way that they retain heat. This prevents any heat escaping once the trays are closed so that the food gets dried equally in a short duration of time.
- Temperature Range
The STX-DEH-800W Dehydrator comes with the temperature range of 85 to 155 degrees Fahrenheit. This is ideal for most varieties of fruits, vegetables, and meats. You can also look recipes online to see the right temperature range to dry the foods.
- Transparent Trays
The front of the trays is transparent so that you can check out the food’s condition in one look and you don’t need to take out the trays to inspect the food. This helps to maintain the inner temperature of the dehydrator for efficient drying.
- Programmable Timer
There is a 40-hour auto timer on the dehydrator that can be set up for the required duration. With the timer feature, you can set up the dehydrator before going to sleep and when you wake up, you can enjoy delicious dried snacks. The timer shuts off the dehydrator once the timer is finished.
- Extensive Drying Space
The total drying area of the sheets comes up to be 3 cubic feet. You can prepare a whole batch of fruits, vegetables, and meat in this much space. This is especially ideal for the times when you buy fruit wholesale or you want to store food for a long duration. You can also dry different kinds of foods and prepare delicious and healthy treats for the whole family.
Best Things about STX DEH 800W XLS Food Dehydrator
There are several unique features in this dehydrator that add to the usability and efficiency of this device. Let’s have a look at some of the best features of this dehydrator:
- Powerful Operation
The dehydrator uses 800W of power and it has a six-inch fan that throws hot air all over the trays. As an equal amount of hot air is distributed over the trays, there is uniform drying of the food materials.
- Dry Large Batches of Food
When you buy a lot of produce or you have fruits and vegetables from your own gardens, you can dry large batches in this dehydrator. Instead of throwing away excess food material or freezing it, you can easily dry large quantities in this dehydrator and preserve them for later usage.
- Unique Tray Design
The trays of this dehydrator are designed to retain the heat with their Heat Retaining Lip Design. This removes the need of a large panel door. The trays have a diamond shaped grid that helps hot air move through the trays and dry the food efficiently.
- Dishwasher Friendly Trays
You can easily clean the trays in your dishwasher. Simply put the trays in with other dishes and use a slow cycle for washing them all. It is also very easy to clean the trays in a sink with warm water and soap.
- Silicone Mats
The dehydrator comes with two silicone mats that are perfect for making fruit roll-ups or fruit leather. These high-quality mats can be used for making jerky as well and these are very easy to clean. You can simply clean them with warm water, soap, and a brush and dry them out.
- Extensive Warranty
All STX dehydrator models come with 1 year of 100% warranty. Any kind of malfunction is covered under the warranty and you can get the dehydrator repaired or replaced depending on the nature of the malfunction. This warranty also includes parts and labor.
- Great Customer Service
The customer service for this dehydrator is simply amazing. If you face any problem with the dehydrator, you can simply place a call to the customer care and they will take care of any issue that you might have. The customer care is prompt and they are always ready with solutions to any dehydrator related problems.
- High Customer Satisfaction
In the last seven years, more than 30,000 STX dehydrators have been sold nationwide and the company has maintained 99.8% customer satisfaction rate.
Negative Aspects of STX International STX-DEH-800W-XLS Dehydra Food Dehydrator
While a device can have a range of positive features, there are some aspects of the device that don’t seem to go well with many users. Here are some negative aspects of this dehydrator:
- Size
The large size might be better for most users, but for users with little space in their kitchen, it can be difficult to find space for this dehydrator on their kitchen shelf. Users might need to keep the dehydrator in a separate space in their house.
- Noise
As it is a big machine, prolonged usage might cause it to make noise that is a bit more than usual dehydrators. If you’re keeping the dehydrator in your kitchen, it can be a problem. But if you’re keeping the dehydrator in a separate room such as garage or basement, then it might not be that much of an issue.
- Flimsy Electronic Panel
The electronic panel might show signs of breakage under heavy usage as it is not made of quality material as the rest of the dehydrator.
- Takes Time to Dehydrate
As it is a high capacity unit, it takes a lot of time to dehydrate the fruits, meats, and vegetables put in it. With ten trays, the increased capacity of the dehydrator means the drying time is also increased considerably.
- Low Temperature Range
There are other dehydrators in the market that offer a highly varied temperature range. The temperature range for the STX International dehydrator is simply not enough for drying certain types of foods.
- The Quality of Trays
This dehydrator’s trays have larger than usual holes in them. If you’re drying small items like grapes or nuts, you will need to use a liner sheet so that the food doesn’t fall through the trays.
Included Accessories
1) Silicone Mats – The dehydrator comes with silicone mats that can be used for making fruit leather or fruit roll-ups. These mats are made from industry grade material that is easy to use, clean, and store. The 41 mm silicone mats are perfect for making all kinds of delicious and hygienic fruit leather and snacks for the whole family.
Frequently Asked Questions
Before buying a product, every customer has questions regarding the operation, functions, and features of the said product. Here’s a look at some of the frequently asked questions about the STX International Dehydra 10-tray dehydrator:
Q: What are the dimensions of the unit? I have limited space in my kitchen and I want to know if it will fit on my shelves
19.5 x 15 x 20 inches. If you have wide shelves in your kitchen, it will surely fit properly.
Q: I want to make more fruit rollups, can I buy additional silicone mats?
You can buy silicone mats. If these are not available, you can go for dehydrator compatible rollup sheets and cut them into the right shape for your dehydrator trays.
Q: I just bought the dehydrator and the fan is not working. What can I do?
If you’ve just bought it, it’s still under warranty. Simply call the customer care at STX International and they will guide you in the right direction.
Q: Do I need to rotate the trays while drying?
No. You don’t need to rotate the trays as the Horizontal Airflow System ensures all trays get an equal distribution of air.
Q: How much jerky can I make in one batch?
The amount of jerky will depend on how thick you slice the meat and if you’re using ground meat for preparing jerky. If you’re using ground meat, you can make anything from 3-4 pounds in one batch.
Q: Does this dehydrator have auto-off feature?
The dehydrator comes with a 40-hour timer. You can set the timer for the desired time and once the timer is complete, the dehydrator will switch itself off.
Q: Are the silicone mats BPA free?
The silicone mats are made from high grade silicone that is safe for usage with food. Silicone does not contain BPA and you can safely use it for making fruit rollups or fruit leather.
Q: Can I buy replacement parts if the dehydrator breaks down?
If you’re still within warranty, you can simply call STX International and the customer care team will help you in every way they can.
Q: What is the temperature range of this dehydrator?
This dehydrator operates within a temperature range of 85 to 155 degrees Fahrenheit.
Conclusion
Are you looking for a dehydrator that is the perfect balance of power and capacity? Then the STX International STX-DEH-800W-XLS Dehydra 800-watt 10-Tray is just the device for you. With its ten tray capacity and a powerful six-inch fan, it dries food quickly and efficiently.
When you’re dealing with big batches of meats, vegetables, fruits, or nuts, you can always rely on this dehydrator. With 800 watts of power, this dehydrator offers optimum performance with every batch of food. The dehydrator offers up to 3 cubic feet of space and you can use it to make everything from jerky to fruit roll-ups and much more. Also, the 100% warranty that comes with this dehydrator makes it a total steal!