I used to rely on healthy fruit snack options in the local supermarket, but I felt DRAINED. My energy levels are staying flat instead of going up.
I knew I had to find nutritious munchies to replace the overly-salted snacks as they could reduce the risk of kidney stones.
This is why I resorted to drying fruits myself.
But food dehydrator machines were not present when I decided to go down this route, and I wish it did. Having one earlier would help me from wasting time waiting for my apple slices in the sun (unlike my first time), and they do a great job at it.
Quick Pros vs. Cons Cabela’s Food Dehydrator:
| Pros | Cons (Solutions Below) |
| *Large Capacity (More than enough)
*A great Christmas Gift *360° air circulation *Smart Heat technology *Included 12 Racks |
*Temperature isn’t consistently reach 160F
*Door randomly pops open |
Things to consider before buying Food Dehydrator
They are a great addition to your camping adventures, where portable foods are a must-have. Keeping foods dehydrated maintains the organic fiber and minerals inside and does not loses their nutritional value.
You can prepare dehydrated apples and bananas for your next outdoor adventure while at the same time not losing any of their naturally sweet flavors.
This is not for people looking for a quick Doritos chip that can be eaten on the couch while watching tv. Instead, food dehydrator machines are designed for active people looking for a nutritious alternative that they could eat in the middle of the day.
Another thing to note is that most food dehydrator machine requires you to remove the fat content of the meat before putting it in. This is not a problem in most cases since most customers select fruits & vegetables for their dehydration.
Extract the fat contents before beginning the cooking process.
Suppose you are looking to dehydrate a beef jerky. Once done, consume it within 24 hours to retain its freshness. But if you plan to eat it later, then it’s advisable to keep it in your refrigerator.
Take it out and heat it until you’re ready to eat it. Like that, you now have a savory snack ready for your next road trip.
Why You Should Not Buy (Pros vs. Cons)
Cabela’s Food Dehydrator offers a slightly smaller capacity of 80L compared to its counterpart of 160L. In most appliance-purchase scenarios, the general food-for-thought is the bigger, the better. That salt’s not the case with this dehydrator machine.
Unless you are running a restaurant selling more than 200+ beef jerky daily, then the 80L is more than enough for a small home.
To put things into perspective, an 80L can cook up to 10lbs of beef jerky. That said,
It’s more than enough to last a family for more than 10 meals.
Table 1.1 Food Dehydrator 80L vs. 160L
So, we can safely conclude that buying a 160L will result indouble in beef jerky output which will only probably go to waste when not stored properly.
From the numerous reviews we researched, most Cabela’s customers intend to buy food dehydrators either as a gift to their relatives or themselves on Christmas day.
Read This: Best Food Dehydrator For The Money (Explained for Beginners)
Common Problems with Cabela’s (And How to Fix It)
1. The Heating Temperature doesn’t reach 160F
One problem that most customers raise is the inconsistent heating temperature. Many people cited that it doesn’t reach the promised 160F.
Instead, it hovers between the 145° to 150° mark.
Getting a consistent temperature for your dehydrator machine is essential if you plan to cook a tender beef jerky. The last thing you would want is an inconsistent dehydration process.
But if you are drying fruits & vegetables, they won’t be a problem since the average temperatures are 140 °F.
Going back to solving the temperature problem, one way to reach the desired 160F is from a suggestion of a long-time customer who uses a wielding blanket over the top and sides. They use their dehydrating machine in their basement, where the temperature is around 60° only.
Image 1.1 Welding Blanket used to prevent fires.
They shared that other customers complaining about the temperature have not used the machine enough. The first time they used it, it took over an hour to get to 160F. But now it gets there in 15-20 minutes. It seems like a break-in period was needed.
How to Fix It: Place a wielding blanket around Cabela’s dehydrator machine to insulate the heat further. For the first few cooking sessions, please give it a test run that lasts up to 60 minutes to reach 160F. Soon, heating time will only take 15 – 20 minutes.
Another thing to consider is if you are constantly opening & closing the door multiple times.
This is made apparent when it comes to loading the trays. For one customer, doing this resulted in them experiencing the same problem of 145° to 150° temperature.
The solution they encountered was restarting the preheating process AFTER you fully loaded the trays.
2. The door pops open when in use.
Another common problem is the door of the machine will pop open and doesn’t close all the way.
When in use, the airflow will push open the barrier of the food dehydrator machine. (See attached images below)
Image 1.2 Food Dehydrator Door Popping Out
How to Fix It: If the door immediately opens within a minute of operating the machine, one solution is to pull the trays out and remove the two pieces of foam on the unit’s back wall.
These foams are blocking the vents and LED lights in the back wall.
If you don’t remove it, the machine will still function but will constantly have a popping-out sound when the fan turns on (See attached images below)
Image 1.3 Where foams are located
Features & Benefits of Cabela’s Food Dehydrator
1. Consistent Air Flow Design
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Cabela’s Food Dehydrator uses five air tubes, resulting in an even airflow for your food.
This is vital if you are looking for a consistent cooking process throughout your food, whether it’s beef jerky, apple slices, or dried mango.
Unlike the traditional dehydration process, you don’t need to rely on inconsistent temperatures and constantly agonize waiting for a hot sunny day while dreading a cloudy one.
However, this also means that you use electricity which costs between 0.04$ and 0.13$ per hour.
2. Monitors Temperature, Automatically Adjust Fan Speed
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐
It has internal temperature control, so you don’t have to worry if your dehydrator machine is overheating or underheating your food.
The process is automated, and you don’t have to do anything and let the machine run its course.
3. Includes 12 removal racks
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
If you plan to maximize the overall capacity Cabela’s Food Dehydrator includes 12 stainless racks, which are more than enough for what a typical American household needs. However, this is great if you offer to volunteer to bring nutritious snacks for your camping friends, and they find other ways to chip in.
The main highlight of this dehydrator machine is its large capacity.
But if you only plan to prepare a few snacks, simply take out some of the racks that would not be in use.
Another thing to consider is its snap-lock functions that keep everything in place while running. With this, you don’t need to constantly double-check to see if the trays are aligned or not.
4. Removable Drain Reservoir
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A single must-have for any food dehydrator would have to be the removable drain reservoir. This function shines on meaty foods where the oil may juice out while the dehydration process is taking place.
This allows you to easily clean any scrapes or leftover food scraps that may accidentally fall while putting in or removing your food.
However, constant cleaning is needed to ensure the drain reservoir is free from any unnecessary ingredients that may clog up the path flow.
5. Preheat Function
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐
It allows you to place your food once it is ready to dehydrate conveniently.
Do note, though, that based on the section above, there are some common problems that new customers may experience when using Cabela’s food dehydrator.
To fix this, restart the preheating process once you have all the ingredients in the machine. Prevent from constantly interrupting the temperature-control process by opening and closing the door.
Alternatives to Cabela’s Food Dehydrator:
No pressure, if you ultimately decide not to choose Cabela’s Food Dehydrator, here is some alternative we included in case you want to check them out:
1. Cosori Food Dehydrator
If you are looking for a large machine, this might not be for you. Compared to Cabela’s, it is a small & compact version with only six trays available.
But if you are looking for an option that balances price and quality while at the same time-saving kitchen space, Cosori’s Food Dehydrator might be up in your alley.
2. Magic Mill Food Dehydrator
It solves the main problem Cabela’s has been experiencing: the unreliable door. Magic Mill is also the least expensive among the three listed here.
However, it comes with a minor design flaw. The square holes in the stainless steel tray might be too large when planning to place smaller foods for dehydration.
One solution would be using a plastic mesh sheet for smaller items to prevent them from falling through.
3. Excalibur Food Dehydrator
One main thing that Cabela’s doesn’t have is the use of Poly-screen trays.
Excalibur exemplifies this aspect as it not only prevents small fruits & vegetables from accidentally falling through but at the same time, you can rest assured that your food will not stick accidentally along other trays.
However, this is the most expensive among the three alternatives. This might not be the best option for people on a budget.
Nevertheless, this is great if you are looking for a food dehydrator that will last a couple of years,
Bottom Line: Our Top Pick
If you asked us who we’d personally buy from Cosori’s food dehydrator. It matches the correct size needed for our home.
Based on my living situation, I won’t be needing a piece of large machinery anytime soon. It can fit almost half of my entire kitchen space. But this might be for you if you plan to up your dehydration game.
At the end of the day, a food dehydrator machine is not for everyone.
Getting dehydrated apple slices, dried mango, or beef jerky would take hours of cooking time. (Whatever your choice, maybe) But that wait will be worth it.
Sure, buying a local potato chip snack instead would save you the effort & time of having to prepare dehydrated foods. But, if your goal is to safeguard your well-being first over appetizing salted snacks, purchasing a food dehydrator is one step closer to living a healthy life.
