Dehydrator Review: Nesco/American Harvest FD-80 Square-Shaped Dehydrator

Perhaps the only square food dehydrator with a top-mounted fan, the Nesco FD-80 Snackmaster is a highly rated dehydrator with a modest price. The FD-80 is a medium sized dehydrator of the “stacking” design. It comes with 4 trays, each about 1.3 sq ft, for a base drying area of over 5 sq ft. The FD-80 is expandable to 8 trays for a maximum drying area of over 10 sq. ft.

The FD-80 is a newer model from Nesco that features a patented, top-down airflow system that forces air down the exterior pressurized chamber, instead of forcing air through the trays. The air moves down the walls of the interior, flowing across each tray, into the central core, which results in fast and even drying. The combination of a 700 watt heater and the top-mounted fan speeds up drying times considerably.

The Nesco FD-80 Snackmaster is made from an opaque, BPA-free plastic that blocks light, preserving nutrients in the foods you are dehydrating. The power head on the top of the unit can be conveniently lifted off the trays with a built-in bale handle. The FD-80 has a smaller footprint some dehydrators with larger capacity and has a one-year limited warranty.

Consumer feedback:

I have put this dehydrator 'through the paces', making jerky and drying fruit. It's done a great job with both.

My first dehydrator didn't have the temp control selector, just an on/off button. I like having the ability to choose the temperature. It runs quiet which is another big plus!

The Nesco FD-80 Snackmaster has a large number of positive custom reviews on Amazon. Currently there are over 250 reviews, with just under 70% rating the dehydrator with 5 stars. Some of the key positive points mentioned by happy users include:

Small convenient size
Reliable, accurate, even heat
Square size makes it easy to load more food on trays
Fast drying
Quiet fan – one user compared it to a box fan on “low”
Top-mounted motor stays clean since food is below
Major food categories (fruit, veggies, jerky, etc.) are printed on the lid with recommended temps

Among reviews that are not 5 stars, users had this critical feedback:

Small, if you plan to do a lot of dehydrating
Lack of a timer means you’ll need monitor the unit more carefully while dehydrating
No on/off switch means it can sometimes be inconvenient to turn off and on

Bottom line:

The Nesco FD-80 is a nicely designed, efficient food dehydrator for a modest price. Base capacity is on the small side, but can be easily expanded. The FD-80 only comes with a single mesh liner, but mesh liners and fruit leather trays can be purchased separately. Recommended.

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Compare to other dehydrators

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Pricing

Retail price:

$ 98.99

Current price:

$ 82.38

Savings:

$16.61

Savings %:

17%

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Rating

Rating:

4.1

Review ct:

520

Key Features

Key features:

Powerful Top-Mounted Fan The top mounted fan, together with 700 watts of drying power, helps dry food faster than many other food dehydrators.
Adjustable Thermostat The adjustable thermostat allows you to dry a variety of foods at proper temperatures ranging from 95-160 F, to give you the best results.
Expandable capacity The unit can be expanded from 4 base trays to 8 trays when you need more capacity.
Patented Converga-Flow® airflow system delivers warmed air evenly across each tray. This reduces flavor mixing and eliminates the need for you to rotate trays.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

Smaller footprint allows unit to fit comfortably on your counter.
Adjustable thermostat - allows proper temperature for each food category
Square trays have more capacity and are easier to load that round trays
Fast drying times due to to more powerful heater

Cons:

Not as expandable as some other (more expensive) dehydrators.
No on/off switch, means it can me inconvenient to turn off/on, depending on location of outlet
No timer means you need to monitor unit more carefully

Product details

Name:

Nesco/American Harvest FD-80 Square-Shaped Dehydrator

Name short:

Nesco FD-80

Brand:

NESCO

Country:

USA

Model:

FD-80

Type: