Why the Excalibur Dehydrator?
Most dehydrator manufacturers offer round stackable models with a fan and heating unit in the bottom. So you are limited to drying foods that fit within a narrow tray height, and food, liquids, etc. fall into the fan at the base of the dehydrator, creating
odors that can affect the flavor of future batches, and possibly damaging or prematurely wearing the fan and heating elements. Excalibur pioneered a rear-mounted equipment package allowing horizontal or parallel air flow known as "The Parallexx System"
that provides steady, even drying throughout the dehydrator, from top to bottom. No rotating trays as with stackable models.
Excalibur or Tribest Sedona Dehydrator?
There are several differences between the Excalibur and Tribest Sedona® dehydrators that you should be aware of to make your buying decision. The Sedona® is better made and has more sound insulation and is MUCH quieter than the Excalibur. The Excalibur
is fairly loud and can be annoying if one is sleeping in its vicinity. The Sedona® is very quiet to begin with and has a "night mode" which slows the fan speed and makes it whisper quiet. The Sedona® has two fans, one above the other, and
one can be turned off so you can put a solid tray in the middle of the dehydrator to create a smaller heat space if you don't need the full dehydrator, saving energy. The Sedona® has a glass door so you can see the progress of your food, while you
must remove the door of the Excalibur to check, blasting you with warm air, cooling the dehydrator, and wasting a little energy. The Sedona® has a temperature display while the Excalibur doesn't, however, both dehydrators are notorious for having
inaccurate thermostats, so if you intend to keep the drying temperature below 115 degress F for live food, you'll need a thermometer in either dehydrator, at least periodically. The Sedona® has a timer for auto shutoff, the Excalibur doesn't. The
Sedona® has 12.4 square feet of drying area, 8.27% less than the Excalibur's 15 square feet. But with nonstick sheets for all 9 trays, the Sedona® costs almost twice as much as the Excalibur. Both dehydrators dry food equally well; the Excalibur is
more a noisier no frills model for people on a budget and it is quite adequate. Both dehydrators will last for many years.
Excalibur Parallexx System Advantages:
- Complete drying system in rear (includes thermostat and fan).
- Easy to clean – spills fall on seamless bottom, not a drying fan or nooks and crannies.
- Horizontal drying provides even drying, eliminating tray rotations.
- Fast drying – adjustable thermostat allows perfect drying every time.
- Square design increases drying area 25% with no holes in center of tray as with stackable dehydrators.
- Versatile – trays can be removed to expand drying chamber for a much larger variety of applications than stackable models
Stacking Dehydrator Disadvantages:
- Stackable dehydrator's heating element is in bottom, so food spills fall into the electrical components and are hard to clean, and creates smells.
- Trays have a fixed height so thick foods or objects (e.g. flowers or large leafy greens) cannot be dried.
- Trays closest to heat source dry first, requiring you to rotate trays.
- Much smaller drying area since trays have a hole coming throuhg their middle to allow air to rise to top trays.
- Many do not have a fan or thermostat.
- Hard to clean... Spills fall directly on electric components.
- Vertical drying requires tray rotation as trays closest to heat source dry first.
- Slow drying...Units without fan or thermostat may spoil food or not dry at all.
- Round design cuts off corners and has holes in center, reducing usable drying area.
- Non-adjustable stackable design restricts size of drying chamber.
