Nesco FD-37A American Harvest

Having taken up a job that involved staying on the highway for long periods of time, I was tempted to give up my natural home-cooked food regime for the roadside motel fare, just like most other folks in my situation. On the advice of my wife, however, I began to explore the option of drying foods at home and carrying them on my journey. The answer was food dehydrators, and so I studied a number of food dehydrator reviews for products that fit my limited budget. Finally, I was able to hone in on the Nesco FD-37A American Harvest, and as my wife would certify, this product has helped me maintain my health even during strenuous cross-country drives. That’s not to say this food dehydrator is the best out there, because it does have some negatives too. I will discuss both pros and cons of the Nesco FD-37A in the detailed review below—not leaving anything out!

Lightweight with Decent Capacity

The product is light and small enough to sit on the small countertop of our kitchen. That said, it comes with 4 trays with each tray providing 0.75 square feet of drying capacity. This should be more than sufficient for drying vegetables, fruits, and meat for a family of three. Of course, if you find that its not, you can expand the size to 7 trays (not too bad we’d say!). When not in use, these racks can be stacked onto one another in a manner that reduces the size of the Nesco FD-37A American Harvest drastically and makes it easier to store or carry with you. If you’ve found yourself leaving appliances in the cabinet for eternity because taking them out is a task and you don’t have enough counter-space, you’ll definitely know what I’m talking about.

Another factor to consider about the trays is that they are BPA-free, an extremely important aspect for any kitchen appliance. Plastics that have BPA can leech chemicals into your foods which negatively impact your health. Considering you’re purchasing a food dehydrator to actually improve your health by eating foods packed full of nutrition and vitamins, this isn’t what you want to be worrying about.

Transparent Lid With Side Clamps

Being sympathetic to the difficulty many users of stackable food dehydrators face in checking the state of drying in the racks, Nesco has provided this product with a transparent lid. Using the lid, we could easily monitor the state of the foods inside at any given point of time. Even better, due to the interesting design, the inside of the transparent lid does not become hazy with steam or moisture even when extremely moist foods are being dried. A definite plus in my books.

Further aiding a person on the move like me, the product comes with a number of plastic side clips/clamps that can be attached to the trays. This mechanism ensures that the trays stay in place when the product is being moved or otherwise being raised or lowered, even when the product is working.

Powerful Thermostat

The product boasts of a 400-watts fan and a heating element system that not only ensures you can use this product on the normal electrical circuits but also makes it capable of drying the moistest of foods in a short span of time. This capability is cemented by the fact that the thermostat has been provided with a fixed temperature preset at 160° F. As users would know, this is the optimal temperature required by the vast majority of foods, including beef jerky (as per the USDA Meat and Poultry hotline)!

Radial Air Flow Mechanism

Using Nesco’s patented Converga-Flow system, the product ensures that the hot air flows radially across the racks, converging at the centre before moving away again. This allows the heat to concentrate on the surface of the racks, thereby enhancing the drying effect manifold and also ensuring even drying, so not matter what you put into this food dehydrator, be it veggies, fruit, or meat, it will dry consistently.

Add-Ons

The Nesco FD-37A American Harvest is a very straightforward and simple kitchen appliance, so there’s not too many add-ons on offer with this machine. However, it does come with a sample starter pack that consists of seasoning and cure for immediate jerky making. Sure, some of the competitor models which are priced slightly higher have a whole lot more that’s included in the machine, including jerky gun or fruit roll sheets, but they don’t offer everything the Nesco FD-37A does, including its ability to reduce in size for portability. Of course, if you do want versatility, you can always purchase these add-ons from Amazon separately.

A Possible Problem

I mentioned that the product comes with a fixed thermostat temperature of 160° F. While this is ideal for most foods, on occasion large or extremely moist foods cannot be dried because they require higher temperatures. However, due to the radial heating system, herbs and products requiring temperatures below 160° F can be heated without fear of damage. The temperature is also ideal for making beef jerky, so if that’s one of your goals, you’re sorted!

Final Verdict

One of the factors that prompted me to buy the Nesco FD-37A American Harvest was the fact that the food dehydrator reviews by a wide range of users suggested that this product was compatible with a range of lifestyles. Boasting an excellent thermostat, radial heating, and good size, the machine is ideal for most households, while the price point makes it ideal even for those on a budget. Sure, it doesn’t come with any bells and whistles, but it packs a punch nonetheless.