Aroma Nutriware NFD-815D Review
Everyone wants to get into the wonderful world of food dehydrators these days. It’s not just a trend, it’s a revolution. After all, who wouldn’t want to make healthy and affordable snacks for their families that will last for far longer than most pantry items? Almost everyone. The only problem is that, while the love of dehydrated foods is universal, the ability to acquire your own is not.
These machines tend to be rather expensive and take up quite a bit of space in the kitchen. In general, that limits who is able to have a food dehydrator of their very own. Thankfully, that’s not true of all dehydrators. Yep, there are some machines out there that are affordable and accessible for anybody. You just have to know where to look.
The Aroma NFD-815D dehydrator is an affordable and effective way to make a variety of dried goods. The countertop appliance is large enough to fit 6 trays of different raw foods, yet small enough to remain out of the way during operation. Whether owners are making sweet treats from fruits, savoury meat jerky, or aromatic potpourri, this dehydrator will dry anything to perfection. Even better? It will do so without forcing you to max out your credit card.
Outer Shell
The body of this dehydrator is made from high-quality plastic that stays cool to touch while it’s working, regardless of the heat settings. That’s important for anyone who wants to dehydrate some food without worrying about burning off their fingertips. The surface is easy to clean and looks slick on any countertop. The entire unit measures roughly 19 by 15 inches with a height of 14 inches, making it easy to stick in the corner of most kitchen counters without taking up too much space.
The machine has a manageable weight of only 15 pounds. The front of the appliance has a BPA-free clear removable panel, giving you a good view of what’s happening inside. The top of dehydrator has an LED display and button controls. Ventilation slots are also located on the top. A rear fan is positioned on the back of the unit and contributes to the dehydrator’s effectiveness. This might not be the fanciest dehydrator on the market, but it’s slick design was made with functionality at the forefront. So you can be certain it will dehydrate your food to perfection, even if it doesn’t exactly look like you bought it at the Apple store.
Inside
The inside of the unit contains all of the heating elements and 6 trays that hold food. The trays are made from durable stainless steel, making them easy to clean and ensuring that they will last long. They measure 13 by 12 inches and can support up to a pound of food each (not too shabby!). The tight grid pattern adds strength to the trays and promotes even drying. If you want to dehydrate smaller foods (such as tiny berries), use the included mesh sheets to prevent them for falling through. The 6 trays can be arranged in the unit perfectly with the help of guides along the sides. A drip tray is also included on the bottom of the dehydrator to catch any unwanted residue during the drying process for quick removal and cleanup.
Even Dehydration
One common issue with dehydrators is uneven heating. To properly dry foods, most dehydrators require constant repositioning of the food. Users may have to turn the trays and flip the raw foods to ensure proper drying. However, the Aroma NutriWare dehydrator eliminates this task. Using horizontal flow technology, air is moved through the unit with the rear fan that evenly distributes heat above and below each and every rack. In fact, users won’t need to rotate their racks at all, making this design quite the time saver. The heating element and rear fan work in tandem to heat every piece of food effectively.
Consistent Temperatures
Consistent and accurate temperature readings are crucial when drying foods. Certain foods require a very specific heat setting to dry out successfully. A high setting will actually kill important enzymes and nutrients, resulting in tough and flavorless dehydrated foods that no one will enjoy. A low heat setting can actually be dangerous, as it leads to bacterial growth. To savor all of a food’s nutritional value and taste, it’s important to have a dehydrator with accurate heat settings. The Aroma NutriWare dehydrator has an accurate thermostat that can be set between 95°-158° F for drying a wide range of foods.
Precise Settings
The NutriWare dehydrator from Aroma gives you the ultimate dehydrating experience in terms of precision and control. The settings are easy to manipulate with a touch of a button. Controls are located on the top of the unit. Temperature is set via a simple plus and minus button. There are 8 heat settings in total. The unit will begin heating and remain at the temperature steadily while the food dries out.
It boasts a timer that can be set from 30 minutes to 19 hours and 30 minutes, for convenience and easy tracking. The timer can be set in 30-minute increments. The digital LED display shows temperature and time left during the dehydration process, for easy monitoring. Sure, it’s not the most comprehensive list of setting options on the marketplace, but certainly more than enough to ensure that you feel in control of your dehydration session at all times.
Conclusion
All in all, the Aroma NutriWare is an excellent dehydrator for a variety of reasons. It can easily and effectively dry out a wide range of foods without losing any of the nutrients or flavors. Whether it’s tough meat or healthy vegetables, the unit will operate just as proficiently thanks to the horizontal flow technology. With it’s 6 spacious trays, there’s more than enough room to dehydrate any food an owner desires.
Are there more impressive dehydrators on the market? Absolutely. But they also make a dent in your wallet. The Aroma NutriWare is an excellent machine on the affordable end of the spectrum and one that won’t take up too much counter space either. It’s perfect for any customer on a budget or living in an apartment and also ideal for anyone who is starting their food dehydrating journey. So if you have been anxious to start dehydrating your own foods but didn’t know where to start, click the button below—you just found an ideal starter dehydrator for you and your entire family!
Recent Update:
January 14, 2022: The Aroma NFD-815D Dehydrator is no longer in stock. For another similar product, check out the COSORI Premium Dehydrator.
- Performance - 7.4/107.4/10
- Ease of Use - 7.8/107.8/10
- Design - 7.3/107.3/10
- Features - 7.5/107.5/10
I think this dehydrator could be a good choice if you are planning on using it every now and then, but I’m not so sure that it could stand up to heavy usage. I use my machine on a daily basis to dry produce. I only use the low settings, too, with temperatures below 115 degrees. It works efficiently, and it is very quiet. After around two months of use, I started noticing problems with the plastic trays. They became brittle and started cracking. I think I am going to upgrade to a commercial machine that will last longer and stand up to daily use without damage.
I’ve been using my Aroma Nutriwave dehydrator for around 4 months now, so I wanted to come back and leave a review to help other shoppers. First, let me say that I am very happy with this product! I love spoiling my dogs by making homemade dog treats, so I use this to dehydrate the chicken and beef.
There is a little bit of a learning curve if you are just starting to learn about dehydrating. I’ve found that cutting the meat to an even thickness is key. Also, dehydrating is great, but it’s not fast. You need to have some patience, but it’s great to not have to turn on your oven for hours at a time.
I selected this model because of its reasonable mid-range price, and it provides an excellent value. I’ve also started branching off and making homemade jerky for my husband and his friends. It’s great to have a kitchen gadget that actually gets regular use instead of just taking up space in my pantry.
I looked into a lot of dehydrators before deciding on this Aroma Nutriware. The price and the features were both attractive to me, and the machine is a good fit for my needs. It works well, and I have not had any issues. In fact, I’m enjoying dehydrating so much now that I’m thinking of getting an even bigger machine. The only con to this machine is the fact that it’s pretty loud when it is running, but that’s not a big deal to me since I usually put it in my garage.
This dehydrator isn’t terrible, but it did not really meet my expectations. I just finished making my first match of mixed fruits, and I am really surprised by how long it takes to dehydrate. My cherries and blueberries were not dehydrated at all after 10 hours. I guess I’ll have to leave it running overnight to get the results I’m looking for, but this means using more electricity.
My other issue with this product is the fact that it does not have a timer. I can use my kitchen timer or put a timer on my phone, but it seems like this feature should really be built-in for a dehydrator in this price range.
I make a lot of jerky, and this machine has made my life so much easier. It’s simple to use, and it does a big batch at one time without taking up a lot of space in my kitchen. I’m enjoying using my Nutriwave, but I think that the manual really needs improvement. It’s about the equivalent to one sheet of paper!
I expected at least a booklet filled with helpful recipes and tips. The included recipes are not very helpful, but I’ve found some great ideas by searching online.
The Aroma Nutriwave dehydrator is fabulous! I’ve been using an old round dehydrator for years, and I will never go back now that I’ve tried this. It is so much quicker and easier than canning, plus I don’t have to invest in jars, lids and other pricey equipment.
The possibilities are endless, but my recent favorite thing to dehydrate is zucchini noodles. This is a great choice if you are trying to lower the amount of carbs in your diet. You simply cut the zucchini into noodles with a spiralizer, and put them in the machine to dry. Now I always have noodles ready to cook on pasta night!
This isn’t a review but a question. The ad says stainless steel shelves and when I looked it up on Amazon it says plastic. Which is it? Thanks
Ok, so my husband bought this a year ago and it has been sitting in the garage for a year unopened. (Yes, he is on kitchen gadget restriction). I decided to see what I could do with it. I will say the booklet is horrible. Temperatures are great but they don’t mean squat if there is no time frame. Looking up recipes online is not all that helpful as any recipe says 12-24 hours. That is a huge window. I can understand a person sharing their recipe with a vague time frame because they wouldn’t know what machine I have. The machine maker however could at least provide some general expectations.
The mango came out good. The pineapple was like chewy candy and fun. The apples were a weird texture and the jerky will need a whole lot more work. The sweet potatoes are the worst and have been given to the birds. Granola is in now and every recipe says 12-20 hours below 120. We will see.
The machine itself seems to be doing great but I have nothing to compare it too.
Are all these reviewers reviewing the same product, or not? When the reviewers are stating that it’s Aroma Nutriwave then the review are 5’s and a 4, however there is a 2 and a 3 review that comment on things like plastic trays and no timer when the Aroma Nutriwave has stainless steel trays and a timer. So to be perfectly honest it sounds like this dehydrator is a 4-5 rating rather than an under 4.
I bought the digital aromaware dehydrator as advertised/suggested on a guys beef jerky making website. The temps go up only to 158 ° anyone have any recipe or suggestions how I can successfully and safely make beef jerky? I tried the precooked before dehydrator method and the jerky turned out very dry looking and with very little marinade taste. I bought this mainly with jerky in mind now I feel I wasted my money and should have invested in a much better one. And helpful hints are very appreciated, thanks.