Presto 06300 Dehydro Electric Food Dehydrator Review

If you have ever come across recipes for dried fruits, beef jerky or kale chips, you may have found yourself salivating. These recipes are absolutely delightful, and we are constantly surrounded by delicious foods just waiting to be dried. If these recipes have appealed to you, then perhaps buying a dehydrator could be beneficial to you.

I imagined these devices to be huge appliances that would take up way too much space in my small and already cluttered kitchen. In addition to having very little counter space, I have almost no cupboard space for storage. Due to my busy lifestyle, I never thought a food dehydrator could be a viable appliance to use or add to my daily life.

Then, I got the chance to try out the Presto Dehydro Electric Food Dehydrator (06300). While I still consider myself somewhat new to the world dehydrating, it is a cooking technique that I haven’t played with in many years. So, I was excited to play around with this dehyrator from Presto Dehydro. Here is my review, as well as my thoughts after using it.

Meet the Presto 06300

One of the best selling points for the Presto 06300 Dehydro Dehydrator is that it is actually pretty affordable, particularly when compared to other dehydrators that have similar capacities, functions and features. The price to buy the Presto 06300 is approximately $40 to $50.

The first thing I noticed after taking out of the box, was that is pretty compact. Smaller than I was expecting. Approximately the same size as a crockpot, so it was pretty easy to find space for it in my kitchen. This includes the countertop space when I am using it, as well as storing it away if I’m not. It has room for plenty of trays and actually reminded me a little bit of traditional bamboo steamer baskets.

Right out of the box with no instructions read, it was pretty simple to get started. The dehydrator itself is pretty basic, and not complicated to use. With a stackable tray design, the Presto 06300 Dehydro comes with four drying trays included. But, it is ingeniously designed in such a way, that you can expand the internal capacity by purchasing extra trays and simply stacking them on top of each other

With 600 watts of power, the fan and heating element inside were surprisingly effective at drying out the foods. You can literally dry out pretty much any type of food you want, from vegetables to meat, fruits to milk powder, and even pasta. The cover is transparent, so you can view the process as you go. This is helpful as there is no timer on this dehydrator.

Best of all, you don’t have to have any experience in dehydrating food to use this appliance. It took me approximately four hours to make my own banana chips, which my kids loved. I also tried dehydrating some tomatoes from my garden, which the Presto 06300 dried in a little over three hours. My kids didn’t love these as much. Apples and pears took about an hour, but I feel like I need to continue playing around with fruits.

Aside from the dehydrator and the trays, with the Presto Dehydro you also receive fruit roll sheets, nonstick mesh sheets, jerky spice kits, and a pretty awesome jerky gun. In other words, you have pretty much everything you need to get started.

List of Features:

• It is a stackable dehydrator.
• It has vertical—bottom to top—air flow.
• The temperature range is between 135 and 145° F.
• It is expandable; it comes with four trays with it but can hold eight.
• All components are easy to clean and safe to put in your dishwasher.
• See-through lid allows you to watch how your food is doing.

Customer Reviews

One of the reasons why this Presto dehydrator is so popular is because it is incredibly affordable. This lower price-point has encouraged a lot of people to not only give dehydrating a try, but also test out various recipes to help them improve their health and cut down on the amount of food they waste. These sentiments were displayed while reading over the reviews customers left for the Presto 06300.

Many customers expressed that they had never used a dehydrator before, but didn’t want to spend a lot on something they didn’t know if they would use. And the Dehydro 06300 was priced right in an area that allowed them to try it out, without investing too much. What customers have consistently mentioned is that the machine makes absolutely perfect dried vegetables and fruits, and this leads to most customers ordering additional trays. Even so, the device is cheaper compared to many other dehydrators on the market.

How to Find & Buy the Best Dehydrator

What is also interesting to note is that this Presto dehydrator has also been used by people who already have a lot of experience with dehydrators, and they have hailed it for the high quality of the results and how quick it is at drying food.

I was under the impression this was more of an introductory device designed to get you into the hobby, but not the best fit for anyone with lots of dehydrating experience. But, the reviews contradicted this belief, with many saying the Dehydro 06300 exceeded their expectations, particularly if they also purchased extra accessories.

At the time I write my own product review, there are over 1,000 reviews on Amazon. Out of those customers, 88% of them gave it four stars or higher. That’s a pretty impressive feat. Click here to read all of the reviews on Amazon.

What I Liked About the Presto 06300:

• It is quick and efficient.
• It is very easy to use, making it suitable for experienced users and novices alike.
• It is surprisingly affordable. In fact, even if you were to purchase all the accessories, it would still be cheaper than the average dehydrator.
• It has lots of cool features and accessories that people can choose from. Some accessories, such as sheets and a jerky gun, are included.
• It weighs just 7.5 pounds, which means it is highly portable. People have even taken it with them on trips out to the lake or hunting lodge, for instance.
• It has a lifespan of around 10 years if properly cared for and maintained.
• A useful instruction booklet is included, so you really can’t go wrong.
• It comes with a one-year manufacturer’s warranty.
• It only uses 600W of power.

What I Didn’t Like About the Presto 06300:

• It doesn’t come with a timer. This seems like it would be a necessity for dehydrators, or really any appliance designed to cook food. This means if you forget that the machine is running, you may end up with overly dried produce.
• It is a shame that the device does not come with a thermostat. This can make it difficult to make dried meat or jerky, a process that requires a consistent and high-drying temperature.
• It is not as quiet as I was thought it would be. While it is not as loud as a vacuum cleaner or a hand dryer, it certainly isn’t as quiet as a fan.
• It is not really suitable for very frequent usage.

The Final Verdict

Overall, the Presto 06300 is a fantastic dehydrator, particularly for people who only want to occasionally dehydrate their foods. It seems to be an ideal fit for beginners. It’s affordable, easy to use and its capacity can be expanded, if needed. It is a reliable device that can, reportedly, lasts for many years. In fact, by looking after it properly, some people have kept theirs for 10 years. Considering its price, which is significantly below others on the market, there is no reason not to get this particular model.

One of the things I have grown to love about the Presto 06300 dehydrator is that I can make healthy snacks for my family, which preserves all the vitamins and minerals, and doesn’t include any preservatives. It’s far cheaper to buy, slice and dehydrate an apple, than it is to buy a bag of apple chips. I would absolutely recommend this dehydrator to anyone who is looking at a convenient way to dehydrate their favorite fruits and vegetables. However, if you want to make jerky, this may not be the best dehydrator for you.