raw foodists will go for an Excalibur dehydrator (expensive)...just because all their raw book authors tell them it's the best. A dehydrator is not exactly a high tech machine, so I bought this less expensive brand instead. (Also because I already splurged on a good blender) It had qualities that the Excalibur also has: fan in the back instead of the bottom and a thermostat so you know you're not destroying enzymes. I've used this for 3 months now and it does just about everything I want it to do. If you're making raw crackers, you will need 13.5 x 10.5 nonstick dehydrator sheets. You can use plastic wrap at first but it gets messy. The sheets fit pretty well on the trays except for that rounded indented shape in the front of the tray . This did not bother me since those crackers don't turn out perfectly square anyway, they will sort of shrink when dry.

cons (that I can live with):
-The excalibur has a door that covers all the trays at once, so if you want to dry... Read more

I've tried dehydrators before, the cheapies you find in thrift stores, but they never worked. I finally did a little research and learned that the horizontal airflow type is best, and I looked for something inexpensive. Knowing "you get what you pay for," I was a little nervous that the Weston 6-tray dehydrator was so cheap, but I bought one. Wow! I am delighted! It dries sliced tomatoes perfectly. Sliced bananas become little bonbons. I even tried drying potato slices--blah, they're not potato chips, they're crumbly and bitter. But that wasn't the dehydrator's fault. Everything I have put in, it has dried perfectly. I couldn't be happier.

This is an nice alternative to the expensive ones out there. However, the plastic trays are not as durable as the expensive ones and would break a bit easier. I ordered non-stick sheets from Amazon also. The top tray doesn't get adequate coverage from the fan, but I've found that to be true in other dehydrators as well. One thing I really love about this product is that it comes in a choice of three sizes: 6, 8, and 10 shelves. And the price is right!