If you are a beef jerker then you know the importance of beef jerky dehydrating. The cheapest way to dry beef jerky is by using a traditional grinder. Although it cuts the meat into very small pieces, it takes a long time to finish processing all the meat in the large grinder. You are also forced to deal with the problem of getting the large grinding stones home to use them again. Another disadvantage to using this method of beef jerky dehydrating is that you have to constantly stop and wipe the blades of the grinder clean when the meat is ready to use.
The cheapest way to dry beef jerky is by using a traditional grinder
The next best choice for a beef jerky dehydrator is a beef dehydrator that has a rotating tray that blows heated air through the individual trays of meat to dry it quickly. These units are usually rectangular and more expensive than the traditional “professional” style dehydrators mentioned above. Another advantage to these types of units is that there is no need to clean the blades and they will last much longer than the traditional ones.
The most expensive and versatile option are food dehydrators with temperature adjustment functions. These dehydrators will allow you to set the temperature at which the food will be dehydrated. For someone just trying to get by without a dehydrator, temperature adjustments may be necessary. There are many good quality dehydrators that come with temperature adjustment features so you don’t have to worry about sacrificing quality. My preference is for the ones with temperature adjustment because it allows me to adjust the amount of food being dehydrated at any given time.