Not only can the machine dehydrate a lot of food, but it produces evenly heated batches of food quicker than many other dehydrators. But jerky lovers should pay attention to this next point. Despite its large size and high drying power, its temperatures are not quite high enough to get rid of some toxins in raw meat. This means that meat lovers will have to cure the meat separately for a while before dehydrating it in this machine.
Key features people mention in their reviews:
- Chrome-plated drying trays
- Digital control panel with three “quick set†settings
- Large size
- High wattage
- Sliding door
- Quiet heating unit
LEM 1154 Dehydrator Reviews
With a score of 4.6 out of 5 stars on Amazon, the LEM Products 1154 dehydrator is a highly rated dehydrator. It is lauded for functioning like a professional machine, with top-of-the-line features. Among its most repeatedly recommended qualities are the reliability of its material composition, especially the chrome-plated drying trays, the spacious interior, the quiet motor, and a very easy to use control system.
There are a couple of minor complaints. One issue is the front door, which slides up and down and set at different heights with its magnets. Many users seem to prefer a detachable door, or one that swings open with a hinge. This way they can avoid having to handle a metallic door that gets very hot during the heating process.
The other complaint is that the drying trays are almost too easy to pull in and out. This feature is perfect for loading food onto the trays, but could be problematic during cooking. There is no established way to prevent them from sliding too much toward the front or back. When removing completed food from the trays, you have to either take the chosen tray all the way out or stick your hand inside the machine to grab the food. The tray tends to tip over when pulled out more than halfway.
Although there are currently only a dozen or so reviews posted, they are exclusively four and five-star reviews — a good indication for new appliances.
For a full list of Upland Hunters top 10 dehydrators click here
What Does the LEM Products 1154 Dehydrator Come With?
Components of the LEM Products 1154 Dehydrator :
- Ten trays with quarter-inch tray holes
- A drip tray
- Sliding magnetic door
- A built-in 24-hour timer with automatic shut-off
- A five-year warranty
A standout feature of the LEM Products 1154 dehydrator is the chrome plating on its drying trays. Many dehydrators come with plastic drying trays that may function well but are also susceptible to sagging when dehydrating a lot of heavy food such as is typically the case when making jerky. Chrome-plated trays avert this potential disaster and are usually much longer lasting.
The Control Panel
The electronic control panel has received a lot of praise, too. It is simple and easy to use. A distinctive feature of the digital panel is being able to choose up to three preferred settings with “quick set†buttons. You can use this feature to preselect the temperature and timing for three of your most commonly used settings. This gets rid of any worries about accidentally setting the heat too high or forgetting to time the heating. You can simply select the appropriate “quick set†button before going to bed and let the machine run its course over night. The automatic shut-off system will power everything down when it is ready.
Negatives
A couple of the features seem to be annoying, only minimally so, but they are still worth mentioning. First, the door is not transparent and slides up and down the front part of the machine. It has magnets that allow you to open the door part of the way and check on the status of the food. The attachments however, are not the most secure, and the door is best removed completely. This could result in a bit of unwanted work, especially when the door starts to get hot after a few hours of heating.
The other small inconvenience is that the dehydrator is shipped with an extremely sticky blue tape along the frame of the door. Pulling off the tape leaves behind a gooey residue that takes some hard scrubbing.
How Much Drying Power is This Dehydrator Packing?
Capable of heating food with a drying power of 770 watts, this dehydrator is mightier than the average dehydrator. This is expected considering how large it is. The high wattage can help food dry quicker than other less powerful dehydrators at the same temperatures.
The surprising characteristic with this machine is that the maximum temperature is only 155º F, which is not quite ideal for meat. Since jerky requires temperatures of 165º F to ward away potential food toxins such as from Salmonella, users of this dehydrator may need to cure the meat for a while before putting it in the dehydrator. On the other hand, the minimum of 90º F means that it is well-suited for dehydrating just about anything else.
Having to prep the meat is not the most convenient, but the dehydrator is one of the best at drying the meat after doing so. Its food is recommended for its uniformity due to the machine drying the food evenly. No customers complained about having to move food around or switch out any racks during the drying process.
How Large is the LEM Products 1154 Dehydrator?
The LEM 1154 food dehydrator is a truly massive machine. Its precise dimensions are 18 â…ž by 16 ¼ by 16 â… inches, with an 18-inch wide door and a weight of 34.7 pounds. For a point of comparison, small dehydrators weigh less than 10 pounds and medium ones weigh in the 20s.
With a machine this enormous, you can pretty much dehydrate to your heart’s content. Together, the drying trays in the machine provide 16 square feet of shelf space. This is a must-have for people who like to do a lot of drying all in one go. On the flipside, the dehydrator is not the best choice for people who might want to occasionally dry just a small portion of food, unless they do not mind the high energy cost.
The obvious requirement with a dehydrator of this size is the amount of space you will need available to house it. A kitchen in a standard-sized home has generally too small an area to keep the dehydrator, especially on a kitchen counter. Many customers find other spots to use the machine in, including the dining room, patio, or porch.
Noise and Comfort Considerations
This dehydrator looks like an all around professional kitchen appliance. Stylistically, it has a modern touch that slightly resembles a robot. This allows it to easily blend in to contemporary living or working spaces.
Despite being gigantic, this dehydrator is quieter than many other dehydrators. It does make a noticeable whirring noise from up close but can hardly be heard from the next room.
Again, even though the dehydrator is big, its chrome-plated drying trays are easy to clean with a bit of cooking oil. Food slides right off of the drying shelves, especially when heating produce, or if the food is thinly sliced. Moreover, the high wattage means cleaning (besides a quick wipe down) after every single session may not be necessary.
Interestingly, the dehydrator exudes a tasty aroma when work is in progress that does not dissipate too widely. This is why a few users have even gone so far as to leave the sliding door open when dehydrating.
Upland Hunter’s Final Rating for the LEM Products 1154 Dehydrator : 9/10
The LEM Products 1154 food dehydrator is one of the priciest options of its kind currently available. The main reasons for its high cost are its spacious interior, digital control panel with customizable settings and an automatic shut-off system, and even heating.
In addition, the modern design and very quiet heating unit help minimize how much it can disturb you. While it is enormous in size and expensive, most reviewers are pleased with the ease of its electronic operating system and professional design.