The 16 Tray Unit checks all the boxes
I have been searching the internet for a while, trying to find a larger, cost effective dehydrator for our small batch beef jerky business. Most of the other units in the 10 to 20 tray range don't hit a high temperature of 160 F and so a separate kill step with an oven is "required" for making safe beef jerky according to USDA. The 16 -CUD exceeds 190 F and checks all the boxes for that. The 190F also helps with the Come Up Time on the jerky, because 16 trays of meat fresh out of the refrigerator drops the temperature considerably.... a lesser brand would take much longer to get meat to a safe range for dehydrating. Fahrenheit and Celsius is a big plus for versatility. The good thing about the rack design is that food can be brought right to the edge of the tray, because the tray sits on a bracket. Some of the other brands that I have used, slide into a slot and you have to account for the groove or the food will be pushed off. The downside of the rack with trays sitting on top, is that the trays will not hold if you pull it half way out to check your food. The trays could be of a thicker gauge and more gaps in the screen. It would make the screens more durable and easy to clean. The double walled unit is great and it doesn't get too hot. It is relatively quiet compared to other units. The outer case is stainless steel and isn't magnetic. One of my other brands says it is stainless steel, but must use a cheaper mix of metal, because a magnet will attach. Shipping was great. Came within a week in a wood crate. Customer service is great and I will recommend the business and dehydrators to anyone in the market for one.