Food dehydrator, worth it ?

[DeanStockwelll]

I am considering buying one but am worried that it's just going to be a dust gather.
I only have a very small kitchen so it needs to be a small model.
It will be predominantly used for fruit but I'd like it to do meat too.

If you have one what do you like / dislike about it , how many shelves does it have , what power is it ..
Any tips or advice is much appreciated.

we have what looks to be exactly the same as the vonchef 6 shelf one - but ours is old and has a US plug so likely a different brand.

It is a pain to store but does a really good job - great for sliced strawberries, i find raspberries and apples never quite dry well enough to store for ages, but they go nice and chewy. Very good for onions and I make soffrito mix which is really handy if you don't always have celery in the house!

its a bit trial and error to be honest, all of the guide times i read didn't quite work but it will always depend on the size/thickness of the item and humidty in the house I guess.

I would absolutely go for something with as many trays as possible - when they're sliced things take up a lot of room - I tend to set it running with all shelves full and the as things dry they shrink and you can move them to fewer trays and start adding the next batch in the free trays.

We currently have an absolute glut of plums so am considering getting one because I've made enough plum gin, crumbles, jam and cake to last a lifetime already and everyone I know is now refusing to take any more plums.

What brands are good?