NESCO Snackmaster Pro FD-75A Review: Still Worth Buying?

The NESCO Snackmaster Pro FD-75A is still one of the more interesting food dehydrators for someone who wants to get started without buying a large, expensive machine.

It has 600 watts of drying power, a top-mounted fan, adjustable temperature from 95°F to 160°F, and five stacking trays. You can expand it to 12 trays if you need more capacity later.

It is also a very simple machine. No digital display. No complicated programming. There isn’t even a built-in timer or on/off switch.

My own long-term food dehydrator experience has been with an Excalibur. I bought one years ago, still use it, and still like it. But the NESCO Snackmaster caught my attention because it provides most of what someone actually needs at a much lower entry point.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases (no extra cost to you).

→ NESCO Snackmaster Pro FD-75A (Amazon)

NESCO Snackmaster Pro FD-75A Specs and Features

Here are the important specifications without all the marketing fluff.

NESCO currently lists the five-tray version with BPA-free trays and about 0.8 square foot of usable drying area per tray. That gives you roughly 4 square feet with the standard five trays, or 9.6 square feet if expanded to twelve. The current package also includes two Fruit Roll Sheets and two Clean-A-Screens.

That’s plenty of room for a typical home batch of fruit, vegetables, herbs, or jerky.

The Top-Mounted Fan

One feature I particularly like is the location of the fan and heater assembly.

It’s on top.

I’ve seen food dehydrators with the fan on the top, bottom, and rear. With a bottom-mounted system, juices or greasy drippings have gravity working against you. I especially don’t like that arrangement when drying meat.

With the NESCO, the powerhead sits above the food trays. Drips end up at the bottom of the dehydrator rather than working their way into the fan and heater assembly.

The NESCO Converga-Flow system moves heated air down through the outside chamber and then horizontally across the individual trays. NESCO says this provides even drying without requiring tray rotation.

NESCO FD-75A vs. FD-75PR: Why You See Both Model Numbers

This is something worth clearing up because Google searches are showing both model numbers.

The Amazon product linked in this article is labeled FD-75A Snackmaster Pro. NESCO’s own website currently lists its five-tray Food & Jerky Dehydrator as the FD-75PR.

The important specifications line up. Both are listed with 600 watts of drying power, five trays, adjustable temperature from 95°F to 160°F, and expansion up to twelve trays. For purposes of this article, I consider them the same basic Snackmaster Pro design unless a particular listing shows otherwise.

I wouldn’t get hung up on the A versus PR designation when shopping. Pay attention to the actual specifications and what is included with the unit.

Five Trays May Be Enough, But You Can Add More

One reason I like this design for a first dehydrator is that you don’t have to decide how large a machine you’ll eventually need.

Start with five trays.

If you later start processing more vegetables from the garden, buying fruit in quantity when it’s on sale, or making larger batches of jerky, the Snackmaster can be expanded to as many as 12 trays.

NESCO currently specifies about 0.8 square foot of drying area per tray. That means the standard five-tray setup provides about 4 square feet, while twelve trays would provide about 9.6 square feet.

NESCO sells additional 13.5-inch trays for the 60 and 70 series, although availability seems to come and go.

That expandability is still a nice feature. You can start small without buying a larger dehydrator than you actually need.

What the Snackmaster Pro Doesn’t Have

The low price and simple design do come with a few compromises.

There is no built-in timer. There is also no normal on/off switch. Plug it in and it runs. Unplug it and it stops.

There’s no digital temperature readout either. You simply turn the thermostat dial to the desired temperature.

For some people, those are disadvantages. If you want to start a batch, set an exact time, and have the dehydrator shut itself off automatically, one of the newer digital models may suit you better.

But there is something to be said for simplicity. An analog thermostat and simple controls give you very little to figure out, and independent testing of the Snackmaster has also found good temperature accuracy.

Fruit, Vegetables, Herbs, and Jerky

The adjustable thermostat is important because different foods need different drying temperatures.

The Snackmaster’s range of 95°F to 160°F covers the normal range used for herbs, fruits, vegetables, and meat drying.

If you’re new to this, temperature is only part of the process. Slice thickness, moisture content, humidity, how heavily the trays are loaded, and the food itself all affect how long a batch takes.

I have another article that goes into the basics:

👉 Food Dehydrator Basics

For jerky, there is also an important food-safety issue that shouldn’t be skipped simply because the thermostat reaches 160°F.

The USDA recommends heating meat to 160°F and poultry to 165°F before dehydrating, followed by drying at 130°F to 140°F. A dehydrator dial set to 160°F does not necessarily mean a cold strip of raw meat immediately reaches that internal temperature.

I go into that subject separately here:

👉 Jerky Dehydrator Temp That’s Safe, And What I Use

NESCO Snackmaster vs. My Excalibur

Years ago there wasn’t nearly as much competition in the consumer food dehydrator market. I bought an Excalibur, and I have been happy with it.

It’s a larger cabinet-style dehydrator with lots of tray space. I still recommend that type of machine for someone who knows they will be doing a lot of dehydrating.

But it’s more of an investment. Here’s a current equivalent model:

→ Excalibur Food Dehydrator 8-Tray (Amazon)

That’s what makes the NESCO interesting. You can start with five trays and a relatively compact machine. If five trays become limiting, add more.

For someone who is just getting started, I think that makes a lot of sense.

Is the NESCO Snackmaster Pro Still Worth Buying?

Yes, I still think the NESCO Snackmaster Pro is a very good entry point into food dehydrating.

The strongest features are the top-mounted fan, adjustable thermostat, simple controls, and expandable tray system. The main compromise is that you’re giving up conveniences such as a timer, digital controls, and automatic shutoff.

That’s a trade I’m willing to accept at this level of dehydrator.

And from a preparedness perspective, dehydrating is another useful way to preserve food without needing to keep it frozen afterward. Garden produce, grocery-store bargains, fruit, herbs, and jerky can all become part of the pantry rather than something that has to remain in a powered freezer.

👉 How to Know When Dehydrated Fruit or Vegetables is Done?

👉 5 Methods of Home Food Preservation