You Can Make Beef Jerky at Home With This Five-Star Appliance

From Good Housekeeping

Apple chips, dried mango and beef jerky are all foods you can make in a food dehydrator, which dries foods at a low temperature over a long period of time. The lack of moisture intensifies the food's flavor, which makes fruit taste sweeter and herbs more pungent; it also allows it to store well for a long time.

In addition to being more flavorful and shelf-stable, homemade dehydrated snacks tend to be healthier than the ones you buy in a store; they typically feature one whole ingredient that has simply been dried with no additives, preservatives, or calorie-laden ingredients, like oil or sugar. They can also be customized exactly how you like (you can add extra salt or none at all, for example).

Dehydrating also retains the nutrients in food better than some cooking methods. When an ingredient like kale, which is full of water-soluble and heat-sensitive vitamin C, is boiled, it loses some of its immune-boosting potency. Dehydrating it at a low temperature preserves its nutrients and vitamins better.

How does a dehydrator work?

Dehydrators dry foods out by circulating air at a very low temperature. The foods must be arranged in a single layer without touching so they can dry fully and evenly. Different temperatures are recommended for different foods based on water content:

Water-dense ingredients, like fruit, usually benefit from a higher temperature, like 135°F, so they can dry quickly without becoming too crisp.

Vegetables can be dehydrated at a lower temperature, like 125°F.

Delicate foods, like herbs, should be dehydrated at even lower temperature, like 95°F, to prevent over-drying and discoloration.

For meat, the USDA recommends cooking it first to an internal temperature of 165°F and then dehydrating between 130°F to 140°F. This method is suggested to kill any potentially harmful bacteria and encourage the cooked meat to dehydrate quickly and safely.

Here's what else you can do with your dehydrator:

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Dry homemade pasta

Ferment yogurt

Make fruit leather, granola bars, dog treats, and more

Make potpourri

Recrisp stale foods like cookies or crackers.

DIY art projects, like dehydrated flour and water molds that can be painted

What kind of dehydrator is best?

There are two main types of dehydrators: Dehydrators with shelves that stack and dehydrators with pull-out shelves. The main difference between these two styles is the placement of the fan, but in our dehydrator tests, we saw minimal difference between the two styles when we dried apple slices, parsley, and beef for jerky. We also found that both styles offer models with wide temperature and timer ranges, an important feature to look for so you can control your results with precision.

Dehydrators with stacked shelves have a small fan is on the base and circulate air upwards. Stacking dehydrators often take up less space and are less expensive. Some are round and others are more rectangular in shape; we prefer the rectangular ones that create more surface area and accommodate different-shape ingredients better. Stacking dehydrators are ideal for dehydrating newbies or infrequent users.

Dehydrators with pull-out shelves have a large fan in the back that tends to circulate the air better and more evenly, which results in more consistent results. Dehydrators with pull-out shelves are typically made of more solid materials to better control the temperature. Some have metal shelves instead of plastic for those who avoid cooking on plastic.

Can you use the oven as a dehydrator?

Like ovens, food dehydrators work by circulating air at very low temperatures for an extended period of time. But instead of cooking with heat, dehydrators draw moisture out of foods so they dry out and can be enjoyed for a long time.

Most ovens do not offer the same low temperatures that a dehydrator does. Some new models offer dehydrating as an option, but it is still not ideal due to the limited amount of racks and accessories most ovens come with. We do, however, like dehydrating in a toaster oven, especially large capacity ones like the June Smart Oven and Breville Smart Oven Air, which allow you to buy additional air frying/dehydrating racks to dehydrate more ingredients at once.

Is buying a dehydrator worth it?

Dehydrators are a useful appliance for mindful eaters. They encourage eating real, whole ingredients and are a good aid in eliminating food waste. They're particularly great for parents who try to feed their kids healthy snacks, those who suffer from allergies, and those have a hard time finding additive-free snacks in stores.

Dehydrators are also very cost-effective in the long-run. They allow you to buy produce in bulk, especially when it is in season or on sale, and store it to use later on. They're also a great tool for gardeners who often have a surplus of ingredients on hand.

The downside of dehydrators is they take a long time to dry out food and their yield is often easy to devour in one setting. If you buy a large one with a timer, however, the process is quite hands off and rewarding.

Tips for dehydrating

Cut foods into even pieces before dehydrating. The thinner the food, the quicker it will dehydrate.

Arrange food in a single layer, with at least 1/8 inch of space in between.

For a chewy texture, dehydrate foods for less time.

Turn dehydrator off when foods are flexible but still dry. They will be come less flexible as they sit.

Foods must be fully dehydrated before storing for long periods of time. Y0u can check for this by placing dehydrated food in a sealed plastic bag. If any moisture droplets accumulate over the coarse of a day or two, the food is not fully dry. Dehydrate again.

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Chrissy Teigen and John Legend Drop $5 Million on Modern L.A. Home

Chrissy Teigenand John Legend just scooped up another home in the ritzy neighborhood of West Hollywood.

According to Dirt, the A-list pair recently forked over $5.1 million for a 3,440 sq. ft. home that's just a hop, skip and a jump from their current residence in the Beverly Hills. The house was built from the ground up and is thus equipped with all the features a famous family could need, including a Smart Home system and floating gardens. 

It's unclear what purpose the house will serve for the couple, as Chrissy and John still live in their massive mansion, but it's the perfect space for the cookbook author to work. The home designer equipped the home with high-end Miele appliances and a large countertop. What's more is it seamlessly transitions into a spacious living room that opens up to the backyard. 

When they're not in the communal areas, the members of the family can go to their respective rooms, as there are four bedrooms and four baths. 

A lot of big things happened for the family this week. Luna Stephens turned 4-years-old on Tuesday, which called for a major celebration: Breakfast in bed!

Of course, Chrissy cooked a marvelous meal from scratch and recorded one of the many moments they shared from the day. At the end of the clip, Luna shouted, "Thank you three, you've been good to me!" 

All in all, the Legend-Teigen-Stephens' have been keeping their fans thoroughly entertained during the coronavirus pandemic. John and Chrissy have their respective TV shows that are on the air and continue to post tid-bits from their day-to-day life. So stay tuned!

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Inside MasterChef star Poh Ling Yeow's incredible Adelaide home

A meditation room, vegetable patches and an art studio: Inside MasterChef star Poh Ling Yeow's incredible Adelaide home ...just DON'T ask her about her dining room table

By Joshua Fox For Daily Mail Australia

Published: 01:54 BST, 16 April 2020 | Updated: 02:03 BST, 16 April 2020

MasterChef Australia star Poh Ling Yeow's talents go way beyond the kitchen. 

The 47-year-old has spent the past decade perfecting her interior design skills and creating her dream home in Adelaide after moving into the property in 2010. 

From a heavenly garden with vegetable patches to a tranquil meditation room and art studio, Poh's 1959-built home is now complete,  and it's full of colour and creativity. 

Queen of interior design! MasterChef's Poh Ling Yeow (pictured) has spent ten years creating her dream home in Adelaide after moving into the 1959-built property in 2010 

As expected, Poh's kitchen is state of the art - yet still feels homely and cosy. 

Vibrant Turkish tiles create an upbeat cheery atmosphere, distracting from the large stainless steel appliances and surfaces used to create her masterpieces. 

The bright colours continue to run throughout the entire house, with large pieces of art decorating her stylish lounge, hanging above a brown leather sofa. 

She lives with husband Jono Bennett and their Scottish Terrier dogs, Rhino and Tim. 

Vibrant: Poh's home is flooded with colour and creativity. Pictured: Her main lounge 

Entertaining: In the basement, Poh has created a trendy bar - with endless bottles of wine

Stunning: As expected, Poh's kitchen is state of the art - yet still feels homely and cosy. Turkish tiles create an upbeat cheery atmosphere against the steel appliances 

In the basement, Poh has created a trendy bar - with endless bottles of wine. 

There's a home studio for the talented artist to paint too, with book shelves and retro furniture, such as a vintage record player, scattered around the home. 

'There's so much space for us to express all our creative urges in it and through it,' Poh told Real Estate when asked what she loves most about her home. 

Family: Poh lives with husband Jono Bennett (pictured) and their Scottish Terrier dogs

Tranquil: The couple have a chilled out 'meditation room' inside their Adelaide property 

Creative: There's also home studio for the talented chef and artist to paint

Vintage: They have decorated their home with retro items, including a record collection

Although everything has a place, there's one area Poh doesn't keep quite so clean.

Her dining table is a hive of activity, scattered with books, papers, deliveries and electronics as she runs her various businesses from home. 

'Just in case you mistakenly think my life is charmed just because I'm on television sometimes, cop an eyeful of my dining table,' she recently joked on Instagram. 

'Cop an eyeful': Poh recently joked on Instagram that her dining table is the only place that isn't kept immaculately clean, as she uses it as a very functional office space during the day 

Magical: Poh's garden is her most cherished part of the incredible home

Dreamlike: There's vegetable patches, fruit trees, a honeybee colony, fireplace, space to lounge and a swimming pool to cool off from the heat in South Australia

Poh's garden is her most cherished part of the incredible home.

There's vegetable patches, fruit trees, a honeybee colony, fireplace, space to lounge and a swimming pool to cool off from the heat in South Australia.

To mark her 45th birthday in 2018, Poh's husband Jono built her the type of cosy day bed she said she'd 'dream about her whole life'. 

'I really go for it when I collect and decorate. Every nuance of my home is an opportunity to express myself,' she previously told Home Beautiful. 

Poh found fame on MasterChef Australia's first season in 2009. She placed runner-up behind Julie Goodwin, but managed to go on and achieve much success. 

Lucky: To mark her 45th birthday in 2018, Poh's husband Jono built her the type of cosy day bed she said she'd 'dream about her whole life'

'I really go for it when I collect and decorate. Every nuance of my home is an opportunity to express myself,' she previously told Home Beautiful of her interior design

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I've been spending a ton of time in my kitchen lately. Here are the 15 appliances gadgets and tools I'm using the most

source Alyssa Powell/Business Insider

It's safe to say I've never cooked more than I have in the past five weeks.

I love to cook. But with a busy job, a long commute, and a passion for eating out, I generally only cook somewhere in the ballpark of five meals per week in "normal" times. I drink most of my drinks at bars with friends and hardly ever eat dessert, unless I'm out for a special occasion.

But these are strange times! Homebound, due to the coronavirus pandemic, I find myself cooking 20 or so meals per week. My husband and I break for "happy hour" cocktails every day at 6 p.m. to help transition out of work-from-home mode. And I've developed a sweet tooth that just won't quit.

All of this time in the kitchen spent preparing meals, cocktails, and dessert has made me very reliant on kitchen tools.

Here are the 15 gadgets, appliances, and tools I'm using the most.

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Janelle Monae Buys Midcentury-Style Hollywood Hills Home

Janelle Monae's new midcentury-style home is just as unique as the singer/actress/activist herself. Situated in the celebrity-friendly neighborhood of the Hollywood Hills, the "Electric Lady" singer's $3.9 million property is made up of two separate houses connected via a shared central breezeway, with a total of 3,403 square feet of living space, Variety reports.

Built back in the 1950s, the dwelling still retains much of that decade's funky aesthetic, with exposed wood beams and a decidedly tropical feel to its surrounding courtyards and grounds. The two-bedroom main house features an open floor plan with a main living area that spills out onto an outdoor dining area through a wall of floor-to-ceiling glass sliders. The kitchen is chic and modern, with stainless-steel appliances, built-in wooden shelves, and a temperature-regulated wine fridge. The master suite has its own intriguing components, including an indoor/outdoor steam shower, a private patio surrounded by tall trees, and an in-ground cedar spa. A serviceable claw-foot bathtub is tucked against the house elsewhere on the property for warm-weather dips.

The second house has its own separate entrance and boasts two bedrooms. Its kitchen is considerably smaller, but no less equipped for an aspiring chef. It is perfect for a guesthouse or a music studio. Other offerings of the Hidden Figures star's new property include a full outdoor kitchen with built-in BBQ and stainless-steel appliances, a lavish patio area, and a large rectangular pool.

Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest

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How to turn your old Android phone or tablet into a remote control for your smart home (Update: More apps)

This story was originally published 2020/03/30 7:00am PDTon Mar 30, 2020 and last updated 2020/04/11 2:10pm PDTApr 11, 2020. 

Smart devices add a great level of convenience to your household, including the ability to control them remotely and using your voice. However, there are times when it's much easier to operate them the old fashioned way with the push of a button rather than with your voice. Sadly, not many come with physical controls, and even if they did, that would mean you'd have a bunch of remotes lying around.

To solve this issue, we've looked at how you can turn a phone or a tablet into a remote control for all of your smart home devices, without having to switch from one app to another. We've explored several options, and the one that's right for you will depend greatly on what smart devices you have at home, as compatibility with third-party services may greatly vary.

Google has turned its Home app into a smart control hub since October 2018, letting you operate various devices directly without having to use any other software. What's particularly convenient is that all of the devices you use with Assistant will automatically appear within the app without the need for extra configuration. For instance, all of my lights, smart plugs, speakers, thermostats, and even my vacuum cleaner appear in the app, with the ability to control them.

Unfortunately, the Google Home app has some limitations. First, some devices can't be operated with it. For instance, I can't use it to turn off the TV, even though I can ask Assistant to do so. Similarly, although smart locks, window blinds, and air fresheners are shown in the app, there's no option to control them. What's particularly surprising is that devices like smart locks and TVs can be controlled from a Smart Display, so it makes no sense Google hasn't added that option in its Home app.

One way to solve this limitation is by using Routines, depending on what you want to achieve. In my case, I created one that lets me turn off the TV without having to use Assistant, and although it's far from being the most convenient way — you have to create it manually, and triggering it basically takes you to Assistant — it works. You could do the same to lock your door or open the blinds, but that still means you have to create these individually.

Lastly, Routines can also help you automate various things at home, such as turning all lights off when you're leaving, but these are relatively limited as they can't include any conditions, unlike some of the other services we'll talk about later.

Google Home is the app that will work for most people. Sure, it can't do everything, and you'll probably need to explore other apps if you'd like to perform more complex actions, but it doesn't require heavy configuration and is intuitive to use. It's unfortunate there's no way to customize the layout in the app and that there's no widget, as these would have made it even more convenient.

Olisto is not a control panel per se, but rather a way to automate most of your smart home devices and appliances and have them communicate with each other. It allows you to create "triggs" that can be conditioned based on various elements, such as the time, location, day of the week etc, to perform various actions. For instance, you can ask it to turn on the lights, lock the doors, and open the blinds every weekday at 9:00 AM. You can also automate various actions based on triggers from devices you already have at home, such as your smart camera, fitness tracker, and much more. Thank to Olisto's integration with an extensive range of services, you can imagine crazy "triggs" like locking the kitchen's door when you haven't exercised enough before 7:00 PM, for example.

What's particularly powerful, though, is its ability to create "now" buttons to perform "triggs." For example, you can press a single virtual button when you get home to open the blinds, turn on the lights, and start playing music on your speakers. The downside is that you have to manually create a button for every feature in every product, which can be particularly time-consuming to set up, but very convenient when used daily.

Olisto is probably not for everyone, especially if you're not looking at spending too much time on configuration. On the other hand, if you like to fiddle with technology and create some pretty neat home automations that are triggered at the touch of a virtual button, you should definitely give this app a try. It lets you create more complex routines than IFTTT, but supports fewer services, and tends to focus mostly on European platforms. Lastly, although there is no widget, there's an option to have a persistent notification, which can add a level of handiness, even though I personally hate these.

iHaus is one of the least eye pleasing apps I've seen, but it's actually quite handy. For starters, it doesn't require any extensive setup and can connect to your smart home devices without the need to log in. Instead, I managed to link my Roomba and Hue lights with the touch of a button, as the app automatically scanned my Wi-Fi network. Sadly, my plugs and cast-enabled speakers weren't supported, so I couldn't have all of my devices in the app.

Unlike Olisto, iHaus is more of a control panel for your smart devices, including some speakers, lights, plugs, kitchen appliances, locks, thermostats, and even your Tesla. It's easier to use than Google Home, in a sense that you can just tap a device's icon to turn it on or start it. What's also great is that it can automatically recognize groups, such as Hue rooms, so you can turn on all lights in a room at once, or change their color at the same time. You can also create routines to turn off everything at home with a single virtual button.

iHaus does offer the ability to create scripts with conditional triggers, but I've found them to be quite poor based on my usage. Again, this will depend on what you're trying to achieve, what devices you have, and whether they're compatible with the app.

All in all, iHaus can be a relevant option if you're looking for something simple and easy to use, but don't mind the looks.

If you can't bear the looks of iHaus, SmartThings is by far the nicest looking app covered in this article. Although it's made by Samsung, it's not exclusive to the brand's products and doesn't necessarily require the hub, as it can actually integrate with a great number of third-party services.

It's easy to set up and the app lets you split devices by room. Unfortunately, it doesn't work with my Roomba and required an additional hub to handle my smart plugs, which is a roadblock for me. Besides that, there's no option to change the color of all lights in a room, so you'll have to set these individually — unless you want to turn your living room into a club. There are some handy features, though, like the ability to set timers for the lights to turn off automatically after a certain amount of time, or at a specific hour. Another unique feature it offers is the ability to add various locations, so you can separate the devices from your city apartment and your country house, for example. Also, there's the option to add widgets to your home screen, which makes it even more convenient to use.

The built-in automation features are actually quite powerful, as they can be conditional and control various devices at the same time, which allows for an easy configuration and avoids using a third-party platform like IFTTT.

List of supported products and services

Yonomi is relatively similar to Olisto, in a sense that it's designed to help you automate things at home, but can also act as a remote control for lights and other devices. It's very easy to set up and can automatically detect what devices are on your Wi-Fi network, just like iHaus. Sadly, it doesn't support groups, so all your devices appear together, and although you can control them individually, you can't turn several lights on or off at the same time.

Yonomi can be very useful when setting up routines, though, as these can be conditional. However, I find the number of supported services to be quite low, so you'll have to see whether it's relevant for you compared to Olisto or IFTTT.

IFTTT is one of my favorite services around, and what's great about it is that once you've set up everything, you even forget it exists. For instance, I use a few smart plugs at home to control some lights, and I don't want to use different apps to automatically turn them off based on my location. Thanks to IFTTT, my Hue lights, plugs and other devices can be turned off when I leave, without me having to worry about it. In fact, IFTTT is so transparent that you rarely need to use the app, unless you're setting up a new applet or checking your activity log.

There also an option for you to control your smart devices directly from your phone, thanks to widgets and "Do buttons." Just like Olisto, this isn't a convenient option, as you'll have to create recipes manually, but they can be handy for a few of features, such as turning lights on or off, but you won't get to pick the color for instance.

IFTTT can be worth considering if you don't intend to create too many buttons, as the platform supports a very wide range of services and allows you to create tasks in just a flew clicks. The app also has a widget, which most others don't, so it might be a relevant option for many.

Amazon's app is relatively similar to Google's, in a sense that it offers the ability to control your devices and group them in rooms. It also has the benefit of being compatible with a very wide range of products and services, which is definitely an argument compared to some other ones in this post. Some might find it more convenient than other apps, as it lets you turn off all lights or plugs in a room using different icons, which can be handy. Unfortunately, Alexa isn't smart enough to recognize some of my plugs actually control lamps, while others don't, which means that if I turn on all lights in a room, it won't switch on the ones that are operated with a smart plug. Also, I was disappointed there was no option to control some devices, such as my vacuum clear, while the Google Home app can do it. Sadly, there is no way to create widgets to control your favorite devices. Similarly, you need to click on Devices every time you open the app to access them, which I find to be inconvenient, especially if you're planning on using the app as a smart remote control. This app has a very intuitive and pleasing interface and lets you organize your devices in groups and rooms, making it easier to navigate. It's designed to support a wide range of devices, including lights, plugs, thermostats, TVs, and speakers, but it's unfortunately only compatible with a limited number of services. For instance, while it supports Hue and LIFX, I couldn't link it to my Roomba and smart plugs, which was again a roadblock for me.   That's a bit of a shame because it's probably one of the easiest ones to use in this roundup. It's also customizable, with the option to rename devices and change their icons, but what's the point in being able to do so if you can't control most of your devices?

Whether you're trying to repurpose a spare phone or tablet into a remote control or want to use your current one to easily operate your appliances, we hope the above apps will help you aggregate everything in a single, convenient screen. This can also be a great way to help your household benefit from a basic digital remote control without your intervention, and without giving everyone full access to all apps and devices. Hopefully, you'll be able to find an app that suits your needs, and that can handle all the services you use. Don't hesitate to share your favorites with us in the comment section below.

Turn Your Old Android Phone/Tablet into the Ultimate Car GPS

Kildeer 6-bedroom home with 3 kitchens: $900K

This 5,425-square-foot Kildeer home has six bedrooms and seven bathrooms. The kitchen includes stainless steel appliances, granite countertops and an island, with views of the two-story fireplace in the family room. Double doors lead to the master suite boasting a tray ceiling, two walk-in closets and a bathroom with separate vanities, a shower with body spray jets, and a Whirlpool tub. A full kitchen, recreation room with a fireplace, game room, media room and full bar make up the lower level. An in-law suite with a separate entrance includes a living room, full kitchen, dining room and master suite.