There are tactics for food preservation beyond canning and pickling. With garden season approaching, I was excited to try out this nifty appliance.

My Take
At first I was surprised when a very large, heavy box appeared on my doorstep, but I was immediately impressed by the looks of this machine. Measuring about 14 inches high and 17 inches wide, it has digital timer and temperature gauges and easy-to-read controls. It also comes equipped with various well-made (BPA free) trays to accommodate any type of food. My favorite was an ingenious flat tray for making crackers and fruit leather.

The concept is fairly simple: The machine circulates warm air throughout the chamber to evaporate the liquid out of foods. The drying process concentrates the flavor, changes the texture and of course helps increase shelf life. The best part is, there’s none of the preservatives or sweeteners that you might find in commercial varieties of dehydrated food.

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Can you get crispy potato chips from the microwave?

Potato chips from the microwave?! Sounds dubious, but I was pleasantly surprised when I gave the TopChip Chip Maker  a test drive.

Our Take
While you won’t fool anyone into believing these chips came from a bag, they are pleasantly crunchy. To make them, thinly slice a potato using the adequately sharp handheld mandoline that comes with the chip maker. Pat pieces dry and spread in a single layer on the dishwasher-safe device. Then zap in the microwave for 3 minutes. Allow to cool for a minute or two and dig in.

You can’t beat the calorie count. Since the only ingredient is potatoes, a 10-ounce spud will yield about 60 chips, each with 4 calories. Since there’s no oil to be found, these chips are also fat-free.

The downsides: First, eat right away or they’ll lose their crunch. They also can’t be seasoned until after they’re cooked (seasoning before hand would make them soggy)– and they definitely need some seasoning. You might have to play with the cooking time or you’ll risk burning the chips (that happened to me a few times).

Serving Suggestions
Both russet and Yukon gold potatoes worked well. Sweet potatoes and apples also made fun and kid-friendly snacks. As for seasoning, sprinkles of curry powder, cinnamon (on the apples) and rosemary salt made these chips extra tasty.

Have you tried the TopChips Maker? Let us know what you think!