Dehydrators don' t seem to get very warm at all, least not the one I tried. Usually use the oven. 180 degrees if it goes that low. Recipe or storebought spices, seems like any jerky' s good, lol. I buy High Country jerky spice. Got Uncle Bucks for xmas. Made' em both and they taste the same! I' d like to try my smoker but it' s been on the blink. Depending on the size of meat cuts, takes 5 to 12 hours to get done. Make it any way u like. Thick or thin. Fairly soft or crunchy like that stuff in convienience stores. I just lay it on crinkled foil and turn it ' bout every hour. I don' t crack the door either. This year I made up 24 lbs of various wild game jerky(precooked weight). Someone bumped the temp on one batch up 25 degrees. When I checked, it was hard like corn nuts. Ate it anyway and called it antelope nuts! lol. Any way ya do it, it' ll turn out great and you' ll eat it too soon! Good luck!