- More Baby & Kid
- More Cars
- More Electronics
- More Health & Fitness
- More Hobby & Crafts
- More Home & Garden
- More Other
- More Outdoor
- More Pets
SolidGuides.com may get an affiliate commission when you buy through links on our website. Read More.
To get the most out of your food, you want the best food dehydrator to preserve both its freshness and its taste. There are many other benefits to doing this, so we’re going to look at which units will serve you best.
We reviewed and ranked 10 models so you don’t have to spend all your time researching. These are some of the very best that are sure to give you your money’s worth. You’ll want to stick around for our buyer’s guide after you read our reviews. It has some great tips that will help you find the right dehydrator for your needs.
Before we move on, we wanted to share a couple of our favorite picks with you. These stood out from the crowd thanks to their fine craftsmanship and excellent food preparation.
Don’t Have Time to Read the Whole Article?
The best overall goes to Nesco’s Gardenmaster. This compact unit will save you space on both your countertop and in your food storage. It dries quickly and packs in flavor for great-tasting treats at an affordable price.
If you need something a bit beefier, check out the XLS Dehydra from STX International. This commercial-grade model is a perfect fit for diners and eateries. With its 10 stainless steel trays and fast drying capabilities, you can serve up lots of items at once.
If those aren’t quite what you’ve been looking for, we have 8 more that are sure to interest you. Whichever unit you ultimately decide on, you can look forward to them saving you money and getting you more out of your food.
Nesco offers a dehydrator that takes up little room and dries quickly. It features 4 trays for stacking various types of foods to be dried. The price is affordable, too, letting you get the most out of your groceries.
There’s a lot of power in this little unit. This helps Nesco’s Gardenmaster dry food quite fast thanks to its high-RPM motor. In just a few hours, you can enjoy ready-to-eat dried foods. A nice addition is that it’s quiet. While it’s running, you won’t be annoyed by a loud, noisy motor.
You can adjust the Gardenmaster’s thermostat from temperatures of 90°F to 160°F. The digital control allows you to get your food just the way you like it. Another nice addition is the ability to add more trays later. Its 4-tray arrangement can be expanded to up to 20 trays, giving you more space for a bigger variety of foods.
Trays stack easily on top of one another for effortless dehydrating. Each tray provides plenty of room to dry all kinds of food items. And thanks to the digital user interface, setting your desired temperature is a breeze.
If you own a small food shop and want to expand your menu, this is the unit you need. The Dehydra is a stainless steel beauty that has plenty of power and lots of room.
You get 10 thick, stainless steel mesh trays on which to load your food items. From fruits to meats, the Dehydra is one flexible machine. Food tastes great and retains much of its flavor. You can prepare a bunch of samples or use it for high production.
Food dried quickly and efficiently thanks to the powerful 7-inch fan. There are plenty of presets so you can better manage your food selections. And controlling the Dehydra is made easy thanks to the slick user interface along the top of the unit.
A digital readout keeps you apprised of timer modes and time remaining. It’s really nice having a quick cheat sheet at the ready next to the controls. This helps to ensure you make the right selections with every food item.
You also get a cookbook thrown in with the Dehydra. This friendly gesture is jam-packed with over 270 recipes for dehydrating food. With the extreme drying power of the Dehydra, you can offer your customers something unique not found in most eateries.
This heavy-duty unit is quite boxy, but it sure is tough and sturdy. Perfectly-suited for restaurant use, you get lots of space to prepare a wide variety of foods. Its interface is easy to understand and control, making it a great fit for shops.
This well-regarded unit is user-friendly and very well-made. If you’re in the market for a dehydrator that is easy to clean and maintain, Cosori has what you need. It comes with 6 stainless steel trays that are dishwasher-safe and highly-durable.
It holds all kinds of food items quite well thanks to the mesh construction of each tray. From fruits to meats, you get plenty of food-drying space. There’s enough room above each tray to hold larger food items. We liked seeing this, as it lets you try out larger foods that can’t be done with all food dehydrators.
We were able to throw on big pieces of meat and recipes for dog treats that took up quite a bit of space. If you plan on getting creative and trying out new food-drying techniques, this may be the best fit for your needs.
We absolutely love the design and look of Cosori’s dehydrator. It is built with premium stainless steel, giving you a solid and sturdy appliance that’s made to last. The front door of the unit sports a clear glass pane so you can keep an eye on your food’s progress at all times.
It opens like a microwave door, so it’s rather simple to operate. Combine this with its easy-touch interface and you’re looking at a highly accessible food dehydrator. This model will make a great addition to your kitchen, as its aesthetics allow it to blend in perfectly with other appliances.
We like having a built-in timer mode. This lets you focus on other food preparation while the Cosori does all the work for you. We think this one is well-priced considering what a solid unit it is. There’s definitely a lot to like here. You’re getting a very well-rounded unit that’s bound to save you money.
With its simplistic user interface, nearly anyone can toss in some food and set it to dehydrate. It has a very solid design that will serve you well. Removing trays is a breeze, and cleanup is about as easy as it gets.
This unique unit is the perfect choice for those trying to free up space in the kitchen. Brod & Taylor delivers a compact food dehydrator that not only takes up less room, but it folds, too!
Seeing this in action is a treat in itself. In just a few short steps, the machine breaks down into an even more compact size. It folds down and fits in a handy carrying case for easy storage. Take it out only when you need it or leave it up year-round.
This clever design works like a charm. It’s an attractive unit that works just as well as it looks. And there’s plenty of space for drying your favorite foods. You get a total of 11 square feet to work with and 7 mesh trays.
The user interface sports a digital display. From here you can set timers, adjust the temperature, and access its modes. We like that Brod & Taylor gives you the choice of either stainless steel or polypropylene trays.
We prefer the former, but they both work well and are easy to clean. Two glass doors adorn the front of the dehydrator so you can watch your food. There’s no trim around the glass, making it easier to keep them clean, as well.
We have to say, the design and craftsmanship of the SAHARA really impressed us. This is a very innovative food dehydrator that does its job well. Looks are one thing, but taste is more important. We’re happy to report that it dries foods completely and locks in natural flavors.
From folding down to cleaning, the SAHARA is a joy to own. Its user-friendly features go a long way in adding value to this pricey unit. Its interface is simple to understand and works like a charm.
Aroma Housewares takes things up a notch with a more attractive unit. Sporting a sleek design and plenty of space, the AFD-815B adds flavor to any kitchen.
With 6 trays to work with, you get plenty of space to dry multiple food items at once. Each one is made from BPA-free polypropylene, ensuring your food stays safe and delicious. They can hold up to a pound of food, as well, allowing you a total of 6 pounds when loaded to capacity.
We like that you don’t have to rotate trays during the drying cycle. Air and heat is even distributed throughout the dehydrator, leaving you with perfectly-dried foods of all types.
We concluded that this model does fruit better than most others we tried. Intense flavors are locked in to provide you with some truly great-tasting treats.
Our only concern with the AFD-815B is its build-quality. Although it looks nice, it simply doesn’t feel all that solid.
The thermostat has a range of 95°F to 155°F, giving you plenty of heating options so your food turns out exactly like you want it. It’s analog, but it works well enough and is quite precise.
Tribest’s Sedona Express is an accessible and efficient dehydrator. This one sports a glass door that opens to give you access to its stainless steel trays.
You get 11 of them with the Sedona Express, providing you with lots of space to dry food. That’s a grand total of 9.9 square feet, plenty of room to load up all your favorite foods and even try some new.
We really like the trays that come with this model. They are sturdy and can hold lots of different types of foods. And they are quite easy to clean, making maintaining your dehydrator a cinch. Add in a washable filter that can be reused, and you’ve got yourself a very user-friendly appliance.
The interface along the top of the Sedona Express is nice and compact. The buttons feel of really high quality, with a digital display that’s easy to read. Adjusting timers and temperature is done with the press of a button.
This one looks like a giant toaster oven and should fit nicely on your countertop. And the black steel construction will complement most of your kitchen appliances.
Each function is clearly labeled on the Sedona Express. Just a few button presses is all it takes to dehydrate your food. The glass door is a nice touch that lets you quickly and easily access the 11-tray setup.
Magic Mill enters the fray with a compact and sleek food dehydrator. We fell in love with the design of this one right away. Magic Mill didn’t waste any space to deliver a solid and well-made unit.
Closely resembling a small microwave, we had no trouble jumping right in and drying foods. We enjoyed our time with this model thanks to its easy controls and slick interface. A digital readout clearly shows you time, temperature, and selected mode of operation.
The dehydrator comes with 7 plastic racks for drying. Not just that, you also get 2 mesh sheets and 2 non-stick trays. These let you dry anything from fruit to potpourri. We appreciated how easy it was to clean the Magic Mill, too.
Each tray is safe to use in your dishwasher, further speeding up and simplifying the cleaning process. Once all the trays are removed from the unit, we found the inside to be easy to maintain thanks to its compact size and shape.
We had a lot of fun with this one. We really had a blast trying out breads, making our own snacks, and drying flowers. The versatility comes in handy if you like to create things and make your own treats.
Flavor is trapped in well, too. Making jerky is pretty straightforward and tastes incredible once finished. It was certainly better than any store-bought stuff we’ve tasted. This one will fit right into your kitchen and is sure to give your family much to experiment with.
The user interface helps to make the Magic Mill a joy to use. At no time did we ever feel overwhelmed with its mechanics. Modes are easy to set and it’s nice to be able to see the drying process in real-time.
The glass door works just like a microwave, further adding to its ease-of-use. The buttons feel good, too. Nothing is cheap here, and the dehydrator is better for it.
This stainless steel entry from Hamilton Beach sports a stackable design that serves to give you more room for drying your foods. This works rather well considering its tight, compact design. It’s able to take up very little countertop space while allowing for a good number of foods.
The unit is topped off with a clear lid that lets you peer down onto the trays to check their drying progress. You get a total of 7 trays for drying. Five of them are plastic, used for fruits and veggies and the like. Another is mesh, meant for herbs and flowers. The last one is a solid sheet that works well for fruit rolls and treats of that nature.
Cleaning the Hamilton Beach dehydrator is a piece of cake. The stackable trays come right off of one another for easy cleaning. The base of the unit features a digital user interface that lets you control temperature and adjust modes.
If you’re not looking to spend a lot and just want an inexpensive yet effective food dehydrator, this is right up your alley.
While you won’t see many features on the Hamilton Beach 32100A, it is very easy to use. Just a couple presses of a button and you’re good to go. All you need to worry about is setting the desired temperature and stacking some trays. It’s that easy.
Chefman’s 9-tray food dehydrator is a great choice for those looking to get their food-drying feet wet. It’s not the most robust model you’ll come across, but it sure does deliver some fine-tasting foods.
It sports a sleek design that works really well to provide you with a user-friendly experience. We had no issues putting this one to task. Its selection of trays slide in place easily for fast drying. You don’t get a hinged door like other entries provide. But the transparent slide-out door works well enough.
Although this model is a little on the pricey side for an entry-level dehydrator, it performs admirably. Its dried foods taste great and cleanup is done in a snap. Just toss the trays into the dishwasher for fast and effortless cleaning.
We found the user interface to be straightforward and easy to use. You don’t get a lot of features to work with, but that’s what makes this such a great entry-level dehydrator. With easy cleanup and solid food preparation, Chefman delivers a well-rounded machine.
Excalibur’s 3926TB is a shelf model that serves to make drying your food a lot faster. We like that you can easily remove whichever tray you want when you need it. There are 9 trays in all, offering a total of 15 square feet to place your food.
You can time food for up to 26 hours. Temperatures range from 105°F to 165°F. One of the more important features we like seeing is its ability to keep active enzymes intact. Your foods have more flavor and are packed with their natural nutrients.
There’s a lot to get out of Excalibur’s dehydrator. Many folks use it to make all kinds of homemade treats. Some even create their own pet food. Having so much space lets you try out all sorts of different food items.
Being so large, this is a great model for large families. Or, if you host gatherings often, you’ll be able to easily accommodate everyone’s unique tastes.
The design of the 3926TB is rather plain, as it’s just a big, boxy, appliance. There’s not a whole lot of character to it, but it certainly makes up for it with its stellar performance.
From fruits and veggies to meats and bread, the Excalibur makes a great addition to your kitchen. Its operation is really straightforward and is easy to understand and use.
Did you know there are many advantages to owning a dehydrator? They’re not just for drying out various food items. In this section, we’d like to share with you some of the most important aspects of food dehydrators and what they can do for you.
We’ll talk about the best way to use them and what types of food will yield you the best results. It’s also important that you know how to properly store your freshly dried foods. They’ll last even longer with the right care while serving to get you the most out of your food.
So, let’s first discuss the benefits of owning one of these handy units and how they can change your diet for the better.
This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s one of the most important aspects of owning a food dehydrator. Drying out your food will make your groceries last longer and serve to get you more bang for your buck.
Dehydrating will save you money over time, too. You’re less likely to throw out food because it’s gone bad on you. Food that’s been dehydrated traps in its natural nutrients, as well. The taste is locked in for a long-lasting treat any time you want it.
Dehydrating foods also greatly reduces its overall size. This frees up much more space when storing away foods. When packaged and cared for properly, you’re eliminating the bulky stock that they normally come in.
As mentioned, this is a great way to cut down on wasted food. Americans throw out $165 billion worth of food every year. It’s staggering to think of all that wasted food. You can dramatically reduce this by drying out and storing the majority of your perishables.
Not only will you be saving money by reducing waste, but you’ll be buying less groceries, as well. This is because you can prepare your own tasty treats and snacks instead of buying them. Not only do they taste better, but they are a much healthier alternative to the processed junk food you buy from the store.
And that brings us to your diet. Instead of digesting a bunch of chemicals and preservatives, you can forever change your diet to healthier, leaner foods. The ingredients found in the snacks you dehydrate are all-natural and therefore much better for you.
Even dehydrated foods you buy from the grocery have additives that aren’t the greatest for you to be eating. By making your own, you get to decide what goes into them – and what doesn’t. It’s a great way to keep an eye on what you and your family are eating.
By having a bunch of ready-to-eat, packaged snacks, it’s easier (and cheaper) to grab what you need for your lunch break at work. Not only will this save you tons of money over time, it’s healthier and faster.
You’ll no longer have to waste time in a drive-thru line waiting on your food. You’ll free up all kinds of time to do more important things. Dehydrated food is also highly portable. There’s way less mess (almost none!), and it’s easier to pack along in your briefcase or purse.
The flavor that dehydrators trap in is amazing. Fruits are one of the most delicious foods you can dry because they store in all their natural nutrients and flavors. Even meats and veggies leave you with mouth-watering goodness that’s all-natural.
Many folks like to make beef jerky with their food dehydrators. Most jerky bought from the store is loaded with artificial flavoring and nasty preservatives. You can now enjoy food the way it was meant by making your own.
The sky’s the limit. There are so many unique recipes that get you the most out of your foods. But the most popular foods to dry are fruits, veggies, and meats.
But it doesn’t stop there. From nuts and herbs to sauces and eggs, there are many items at your disposal. Pet owners are finding out they can make their own pet foods and treats, saving loads of money over store-bought brands.
All-natural energy bars are another hot food item that can be made right from your home. There are countless recipes online that will introduce you to new ways of eating. The great thing is that you can play around with different foods to your heart’s content.
There are many, many ways to store your dehydrated foods. Lots of people use simple glass jars. They’re easy to use, inexpensive, and effective. But others like vacuum sealing to store their foods.
This removes all the air from the item, further prolonging its lifespan. Not only that, this method takes much less space when storing away your dried foods. This is a bit more costly, but you’re still going to be saving money over buying food directly from a grocery.
After you have successfully packaged your dehydrated foods, you want to make sure that you keep them in a dry, cool, and dark place. You know those little oxygen absorbers you find in medicine bottles and some foods?
You can buy these things in bulk. Just toss one in with your food to help enhance their preservation for the long haul. It’s just another cost-saving way to get the most out of your food and your food dehydrator.