Best Food Dehydrators : Reviews and Buying Guide 2023

by Rick Goldman


Drying food is one of easiest, best, and oldest ways of preserving food.

There are many methods for drying and preserving foods: some are more traditional using dry air and the sun, while others (that we advocate) use modern technology such as food dehydrators or ovens.

Although traditional methods do have many benefits, it's just not really feasible to dehydrate foods outside in your yard and depending on where you live. To understand the best method of food dehydration, it is important to understand how the food dehydration process works.

Food dehydrating, simply put, is taking as much of the moisture out of food so that bacteria cannot grow and harmful enzymes cannot react to spoil food. The process is typically done by passing warm, dry air all around food. This causes moisture to evaporate from your food. Once moisture is taken out of food, it is less likely to harbor bacteria and can be kept for quite a long time.

Top Food Dehydrators by Editors


Ultimately for most people, the best option for drying and dehydrating food is food dehydrator - these machines can be purchased online and in most sporting goods stores, and they are relatively easy to use.

Top 10 Best Food Dehydrators Reviews

Best Food Dehydrator Consumer Reports Reviews
Best Food Dehydrator Consumer Reports Reviews

The best choice of food dehydrator depends on a few things: how often you plan to use it, what you're going to use it for (mainly fruits and veggies, or will you also use it for meats and fowl), how much you're willing to spend (or how much your budget is for one), and how much space you have.

1. Nesco Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator Review

NESCO FD-75A, Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator, Gray
NESCO FD-75A, Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator, Gray

The smooth and fashionable Nesco Snackmaster Pro is one the latest dehydrators in the market. Its strong motor gives it a superior quality for drying out fruits, vegetables, and beef.

Features Of The Nesco FD-75A Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator

  1. Variety of Food Recipes: The Nesco FD-75A Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator allows you to prepare several delicious food recipes. It works best with dehydrating turkey, beef and fish jerky. This dehydrator is particularly good for drying and storing any type of fruits.
  2. Accuracy in Drying: This dehydrator has high drying strength due to its 600-Watts power capacity. This feature allows it to dry foods and flowers effectively by drawing and distributing the power appropriately for maximum dehydration.
  3. Outstanding Dehydrating System: The Nesco FD-75A Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator uses Converga Air Flow System which allows air to move down quickly along the external shell as well as centrifugally inwards throughout every tray. The thermostat is used to control the rate of dehydration by controlling the heating temperature. The fan attached to the top of the dehydrator helps in distributing heat uniformly inside the trays.
  4. Vita-Save External Body: This innovative feature ensures that the foodstuffs or herbs being dehydrated are not exposed to any harmful lights which can lead to loss of nutrients in the food.
  5. Five Trays: Included in this dehydrator are five trays that can be utilized for drying. The appliance has enough space for additional trays which can be bought separately in the market. The trays are stackable which means you can customize them according to usage to save up power.

The Pros

  1. Drying Space: The Nesco FD-75A Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator measures approximately 13-inch by 13-inch by 10-inch which provides more drying space. It also has 5 drying trays, 2 mesh sheets, 2 solid fruit roll sheets and 3 jerky spice jackets. The dehydrator's capacity can be expanded up to 12 trays for extra drying areas
  2. Adjustable Thermostat: It has an adjustable thermostat ranging from 95-to 160 degrees F for flexibility. The recommended temperatures are written near the temperature control for accurate drying of food.
  3. Protective External body: It has a high quality impervious vita-save opaque exterior to block harmful lights that can lead to loss of food nutrients
  4. Excellent Dehydrating System: The dehydrator's airflow system forces into the coerced external compartments hence no need to rotate trays. Consequently, flavors do not mix.
  5. Free Recipe Booklet: Included in the product is recipe book which is quite essential to teach ways of preparing delicious recipes at home.
  6. Care and Maintenance: It is easy to clean after use as dehydrated food items leave virtually no residue. This dehydrator can be washed in a dishwasher when setting to "air-dry" option.

The Cons

  1. No Power Button: This appliance does not come with an ON and OFF switch. To begin dehydrating process you have to connect the power wire and after finishing drying you disconnect the power.
  1. No Timer: The FD-75A Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator does not include a timer. Therefore, in order to avoid overheating you have to keep an eye on the food items on the trays or else the food will lose its nourishing value.
  1. Not Effective with Low Power: This dehydrator is less efficient if you plan to use it for a shorter period of time which means that it will consume more power when you dehydrate delicate foods such as herbs.
  1. Round-shaped Trays Incompatible: This appliance is not compatible with circular shaped stacking trays. Loading rectangular trays are much easier than round-shaped trays.
  1. Less Base Capacity: The base of this dehydrator is a quite small and therefore not suitable for dehydrating a large quantity of food. You'll have to use small food quantities.

2. Excalibur 3926TB Food Dehydrator Review

Excalibur 9-Tray Electric Food Temperature Settings And 26-hour Timer Automatic Shut Off Includes Guide To Dehydration, Black
Excalibur 9-Tray Electric Food Temperature Settings And 26-hour Timer Automatic Shut Off Includes Guide To Dehydration, Black

The Excalibur 3926TB is one of the modern electronic food dehydrators with supreme quality satisfaction to customers.

Description Of The Excalibur 3926TB

  1. Incredibly spacious: The Excalibur 3926TB food dehydrator is outstandingly spacious and consists of nine trays with approximately 15 square feet large drying space.
  2. Temperature Controller: On the topmost right side of the dehydrator, there are two temperature controllers and that can be adjusted accordingly to control the rate of heating. Temperatures can be adjusted from 105 degrees F to 165 degrees F.
  3. Poly-Screen Tray to Prevent Food from Sticking: This food dehydrator comes with tray inserts made from an easily detachable polyscreen material that can be used to keep food such as fruits from getting stick to the tray.
  4. Sensitive Power Switch: At the back of the dehydrator is easy to use high-receptive power switch which does not obstruct the usage of the appliance or cause any damage when used for a long period of time.
  5. Adjustable Thermostat and Timer: The dehydrator's thermostat is adjustable and is capable of working in cycles of 26 hours by regulating its heat production based on the current phase of dehydration.

The Pros

  1. Heat Distribution: The Excalibur food dehydrator uses Parallex Horizontal Airflow System that provides equal distribution of heat inside the trays. Combined with the 7-inch fan at the back of the dehydrator, this air flow system accelerates the dehydration process making it economical to dry more food in less time.
  2. Modifiable Thermostat: The thermostat together with the 26-hour timer can be adjusted accordingly in the range of 105 degrees to 165 degrees F. This means that the lower temperature ensures the enzymes in the food are preserved while high temperatures can be used to dry foods such as meat.
  3. Excalibur Hyperwave Fluctuation Technology: This unique and outstanding technology allows the dehydrator to retain its temperatures low enough to preserve the food enzymes and nutritional value, but also high enough to dry the enzymes out so as to avoid the formation of yeast and molds.
  4. Dehydrating Guide Book: Coming along with the appliance is a dehydrating guide book that users can follow to effectively dry any type of foods such as meat, fruits, herbs and much more.
  5. Maintenance and Cleaning: The Excalibur food dehydrator is made from stainless steel which makes the process of cleaning easy and safe. The external casing can be cleaned directly with a wet cloth while the trays can be soaked in soapy water for hours then rinsed and dried.
  6. Low Power Consumption: This appliance works at low 600 Watts power. This is quite economical if the main objective is to find a magnificent dehydrator that consumes less power.

The Cons

  1. Bulky Size: This dehydrator is quite bulky and may not be convenient when place in a kitchen or cabinet with less space.
  2. Irritating Sound: The Excalibur food dehydrator produces an irritating and relatively hard sound when in use. Normally in the first 2-3 months after purchase, the noise levels are low but increase significantly with the duration of use.
  3. No Customer Care Support: Should you develop any issues with this appliance, there are limited chances you'll get help because Excalibur 3926TB food dehydrator does not come with customer support. However, it comes with a 10-year warranty that you can invoke to avoid incurring costs of repair.

3. Presto Dehydro Electric Food Dehydrator Reviews

Presto 06300 Dehydro Electric Food Dehydrator, Standard
Presto 06300 Dehydro Electric Food Dehydrator, Standard

The Presto 06300 Dehydro food dehydrator is made up of four expandable trays that are used to dry out food, vegetables, and fruits. It is quite user-friendly and equipped with beneficial features.

Description Of the Presto 06300 Dehydro Electric Food Dehydrator

  1. Portable: The Presto 06300 Dehydro electric food dehydrator weighs only 7.2 pounds. Its lightweight makes it easy to carry while traveling. The trays can easily be stacked upon one another in a nested style so as to reduce the height of the appliance when not in use.
  2. Transparent Cover: A strong transparent polycarbonate cover lets you see the progress of food inside during the dehydration process which aids in effective monitoring. It helps you check each step of the drying process more closely and take action instantly.
  3. Fan and Heating Component: At the bottom of the dehydrator is a fan design which aids in circulating the hot air in the upward direction. Since racks are compactly designed, the heat being generated is capable of heating up all the racks hence no need to do any rack or tray rotation.
  4. Energy Saver: The Presto 06300 Dehydro food dehydrator includes a 600-Watt power system. This allows it to effectively handle enormous moist or heavy food items while using less energy.
  5. Vertical Airflow: This dehydrator uses the vertical airflow system which involves heat being devised at the bottom and allowed to move freely upwards over all the trays. The fan attached at the bottom ensures even circulation of heat for the uniform drying process.
  6. Flexible Capacity: The Presto 06300 Dehydro food dehydrator comes with four tray capacities but it can be expanded up to eight trays. This flexibility comes in handy when you want smaller size of food items and you want additional space,

The Pros

  1. Saves Space: This appliance does not consume much space due to its compact size and can be placed anywhere inside the kitchen.
  2. Easy to Use: Operating the Presto 06300 Dehydro food dehydrator is quite easy and safe. There are no complex utilization procedures.
  3. Vertical Heating System: The vertical hearing system allows the food at the very bottom tray to be dehydrated quickly but the heat is conserved to be used for dehydrating the food in the upper trays.
  4. Expandable Capacity: It is easy to upgrade this appliance from four tray capacity up to eight trays for more benefits.
  5. Essential Cord Storing Space: There is an essential storing space for the cord available at the bottom of this dehydrator. This increases the flexibility of traveling with this appliance as it takes up less space.
  6. Instructions Guide: The appliance comes with an instructions guide that directs the user on how to utilize the product, how to maintain and care for it, and how to enhance its durability.

The Cons

  1. No flexibility in temperature settings: This dehydrator does not offer you the options of changing the temperature as you deem fit. The thermostat is fixed at a temperature of 165 degrees F hence it can result in over-dehydration. You have to keep an eye closely when dehydrating food using this dehydrator.
  2. No timer: This dehydrator does not come with a timer hence there is no freedom of leaving the dehydration process to continue by itself without close monitoring
  3. Overheating: This dehydrator can sometimes become hot when in use which might not be safe when there are children or pets playing nearby.
  4. Noise: The Presto 06300 Dehydro food dehydrator can become noisy when in use. This might be quite irritating hence you may not want to use it when other people are asleep.

Another Tip: A food processor is a versatile kitchen tool that can quickly and easily chop, slice, shred, grind, and puree almost any food. Buying a best Small or mini food processor is an effective thought if you want to organize your kitchen.

4. Excalibur 9 Tray Deluxe Black Dehydrator Review

Excalibur 3900B 9-Tray Electric Food Adjustable Thermostat Accurate Temperature Control Faster Drying Includes Guide To Dehydration, Black
Excalibur 3900B 9-Tray Electric Food Adjustable Thermostat Accurate Temperature Control Faster Drying Includes Guide To Dehydration, Black

The Excalibur 3900B 9 Tray Deluxe Dehydrator is one of the best and most reliable and high-quality food dehydrators in the market for low-budget consumers. It is different from the Excalibur 2900 because it has an expanded heating element, a large fan and an upgraded motor and thermostat.

Descriptions Of The Excalibur 3900B Food Dehydrator

  1. Horizontal Air Flow System: The Excalibur 3900B 9 Tray Deluxe Dehydrator uses horizontal air flow system to dry food. This technique is essential in preventing flavors from mixing between the trays. It also helps in drying variety of food simultaneously without worrying about manual tray rotation.
  2. Larger in Size: This food dehydrator is substantially large in size and covers 15 sq ft of drying space on each of its 9 trays. The large size helps in dehydrating large quantities of food at the same time. It can easily dry large pieces of meat jerky, chicken jerky or fish jerky.
  3. Square-shaped Trays: The polycarbonate trays are square-shaped which provides large surface area for drying hence speeding up the dehydration process. Square-shaped trays also accommodate more food items that circular ones which make it quite economical. The trays are made up of polyscreen material which serves the purpose of preventing food from sticking and food items from dropping into the spaces in the trays.
  4. Solid dark door: Excalibur 3900B 9 Tray Deluxe Dehydrator is fitted with a black opaque door which prevents harmful light from reaching the food inside. This is important because any light that reaches the food being dehydrated can lead to loss of nutrients and vitamins.
  5. Adjustable Thermostat: This food dehydrator comes with an adjustable thermostat with a scale ranging from 105 degrees F to 165 degrees F. This wide temperature range allows you to dry food at either low temperatures or high temperatures which help preserve the active food enzymes.

The Pros

  1. Delicacy Maker: The Excalibur 3900B 9 Tray Deluxe Dehydrator is a perfect dehydrator for making a variety of delicacies for large families or during parties. It can simultaneously dry different types of foods such as vegetables, fruits, herbs, and jerky saving you enough time and space. This appliance also comes with an amazing recipe booklet filled with recipes for appetizers, salads, soups, beverages, sauces, fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy products and more.
  2. Even Distribution of Heat: The parallex horizontal air flow system provides a uniform distribution of heat during the dehydration process. The 7-inch fan supports the heating element in distributing heat equally to all the sections of the tray. The system works by drawing in cool air from the back, followed by heating and distribution of heat across the trays.
  3. Energy Saver: The Excalibur 3900B 9 Tray Deluxe Dehydrator operates under 600-Watt power consumption rate making it an ideal energy saver dehydrator.
  4. Hyperwave Fluctuation Technology: This unique technology prevents the food from getting contaminated with yeasts and molds by making small fluctuations in temperature set on the thermostat.
  5. Affordability: The Excalibur 3900B 9 Tray Deluxe Dehydrator is quite affordable and reliable. This dehydrator is ideal for food production business as it can be used to simultaneously dehydrate large amounts of food due to its large size and space.

The Cons

  1. No Timer: There is no time in the Excalibur 3900B 9 Tray Deluxe Dehydrator. You'll have to continuously monitor your dehydrator for the whole drying process.
  2. No Power Button: You'll have to manually plug in and out the Excalibur 3900B 9 Tray Deluxe Dehydrator because it doesn't come with an on and off power button. However, it has an in-built on and off power system.
  3. Noisy: The appliance produces a screeching sound when in operation which might cause irritation.
  4. Bulky: The Excalibur 3900B 9 Tray Deluxe Dehydrator weighs 22 pounds and consumes a large space. It may not be the best choice for a small kitchen.

5. Nesco American Harvest Dehydrator Reviews

This dehydrator is popular in the market because of its user-friendly characteristics, affordability, and reliability.

Description Of Nesco/American Harvest FD-80 Square-Shaped Dehydrator

  1. Uniform Heat Distribution: This appliance used the horizontal air flow system to distribute heat diagonally and evenly to the whole tray compartments. This makes dehydration process fast and effective. It also has a powerful fan at the top which supports the heating system in distributing heat inside the trays.
  2. Expandable Capacity: The Nesco/American Harvest FD-80 Square-Shaped Dehydrator offers an expandable capacity which allows you to increase the number of trays from four up to a maximum of eight to suit your needs.
  3. Square Design: The square-shaped design is exceptional because it provides additional room for drying extra food items such as vegetables and fruits.
  4. Adjustable Thermostat: The Nesco/American Harvest FD-80 Square-Shaped Dehydrator is fitted with an adjustable thermostat with a temperature range of 90 degrees F to 155 degrees F. The thermostat allows you to dehydrate food t accurate temperatures based on the nature of the food.
  5. Converga Airflow System: The converge air flow system ensures that the food resting on the trays are supplied with warm air uniformly so that you don't need to rotate the trays throughout the dehydration process and the flavors do not mix.
  6. Protective Exterior: The Nesco/American Harvest FD-80 Square-Shaped Dehydrator has a dense external body manufactured from an opaque BPA-free plastic to block harmful light from entering the food and removing the nutrients.

The Pros

  1. Easy cleaning and maintenance: The trays and the accessories of this appliance can be safely washed in a dishwasher to save you time. The external surface can easily be cleaned using a wet cloth and soap.
  2. No need to rotate trays: The combination of converga air flow system, the fan, and the heating system supplies uniform heat to the trays hence no need to manually rotate trays.
  3. Dries food fast: This food dehydrator operates at a 700-Watt power which means that it provides faster dehydration time than most dehydrators.
  4. Generates less sound: When in operation the Nesco/American Harvest FD-80 Square-Shaped Dehydrator produces less sound or noise.
  5. Consumes less space: The nature of the Nesco/American Harvest FD-80 Square-Shaped Dehydrator is that it is relatively small in size which means it consumes less kitchen space.

The Cons

  1. No timer and power button: The Nesco/American Harvest FD-80 Square-Shaped Dehydrator employs plug and use system. You have to disconnect it after use since it doesn't have an on/off switch. The absence of a timer means that you have to closely monitor the dehydration process or rather buy your own kitchen timer.
  2. Not suitable for dehydrating thicker food: Due to its horizontal heat flow system, this dehydrator cannot effectively dry thicker or heavy food items such as meat or succulent fruits. To avoid this situation, cut the food items into smaller pieces prior to dehydration.
  3. No fruit-roll provided: This appliance does not include fruit roll for drying fruits. However, it comes with a screen for drying food items of smaller size.

6. Nesco FD-37 Food Dehydrator Reviews

Nesco Food & Jerky Dehydrator, 1, Speckled
Nesco Food & Jerky Dehydrator, 1, Speckled

The Nesco American Harvest FD-37 400 Watt Food Dehydrator is a low-budget dehydrating machine that offers countless benefits of drying your food. The dehydrator can be used prepare turkey jerky, fish jerky, snacks, soups, vegetables, fruits and more.

Description Of American Harvest FD 37 400 Watt Food Dehydrator

  1. Heat Distribution: This dehydrator employs horizontal heat distribution system and a vertical airflow with its top-mounted fan hot air down all its trays. This radial airflow technique speeds up the drying process by concentrating the hot air inside the trays.
  2. Capacity: The Nesco American Harvest FD-37 400 Watt Food Dehydrator comes with an expandable capacity which can accommodate up to 7 trays per batch. This implies that the appliance is capable of simultaneously drying different types of foods, which is quite ideal for a large family.
  3. A preset temperature: The dehydrator is not equipped with an adjustable thermostat but a preset temperature of 160 degrees F. With this temperature, you can effortlessly dry edible and non-edible items as well as fragile produce like herbs and spices.
  4. Light-weight: This appliance is exceptionally light-weight and compact, which means that it can easily be carried to any desired room for convenience.

The Pros

  1. No need for rotation of trays: You don't need to constantly rotate the trays because of the fan-forced radial airflow system supplies and concentrates hot air inside the trays for the maximum drying process.
  2. No mixing of flavors: The radial airflow system prevents mixing of flavors when the dehydrator is being used to dry different types of food items at the same time.
  3. Does not consume much space: The expandable feature of this dehydrator can be quite helpful to those users with limited counter space as the trays are stacked on top of each other to reduce the height. It is also portable hence can be moved from one section of the kitchen to another.
  4. Transparent top: The Nesco American Harvest FD-37 400 Watt Food Dehydrator comes with a clear top that allows you clearly check and monitor your food items during dehydration.
  5. Easy to clean: The top-mounted fan makes it easier to clean the dehydrator by avoiding any dripping on the fan. The trays can also be washed safely in a dishwasher.

The Cons

  1. Does not have a timer: This dehydrator is not equipped with a timer so you will have to keep on occasional eye on your food or purchase a timer.
  2. No thermostat: There is no thermostat for this dehydrator except a preset temperature of 160 degrees F. Lack of an adjustable thermostat can result in over-dehydration.
  3. Produces noise: This dehydrator produces a significant amount of noise when working which can be a nuisance to its users.

7. Excalibur 9-Tray Food Dehydrator Review

Excalibur Electric Food Dehydrator Clear Door For Viewing Progress Adjustable Thermostat 48-hour Timer Automatic Shut Off 15 Square Feet Of Drying Space, 9-Tray, Black
Excalibur Electric Food Dehydrator Clear Door For Viewing Progress Adjustable Thermostat 48-hour Timer Automatic Shut Off 15 Square Feet Of Drying Space, 9-Tray, Black

The Excalibur 3948CBD is a unique dehydrator that is equipped with traditional features and an additional 48-hour timer, a digital two-time and two-temperature controller and a transparent door. It is designed to produce excellent results in drying poultry, fish jerky, meat jerky, fruits and craft projects.

Description Of Excalibur 3948CDB 9 Tray Dehydrator

  1. Capacity: This box-style dehydrator is equipped with 9 removable trays covering 15 sq ft area used for drying space. It also allows for removal of its plates to create extra space for drying.
  2. Parallex Horizontal Air Flow: The mounting 7-inch fan is set at the back of the appliance which aids in the parallex horizontal air flow and provides a uniform distribution of heat during the dehydration process. Combined with the Hyperwave Fluctuation Technology, this horizontal airflow technique speeds up the process of dehydration.
  3. Adjustable Thermostat: The dehydrator is fitted with a controlling thermostat with temperature ranging from 95 degrees F to 165 degrees F which offers users reliable versatility. You can even adjust features such as humidity to suit your preferences.
  4. Transparent polycarbonate door: This dehydrator includes a removable transparent polycarbonate door which allows you to clearly observe the food as it dries.
  5. Digital timer and temperature digital controller: The dehydrator is equipped with a two-time, two-temperature digital controller, which allows users to set the timer up to 48-hour duration. This implies that you can set the digital controller to a specific temperature for a particular period of time, and then set the second duration to an entirely different temperature.

The Pros

  1. Convenience and Control: The digital timer and temperature controller give users superior functionality, control, and convenience. Once you set the temperatures and given them specific timer durations, you can sit and relax as the appliance will shut down on its own when the time elapses.
  2. Safety: This dehydrator is manufactured using polycarbonate plastic, which means that it is BPA-free and will not emit harmful fumes that can leach into your food.
  3. Removable trays: To allow for dehydration of bulky food items, this dehydrator gives you freedom to remove some trays and create an additional space for drying.
  4. Recipe Book: The Excalibur 3948CBD includes a Preserve It Naturally booklet with valuable information about dehydration and recipes of different types of foods. The book also provides useful information on how to work with craft items.

The Cons

  1. Non-expandable capacity: The nine removable trays included in this dehydrator means that it is not expandable so that you cannot add extra trays.
  2. Mesh trays: The trays of this dehydrator are made of mesh which makes it unsuitable for drying semi-liquid foods, fruit leathers, sauces, soups, and tiny ingredients. The best solution is to line the trays with parchment paper purchased separately before commencing dehydration.
  3. Cost: The dehydrator has very good features but quite expensive compared to Excalibur 3926TB model.
  4. Controls: This dehydrator has its control systems located at the back of the appliance, which might come as an inconvenience to some users.

8. Gourmia GFD Digital Food Dehydrator Review

Gourmia GFD1950 Premium Electric Food Dehydrator Machine - Digital Timer And Temperature Control - 9 Drying Trays - Perfect For Beef Jerky, Herbs, Fruit Leather - BPA Free - Black
Gourmia GFD1950 Premium Electric Food Dehydrator Machine - Digital Timer And Temperature Control - 9 Drying Trays - Perfect For Beef Jerky, Herbs, Fruit Leather - BPA Free - Black
This latest food dehydrator from Gourmia is a digital food dehydrator that offers users an experience to create healthy tasty snacks in the comfort of their kitchen. It suitable for drying foods such as chips, fruit rolls, herbs, jerky, crackers granola and trail nut mixes.

Description Of Gourmia GFD 1950 Digital Food Dehydrator

  1. Nine Trays System: The Gourmia GFD 1950 Digital Food Dehydrator includes 9 trays which allow you to create different types of types of dehydrated food in one convenient batch.
  2. Digital Temperature Control: This dehydrator is equipped with digital temperature settings to provide accurate drying times and temperatures.
  3. Transparent door: The dehydrator is designed with a clear door that allows you to see the progress and carefully monitor your food to ensure perfect results.
  4. Power consumption : The Gourmia GFD 1950 Digital Food Dehydrator operates under 120V/60Hz, 600W, which is quite efficient for a dehydrating machine.
  5. External housing : This dehydrator is manufactured using a heavy ABS housing material, which means that it is BPA-free and will not emit harmful fumes that can leach into your food.

The Pros

  1. Adjustable shelves: There are 9 fully adjustable shelves that provide enough capacity for drying. The shelves can be removed easily to give room for extra drying space for fruits, meats, and vegetables.
  2. High Wattage: The power consumption rate for this dehydrator is made such that it produces high wattage for fast results. Drying is a matter of hours not days.
  3. Includes a cookbook: This dehydrator comes with a cookbook which helps you to start creating all types of recipes and join the cooking trend with your great tasty meals.
  4. ETL Listing: Gourmia is ETL certified which implies that you can trust the quality of their products in terms of safety, efficiency, and reliability
  5. Less sound: This dehydrator produces minimal sound when running which is quite convenient for a dehydrating machine
  6. Easy to clean: The shelves can easily be washed using soap and wet cloth but not in a dishwasher as this may cause them to crack and get damaged.
  7. No need to rotate trays: The inventive 360-degree air flow technique allows hot air to flow from all directions through the trays which aid in the equal distribution of heat and dehydration. You don't need to rotate the trays or move the food items on the trays to achieve uniform drying.

Cons

  1. Bulky: This dehydrator is not lightweight and therefore not easily portable.
  2. Short power cord: The power cord is relatively short which might not be convenient for those with a power source located some distance far away. You might have to use an extension cable if that's the case.
  3. Quite expensive: This digital dehydrator comes with exceptional features but its price is quite high. You'll have to pay slightly more for this masterpiece than for other dehydrators.
  4. Not so easy to operate initially: One of the biggest concerns of customers, who have used this appliance, is that it is quite difficult to operate from the beginning. Some users find it challenging to read the temperature chat or use the controls. However, the good news is that once you've grasped the procedure the whole process becomes very easy and effortless.

9. Excalibur 9-Tray Food Dehydrator Review

Excalibur 9-Tray Electric Food Dehydrator With Adjustable Thermostat For Temperature Control Patented Technology For Faster & Efficient 15 Square Feet Drying Space, Black
Excalibur 9-Tray Electric Food Dehydrator With Adjustable Thermostat For Temperature Control Patented Technology For Faster & Efficient 15 Square Feet Drying Space, Black

The Excalibur 2900ECB 9-Tray Economy Dehydrator is a budget dehydrator with a large capacity for dehydration.

Description Of Excalibur 2900ECB

  1. Adjustable Thermostat: The Excalibur 2900ECB 9-Tray Economy Dehydrator is fitted with an adjustable thermostat that allows you to dehydrate food t accurate temperatures based on the nature of the food.
  2. Built-in On/Off Switch: This dehydrator operates by plugging in and plugging out because it doesn't come with an on and off power button but an in-built on and off switch.
  3. Rear-mounted fan: The fan is mounted on the rear surface to allow even distribution of heat and easier cleanup process.
  4. Capacity: This dehydrator has 9-trays with a 15 square feet drying space. The trays can easily be removed t allow for drying of thick food or using tall jars.
  5. Polyscreen material: The dehydrator is equipped with polyscreen inserts to keep the food items from sticking and to make cleaning easier.
  6. Wattage: The Excalibur 2900ECB operates at 600-Watts and 110V. This suggests that it is not an energy guzzler.

The Pros

  1. Exceptional capacity: The 9 full-size trays provide unlimited drying space. The trays can be used to dry different types of foods simultaneously with flavors never mixing.
  2. Reliable: The adjustable temperature settings ensure that better results are obtained with a wide variety of foods such as meat jerky, turkey jerky, fish jerky, vegetables, spices, and herbs.
  3. Versatile: The trays can be easily removed to provide room for thick and bulky foods. The extra space created can also be used for craft projects.
  4. External housing: This dehydrator is manufactured from FDA approved polycarbonate which does not emit harmful fumes that can leach into your food.
  5. Removable door: The dehydrator has a removable door which makes it easier for loading and cleaning up the trays.
  6. Included recipe book: This appliance also comes with an amazing recipe booklet filled with recipes for appetizers, salads, soups, beverages, sauces, fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy products to get you started.

The Cons

  1. No timer: This dehydrator is not equipped with a timer so you will have to keep an occasional eye on your food or purchase a timer.
  2. No solid sheets: The solid sheets for making fruit leathers or making liquids are missing and must be purchased separately.
  3. Controls at the back: The controls of this dehydrator are located at the back of the unit, which might be hard to get to or inconvenience most users.

10. Tribest Sedona Express Digital Food Dehydrator Review

Tribest SDE-S6780-B Sedona Express, Digital Food Dehydrator With Stainless Steel Trays
Tribest SDE-S6780-B Sedona Express, Digital Food Dehydrator With Stainless Steel Trays

The Tribest Sedona Express is one of the more high end, but still great for home use food dehydrators available. This model has tons of features, but is still compact enough to fit in most kitchens.

Description Of The Tribest Sedona Express SDE-S6780-B

  1. All Digital Controls/Display: has a timer and temperature display that makes it easy to see settings.
  2. 11 Trays: allows you to maximize dehydrating space
  3. Overheat Protection: allows you to set maximum temperatures instead of average temps, to avoid enzyme degradation and can be continuously operated for up to 99 hours at a time.
  4. Max Temperature 167 degree Fahrenheit: conforms with USDA Beef Jerky Preparation Guidelines allowing you to safely cook beef jerky directly in the Sedona Express without the need to precook in the oven.
  5. 10 Year Warranty: comes with an industry leading warranty-the longest in the dehydrator industry.

The Pros

  1. Compact, Kitchen Friendly Design : this unit is more compact, even with it's 11 trays, and saves on valuable kitchen space.
  2. All-Digital Display : precision control of temperature and time located on front of unit for easy operation.
  3. Two-Stage Temp-Timer: allows you to start the dehydrating at a higher temperatures and then automatically lower the temperature to finish off the dehydration process.
  4. Glass Hinged Door with Internal LED Light : transparent glass door and internal LED light let you easily check the progress of your food. The side hinged door allows for easy insertion/extraction of trays.

The Cons

  1. Temps not always accurate : some users have found that the temps displayed are not always as accurate as they should be.
  2. Display only in hours : the digital display only counts down in hours (as opposed to hours and minutes). Makes it difficult to know exactly how much time is left in the process.
  3. Confusing instruction manual : manual that comes with unit does a poor job of explaining setup, explanation of different modes, and other useful information.

Food Dehydrators are a great investment. They provide you with the ability to eat well and eat healthy for a fraction of the cost of pre-dried foods and even fresh foods. They retain nutrients better than cooked foods and they help you reduce waste by allowing you to preserve foods that would normally be thrown out.

Can you dehydrate Aloe Vera?

Aloe vera is a great option for making skin moisturizer. It also can be used as a remedy of scrapes and bug bites. When you would like to create your own skin lotions and cleanse product at home, drying the leaves of aloe vera helps you to use the powdery extract in a myriad of creations. Drying dry aloe vera leaves takes time and patience, but not a lot of skill.

See Below For Some Of Our Favorites Dehydrator Cookbooks

Best Food Dehydrator Cookbook
Best Food Dehydrator Cookbook

Are you tired of making the same old item in your food dehydrator? I know we get bored making the same things over and over - it doesn't matter how healthy and delicious things are, after a while of the same thing, you can get sick of it.

That's why we went on a search for the best food dehydrator cookbooks and jerky recipes we could find - I'll admit right off the bat, this isn't a deep niche with tons of cookbooks. But the ones we did find we are happy to recommend!

The Ultimate Dehydrator Cookbook

I have been doing home cooking business for three months. Most of my customers have been expressing concerns over processed foods offered grocery stores so I thought it was a great idea to enter into dehydrated meals. As a novice, I began by purchasing this Ultimate Dehydrator Cookbook for guidelines.

This book is quite effective as it provides all information about dehydration as a method of food preservation. Reading this cookbook enabled me to learn about how to select a good dehydrator, how to store and rehydrate food and the best ways of properly sanitizing meals. From the way the dehydration tips and steps are explained, one thing that becomes clear is that the author really knows her craft.

I have also found plenty of valuable original recipes in this book to try out for my customers. The other day I prepared a beef jerky for some of my customers and they couldn't help but express their utter ecstasy for the meal. From 398 recipes, there's no doubt that you'll find one that excites you to try. I have become a better cook because of reading and implementing the ideas from this book. My customers can't wait to come over for a meal.

Hope you are enjoying your meal. Another tools you can use is food mills which is an old fashioned kitchen tool which is used to crush food into small pieces.

Jerky Everything: Foolproof And Flavorful Recipes For Beef, Pork, Poultry, Game, Fish, Fruit And Even Vegetables

This past weekend, I had friends come over for a get-together party and I was tasked to prepare a good poultry jerky, beef jerky, and vegetables for them. The problem is that I never knew how to make such meals before. So, not wanting to disappoint my guests, I researched for poultry and beef recipes and found this book. I was impressed by the comprehensive recipes offered in this book that I decided to give them a try. I managed to make very delicious poultry jerky and beef jerky for my friends, thanks to Jerky Everything.

Best Food Dehydrator
Best Food Dehydrator

I find this book extremely helpful because it provides a variety of recipes for beef, poultry, game meat, fish and fruits that guide you to make a finger-licking meal. Some of the recipes can be prepared in an oven or a dehydrator. There are easy steps for dehydrating food and useful tips that you'll learn from this book to help you become a better cook. The book is blended with stunning photos of jerky such as poultry jerky, pork jerky, fish jerky and more to make reading more fun and interesting.

If you're looking for the complete guide to making flavorful and delicious jerky for your friends or family then you should read Jerky Everything.


Dehydrating At Home: Getting The Best From Your Dehydrator, From Fruit Leather To Meat Jerkies

As a follower of Do It Yourself, I find Dehydrating at Home the best guide for practical dehydrating tips for fruits and perishable vegetables and meats. Ever since I started dehydrating fruits, vegetables, and herbs, I have never found a cookbook as insightful and detailed as this book. The book provides a comprehensive guide to the food dehydration process making it suitable for both beginners and experienced cooks.

Best Food Dehydrator
Best Food Dehydrator

Reading this book makes you want to go out and begin dehydrating various recipes yourself. The book has valuable information about dehydration including the benefits of dehydrating food at home, how to make food retains its color and flavor, what types of food are suited for dehydration, tips to purchasing and caring for dehydrators and more. The author's tone is very friendly making reading fun and interesting.

What I find more helpful about this book is the valuable information explaining how to prepare fruit recipes, vegetable recipes, nuts and seeds, herbs, leather, and jerky. Not many people understand the best ways to dehydrate such delicate foods without losing their nutritional value. This book is very helpful and I strongly recommend it for all food dehydration processes.


The Complete Book Of Jerky: How To Process, Prepare, And Dry Beef, Venison, Turkey, Fish, And More

My brother recently came home with a huge game meat from his hunting escapades and when he prepared a piece of it for a meal, it tasted really badly. Because I know how delicious game meat can be I decided to research for a complete guide book for meat jerky that I could try out. After purchasing and reading The Complete Book of Jerky, I was convinced that I could prepare a real delicacy of game meat.

Best Food Dehydrator
Best Food Dehydrator

This book introduces you to drying meat using a dehydrator and the best ways to do it. It is a complete guide with easy to follow step by step guide on how to process meat and how to prepare any type of jerky. I learned that dehydrating meat is more effective than smoking or drying out in the sun.

Reading this book enabled me to learn essential skills on how to prepare a meat jerky especially game meat. You'll find creative recipes with stunning photos for fish jerky, venison jerky, turkey jerky, and beef jerky all clearly explained in this book. I believe this is a handy cookbook resource for those looking for creative ways to prepare any type of jerky.


The Jerky Bible: How To Dry, Cure And Preserve Beef, Venison, Fish, And Fowl

The Jerky Bible is the best book I have read about jerky that takes you through a simple step by step guide to the process of creating food jerky. The book has over 50 recipes about unique jerkies such as hot-to-trot jerky, aloha jerky, teriyaki jerky and more. The author shows you how to utilize different flavors of the marinade to create a wide range of flavors for your jerky.

The book dwells more on food sanitation, cure and preservation methods for beef, fish, fowl and venison so that you can prepare the best jerky. Making delicious beef jerky or fowl jerky requires controlled dehydration process and cooking. The book explains in simple steps the best dehydration methods for beef jerky, fowl jerky, venison jerky and fish jerky.

Best Food Dehydrator
Best Food Dehydrator

If you want to create delicious and finger-licking jerky meals, then this cookbook will guide you on the best way to go about it. The author has put more emphasis on beef, venison, fish and fowl jerky but you will still valuable information from various recipes talked about in the book. The Jerky Bible is a great gift for anyone learning how to make any jerky.


The Complete Food Dehydrator Cookbook: How To Dehydrate Your Favorite Foods Using Nesco, Excalibur Or Presto Food Dehydrators, Including 101 Recipes.

I never thought I can get the best out of my food dehydrator until I read this cookbook. This book taught me that I need to prepare foods before dehydrating and that different food has different dehydration temperatures. Before I never actually cared about what kind of foods to dehydrate and my vegetables would lose flavor and turn brown.

The Complete Food Dehydrator Cookbook is extremely helpful especially for those who won dehydrators. Reading this book will equip you with knowledge utilize and care for your dehydrator, what dehydration temperatures are suited for what particular foods, and how to get foods ready for dehydration.

Best Food Dehydrator
Best Food Dehydrator

My Excalibur dehydrator now gives me more output than before because I am implementing the tips from this book. I can manage to dehydrate herbs and vegetables at specific temperatures so that they don't lose flavor during the dehydration process. I also like the recipes that come with this book. I have tried some recipes already and I am absolutely satisfied they work. If you want to get the best out of your dehydrator, go get this book.


The Essential Dehydrator: From Dried Mushroom Risotto To Grilled Tuna with Papaya Chutney, More than 100 Recipes With Fresh Flavor

My mother received a dehydrator gift from her longtime friend but with no instructional manual. I bought this book for her so that she can learn how to use dehydration technique to make delicious meals. She read this book again and again before embarking on implementing the tips and steps in her food preparation. I am happy to report that she recently made us a mouthwatering chicken jerky just from what she learn from this book.

Best Food Dehydrator
Best Food Dehydrator

Having been curious about the sudden results, I decided to read this book to and become informed. The book is comprehensively written with clear guidelines and tips that you can easily master and prepare delicious meals. It emphasizes on dehydrated food items being integrated into cooked foods. You learn how to dehydrate food such as mushrooms, fish, beef, poultry and other ingredients that you can then use to prepare delicious meals with flavor.

There are original recipes with simple ingredients and stunning photos to try out once you've mastered the concept of food dehydration. I particularly tried vegetable recipes and recipes of dairy product and obtained outstanding results.

The Essential Dehydrator is definitely a masterpiece when it comes to preparing delicious meals from dehydrated ingredients.


The Complete Idiot's Guide To Dehydrating Food

The process of preserving food is never easy for anyone, even for more experienced chefs. I was looking for a more comprehensive food dehydration guide that is simple, easy to read and exclusive. I found this book through an affiliate link and after I read it, I knew I had found a valuable guide full of knowledge.

This book discusses in detail the process of food dehydration, how to select and buy a good dehydrator and how to properly use your food dehydrator to ascertain maximum results. I have been impressed by the outcome when I tried to implement the ideas discussed in this book. It is a great book for beginners as it provides basic and interesting guidelines about food dehydration.

What makes this book even more interesting is that it is written in a simple language for easy reading and understanding. There are good recipes to try out once you've learned the concept so as to get a hands-on experience.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Dehydrating Food is very helpful and becomes essential when preparing delicious meals. You should definitely keep this useful dehydration guide in your kitchen…

Buy on Walmart

NESCO FD-1018A Gardenmaster Pro Food Dehydrator for Great Jerky and Snacks, 8 Trays - Walmart Link

COSORI Premium Food Dehydrator (50 Recipes) for Jerky Meat Herbs Fruit, Dryer Machine - Walmart Link

Presto 06300 Dehydro Electric Food Dehydrator, Standard - Walmart Link

Nesco FD-75A Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator, For Snacks, Fruit, Beef Jerky, Gray - Walmart Link

Magic Mill Food Dehydrator Machine | 7 Stainless Steel Trays | Dryer for Jerky, Dog - Walmart Link

Excalibur Food Dehydrator 9-Tray Electric with 26-hour Timer, Automatic Shut Off and - Walmart Link

Brod & Taylor SAHARA Folding Food Dehydrator, Beef Jerky, Fruit Leather, Vegetable Dryer - Walmart Link

Tribest SDE-S6780-B Sedona Express, Digital Food Dehydrator with Stainless Steel Trays - Walmart Link

COSORI Food Dehydrator (50 Recipes) for Jerky, Meat, Herbs, Fruit, Dryer Machine with - Walmart Link

Hamilton Beach 32100A Digital Food Dehydrator, 5 Tray, Gray - Walmart Link

Excalibur Electric Food Dehydrator Clear Door for Viewing Progress Adjustable Thermostat - Walmart Link

🏆Premium Pack 06300 Dehydro Electric Food Dehydrator - Walmart Link

NutriChef Food Dehydrator Machine - Professional Electric Multi-Tier Food Preserver, Meat - Walmart Link

Buy on eBay

NESCO FD-1018A Gardenmaster Pro Food Dehydrator for Great Jerky and Snacks, 8 Trays - eBay Link

COSORI Premium Food Dehydrator (50 Recipes) for Jerky Meat Herbs Fruit, Dryer Machine - eBay Link

Presto 06300 Dehydro Electric Food Dehydrator, Standard - eBay Link

Nesco FD-75A Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator, For Snacks, Fruit, Beef Jerky, Gray - eBay Link

Magic Mill Food Dehydrator Machine | 7 Stainless Steel Trays | Dryer for Jerky, Dog - eBay Link

Excalibur Food Dehydrator 9-Tray Electric with 26-hour Timer, Automatic Shut Off and - eBay Link

Brod & Taylor SAHARA Folding Food Dehydrator, Beef Jerky, Fruit Leather, Vegetable Dryer - eBay Link

Tribest SDE-S6780-B Sedona Express, Digital Food Dehydrator with Stainless Steel Trays - eBay Link

COSORI Food Dehydrator (50 Recipes) for Jerky, Meat, Herbs, Fruit, Dryer Machine with - eBay Link

Hamilton Beach 32100A Digital Food Dehydrator, 5 Tray, Gray - eBay Link

Excalibur Electric Food Dehydrator Clear Door for Viewing Progress Adjustable Thermostat - eBay Link

🏆Premium Pack 06300 Dehydro Electric Food Dehydrator - eBay Link

NutriChef Food Dehydrator Machine - Professional Electric Multi-Tier Food Preserver, Meat - eBay Link

About Rick Goldman

Rick Goldman's grandpa was a captain of a California coast cruise. This afforded Rick the luxury of traveling to exciting places along the Pacific Coast as a young boy. He got to try different, exotic foods on these journeys - something he really enjoys blogging about from his grandpa's beautiful garden home today.


Be With Rick:

Leave a Reply