Dehydrating Food has been a common method of food preservation for a number of centuries. The method of extracting the moisture from the food prevents the growth of any unwanted bacteria while preserving the delicious flavors of fresh food.

This method, if performed correctly, can extend the Best Before date indefinitely – turning foods into long-lasting healthy snacks to keep around the house, at work or to take on a long road trip.

With one of these best Food Dehydrator appliances, you will be making your favorite jerky and on-the-go snacks right from your kitchen in no time.

4 Best Food Dehydrator Reviews For Home Use

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The Presto 06300 Dehydro Electric Dehydrator

First up is the Presto 06300 Dehydro. This electric food Dehydrator dehydrates both fruits and vegetables, as well as meats to form jerky. The dehydrator is built for space optimization with its multiple drying trays for compact storage. Its design also allows for the convenience of drying multiple foods at once with the separately stacked drying trays.

The dehydrator makes use of a transparent cover, which allows you to monitor the drying progress on the top tray. A heating element and bottom-mounted fan provide consistent airflow to ensure optimal and even drying to provide you with perfectly dried food.

The Presto Dehydro is affordably priced and makes the perfect food dehydrator choice for people on a budget. There are a few areas such as the absence of a power button in which the product could be made more convenient. Overall, however, the product is simple, practical and easy-to-use.

If you’re looking for one of the reasonably priced, best food dehydrators to provide a decent yield and not take up too much space in your kitchen, this is the ideal product for you.

Main Features

• Includes four drying trays, and can accommodate up to eight
• Preset temperature of approximately 165°F
• Both the drying trays and cover are dishwasher safe

Pros

• The four-tray system allows you to dehydrate multiple foods at once
• Dry your foods without additives or preservatives
• Very affordable
• Easy to store – the stacked drying trays allow for compact storage. Cord can be folded up into the base

Cons

• The biggest disadvantage is that the item does not have an on-off button. The model turns on when it is plugged into the electrical outlet, which may lead to some inconvenience

NESCO FD-75A Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator

The NESCO FD-75A Snackmaster Pro food dehydrator is another one of the more affordable food dehydrators on the market. This quality appliance allows you to adjust the thermostat to the ideal temperatures for dehydrating different types of food. Its temperature settings range between 95 and 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Nesco Snackmaster not only has many of the best features of other dehydrators such as multiple trays to allow for simultaneous drying and separation of different food groups, but it also includes features that have been refined for the convenience and overall pleasant experience of the user. These include fruit roll sheets, a recipe book, and flexible screens that allow for easy drying of herbs and spices.

This dehydrator’s drying process has also been optimized with the introduction of a unique system. A patented Converga-Flow drying system allows for quick and even drying, and ensures that the nutrients within fresh foods are preserved when dried. It also helps to prevent flavors from mixing during the drying process.

How this unique system works is to pressurize hot air and force it down the exterior chamber. From there, it then moves horizontally across each tray to the central core – allowing for the even distribution of heat.

The Snackmaster comes with 5 trays to fill with all your favorite fruits, vegetables, and other foods and is expandable to up to 12 trays.  This is one of the best food dehydrator machines you can get without spending a fortune.

Main Features

• Comes with 5 trays with a maximum capacity of 12 trays
• Each tray is 13 1/2″ in diameter
• Powerful top mounted fan with 600 watts of drying power and 120 Volt
• Adjustable thermostat allows you to dry different foods at the appropriate respective temperatures
• Temperature range of the thermostat is 95º-160º F

Pros

• The five-tray system allows you to dehydrate multiple foods at once separately without the mixing of flavors
• Trays pivot from the central axis of the dehydrator and can rotate out which allows for ease of access, and minimizes the amount of space used up
• The Converga-Flow (patented) drying system allows for quick, even, and nutrient-preserving drying of fresh foods

Cons

• Some users have noted that it does not heat up to its maximum temperature and so it takes a long time to get results

COSORI Premium Food Dehydrator Machine

The COSORI stainless steel food dehydrator machine is a solid dehydrator designed in California. It has six stainless steel trays that create a lot of space for dehydrating, while only consuming a small amount of space on your countertop.

This best food dehydrator model is mostly made from food-grade stainless steel with a large, glass door that allows for convenient monitoring. It features an easily operated control panel, which can be used to manage a timer as well as to control temperature variations between 95 and 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

The COSORI dehydrator is easy to use, quiet, and safe so that you can make dried fruit, healthy beef jerky, dog treats, bread crumbs, and snacks in no time! It can also be used to preserve herbs, flowers, and much more. When each batch is done, the food can easily be stored and kept fresh using a vacuum sealer.

After use, the dehydrator is easily cleaned and stored away until you’re ready to dehydrate again.

Main Features

• Includes 6 stainless steel trays, 1 mesh screen, 1 fruit roll sheet, 1 manual
• Comes with 50 recipes designed for beginners by COSORI Chefs Team
• Made in California with food-grade stainless steel and glass front door
• 120V, 600W powered fan
• Programmable timer and thermostat
• Temperature control range of 95º-165ºF
• Tray liners are 100% BPA-FREE
• ETL Listed & FDA Compliant

Pros

• Quiet to use: press a single button to command the machine to dehydrate your food and go to sleep. The noise is measured as less than 48dB – levels which pose little to no risk of disturbing your sleep
• Safe to use: The machine automatically turns off when the timer has ended, and overheat protection activates if the model overheats
• Convenient to store and clean: The 6 trays are dishwasher-safe and tray liners can be placed on the top rack of your dishwasher. (Note: You must remove them before the drying cycle)

Cons

• Although not the most expensive, the price range of the COSORI model is a steady jump from other products on this list

Excalibur 2900ECB 9-Tray Food Dehydrator

For large families, avid hikers, campers, and sportsmen, the Excalibur 2900ECB is one step ahead of the rest in terms of its size and the standard of its features. Altogether, its 9 trays allow for 15 square feet of drying space for various food items such as fruits, nuts, meats, dog treats, herbs, and even items for arts and crafts.

Unlike other models where you can increase the capacity by stacking in trays, you can’t easily adjust this on the Excalibur. However, you can remove some trays to allow sufficient space for larger items. This means that the product can also be used to aid in raising the dough for your next bread-baking venture (try some of these best bread recipes on our site).

With a temperature range between 105 and 165 degrees Fahrenheit, you can safely dehydrate meat for making jerky, as well as preserve enzymes in fruit and vegetables.

Although the product has many notable and unique features that stand out from the rest of the models, it is the most expensive of the selection. If you are looking for a highly advanced machine and don’t mind spending more for one of the best food dehydrator appliances on the market, look no further than the Excalibur 2900ECB.

Main Features

• 9 tray capacity
• Maximum of 15 square feet of drying space
• Adjustable thermostat: 105 to 165ºF
• 110/120 Voltage
• 400 Watt fan

Pros

• No need to move or rotate the trays, which is a common trait in other models, making it super easy to use
• If the height of the machine needs to be adjusted to dehydrate bulkier objects, the trays can be removed to create more space
• The model has an extremely wide temperature range. The temperature can be made high enough to meet safety standards for dehydrating meat to make jerky. However, it can also be decreased to a level that allows it to preserve the active enzymes found in fruits and vegetables

Cons

• Fixed maximum capacity that cannot be easily increased by adding more trays
• One of the more expensive food dehydrators on the market

Final Thoughts

There’s nothing quite like taking a bite off a stick of jerky or grabbing a handful of fruity trail mix and knowing that you made it yourself.

If you’re keen to get yourself or your family some delicious dried snacks, there’s no reason to pay an arm and a leg at the shops for a product when you can make it yourself! A benefit of making dried foods yourself is that you can make sure that there are no added preservatives or chemicals involved in the process.

With all the technology and appliances available today, there are so many product options. When it comes down to selecting the best food dehydrator, any of the four that we reviewed today are sure to be a valuable asset and set you on the right trajectory for a successful future in dehydrated goods.

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