For thousands of years, people have dehydrated vegetables, fruit, meat, and fish, according to Christina Ward, the Master Food Preserver for Wisconsin and author of Preservation: The Art and Science of Canning, Fermentation, and Dehydration. “Dehydrating, removing the moisture from food and thereby eliminating one of the elements needed for bacterial growth, is a good method to preserve food while retaining maximum nutritional benefits,” she says.
Food dehydrators open up a world of possibilities, whether you’re preparing hearty snacks for a road trip, drying herbs, or preserving peak-season produce. You can use a dehydrator in more creative ways, too, to make anything from citrus powder to fruit roll-ups.
We’ve tested 25 food dehydrators in our lab, but for this round, we pulled six top performers to test against each other. Making jerky, fruit leather, and dried herbs, we compared the user-friendliness and design of the machines as well as the final product. We then narrowed our list to the four best food dehydrators, with an option for every level of experience.
PHOTO: Amazon
The Magic Mill stood out as the clear winner. It’s quiet, simple, and can be thoroughly cleaned, meaning smells won’t linger from one batch to the next. The trays slide in and out easily, and the transparent door lets you monitor your food’s progress. It heats from the rear, which helps it achieve consistent results. We were happy with how the fruit leather and dried herbs turned out, and the beef jerky was the best we made: tender and easy to chew, with some of the toughness we expect in jerky.
The Magic Mill’s control panel has two presets: 115°F for 24 hours and a fast option for 165°F for 10 hours. A keep-warm feature holds the temperature at 95°F for 24 hours after the preset time. You can also set a custom temperature and time in 30-minute increments. It comes with a brief instruction manual as well as a cookbook, which we found helpful for choosing settings. We only wish we could adjust the time and temperature once it’s on.
It’s a beginner-friendly machine, though its size and cost make it an investment for someone who’s just dabbling in dehydrating. It takes up significant kitchen real estate at 16.75 inches tall, 13.5 inches wide, and 17.75 inches deep. Its 21-pound weight wasn’t difficult to lift, but we wouldn’t want to move it in and out of a cabinet regularly — it’s worth the counter space if you have it. Its size makes it versatile and efficient. It can hold 10 trays at once, giving you the space for big-batch recipes.
Temperature Range: 95 to 165°F | Weight: 21 pounds | Dimensions: 16.75 x 13.5 x 17.75 inches | Trays: 10 | Cleaning: Dishwasher-safe parts
PHOTO: Amazon
The largest but quietest food dehydrator we tested, the Excalibur offers 9.6 square feet of drying space. It ranked barely behind the Magic Mill in overall design and performance, and we found it even easier to use. While it lacks presets, it gives you precise control over the temperature and time — set it in 30-minute increments for up to 60 hours of dehydrating.
It’s engineered for even heat distribution and airflow, and its large, wide trays left room for food to breathe, giving us notably consistent results. While jerky can tend toward dry and rigid when dehydrated at home, the Excalibur reached the sweet spot of tender and tough. To make fruit leather, however, you need to purchase a separate tray, so the machine lost points for value and versatility right out of the box.
The Excalibur weighs 18 pounds, comparable to a dual-basket air fryer, and handles on both sides make it easy to move to and from storage. We didn’t expect its glass double doors to make much difference, but we preferred them to the standard door for accessing and monitoring food. You can clean its chrome-plated trays in the dishwasher, but their size may require hand-washing. A crumb tray at the bottom of the machine helps with cleanup, too.
Temperature Range: 85 to 165°F | Weight: 18.3 pounds | Dimensions: 17.32 x 12.2 x 20.67 inches | Trays: 6 | Cleaning: Dishwasher-safe parts
PHOTO: Amazon
If you’re not ready to sacrifice counter space for a food dehydrator, consider the Cosori Premium Mini. At just 8.75 inches tall, it’s the smallest model we tested and can easily fit under a cabinet. It’s also the only dehydrator we tested that has presets for jerky, fruit, vegetables, and yogurt, which simplifies the process for beginners. Following a recipe? The Mini also has controls to set a timer for 30-minute increments and the temperature in 1-degree increments. If it overheats, a safety mechanism automatically shuts it off. With that said, the bottom of the machine does get hot, so you’ll want to wait for it to cool before you move it.
As for results, we didn’t find much difference between the Mini and other models. The jerky had more crunch and less tenderness than we’d like, but we were still pleased with how it turned out. Cleaning it was easy, as its five stainless steel trays are dishwasher-safe. The mesh screen and fruit roll sheet need hand-washing, but we had no trouble scrubbing off traces of food with a soft brush and warm, soapy water. Finally, we didn’t notice the noise any more than an air conditioning unit.
Temperature Range: 95 to 176°F | Weight: 10.8 pounds | Dimensions: 8.9 x 11.3 x 13.9 inches | Trays: 5 | Cleaning: Dishwasher-safe parts
PHOTO: Amazon
For a simple, plug-and-play dehydrator, consider the Nesco Snackmaster. With a 14-inch diameter and 11-inch height, it’s a mid-sized model that won’t hog countertop or cabinet space. It comes with five trays, but it can hold up to 12 trays with separate purchases ($15 at Amazon). We found round trays were less efficient to load than rectangular ones, but they stack and fit together well. They’re also top-rack dishwasher-safe.
We found pros and cons to the Snackmaster’s streamlined design. It has temperature recommendations for different foods printed on the lid, but the temperature gauge isn’t as precise as others. It also doesn’t have a timer or safety features. It packs its controls, motor, and fan into a lid that snaps on top of the trays, with a handle to lift it. This means the air flows from top to bottom, but we didn’t notice any inconsistencies in our results. It was slower to dry herbs than others, but we liked the fruit leather’s chew and found the jerky tender with a nice pull.
Temperature Range: 95 to 160°F | Weight: 7.7 pounds | Dimensions: 13 x 10 inches | Trays: 5, holds up to 12 | Cleaning: Dishwasher-safe parts
The Tests
To find the best dehydrators on the market, we tested six top-performing dehydrators, based on our previous tests. Following the instructions for each, we dried herbs, made beef jerky, and made fruit leather. For the herbs, we used fresh thyme springs; for the jerky, beef round steak with beer, sauces, and seasoning; and for the fruit leather, blueberries with lemon juice and sugar. During the testing process, we took note of the following.
Performance: We looked for food dehydrators that could heat quickly and evenly. We recorded temperatures at three spots inside the dehydrators (to the left, at the center, and to the right), looking for accuracy and consistency during the dehydrating process. And, of course, the ultimate test was whether foods dehydrated properly.Ease of Use: If getting started with a dehydrator is difficult, you may not want to use it as often. We appreciated dehydrators we could use basically out of the box, with minimal setup and easy-to-follow instructions.Ease of Cleaning: Dishwasher-safe parts make a dehydrator much easier it is to clean, so we rated dishwasher-friendly models higher than those that required hand-washing.Design: We assessed various design elements, including the position of the fan, ventilation holes on the trays, the temperature dial and range, presets, safety features, and the overall capacity.Noise Level: Dehydrators can be noisy because of their built-in fans, so we rated the noise level by playing a song with the machine on. Could we still hear the song clearly with the dehydrator running or did it muffle the music? Was it loud enough to remind us of a noise machine?
Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore
Factors to Consider
Airflow
“Because airflow is key to success, look for dehydrators that allow enough space for the trays,” says Ward. “What makes dehydration work is time, airflow, and heat. If you add extra layers or overcrowd the trays, you impede the airflow and overtax the heat capacity, resulting in uneven dehydrating and, in the worst case, bacterial activity before sufficient moisture is removed.” This is something to bear in mind with the Nesco Gardenmaster: If you buy extra trays, make sure you aren’t overcrowding your food.
Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore
Heating Elements
“A high-quality dehydrator must have a fan to ensure airflow throughout the machine,” Ward says. “People are often surprised to see that the heating element in many models is a lightbulb. Dehydrators work because circulated heat evaporates the moisture in the food. However, cheap models without a fan can still work much more slowly and inconsistently, and usually only once before the heating element burns out,” she says.
Rear-mounted heating elements are ideal for even temperature and air distribution, according to Ward. If you decide to go with a model that has a top or bottom heating element, you’ll want to rotate the trays occasionally for even drying, according to Ward, who would opt for a model with the heating element on top (if not at the back of the machine).
Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore
Size and Capacity
Of course, you’ll want to consider the footprint of a dehydrator and how it will fit in your kitchen. Even if you have the space for a larger model, do you need a large capacity? Smaller models would work for a one- or two-person household, but families may prefer a larger model, like the Magic Mill.
Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore
Other Food Dehydrators We Tested
Strong Contenders
Cosori Food Dehydrator ($136 at Amazon)
This mid-sized food dehydrator is 12.25 inches tall and can fit in a cabinet or on a countertop with a shelf overhead. Like the Excalibur, it weighs 18 pounds and has handles for easy lifting, but it has a smaller capacity with 6.5 square feet of drying space. This Cosori gave us consistent results from tray to tray, but we were disappointed with the hard, dry texture of the jerky. It also doesn’t have presets, and we wish it let us change the time and temperature settings after it starts.
Nesco Gardenmaster Food Dehydrator ($131 at Amazon)
Using the four included trays keeps the Gardenmaster more compact, but for bigger dehydrating projects, you can expand it up to 20 trays. It also remains cool to the touch during operation, and the machine is easily opened with a handle on the lid. While the Gardenmaster is great for produce, our jerky results were disappointing. Also, the round trays mean that longer stalks of herbs will need to be cut into pieces to dry efficiently. Though the plastic trays are said to be dishwasher-safe, we removed them before the drying cycle.
Food & Wine/Russell Kilgore
Presto Dehydro Digital Electric Food Dehydrator ($95 at Amazon)
The trays fit nicely together, and fingertip handles help give you a more confident grip as you add and remove them. Ultimately, it didn’t make our list because it wasn’t as effective at handling fruit leather as some other models. The leather itself had ridges in it because of the shape of the trays, and it stuck to the tray, making cleaning more difficult.
Gourmia Premium Electric Food Dehydrator Machine ($190 at Gourmia)
Though a small machine with a small footprint, the capacity felt better/larger than some of the other small models. It also dried fairly evenly, more so than many compact models we tested. In all, the controls are very basic, and we didn’t like that the racks are not dishwasher safe.
L’Equip FilterPro 6 Tray Food Dehydrator ($149 at Amazon)
This medium-sized machine with a medium footprint has a larger capacity than some of the compact models we tested. Unlike some models, it is entirely opaque, so you can’t check on your food without entirely opening the dehydrator to see inside. The trays are also not dishwasher-safe and would be hard to clean in a smaller sink, and we noted that this dehydrator also does not dry as evenly as some others.
Aroma Housewares Professional 6 Tray Food Dehydrator ($150 at Aroma Housewares)
This dehydrator is quieter than some other models, and we found its trays were easier to wash by hand than some models. The trays slide out nicely, and the holes in the trays are well-spaced. We did not include this model because it only has a temperature gauge and does not have a timer.
Tribest Sedona Digital Food Dehydrator ($550 at Amazon)
The Tribest is easy to use and efficient with a very quiet motor. It’s significantly more expensive than others on our list, though. It has a large capacity, and we’d have no problem leaving it out on our countertops to display its streamlined design. It’s taller than it is wide, so it may not fit inside some cabinets if you do wish to store it. We loved it for fruit leather, which peeled off in one piece without any sticking or cracking.
Samson “Silent” Dehydrator ($145 at Amazon)
We loved the Samson’s design, ease of use, and quiet operation. Though it is a bit harder to clean than other models, we found it made delicious snacks from whatever fruit and vegetable we threw at it. It’s not too tall, so it can fit easily into a cabinet. It’s harder to clean than some of our other top picks, however, as the metal racks have some crevices and ridges and are not dishwasher-safe.
What Didn’t Make the List
Testing 25 food dehydrators, some inevitably don’t make our list, including models from brands like Cuisinart and Hamilton Beach. With some dehydrators, we were unsatisfied with the control panel or design elements, while others took too long to dry or were too difficult to clean. A few were uneven in their drying, gave us safety concerns, or were simply too complicated or bulky to be considered top performers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the benefits of using a food dehydrator?
Dehydrating food helps to reduce moisture, which prevents spoilage, thus preserving your food. “Other benefits are ease of storage and transportation,” says Ward. Some foods, like dried peas or mushrooms, are not necessarily meant to be eaten as-is but rather to be used as ingredients. In these cases, added to a soup or another dish and rehydrated. “Finally, there are end-use foods that can be prepared with dehydration. Jerky, of course, but the very popular fruit roll-ups with kids are easily made at home. And with less added sugars and no chemical preservatives,” says Ward.
What foods can you make in a dehydrator?
“Dehydrators are fantastic for making fruit leathers and jerkies and dehydrated fruits into chips, like bananas, pineapples, apples, strawberries, and pears,” says Ward. “Fruits and vegetables can also be chopped and dehydrated together for specific uses. Mixed berries can all be done together, then stored, then added by the handful to yogurt, cereals, whatever! One of the more useful things to make is dehydrated mirepoix. You can make a batch that will last for an entire soup season without having to chop vegetables each time,” she says.
“Vegetables like green beans, shucked peas, shucked corn, and sliced or cubed potatoes can also be dehydrated and stored for future reconstitution. Keep in mind that the reconstituted vegetables will not have the same mouthfeel as fresh ones, so dehydrated and reconstituted items are best used as an ingredient for a recipe that will be cooked or baked, like soups, stews, and casseroles,” says Ward.
“Dried herbs, of course. Again, you can make spice blends with dehydrated leaves or take it a step further and grind the dehydrated leaves into a powder. Also useful is dehydrating a fruit or vegetable completely, then grinding it into a powder. A great way to add a ka-pow of extra flavor to whatever. Add powdered tomato to red sauce and powdered apple to pie. And my favorite workaround for canning pumpkin butter: dehydrate pumpkin, grind it to powder, add spices as wished, then add to apple sauce and cook,” says Ward.
How long do dehydrated foods last?
“The key to keeping dehydrated foods is storing the item in an air-tight container. The longer you keep out the air and moisture, the longer the food lasts. Dried foods should also be kept in a cool-ish (meaning temperature consistent) dark space. The official recommendation from the Center for Home Food Preservation is one year,” says Ward says.
“One technical thing you may want to note is that storage length is also determined by how much moisture is left in the food item. We don’t tend to dry beef jerky until 100% moisture is gone – enough to keep it safe but enough moisture remaining to transmit flavors and make it chewy. Everyone is a little different as to what kind of mouthfeel they like. The general rule: the more moisture the food has, the shorter the shelf life,” she says.
Some storage ideas include canning jars with any type of screw-on lid, double-row zip-top plastic bags, and tight-fitting lidded plastic or glass containers.
Our Expertise
Julia Skinner, Ph.D., is a writer, culinary educator, avid gardener, and food preserver, and author of Our Fermented Lives. She writes about and teaches fermentation and food preservation through her business, Root, and through her newsletter.
Mary Claire Lagroue is the Commerce Editor at Food & Wine. A former Associate Editor at Allrecipes, she joined Dotdash Meredith in 2019. She has written about food since 2017, covering product reviews, restaurants, and recipes.
Christina Ward is an author, editor, and the Master Food Preserver for Wisconsin. She is the author of Preservation: The Art and Science of Canning, Fermentation, and Dehydration.
