Cosori Food Dehydrator Machine Review
Our Verdict
Compare to Similar Products
This Product Cosori Food Dehydrator Machine | |||||
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Awards | Best Mid-Size Food Dehydrator | ||||
Price | $160 List $159.99 at Amazon | $190 List $149.99 at Amazon | $110 List $94.99 at Amazon | $70 List $79.99 at Amazon | $60 List $50.98 at Amazon |
Overall Score | |||||
Star Rating | |||||
Bottom Line | This precision average capacity dehydrator has a sleek, modern look | The unit's digital interface, transparent door, and metal trays make it a go-to for most home kitchens | A quality dehydrator for the space conscious consumer | This unique dehydrator has ample tray space in a rectangular, stackable format; it also has simple controls and is easy to clean | A simple machine that has two settings, is easy to clean, and is very inexpensive |
Rating Categories | Cosori Machine | Magic Mill Food Deh... | Presto 06301 Dehydro | Hamilton Beach 32100A | Nutrichef PKFD12 |
Dehydrating (25%) | |||||
Temperature Accuracy (25%) | |||||
Ease of Cleaning (25%) | |||||
Ease of Use (25%) | |||||
Specs | Cosori Machine | Magic Mill Food Deh... | Presto 06301 Dehydro | Hamilton Beach 32100A | Nutrichef PKFD12 |
Tray Dimensions | 12" x 13" | 13" x 12" | 15" diameter | 10.5" x 13" | 12" diameter |
Number of Trays | 6 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 |
Temperature Range | 95-165 F | 95-165 F | 90-165 F | 100-160 F | Max 180 F |
Tray Material | Stainless steel | Stainless steel | Plastic | Plastic | Plastic |
Power Consumption | 600W | 480W | 750W | 500W | 250W |
Capacity | 6 sq ft | 7.6 sq ft | 3.25 sq ft | 3.75 sq ft | 3.25 sq ft |
Outside Dimensions | 13.4" x 17.8" x 12.4" | 18" x 14" x 13" | 14.5" x 15" x 7.25" | 10.5" x 13" x 11" | 12" x 7.5" x 13" |
Our Analysis and Test Results
Performance Comparison
Quality and Consistency
We define quality by the texture, evenness, and flavor of the final dehydrated product. With the exception of beef jerky, the Cosori produced high-quality dehydrated food in our testing. While our beef jerky issues would likely be resolved by tweaking the recipe, the fruit and veggies came out tasty, evenly dehydrated, and had an appealing mouthfeel. This was the result time and again in our testing iterations.
Easy and Accurate
The Cosori has an intuitive three-button temperature and timing set-up with a numeric readout. Our tests indicate that, across a wide range, the internal temperature almost exactly matches the setting values. This contributes significantly to the quality and consistency discussed above.
Clean-Up
Generally speaking, dehydrators are a bit of a pain to clean. The food has time to drip and conceal, and it's all happening in a contained space that can be challenging to remove depending on the internal shape of the dehydrator. Not so with this machine. Our tester was delighted with how easy it is to guide food bits and juices out of the stainless steel interior. The one catch is that the wire racks have some food adherence issues. Fortunately, the racks can be removed, soaked, and scrubbed.
Value
The Cosori is not an inexpensive machine. However, it is easy to use, easy to clean, delivers quality foods, and looks nice. As such, we would describe this product as being worth the money spent.
Conclusion
Many of the dehydrators in this review have a plain look, but not the Cosori. This machine sports brushed steel with black plastic trim. Offering more than just an attractive exterior, this model produces quality dehydrated food. As such, it may earn a permanent place on your kitchen countertop. Despite some of the recipe issues and the difficulty of cleaning the metal trays, the Cosori is a solid product. If the average tray square footage and external dimensions meet your needs, you can't do much better.