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Hungry for homemade snacks? We researched dozens of food dehydrators, purchasing the 12 most promising models available today for rigorous in-house testing. We then delve into temperature accuracy, ease of use, and aesthetics. The models in our fleet run the gamut of price, tray space, and configuration. Whether your need for food dehydration is infrequent and you're in the market for something small, or are a connoisseur and need as much tray space as you can get, the results of our investigation are organized to make accurate and straightforward comparisons.
Here at GearLab, we pride ourselves on our expertise on the best home appliances. With more than five dozen kitchen categories, you can trust that we've spent hundreds of hours blending, baking, frying, and toasting to find the products that are the very best. From the best air fryers, top-ranked pressure cookers, the best griddles, and the best juicers, you can rely on us for world-class testing.
Editor's Note: Our food dehydrator review was updated on August 2, 2024, to include a machine from Magic Mill. We also added more specs to our award section and included an expanded section on how we test these products.
External Dimensions: 13 x 18 x 14" | Internal Capacity: 7.6 sq ft
REASONS TO BUY
Well-designed metal trays
Quiet fan
Easy to operate
REASONS TO AVOID
Temp settings in 10ºF increments
Alert tone quite loud
SPECIFICATIONS
Number of Trays
7
Tray Dimensions
13" x 12"
Temperature Range
95-165 F
Tray Material
Stainless steel
Power Consumption
480W
The sleek Magic Mill combines a modern digital interface with an understated matte black finish. The well-thought-out metal tray design allows for 7.6 square feet of food processing space, and there is a transparent door that enables you to monitor the progress. The temperature settings are reasonably accurate, and the modest footprint won't eat up too much counter space. Moreover, it produces consistent and quality dried goods, and cleaning up this model is easy peasy.
There are a few downsides of the Magic Mill worth mentioning. The temperature can only be adjusted in 10-degree increments, and we found the timer's beep loud and somewhat obnoxious. However, the machine is very quiet during operation. Finally, consider the amount of space you need from a food dehydrator. This one has an average amount of dehydrating real estate but is likely too small if frequent bulk dehydration is your goal. Still, we think this machine has the best combination of function and features when looked at as a whole.
External Dimensions: 19" x 17" x 12.5" | Internal Capacity: 15 sq ft
REASONS TO BUY
Huge internal capacity
Easy to clean trays
Consistent food outcomes
REASONS TO AVOID
Imprecise time and temperature knobs
Interior is hard to clean
Expensive
SPECIFICATIONS
Number of Trays
9
Tray Dimensions
15" x 15"
Temperature Range
105-165 F
Tray Material
Plastic
Power Consumption
440W
The highly-regarded Excalibur 3926TB has copious tray space and a roomy cabinet, making it one of the largest machines we tested. This square footage is a luxury for cooks requiring high-volume food preservation. The mesh-lined trays can be removed and soaked or scrubbed in the sink or dishwasher, which significantly aids in the cleanup of sticky food bits. More importantly, this model produced consistently positive results for texture, evenness, and flavor across our test foods. This is largely due to the 3926TB's relatively accurate temperatures, particularly at the high and low ends of the temperature range.
The tray space the Excalibur 3926TB offers is a boon to the high-volume cook, but the external dimensions can be an issue for folks with limited storage space. We also found the rough texture on the plastic interior is difficult to wipe down, complicating cleanup. Finally, the markings on the knobs are imprecise, which might explain some of the inaccuracies we noticed in the middle-temperature ranges. Downsides aside, the 3926TB is a noble option for both intensive and casual dehydrating. If you don't want to fork over this much cash, consider the Presto 06301 Dehydro, which offers totally decent dehydrating performance at a more affordable price.
External Dimensions: 12.5" x 22" x 3.5" | Internal Capacity: 15 sq ft
REASONS TO BUY
Ingenius folding design
Tiny storage size
Runs quiet
Relatively easy to use
REASONS TO AVOID
Conversion takes time
Expensive
SPECIFICATIONS
Number of Trays
7
Tray Dimensions
21" x 31"
Temperature Range
86-165 F
Tray Material
Stainless steel
Power Consumption
750W
For those who want their food dehydrator completely out of sight while not in use, Brod & Taylor has devised a spectacular design for their Saraha Folding model. While in storage mode, it takes up one-third of the space of its operating size. It easily converts between storage and operating modes with a few quick and easy adjustments. Considering all of the Sahara's functions and settings, our team found this appliance to be simple to operate. An integrated air filter helps keep contaminants off your food, and this model is especially quiet while running.
Even though we love the innovative collapsible construction of the Brod & Taylor Sahara Folding, converting it adds extra steps that other models don't require. There is no reason to go with a folding version if you use your food dehydrator often and don't mind it permanently living on your countertop. The high price will also put a dent in your wallet. Therefore, we suggest looking at other contenders if you're shopping on a budget. Despite the cost, we highly recommend this model for those who want a full-sized food dehydrator with a much smaller storage size. If you have the storage space, the Tribest Sedona SDE-S6780-B is another premium model, but it's rather pricey.
The Sahara Folding is quiet, easy to use, and stores in a fraction of its operating size.
Credit: Austin Palmer
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How We Test Food Dehydrators
Our thorough testing process began with the purchase of the best dehydrators on the market. We then ran racks of beef, tomatoes, bananas, apple slices, apple sauce (to make fruit leather), and fresh herbs through each model. These practical applications allow us to assess the dehydrated foods and the consistency of the results, in addition to the accuracy of the dehydrators' internal temperatures, the difficulty of cleaning, and the ease of use. We hope this review will motivate you to pick up one of these machines and delve into this timeless food processing method.
Our dehydrator testing is divided into four rating metrics:
Dehydrating (25% of overall score weighting)
Temperature Accuracy (25% weighting)
Ease of Cleaning (25% weighting)
Ease of Use (25% weighting)
Why Trust GearLab
Our research analyst Michelle Powell brings more than ten years of professional culinary experience to the table in her analysis of food processing appliances. Senior Review Editor Nick Miley has spent several years working in university laboratories engaging in original research and writing about the findings. Nick is an avid cook who enjoys baking and preserving food. Lastly, our jack-of-all-trades Ross Patton has tested, photographed, and written about an array of products ranging from power tools to electronics, including kitchen appliances such as hand blenders and popcorn poppers.
BPA (Bisphenol A)
In recent years, BPA has become an increasing concern for many consumers. While the FDA maintains that BPA is safe in food contact materials, many manufacturers have responded to the apprehension of their customers by avoiding materials containing the chemical. All of the dehydrators in this review have BPA-free trays. The Magic Mill, Cosori, Presto, and Hamilton Beach models are completely constructed of BPA-free materials.
From left to right: the Nurtichef PKFD12, the Presto 06301 Dehydro with trays nested for storage, and the unique metal racks of the Cosori Food Dehydrator Machine.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Analysis and Test Results
At the most basic level, a dehydrator is an enclosed space containing racks or trays, a heating element, and a fan. Within this basic design are two categories of dehydrators: shelf dehydrators and stackable dehydrators. Shelf dehydrators look like a box with racks that slide in and out. A stackable dehydrator features trays that fit one on top of the other with a lid enclosing the unit. The Magic Mill is an example of the shelf style, while the Nesco models are an example of the stacked design.
The unique shape of the Hamilton Beach makes wiping down the machine a piece of cake.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
There are variations among these products in the user interface, cleaning ease, capacity, and temperature accuracy. Your goals, including frequency and what you intend to dehydrate, will determine the importance of these elements. We will look at all these considerations in detail below. While you read the following, consider how much space you want to dedicate to storing your dehydrator. In our opinion, many models will not look aesthetically pleasing on a countertop, and even those with a sleeker look will take up a lot of counter space.
What's the Best Value?
With food dehydrators, we have found that it is often the case to find a range of performance for a range of prices. The Magic Mill takes the cake for a mid-size dehydrator and rings in at an acceptable price for such high performance. If you're willing to spend a few extra dollars for some specific features, the Excalibur 3926TB is best for those looking to run large batches, and the Brod & Taylor Sahara Folding collapses to one-third of its operational size for storing. If you're shopping for a food dehydrator on a budget, the Presto 06301 Dehydro showed commendable performance at a fraction of the price of the top-scoring models. The Nesco models also perform decently for an affordable price.
Dehydrating
For most, it's not enough to desiccate food so that it won't spoil.
Good dehydration is a delicate process that leaves just enough moisture in the food to make it easy and enjoyable to eat while preserving it for the long term. It should be noted that there are some important food safety considerations provided by the USDA that need to be understood before dehydrating meat. With these good practices in mind, let's dig into the food.
Tomatoes require more moisture than some other dehydrated foods. Accurate temp and time are critical in producing a palatable finished product.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
To evaluate the dehydration process's final product, we made fruit leather, tomatoes, herbs, and beef jerky using the times and temperatures recommended by each manufacturer. These foods require different methods of preparation, temperature settings, and timing. We had a panel of tasters evaluate each dehydrator's final product for texture, evenness, and flavor. We also recorded each recipe's completion time and compared that to the time listed in the manual. Often, some tweaking of the period of dehydration was required, resulting in a disparity between the manual's recommendation and the actual time required.
Don't waste your money on inferior store-bought herbs! Preserve your own.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
The Excalibur 3926TB, the Magic Mill, Presto 06301 Dehydro, and the Nutrichef PKFD12 are standouts in the category. They produced evenly dehydrated, tasty morsels across all food types using the manufacturer's recommended time and temperature settings.
The Brod & Taylor Sahara Folding showed fantastic results during our tomato dehydrating assessment.
Credit: Genaveve Bradshaw
Scoring just behind the top models for this metric is the Brod & Taylor Sahara Folding. Considering the collapsible design, we half-expected this device to fall behind in performance, but this was not the case.
To review these appliances, our team conducted a true side-by-side analysis using the same types of food in the same environment on the same day.
Credit: Genaveve Bradshaw
Temperature Accuracy
A dehydrator's temperature accuracy is not just the ability to precisely set a digital interface to a specific number. Temperature accuracy means that the number on the interface accurately represents the machine's internal temperature.
It seems obvious, yet the results varied greatly from one model to the next upon testing. We selected temperature settings of 100, 115, 130, and 160 degrees Fahrenheit (all common dehydrating temperatures) on each machine and placed a thermometer inside. Except for the Chefman 6 Tray Digital, which ran cool, all the other models displaying deviations consistently ran hot.
Temperature accuracy and consistency are critical for high-quality outcomes.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
The Presto and the Cosori demonstrated the greatest accuracy within the class. The Cosori never varied more than three degrees from the set temperature. Scoring just behind these models were the NESCO Snackmaster Pro and the Magic Mill Food Dehydrator.
The Magic Mill was one of the more accurate models during our assessment.
Credit: Laura Casner
Even though it has several areas that you might think would lose some heat, as well as glass doors, the Brod & Taylor Sahara Folding also showed a large degree of accuracy.
We were pleasantly surprised to find that the Sahara temperatures were relatively accurate even though the entire device can be collapsed into a storage mode.
Credit: Austin Palmer
Ease of Cleaning
Often culinary activities require more prep and cleanup than actual cooking. While prep can be enjoyable, cleaning is rarely described as such.
Dehydrators have a lot of nooks and crannies, trays, and liners. Moreover, the slow dehydration process provides ample time for the food to drip, thicken, and harden into these spaces. If your dehydrator takes too much time and effort to clean, you might find it collecting dust in the pantry. To help inform your decision, we thoroughly analyzed the cleanup process for each machine.
Stackable models are easy to disassemble and clean, since you don't have to reach inside the body of a machine to wipe it down.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
We ran a variety of food through these machines during our testing process, giving us plenty of opportunities to clean sticky substances from them. We found that models like the Nutrichef and Hamilton Beach 32100A are easiest to clean since the trays comprise the body of the dehydrator, and you can unstack them to disassemble the appliance. As a result, there are no tight corners that are hard to wipe out.
The inevitable cleanup is an annoying but necessary part of using a dehydrator.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Of those models with metal trays, the Brod & Taylor Sahara Folding had the easiest ones to clean. Scoring closely behind the Sahara in the metal tray division for this metric was the Magic Mill.
The metal trays on the Brod & Taylor Sahara Folding model are exceptionally easy to clean.
Credit: Genaveve Bradshaw
Ease of Use
For our purposes, ease of use specifically refers to the user interface, cooking capacity in the form of square footage, and tray design. A few dehydrators stood out with simple and intuitive temperature and timer controls.
Our favorite models for this metric are the Brod & Taylor Sahara Folding, the Magic Mill, and the Tribest Sedona SDE-S6780-B. The Sahara features a soft rubbery wheel for adjusting time and temperature and buttons for the rest of the controls.
The temperature and time on the Sahara are adjusted by a large, grippy wheel.
Credit: Austin Palmer
Both the Sedona and the Magic Mill feature digital displays. The Sedona also features an interior light and some innovative features, such as dehydrating intensity that can be controlled in intervals.
The Sedona features an easy-to-read digital display on the user interface.
Credit: Genaveve Bradshaw
Some models, like the Nutrichef, are quite simple to use — in this case, all you have to do is plug it in and flip a switch. However, this streamlined start-up process comes at the cost of a timer and thermostat; the user must time the process manually. On the other hand, models like the Excalibur 3926TB have dial adjustments for temperature and time. While knobs get the job done, they lack the degree of accuracy provided when you can fine-tune a digital interface to precise specifications.
Healthy snacks don't have to give you sticker shock! Make them at home for a fraction of the cost.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
If you're looking for a food dehydrator with ample cooking area, the Excalibur 3926TB and Brod & Taylor Sahara Folding offer 15 square feet of total tray space. The Tribest Sedona SDE-S6780-B is not far behind at 9.9 square feet.
The Tribest Sedona offers nearly ten square feet of total cooking area.
Credit: Genaveve Bradshaw
While temperature and timing are crucial for achieving the desired edible outcomes when purchasing a dehydrator, a good tray design can determine how easily we reap those rewards. We discovered that the effort put into preparing and drying food is all for nothing if the food sticks to or falls through the tray. Trays with removable mesh screens are best for dealing with sticky or adhered food because they can flex and roll, breaking the bond between the tray and food. The Magic Mill is a prime example of an easy-to-use mesh-lined tray.
The Magic Mill is one of the easiest models to use that we've ever tested.
Credit: Laura Casner
Conclusion
Preserving food with dehydration is cost-effective, nutritious, and rewarding. If you are looking for a machine to achieve these ends, the above review lists several options to meet budget and space constraints. More than that, we isolate the models that are easier to use and clean. We had a great time testing these machines — including scarfing down all the snacks we made. We hope that our work helps you find your way through the dehydrator selection process and on to reaping some tasty rewards. Bon appetit!
—
Ross Patton, Nick Miley, Michelle Powell, Genaveve Bradshaw
