10 Best Food Dehydrators for 2023

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An excellent—and inexpensive—way to make dried snacks at home, without preservatives.

Food trends come and go, but dehydrating fresh fruit, vegetables, and meat at home for future consumption is one of the oldest home crafts in existence. If you haven’t caught wind of the food dehydrating trend, the countertop appliance is a cost-effective way to make snacks with high nutritional value, minus the preservatives and additives found in some store-bought items. Dehydrating food retains vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and antioxidants in fruit, veggies, herbs, meat, and more. Cook up a batch of banana chips for the kids, dried strawberries to sprinkle in your morning cereal, and even beef jerky for the dog. Plus, it allows you to leverage and preserve the flavor and nutrition of your favorite fruits and veg at their peak of ripeness.

Food dehydrators allow you to store summer fruits in winter, and generally cut down on food waste. We sought out the best and most space-efficient dehydrators at the market at range of price points. Whether you’re a food dehydrating newbie or if you want to upgrade to a larger unit with more features, read on for our top recommendations.

A food dehydrator is a big purchase (often, literally). Think carefully about how often you’re going to use it, where you’re going to store it, and what you’re going to use it for. That will dictate how large it can be, what kind of temperature range you’re going to need, and how much you’re willing to spend. For more detailed thoughts on what you should be thinking about, read on.

If this is your first experience dehydrating food, you may want to start with an inexpensive, basic model for $75 or less, with minimal features. We suggest going for something compact enough that can be stored in a cabinet, with 5 trays and an adjustable timer. Some small units are designed to add additional trays sold separately, so you can make more of what you like.

Power is an important consideration, and there are small models on the market with 500 or 600 watts, often more than larger, more expensive options.

For those who want to take dehydrating to the next level and make bigger batches, with a model that has more trays, glass doors, and advanced features like dual automatic timers and temperature settings, keep in mind that many take up considerable counter space.

Every food dehydrator we write about below has average customer ratings of 4.2 stars or more. During our research, we read up on the benefits of dehydrating food and the most essential features to consider, plus consulted expert sources, including Good Housekeeping and Wirecutter. We offer everything from basic models to those with special features as mentioned above, along with options across price points, from budget-friendly options starting at roughly $65 and near-professional grade models upwards of $500.

For more great culinary gear, check out our top picks for smart ovens, electric griddles, and cast-iron skillets.

This food dehydrator is excellent for drying fruit and veggies, as well as making beef jerky and dried fruit rolls for the kids—all at the same time thanks to its impressive 1,000 watts of power and ability to hold up to 20 trays at once. (It comes with 4 trays with extras sold separately.)

The trays have screen inserts to keep food from falling though them, as it dries evenly to perfection. The only downside is that it doesn't have an automatic timer or shut off. A 1-year warranty is included with every purchase. Reviewers love how the dehydrator “looks,” it’s “large capacity,” and how “quietly” and “effectively” it works.

For something with a lower price tag and solid performance, this entry-level Cosori food dehydrator is well worth considering. It's just as straightforward to use as the Nesco above, but unlike our top choice, it features a digital display and automatic timer that ranges from 30 minutes to 48 hours for slow-cooking.

There's also a memory function that automatically calibrates to your last settings, the trays are BPA-free, plus it doesn't take up too much counter space. The main drawback is that you're limited to five trays, though its capacity is in line with the price. This dehydrator also comes with 50 recipes! Reviewers “love” this “super quiet” machine, saying it works well and “clean up is a snap.”

With a little more to spend, Chefman's food dehydrator is a major step up, designed like a mini oven so you can keep tabs on your dried fruit, veggies, and meats without opening the glass door.

Highlights among its features include a digital display with 14 preset temperature settings, a countdown timer up to nearly 20 hours, and 6 BPA-free plastic trays. Its temperature range is slightly shorter by a few degrees at the high end than all the other food dehydrators. Reviewers say this dehydrator is a “great investment” for “long-term food storage,” praising its usefulness and “sleek” design.

More than 86% of reviewers on Amazon give this dehydrator 5 out 5 stars, and it’s easy to see why. Its black and textured stainless steel design has an attractive, professional-grade look, and it features 600 watts of power.

There's also a timer that can be set in 30-minute increments up to 48 hours, plus it's ultra-quiet with a 48-decibel rating, and 6 dishwasher-safe BPA-free trays. It also comes with a cookbook of 50 recipes for everything from dog treats to jerky to yogurt. Reviewers call this dehydrator a “dream,” dub it “easy to use,” “quiet,” and “easy to clean.”

There's a lot to like about this food dehydrator, which features 9 wide BPA-free trays and 15 square feet of drying space, along with a 26-hour timer and an adjustable thermostat. It comes with flexible polyurethane screens inserts for trays to prevent fruit and veggies from sticking, plus a horizontal airflow system that's said to speed up the drying process.

Overall, it's a high-quality machine with an average 4.6 stars from more than 3,150 customers, but there isn't a glass door, which may be a dealbreaker for some. Reviewers say they love this “fast and easy” machine, and that they will “never pay for beef jerky again.”

This superb food dehydrator offers the best of both words for high capacity and ultra-slim storage. Made by Brod & Taylor, it folds up into a rectangle not much bigger than a laptop, but has 7 stainless steel trays and 11 square feet of drying space, plus 750 watts of power.

It features dual glass doors, a washable and reusable filter, plus dual automatic timer and temperature control functions, each with a max 99-hour setting to equal nearly 200 hours of continuous operation. There's also a nylon zippered case for storage. More than 83% of reviewers on Amazon give this dehydrator 5 out of 5 stars, saying it is “easy to set up,” “works well,” “saves space,” and is “convenient.”

If you're ready food dehydrating 2.0, this model is well worth the investment. It's certainly on the expensive side, priced at roughly $550 at the time of this writing, but it features 11 stainless steel trays and a hinged glass door with an internal LED light. There's also a two-stage timer that automatically starts the cooking process at a high temperature and lowers it at the end of the cycle.

Other highlights include overheat protection, a washable and reusable filter, and a 10-year warranty. It's tall at 17.5 inches high, which may be an issue for some with low cabinets, but it's narrow, with a 12 by 14–inch footprint. Reviewers love this “excellent” dehydrator, saying it’s “fantastic,” with some people even using it to whip up recipes for their “jerky” businesses.

For those who've never dehydrated food and want to give it a shot, the Nesco Snackmaster is your best bet. It's well-priced and simple to operate, with few bells and whistles reflected in the cost.

Its major calling card is that it features 600 watts of power—making it a standout for the price—plus it's expandable, with up to seven trays to stack sold separately. It doesn't take up a ton of counter space, and there's a handle that makes it easy to move and store. There's also an adjustable thermostat, the trays are BPA-free, and it comes with a recipe booklet to get you started, but there's no programmable timer. This dehydrator is a workhorse too: it distributes heat evenly and consistently, drying food four times faster than other dehydrators.

If you don't have a lot of counter space and want a food dehydrator to make smaller batches of snacks, look no further than this option. It has a small footprint and it's reasonably priced, and though it may have less capacity than other picks with 5 trays, it features 500 watts of power.

Other highlights among features include a 48-hour timer with auto shutoff and adjustable digital thermostat, plus it comes with a recipe book, but there's only one mesh sheet for drying things like herbs. Reviewers say the instructions are “easy to follow,” it’s “easy to clean,” and that the finished products look “prettier” than expected.

If you’re looking for a food dehydrator that can take on any project—from mushrooms, to meat, to dog treats—look no further! The rear-mounted fan creates superior heat distribution, drying a variety of food evenly and faster than comparable machines.

The digital thermostat and auto-shutoff means you can get the job done without babysitting your machine. These shelves are easy to clean, BPA-free, and dishwasher safe. More than 82% of reviewers give this dehydrator 5 out of 5 stars on Amazon. Reviewers say it’s “perfect,” “well-built,” and “works great.”

Rachel Klein is a Senior Commerce Editor for Popular Mechanics, where she writes about everything from garden hose reels and patio furniture to mesh wifi systems and robot vacuums. She started her career as a daily newspaper reporter and was a travel editor for more than a decade before she started testing and reviewing luggage, noise-cancelling headphones, and other travel-related products. Fast-forward another five years and her area of expertise includes home decor, appliances, tech, and outdoor adventure gear. In her spare time, you'll find her planning her next trip, reading historical fiction, and seeing as much art as she can squeeze into a weekend.

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