7 Best Food Dehydrators to Make Dried Fruit, Jerky and More in 2023

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Best Overall Food Dehydrator

Cosori Food Dehydrator

Topping our list, the Cosori food dehydrator is our favorite model because of its sleek stainless steel frame, multi-rack interior and relatively small footprint that makes it suitable for countertops. You can set it to work in 30-minute increments for up to 48 hours, and it includes six stainless steel trays, a mesh screen, a fruit roll sheet and more.

It offers precision drying from 95 to 165 degrees Fahrenheit, which makes it an excellent beginner-friendly choice. Also, it’s one of the most affordable multi-level models on the market (and a top gift for high-tech chefs!).

“I’ve honestly fallen in love with this dehydrator,” writes Scott White, a verified Amazon purchaser and one of the over 13,500 five-star reviewers. “I love making beef jerky, and honestly this is the best machine for the batches I do. No weird smells, easy enough cleaning and nearly perfectly even dehydration from front to back.”

Pros

• Six stainless steel trays (10 tray option also available)
• Attractive on the countertop
• Beginner-friendly
• Mesh screen, fruit roll sheet and recipe cookbook included
• Relatively affordable

Cons

• Not ideal for tiny kitchens

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Best Food Dehydrator on Amazon

NutriChef Electric Food Dehydrator

Rightfully one of the best Amazon kitchen gadgets, this stackable NutriChef food dehydrator is a round, fun-to-use machine with five trays. It runs quietly and easily fits several portions of sliced-up fruits, veggies, meat or fish. Plus, the adjustable temperature control allows for easy navigation of heat preferences to suit different types of foods. The best part? It is compact, is available at an affordable price and features a simple one-touch operation system. Talk about a unique gift for foodies!

“Great dehydrator!” writes Jana Webb, a five-star reviewer. “I love that this design has five trays but barely takes up any counter space. My old model was five trays, but the size was massive. This is WAY more compact. It works perfectly and you can adjust the temperature settings. I also love that it doesn’t have that awkward hole in the middle of the trays so that more food can be dehydrated at the same time. I highly recommend this dehydrator.”

Pros

• One-touch operating system
• Space-saving
• Multi-tier model
• Budget-friendly

Cons

• Limited capacity

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Best Budget Food Dehydrator

Commercial Chef Food Dehydrator

This classic white Commercial Chef countertop device is one of the best food dehydrator options for those working with a tight budget. It’s an incredible value with five included circular trays, adjustable temperature settings and easy cleanup. Additionally, it features 245 watts of power and a rotary dial that’s simple enough for even technologically challenged home chefs to operate. Use it for dehydrated cherries, apples and pears to throw in this scrumptious dried fruit energy bar recipe.

Pros

• Affordable price point
• Simple rotary dial
• Five trays
• Beginner-friendly

Cons

• Limited capacity

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Best Compact Food Dehydrator

Dash SmartStore Food Dehydrator

We love Dash for its waffle makers and egg cookers, but its storage-friendly food dehydrator is an underrated must-have. Ideal for beginners, the appliance has five stackable trays that collapse into one another, heating capabilities from 105 to 165 degrees Fahrenheit, various vibrant color options and a recipe book for inspiration. Additionally, the trays are dishwasher safe for incomparably easy cleaning.

Pros

• Collapsible, stackable trays
• Dishwasher safe
• Recipe book included
• Various color options
• Low price point

Cons

• Limited capacity

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Best Professional-Grade Food Dehydrator

Magic Mill Food Dehydrator Machine

Whether you’re feeding large crowds or just have a large, busy family, this professional-grade Magic Mill food dehydrator offers more than enough space to dry dozens of items at a time. It boasts 10 stainless steel trays, digital temperature controls, timers and even a warming function. Plus, more than 2,500 five-star ratings say it’s worthy of the best kitchens.

Verified purchaser, Suzy Run, claims this food dehydrator is “better than all the rest.” She shares, “My husband is an avid food dehydrator and freeze dryer. We just upgraded to this one after the old one wore out. He loves that is takes less time to dry because the fan is in the back, and that he doesn’t have to rotate the trays like he did with the old one.”

Pros

• 10 stainless steel trays
• Digital temperature controls
• Automatic shutoff
• Fruit roll trays and jerky hanging rack included

Cons

• On the pricier side

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Best Food Dehydrator for Fruit

Excalibur Nine-Tray Electric Food Dehydrator

This design-forward, nine-tray Excalibur electric food dehydrator offers 15 square feet of drying space for all your favorite foods. The device has a 26-hour timer and adjustable thermostat that reviewers love. The latter’s low temperature range is safe enough to use on the most delicate fruits. That low-and-slow drying capability has earned this machine an average of 4.5 out of five stars on Amazon, too. Pro tip: Keep fruit fresh inside these genius produce keepers until it’s time to dehydrate.

Pros

• Low temperature range for delicate fruits
• 26-hour food dehydrator timer
• Nine trays
• Adjustable thermostat
• 15 square feet of drying space

Cons

• On the pricier side

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Best Food Dehydrator with Drawers

Weston 10-Tray Digital Dehydrator

Although it’s more common to find dehydrators with flat trays, many home chefs prefer the simplicity of a drawer-style design. This Weston digital dehydrator offers 10 shallow drawers that pull out with ease so you can check on all your yummiest dried snacks. It boasts a 12-hour timer with auto shutoff and an adjustable thermostat that goes up to 155 degrees Fahrenheit to dry even the most delicate berries to perfection.

Pros

• Drawer-style design
• 10 trays
• Auto shutoff
• Included recipe book

Cons

• On the pricier side

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What to Look for When Buying a Food Dehydrator

Finding the best food dehydrator for your style and budget comes down to identifying models with precise temperature controls and airflow. A good dehydrator should allow the user to set exact temperatures from 80 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit (some options provide an extended range up to 200 degrees).

Also, it’s important to look for models that offer ample space for the food you’d like to dry—several highly rated countertop devices offer multiple trays. Keep in mind that because food needs to be separated and never stacked during the dehydration process, something as small as a single sliced apple can take up lots of room.

How We Found the Best Food Dehydrators

As shopping experts, our only job is to help you find a winning product. We start with the research and reporting basics—what products are made of, what they look like and how much they cost—to ensure that we’re only recommending the buys that are worth your time and money. Then, we research the features that speak to the product’s quality, taking advice from industry insiders and subject matter experts on what makes a product a smart value (or worthy of a splurge). Finally, we do the work of combing through user reviews to see how real people interact with the product, and if it stands up to the test.

Additional research contributed by Bryce Gruber

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