The Bottom Line

Overall, our favorite food dehydrator is the Brod & Taylor Folding Food Dehydrator. Although this model is more expensive than other options, we think its capacity, ease of setup, and other advanced features make it worth the investment.

Our Testing Process 

We tested 18 food dehydrators in our Birmingham, Alabama, lab, putting each through three drying tests: dried herbs, beef jerky, and fruit leather. We noted details like ease of assembly during setup—particularly how simple or challenging it was to load trays—as well as any special features, such as a digital control panel or specialty food mats or racks, like a designated fruit leather tray.

For the herb drying test, we dried sprigs of thyme at a 95ºF setting, recording the temperature at each tray level and location in the hydrator as well as the time it took to dry out the herbs. 

For beef jerky, we heated the dehydrators to 150ºF. We once again recorded the internal temperature and how long it took to properly dry the beef into jerky. Then, we cleaned the dehydrator per the manufacturer’s guidelines, noting how easy or challenging it was.

For fruit leather, we started out with a thawed pint of frozen berries that we pureed and cooled before adding 2 teaspoons of lemon juice. With dehydrators set to 140ºF, we prepared the trays, noting which dehydrators came with plastic sheets or which ones needed to be wrapped in plastic wrap. 

We made a note of how much of the berry puree each tray could hold, then dried it for five hours, or until it achieved the consistency of fruit leather. We noted how easy it was to peel from the trays, then we cleaned the dehydrator per the manufacturer’s instructions.

During each of the food drying tests, we analyzed the noise level of each dehydrator by playing a song on our phone as it sat right next to the device; we rated how well we could still hear the music on a scale of 1 to 5. 

After all three food tests, we made our final selections based on ease of use (including setup and cleaning), design and features, noise level, and overall performance.

What to Know About Food Dehydrators Before Shopping

Dimensions 

Selecting the right sized dehydrator for your needs is important, since too little or too much space can impact the results and drying time. A variety of shapes and sizes are available, and you should consider both the space you have available to store the device as well as the batch size of the snacks and ingredients you’ll be preparing.

A small, lightweight dehydrator (about 2 to 6 square feet) is ideal for occasional use or smaller portions, but if you’ll be using your dehydrator for big batches of dried jerky, fruit, or other snacks, a dehydrator with a larger drying capacity (6 to 12 square feet) like the Lem MightyBite 10-Tray Dehydrator will be more efficient.

Number of Trays

The number of trays a food dehydrator can accommodate also impacts the amount of food that can be dried at one time. The majority of the models we tested can hold between five and 10 trays, while one device expanded to up to 30. 

Similar to the considerations for dimensions, you’ll want to determine the size of the batches you’ll be preparing with your dehydrator when deciding how many trays you need. A model with fewer trays is typically more energy efficient and compact and will work well for small quantities and dehydrating items like herbs or flowers. 

A device with five to eight trays, like the Brod & Taylor Folding Food Dehydrator, offers the most versatility and will be able to handle larger quantities of food and a variety of different items.

Temperature Range

Many different items can be dehydrated, and drying times vary based on factors like size, type of food and water content, and the heating and airflow within the food dehydrator. Most models we tested have a temperature range around 85 to 165°F, allowing you to prepare ingredients like herbs at lower temperatures and jerky or fruit leather at higher temperatures. 

Many models, like the Cosori Stainless Steel Dehydrator, have precise temperature control and presets to help take the guesswork out of the process and ensure food dries completely.

“It’s usually going to take a little longer than you expect to fully dehydrate something—the process is typically a low and slow one,” McShane says. “So plan plenty of time, because you really want to get the item as dry as possible. If you rush the process and only get the item 75% of the way there, it might work for day-of use, but you will not get the extended shelf life you want.”

Maintenance

After you invest in a food dehydrator, basic maintenance will help make sure the machine continues to run safely and efficiently. Cleaning your device is similar to cleaning an air fryer or toaster oven—you’ll need to wipe down the interior and remove any leftover food from the trays. 

“When you are first getting into dehydrating food, a machine that is simple to use and clean is a good starting point,” McShane says. “These tend to be less expensive, and give you a chance to experiment with them and get used to the recipes without a challenging setup.”

Make sure you unplug the machine before cleaning. Many models we tested come with dishwasher-safe trays for convenience. If you opt for hand-washing, soak the trays and any included sheets with soap and water.

Other Food Dehydrators We Tested

Excalibur Performance Series Electric Food Dehydrator

The Excalibur Performance Series Electric Food Dehydrator has several intuitive design features, like a progress indicator to illustrate the time left in the dehydrating process and a plastic screen that makes removing stickier items like bananas easier. 

While the temperature range (85 to 165°F), performance, and drying capacity are comparable to others on our list, we found a few areas in need of improvement with this model. It’s large and heavy, making storage tricky, and the grates in the included trays have wide gaps that smaller items fell through during testing.

Homdox Food Dehydrator

The lightweight, compact design of the Homdox Food Dehydrator makes it convenient to store and transport, and we like that the eight included trays are adjustable. However, during testing, we found that this model is not as user-friendly as the others on our list. 

The manual lacks instructions on timer and temperature usage, and there is no confirmation that the automatic shut-off feature is effective when the timer expires. The airflow also seemed uneven, requiring trays to be rotated during the dehydrating process.

NESCO Gardenmaster Pro Food Dehydrator

While the NESCO Gardenmaster Pro Food Dehydrator impressed us with its quick dry time when testing vegetables—just three hours for squash and zucchini—there are a few reasons why this model scored lower than the others on our list. It doesn’t have a timer or an automatic shut-off feature, and the eight trays that are included do not lock into place, making it difficult to transport. We also found that this food dehydrator is a bit noisy compared to other models we tested.

Over time, we also noticed plastic threads hanging around each of the drying trays. We were concerned the plastic would melt into our food during dehydration, so we stopped using the model altogether.

Your Questions, Answered

What are the benefits of a food dehydrator?

Dehydrating is a tried and true method that has many positive benefits for your health and budget. The process of dehydrating foods removes moisture, and in doing so can prevent bacteria growth and keep your snacks and ingredients fresher for longer. It also cuts down on storage space by shrinking items, and such space-saving can be enhanced further with a vacuum sealer. Some dehydrated items can last up to a year when stored this way.

One of the most exciting benefits of using a food dehydrator is creating homemade, better-for-you snacks without the additives often found in store-bought items like jerky, dried fruit, and vegetable chips. In contrast with some other cooking and preservation methods, dehydrated items maintain their nutrients, making a food dehydrator a practical addition to a healthy kitchen and lifestyle. 

Dehydrating is also cost-effective, as you’ll be preparing items at home instead of adding them to your grocery basket. Using a food dehydrator also means you can prepare and store ingredients when they are in season.

McShane recommends starting with items like citrus rings for cocktails. “Slice oranges, lemons, or limes—they’re fun for afternoon cookouts with drinks like spritzes, margaritas, and lemonades. They also work well as holiday decor when you string them on butcher twine.”

How much does a food dehydrator typically cost?

The models we tested cost between $50 to $300, although high-end and commercial models are priced higher. An easy-to-use, smaller-capacity food dehydrator typically costs $50 to $100. Dehydrators with more features, larger drying space, and premium materials run upwards of $100.

Who We Are

This article was written by Jordan Liberty Phillips, a writer for Better Homes & Gardens. Her expertise includes recipes and cooking, home decor, and shopping. For this article, she reviewed testing insights from our BHG research team, who evaluated 18 picks on performance, ease of use, ease of cleaning, design, and noise. She also spoke to Travis McShane, an executive chef and restaurant owner.

What Is BHG Recommends?

Next to all of the products on this list, you may have noticed our BHG Recommends seal of approval. Products that earn the seal have been put through rigorous testing to make sure they’re worth a spot in your home. We buy most of the products we test ourselves, but occasionally we are provided samples by companies if buying isn’t an option. In these cases, we use the same testing criteria we use to test the purchased products.