Best Food Dehydrator For Your Needs

Dehydrating has been used for centuries as a method of food preservation.  Items such as meats, fruits, and vegetables can all be dried.

This page is specifically on how to choose an electric food dehydrator. I’ve got more here on others methods of dehydrating food if you are curious.

How to Choose a Food Dehydrator

When buying a new dehydrator, here are some tips and features to consider:

Your dehydrator doesn’t need to be fancy. Choose what you can afford. Higher-priced machines may have more features, but an inexpensive machine can still do the job. I’ve got a list below of the features that I recommend you look for. But simple can be just fine.

Here is a list of tips and ideas to help you while you are shopping.

Tips for Finding Deals

• Look for Sales: Sales usually happen throughout the year especially during the holidays.  Black friday sales might help a lot.  
• Secondhand Options: Check Marketplace, local shopper ads, or Craigslist. Occasionally, you might find a used machine. Warning; Be cautious and make sure you know why they are selling it. A machine that doesn’t work right isn’t worth paying for, even at a reduced price.

I actually got my Cabelas commercial dehydrator on a scratch-and-dent sale. It was brand new with a minor ding on the exterior of the machine, but it works just fine. You’d have to really look to notice the small dent.

Try Before You Buy

Borrow from a friend to try it out. I borrowed an Excalibur dehydrator from a friend of mine to compare it to the one I have. (By the way, if I ever purchase another dehydrator, it will likely be the Excalibur. It worked really well!)

Storage and Size Considerations

• Size of the Machine: Where will you store it? Where will you use it? Do you want to leave it out because you use it often, or do you plan to store it away?
  • Mine is too large to easily move in and out, so I keep it out in the fall and store it away at other times.

For example, a person living alone will not need a commercial dehydrator, just as a person planning on filling a pantry for storage will be looking for something a little larger.

Placement Tips

• Where to Dehydrate: Keep in mind that the dehydrator will add humidity, heat, and odors to your space. For example, I strongly suggest you dry onions outside!
• Noise Levels: Check the noise level of the machine you are considering. This information is often in the product description or reviews.
  • My dehydrator, for example, is far too noisy for the main area of my home. In Colorado, I kept it in the basement. Here, I use it outside.

Features to Look For

Timer

Most dehydrators now have some sort of a timer built in.  The ability to set time and an automatic turn off is important.  It just makes things easy to add time when needed.  

Temperature Settings

• Especially important if you want to dehydrate jerky. Meats needs to be dehydrated at a higher temperature to be safe. 
• Some dehydrators have exact  adjustable temperature control; others may only have high, medium, or low options. (You can test the actual temperatures to ensure they match what’s needed.)
• Look at the temperature range as well.  If you want to dehydrate Jerky it requires a little higher temperature.  

Wattage

• Wattage determines how fast the dehydrator will work.
  • Herbs and leafy foods dry quickly and can likely be done with lower wattage.
  • Peaches, tomatoes, and other fruits, which have more liquid, will require higher wattage to dry efficiently.
• Higher watts uses more power, but lower wattage machines may need to run longer, so it could balance out. 

Trays

• Some machines come with a fixed number of trays, while others allow you to add trays as needed.
  • If you buy a smaller machine with a set number of trays (e.g., four), you might regret it. I’d suggest one of the styles where you can add trays as needed.
  • My machine has a set number of trays, but it’s a large machine. Most dehydrators are smaller than mine.
• Look at the total drying space. There should be square feet of drying space listed in the product description.
• Optional trays;  Smaller mesh tray for small pieces can be handy.  And silicone fruit leather trays if you want to make homemade roll ups.  These sheets will need to match to your dehydrator so they fit the correct dimensions.  
• Dishwasher safe.   I highly recommend dishwasher-safe trays.  The trays for my larger machine are too big and every time I go through cleanup… I wish I could squeeze them in.  

Air Flow

When it comes to air flow in food dehydrators, there are two basic types of dehydrators: one that has a vertical air flow and one that has a horizontal air flow.

• Vertical Air Flow: The fan and heating element can either be at the top or the bottom of the unit. Between the two, the bottom-fan version provides better heat distribution but can be harder to clean due to drips falling into the fan area. Units with the fan at the top avoid this issue but may dry the top tray faster than the rest.
• Horizontal Air Flow: The fan is located at the back of the unit, giving more even heat throughout. This design often reduces flavor mixing between different types of foods and simplifies cleaning.

Big or Little Food Dehydrator? What Do You Need?

Not everyone needs a big dehydrator that takes up half the kitchen. If you’re only planning to dehydrate small batches now and then, a stackable style might be the way to go. These often come with removable trays. If you’ve got a little bit to dry, you can take out some trays and save energy and time. Got more to dry? Just add the trays back in.

On the other hand, if you’re gearing up to fill a full pantry with dehydrated goodies, you’ll probably want something larger. A box-style dehydrator like mine is sturdier, with removable shelves that make it easy to use and hold more product.

Cleaning and Maintenance

• A bottom-fan unit has a slight disadvantage: drips from the food can fall into the fan area, making it harder to clean. My bottom-heating unit has a protective cover that I clean occasionally.
• Horizontal units also experience drips but don’t have a fan at the bottom, making cleaning easier.

Material and Build Quality

• Flimsy Plastic: Avoid dehydrators made of flimsy, cheap plastic. Trays in such models may warp over time. Check reviews closely for durability comments.
• BPA-Free: Most manufacturers make food-safe dehydrators, but it’s worth double-checking that the materials are BPA-free. BPA is a chemical sometimes found in plastics that has raised health concerns. Look for BPA-free options.
• Stainless Steel: Stainless steel trays are ideal! I love the stainless steel options available. Stainless is more durable than plastic and easier to clean.  I mentioned earlier that an Excalibur would be my next choice. They offer six- or ten-tray models in stainless steel. Someday, I’ll splurge and get one!

Take your time, evaluate your needs, and choose the dehydrator that fits your lifestyle. 

If you’re considering which dehydrator to buy, check out my reviews of the Cabela’s Commercial Dehydrator and the Excalibur Dehydrator. These reviews can help you decide which might work best for your needs!

FAQ 

A food dehydrator can be a fantastic addition to your kitchen, whether you’re drying snacks for the family, preserving fruits like apples and bananas, making homemade beef jerky, or prepping vegetables for quick rehydrating in a soup or stew recipe. 

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