To Find the Best Food Dehydrators, We Made Pounds of Apple Chips, Beef Jerky, and Fruit Leather

As seasoned kitchen appliance reviewers and home cooks, we’re familiar with food dehydrators: They're ideal for tackling preservation projects, like drying pounds of raspberries for a snack or desiccating delicate mushrooms for a pantry hit of umami. That means we also know how annoying using a poorly designed machine can be. Trying to preserve peppers and ending up with a squishy mess is no fun.

We first tested food dehydrators in 2022, naming two winners. We recently re-tested both champions and some new dehydrators to determine if our top picks still deserved their spot on the prized list. One of our original recommendations stood the test of time (and our rigorous tests!). We also named five additional winners. All of our favorite dehydrators are easy to use and clean. But which dehydrator is right for you? We’ve got picks for an overall great dehydrator, a budget-friendly pick, and an almost-silent option, plus more.

The Winners, at a Glance 

The Best Food Dehydrator

Cosori Premium Stainless Steel Dehydrator

$160 at Amazon $160 at Walmart $160 at Target

This model had a sleek design with handles for easy carrying. The magnetic hinging door allowed for seamless opening and closing. It operated quietly and performed the best in tests, producing delicious fruit leather, properly dried beef jerky, and crispy apple chips. 

The Best Large Capacity Food Dehydrator

Nesco FD-1040 Gardenmaster Food Dehydrator

$160 $127 at Amazon $148 at Walmart $100 $85 at Kohls.com

This dehydrator can hold up to 20 trays. Plus, it’s user-friendly with a digital interface equipped with a timer and temperature setting. It performed well in beef jerky tests, supplying chewy, tender, and thoroughly dehydrated strips. It was quiet and all of its parts are detachable for easy cleaning.

The Best Food Dehydrator for Beginners

Magic Mill 7 Tray Pro Food Dehydrator Machine

$200 $119 at Amazon

This simple dehydrator is excellent for beginners. It’s compact, effortless to tidy up, and lived up to its promise of providing evenly dried snacks. We recommend it for anyone new to dehydrating.

The Best Budget-Friendly Food Dehydrator

Nesco FD-75A Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator

$85 at Amazon $85 at Walmart $85 at Wayfair

This Nesco dehydrator was easy to use, with a simple temperature control and removable stacking trays. The fruit leather and jerky were especially good. While it made some noise, it was simple to clean and a good choice for cooks on a budget.

The Best Splurge Food Dehydrator

Excalibur 3926TCDB 9-Tray Electric Food Dehydrator

$300 at Amazon

The Excalibur model is one of the few models we tested with a transparent door, which helped us monitor the ingredients baking inside. We liked the analog knobs that let us toggle through time and temperature settings. It comes with nonstick polyscreen trays that made cleaning more manageable than other models since we didn’t have to use much elbow grease to scrub off sticky leftover residue. It was one of our previous winners, too.

The Best Quiet Food Dehydrator

Samson "Silent" Dehydrator

$140 at Amazon $135 at Wayfair

The Samson dehydrator made the least noise and was lightweight. It has an automatic shutoff feature, just in case you’re drying fruits in the background and accidentally forget to turn off the machine. Cleanup on this dehydrator didn’t take too much effort either because there’s a convenient crumb tray at the bottom. That said, it had top-situated vents, which meant food dried inconsistently at times.

The Tests

• Apple Chips Test: We arranged as many apple slices as possible in a single layer on the dehydrator’s trays to assess the machine’s ability to dry out a bunch of fruit. Then, we dehydrated the fruit according to the manufacturer’s instructions. We evaluated how easy the models were to use, the quality of the final chips, and how long it took to clean.
• Beef Jerky Test: We replicated the above methodology with beef, evaluating its final quality, texture, and doneness. Throughout testing, we periodically rotated the trays, patting the dehydrated meat with clean paper towels several times as it dried out to remove any rendered fat. 
• Fruit Leather Test: We dehydrated strawberry purée to assess each machine’s ability to dry sticky ingredients. We placed a fruit roll sheet on each machine’s non-perforated dehydrator tray (if applicable—not all had them) and lightly greased it with cooking oil spray. Then, we spread the fruit into an even 1/8-inch-thick layer and dried it. We paid attention to how easy it was to peel the fruit leather from the trays once cooked, how evenly it dehydrated, and the final texture.
• Noise Test: While conducting the apple chip, beef jerky, and fruit leather tests, we listened to how loud the dehydrators were when operating. We noted whether any models would become a disturbance after running for hours.
• Cleaning Test: After finishing all of the tests, we cleaned each machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions, evaluating if any design characteristics made certain dehydrators more or less challenging to clean than other models. 

What We Learned

How Does a Dehydrator Work?

Dehydrators draw out the moisture from food to help extend its shelf life. On a granular level, the machines circulate air at low and consistent temperatures, typically ranging between 90°F and 175°F. This process evaporates the liquid from ingredients, which helps them dry out without actually cooking them.

Horizontal Airflow Worked Better than Top Vents

Dehydrators with vents on the side of the machine (like the COSORI and Magic Mill) consistently produced well-dried apple chips, beef jerky, and fruit leather. Models with vents situated on the top of the machines occasionally resulted in spongy and undercooked apple chips. The Samson “Silent” Dehydrator was a particularly bad offender, with spongy and inconsistently crisp apple chips. That said, most machines performed well in making beef jerky, regardless of the placement of their fans.

Fruit Was Tricky to Dehydrate Evenly

This was by far the hardest test. Many of the otherwise solid-performing models struggled with fruit leather, producing leather that cracked, had large patches of undried puree, or were not dried at all toward the center. Since the fruit leather fully covered each rack from edge to edge, it clearly showed the airflow patterns. Once again, the vertical airflow models struggled and produced unevenly dried fruit leather from tray to tray. When it came to removing the fruit leather, most of the dehydrators also had issues: The leather clung to their trays and we had to peel it off in strips.

Apples also proved tricky. The best dehydrators could hold more than two pounds of apple rings (although the Nesco Gardenmaster is customizable for up to 20 trays—a silly-large amount). But most of the trays produced inconsistent apple chips. with some apples that were completely dried at the bottom but raw on the top trays. Most of the dehydrators produced apple chips that were at least partially spongy in spots.

User-Friendly Features Were Key

Unless you listened closely, it was tricky to tell whether some food dehydrators were powered on. So brightly-lit or digital displays were a win. Some of our favorite dehydrators, like the COSORI, had digital buttons that allowed us to adjust the time and temperature settings in specific increments. But this doesn’t necessarily mean that you need a high-tech dehydrator: The Excalibur had analog knobs that worked just as well. If you prefer low-tech appliances, rest assured that you'll be happy with any of the picks on our list, digital display or not.

Of course, we also assessed how easy the trays were to clean. Those with dishwasher-safe trays came out on top. Some machines, like the Gardenmaster Pro, had trays that were not dishwasher-safe and were too big to fit fully in a regular kitchen sink, making them a pain to scrub.

Lastly, we looked at how intuitive the dehydrators were to use and how easy it was to move trays around. The best machines had controls that were easy to operate without consulting the manual. (Temperature ranges for common ingredients were great.) Also, we thought that machines that had automatic shutoffs were key. That way, you could set the machine before work or bed and not worry about your food over-drying.

Most Machines Were Pretty Quiet

During our tests, we found that most models, like the Nesco Gardenmaster Digital Pro and Nesco Snackmaster Pro, emitted a slight hum, making them suitable for background operation throughout the day. Some of our top picks for quiet machines, like the Samson “Silent” Dehydrator, featured a top-vent that made comparatively little noise. (The tradeoff for a quieter top vent is poorer airflow than side vents.)

Consider the Dehydrator’s Footprint

Dehydrators can take up a lot of counter space, so if you have a small kitchen, opt for a more compact model like the Nesco Snackmaster Pro or Magic Mill. On the larger end of the spectrum, the Excalibur Electric was 19 by 17 by 12.5 inches. If you plan to move it around frequently, choosing a lighter machine—like the eight-pound Nesco Snackmaster Pro versus the  18-pound Excalibur—can be a practical decision, giving you the freedom to use it wherever you want without much hassle.  

What Foods Can and Can't You Dehydrate?

While we're all for experimenting, there are some do's and don'ts when dehydrating. Here is a (not totally comprehensive but still thorough) list to get you started:

Dehydrate It!

• Fruit
• Vegetables
• Lean meats
• Herbs
• Fish
• Mushrooms

Don't Dehydrate It!

• Fats (like butter; I mean, how would that even work?)
• Dairy (there's a risk of food poisoning)
• Avocados and other naturally fatty produce
• Eggs (there's a risk of food poisoning)
• Fatty meats (think pork shoulder)

The Criteria: What to Look for in a Food Dehydrator

Look for a dehydrator with horizontal airflow, especially if you plan on using it for more than meat jerky. (Fruit leather and fruit chips benefit from vents on the side of the dehydrator.) The best dehydrators have easy-to-use interfaces and adjustable dials that allow customization of their time and temperature settings. All models are quiet and have a substantial footprint, so don't discount side handles for easy carrying. Our favorite dehydrators had nonstick trays or crumb compartments, which made them easy to clean.

Our Favorite Food Dehydrators

The Best Food Dehydrator

Cosori Premium Stainless Steel Dehydrator

$160 at Amazon $160 at Walmart $160 at Target

What we liked: This model immediately stood out with its sleek, stainless steel design. The handles on each side made it easy to carry around and transfer from a cabinet to the counter. We really liked the magnetic hinging door that opened easily and stayed firmly shut. It had a gentle hum that didn’t disturb us, even when testing all day. The Cosori has two horizontal vents on the sides, which helped it evaporate moisture quickly: The result was the most consistent jerky, fruit leather, and apple chips with the best texture.

What we didn’t like: During the tests, we noticed some small cracks in the fruit leather, the result of overexuberant dehydration. There’s no crumb compartment, but the manual suggests using the designated “fruit leather tray” at the bottom when dehydrating juicy foods or ingredients prone to dripping or crumbling.

Key Specs

• Number of trays included: 7
• Temperature range: 95°F to 165°F 
• Dimensions: 17.9 x 13.5 x 12.2 inches
• Weight: 18 pounds
• Watts: 600
• Warranty: 2 years

The Best Large Capacity Food Dehydrator

Nesco FD-1040 Gardenmaster Food Dehydrator

$160 $127 at Amazon $148 at Walmart $100 $85 at Kohls.com

What we liked: This powerful 1000-watt pick (compared to the 400-watt pick from Samson), carries many of the same characteristics we love about the other winning Nesco model, but with a digital interface that has a timer and temperature setting. It also has space for 20 trays! This machine performed well in beef jerky tests, delivering chewy, tender, and thoroughly dehydrated strips. It’s equipped with fans slated vertically on the bottom as opposed to the side, similar to the Nesco Snackmaster Pro. It runs with a faint pur that isn’t bothersome. We loved how quickly we could clean this machine since all its pieces are detachable.

What we didn’t like: This model didn’t perform the best when making fruit leather. Unfortunately, the roll-ups ended up sticking to the trays and breaking. The apple chips were inconsistent, with varying spongy and crispy textures. 

Key Specs

• Number of trays included: 20
• Temperature range: 90°F to 160°F
• Dimensions: 15.5 x 15.5 x 9.5 inches
• Weight: 9 pounds
• Watts: 1000
• Warranty: 1 year

The Best Food Dehydrator for Beginners

Magic Mill 7 Tray Pro Food Dehydrator Machine

$200 $119 at Amazon

What we liked: This no-frills model is a great machine for anyone just getting into the art of dehydrating. It features a “keep warm” setting to avoid accidentally over-drying your jerky and a “raw” button. Compared to the other models, it takes up little real estate so that it can fit snugly in a cabinet or on your countertop. It has vents situated horizontally on both sides of the appliance. Like the COSORI, this one has an easy-to-open hinging door design, making it ideal for holding trays and opening the dehydrator with the other hand. It’s a 1000-watt powerhouse that produced evenly textured fruit leather and dried jerky in tests. With little to no noise from this machine and a quick cleaning process, we recommend this dehydrator to newbies looking for a reliable find.

What we didn’t like: It was a bit confusing to understand how to start the dehydrating process after setting the time and temperature, but after the first couple of rounds, we were pros.

Key Specs

• Number of trays included: 7
• Temperature range: 95°F to 167°F
• Dimensions: 17.5 x 13.8 x 12.75 inches
• Weight: 17 pounds
• Watts: 1000
• Warranty: 1 year

The Best Budget-Friendly Food Dehydrator

Nesco FD-75A Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator

$85 at Amazon $85 at Walmart $85 at Wayfair

What we liked: The temperature dial was easy to toggle to our target, and the stacking trays were simple to remove and situate back inside. The fruit leather peeled off the trays without sticking, and the jerky dried evenly. Its design has vertical vents on the bottom, which desiccated ingredients and helped hot air and moisture escape from the machine. It was straightforward to tidy up thanks to its crumb tray. It’s an ideal choice for cooks looking for a lower-cost dehydrator to invest in. 

What we didn’t like: With its low price, you do sacrifice certain design components. For example, this model doesn’t have handles, making it hard to move around, and its trays are difficult to insert into the machine. Like many other dehydrators we tested, this one produced apple chips with uneven textures.

Key Specs

• Number of trays included: 12
• Temperature range: 95°F to 160°F
• Dimensions: 13 x 13 x 10 inches
• Weight: 8 pounds
• Watts: 600
• Warranty: 1 year

The Best Splurge Food Dehydrator

Excalibur 3926TCDB 9-Tray Electric Food Dehydrator

$300 at Amazon

What we liked: The model from Excalibur has nine easy-in, easy-out trays. Its horizontal vents with airflow coming from the back of the machine excelled in removing moisture from beef during our jerky tests, resulting in easily torn pieces similar to store-bought brands. This one came with the best nonstick trays, too. (The jerky and apples did not stick at all.) We appreciated the detachable pieces (similar to the Nesco Gardenmaster Digital Pro) that made this one more straightforward than the others we tested to clean.

What we didn’t like: If you plan to set up this model in your home and use it often, it’s best to place it where you won’t need to move it because it’s pretty heavy. This dehydrator was the loudest of all our winners. Unfortunately, in apple chip tests, it delivered unevenly cooked crisps. 

Key Specs

• Number of trays included: 9
• Temperature range: 105°F to 165°F
• Dimensions: 19 x 17 x 12.5 inches
• Weight: 18 pounds
• Watts: 600
• Warranty: 1 year

The Best Quiet Food Dehydrator

Samson "Silent" Dehydrator

$140 at Amazon $135 at Wayfair

What we liked: The Samson delivered on its (whispered) promise: It produced the least amount of noise thanks to its vents vertically situated on the top of the machine. It comes with six trays that are easy to remove and slot back into place. There were minor inconsistencies during our tests making apple chips, beef jerky, and fruit leather, but overall, the results were still texturally appealing.

What we didn’t like: This model does not have handles for carrying, making it slightly difficult to move around. It takes a while to heat up, and the temperature increases in intervals of nine minutes, so you’ll have to reserve some time to allow for preheating. In tests, some of the apple chips were inconsistent with spongy textures. 

Key Specs

• Number of trays included: 6
• Temperature range: 95°F to 176°F
• Dimensions: 19.4 x 15.12 x 14.12 inches
• Weight: 16 pounds
• Watts: 400
• Warranty: 2 years

The Competition

• Presto Dehydro Square Dehydrator 06304: This was our budget pick, but it’s been discontinued.
• NESCO Gardenmaster Pro Dehydrator: While this dehydrator is a favorite of many review sites, during our tests, it just couldn’t compete. During the fruit leather test, it became apparent how uneven its vertical airflow actually was: it produced trays of poorly dehydrated fruit leather. Its large plastic trays also didn’t fit into an average home sink and weren’t entirely dishwasher-safe (the manual said they could be washed on the top rack of the dishwasher, but had to be removed before the drying cycle), making cleanup a chore. Its bulky size did not equate to a large capacity.
• Hamilton Beach Food Dehydrator: This little dehydrator did save sapce, but ultimately the drying was too uneven from top to bottom for us to recommend it.
• Dash SmartStore Dehydrator: This dehydrator was just too small. The capacity was minuscule and its small fan was not powerful enough to dry its upper trays in any of our tests in an acceptable amount of time. 
• L’Equip FilterPro Food Dehydrator: This model dried unevenly and had trays that were difficult to clean and not dishwasher-safe. 
• Magic Mill Food Dehydrator Machine: While the Magic Mill performed admirably during testing, it was more expensive than our overall pick and still had issues producing consistent fruit leather. We preferred the Magic Mill Pro.
• Tribest Sedona Express Digital Food Dehydrator: Extremely slow to heat up, this machine had issues with temperature accuracy. It also has a very high price tag (steeper than the Excalibur, Nesco Gardenmaster Digital Pro, or COSORI).
• Elite Gourmet Food Dehydrator: This model had trouble reaching and maintaining the correct temperature and it produced sub-par fruit leather.

FAQs

Do I need a food dehydrator?

Dehydrators are great for making healthy snacks because they preserve most of the food’s nutrients even after drying them, according to Frank Costantino, the dean of the School of Hospitality Management at the Culinary Institute of New York at Monroe College. He explains that you can also prolong the shelf life of fresh fruits and vegetables with a dehydrator. They’re also helpful in reducing waste since you can take ingredients that would otherwise spoil and dry them out—like turning bananas into chips or drying and then blending your surplus of summer tomatoes into a tasty seasoning powder.

What foods should you avoid dehydrating?

You’ll want to avoid dehydrating fatty foods like nut butter or avocados, as the fat content prevents them from crisping. It’s advisable to trim the fat before dehydrating fatty meats such as pork shoulder or bacon to prevent them from going rancid. Plus, you’ll want to stay clear from dehydrating dairy and egg products to prevent the spread of certain germs. “Because dehydrators work at temperatures that are also ideal for bacterial growth, you need to be careful,” says Constantino.  

What foods can you dehydrate?

It’s possible to dehydrate all kinds of produce as long as they’re not fatty like avocados—think strawberries, pineapples, and pears. You can also dry out vegetables like tomatoes, mushrooms, and onions, (which can be turned into savory seasonings afterward). Plus, it’s common to preserve meats and seafood such as beef, salmon, and chicken. Additionally, herbs and sauces can be dried out and repurposed to enhance the flavor of different dishes.

How long do dehydrated foods last?

The USDA advises storing dehydrated jerky for one to two months. Dried fruits can last in your pantry for up to six months. The recommended storage time ranges for other foods, but it’s always a good practice to keep your dehydrated items in a cool, dry, and dark area so they don’t spoil.

Why We’re the Experts

• Ashia Aubourg is a writer with experience researching cooking appliances and working in kitchens (and farms!).
• Her work with Serious Eats spans gift guides, educational pieces, and product reviews. She recently compared every blender we’ve ever tested to find the best ones for smoothies. 
• Taylor Murray is a chef and recipe tester and has worked in fine dining. She’s tested and written many equipment reviews for Serious Eats, including ones about roasting pans and tagines.
• We first reviewed food dehydrators in 2022. In 2024, we re-tested our winners and competition picks, as well as a new model.