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Homemade jerky and dried herbs will be easier than ever. Rotary Dryer Price
If you buy in bulk or are looking for more ways to preserve produce when it's at its peak, like herbs from your garden, then a food dehydrator will level-up your cooking experience. A dehydrator dries food at a low temperature over a long period of time, removing moisture from the food. Dehydrating concentrates the flavor of food, so dried herbs will taste stronger and fruits will taste sweeter. The process also retains more nutrients and extends shelf-life.
In the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Culinary Innovation Lab, we tested nine different dehydrators of different sizes, shapes and styles. We found that while most dehydrators perform similarly, the biggest difference lies in their ease of use.
Though you can dehydrate food like apples, mangoes, pineapples, tomatoes and beef for jerky the old-fashioned way (hanging it out in the sun) or by using a wide variety of appliances like some air fryers, toaster ovens and ovens, food dehydrators offer a more controlled environment with plenty of surface area to maximize your yield.
At the end of the guide you'll find more information on whether a food dehydrator makes sense for you as well as advice on which foods you can dehydrate. If you are looking for more kitchen appliances to add to your collection or a gift for the chef in your life, we also have guides to the best instant pots and best air fryer toaster ovens.
The Tribest Sedona Express is a solid digital food dehydrator with 11 stainless steel trays that accommodate a lot of dehydrating while requiring minimal space on your countertop. In tests, we found that this machine dried jerky and apples efficiently and evenly, although we experienced some sticking to the metal. (A plastic tray version is available, as well, which we found helps with sticking.) We also love how quiet it was in comparison to most of the dehydrators we tested.
It features several dehydrating modes — including fast, raw and a combination of both — which set it apart from competitors. The fast mode allows the temperature to cycle above the set degree so food can dehydrate faster, while the raw mode never exceeds the set temperature to prevent food from being overheated, allowing for more precise dehydrating. We appreciated that the unit's door locks shut and has a large glass panel for monitoring and an easy to use control panel. It was also the only dehydrator we tested with a light for improved viewing.
While we haven't tested this food dehydrator, it stands out for having stainless steel trays, a large see-through window and a straightforward digital control panel — all at a competitive price point. Plus, it has a 4.7-star rating on Amazon and over 16,600 reviews. Reviewers like that it is easy to program and say that it is quiet. One five-star review says, "I have owned several dehydrators, including some very high end, but I like this one the best. Very small footprint, but holds a lot, quiet, no plastic or nonstick coating! Easy to use and clean, does the job flawlessly."
It can be programmed in 30-minute increments up to 48 hours, and it has a temperature range between 95ºF and 165ºF, which makes it good for herbs, jerky and everything in between. The built-in handles mean it's easier to move around. Its stainless steel housing makes it more durable than its plastic competitors, although some customer reviews note that there are still some plastic components.
If you live in an apartment or have limited counter and cabinet space, we recommend this electric food dehydrator by Presto as its six transparent dehydrating trays are collapsable for easy storage. While we haven't tested this particular model in our Lab, we have tested similar Presto dehydrators and feel confident recommending this version. We appreciate that you can monitor the drying process for all trays via the see-through material, and you can adjust how many trays you use at a given time.
While this food dehydrator does not have an alarm function, it is super easy to clean and the controls for temperature and time are easy to operate. Two fruit roll sheets and nonstick mesh screens are also included, and the bottom-mounted fan aims to provide consistent air flow. You won't have to worry about where to store your dehydrator with this pick — and you won't have to go way over your budget either!
The Hamilton Beach Digital Dehydrator offers a small footprint with five dehydrating trays that stack neatly plus a fine-mesh sheet great for herbs. It was very easy to use and made excellent and evenly dried parsley and jerky that didn’t stick to the trays. The top of the dehydrator is clear so you can see inside the unit to monitor the progress. The buttons are also easy to press and program.
We appreciate the auto shutoff and continuous airflow that provides even drying. However, the only way to check up on the drying process is the clear top, and it was the loudest machine in our sound test. That said, this dehydrator is still a great value for someone looking to achieve the basics and easily stow away when not in use. You may just want to stick to your dehydrating during daylight hours!
Although the Sedona Combo has a higher price tag than other dehydrators on our list, it includes a bevy of impressive features that those who often dehydrate food will appreciate. Its large capacity and precise digital temperature control make it perfect for jerky, which can be a long and involved process. We love that you can also program which section of the dehydrator you're using (top or bottom) for optimal results no matter how big or small the batch.
Its interior light automatically turns on when you open the door, and we like that it has dual fan technology and multiple dehydrating modes (fast, raw and combo) for improved versatility. It scored well in our sound test, meaning its operation is quiet, and we appreciate that it turns off without you having to unplug it. We did find that the stainless steel trays were a bit harder to remove and clean but you can avoid this hassle by purchasing BPA-free plastic trays.
With 15 square feet of dehydrating space, this is one of the bigger dehydrators in our roundup, perfect for large batches of dehydrating. This model features two dials, one for the temperature and one for the timer, with setting recommendations printed right on the unit. You can program the timer from 2 to 26 hours, and the trays are easy to insert. The door slides on and doesn’t fully seal, but we didn’t find that the opening affected performance.
We've found that Excalibur dehydrators also come with detailed instruction booklets with detailed charts and helpful recipes. With a 4.5-star rating on Amazon and over 3,000 online customer reviews, this is a popular choice if you enjoy dehydrating anything from jerky to fruit and have enough counter space or storage to accommodate the larger square footage.
This food dehydrator is a popular on Amazon with over 13,000 online customer reviews. It's lightweight, has a small footprint and is easy to use: Simply turn the dial to your desired temperature based on the recommendations printed on the lid and then plug it in to turn it on. The downside is it doesn’t have a timer so you'll have to set a separate timer and check it periodically.
In addition to five trays (and the ability to stack up to 12), we love that this dehydrator comes with everything you need to get started and then some, like two fruit leather sheets for semi solid foods, two small mesh screens for small ingredients like blueberries and herbs, and three spice packets for jerky. It also comes with a detailed instruction booklet filled with dehydrating tips, charts, recipes, suggestions for storing and craft ideas. And if you're looking to dehydrate even more food at once, consider the Nesco Gardenmaster Pro that can handle up to 30 trays at once!
In our most recent test of dehydrators in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, we tested nine food dehydrators from leading brands of all different sizes, shapes and styles to see which produced very dried foods and were easy and intuitive to use. We rated performance on evenness and how quickly they dried jerky, apples and more. When testing for ease of use, we looked at the owner's manual, ease of opening the door, readability of the control panel and the available temperature range. We also considered timer accuracy, the sound of the timer and any additional features.
If you're thinking of adding a food dehydrator to your cooking routine, here are a few factors to keep in mind:
✔️ Temperature range: A larger temperature range allows for more controlled dehydrating. Most of our picks go below 100℉, which is ideal for delicate items like herbs, and up to 160℉ or higher for safely making jerky. We typically like when the intervals are small and very specific, but keep in mind that intervals of one can be hard to program. Regardless of what you are dehydrating, make sure you are using the correct temperature ranges.
✔️ Programmable timer: The most basic dehydrators turn on when they're plugged in and off when unplugged, but the more common ones (and our favorites) have timers that turn the dehydrator off when done. A timer is handy for dehydrating overnight or when you're not home so y0u don't risk over-drying. Most can be programmed in one-hour intervals.
✔️ Size: Dehydrators with a small footprint and a rectangular shape create more usable dehydrating area. Some round models have a hole in the center of each tray, which decreases the dehydrating area. Stackable trays increase the usable dehydrating area without adding to the footprint, and because food shrinks as it dries, more vertical space is essential to yield enough.
✔️ Tray material: Trays are made of stainless steel or plastic, most of which is BPA-free. We tend to like the plastic ones, which are more nonstick and easier to clean.
✔️ Accessories: Most dehydrators come with a drip tray that doubles as a tray to make fruit leather, or with mesh screens for small items like blueberries or herbs. The more accessories, the more versatility.
✔️ Price: Food dehydrators can run between $80 and upwards of $500. The more square footage, number of dehydrating trays and additional features equals a higher price tag. Dehydrators with stackable trays versus pull-out trays tend to be less expensive. If you currently own a dehydrator and find yourself wanting more capability, upgrading may make sense. But if you are a beginner or have minimal storage space in your kitchen, a budget-friendly, stackable option will do the trick just as well.
While dried mango, pineapple and orange slices may be the first ideas that come to your mind when deciding which foods to put in your food dehydrator, the options go beyond just fruits. You can certainly prepare homemade apple chips, but you can also dehydrate meats, lean proteins, homemade pasta, vegetables and herbs from your garden like basil or mint. The possibilities don't end there, though, you can ferment yogurt, make potpourri and re-crisp stale foods. Suffice it to say that you and your family can utilize your food dehydrator whether you are making fruit leather and granola bars for healthy weekday snacks or beef jerky for a day hike.
If you tend to buy foods in bulk, eat a lot of raw foods or are an avid gardener, purchasing a food dehydrator is definitely worth it. While some dehydrators on this list can set you back a few hundred dollars, the appliance can quickly pay for itself as you can lengthen the shelf life of in season or on sale produce.
With a dehydrator, not only can you lower your food waste, but you can make additive-free and allergy-friendly snacks, since you can customize how much (if any) salt or sugar you want to add. And dehydrating foods can retain the nutrients better than other methods. However, the entire process can take a long time and if your dehydrator doesn't have a programmable timer, the process won't be as hands-off.
Nicole Papantoniou is the Kitchen Appliances & Innovation Lab Director at the Good Housekeeping Institute where she has overseen content and testing related to kitchen and cooking appliances, tools and gear since 2019. She has worked in test kitchens for small kitchen appliance brands and national magazines, and is trained in culinary arts and culinary nutrition.
Nancy Kochan is a trained cook and freelancer who has tested and written on a vast range of kitchen appliances and gear for the Good Housekeeping Institute, from slow cookers to baking pan sets.
Nicole (she/her) is the director of the Good Housekeeping Institute's Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, where she has overseen content and testing related to kitchen and cooking appliances, tools and gear since 2019. She’s an experienced product tester and recipe creator, trained in classic culinary arts and culinary nutrition. She has worked in test kitchens for small kitchen appliance brands and national magazines, including Family Circle and Ladies’ Home Journal.
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