10 Best Food Dehydrators of The Year
Many of us consider sustainability when buying fresh food, especially as growing awareness of food waste has made us more conscious of the amount of food that ends up in landfills. Not only does this negatively affect the environment, but all that waste costs money too. Fortunately, there’s an easy way to reduce waste, save money, and still enjoy tasty foods! The best food dehydrators do all of this and more.
Using a dehydrator to dry out foods improves the lifespan of fresh produce that you’d cook with, use in smoothies, or even eat raw. Due to their practical purpose, food dehydrators are growing in popularity, and they’re becoming a common kitchen appliance.
So, let’s take a look at the best food dehydrators on the market in 2024. If you grow your own herbs, fruits, and vegetables, buy in bulk from your local grocery store, or simply want to stock up on food you won’t end up throwing away, you should definitely consider investing in a food dehydrator.
What Is A Food Dehydrator & How Does It Work?
A food dehydrator, in the simplest of terms, dries food at a low temperature over a long period of time. It’s not a quick process, but it requires very little effort.
When it comes to home food preservation, using a food dehydrator can be an invaluable tool. Dehydrating your fruits and vegetables can extend their shelf life by reducing moisture content, allowing you to enjoy your garden produce even in off-seasons. You’ll substantially increase their shelf life by dehydrating produce such as fruits or vegetables, herbs, or even beef jerky.
Not only that, dehydrating also tends to enhance the flavors and aromas of the variety of foods you dry. Dried herbs will have a more powerful taste and fruits will be sweeter. Dried foods also tend to retain far more nutrients than foods that have been standing out in the air.
Dehydrated food makes great snacks too – think apple chips, fruit leather, and more. Plus, dehydrated food can take up less storage space compared to their fresh counterparts. And who can resist the charm of homemade chips and snacks that are healthier and free of artificial preservatives?
What to Look Out for When Buying a Food Dehydrator
Before we look at the top food dehydrators, let’s take a look at a few important criteria to consider when making your purchase.
- Size: Food dehydrators come in different shapes and sizes. Depending on the quantity of food you’re looking to hydrate and your available space, you should keep the size of the dehydrator in mind.
- Temperature Ranges: Dehydrators with larger temperature ranges tend to give you more control over the dehydration process.
- Price: Food dehydrators, depending on the models and makes, tend to sell for between $80 – $500. Carefully consider the features you want before making an unnecessarily expensive purchase.
A Matter of Efficiency: The Importance of Airflow and Heating Elements
The efficiency of a food dehydrator is largely dependent on two key factors: airflow and heating elements.
A good food dehydrator should have a strong fan that provides consistent air flow throughout all trays, ensuring even drying.
It’s also important to look for dehydrators with high-quality heating elements, capable of maintaining the set temperature, thus offering superior temperature control.
A reliable fan, consistent airflow, and an efficient heating element reduce the chances of your food retaining moisture, which can lead to spoilage.
10 Best Food Dehydrators In [CurrentYear]
These are our top picks for food dehydrators this year:
Nesco Snackmaster Pro
If you’re looking for the best dehydrator that’s lightweight, uses only 600 watts of power, and takes up only a small amount of space, then look no further. The Nesco Snackmaster Pro is a nifty little food dehydrator that will not look out of place next to any other of your kitchen appliances.
Nesco dehydrators have a sleek yet simple design that’s ultra-modern and five plastic trays that can expand to create a total of 12 drying surfaces. It’s super easy to use, with a temperature range from 95°F -160°F and dehydrated recipe suggestions on the inside of the lid.
The only downside to the Nesco Snackmaster Pro is that it doesn’t have a built-in timer. This means that you’ll need to set a separate timer on the side during the drying process. This is obviously not ideal, but it doesn’t take away from the other fantastic features of this option.
Excalibur 9-Tray Electric Food Dehydrator
Now we move on to bigger and better options for those who want to dry out large quantities of garden produce.
The Excalibur 9-Tray Food Dehydrator is a good choice for families or anyone who purchases their food in bulk and wants to preserve it for a much longer time.
This large food dehydrator has a whopping 15 square feet of dehydrating space, alongside 9 separate stackable trays that you can use to dry out various foods. This means that you can do several different dehydrated foods at a time. In fact, you could go all the way up to 9 food items at once!
It has a temperature range of 105°F -165°F, and it works quickly, locking in taste and nutrients by using its Excalibur Hyperwave technology and horizontal drying system. It features a built-in timer and digital controls that make for easy tracking.
COSORI Premium Dehydrator
The COSORI Premium Dehydrator stands out mostly for its design. It almost looks like a mini kitchen oven as it features a glass door, stainless steel trays that offer large capacity, and an easy-to-use digital control panel.
Another important aspect that landed the COSORI food dehydrator on our list is the fact that it’s extremely budget-friendly. It comes at around $160, which is cheap for a dehydrator that offers great value and premium features.
In addition to its four large dishwasher-safe trays, its temperature range of 73°F -165 degrees Fahrenheit makes it very versatile and allows for slow and quick drying of large quantities of food.
Tribest Sedona Express
Tribest is a leading manufacturer of food dehydrators, so it only makes sense that one of their products takes the number one spot on this list. The Sedona Express is the cream of the crop for food dehydrators in 2023.
It comes with 11 stainless steel trays, although its sleek upright design ensures that it won’t take up much space on any countertop. The appliance also features a digital control panel, a temperature range of 77°F -167°F, and several different modes of food dehydration, including a speed mode, a raw mode, and various combinations of both.
The Sedona Express has a higher price point than the other options on our list. Although it may leave a temporary dent in your wallet, you get what you pay for—a top-class food dehydrator.
Hamilton Digital Food Dehydrator
Like the Nesco Snackmaster, the Hamilton Digital Food Dehydrator is small and stylish, but it offers far more functionality. This dehydrator has five separate drying racks for big and small food items, meaning that you can dehydrate many different types of food all at once. It also has a fine mesh sheet that’s ideal for dehydrating herbs for cooking or making dips.
This appliance is extremely easy to use, and it creates some of the best evenly dried-out foods due to the spacing of the racks within the dehydration oven. The Hamilton Digital Food Dehydrator has a temperature range of 100°F -160 degrees Fahrenheit, and it auto-shuts off when you open the lid so you can check your progress. It also has a 48-hour timer and adjustable thermostat, making it easy to time your dehydrating process.
Nesco Gardenmaster
This model is praised for its innovative Converga-Flow drying system that forces air down the exterior pressurized chamber and across the trays for fast, even drying. Plus, it comes with an adjustable temperature control, making it easy to dry different types of foods.
Brod & Taylor Sahara
The Sahara, with its dual heating elements, provides exceptional temperature control. This model also boasts an easy-to-clean drip tray and it’s one of the few on the market that folds up for storage, making it an excellent choice for smaller kitchens.
Presto Dehydro
Available from major retailers like Walmart and Home Depot, the Presto Dehydro is a great entry-level dehydrator. It includes four trays, but can be expanded to eight for larger batches of drying. The bottom-mounted fan and heating element ensure consistent airflow for optimal drying.
Gourmia GFD1950 Premium Countertop Food Dehydrator
The Gourmia GFD1950 is a highly-rated food dehydrator featuring nine trays to allow for plentiful drying space. It boasts a digital thermostat that provides precise drying times and temperatures. Plus, it’s equipped with a 360-degree circulation technology to promote even and efficient drying.
Chefman Food Dehydrator Machine
This model from Chefman offers nine spacious trays, giving you plenty of room to dry a variety of foods simultaneously. Its innovative design ensures optimal airflow and uniform drying. It also features a digital touch settings panel that allows you to adjust the temperature and timer for a customized drying experience.
In a world where food waste is a huge problem, there’s a growing focus on health and well-being, and the cost of living is on the rise, food dehydrators are an excellent addition to any kitchen. Any one of the dehydrators on our list will be a great investment in so many ways!
Which one of these top-rated dehydrators is your favorite? And did we miss any you think should be included in this guide? Please leave a comment below – I’d love to hear!!
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