16 Best Food Dehydrators (Review) In 2020

The Unclutterer’s best choice is the Magic Mill Food Dehydrator Machine which has good temperature control and horizontal heat (back to front) for even drying. The seven trays make it easy to set food in single layers and the timer is easily set. It has an auto-off setting for when time is up but you can set it to warm following dehydration and it can maintain heat at 95°F for another 24 hours, or until you manually switch the machine off. Weighing just over 19lbs with a wipe-clean aluminum housing, it feels nice and light but is sturdy looking – and will sit nicely on any kitchen work surface. A great choice for preserving food.

The racks/trays in the Ivation 6 Tray Countertop Digital Food Dehydrator are height adjustable and can easily be removed for cleaning. The rear-mounted fan dries foods evenly so you can preserve fruit, nuts, meats, vegetables, and lots of other things. The drying space is around average size for a home dehydrator and it’s great for making jerky, fruit roll, potato sticks, and chips and lots of other nutritional low-calorie stuff. Great price and easy to use, lightweight at just under 14lbs.

The COSORI Premium Food Dehydrator Machine is certainly not the cheapest dehydrator by far but it comes with six trays, a fruit roll sheet, and recipes to watch online. It has a stainless steel and glass door, and quiet operation. The timer itself can be set in 30-minute increments for as long as 48 hours although you will need to refer to recipes and recommendations on timing and temperature control depending on food types and/or recipes.

The first dehydrator on our list with a top-mounted fan, the Cuisinart DHR-20 Food Dehydrator looks slightly different to the others so far. It has adjustable temperature settings for low, high, and medium – simply use the knob to the front of the machine – and is ideal for preserving foods, herbs, and flowers. Additional trays can be purchased so, with the five supplied, you can stack up to a maximum of nine for greater drying capacity. You may like that it’s see-through so you can monitor the drying progress when in operation.

The Presto 06300 Dehydro Electric Food Dehydrator is the Unclutterer budget pick. We think this would make a good gift or if you are buying one for the first time. The only thing is that you don’t control it, this dehydrator switches on when it is plugged in and with a preset temperature you won’t get to learn the more involved settings that come with other models. That said, it’s easy to use and store with stackable trays if you don’t have so much space in your kitchen for a more permanent option.

For its price, the Excalibur 9-Tray Electric Food Dehydrator with Adjustable Thermostat looks good but is perhaps more cumbersome than most. It has a good capacity for drying foods in bulk, quickly, and although it’s housing is plastic it looks sturdier than many dehydrators on our review list. With adjustable temperature control and you can view the time it has been drying, it’s easy to follow recipes when you have greater control over drying certain foods. The airflow is even and well maintained during operation and you might like that the trays are removable for other things like proving dough. This dehydrator is our premium pick.

Despite its size and low price, the NutriChef Multi-Tier Food Dehydrator Machine is hugely lightweight and portable so great for storing and traveling with. It has five trays which should be hand-washed after each use but this is easily done as the plastic used is non-stick so it’s easy to remove food from. It is worth noting that if you want to use fruit leather sheets with this machine you will need to order them separately.

This is the first of two NESCO dehydrators on our review list. The NESCO Compact Food and Jerky Dehydrator is a squarely shaped dehydrator and food can easily be dried. The drying space has a top-mounted fan with a horizontal airflow that dries food evenly, and moisture drips that are generated during operation are collected in a drip tray. It is supplied with four trays but you could add mesh trays or smaller trays to it, however, it is expandable to eight trays giving you around 8lbs of dried food at its optimum capacity.

The second NESCO on our review list, the NESCO Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator is of great quality design. It comes with five stacking racks although this is expandable to twelve if purchased separately. It has vertical airflow to reach food evenly although as with the FD-80A it has no power switch or timer control. It will look right placed as a permanent fixture on the kitchen counter, although if you have space it could easily be stored if you don’t intend to use it frequently. It is worth remembering that the more trays that you add, the more power needed so the slower the drying process.

The NutriChef Electric Countertop Food Dehydrator Machine is a one-button operated dehydrator with a preset temperature. It is supplied with five trays although you can remove those you don’t want to use if you want to use fewer, they’re easily cleaned too. It’s truly lightweight at just under 7lbs so it’s easy to travel with if you so wish. This would make a good gift or starter model although some people may prefer to be able to adjust the temperature or the timer. Its simple operation makes it easy to use for beginners or those who just want to leave the dehydrator to do its job! We like the black color it’s currently available in.

The Flexzion 5 Layer Food Dehydrator comes at an affordable price and has a bottom-mounted fan for even, vertical airflow. It’s round in shape and the temperature is controlled by turning the knob at the front of the dehydrator. It is quite an adaptable machine, being easy to clean the trays after use and stack up to five of them at once for convenient drying. This is the best value choice from the Unclutterer team, it’s simple to use and easy to store.

For its size and price, this isn’t the most powerful dehydrator but it’s perfect for those with small kitchens, or if you want to travel with it. The Hamilton Beach 5 Tray Digital Food Dehydrator is one of our favorite rectangular stackable dehydrators that comes with the five trays, a fine mesh sheet for herbs, and smaller food drying, and if you need fruit roll sheets the one provided will get you started. It offers good quality design and a good size food capacity for even and consistent drying. The only thing is that it does dry more slowly than some so if you intend on dehydrating food regularly this may not be the model for you.

The lack of temperature control and a timer may put some off buying the NutriChef Professional Multi-Tier Fruit, Veg and Meat Dehydrator but it is what it is – it’s easy to use, it dehydrates food, and it has a minimalistic design. It’s controlled with a simple power switch but worth bearing in mind that without a timer you will need to monitor the drying progress yourself, so anyone using this will need to know what their food should look like when it’s dry and ready to remove. Extra trays will fit in with the five that are supplied but bearing in mind that drying will take longer. The motor is the least powerful of any of the others on our review list.

With the MVPower 5 Level Food Dehydrator you get a rectangular-shaped and stackable dehydrator that has been designed well and looks modern enough to leave on the kitchen counter instead of storing away after each use. The timer can be used for up to 72 hours using one-hour increments and the temperature range starts at 95F and can be then programmed per 9F (95, 104, 113…). The drying process operates from the bottom of the machine so that it gets to each tray and dries evenly. Ideal if you are making fruit roll, making jerky, drying fruit, or even dog treats! A great little food dehydrator that is practical and easy to clean and store.

The less expensive of the two COSORI dehydrators on our review list, the COSORI Food Dehydrator Machine is a round shape and quite a good looking design. As with the first COSORI it comes with one mesh sheet (for herbs and smaller foods like seeds) and one fruit roll sheet which collects the drips that are generated from the moisture removed. You can set the timer for up to 48 hours and the temperature is easily adjusted. This make of dehydrator comes with 50 recipes, great if you need some ideas or don’t quite know where to start playing with this new toy!

The Ninja Foodi 9-in-1 Cooker promises to serve as a multi-purpose kitchen tool. Use it as an air fryer, slow cooker, pressure cooker – in fact, it’s multi-functions make it ideal to have if you like to cook but don’t have space for a number of appliances. The only let down with this is, of course, you can only use it to do one thing at a time so you will need separate appliances if you do different types of cooking at the same time. The drying space allows up to 6.5 quarts roasting around 5lbs of chicken, or to dehydrate about 3lbs of fries or jerky – but there is a larger version at 8 quarts available. The Unclutterer reviewers loved this for durability, looks, and ways to replace other kitchen appliances for just one.