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Ever wonder how those dried treats – dried apricots and other fruit leathers, beef jerky, seafood and more – are made? And how you can save vegetables for soup starters, and garden herbs for cooking? A food dehydrator is the answer. Such dried foods are useful not only at home but also for restaurants because much time can be saved in food preparation. Used restaurant equipment is likely the best choice when buying for a commercial operation.
Food dehydrators for home use are small appliances that plug into a regular wall outlet and allow you to dry food indoors. These are naturally limited by their countertop size. For restaurants and other commercial operations, however, larger units are available. If you are interested in buying the best food dehydrator this post is for you. We review the top 5 best Food Dehydrators on the market with detail, so you can pick the best one for your needs.
Top 3 Our Pick for Best Food Dehydrators
- >> Excalibur 3926TB Food Dehydrator
- >> Nesco FD-75PR 600-Watt Food Dehydrator
- >> Nesco American Harvest FD-61WHC Snackmaster Express Food Dehydrator
Types Of Food Dehydrators And Trays
Some people just take out money and buy a food dehydrator to dry food not really taking time to find out what they really need. And they end up regretting and complaining. For you to buy a dehydrator that will serve you well you must know the types we have so that you can know which will exactly serve your needs properly.
Stackable Food Dehydrators
This kind has a fan at the bottom or back of the unit to blow hot air over the food. The hot air they blow evaporates the water in the food. Their size is minimal and scalable. They are best for a kitchen that has scarce space.
Pros
- They are expendable
- They are good for light to heavy use
- They are best for small kitchens
- They are ideal for easy storage
Cons
- Trays must be rotated in most cases
- Juices sometimes drip into base from above
- Its less stable especially when more trays are added
- Heavier foods takes longer time to dry
- For those with fans at the bottom the flavor from different foods could mix. If you are drying different foods at the same time
Box-Style Food Dehydrators
The box-style food dehydrators uses convection heat to dry the food. They’re designed with a heating element. The element are usually at the bottom of the machine. This way the heat rises from below upwarde through the food trays. The good thing with this kind is that it uses less electricity and makes no noise. But the other side is that they take longer time to dry food.
- They are best for dehydrating fruits,vegetables and meats
- You do not have to rotate the trays. Its drys the food evenly
- The air is blown directly to the trays so the food drys evenly
- The flavors of different foods in the dehydrator do not mix because the air is blown directly and horizontally at the trays. But when air is blown upwards the trays, its likely the food flavors may mix.
- All the trays can be removed to convert the dehydrator to an oven for bread,yogurt and even lingerie
Pros
- They are rigidly constructed for stability
- You can remove all they trays for versatile usage. Good for light and heavy food
- The fan is mounted at the rear so all the trays receive equal level of heat causing the food to dry evenly
Cons
- They are large. Larger than stackable models.
- They have limited capacity
- They need dedicated counter space due to it large size
- They are mostly more expensive
Types Of Trays
There are trays that stack over themselves, with like half an inch to an inch space between them all. Some others have trays that simply slide into a well designed box unit. This kind generally do have a better capacity than the stackable ones.
Brands and models of dehydrators vary. Some stacked-tray-dehydrators require that all they trays be used while the machine is been utilized. The disadvantage of this tight spaced stackable trays is that the inch space does not allow for foods to grow while been dried.
Top 5 Food Dehydrator reviews
1. Excalibur 3926TB Food Dehydrator Review
I have recently brought my first dehydrator Excalibur from Amazon.com and I am quite pleased with this item. It is one of the most powerful dehydrator I have ever seen. I read a lot of review about different kinds of Dehydrators and finally I chose this Excalibur 3926TB food dehydrator because I was impressed with its powerful features!
I have already used this dehydrator to make amazing jerky, dried fruits, fruit leathers and veggies for long term storage. I really find it very useful for me as it is easy to use and very easy to clean. I am enjoying the wonderful facilities of this product and I am really pleased with it!
Key Features of Excalibur 3926TB Food Dehydrator
(4.7 / 5)- 9-Tray Dehydrator: 9-Tray Dehydratorcomes with fifteen square feet drying space and this is enough for my big family. I use these trays to dry a variety of foods at a time and it never kills my time!
- Convenient 26 Hour Timer: I set the time and get the chance to finish my other works. Sometimes I fall asleep simply by setting the timer. I need not to take any tension at all!
- Fast Dying Times: It does not need any tray rotation, so I get the fresh as well as delicious food within a short period of time.
- Easy Cleanup
- Upgraded Electrical Components
- Heavy Duty Motor
- Higher Life Cycle Thermostat
- 600 Watts and 110 Voltages
Pros
If I start to tell it all positive aspects of Excalibur 3926TB food dehydrator which I have already experienced, then it may take a huge amount of time to finish! However, I am going to share some exclusive advantage which I love most.
- Versatile: I get the chance to remove trays when I need to expand the drying chamber. Sometimes I remove all the trays to dry whole fruits or prom bouquets, apple head dolls, clay figures or fruit wreaths.
- Horizontal Drying: This feature is awesome as it helps to dry the items fast. I never lose heat and it works wonderfully.
- Almost Unbreakable: The trays of Excalibur 3926TB are polycarbonate trays as well as these trays are dishwasher safe. It is very easy to slide each of the tray and it makes the cleaning just a snap!
- Adjustable Thermostat: Ranges from 85º F to 145º F. I can control the temperature according to my own choice.
- Square Design: Its Square designs increases the dying areas about 25%. This design also helps me to spread puree to make perfect fruits leather. I also like the parchment paper liner.
- Easy Cleaning: It is really easy to clean the trays and it does not kill much time.
Cons
- Though I have not got any negative aspects yet, but one of my friends complains that she is facing problem to control the temperature and timer. But I think that as a new user it is natural for her to face these problems. She will be able to overcome these problems after using this item regularly! This is not a big problem at all.
I just want to give thanks to Hyperwave Fluctuation Technology to make such a useful product for us. Dehydrator Excaliburis also able to protect the foods from attracts of germs as well as bacteria. It offers great dependability, ultimate versatility. It is one of the best electronic components which come with the highest specifications. The advantage is that you will also get a 10 year standard limited warranty! However, I am really lucky to get this product. It is my helping hand and I also want to give thanks to Amazon.com to introduce me with this awesome product.
2. Nesco FD-75PR 600-Watt Food Dehydrator Review
Last Spring, I bought my Nesco 700-Watt Food Dehydrator. I am really impressed with this dehydrator. I had read a number of reviews before I bought this one from amazon.com. After reading a variety of reviews finally I got Nesco FD-75PR. I was impressed because of its wonderful features and price.
This is one of the best dehydrators which come with the best features at an affordable price. Its price was on my budget. I had not even thought I would get such a dehydrator at an affordable price. I am really happy with its servicing. This Nesco professional food dehydrator is best for those who have a small family like mine.
Key Features of Nesco Professional Food Dehydrator
(4.5 / 5)Nesco FD-75PR comes with the following exclusive features, which makes this item much for effective as well as also useful.
- Upgraded Electrical Components
- Heavy Duty Motor
- Higher Life Cycle Thermostat
- 600 Watts
- 5 Trays but Expandable Up To 12 Trays
- Adjustable Thermostat from 95° F to 160° F
- Contemporary Granite Vita-Save Blocks Lights
Pros
I have already experienced a number of positive aspects of Nesco 700-Watt Food Dehydratorafter buying it from Amazon.com. If I start to share them all, then it may take a huge amount of time to finish! However, I am going to share some exclusive advantage which I love most.
- Horizontal Drying: This feature is awesome as it helps to dry the items fast. I never lose heat and it works wonderfully. The radial air action is very much effective to dry the food items effectively. I need not to rotate the trays during drying the food items.
- Versatile: I get the chance to remove trays when I need to expand the drying chamber. Sometimes I remove all the trays to dry whole fruits or prom bouquets, apple head dolls, clay figures or fruit wreaths.
- Dishwasher Safe Trays: The trays of Nesco fd-75prdishwasher safe. It is very easy to slide each of the tray and it makes the cleaning just a snap!
- Adjustable Thermostat: Ranges from 95º F to 160º F. I can control the temperature according to my own choice.
- Easy Cleaning: It is really easy to clean the trays and it does not kill much time. I can easily disassemble the item during the time of cleaning this dehydrator.
Cons
I am also facing a little bit negative issues but that are not so important for me. However, I am going to share the problems I am facing with this dehydrator.
- No Timer: This is actually a problem I faced before. However, now I just connect the dehydrator with the outlet timer. If it had a timer, that would be much better.
- Not any On/Off Switch: It can have been a great on/off swap. However, this will not be a key negative aspect for people.
All the dehydrator will give you the opportunity to dry food items, but you may not get any other items which will give you the guarantee of the safest, fastest work just like Nesco 700-Watt Food Dehydrator! It’s also able to protect the foods from the attacks of germs as well as bacteria. It offers great dependability, ultimate versatility. It is one of the best electronic components which come with the highest specifications.
However, I am really lucky to get this product. It is my helping hand and I also want to give thanks to Amazon.com to introduce me with this awesome product. If you are searching for the best dehydrator at an affordable price, then you need not to go here and there.
3. Nesco American Harvest FD-61WHC Snackmaster Express Food Dehydrator Review
I was searching for the best dehydrator for making jerky as I love jerky! I read a number of reviews and finally the review of Nesco American Harvest FD-61WHC Snackmaster Express Food Dehydrator all-in-one kit with jerky gunimpressed me a lot. I took the decision to buy this one and one year ago I bought my Nesco FD-61 from amazon.com. It is one of my best decisions I must say.
This dehydrator is great for me as it is very easy to manage. This dehydrator is best for those who have not yet used any dehydrator. I am satisfied and I must recommend it for those who are searching for an affordable but effective vibrator.
Key Features of Nesco American Harvest Snackmaster Express Food Dehydrator
I like Nescosnackmaster express food dehydrator due to its exclusive features. It is one of the best dehydrator I have ever seen. This dehydrator comes with the following features.
- A top Mounted Fan
- All in one Kit
- Jerky Gun
- 5 Trays which is expendable up to 12 Trays
- Comes with recipe guide, fruit roll sheet
Pros
Nesco Snackmaster Express Food Dehydrator has a huge amount of advantages which make me a fan of this dehydrator. Now I am going to share those positive aspects with you.
- Little Noise: Though I have seen most of the dehydrator creates loud noise, but my Nescosnackmaster is quite free from noise. It never makes so much noise, so I never face any problem related with noise just like my neighbor who is facing problem with her noisy dehydrator.
- Easy To Clean: It is really easy to clean and it helps me to save my time. I can easily disassemble the parts to clean this item. One of the greatest advantages of this dehydrator is that it is dishwasher safe.
- Expandable Drying Space: I am using a 5 trays dehydrator as my family is not so big and these 5 trays are perfect for my family. But if you have a large family, then you can expand your of Nesco American harvest fd-61up to 12 trays. You need not to buy another big dehydrator to support your big family.
- Fast Drying: My Nesco fd-61 does not take much time to dry foods like the other ordinary dehydrator. It needs hours to dry the food items not days.
- Preserve Natural Flavor and Nutrition: Nesco fd-61 never plays with the flavor as well as nutrition of the food items. After drying the foods, I get the same flavor as well as aroma. It also preserves the nutritious values, so I can enjoy the tasty snacks with full of nutrition.
Cons
There is nothing in this world which has not a single disadvantage. So you may also face a little bit problems with of Nesco American harvest fd-61express food dehydrator, but these problems are not so serious and you can also solve these problems at home.
This is the problem which I am facing with my dehydrator.
- The meat which I use for drying purpose, sticks on the curves of the 5 trays.
- Another problem is that during the time of making jerky the jerkies sometimes left inside the gun of the jerky. What I do just use a non-sticky drying sheet to protect the meat from being stuck with the trays.
If you are looking for the best basic level dehydrator and jerky maker, which will provide best quality, then I will obviously recommend you Nesco Food Dehydrator and jerky maker. It lacks the price tag, which makes it more affordable. Most of the experienced person as well as professionals also highly recommend this item. Every day I use this dehydrator to make nutritious foods for my family and still I have had no problems with this item. If you ignore its negative aspects, then there is no doubt, it is one of the best dehydrators. Nesco American Harvest FD-61WHC is not only affordable but also durable.
4. Nesco American Harvest FD-1018P 1000 Watt Food Dehydrator Kit Review
I brought my Nesco American harvest food dehydrator a couple of years ago from Amazon.com. One of my friends told me about this dehydrator. I was searching for the best dehydrator that will be powerful enough to support my large family. I was going to arrange a party in my house. For that party I needed a large size dehydrator that will support my wife to prepare a huge quantity food items fast.
When I heard about Nesco American Harvest FD-1018P 1000 Watt Food Dehydrator Kit, I was really surprised. I had not even thought to get such an effective dehydrator at a reasonable price. Since then, still I am using Nesco fd-1018p and I am quite happy with my dehydrator. My wife never makes any complain against as it is very easy to clean as well as easy to use.
Key Features of Nesco American Harvest Food Dehydrator
(4.3 / 5)You may want to know the features which are very much impressive about the dehydrator. Following are the key features:
- Drying power 1000-watts• Comes with 8 trays, but expendable up to 30 trays
- Adjustable thermostat
- Converga-Flow airflow system
- Recipe book and Instruction book is available with this item
- 95° – 155° F is the range of the temperature
- 4.5″ Fan comes with 2,400-RPM Motor
- Higher Life Cycle Thermostat
- Upgraded Electrical Components
Pros
I like nesco fd-1018pdue to its exclusive positive aspects. It is one of the best dehydrator I have ever seen. This dehydrator comes with the following advantages.
- Expandable Trays: Nesco American harvest fd-1018p 1000 watt food dehydrator kitcomes with 8 trays, but according to your necessity, you can easily expand the trays up to 30 trays. So whenever you need to dry huge quantity items together, you need not to buy a new one, you can just expand the trays.
- Powerful Heater: It comes with the most powerful heaters that allow my wife to dry the food items fast. Nesco fd-1018p saves both time as well as efforts.
- Horizontal Drying: This feature is awesome as it helps to dry the items fast. It never loses heat and it works wonderfully. The radial air action is very much effective to dry the food items effectively. My wife needs not to rotate the trays during drying the food items.
- Adjustable Thermostat: Ranges from 95° F – 155° F. You will be able to control the temperature according to your own choice.
- Easy Cleaning: It is really easy to clean the trays and it does not kill much time. I have seen my wife easily disassembles the item during the time of cleaning this dehydrator.
Cons
Though Nesco FD-1018P comes with 98% positive aspects, but there is a little bit dark side of this dehydrator. Though the problem is not so serious, but I want to share it with all. You can easily find out the solutions for these problems.
- Circular Trays: It is a little bit difficult to load the circular trays compared to square trays. Square trays are much easier to load.
- No Timer: My wife used to claim for the timer most of time. However, now I just connect the dehydrator with the outlet timer. If it had a timer, that would be much better.
- Not any On/Off Switch: It may a great on/off swap. However, this obviously will not be a key negative aspect for anyone.
Nesco American Harvest FD-1018P 1000 Watt Food Dehydrator Kit will be your best choice, if you are searching for the healthiest as well as easiest dehydrator. My wife is very happy staying with this one. Nesco food dehydratoris just like the part of my family as we use it every day. I also like it most, as sometimes I get the chance to prepare jerky for me easily with this unit. It is really easy to use Nesco FD1018P.
5. Nesco American Harvest FD-1020 Gardenmaster 1000-Watt Digital Food Dehydrator Review
I am satisfied with my Nesco American harvest FD-1020 gardenmaster 1000-watt digital food dehydrator. It comes with the digital control facility which makes it very easy to use. Top heater and fan, makes this unit much more useful.
This digital food the round variety because of its excellent feature. It is perfect for me and for my large family. After getting this item, I never feel the necessity to buy any other products to dry the food items.
It works in a great economical way, which allows me to dry all the food items easily. It preserves the actual health benefit of any food items. I love this one as Nesco American harvest FD-1020 gardenmaster is perfect for me.
Key Features of Nesco 4-tray Food Dehydrator
I like Beef jerky food dehydratordue to its exclusive features. It is one of the best dehydrator I have ever seen. This dehydrator comes with the following features
- Drying power 1000 -watts
- Comes with 4 trays
- Adjustable thermostat
- Converga-Flow airflow system
- Recipe book and Instruction book is available with this item
- 95° – 155° F is the range of the temperature
- 48-hour digital timer
- Higher Life Cycle Thermostat
- Upgraded Electrical Components
Pros
- Easy To Clean: This dehydrator comes with the user friendly features. It is really easy to clean the trays and it does not kill much time. It is very easy to slide each of the tray and it makes the cleaning just a snap!
- Adjustable Thermostat: I can set the temperature from 90º F to 155º according to the type of the food items. Fd-1020 gardenmasteris fully safe to dry any item just like meat for jerky or even fruit syrup for fruit leather.
- Horizontal Air Flow: it helps to dry the food items faster. I need not to move any foods or even tray during the time of dehydration.
- Almost Unbreakable: The trays of Nesco fd-1020 are dishwasher safe. The trays are able to handle more than 30 pounds and it is almost unbreakable.
- Timer: It has convenient 48 hours timer, which let me to get my task done. I just set the time and go for my other home tasks without any tension.
- Fast Dying Times: Horizontal air flow allows this dehydrator to dry any food item fast. It does not need any tray rotation, so I get the fresh as well as delicious food within a short period of time.
Cons
I am comfortable with my Nesco American harvest fd-1020 as I have not faced any big problems with this unit. Only one problem that I have faced is the noise.
- The sound of the fan is a little bit loud. It also makes noise at the start up.
However, that is not a big problem for me as I am familiar with this.
Nesco American harvest FD-1020 Gardenmaster 1000-watt digital food dehydratoroffers great dependability, ultimate versatility. It is one of the best digital electronic components which come with the highest specifications. The advantage is that you will also get 1 year standard limited warranty! You will also get exciting value added services. All the dehydrator will give you the opportunity to dry food items, but you may not get any other items which will give you the guarantee of the safest, fastest work just like Nesco American harvest FD-1020.
Food Dehydrator Buying Guide
There are things you must know and questions you must provide vivid answers to before paying for a food dehydrator. If you just pay for one because of the seductive advert and review you may regret later. Not because you bought the wrong one but because its not serving your needs properly.
Today,i’ll share with you the few things you should arm yourself with as you go out to buy a dehydrator.
Read through this carefully and be sure of what you really want before slothing in your credit card.
What kind of food will you be drying with it. Will it be used for drying a single kind of food or varieties. If you intend to use it for different kinds of food then you need an adjustable thermostat dehydrator. So that you can adjust the drying heat to fit with the kind of food you want to dry per time.
Some foods need high temperature while some need just low to dry. Meat for example dries easily at 145 degrees to 155 degrees fahrenheit whereas things like basil will dry well at a temperature just over 90 degrees. So if you buy a dehydrator with no adjustable thermostat you’ll have problems drying some kinds of food since you can’t adjust the heat to accomodate what you’re drying.
Will it be left to work while you’re away: If yes then you need to get a food dehydrator with a timer. So that it will automatically shut off at the exact time you set it to even if you are away.
There are those without the timer function so if you know you may be too busy or may sometimes be away and would still want the dehydrator working while you’re away then invest in one with a timer and you will be fine.
What is the quantity of food you will be drying at once: If you plan to be drying a large quantity of food because of your large family or because you use it for commercial purpose then go for a dehydrator with large capacity. A less expensive and smaller model will go well for an occasional and small quantity usage.
If you buy a small capacity dehydrator and you’re using it for a large capacity work it may not work well and won’t last. So ensure you settle this issues in your heart before clicking the buy now button.
Will it be used for creative cooking and other applications: There are various models and types of dehydrators for various usage and purposes. If you desire to use a dehydrator for thing like making yogurt or fruit leather then it better you go for a one with a non-stick sheet instead of a one with stackable trays.
What is your budget: There are food dehydrators of various prices you can even get one for $1,000. So it all depends on your needs and how much you’re willing to invest. No matter your budget its best to buy something that will serve you well and last long.
I believe these tips will go a long way to guide you to getting just exactly what will serve you best.
How To Maintain Your Food Dehydrator
Its good to have a good food dehydrator but you still need to know how to maintain your food dehydrator so that you will really enjoy it. Afterall you paid for it so you can enjoy it.
Let’s look at a few reasons why you should maintain your dehydrator.
- For maximum use. As you maintain it you will be able to use it to the fullest.
- Long life. As you maintain it it will last longer.
- You will enjoy your hard earned money. You need to enjoy the money you spent in buying your dehydrator and this will come as you maintain it.
- Save your life and family. As you maintain your dehydrator you keep it from electrical faults that could cause shock or any other form of electrical mishaps that could endanger your life and that of your family members.
- Unnecessary spending/cost avoided. If you maintain your dehydrator you won’t have to spend unnecsessarily repairing or replacing parts of it.
- Save money for other needs or projects. As you maintain your machine you will be able to save and spend on other things and not on repairs or replacements.
- Minimizes electrical risks. This is an electrical machine so it comes with some electrical risks. But you don’t have to suffer those risks if you do these little things to maintain it.
Now that we know why we should maintain our food dehydrators let’s look at how to do the maintainance.
- Switch off when not in use: Leaving it on is risky.
- Wash with care: When you wash ensure you take note of electric parts and ensure you dry it proper after washing before plugging it on.
- Keep neat always: Your hygiene is paramount so take time and wash well. Some food dehydrators are more difficult to wash than others due to their design and shape.
- Keep away from kids: Your kids should not be allowed to play with or play around the food dehydrator when its on even when it off. They could touch or switch on something that could cause your food to burn or cause a dangerous mishap in the house.
- Use at the recommended voltage: Most dehydrators are 120v. Ensure to keep it there.
- Don’t over use: Over using your dehydrator mean overloading or excessively using it. This could drastically reduce it life span.
- Study carefully the manufacturers manual: The manufacturers has care outlined how the machine should be used for machine benefits. So take some time read it and stick to the instructions. The manufacturers know the machine better than you do and they mean well for you.
- Get an expert to fix when bad: Whenever there is need to fix or repair get an expert to do the job.
Don’t tamper or try to repair: Don’t do trial and eror with and electrical appliance. You may regret it. - Use voltage stabilizers to keep it from voltage fluctuations: Get a good voltage stabilizer. Electricity cannot always be predicted.
- Avoiding toching with wet hands when on: Especially when it on. Avoid touching with wet hands. Though its made in such a way that the body won’t shock but sometimes something may just go wrong unknowingly.
- Have any frayed electrical cord repaired immediately: Once you notice a frayed cord quickly get it fixed to avoid contact with your body or some other electrical conductor.
- Switch off before unplugging: Before you unplug from the socket first of all switch off. This is a general guideline for all electrical appliances.
The food dehydrator manual will give you much more maintainance guides. Read and religiously keep to them.
