Best Food Dehydrators: Trays, Temperature Range and Airflow Compared
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A dehydrator is a low-drama appliance: a heater, a fan and some trays. The differences come down to how much fits, how evenly it dries, and whether the thermostat goes high enough for what you want to make.
What to look for
- Temperature range. NCHFP says dehydrators are designed to dry at 140°F and recommends an enclosed thermostat from about 85°F to 160°F. The Excalibur, COSORI 6-tray and NESCO models below all list ranges that reach 160°F or higher.
- Airflow. Box-style models (Excalibur, COSORI) blow air horizontally across the trays. Stackable round models (NESCO, Presto) push air down from the top. Excalibur, NESCO and Presto list no tray rotation needed; COSORI's 6-tray has a rear-mounted fan, per the listing.
- Drying space. More square feet means fewer batches. Box models list it; stackable models list tray counts and how far they expand.
- Trays. Stainless trays (COSORI, Excalibur Performance) or chrome (Excalibur Select), per the listings. Check the listing for other models' tray material.
COSORI 6-tray: compact, stainless trays
Six stainless steel trays give 6.5 sq ft of drying space, with a 600 W rear fan and a range of 95°F to 165°F, per the listing. Timer goes to 48 hours. It comes with a mesh screen and fruit roll sheet, so you can do fruit leather right away.
COSORI 6-Tray Stainless Steel Food Dehydrator
- 6 stainless steel trays; 6.5 sq ft of drying space, per the listing
- 600 W, rear-mounted fan
- 95°F to 165°F; timer up to 48 hours
- Mesh screen, fruit roll sheet and recipe book included
Need a bit more room? The 10-tray version lists 7.4 sq ft of drying space, 10 presets, a top window and a built-in light.
COSORI 10-Tray Stainless Steel Food Dehydrator
- 10 stainless steel trays; 7.4 sq ft of drying space, per the listing
- Horizontal airflow; 1°F temperature steps
- 10 presets; top window and built-in light
- Auto shut-off
Excalibur: the big batch machines
Excalibur's Performance Series 10-tray is the capacity pick here: 16 sq ft of drying space on stainless trays, 85°F to 165°F, and a timer up to 80 hours, per the listing. Horizontal airflow means no tray rotation. If you're drying a whole garden's worth of tomatoes or a deer's worth of jerky, this is the one.
Excalibur Performance Series 10-Tray Food Dehydrator
- 10 stainless steel trays; 16 sq ft of drying space, per the listing
- Thermostat range 85°F to 165°F; timer up to 80 hours
- Horizontal airflow; no tray rotation needed, per Excalibur
- Glass door
The Select Series is the 8-tray version with chrome trays and glass French doors, same temperature range and timer.
Excalibur Select Series 8-Tray Food Dehydrator
- 8 chrome trays
- Thermostat range 85°F to 165°F; timer up to 80 hours
- Horizontal airflow; no tray rotation needed, per Excalibur
- Clear glass French doors
NESCO: start small, stack up
NESCO's round dehydrators use a top-mounted fan and add trays as you need them. The Gardenmaster Pro FD-1018A is 1,000 W, comes with 8 trays and expands to 30, with a 95°F to 160°F thermostat, per the listing. It includes fruit roll sheets, screens and jerky seasoning.
NESCO FD-1018A Gardenmaster Pro, 8 Trays
- 1,000 W with top-mounted fan; no tray rotation, per the listing
- 8 trays included, expandable to 30
- Adjustable thermostat 95°F to 160°F
- Fruit roll sheets, clean-a-screens and jerky seasoning included
The Snackmaster Pro FD-75A is the smaller 600 W version: 5 trays, expandable to 12, same temperature range.
NESCO FD-75A Snackmaster Pro, 5 Trays
- 600 W with top-mounted fan, per the listing
- 5 trays included, expandable to 12
- Adjustable thermostat 95°F to 160°F
- Made in the USA of global and domestic components, per NESCO
Presto Dehydro: the simple starter
Four trays that expand to 8, a top-mounted fan and heater, and trays that nest for storage, per the listing. If you're not sure you'll use a dehydrator much, this is a low-commitment way to find out. Check the listing for its temperature control before buying if you plan to make jerky.
Presto 06300 Dehydro Electric Food Dehydrator
- 4 drying trays, expandable to 8, per the listing
- Top-mounted fan and heating element; no tray rotation
- Trays nest for storage
Magic Mill: stainless box dehydrators
Magic Mill's Pro is stainless inside and out, trays included, with a 600 W rear fan and no tray rotation, per the listing. Its range runs 95°F to 176°F in 1-degree steps, with a 48-hour timer and auto shutoff.
Magic Mill Pro 7-Tray Stainless Food Dehydrator
- Stainless exterior, interior and trays, per the listing
- 600 W rear fan; no tray rotation
- 95°F to 176°F in 1° steps
- 48-hour timer with auto shutoff
The Premium 10-tray steps up to 10 extra-large stainless trays and 700 W, with a 95°F to 167°F range, a keep-warm function, and overheat protection, per the listing.
Magic Mill Premium 10-Tray Food Dehydrator
- 10 extra-large stainless trays, 700 W, per the listing
- Rear fan; no tray rotation
- 95°F to 167°F; 48-hour timer; keep-warm function
- Auto shut-off and overheat protection
Worth adding: tray sheets
Mesh sheets keep small pieces from falling through the trays (for fruit leather you'd want a solid sheet; see our fruit leather guide). These mesh silicone sheets are sized for Excalibur trays and can be trimmed for others, per the listing.
Silicone Dehydrator Sheets, 14 x 14 in. (10-Pack)
- Mesh silicone sheets sized for Excalibur trays; can be trimmed for others, per the listing
- Rated to 450°F; dishwasher safe; BPA-free, per the listing
Compared
| Dehydrator | Trays / space (per listing) | Temperature | Fan |
|---|---|---|---|
| COSORI 6-tray | 6 stainless, 6.5 sq ft | 95–165°F | Rear |
| COSORI 10-tray | 10 stainless, 7.4 sq ft | See listing | Horizontal |
| Excalibur Performance 10-tray | 10 stainless, 16 sq ft | 85–165°F | Horizontal |
| Excalibur Select 8-tray | 8 chrome | 85–165°F | Horizontal |
| NESCO FD-1018A | 8, expands to 30 | 95–160°F | Top |
| NESCO FD-75A | 5, expands to 12 | 95–160°F | Top |
| Magic Mill Pro 7-tray | 7 stainless | 95–176°F | Rear |
| Magic Mill Premium 10-tray | 10 stainless XL | 95–167°F | Rear |
| Presto Dehydro | 4, expands to 8 | See listing | Top |
Jerky: the USDA rule
For pork or wild game, NCHFP says to freeze portions 6 inches thick or less at 0°F or below for at least 30 days before slicing and marinating, to deal with trichinella; it notes freezing doesn't kill bacteria. On storage, plan on 2 weeks: NCHFP says properly dried jerky keeps 2 weeks at room temperature in a sealed container and recommends the fridge or freezer for longer. It's been known to last longer; FSIS gives 1 to 2 months for home-dried jerky.
Making jerky from ground meat? See our beef jerky guide for jerky guns and the extra heating step.
First project? Try dried apples. Wondering about freeze dryers? See freeze dryer vs dehydrator.
Storing what you dry
Plan on about 4 months for dried food in a cool, dry, dark place. It's been known to last longer: NCHFP gives 4 months to a year, with most dried fruit about a year at 60°F or 6 months at 80°F, and vegetables about half as long. It also calls vacuum packaging “a good option” for dried foods; see our vacuum sealer guide.