The 4 Best Food Dehydrators of 2025, Tested & Reviewed

Food dehydrating is one of the most underrated preserving methods a home cook can use. Not only do properly dehydrated foods last about as long as their canned or pickled counterparts, but they also take up less space. And dehydrating is a cost effective way to make shelf-stable snack foods.

Almost 20 years ago, I was hired onto the Food Network show Good Eats. As an intern, I had the tedious job of filling and building dozens of beef jerky drying rigs out of box fans, air filters, and bungee cords for a segment on the show. While the jerky was truly delicious, it has taken me about this long to get over that DIY contraption and actually start shopping for a home dehydrator. With a goal to find a dehydrator that I could use to preserve seasonal food bounties and help me satisfy the snack desires of my two kids, I set out to find the best dehydrator for most home cooks. Here are the four that I loved most after testing them to make apple chips, kale chips, and beef jerky, and then deep-cleaning the machines.

The Winners, at a Glance 

With precision temperature control as well as Keep Warm and Fast/Raw features, the Magic Mill 7 Tray Food Dehydrator is simple enough for beginners, with enough bells and whistles to satisfy enthusiasts. This food dehydrator was one of the quieter models I tested, and the stainless steel trays were straightforward to clean. It readily fits the space constraints of regular home kitchens and can be moved around thanks to its side handles.

Though it includes one less tray than my favorite dehydrator, this premium option from Cosori has about 16 inches more cubic area for food while still fitting on my counter. The digital time and temperature controls were precise and easy to read, but there are fewer presets than some machines I tested. 

If you need to dehydrate food in near silence, this is the machine for you! You’ll have fewer temperature selections (this machine moves up and down in five- and six-degree increments), but the powerful fan does a great job of maintaining those temperatures while operating nearly noiselessly. 

While I wasn’t quite sure about the plastic tray and upward-flowing fan of this model, it held its own against more expensive and better-equipped food dehydrators. This Nesco Dehydrator was effortless to use, has plenty of temperature options, and includes dishwasher-safe plastic trays. 

The Tests

• Apple Chip Test: After thinly slicing apples on a mandoline, I ran each dehydrator on the manufacturer’s recommended temperature for apple chips and noted the time it took each to dry the wet, juicy slices fully. 
• Kale Chip Test:  For this test, I cut kale leaves into bite-sized pieces and massaged them with olive oil and salt. I started each machine at 145˚F for one hour. Then I reduced the temperature to 115˚F for an additional one to two hours. This test helped me determine how the dehydrators handled temperature changes and delicate, lower-temperature drying. 
• Beef Jerky Test: Almost every model recommended drying jerky between 158˚ and 165˚F, so I thinly sliced flank steak, seasoned it with soy sauce, garlic powder, and onion powder, and loaded up each machine to run for four to six hours. 
• Cleanup Test: Following the manufacturer’s instructions, I cooled and wiped clean each machine after use. I washed the racks between tests by hand or in the dishwasher, if applicable. 

What We Learned

Fan Location is More Important Than Wattage 

Since food dehydrators use a combination of low heat and a fan to draw moisture out of food, you might think that a powerful dehydrator would need more wattage to dry effectively. With one exception, most of the dehydrators I tested had a wattage between 400 and 600; the Excalibur 9-Tray Electric Food Dehydrator is the only model with 1000 watts. Higher-wattage dehydrators didn’t dry more effectively; fan placement was a more critical factor. Models with the fan placed on the back of the machine, perpendicular to the trays, like the Cosori Premium Stainless Steel Dehydrator and Magic Mill 7 Tray Food Dehydrator Machine, dried foods more evenly than models with fans at the top or bottom, like Nesco FD-1040 Gardenmaster Food Dehydrator (top fan) and the Nesco Digital 5 Rectangular Digital Clear Tray Dehydrator (bottom fan).

Digital Temperature Controls Are Important for Peace of Mind 

As with other methods of food preservation, dehydrating is safest when using tested recipes. Precise temperature will produce dehydrated food that’s free from spoilage. The Excalibur 9-Tray Electric Food Dehydrator had an old-school dial-style temperature knob that didn’t give me confidence that delicate foods, like kale chips, were actually getting dried at 115˚F. A temperature check with a digital thermometer determined it was often running about 10˚F lower than the knob suggested, adding to overall dry time. Three of my top picks have digital temperature controls that can be changed by the degree, while the Samson Silent 6-Tray Food Dehydrator has a digital control that can be changed by five-and six-degree intervals.  

A Compact, Easy-to-Move Dehydrator Will Get More Use  

In order to get all of these food dehydrators tested in a timely manner, I had them staggered around my house on different outlets. The larger machines—Excalibur, Samson Silent,  Cosori Premium—were harder to place and move around. The Excalibur didn’t fit on my standard-depth counters and had to be perched at an angle on our 36-inch-deep bar to allow enough air flow. Other models, including the Cosori Premium, Magic Mill, and smaller Cosori Mini Food Dehydrator, have side handles that make them easier to pick up and place on the counter. When you’re considering any appliance that will need storage and an efficient place to run, look for a model that is compact enough to store, lift, and maneuver but still holds a decent volume of food.

Speaking of volume: After running seven dehydrators in my house over the course of several weeks, I do think that the sound a dehydrator puts out matters. Although the Samson Silent wasn’t entirely without some noise, it was vastly quieter than the Excalibur. All four of the winning food dehydrators will be as easy on your ears as possible, given their fan types.

The Criteria: What to Look for in a Food Dehydrator

Choose a food dehydrator that is less than 20 inches deep and has a fan in the back of the machine that moves heat across the food horizontally. Digital temperature and time controls will make using them easier, and your recipes more likely to turn out well. Quieter machines are ideal, especially if you plan to preserve wet foods like garden peppers that can take days to dry completely. Stainless steel racks are sturdier than plastic and can be easier to replace since they come in universal sizes. 

Our Favorite Food Dehydrators

What we liked: With a name like Magic Mill, you can’t go wrong, am I right? Jokes aside, this food dehydrator was the most intuitive to use of the machines I tested. The seven stainless trays didn’t bend at all as I moved them in and out of the machine and washed them. I appreciated the Keep Warm function in case I want to set a timed cycle but wasn’t able to check food right away. And the side handles made me confident moving this around my kitchen.

What we didn’t like: The Magic Mill 7 Tray Food Dehydrator Machine was one of the smaller dehydrators I tested, but the compact interior seemed to help it in drying juicer foods like apples and flank steak. Plus, the smaller footprint will fit more readily in a standard kitchen cabinet or pantry. 

Key Specs

• Number of trays included: 7 stainless steel trays 
• Temperature range: 95° to 176°F
• Dimensions: 15.5 x 11.3 x 10.8 inches
• Weight: 16 pounds
• Watts: 600 watts 

What we liked: This machine could also be named the best dehydrator: It went minute to minute with the Magic Mill on drying time and also has a lot of the same winning features in a larger-capacity machine, like a back fan placement, stainless steel trays, and digital time and temperature controls. It was equally easy to move around and store with side body handles.

What we didn’t like: This Corosi machine doesn’t have any presets like the Magic Mill or its diminutive friend, the Cosori Mini Food Dehydrator.

Key Specs

• Number of trays included: 6 stainless steel trays 
• Temperature range: 95° to 165°F
• Dimensions: 17.9 x 13.5 x 12.2 inches
• Weight: 18.1 pounds 
• Watts: 600 watts

What we liked: While not quite silent, the Samson machine was the quietest of all the machines we tested. It is about as large as the Cosori Premium with stainless steel trays that were easy to clean. Like the Cosori, it holds more food than the Magic Mill, but it has a lightweight plastic body that makes it easy to move around. The digital display is easy to adjust and I could read it clearly, even from across the kitchen.  

What we didn’t like: Although it boasted a digital temperature display, the temperatures varied by five- or six-degree intervals. The door design felt cheap as it was a single plastic piece that was held in with grooves on either side of the opening; Meanwhile, the tray-holding cleats inside the machine were overdesigned with a smaller cleat inside each one that makes it annoying to load and unload. 

Key Specs

• Number of trays included: 6 stainless steel trays
• Temperature range: 95 ˚F to 158 ˚F
• Dimensions: 13.5 x 18 x 12.5 inches
• Weight: 13 pounds 
• Watts: 400

What we liked: I didn’t expect to like this little machine as much as I did! While unboxing it, I worried the machine wouldn’t be efficient and that the trays wouldn’t be sturdy. The clear plastic trays are lightweight and stacked well, and allowed me to monitor food inside with ease. The design of the fan (under the trays) seemed to do a better job at evenly distributing air than top-placement fans, although not as well as fans on the back of a machine. The machine costs less than $70, so it is a winner for both budget shoppers and those with small spaces. 

What we didn’t like: The plastic trays are top-rack dishwasher-safe, which means you can only wash two at a time, or you’ll have to hand-wash them. While Nesco makes replacement trays for its other models, and the other three winners have standard stainless steel trays that are easy to replace, Nesco does not seem to make replacement trays for this machine. If the plastic trays break or warp, I’m not sure it would be possible to add or replace trays in the future. 

Key Specs

• Number of trays included: 5 clear plastic trays
• Temperature range: 95° to 158°F
• Dimensions: 12.6 x 10.71 x 9.65 inches
• Weight: 5 pounds
• Watts: 420 watts

The Competition

• Cosori Mini Food Dehydrator: Cosori seems to produce well-made and efficient food dehydrators. This one almost made the winners’ list for its easy-to-use presets and compact size. However, the Magic Mill gives you the same brilliant controls and a larger capacity for just a few dollars more. Plus, its stainless steel trays warped slightly in the dishwasher.
• Excalibur 9-Tray Electric Food Dehydrator: This is a really well-loved dehydrator brand, and I expected to be impressed. Instead, this machine feels dated (for example, it doesn’t have a digital control panel) and is huge, heavy, loud, and annoying to clean. It does a good job drying foods, though, and is the preferred model of senior editor Grace Kelly, who used it when she was a prep cook and now owns one.
• Nesco FD-1040 Gardenmaster Food Dehydrator: Considering how impressed I was with the Nesco Digital, I thought this classic design would win big. But for this price, you can buy a model that is easier to store and clean, and doesn’t lose efficiency as you add trays.

FAQs

How do you store dehydrated food?

Dehydrated foods are best stored in clean, airtight containers. Avoid tightly packing dehydrated foods into the containers, so spoilage is easy to spot. Like other types of preserved foods, store dehydrated foods in a cool, dark place for long-term storage.

Is dehydrated meat safe to eat?

Yes, dried and dehydrated meat is one of the oldest forms of food preservation. Be sure to start any meat dehydrating projects with the freshest meat possible. Heating the meat to at least 160°F while dehydrating ensures that harmful bacteria are destroyed.

What foods can and can’t you dehydrate?

Lots of foods can be dehydrated including: 

• Fruit: Such as apples, pears, bananas, berries, and even melons. Fruit can also be puréed and dehydrated into fruit leather. 
• Vegetables and herbs: Such as carrots, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, and leafy greens like kale and spinach. Peppers and herbs can also be dehydrated and ground to use in cooking. 
• Proteins: Think lean cuts of beef like flank steak and venison. Even fish like salmon can be dehydrated and turned into jerky. Chicken and turkey can be dehydrated, though they are more often included in prepared foods (like camping stews) than dehydrated as jerky. 

Food preservation experts, including the National Center for Food Preservation at University of Georgia, recommend against drying the following at home: 

• High-fat foods: Including nuts, dairy, and meats with a higher fat percentage. 
• Raw eggs: Eggs can carry a high risk of harmful bacteria.

Why We’re the Experts

• Meghan Splawn is a food writer and recipe developer who has worked in food media since 2006. 
• She worked for 10 years in the test kitchen with Alton Brown, where she regularly had the task of testing equipment and building DIY alternatives. 
• For this story, Meghan dehydrated seven pounds of apples, seven bunches of kale, and five pounds of flank steak, and she will be forcing her kids to snack on them for the next two months (at least).