There are times when you feel like eating crunchy and delicious treats. The same holds true for your kids. However, these snacks that you buy from the stores often contain too much preservatives and additives. That is why it is important to invest in a food dehydrator. So, what should be the features of a good dehydrator? Keep on reading this article to learn more about them.
Best Food Dehydrators Reviewed
Cosori Premium Food Dehydrator
Cosori Premium Food Dehydrator is designed for those individuals who want the best of the best. With an unrivalled 6 tray system, you can now dehydrate your fruits and vegetables to perfection in half the time that it would take with only one or two trays!
Not just that, but this product is equipped with great features like a large capacity which lets you create up to 3000 cubic inches of food at once. This means more re-usable foods for less money per meal. The unit also has premium stainless steel trays which are dishwasher safe and make cleaning easy too! Furthermore, this product makes it easy to control the temperature settings on each individual tier because if offers digital temperature settings which you can use to set the ideal temperature for your food.
What’s more, It offers a fan with high-powered airflow so that no moist air is left trapped in the machine and food does not get mushy. It also includes stackable trays and an automatic shut off timer which shuts off after 24 hours of non-use, preventing any possible accidents from occurring. Health conscious individuals who purchase this product will be glad to know that it can dehydrate meats and vegetables without having to add oil or salt! If you want all of these amazing features at such a great price, then get your hands on Cosori Premium Food Dehydrator today!
Key features:
- 6 premium stainless steel trays
- 3,000 c.i. (cubic inch) of dehydrating space
- 4 automated settings: Fruits and vegetables – fish and jerky – meats and poultry – breads, rolls and doughnuts
- Digital temperature controls to set the ideal temperature for your food
- Auto shut-off after 24 hours to avoid any accidents from occurring when not in use
- Fan with high-powered airflow that ensures that no moist air is left in the machine, perfect for dehydrating without oil or salt; dishwasher safe trays make cleaning easy.
Presto 06301 Dehydro Digital Electric Food Dehydrator
The Presto Dehydro Electric Food Dehydrator is perfect for making dried foods. One of the best features of this dehydrator is that it only occupies a small amount of space, so it doesn’t take up too much room in your kitchen. This unit also comes with trays which are very easy to clean–a big plus since you’ll be using them often! With just one thermostat and an on/off switch, the Presto Dehydro makes dehydration simple.
To operate it, simply load the trays full of your ingredients before stacking them on the base appliance, then cover the top tray with our transparent lid. Before slipping these items into place however, make sure you plug in your food dehydrator and wait until your food has reached the right degree of dehydration.
Unfortunately, the Presto Dehydro lacks temperature control which means you will have to monitor its temperature carefully since it is set at 140 degrees Fahrenheit–a little too high for ingredients that are more delicate such as spices or vegetables. That being said, this unit works well with many different types of foods including those that require a longer period of time to complete such as fruit leathers and jerky.
Due to its stackable tray-style design, the user must rotate the trays during the process of dehydrating–something that’s common when using dehydrators with tray designs due to their bottom-mounted fans along with heating element. When using this model I prefer rotating them at least once per hour, but it’s not required. Merely ensure that you remove all the ingredients from the lower tray before moving onto the upper ones.
Overall though, this small dehydrator is perfect if you’re looking for something simple without too many bells and whistles. It works well with most foods and won’t take up much space in your kitchen so it’s perfect when you only want to dry a couple of items at a time instead of large batches or making veggie chips or fruit leather for everyone in your family.
Key features:
- Only occupies a small amount of space
- Simple design with one button and no temperature control
- Trays are dishwasher safe, making them easy to clean
Excalibur 9-Tray Electric Food Dehydrator
The EXCALIBER 9 Tray Food Dehydrator is perfect for those who are looking to make meal-prepping easy with your favorite ingredients. This food dehydrator is big enough to handle many different cooking projects at once, but would be best on the countertop in an open workspace.
It can always handle whatever you’re cooking because it has temperatures ranging from 110°F to 165°F! This EXCALIBER Food Dehydrator covers everything from vegetable chips and fruit leathers that need less heat, to jerky or yogurt making that need higher heats.
The most annoying aspect about this dehydrator is the cover/door. Because the machine has trays that are vertically stacked and filled from the front, there is an open door that is suspended from the top when it’s shut. When compared to other hinged door versions, the Excaliber’s door cover is slightly more difficult to set up and may slip off during dehydration if agitated or struck.
It’s really simple to use the EXCALIBER 9 Tray Food Dehydrator since all you have to do is fill up your racks with ingredients. Then slide each tray into its designated slot and then carefully hang the lid over on the outside of the device! Set your preferred temperature knob at your desired settings and let those ingredients dry until they’re totally dry.
Due to the back-mounted heater and fan, you won’t have to move the tray while food dries, which might be beneficial. The Excalibur does not include a timer, but you may keep track of your cooking time on your foods or avoid overcooking them!
Overall, the EXCALIBER 9 Tray Food Dehydrator is ideal for people who want to create meals with ingredients they already have in their kitchen. It may be placed on your counter all day or stowed away in a drawer or closet when not in use. Because of its size, it’s intended for drawer or closet storage, so if you intend on utilizing it often, you’ll need to find a permanent home for it.
Key features:
- 9 tray food dehydrator
- Easy to use analog temperature controls
- Dishwasher safe trays
- Extra large capacity!
- Good ventilation at rear of unit draws out moist air and heat for quick, even drying (Rear mounted fan and heater)
NESCO FD-1018A Gardenmaster Pro Food Dehydrator for Great Jerky and Snacks
The Nesco Gardenmaster Food Dehydrator is a workhorse when it comes to drying your food. That’s because this machine has been in production for decades, ensuring that the design makes sense and does not need any rebooting. It also stacks well when you are making large batches of dried items for longer periods of time, so there’s no worry about running out of space in the dehydrator!
With very few moving parts to maintain, the Garden Master Food Dehydrator features an easy-to-use temperature selection knob that ensures you select just the right setting for your recipe. This Nesco model also comes with a broad range (-85°F to 165°F) selection dial on top which allows you to customize your food dehydrator’s temperature depending on the ingredients you are drying, and a bottom-mounted fan which ensures all of your dried food comes out perfect.
The machine also has a 1000 watt motor that provides more power than other models which means it dries foods quickly and evenly-and its large 1,000 watt motor is silent as well as powerful. In fact, if you were to put this model side-by-side with others from different brands, I don’t think there would be any noticeable difference between them!
For those looking for a reliable tool to help them dry their food items safely and effectively at home but have yet to purchase a food dehydrator because they could not find something affordable or simply lacked the knowledge about what a good model is supposed to be, The Nesco Garden Master Food Dehydrator will be a great choice for you. It has everything you need and comes at a price that won’t burn a hole in your wallet.
Key features:
- Large, 1000-watt motor dries foods quickly and evenly
- The temperature selection dial on top allows you to customize temperature depending on what you are dehydrating
- Fourteen square feet of drying space with eleven trays for large batches
- Includes a variety of tray inserts so you can create healthy snacks or treats for your family which they will love!
Hamilton Beach 32100A Digital Food Dehydrator
For those individuals who are looking for an easy way to dry their favorite foods, Hamilton Beach has the optimal/perfect solution with its Digital Food Dehydrator. This machine is equipped from bottom to top with all of the features that you could think of and more!
The specially-designed digital display ensures that you will know how many hours or minutes remain in your drying process without a glance. The machine’s design is also shaped rectangular which guarantees even dehydration across trays.
To make it easier on yourself, this machine includes a dishwasher safe tray where food can be easily scraped off after being dehydrated enough. Trays rotating once an hour or more prevents jerky or fruit chips from becoming too crispy as well as they need time to dry. Hamilton Beach includes a range of trays on board to use as a basis for your first batch of jerky or fruit chips, but of course, you can always order more from them if needed!
This machine uses all of the moisture that nutritious fruits and vegetables contain creating tasty snacks with lower sodium content than processed foods. In addition, this dehydrator is not only used for food! It is perfect for crafts such as making potpourri since it preserves more of its original scent compared to heat guns.
Key features:
- Digital display and control panel
- Dishwasher safe tray
- Rectangular design with even dehydrating distribution
- Powder coated mesh tray inserts
- Includes six trays, recipe book, and jerky spice packets
Tribest SDE-S6780-B Sedona Express Digital Food Dehydrator
The Tribest Sedona Express Digital Food Dehydrator features all-digital controls and an adjustable thermostat and is the perfect addition to any kitchen. The design is compact and can fit about 16 pounds of fruit or vegetables into a 11 stainless steel tray space, without taking up too much counter space in your home. Not only does this appliance make an excellent humidifier for your peaches, but it also makes jerky with ease (the integral fan speeds up drying time) while preserving flavor, nutrients, vitamins & amino acids. Cleaning this machine is trouble-free thanks to the reusable air filter on top – not having to unscrew anything when cleaning means you’ll spend less time preparing meals afterward!
Key features:
- Digital LED display to program the temperature.
- Adjustable heat allows for different drying temperatures.
- Three fan speeds ensuring excellent airflow throughout the food dehydrator.
- A convenient slanted door with see through the tempered glass makes checking progress simple and easy without having to open the appliance multiple times unnecessarily during operation.
- Filter on top of the machine is removable and reusable which is easy to clean (simply rinse it under water).
Chefman Food Dehydrator Machine
The Chefman Food Dehydrator is a versatile option to help you get the most out of your dehydrating experience. Made with clear doors for easy monitoring, the six large trays are BPA-free and fit conveniently in its compact design. The digital settings can set from 95-158 degrees Fahrenheit and the timer ranges from 0 hours to 19.5 hours, allowing you to dry and preserve fruits and herbs throughout any season without heating up too much. Don’t worry – even if left unattended, this air flow-based device ensures that food dries while not cooking at all. With so many uses at home, we recommend picking one up!
Key features:
- Six large trays and a compact design for counter or cabinet
- Clear door and digital settings from 95 to 158 degrees Fahrenheit
- Airflow ensures even drying without cooking the food; timer can run up to 19.5 hours
- BPA-free plastic is chemical free and safe for any family
Brod and Taylor SAHARA Folding Food Dehydrator
The Brod and Taylor Folding Food Dehydrator, an excellent option if you are struggling with storage space. The unit is a big dehydrator that folds down to only a third of its size but still for eleven square feet drying space. A silent model which offers the highest efficiency in circulating airflow as well as filtering air intake, the Brod and Taylor is also very easy to clean with stainless steel shelves.
Don’t forget! You can monitor your food’s progress by opening the doors so you see them without having to open up any containers or pull out trays. Either use high-temperature settings for faster drying periods before lowering it so nutrients don’t break down too fast, there are separate controls for each of these options on the Brod and Taylor.
Once you are ready to put the dehydrator away there is a storage bag provided.
Key features:
- 11.4 square feet drying space
- Stainless steel racks for durability and easy cleaning
- Folds flat to make it very easy to store
- High-quality stainless steel construction
Why Do You Need To Buy A Food Dehydrator?
Most people think of dehydrated vegetables and fruits when they hear talk about “Dehydrating foods,” but home food dehydrators have much broader use. In the early 1900s, when refrigeration became standard in homes, many people realized that drying leftovers would be a much more economical way to live. Generations later, “make-your-own” tortillas are made from corn ground at the same time it’s dried. The flavor is better because there’s no salty or fatty acids present in commercial tortillas that will soften the corn over time and change its taste.
Without having to worry about spoilage after a few minutes in a refrigerator crisper nowadays, gardeners love dehydration for food as it preserves the delicious bounty of their herb and vegetable gardens as well as fruit from their backyard orchards, trees, and vines. Dehydrated foods are easy to store in airtight containers that you can keep in your pantry.
Some people think dehydrating food is difficult but it’s really not. There are many benefits to dehydrating food at home with the aid of a standard food dehydrator like the Cosori Food Dehydrator. The most notable benefit is probably convenience. You might not believe this until you try it, but once you get accustomed to drying fruits and vegetables, jerky meats, baked goods…you’ll find preparing these snacks go much faster than shopping for them! Once they’re homemade snacks sit on your kitchen counter ready to eat any time.
Dehydrated food is also lower in calories than its original form so if you’re trying to lose weight, this might be the answer. You can eat dried fruit or vegetables throughout your day, adding them to yogurt, smoothies, oatmeal…or enjoy them straight from the package! And when it comes to garden produce or foods from other sources, dehydrating preserves the delicate flavors and textures of nutrients that make food healthy for us. They retain more vitamins and minerals while having a much longer shelf life because no bacteria can grow on dehydrated fruits and vegetables.
What Makes A Good Food Dehydrator?
When purchasing a food dehydrator, there are a few features you should consider:
Size of the dehydrator
The size of the dehydrator is a huge consideration when purchasing a food dehydrator. You need to make sure that your dehydrator is large enough to accommodate all of your items throughout its use. It’s also important to ensure that the outside dimensions of the unit are no larger than necessary because you may not have adequate counter or storage space for a larger dehydrator.
Shape of the dehydrator
The shape of the dehydrator is another important feature to consider when purchasing a food dehydrator. Dehydrators come in a variety of shapes and sizes including square, round, and oval. The shape you choose largely depends on what your needs will be throughout the use of the dehydrator. It also depends on how much countertop space you have available given the size of your dehydrator.
Functionality of the dehydrators
The functionality of a food dehydrator is one factor to consider when purchasing a food dehydrator. Different models will provide different options for your needs so it’s important to look for the dehydrator that best fits your lifestyle. For example, if you plan on making burgers or chicken jerky regularly then a food dehydrator with adjustable thermostat control will be crucial for ensuring they turn out correctly every time. If you find yourself frequently dehydrating fresh herbs, it’s important to consider a model with removable trays so that drying is easier than having to clean up after removing all of the trays each time.
Thermostat control
The thermostat control of the food dehydrator is critical to consider when purchasing one. A good food dehydrator should have an adjustable temperature range from 90 degrees Fahrenheit to more than 160 degrees Fahrenheit allowing you complete control of the dehydrating process. Consider how you will use your food dehydrator in order to determine what temperature is necessary for your needs. For example, if you plan on drying fruits then a temperature range of 90 degrees Fahrenheit to 105 degrees Fahrenheit is sufficient whereas if you are planning on making jerky or dried herbs then a higher temperature range is necessary.
Movable trays
When considering a food dehydrator it is important to look for one with movable trays. Not only does this ensure that even heating throughout but also allows you the option of adding or removing trays depending on the size of items being dehydrated at any given time. This feature can really save time and effort when trying to dry different sized items
Dehydrators are great for saving money on your monthly grocery bill. Not only are you able to eat healthier but by the time you’re done with the process, you have a large quantity that can be stored in bags or containers for later use. When considering purchasing a food dehydrator it’s important to consider how much counter space you have available, what your needs will be throughout its use, and how long you plan on owning this appliance.
FAQs
What is a good inexpensive food dehydrator?
Nesco Gardenmaster is a good inexpensive food dehydrator.
How do I choose a food dehydrator?
Choosing the right food dehydrator is not always easy. The first thing that you need to decide is how many people you are going to be dehydrating for. If you are only going to be dehydrating for yourself, then a small simple food dehydrator will do. But if you are going to be dehydrating for more than one person, then choose a larger food dehydrator with more capacity.
Other factors to consider when deciding on the best food dehydrator is how much noise it makes, whether it has different settings for accommodating different ingredients and whether it has the right amount of airflow. More advanced models have timers that can be programmed, to save you time.
Once you have decided what model of food dehydrator is right for your needs, next comes the price. Food dehydrators are not expensive machines to buy but the costs vary greatly among different brands and models. Choose a food dehydrator with features that can actually be used by you or one that has so many functions you will never use them all. It also pays to go to reviews on different models before buying so as to be informed of any issues other people might have had with certain appliances. This helps eliminate the risk of ending up with a lemon in the end.
A good choice for any size family is Cosori Premium Food Dehydrator
Is it worth buying a dehydrator?
It is worth buying a dehydrator, they can be an easy way to pursue healthy living.
Since most dehydrated foods are loaded with nutrients and many of the calories come from natural sugars like fructose, these foods are often high in antioxidants. Dehydrating can preserve flavor and texture when food may spoil faster in other ways.
With the right type of food dehydrator, it’s possible to intake more daily vegetables intake than with cooked or raw ones since heated dried food has lost some of its water-soluble vitamins (like vitamin C). Overheating foods at high temperatures does reduce their nutrients too much though so it pays to understand what you’re doing in regards to your health goals make sure the time is not too intense for the food.
Dehydrators are also beneficial in preserving meat, herbs, flowers and wild foods since these ingredients can easily spoil before they’re able to be processed through other cooking methods. Foods that are used infrequently or need pre-preparation tend to work better being dried or dehydrated with a food dehydrator.
What are the pros and cons of dehydrated food?
Dehydrated food is very convenient and many foods that are dehydrated can be used as ingredients or snacks.
The downside of dehydrating is that it does remove water, which removes a few nutrients from the food as well as alters its texture. However, dehydration is often preferred to cooking because no extra salt or sugar needs to be added to help preserve flavor.
In addition, dehydration may offer a better alternative than microwaving since fewer vitamins are lost due to faster cooking times with this method. Dehydrating at a low temperature for a longer time period will yield more nutrients but this method might also affect the flavor and texture of the ingredients being dried.
Conclusion
If you live alone or with another person, a smaller capacity food dehydrator will be sufficient. If you have a larger family and you love to cook for them, then go for a higher capacity dehydrator that can meet your needs. Dehydrating is not complicated and it requires minimal effort on your part since the appliance does most of the work. It’s also an excellent choice if you’re trying to cut down on costs since dried ingredients are often cheaper than buying fresh produce every week and storing excess stock becomes unnecessary when dried foods can be kept for months without spoiling.
Choosing the right model is important so consider doing your research before making any purchase commitment. Lastly, remember that healthy eating habits start at home so decide today to start making it a habit to include more dried fruits, vegetables and meats in your diet with the help of food dehydrators.
The gift-giving season is upon us. If you’re still scrambling for gift ideas, consider getting the healthy cook or chef in your life this nifty kitchen gadget.