Top 9 Food Dehydrators

The Tribest Sedona Express is a solid dehydrator with 11 stainless steel trays that make space for a lot of dehydrating while only taking up a small amount of space on your countertop. It has a large glass door that locks shut for easy viewing and an easy to use control panel. It was also the only dehydrator we tested with a light button. The Sedona Express dried jerky and apples very well and evenly, although we experienced some sticking to the metal. (A plastic tray version is available, as well, which we found helps with sticking.) It was quiet in comparison to most of the dehydrators we tested.

Unlike other brands, the Sedona Express features several dehydrating modes, which set it apart from competitors, including fast, raw, and a combination of both. The fast mode allows the temperature inside the unit to cycle above the set temperature so food can dehydrate faster. The raw mode doesn’t allow the unit to ever exceed the set temperature, which prevents your food from being overheated. While the fast mode is most commonly used across appliances, the raw mode allows for more precise dehydrating.

Temperature range: 77℉ to 167℉, with 1-degree increments
Programmable timer: Yes, 1 hour to 99 hours, with 1-hour increments
Number of trays: 11
Additional accessories: 1 stainless steel drip tray/fruit leather tray, 1 air filter
Dishwasher-safe accessories: Yes

The Hamilton Beach Digital Dehydrator offers a small footprint with five dehydrating trays that stack neatly. It was very easy to use and made excellent and evenly dried parsley and jerky that didn’t stick to the trays. The top of the dehydrator is clear so you can see inside the unit to monitor the progress. The buttons are also very easy to press and program.

Temperature range: 100℉ to 160℉, with 5-degree increments
Programmable timer: Yes, 1 hour to 48 hours, with 1-hour increments
Number of trays: 5
Accessories: 1 drip tray/fruit leather tray, 1 mesh screen
Dishwasher-safe accessories: Yes

This dehydrator is a best-seller on Amazon and we can tell you why. It’s lightweight and has a small footprint, which makes storing easy. It’s also very easy to use: Simply turn the dial to your desired temperature and plug it in to turn it on. Downside is it doesn’t have a timer so dehydrating overnight or when you aren’t home poses the risk of over-drying.

In addition to five trays and the ability to stack up to 12, this dehydrator comes with two fruit leather sheets for semi solid foods, two small mesh screens for small ingredients like blueberries and herbs, and three spice packets for jerky. In addition to these accessories, it comes with a detailed instruction booklet filled with dehydrating tips, charts, recipes, suggestions for storing, and craft ideas.

Temperature range: 95℉-160℉ (dial with specified settings)
Programmable timer: No
Number of trays: 5
Accessories: 2 drip/fruit leather trays, 2 mesh screens
Dishwasher-safe accessories: Yes, top rack

Like the Tribest Sedona Express, the Sedona Combo dehydrated jerky very well. It, too, has a large glass viewing window, a light that turns on when you open the door, stainless steel trays, and multiple dehydrating modes (fast, raw, and combo). It’s shorter than the Express with wider trays that are also available in plastic for less sticking!

The Sedona Combo was also the only dehydrator we tested with a door that opened toward you like a toaster oven, allowing for the easiest clean up. It also sealed completely shut. The Sedona Combo's large capacity and precise temperature control make it perfect for jerky, which could be a long and involved process. Another unique feature is its ability to program which section of the dehydrator you're using (top or bottom) for optimal results no matter how big or small the batch.

Temperature range: 85℉ to 155℉, with 5-degree increments
Programmable timer: Yes, 1 hour to 99 hours, with 1-hour increments
Number of trays: 9
Accessories: 1 drip tray, 1 rimmed tray for fruit leather, 3 nonstick drying sheets
Dishwasher-safe accessories: Yes

Sound is something we pay attention to a lot when we test kitchen appliances, especially ones that are usually on for a minimum of eight hours. Out of the nine dehydrators we tested, the Chefman 6-tray dehydrator was the quietest. It’s easy to use and program with a very responsive touchscreen. We also liked the plastic trays that could be inserted and removed from the machine easily and didn't stick to the food.

Temperature range: 95℉ to 158℉, with 5-degree increments
Programmable timer: Yes, 30 minutes to 19 hours and 30 minutes, with 30-minute increments
Number of trays: 6
Accessories: 1 drip tray/fruit leather tray, 1 mesh screen
Dishwasher-safe accessories: No

Fifteen square feet of dehydrating space make this unit of the larger dehydrators in our roundup, perfect for large batches of dehydrating. This model features two dials, one for the temperature and one for the timer, on the top of the unit, with setting recommendations printed right on the unit. The trays are easy to insert. The door slides on and doesn’t fully seal, but we didn’t find that the opening affected performance. For a more inexpensive option, try the Excalibur 3900B, which doesn’t have a timer. Excalibur dehydrators come with detailed instruction booklets with charts and recipes that we found very helpful and informative.

Temperature Range: 95 to 165 (dial)
Programmable Timer: Yes, 2 to 26 hours (dial)
Included Number of Trays: 9
Accessories: N/A
Dishwasher Safe Accessories: Yes, top rack

This 19-quart, multi-purpose countertop oven is a toaster oven, dehydrator, air fryer, regular oven, microwave, and electric griddle all in one. With two large racks inside, and low-end temperatures starting at 120℉, you can dehydrate a lot of your favorite fruits, herbs, meats, and vegetables at once.

Temperature range: 120℉ to 450℉
Programmable timer: No
Number of trays: 2
Accessories: Rotating basket, 2 rotisserie forks, roasting skewer, drip tray, wire wrack, fry basket, crumb tray.
Dishwasher-safe accessories: Yes, although accessories are nonstick and easy to wipe clean.

If you don’t plan on keeping your dehydrator on your countertop, consider the Presto Dehydro Square Dehydrator; its trays reverse and stack on top of each other, taking up 40% less space. In addition to being a good space saver, it’s very easy to use and made excellent jerky in our tests. The lid offers printed temperature recommendations in Celsius and Fahrenheit, and the trays are see-through, which allow you to check on your food without disassembling the shelves. While the timer can be programmed, there’s no sound alert to let you know it’s done and off. 

Temperature Range: 90℉ to 165℉, with 5-degree increments
Programmable Timer: Yes, 30 min to 48 hours, with 30-degree increments 
Included Number of Trays: 6
Accessories: 1 drip tray/fruit leather tray, 2 mesh screens
Dishwasher Safe Accessories: No

Air fryers are another appliance that started including dehydrating in the list of functions they can do. The vertical-style air fryers, like this one from Instant Pot, are our preferred style because they offer the use of multiple racks. Normally we recommend rotating the racks, but we found that when we dehydrated, results were mostly even when we left them be. While we wouldn’t recommend air fryers to dehydrating buffs, it’s one extra thing you can do in them and work well for very small batches.

Temperature range: 105℉ to 160℉, with 5-degree increments
Programmable timer: Yes, 1 hour to 15 hours, with 5-minute increments
Number of trays: 2
Accessories: 1 drip tray, 1 rotisserie spit, 1 rotating basket for air frying
Dishwasher-safe accessories: Yes