Along with other traditional appliances, a food dehydrator can bring a lot of versatility to your kitchen. The simple act of drying food items can enhance it’s taste, longevity and health benefits. If you are still wondering what a food dehydrator can do for you, then let it be known that all dehydrators can make perfect beef jerky, thick yogurt, crispy nuts, fruit leather, granola bar and other amazing food items. It may seem like a pretty straightforward buy, but there are several types of dehydrators available in the market, differing in size, shape, capacity, features and power.
Apart from deciding on the features and capacity, it’s also best not to go for a model just because it’s cheap. This is because the quality of the prepared food depends a bit on the design and the airflow mechanism of individual models. If you are still unsure what is the best food dehydrator for you, here’s our list of 4 best rated dehydrators out there that should simplify your search.
Top rated bestselling food dehydrators
1. Excalibur 3926TB
The best food dehydrator for raw food diet
With 9 rectangular trays and a total of 15 square feet of drying space, the Excalibur 3926TB is great for preparing large batches at a time. This a great advantage when compared to other 5 tray models, which may require multiple runs to produce a decent quantity of food.
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Apart from the abundant drying space, this particular model also comes with temperature control that helps you choose a temperature setting between 95 to 155 degree Fahrenheit. This makes it perfect for safely dehydrating beef jerky. The model also comes with a trademarked technology called Hyperwave Fluctuation, which ensures all the enzymes gets trapped and survives the heating process. It’s patented airflow technology, eliminates the need to rotate the trays and makes sure the food is dried quickly and evenly.
Advantages
- Large Drying Space: It has ample drying space to prepare large batches at a time.
- No Tray Rotation: Thanks to its patented airflow technology, there is no need to rotate the tray from time to time to ensure even cooking.
- Warranty: The product comes with a limited warranty of 10 years.
2. Nesco Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator
The best food dehydrator for making jerky
In its big product range of dehydrators, the Nesco’s new Snackmaster is comparatively a recent addition. Unlike the Excalibur, it has circular trays and an adjustable temperature range 95 to 160 degree Fahrenheit.
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Much like the Excalibur, the new Nesco also has its own patented airflow system known as the Converga, which basically is a top mounted fan technology. This technology eliminates the need for rotating trays and makes sure the food is prepared fast and evenly. The unit comes with only 5 trays. However, additional trays can be bought separately and added to the machine till a total of 12 trays. This makes the Snackmaster Pro, highly adaptable for preparing different quantities of food.
Advantages:
- Addon Trays: The fact that the additional trays can be added to model, makes it highly versatile. This means you can simply remove or add trays to the machine according to the size of the batch you want to prepare.
- 12 Tray Capacity: Expandable up to 12 trays, the machine offers a significantly larger drying space, making it perfect for preparing large batches.
- Patented Airflow System: With its patented Converga airflow technology, there is no need to intervene during the drying process.
3. L’Equip Dehydrator
Known for manufacturing quality dehydrators, the L’Equip dehydrator comes with 6 trays which gives it a somewhat smaller drying space compared to other models. However, on the plus side the unit is expandable and can fit 20 trays at a time. The model comes with LED display and dials, making it easier to adjust temperature and other settings.
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It has similar range of temperature control of 95 to 156 degree enabling you to dry all kinds of food items. The product also has a built in 24 hours timer to ensure the machine shuts off automatically after a set time without any intervention. Apart from its standard features, the L’Equip comes with a unique air filter, which ensures the air used to dry the food is pollutant free.
Advantages:
- Unique Air Filter: This unique feature ensures the prepared food is contaminant free. The air filter fits in the bottom of the dehydrator and purifies air as it’s sucked into the machine.
- Expandable Up To 20 Trays: Expandable up to 20 trays, the product is good enough to prepare super large batches.
- LED Display and Easy Select Dial: Dials and LED display makes selecting options a breeze.
4. Waring Pro DHR30
The best food dehydrator under $100
The Waring Pro DHR30 has all the basics right. It’s sturdy design and limited settings makes it perfect for people who don’t want a whole lot of options. The model has 5-temperature settings to choose from, which includes, off, only fan, high, medium, and low. This means it’s not for people who want to select exact temperatures.
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It comes with 5 circular stackable trays making it good for small to medium sized batches. Apart from the 5 trays that comes with the unit, you can buy additional trays and stack them on top up to a total of 9.
Advantages
- Simple Select Functions: The elimination of exact temperature setting function may be a disadvantage for some, but for others it makes the machine easy to operate.
- Sturdy Design: Metal trays, high quality plastic, and a simple and sturdy design ensure the longevity of the product.