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#1 Hamilton Beach 32100A
This is the best dehydrator that users love. It has a 48 hour timer. With its digital thermostat, you can easily adjust the optimum temperature for your food between 100-260degrees. It has five stackable trays that one can utilize. It also comprises of one fine mesh for small items like herbs and one fruit roll sheet. For even drying it offers continuous airflow.
#2 NESCO FD-1018A
The Nesco FD-1018A Gardenmaster Dehydrator was one of the best of all the dehydrators we tested at drying apples, beef jerky, onions, garlic, and fruit puree evenly. It also was the only dehydrator that didn’t require us to obsessively supervise or shuffle trays throughout the process. The eight-tray FD-1018A Gardenmaster has 8 square feet of usable drying area, and it’s expandable up to 30 trays.
It comes with eight fine-mesh inserts that help keep small bits from falling through the cracks, and it’s the only dehydrator we found that includes plastic fruit-roll drying sheets for every tray. The FD-1018A Gardenmaster doesn’t have a timer or automatic shutoff, but we found that this feature isn’t all that useful, since you’ll probably want to check your food for doneness before turning off the machine. But if you think you need these features, consider our other pick, the Samson Silent 6-Tray Dehydrator.
#3 NESCO FD-75A
Block harmful lights when using this model that has an opaque exterior. Have the best drying results when drying different types of food as the temperature can be adjusted. It has five trays, two fruit roll sheets, two clean-a-screens and three original jerky spice packets. There is also a recipe book that one can use to advance their drying skills and have incredible results.
#4 Samson Silent Dehydrator
This Samson dehydrator also has features the Nesco model lacks, such as a digital control panel, a timer, and automatic shutoff. And unlike our top pick, it allows you to easily remove trays to make room for projects that involve bigger items—like proofing bread, drying flowers, or making yogurt. But this 400-watt Samson dehydrator is bulkier and takes 25 percent longer to dehydrate food than the 1,000-watt FD-1018A Gardenmaster.
#5 Excalibur 3926TB
The Excalibur 3926T is a very reputable shelf tray model that provides fast and efficient drying as the air moves horizontally from back to front across all nine trays. Each tray can be removed individually for easy handling, and with the back mounted heater and fan, there’s no chance of liquids dripping onto electrical components.
With 15 sq. ft. of drying surface, a 7” fan and 600 watts of power, this model meets the needs of large families, large gardens, sportsmen and crafters alike.
Made in the US of durable plastic, the Excalibur offers easy to use controls, an adjustable thermostat and a programmable timer for up to 26 hours.Its superior quality and whopping 10-year warranty makes the 3926T one of the best on the market – and it gets top marks in in the Foodal kitchen.
#6 Presto 06301
From Presto comes the Dehydro Electric Food Dehydrator, a six tray stackable model with a bottom mounted heating unit and fan.
Expandable up to 12 trays, the Dehydro also includes a generous array of accessories for making fruit leather and for drying smaller items such as herbs, nuts and spices.
The 700 watt heater and fan provide the ideal conditions to dehydrate many different foods, and the programmable timer and adjustable thermostat ensure optimal exposure to the correct temperatures.
Easy to use and clean, the Presto 3601 Dehydro has found a welcome niche in many kitchens with its convenient size and economical price tag.
A reliable dryer for the price, the Presto customer service shines as well.
Ideal for those who want to dry smaller sized batches, for occasional use, or for those who simply don’t want to invest a lot of money in a dehydrator.
#7 NESCO FD-75A, Snackmaster Pro
The No. 1 Bestseller on Amazon in Dehydrators, the Nesco Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator is a simple and easy to use stackable food dehydrator.
It will easily dry fruit, veggies, herbs, nuts, berries, and jerky in a matter of hours – perfect for you to enjoy home preserved goodness.
Nesco has developed a patented drying system called Converga-Flow, which creates vertical and horizontal air flow for fast, even and nutritious drying.
The top mounted fan and heater eliminates the mess of liquid dripping into the heating chamber, and the 700 watts of power provide all the energy needed for the adjustable thermostat.
Perfect for the beginner, the Snackmaster offers easy, reliable results and the option to expand for larger quantities once you get your technique down pat – it’s a best seller for good reason.
#8 L’EQUIP 528 6 Tray
If you need a well-built unit that will dry foods effectively, and in great enough quantities to make it worthwhile, then a model such as the L’Equip 528 may have value for you.
A top of the line stackable tray dehydrator, the 528 is affordable, easy to use and comes with a very substantial 10-year manufacturer’s warranty.
More than just a handsome profile, the L’Equip comes with 12 square feet of usable drying space on 6 trays, and can be expanded all the way up to 20 trays.
With a solid state variable temperature control, the L’Equip features a microprocessor controlled heating sensor that constantly monitors the heat to provide a stable drying environment for uniform results. And, its sleek and timeless design is easy to clean and use, making it a valued addition in any kitchen.
A reliable performer, it’s a good choice for those who enjoy dependable results and the ability to change batch sizes.