As the movement for healthy living has gained more momentum over the last few years, there has been a concomitant growth in the market for dried and dehydrated foods, from meat jerkies to fruit leather strips. Dried foods contain a higher vitamin and mineral content and have greater nutritional value than many cooked foods and can be easily made at home using a food dehydrator. Indeed, many fans of dehydrated snacks save a great deal of money by drying and dehydrating their own foods using one of the many affordable dehydrators on the market today.
How to Choose the Best Food Dehydrator
The best food dehydrators will heat and dry food evenly, have a reasonably large capacity, and be able to handle fleshy foods which are high in water content such as mangoes, peaches, and tomatoes. Depending on your budget and the amount of produce you want to dry, any one of the models listed below is a good, reliable option.
- Presto Dehydro Electric Food Dehydrator 06302 – $60
A great starter option, the Presto Dehydro is an excellent and affordable choice for the novice who just wants to get their feet wet. Compact and efficient, the Presto comes with six drying trays and can accommodate up to six more, making it the perfect size for drying moderately sized batches of produce. It has an adjustable thermostat and can be used to dry vegetables and fruits as well as meats.
- Waring Pro DHR20 525-Watt Food Dehydrator – $60 to $130
A somewhat pricier choice, the Waring Pro Dehydrator is still a good option for the home dehydrator who would like a machine that combines style and functionality. The Waring Pro has a somewhat smaller capacity however, with only enough room for five trays and does not have temperature controls. However, it does dry foods evenly and operates noiselessly, which are significant advantages compared to a lot of the other dehydrator models on the market today.
- Excalibur 2400 4-Tray Dehydrator – $100 to $150
Excalibur is one of the highest rated and most popular brands in the food dehydrator market, having been in the business for over forty years. The 2400 4-Tray dehydrator is one of their most compact models but it offers the same horizontal air flow system that the larger models do, resulting in even heating and saving you from having to stop the dehydrator periodically to rotate the trays. It also comes with an adjustable thermostat and can dry anything from produce and meats to herbs and flowers.
- Nesco FD – 1040 Gardenmaster Food Dehydrator – $100 to $150
With an expansion capacity of up to twenty trays, the Nesco FD Gardenmaster is the ideal choice for a busy family with young children. The Gardenmaster is designed to have an even drying and heating process, mitigating the need for incessant manual tray rotation. Programmable and featuring digital temperature controls, the Nesco Gardenmaster is affordable, convenient, and the perfect choice for families who want to eat healthy foods on a budget, without spending hours overseeing the food dehydrator.
- Excalibur 2900 9-Tray Stainless Steel Dehydrator- $250
The 2900 Series 9-Tray model from Excalibur is a larger version of the 4-Tray model, offering the same heating systems for even air flow and drying. The 9-Tray model also features an adjustable thermostat and is relatively compact given its large capacity. A great way to preserve your extra garden produce after the last fall harvest, the 2900 model allows you to configure the trays to make room for larger, bulkier vegetables like kale.
- Excalibur 3926 TB Food Dehydrator – $350
The most expensive dehydrator on the list, the Excalibur 3926 TB comes equipped with an adjustable thermostat, a twenty-six hour timer, and a horizontal heat flow system for even heating and drying. With its large 9-tray capacity, the Excalibur 3926 TB is an excellent choice for the more seasoned home dehydrator who would like to preserve large quantities of meats and produce. Given this dehydrator’s efficiency, capacity, and automatic operation features, it really is well worth the higher price tag.
Choosing a food dehydrator depends on your level of expertise and the amount of use you plan to put it to, but whatever your specific needs, any one of the dehydrators on this list is a good buy in terms of both quality and cost.