If you're a fan of trail mix and dried fruit snacks, you know that they can get expensive. However, you can make your own dried snacks with a dehydrator and it'll cost just a fraction of the price of those items. Dehydrating your food can also give you more space in your pantry and kitchen, and it can even be a great hobby to pick up if you're looking for something new do to with food. A dehydrator circulates hot air and sucks the water out of the food items you put into it in just hours. We've compiled a list of the top five best food dehydrators for your kitchen. Depending on the look of your kitchen and the space you have, we're sure one of these five will become part of your kitchen.

Nesco Snackmaster Express Dehydrator

Dry and tasty in mere hours

The Snackmaster Express dehydrator isn't lying when it says "express." These tasty treats are done in just a few hours.

Best Overall

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The Snackmaster Express is a four tray food dehydrator that operates at 500 watts of power to dry your food in hours rather than days. Trays can be added to the dehydrator to make more room for food, but are sold separately. The opaque exterior of the dehydrator blocks harmful light that destroys nutritional content of your food. The fan is mounted on top and there’s a thermostat that’s adjustable from 95 to 155 degrees Fahrenheit. There’s no need to rotate the trays and the flavors of food don’t mix together. This product includes two jerky spice and cure packets as well as a fruit roll sheet. For your safety, the dehydrator will automatically shut off if it overheats, so you can rest easy while you’re drying your food.

Pros:

Trays can be added for more drying space
The opaque exterior block harmful light
Has an adjustable thermostat

Cons:

Extra trays are sold separately, but aren’t too expensive

Presto Dehydro Food Dehydrator

Deals, deals, deals

The Presto Dehydro comes at a bargain price and offers several purchasing options so you can choose the best one for you.

Best Price

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The Presto Dehydro is a four tray dehydration system that performs its task at a fraction of the cost of dehydrated foods in the grocery aisle and without any preservatives. The fan is mounted on the bottom and the top is a see-through cover so you can check on the drying progress of your food. The heating element provides a steady air flow to create even drying. The drying trays are dishwasher safe and the company offer fruit roll sheet, mesh screens, jerky spice kits, and more, but they are sold separately. Though it only comes with four trays, this device can add four more trays so you can dry more food. It operates at a preset temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit and doesn’t have an on and off switch. Simply plus it in and it will start drying.

Pros:

You’re able to add four trays to the device
The top is see-through so you can check on the progress
The steady airflow dries everything evenly

Cons:

Doesn’t have an on and off switch or a temperature dial

Nesco Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator

Supreme drying power

The Snackmaster Pro is a top-of-the-line option for those planning on drying a lot of food and need the extra space and power.

Best Trays

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The Nesco Snackmaster Pro offers an adjustable thermostat that ranges from 95 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit. It has a powerful 600 watts and 120 volts of juice to get the job done. It comes with five trays, but you can use up to twelve trays that stack on top of each other. The opaque exterior blocks harmful light that diminishes the nutritional value of your food. The Converga-Flow drying system pushes the air down the outside of the pressurized chamber and the hot air is forced horizontally across all of the trays. This creates even, fast, and nutritious drying while preventing flavor mixing. There’s no need to ever rotate the tray because they’re all being dried evenly. This is the perfect dehydrator for the passionate food dryer.

Pros:

Can utilize up to twelve trays
Has 600 watts of power and 120 volts
Converga-Flow drying system dries quickly and evenly

Cons:

Doesn’t have a timer to keep track of how long the food has been drying

COSORI Premium Food Dehydrator

Looks good, tastes good

The COSORI Premium Dehydrator is a sleek, stainless steel appliance that works great and is a wonderful addition to your kitchen.

Best Stainless Steel

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The COSORI Premium food dehydrator is definitely a premium product. It’s a stainless steel appliance and comes with six stainless steel food trays. It also provides a mesh screen, a fruit roll sheet, fifty free recipes, and a manual. It has a glass front door so you can check on the progress of your drying foods. It works great for jerky, fruit, dog treats, herbs, flowers, and more. It has a control panel that’s completely digital for you to set a timer and set the temperatures which can be adjusted between 95 and 165 degrees Fahrenheit. The COSORI food dehydrator is a very quiet machine so it won’t disturb anyone in the household. It automatically shuts off when the timer ends or it overheats. The trays are dishwasher safe and the tray liners are top rack dishwasher safe.

Pros:

Sleek, stainless steel will look great in your kitchen
Has a digital control panel for temperature adjustment and timers
Comes with 50 free recipes

Cons:

The priciest option on the list, but comes with the most features

NutriChef Food Dehydrator

Nothing like a nice, warm breeze

The NutriChef Food Dehydrator has been scientifically tested to create the perfect flow of air through your food trays.

Best Air Circulation

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The NutriChef food dehydrator has five stackable trays that can dry and preserve nutritious food with little preparation. It only has one operational button, so it’s a simple machine to use. The temperature control system has a maximum heat of 180 degrees Fahrenheit. The five trays can also be used to dry food without the help of the dehydrator and are a breeze to clean as well as the dehydrator machine itself. The heat circulation in the device has been scientifically tested to increase food shelf life with it’s high heat that moves through every tray. It removes the moisture and shrinks the food, but the food will still retain 97% of the minerals and vitamins in it originally.

Pros:

Dried food retains 97% of the vitamins and minerals
Has a temperature dial with a maximum of 180 degrees
Easy to clean trays and device itself

Cons:

The dial doesn’t show the exact temperature, only low to high

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the trays made out of ?

Most of these include plastic trays. The stainless steel option includes stainless steel trays. However, both of these trays will be dishwasher safe and make cleaning up afterward a cinch.

Does it smell while in use?

Yes, there will be a noticeable smell of whichever food you’re drying and can be overpowering in the room. However, it will only last as long as you dry the food.

Do they make noise while in use?

All of these make a little noise, but some make more than others. They can get a little loud so you may want to leave the room if you get one that isn’t too quiet.