In this economy, it only makes sense to preserve surplus food, whether it’s seasonal produce (grown yourself, foraged, or bought on sale), wild game, or even fish. You can always can or freeze your extras, but these methods require a lot of time and space. Quick to use and compact to store, a food dehydrator can also broaden your food-preservation horizons, setting you up with vacuum-sealed beans, herbs, vegetables, fruit leathers, and even entire dehydrated meals for backpacking.
I’ve always loved having a food dehydrator on hand to make bags of my own apple and kale chips, beef jerky, and dried citrus rounds for cocktail garnishes. (A mandoline slicer is a must-have if you’re getting into dehydrating.) WIRED contributing reviewer Lisa Wood Shapiro, meanwhile, is into dehydrating sweet potatoes to make natural, organic dog treats. Between the two of us, we dried, crisped, and jerked our way through dozens of pounds of produce and meats to bring you the best food dehydrators for every space and budget.
For more self-sufficiency, check out our head-to-head comparison of gravity-fed water filtration systems and guides to the Best Indoor Gardening Systems and Best Portable Power Stations.
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Best Overall
Excalibur is the OG name in food dehydrators, known for its commercial and professional units. But the company also makes a series of consumer dehydrators that offer large-tray capacities at low prices. This eight-tray, 7.2-cubic-foot model has all the modern features you’d expect: stainless steel trays (note that they’re not dishwasher-safe), a light to monitor the process, mesh and fruit-roll (which are solid) sheets, French doors, and a digital timer. You can also pause the time to add minutes if need be, and there’s a free digital recipe book (“Preserve It Naturally”) accessible via a QR code on the side of the unit.
I tested the Excalibur with fruit, tomatoes, beef, and marinated salmon, and the machine dried everything in nearly half the time as my old bargain-basement round Nesco Snackmaster (see Others Tested) did with plastic trays. Best of all? The 700-watt motor is strong but not loud. I ran it in an open-concept kitchen/living room and clocked it at 40 decibels, which didn’t even require turning up the TV. I wish the warranty were a bit longer than one year, but this is still an extremely user-friendly dehydrator that just about any casual user would be happy with.
Best Budget
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Photograph: Lisa Wood Shapiro
Cosori
Pioneer 5-Tray Food Dehydrator
This old-school style Cosori dehydrator features stackable plastic rings and a fan in the base. WIRED contributing reviewer Lisa Wood Shapiro thought it produced consistent results for the price. She especially loved Cosori’s library of dehydrated food recipes, which were among the best she’s ever tried. (I had to peruse them myself upon this recommendation, and I’m still thinking about the recipe for dehydrating an entire batch of chili.) Drawbacks include its primarily plastic construction—though the plastic is BPA-free—and the fact that the dishwasher-safe trays don’t easily fit in the dishwasher. The cylindrical shape is harder to fit on an already full countertop, but given that it’s not the best-looking model, you’re likely storing it in the garage or basement anyway.
