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Make your own banana chips, fruit leather and dried herbs with these top picks.
Photo:EatingWell / Nick Simpson
A food dehydrator is necessary if you want to make chewy snacks likedried fruitor crunchy banana chips.
We also examined their design, noise level and ease of use and cleaning.
Our final picks include a mix of sizes and prices for beginners and dehydrating enthusiasts alike.
PHOTO: Amazon
Its similar to how an air fryer works but at much lower cooking temperatures.
Most models can be set as low as 90F and up to 170F.
With a food dehydrator, you could also transform lean meat, fish and poultry into chewy jerky.
PHOTO: EatingWell / Nick Simpson
Food dehydrators can also be used to dry homemade pasta for a longer shelf-life or to bake dog-friendly treats.
Even cooked beans and grains can be dehydrated to make extra-light meals for carrying on hiking and backpacking trips.
This includes avocados, nut butters, cheese, milk, butter and eggs.
Another perk of the smaller size is that its quicker to preheat than larger models.
In our recipe tests, it reached 135F in just over 4 minutes.
Our food was evenly dried and released easily from the trays.
It also earned top marks for design, ease of use, cleaning and noise level.
What to know:Theres no timer or automatic shutoff so you cant set and forget this one.
This dehydrator may be small, but its mighty.
We loved how easy this one is to use right out of the box, no instructions needed.
Once its on, all you have to do is turn the analog dial to your desired temperature.
Its budget-friendly with a compact design thatll easily fit into a cabinet for out-of-sight storage.
We appreciated how easy it was to use the digital controls to set time and temperature.
Thats what we ultimately had to do to get trays of strawberry fruit leather to fully and evenly dry.
There are a few considerations to be aware of before you add this dehydrator to your shopping cart.
To tack on extra minutes, you must set a separate timer and turn the machine off manually.
While it has a smaller footprint, it doesnt skimp on performance.
Noise level is one factor you dont want to ignore.
The temperature range of each machine may differ slightly.
We noticed a lot of variability in how long it took each dehydrator we tested to heat up.
Generally, the lower the drying temperature, the faster the machines heat up.
Most of the models we tested reached 135F in about 5 minutes, but some took closer to 20.
The temperature accuracy of a dehydrator can fluctuate during use.
Uneven airflow and inconsistent heating will alter the results of your dehydrated food.
Ideally, your dehydrator should heat and dry evenly so all racks of food finish simultaneously.
Since dehydrating certain foods can take hours, you may choose to dehydrate overnight or while youre working.
Larger machines have larger drying trays that can fit more food but will take up more storage space.
Dehydrator trays can be square, rectangular, or circular.
The material and number of trays included with a machine are other considerations.
Models with plastic trays are less expensive than those with stainless steel trays.
However, stainless steel trays are sturdier and may last longer without any worries about warping.
For faster drying, you should spread your food on each tray so it does not touch.
The more trays you have, the more space you have to spread food out for even drying.
Box-style dehydrators have a set number of trays, while other models may be able to accommodate additional trays.
Some machines also include fruit roll trays specifically for drying fruit leather.
The mesh screens can also double as a liner to help keep the bottom of your dehydrator clean.
We evaluated all models for ease of use, cleaning and overall design.
We also reported other relevant observations, such as noise level, included accessories and perceived value.
This model also has some other great features, like a see-through door and quiet operation.
We liked how much drying space the six racks offered and found it simple to operate and clean.
However, we would have appreciated the inclusion of more than one fruit leather drying tray.
Its best for serious gardeners and hunters with extra space, such as a large pantry or garage.
Common Questions
Is dehydrating food healthy?
Dehydrated foods can be healthy and flavorful, and help you reduce food waste.
However, homemade dehydrated foods have the edge over most store-bought options.
In fact, dehydrated foods have the same nutritional value as their fresh counterparts.
Dried fruits contain a more concentratedsource of calories and sugarthan fresh fruits because they remove the water content.
That means dried foods are still a good source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
Are food dehydrators worth it?
Whether a food dehydrator makes sense for you depends on how often you plan to use it.
Food dehydrators are absolutely worthwhile if youre serious about food preservation.
How do you store dehydrated foods, and how long does it last?
How you package your dehydrated foods for storage also contributes to how long theyll last.
Allows your dehydrated items to completely cool before transferring them to storage containers.
Any residual heat from the dehydrating process can create humidity that affects the dried texture of your food.
Once your dehydrated foods are completely cool, they should be stored in sealed packaging.
Properly stored dried foods can last anywhere from four months to one year.
Thoroughly dried foods, such as dried herbs, can last up to one year.
National Center for Home Food Preservation.Packaging and Storing Dried Foods.
PHOTO: Amazon
PHOTO: EatingWell / Nick Simpson
PHOTO: Amazon
PHOTO: EatingWell / Nick Simpson
EatingWell / Nick Simpson
EatingWell / Nick Simpson
