Best 10 Dehydrators for Jerky
How can you preserve food for as long as possible without destroying any of its nutritional value? Dehydration may be the answer because by drawing moisture out of the food makes it an unfriendly environment for bacteria to develop – which makes it safer for us.
Dehydrated foods make great snacks, and it’s a process that works for pretty much any type of product ranging from meats, fruits, and vegetables to herbs and even flowers that you can dehydrate for art projects or potpourri.
Through dehydration, the flavor of the food is preserved for much longer, and, even though you can obtain the same results doing it the old fashion way, buying a dehydrator will certainly save you a lot of time.
We’ve taken a bit of time to go through the top 10 best food and jerky dehydrators on the market, but before we get into that, here are a few things to consider before purchasing one.
Temperature
The greater the range of temperature, the better you can control the environment your food dries in. Temperatures below 100o F are ideal for vegetables and herbs, whereas meat and jerky are processed safely at temperatures above 160o F. If you’re looking to demoisturize various kinds of foods at the same time, we recommend that you opt for a machine with as high and low a temperature range as possible.
Timer
Basic products function when plugged in, but modern dehydrators have programmable timers that automatically turn off when a dehydrating cycle is finished. That way, you can make sure your food will not go bad, there is no risk of overheating, and you can leave the machine unattended with everything safe inside.
Size
Depending on your needs, you may find a smaller dehydrator with 5 or 6 trays to be enough, but there are considerably larger options out there, with 10 to 12 trays (or even more), which can provide enough space for you to store more foods at the same time.
Take a look at the best rated machines on the market.
1. NESCO Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator
The NESCO Snackmaster is the top Amazon choice of food and jerky dehydrator, which is why it’s at the top of our list. Compact and clever, it comes with impressive features to make things easier for you in the kitchen, and at a very appealing price.
How does it work and why it is a top choice among dehydrators?
The air is forced down the exterior pressurized chamber and horizontally across the individual trays. This way, you won’t have to rotate trays during the process and the end result is faster, more even and nutritious, and the flavors don’t mix. You can benefit from more space by adding up to 12 trays, 5 of which come with the product, having a diameter of 13 1⁄2 inches each.
Review all the features below to determine if this is the right product for you:
- Adjustable thermostat, between 95o – 160o F, so you can dry food at different temperatures;
- Top mounted fan with 600 watts drying power;
- Opaque exterior to prevent light getting in, which can destroy the nutritional content of food during dehydration;
- Even distribution of heat, thanks to the Converga-Flow system, which forces air down the exterior pressurized chamber;
- Each tray provides 0.8 square feet of drying space;
- Expandable up to 12 trays;
- Made of quality food grade plastic, free of BPA;
- Made and assembled in the USA;
- Includes a recipe booklet with tips and tricks.
Dimensions: 13.75 x 22.13 x 13.87 inches Weight: 7.75 pounds Grade: 4.6 out of 5
2. Magic Mill Food Dehydrator for Jerky, Meat, Fruit
Second is the Magic Mill dehydrator, ideal for jerky, meat, dog treats, herbs, beef, fruits, and vegetables. A bit higher in price but also much larger than our previous option, the Magic Mill product is very stylish and comes with loads of features you should consider when purchasing a food dehydrator.
It is spacious enough for storing different foods at the same time, and you’ll know that the products will stay safe and won’t influence each other in terms of taste. You can mix and match the trays according to your needs and be sure to get the best out of your food, since this dehydrator is made from BPA-free materials.
Read below to see what this product has to offer:
- Even drying of the food with the rear mount fan which allows even air flow;
- Ease of use as the shelves stack on top of each other so you don’t have to rotate them;
- The clear glass allows you to observe the entire drying process;
- It incorporates a digital thermostat and timer, allowing you to dry the products at the optimal temperature;
- It includes 6 adjustable stainless steel trays which can be used for regular foods as well as nuts, herbs, and fruit;
- Place all the food you want to dehydrate in the same place, at the same time;
- Dishwasher safe trays – simply place them in your dishwasher or wipe them down with a damp cloth;
- Extra safe to use thanks to the BPA-free material;
- Protection feature to prevent overheating.
Dimensions: 17 x 14 x 12 inches Weight: 23.9 pounds Grade: 4.7 out of 5
3. Colzer Food Dehydrator
This chic machine comes with all the features you may be looking for when buying a food dehydrator. The 8 trays are more than enough for fruit, meat, jerky, vegetables, herbs, and even flowers, plus the glass door helps you keep an eye on the drying process.
Check out the features below to see if it’s what you need:
- Your food is safe thanks to the 100% BPA-free materials the stainless steel is made of;
- 8 trays of 250 x 250 mm each, which provides more than enough drying space for more food at the same time;
- Automatic shutdown and overheating protection function;
- Temperature settings between 68o – 194o F and a 24-hour integrated timer;
- Enjoy the silence with its quiet operating at only 45 dB;
- Includes a booklet with 67 recipes.
Dimensions: 10.63 x 15.16 x 12.8 inches Weight: 15.2 pounds Grade: 4.6 out of 5
4. COSORI Food Dehydrator
Small, stylish, and very effective, the COSORI food dehydrator is as convenient to use as it is pretty. It comes with 5 BPA-free trays, 1 mesh screen, 1 fruit roll sheet, 1 manual, and 1 recipe booklet. You don’t have to be a professional to use it since it’s easy to operate and includes all the possible features you could need.
Check out what you need to know:
- Digital timer ranging between 30 minutes and 48 hours;
- Temperature ranges between 95o – 165o F;
- It won’t make any noise as it is set not to exceed 48 dB, which is the noise level of a library;
- Dehydrate anything including beef and turkey jerky, meat, fruits, and vegetables, nuts and herbs, as well as doggy treats and healthy snacks for backpacking;
- Made from 100% BPA-free materials;
- Auto shutdown function and overheating safety function included;
- Easy to clean with a damp cloth, but always place the fruit roll sheet on the bottom tray to prevent liquid from dripping.
Dimensions: 13.8 x 11.3 x 13.8 inches Weight: 9.25 pounds Grade: 4.7 out of 5
5. COSORI Premium Food Dehydrator
We’re going to stick with this brand just a little longer, presenting to you the COSORI Premium Food Dehydrator for making healthy snacks such as jerky, fruit, dog treats, and bread crumbs, and for preserving herbs and flowers and much, much more. Different in shape to the COSORI Food Dehydrator, the Premium model has a few important features, first of which is its size.
Perfect to suit the needs of a large family and being the extra large version of the model presented above, the COSORI Premium comes with 6 stainless steel trays, 1 mesh screen, 1 fruit roll sheet, 1 manual, and 1 recipe booklet.
Here’s everything else you need to know:
- Timer setting ranging between 30 minutes and 48 hours;
- Temperature range of 95o – 165o F;
- It is as quiet as 48dB;
- Overheating protection, which guarantees safety of use as it will activate when it detects overheating – even if left unattended, this product will cause no unpleasant surprises;
- Includes 6 BPA-free dishwasher-safe trays;
- Includes a booklet with 50 recipes.
Dimensions: 13.4 x 17.8 x 12.4 inches Weight: 21 pounds Grade: 4.8 out of 5
6. Gastrorag Food Dehydrator
Thanks to the modern items available today, we can benefit from quality homemade food with all the nutritional value, allowing us to prepare our own healthy food.
The Gastrorag Food Dehydrator is suitable for beef jerky, dried fruit and vegetable chips, and more healthy snacks you can make at home. You can even use it for preparing healthy doggy treats, dogs need to live a healthy life, too.
How do you know the Gastrorag Food Dehydrator is the best option for you?
- For only $59.99, it’s the lowest priced item on our list, managing to score an amazing 4.5 out of 5;
- Temperature is adjustable between 100o – 160o F, the ideal range to help you keep all the original flavors and nutrients, depending on the type of food you are dehydrating;
- Includes 5 spacious, dishwasher-safe trays;
- Up to 48 hours dehydrating time, eliminating the risk of over-drying with the auto shutdown function, so you won’t have to worry about anything, even if you leave home;
- Silent and small, with no unpleasant alarm settings going off in the middle of the night.
Dimensions: 14.8 x 14.7 x 12 inches Weight: 7.78 pounds Grade: 4.5 out of 5
7. Elechomes 6-tray Food Dehydrator
Small, spacious, stylish and with a very attractive price, the Elechomes Food Dehydrator allows you to store different foods, such as beef jerky, fruits and veggies, herbs or treats for your pets all at the same time.
Similar to the other products on this list, the Elechomes Food Dehydrator is made of BPA-free materials, which is to say no heated chemicals will affect the quality of your food, keeping it healthy at all times. But one of the distinguishing characteristics of this model is the time range which goes up to 72 hours – the majority of dehydrators only go up to 48 hours.
But before you decide the Elechomes dehydrator is the one you’re looking for, check out its features below:
- 6 stackable trays with adjustable heights;
- Digital thermostat adjustable between 95° – 158° F;
- The trays are easy to remove and dishwasher-safe, but they can be also cleaned with a cloth or a sponge;
- 18-month customer guarantee;
- It comes with 6 trays, 1 mesh screen, 1 fruit roll sheet, and 1 user manual.
Dimensions: 11.6 x 11.4 x 10.9 inches Weight: 5 pounds Grade: 4.5 out of 5
8. Ostba Adjustable Food Dehydrator
Easy to use, easy to clean, easy to store, the Ostba Adjustable Food Dehydrator is a very impressive model with an excellent price. It’s the second item on our list with a 72-hour timer, giving you better control over food quality.
These features will help you decide whether the Ostba dehydrator is the one for you:
- Temperature varies between 86 – 158° F with an automatic turn off function once the cycle is finished;
- The package includes a free recipe booklet to learn how to make DIY snacks;
- It’s easy and convenient to use thanks to its digital functions and LED display, showing the temperature and time settings and allowing you to keep an eye on the process;
- It includes 5 BPA-free trays that are easy to clean and store.
Dimensions: 12.6 x 11.54 x 9.8 inches Weight: 5.74 pounds Grade: 4.4 out of 5
9. Chvntye 8-tray Food Dehydrator
Suitable for dehydrating any type of food, starting with beef jerky, fruits and veggies, bread, dog treats, and herbs, the Chvntye 8-tray dehydrator is one of the items with the best design on this list. The impressive engineering allows air to circulate at 360 degrees, making sure each tray is heated evenly.
The timer can be set between 30 minutes and 24 hours, whereas the temperature setting goes between 95o – 167o F. It comes with a booklet of 50 recipes to help you get the best out of your freshly bought ingredients.
Dimensions: 17.7 x 13.4 x 12.6 inches Weight: 20.1 pounds Grade: 4.5 out of 5
10. LEM Products 10-tray Food Dehydrator
You can make your favourite foods at home and control the quality. Food drying is a process that prolongs the life of certain foods, keeping all the vitamins and nutrients inside. But depending on the result you’re looking to obtain, different products do the work differently.
Here we have an excellent choice when it comes to design and function, as the LEM 10-tray Food Dehydrator provides most of the essential functions of a food dehydrator.
First of all, it’s one of the largest on our list, with 10 trays you can dry food on at the same time. They are easy to remove and clean, and however you use it, we guarantee you’ll have a lot of fun and it won’t give you any headache.
If you’re unsure its the one you’re looking for, check out these features:
- It includes a digital timer with an automatic shutdown function;
- Adjustable thermostat from 95 to 155 degrees F;
- Ten square trays 15 x 15 inches each, providing a total of 15 square feet;
- A large drip tray for easy cleaning.
Dimensions: 22.87 x 19.13 x 17.76 inches Weight: 15.43 pounds Grade: 4.6 out of 5
We’ve chosen and detailed the best rated jerky dehydrators on Amazon, hoping that you find this article helpful in choosing the most suitable dehydrating machine for your needs.
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