I’ve been food dehydrator-curious for longer than I can remember. I knew some fellow mushroom foragers had these mysterious and bulky-looking appliances, but I never looked into owning one until I tried to dry sliced sweet potatoes in my gas oven. Not only did using my stove at its lowest setting for hours produce indoor air pollution, but I was unable to set my gas stove below 170 degrees Fahrenheit. My efforts produced burnt versions of the dried sweet potato slices sold as my dog’s overpriced treats. I also wanted to make beef jerky and dry flower petals, those glossy lemon and orange citrus rings for cocktails, potato chips, and fruit leather, and develop my own dehydrated meals for camping, since they are so expensive to buy.
I had been reluctant to buy a dehydrator because I live in a New York City apartment. I vet appliances on a basic formula of the amount of counter space the appliance would take up multiplied by how often I would use said appliance. Lack of counter space is why I don’t own an air fryer or bread machine. And so testing food dehydrators was a bit of a dream assignment and the perfect excuse to see if owning one was worth it. Spoiler alert: They are. Especially our top pick—Brod & Taylor's Sahara Folding Food Dehydrator ($295).
For more useful appliance advice, check out some of our other kitchen-related guides, including Best Air Fryers, Best Toaster Ovens, and Best Espresso Machines.
July 2025 update: We've added the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro, Excalibur DH08SCSS13, Café Couture, and Elite Gourmet EFD329WD, and Dehytray Solar Dehydrator as picks, and ensured accuracy of links and prices.