10 Best Food Dehydrator of August 2025

Best Food Dehydrator Reviews & Buying Guide Of 2021 In Canada

Be it the common healthy homemade snacks, or the other veggies, preserving it for a longer duration can degrade the nutritional value and sometimes stink. Therefore, investing in good quality food dehydrators can extend the food's longevity to a significant amount. A food dehydrator is basically an electronic device that draws most moisture from the food items and dries it. Since many foods consist of a large amount of water and moisture content, preserving them is not feasible since water can be the common reason for food decay by bacteria and microorganisms. A food dehydrator is an excellent appliance for lazy people who do not prefer to prepare snacks every other day. In this buying guide, various factors to consider before buying a food dehydrator are listed below.

What are the different types of food dehydrators?

The best food dehydrators can be classified into two major types, and they are as follows:

Vertical flow food dehydrators

These types of industrial food dehydrators are often called stackable food dehydrators. The heat source is usually located either at the top of the base of the food dehydrator. These food dehydrators consist of racks with specific trays used to store food during the dehydrating process. One can also increase the storage here by just adding some extra trays to the food dehydrator. The racks are stored in such a way so that the heated air spreads evenly on every shelf for a better drying process.

The horizontal flow food dehydrator

These raw food dehydrators are often called the shelf food dehydrators. The mechanism used here is very similar to the convection ovens. The heating source and the fan are located at the backside of the appliance. The insulation power of these types of food dehydrators is better than the vertical food dehydrators and therefore are better suitable for the tougher foods.

Factors one should consider for the food dehydrator are:

• Outer Material

The best food dehydrators like Nesco, Excalibur, Berron, Cuisinart, Sunbeam, and others have different outer material build like stainless steel, aluminum, or sturdy metal alloy, which ensures that the warmth is trapped inside for a longer period of time.

• Adjustable Thermostat

According to the food requirement, one can easily adjust the temperature of these food dehydrators in the range of 60 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Fan

Spilling liquids during the food dehydrating process is quite a mess with the regular food dehydrators. Therefore, these food dehydrators of brands like Nesco for dehydrators and others have the fan mounted at the top of the appliance, ensuring that the liquids do not drip into the heating chamber. The fan is just 4 inches or even less and therefore does not take up much space for the appliance. It also blocks all the harmful rays and lights to help retain its nutritional value even during the drying process.

• Trays

The trays used in these food dehydrators are made of hard plastic or fiber, which do not react with the food and make it toxic, unlike the regular food dehydrator. Most of the stainless steel food dehydrators have approximately three to four trays, easily expanded to twelve or more trays for better storage purposes.

• Noise Levels

Many food dehydrators are quite loud and, therefore, very disturbing. These industrial food dehydrators usually have approximately 80dB or fewer noise levels and are therefore very quiet and calm.

• Timer

Many food dehydrators also have preset timers for various food items, but one can also set individual timers every time convenient.

• Auto Shutoff

Many food dehydrators like Oster, Cuisinart and others have an auto shut off feature wherein the appliance shuts off automatically to prevent over-drying if the appliance is left unattended.

• LED Panel

These raw food dehydrators have an LED panel that displays the temperature and the timer for better convenience of the user.

• Automated Rotation

These large food dehydrators have an automated 360 degrees rotation, which is yet again very seamless and convenient for an even heating and drying process.

• Price

Most brands like Oster, Cuisinart price these exceptional food dehydrators, Nesco and others cost approximately CD$200 to CD$500, which is very economical.

• Warranty

Issues with the drying process, temperature controls, or anything in general with the food dehydrators can directly claim the brand's warranty and get it fixed. Most brands like Oster, Excalibur, and others come up with a one-year warranty period to three years with their food dehydrator.

Final Thoughts

Be it the common apple chips, banana chips, or any other flavorful snack. These are some very common delicacies to munch on during the evenings or late-night cravings. If bought outside, these dried foods can contain preservatives that are bad for the overall health and are certainly not diet-approved. These food dehydrators are the savior for those guilt-free snacking since these can dry them out and make them more long-lasting. These food dehydrators are very durable and do not require much maintenance as well. To know about the top 10 best food dehydrators, check out the list given above.