7 Best Dehydrator For Jerky 2022: Reviews & Buying Guide

Anytime I go outside, jerky is one of my go-to snacks. It is enduring and simple to pack. Although it’s very simple to make at home and offers countless customization options, it can be very expensive to purchase. Using a dehydrator is the best way to create your own tasty jerky.

When picking out the best dehydrator for jerky, it is important that you select something that will meet your needs and go with a company that you trust. What matters most is how the Meat is built overall. dehydrator makes it simple to keep sanitized and clean without the risk of damaging it while cleaning.

These beilow choices are worthwhile taking into account if you’re looking for the best dehydrators for jerky. Continue reading!

7 Best Dehydrator For Jerky: Our Top Pick

• 1. Best Overrall: MEAT! Your Maker 10 Tray Dehydrator
• 2. Best Budget Dehydrator: Presto Dehydro Electric Food Dehydrator
• 3. Runner up: Excalibur 9-Tray Electric Food Dehydrator
• 4. Best Mid-range Dehydrator: Hamilton Beach Digital Food Dehydrator
• 5. Popular Alternative: NESCO Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator
• 6. Best Dehydrator for Big Batches of Jerky: Weston 6-Tray
• 7. Best Cabinet-Style Dehydrator: LEM Mighty Bite 5-Tray Countertop

Best Food Dehydrators For Jerky In 2022

1. Best Overrall: Meat! Your Maker 10 Tray Dehydrator

The 10 Tray Dehydrator from MEAT! is a powerful jerky-making tool. This is for the serious jerky maker because it can hold a total of ten pounds.

With a range of 90°F to 167°F and a timer that can last up to 30 hours, the temperature and timing controls are simple to use and make drying foods simple. After 24 hours from the end of a predetermined timer, the auto-off feature begins to operate.

The stainless steel construction is strong and stylish, and the clear glass front lets you see the progress without opening the door.

With a selection of grinders, food slicers, sausage stuffers, and other products geared toward the home enthusiast level, Meat! (also known as Meat Your Maker) is a relatively new brand that is having a significant impact in the meat processing industry.

What We Like

• Large Capacity – With enough trays and room for ten pounds of jerky at once, bulk drying is a breeze. You shouldn’t need to rotate trays because the 360-degree air circulation ensures even cooking for each piece.
• Convenient Clean-up – No hand scrubbing is required because the stainless steel wire trays are dishwasher safe. To make cleanup simple, the fruit roll tray also functions as a drip pan.
• Thermostat control – The dehydrator’s simple temperature and timing controls eliminate the need for you to watch over it or guess when your product is finished. Whatever you are dehydrating, keep your temperature under control and dry for the recommended amount of time.
• Quality Construction – This product’s top-notch quality is a result of its stainless steel construction. It has a professional look and feel. sturdy but not overly heavy.

What We Don’t Like

• Large footprint – Large capacity entails a big footprint. Since it won’t fit under a typical kitchen counter, you’ll need a special place to store this dehydrator.
• Tight Fit – In the middle racks of the dehydrator, some of the stainless steel trays didn’t slide in without difficulty. They needed to be lightly forced into position, but with continued use, they slid more easily. Thank goodness it didn’t scratch or damage the inside, so hopefully they’ll loosen up even more over time.

Whether drying jerky, fruits, or vegetables in large quantities, the MEAT! 10 Tray dehydrator is a workhorse and great for anyone doing so. An excellent addition to your home food processing and preservation setup.

2. Best Budget Dehydrator: Presto Dehydro Electric Food Dehydrator

Both very inexpensive and simple to use, this dehydrator.

There is no need to fiddle with temperature settings; you can quickly set it up and begin your most recent batch of jerky.

It enables you to monitor the progress of your food’s drying without disturbing it.

When you’re done, cleaning and putting it away is also simple.

What We Like:

• See-through cover – Simply looking into the top of the unit will allow you to monitor the development of your jerky. Taking the trays out by hand would be much more difficult.
• Easy to store – All of the trays nestle up against one another, and the corridor circles around the bottom. It’s simple to cram this evening into a small space.
• Dishwasher-safe trays – For simple cleanup after use, you can place these in the dishwasher.
• Expandable size – 4 trays are included, and 4 more trays can be purchased for increased capacity.

What We Don’t Like:

• Starts with only four trays – This dehydrator’s initial size is a little underwhelming. Large amounts of jerky cannot be stored at once in the available space.
• No temperature controls – The temperature is set to 165°F and cannot be changed from this position. With certain foods or if you prefer your jerky to be 160°F, the lack of control may not be helpful.

3. Runner Up: Excalibur 9-tray Electric Food Dehydrator

The Excalibur 9-tray is our runner-up to the Meat, having just one less tray! dehydrator.

The Excalibur 9 tray digital hydrator has all the features required to produce large quantities of jerky, with nine separate trays totaling 15 square feet of space.

You can observe every step of the procedure through the front window.

It has a ton of controls that will make dehydrating simple for you, and a sizable 7-inch fan that will move a ton of air without making a lot of noise.

What We Like:

• Thermostat – This dehydrator has a thermostat, which makes temperature control simple. The temperature can be raised to 165°F, the level required for poultry safety.
• 15 square feet of space – A major benefit is having lots of space to stack different meats or vegetables. Jerky and other dried foods can be prepared in bulk at once.
• Set and Forget – Along with the thermostat controls, there is a timer. It’s excellent for setting the dehydrator so you can carry out other tasks while you wait for your jerky to be ready.
• Non-stick insert – The poly-tray design prevents food from sticking to the trays. Making something other than sugar-filled jerky is a great idea. Nobody enjoys having to clean their dehydrator thoroughly.
• Quiet operation – A noisy dehydrator on your bench can become grating if you make jerky frequently. It shouldn’t be annoying because this model operates extremely quietly.

What We Don’t Like:

• Few issues with damaged units – Due to inadequate packaging, some people appear to have received damaged items. I’m not sure if this is a problem with Amazon or the manufacturer, but when you first set it up, double-check that everything is operating as it should.
• No instructions – It can be challenging turning on this dehydrator for the first time if there isn’t a small booklet to explain how things work.

4. Best Mid-range Dehydrator: Hamilton Beach Digital Food Dehydrator

This dehydrator has a lot of great technical features, such as an auto shut-off timer and an adjustable thermostat, that make it a great kitchen assistant.

It’s also excellent for making other foods, like fruit rolls, besides jerky. Five stackable trays can be dried effectively with the help of a strong 500-watt motor.

What We Like:

• Timer – You can use the auto shutoff feature or set your jerky to run for up to 48 hours. It works great for jerky drying without requiring constant supervision of the machine.
• Adjustable thermostat – With just a few button presses, select between 100°F and 160°F.
• Two specialized sheets – A fine mesh sheet for drying herbs and other small foods is provided with the purchase. There is also a sturdy sheet included for creating your own fruit rolls.

What We Don’t Like:

• A bit noisy – This dehydrator generates a little bit of noise in comparison to the other ones we’ve examined.
• Large grids on most trays – Make sure your jerky is sliced broadly enough to fit on the grids of these trays. If not, they risk collapsing from dehydration.

5. Popular Alternative: Nesco Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator

The Nesco FD-75A is a well-liked substitute if you don’t take making jerky seriously enough to justify the expense of the Excalibur.

This vertical dehydrator is simple to operate, expands to a larger size, and has a small carrying handle. It produces good results for food placed properly beneath the air currents thanks to a top-mounted fan that generates 600 watts of drying power.

It has some respectable temperature controls as well, which will make controlling your snack-making sessions even simpler.

What We Like:

• Can purchase extra trays – You can add seven more, though it only comes with five by default. This provides an abundance of drying space for producing large quantities of jerky or other foods.
• Quiet – Even if it runs for several hours, this dehydrator won’t annoy you. The low hum shouldn’t bother anyone, so feel free to place this in the kitchen.
• Decent vertical drying – Utilizing a patented flow drying system, this dehydrator pushes air down and across your meat. In the middle of the stacks, it looks carefully for meat.
• Vita-Save exterior – As your food is being dried out, this patented design filters out harmful UV rays to preserve its nutritional value.

What We Don’t Like:

• Uneven drying – Even though the top-down design is practical, dehydrators with fans in the back are more effective. The edges of the meat pieces at the sides of the trays don’t get quite as much airflow as they should.
• Trays are cheap – There are times when a tray will be warped because of the heat. You must acquire a new one because of this.

6. Best Dehydrator For Big Batches Of Jerky: Weston 6-tray

The Weston 6-Tray unit is the best option if you’re looking for a mid-range machine that can dry large quantities of jerky. To ensure that you get a unit that dries as quickly as possible, make sure to purchase the Weston 75-0450 model with the 800-watt heater.

The Weston dehydrator has a compact design and a lovely appearance, making it ideal for year-round use. Although the Weston 6-Tray maintained the most stable temperature, it did fall about six degrees short of the set temperature. We had to rotate the jerky 180 degrees when we switched the lower and middle trays halfway through the drying period because the jerky at the back of both trays dried noticeably slower than that at the front. Jerky and apples were finished at the same time, taking a total of five hours and 45 minutes from the time the trays were loaded.

What We Like:

• Large capacity
• Quiet fan
• Accurate thermostat

What We Don’t Like:

• Stacking design requires tray rotation for even drying
• Plastic trays can be delicate

7. Best Cabinet-style Dehydrator: Lem Mighty Bite 5-tray Countertop

With the LEM Mighty Bite 5-Tray, trays slide in and out for simple loading and unloading without requiring the movement of any other trays. Although trays may need to be rotated for even drying, the rear-mounted fan makes it possible for air to move consistently from top to bottom. A dial-style thermostat governs the temperature of the 550-watt heater in this unit, which has a temperature range of 95–155 degrees. The Mighty Bite’s clear, snap-on door aids in maintaining heat and accelerating the drying process. It also has a 30-hour timer with an automatic shutoff.

What We Like:

• Rear mounted fan and snap on front door make for speedy jerky drying
• Rugged cabinet style design
• Large capacity
• Economical for cabinet style design
• 2-year warranty from LEM

What We Don’t Like:

• Large footprint requires lots of space for storage
• Lower wattage heater compared to other units of this size
• Dial style thermostat instead of digital

How Do Dehydrators Work?

No matter the design, a food dehydrator has a few basic components. Trays that hold the food are placed on top of a body that houses the heating element and the fan. In order to maintain the heat, the entire device locks together, allowing dehydrating food to be quickly in a clean and sterile environment.

Simply remove the trays from the dehydrator after you have finished making your dried snacks so that you can clean it. When you’re ready to use it again, you can store it away. For making jerky at home, a dehydrator is extremely useful.

Read More: Difference Between Freeze-dried And Dehydrated

Buying Guide For Best Dehydrator For Jerky

Not all food dehydrators are created equal. You need to possess a few things in order to achieve your goals. It’s common to end up with a subpar product that doesn’t meet your needs or expectations when trying to save money on a device like a food dehydrator. The best product for your jerky-making endeavors can be found by knowing what features are important to you.

Adjustable Temperature Range

This one may seem obvious, but there are a few products out there that don’t have good temperature controls or a wide range of temperatures. A problem arises when trying to make jerky because many devices, especially those that are more affordable, lack a good thermostat that can be adjusted to control the temperature.

Fan And Heating Element

Many products use subpar heating elements or weak fans that quickly burn out or don’t provide the level of control necessary for dehydrating. Always prioritize purchasing products that have a track record of dependable fan and heating element performance.

Adjustable Trays

The use of stainless steel trays that can be removed as needed is one of the features that make some of the better products on our list more appealing. In comparison to stackable designs, this makes accessing food items easier. Stainless steel trays are a feature that almost all of our top picks share. These are more cost-effective in the long run because they are more enduring and simpler to clean than plastic.

Size

Another crucial factor is the size of your dehydrator. Smaller units won’t be able to dehydrate as much jerky simultaneously as larger ones.

Regardless of the type of dehydrator you buy, drying meat takes a long time. Therefore, you should prepare a large quantity of jerky in advance rather than making smaller batches whenever the urge for a meaty snack strikes.

In essence, decide how much jerky you intend to consume in the future, and proceed from there. If you prefer jerky as your go-to daily snack, buy a larger container, even if it’s more expensive. If you only eat jerky occasionally, you could also pick a smaller dehydrator.

Noise Level

Last but not least, remember to check the dehydrator’s likely noise levels. Since they dry your meat strips using fans and moving air, these machines can be quite noisy.

In the user guide or the dehydrator’s product specifications, you ought to be able to find the precise noise levels of a given model.

Dehydrators that cost more frequently have quieter fans or soundproofing features. These improve their comfort level during prolonged use.

In general, less expensive equipment will likely be louder. If you intend to use your dehydrator frequently, you will undoubtedly want one that is quieter.

Our Verdict

If you’re looking for a dehydrator that is good all around, the Excalibur 9-Tray Electric Food Dehydrator is a great option.

You can make your jerky exactly how you like it with plenty of room, temperature controls, and even timers. Have fun and savor your next snack, whatever you decide!

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