Chiles, Mango and Carne Seca: The Best Food Dehydrator

A food dehydrator is a slow, quiet machine: a heater, a fan and a stack of trays that pull the water out of food over many hours. In a Mexican kitchen that covers more than you might think. Fresh red jalapeños, serranos or chiles de árbol from the garden become dried chiles for salsas. Thin slices of ripe mango turn into chewy strips for mango con chile. Lean beef, marinated and dried, is the start of carne seca and the shredded machaca of northern Mexico.

The machines vary more than they look. Some blow air sideways across square shelves, others push it up or down through a stack of round trays, and their temperature ranges, timers and tray materials all differ. This guide covers eight dehydrators, using what each maker and Amazon listing states and America’s Test Kitchen’s review of food dehydrators, plus the food safety steps that matter for meat.

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Quick verdict: which food dehydrator to buy

Whatever you dry, start with good raw material. Our guide to Mexican chiles explains which fresh chiles become which dried ones.

Five food dehydrators at a glance

Our five standout picks, one for each kind of cook, with the trays, airflow and temperature range each maker or listing states. All eight dehydrators are reviewed in full below.

Product images from Amazon. Trays, ranges and timers are as stated by each maker or listing; check the listing before you buy.

Our picks for the best food dehydrator

The eight machines below split into two designs. Shelf-style boxes, like the Excalibur, Cosori and Magic Mill, have a fan at the back that blows air across every tray at once. Stacking units, like the Nesco, Presto and Hamilton Beach, move air through a tower of round or square trays from the top or the base. Each pick lists the trays, airflow, temperature range and timer its maker states, with one honest reason to skip it.

How to choose a food dehydrator for chiles, fruit and beef

Start with what you will dry most often, then match the machine to it.

1. Airflow: across the shelves or through the stack

America’s Test Kitchen explains the two designs simply: sliding-shelf models have a fan in the back, and stacking models have one at the top or bottom; both blow heated air across the food to carry moisture away. Rear-fan boxes such as the Excalibur, Cosori and Magic Mill treat every shelf about the same and keep drips away from the heater. Stacking units are cheaper and more compact, and models like the Nesco and Presto can grow with extra trays.

2. Tray shape and material

ATK found that large square or rectangular trays hold more and are easier to load, while round trays with a center hole made arranging food “like a jigsaw puzzle.” That matters most for long strips of beef. Stainless steel trays, which the Cosori and Magic Mill listings describe as dishwasher safe or food-grade, avoid plastic contact with food; plastic trays are lighter and cheaper. A fine mesh screen is worth having for chopped chiles, seeds and herbs that would fall through.

3. Temperature range and timer

ATK suggests about 90°F to 100°F for herbs and 135°F to 140°F for most fruit and vegetables, so a dial that reaches down low is useful for Mexican oregano and epazote (our guide to Mexican herbs covers both). A timer with automatic shutoff lets a batch finish overnight. The Presto 06300 has neither a dial nor a timer, which is the trade-off for its simplicity.

4. Food safety for jerky, carne seca and machaca

Drying alone is not a cooking step. University of Kentucky Extension, citing the USDA, says to heat meat to 160°F, or poultry to 165°F, before the dehydrating process begins, then keep the dehydrator between 130°F and 140°F during drying, and to check the meat with a thermometer. The National Center for Home Food Preservation gives two methods: heat the strips in their marinade before drying, or heat the dried strips in a 275°F oven for 10 minutes for strips ¼ inch or thinner. It also says raw poultry is generally not recommended for jerky. A good meat thermometer makes the pre-heating step easy.

5. Capacity and counter space

Buy for your usual batch, not your biggest dream harvest. A household that dries a few mangoes and a bag of chiles each month is well served by five or six trays. Ten trays make sense if you dry meat in quantity or put up a garden’s worth of peppers each fall.

6. What about an air fryer with a dehydrate setting?

Many air fryers now include a dehydrate mode. Ninja’s AF101, for example, lists dehydrate among its four functions and a range starting at 105°F, in a 4-quart basket. That is fine for a handful of chile slices or a few strips of fruit, but a 4-quart basket holds far less than even the smallest dehydrator here. If you already own one, try it before buying a second machine; our best air fryer guide covers the models.

How we picked these eight dehydrators

We started with America’s Test Kitchen’s food dehydrator review, which named the Excalibur 3926T its winner, the digital Presto Dehydro 06301 its Best Buy, and the Nesco Snackmaster Pro FD-75 Recommended. That review is several years old, and the exact Excalibur and Nesco models it tested are no longer the ones on sale, so we chose each maker’s current in-stock models and say in each pick what ATK did and did not test. We added shelf-style and stacking machines from established makers to cover different sizes, tray materials and temperature ranges, taking every specification from the maker’s page or the Amazon listing and writing “Not stated” where they are silent.

We checked every pick against the CPSC recall database. Recalls we found involve different models: Excalibur EZ DRY dehydrators (models TTEVM50W, EVM50W and EPD60W, recalled by Greenfield World Trade over fire hazards), the Nesco American Harvest Gardenmaster FD-1020 with certain date codes, three older American Harvest Snackmaster models (FD-30, FD-50 and FD-50T), and Brod & Taylor’s Sahara folding dehydrator (DR710, within a recalled serial range). None of those is recommended here, and the Sahara was not available in stock on Amazon when we checked. We have not used these machines ourselves, and we were unable to read Serious Eats’ or Wirecutter’s dehydrator reviews for this guide, so we do not quote them.

Food dehydrator questions, answered

What is the best food dehydrator brand?

Excalibur made America’s Test Kitchen’s winning dehydrator and is the standard for shelf-style machines. Presto made ATK’s Best Buy, and Nesco is the long-running name in stacking dehydrators. Cosori and Magic Mill make shelf-style models with stainless trays.

Which food dehydrator does America’s Test Kitchen recommend?

ATK’s winner was the Excalibur Food Dehydrator, model 3926T, and its Best Buy was the Presto Dehydro Digital, model 06301. The Aroma Professional 6 Tray and the Nesco Snackmaster Pro FD-75 were Recommended. Neither the winner nor the Best Buy was in stock in that exact form when we checked, so this guide lists current alternatives.

What is the best food dehydrator for home use?

For most homes, a five- to six-tray shelf-style machine such as the Cosori 6-Tray, with a timer and a range down to 95°F. If you are not sure you will use it, the Presto Dehydro is an inexpensive way to find out.

Can I dry chiles in a food dehydrator?

Yes. Slice thicker chiles, or split them, so they dry evenly, and use a mesh screen for small pieces. If you would rather buy them already dried, see where to buy dried chiles online.

How do I store dried mango, chiles and carne seca?

Let everything cool completely, then pack it airtight. A vacuum sealer helps dried chiles and beef keep longer, and a sprinkle of chile-lime seasoning turns dried mango into a snack; our chamoy vs. Tajín guide explains the two classic toppings.

Our final pick for drying at home

Buy the Excalibur Performance 10-Tray if you dry in quantity, or the Cosori 6-Tray for the same horizontal design at a smaller size. Choose the Nesco Snackmaster Pro if you want to start small and add trays, the Magic Mill Pro for an all-stainless machine, and the Presto Dehydro for the simplest, least costly way to begin.

More small-appliance guides: food processors, personal blenders, hand mixers, vegetable choppers, spice grinders, meat grinders, yogurt makers, pasta makers, bread machines.

Making jerky? See our guide to the best food dehydrators for jerky.

On a budget? See our guide to the best value food dehydrators.

Related guide: Dehydrator alternative.

Dried chiles are only as good as the spices you cook them with, so see our guide to the best Mexican spices. And when you would rather someone else did the cooking, see our menu or call to order.