The beef jerky dehydrator is one of the best tools you could have when making homemade beef jerky. I have tested and reviewed 4 of the top dehydrators on the market to find out which one is THE BEST DEHYDRATOR FOR MAKING BEEF JERKY.
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Video - Making Beef Jerky
What is a Dehydrator
Jerky dehydrators work by passing heated air over the beef to remove moisture in order to dry it making what everyone knows as Beef Jerky. The air evaporates moisture in the meat drying it out.
This is great for preserving meat that does not require refrigeration.
Types of dehydrators
There are two main different types of dehydrators you will find when looking for a unit.
The first is a unit that has a fan mounted on top or bottom of the trays and blows air vertically through the trays to dry the beef. These units tend to be round and less expensive than the second type of dehydrator, the "professional" style dehydrator.
The professional style unit has a fan at the rear of the unit and blows the air horizontally over the beef from the back of the unit to the front. These units tend to be square in construction.
Important Features
Not all dehydrators are made equal and finding the best one for beef jerky is a must. Some dehydrators are great for drying fruit, but not meat. Let's cover some features these dehydrators have and what to look for when purchasing one for making beef jerky.
Temperature Control
Most dehydrators will have a dial or digital temperature setting for choosing how hot you want the heating unit to be when dehydrating. This is important when making meat jerky due to the need to heat the meat to an internal temperature of 160°F.
If a dehydrators highest temperature setting is less than 160°F, it's NOT the best for making beef jerky.
Capacity
How much jerky are you going to be making? Some units have extra stackable trays you can purchase which will increase the capacity of their units. This is a desirable feature if you are making 5lbs or more of jerky at a time.
Fan Location
Dehydrators will have fans to push air around the meat in order to dry it. There are 3 fan mounting options; top, bottom, or back of the dehydrator. I prefer back or top due to bottom fan mounted units being harder to clean.
Cleaning
Check to see if the trays of the dehydrator are dishwasher safe. This makes cleaning the dehydrator after using MUCH easier. The easier the unit is to use, the more you will use it.
Noise
I have included decibel highs (how loud the dehydrator was) in my reviews below. This is an often overlooked feature when choosing a dehydrator. Count on the dehydrator running a minimum or 4-5 hours when making jerky. If the unit is loud, it can become extremely annoying.
Timer
This is another overlooked feature when choosing a dehydrator. Due to the long running time, I believe a timer is EXTREMELY important when choosing a dehydrator.
A timer will allow you to set a desired run time and the unit will shut off when that time is reached. This way you can make beef jerky without having to be home during the whole process.
How I tested these dehydrators
Below I reviewed two of the top selling dehydrators from each style and have ranked them from what I thought was the best dehydrator for the casual beef jerky maker.
Some of the things I took into account when ranking these units included:
- Even heat distribution
- Unit capacity
- Running noise level
- Ease of use
- Quality
- Manufacturer Warranty
- Accessories
Beef Jerky Dehydrator Reviews:
These reviews are strictly reviewing how well these dehydrators are for MAKING BEEF JERKY. They all have capabilities to dry other products such as fruit, but these reviews will focus ONLY on how well they are for making jerky.
#1 - Excalibur
The Excalibur is the #1 dehydrator I would recommend for someone looking to buy a dehydrator for making beef jerky. The first thing you notice is the over all size & capacity of the unit, allowing for a total of 6lbs of meat to be dried at once.
This dehydrator is made in California and is of very high quality. The unit comes with a 10 year warranty, the best and longest warranty of all the units tested.
The 600 watt fan is mounted in the back of the dehydrator blowing air horizontally over the 9 trays. More trays can NOT be added to this unit to increase the capacity.
The Excalibur has a temperature control that ranges from 105° to 165°F and a timer that will let you set the unit to dry for a certain amount of time and automatically shut off.
It took 75 minutes for the test food to reach an internal temperature of 150°F and 180 minutes to reach 160°F. The temperature did differ 15°F from the back of the unit (closest to the fan) to the front of the unit. Because of this, I would recommend rotating the trays half way through dehydrating.
The Excalibur was the third noisiest dehydrator reaching a high of 63 decibels while running.
Pros:
- Temperature control 105° to 165°F
- Built in timer
- Dishwasher safe trays
- Built in the USA
- 10 year warranty
- BPA Free Trays
Cons:
- High cost
- Have to rotate trays during drying
- Fixed number of trays, cannot increase capacity
#2 - Nesco
Coming in at #2 is the Nesco Snackmaster Pro! This unit is made in Wisconsin and produces great beef jerky! The Nesco comes with 5 trays which will handle about 3lbs of meat, however, 7 extra trays can be purchased (a little over ten dollars for a pair of 2) making a total of 12 trays for 7.5lbs of capacity. That's a lot of jerky!
The design of this unit allows a 600 watt top mounted fan to evenly distribute the heat throughout the unit for even and fast drying.
A temperature control allows you to select a temp from 95° to 160°F. Out of the 4 dehydrators tested, this was the only unit that maintained the same temperature throughout the entire unit making it great for drying jerky evenly.
It took 92 minutes for the test food to reach and internal temperature of 150°F and 195 minutes to reach 160°F. The temperature between the top and bottom trays never differed more than 2°F.
The Nesco was also the second quietest unit, reaching a high of 58 decibels allowing it to be run in the kitchen without bothering you while watching tv or having dinner.
Pros:
- Low cost
- Temperature control 95° to 160°F
- Expandable tray capacity
- BPA Free Trays
- Quiet when running
- Built in the USA
Cons:
- No timer
- Trays are NOT dishwasher safe
- Only 1 year warranty
#3 - Ivation
The Ivation Dehydrator came in at #3, powered by a back mounted 480 watt fan. This dehydrator is quiet! You almost don't even know that it is running. It came in at a max 55 decibels, the quietest of the four dehydrators tested.
The Ivation comes with 6 trays which can hold about 4lbs of meat. There is a 9 tray unit as well. The clear front window of this unit allows you to keep an eye on your jerky without opening the unit.
The dehydrator is well made and has a temperature control that ranges from 95° to 155°F. However, during the test drying, after 4 hours and 30 minutes the test food only reached a max internal temperature of 140°F at the back of the unit (closest to the fan) and 131°F at the front of the unit. This dehydrator failed in reaching the all important 160°F internal temperature for making beef jerky.
If purchasing this dehydrator for making beef jerky, I recommend heating the beef strips in the oven until they reach an internal temperature of 160° before removing them and finishing the dehydration process in this dehydrator.
Pros:
- BPA Free Trays
- 5 Year Warranty
- Quiet while running
- Clear front window
Cons:
- Did not reach internal temperature of 160°F
- No timer
- Trays are NOT dishwasher safe
- Made in China
- Low capacity
- High Cost
#4 - Presto
Coming in at #4 is the Presto 06300, 600 watt bottom mounted fan dehydrator. This was the lowest cost dehydrator out of the ones reviewed, but had some good features. It is made in China but appears to be well made.
It comes with 4 trays with the option to purchase up to another 4 trays for a total of 8. With the 4 trays, this unit can hold about 3lbs of jerky, or a total of 6lbs after purchasing an extra 4 trays.
I did like how the Presto allows you to stack each tray inside another for a very compact storage. Out of the four dehydrators tested, this is the unit that was the lightest and easiest to store away being about ½ the size of the other units. It also has a clear top that allows you to see the jerky while it dries.
During the drying of the test food, this unit only differed by 8°, the bottom tray (closest to fan) being hotter than the top tray. However, what was NOT good was the overall internal temperature of the test food.
The test food reached a 150°F in 91 minutes, but never reached the all important 160°F internal temperature for making beef jerky. The test food on the top tray only reached a high of 144°.
Because this unit did NOT heat the test food to a safe internal temperature of 160°F, further steps would have to be taken when making beef jerky with the Presto.
As I mentioned above with the Ivation; If purchasing this dehydrator for making beef jerky, I recommend heating the beef strips in the oven until they reach an internal temperature of 160° before removing them and finishing the dehydration process in this dehydrator.
The Presto was also the loudest dehydrator I tested with a max of 69 decibels when running. This still is not very loud, but louder than the others.
Pros:
- Low cost
- Requires small storage space, very compact
- Dishwasher safe trays
- BPA Free
- Clear top (see jerky while dehydrating)
- Expandable Trays
Cons:
- No temperature control (Does not heat to 160°F)
- No timer
- Low capacity with the 4 supplied trays
- Only 1 year warranty
- Noisy when running
- Built in China
Geoffrey Jameson says
While testing the dehydrators, does the amount of trays affect the overall temperature? I have the Presto Dehydrator. Love the site! Thanks for all the information!!!
Will says
I found that with the Nesco there wasn't much difference in temperature from the bottom tray to the top tray. I can only imagine that the airflow is much less the more trays you have as well as more surface area that the unit needs to heat. I don't think this is a problem with 5 or so trays, but if you tried to go up to 20 it might start affecting things. The Nesco Gardenmaster claims it can dry evenly with that many trays. I have a Gardenmaster and need to order another 5 trays and test to see if this is true.
Gale B. says
Bought this dehydrator and it made first batch of jerky well; do you have any takes on this particular dehydrator?
Cabela's 80-Liter Commercial-Grade Food Dehydrator
•Penta 360-Degree Air flo for even air circulation
•Smart Heat monitors air intake and internal temperature
•Powerful 1,400-watt heater
•Easy-to-red, four-color display with one-button control
•24 high-intensity LEDs allow you to see inside
•Includes 12 removable racks
Will says
I have not tried that dehydrator, but have heard great things from other readers on the site. I need to order one and give it a whirl!
Gale B. says
That would be great, Will. I am interested in your thoughts on this dehydrator. New to dehydrating and your site; could you share some of other readers comments on this specific dehydrator? Thanks!
tony palumbo says
Thanks for all the tips. Great website. Had our 1st run at Beef Jerky, used stove, but going to look into Nesco Snackmaster Pro!
Will says
No problem! The Snackmaster Pro is a great dehydrator!
Cindy says
I'm just beginning to start getting into dehydrating. I grow a lot of herbs, peppers and tomatoes in the summer and end up freezing most of it, which takes a lot of space in the freezer. I found your website on an Amazon review of the Nesco dehydrator which I ended up purchasing. I was really happy with my choice when I got to your site and saw your review on it. It will be here next week and I'm trying to study up on techniques.
A question that I have is about pre-prepping jerky meat in the oven to reach the safe temperature, which I will definitely do. Would you give a short tutorial on what temp to actually set the oven at ie: 160 for a slower heat up or higher temp for a quicker heat up. Also, with such thin slices of meat how do you get an accurate temperature reading?
So glad to have found your site and am anxious to try some of your recipes. Especially thanks for making my day with your dehydrator reviews.
Will says
Hey Cindy! Nice to see that you purchased a dehydrator and used my reviews, welcome to the world of making beef jerky!!! I have an answer to your questions on my FAQ Page, check it out for specific temps and times. I mention it on there, but if the meat is very thin, wrap the thinnest piece you have around an oven thermometer. Hope that helps!
ernest lewis says
thanks for your time
Jeremy VanRuymbeke says
Hey Will,
I too am from the great white north in Canada (actually about as south as you can get in Ontario) lol. Anyways, Great website! I love the reviews and info on all this, such a great one stop shop for advice and recipes. I used to own a Salton Vita Pro (cheap unit $40) worked great for a beginner. I just recently purchased the big Excalibur unit like yourself and so far its been great. Wow, you can do a big batch in that thing. I am currently in the process of making 8 of your recipes and one of my own right now and bringing them into work (refinery) for my crew to enjoy and of course critique. Jerky always goes over well with the guys. Again I mostly just wanted to say Thank you for your time and effort on this website. Its a must for anyone getting into the jerky game!
Will says
Thanks for the kind words Jeremy. I hear you on bringing jerky to work, it will get the guys on your side quick! I work in the oil field and the guys are always asking for it! Hope the jerky turns out great!
Grant says
Hi Will,
Great site with a lot of great tips! I'm an amateur dehydrator from way up north in Canada. Just making a batch of jerky and had to look up some info and tips tonight it's been a little while since my last batch. Just wanted to say thanks for the awesome work you've done here!
Will says
No problem Grant. Thanks for stopping by and checking out the site!
charles l nichols says
a couple points--
why pat marinade dry? the purpose is for flavor, leave it on and dehydrate longer...…..I have the aroma model and put in dishwasher with no issues. make @ 9 batches/year. I use 4lbs top round dehydrate for 8 hours.
Will says
Hey Charles! I like to pat the strips dry because if not I have found that the outside of the jerky gets sticky from the excess marinade. I'm not a fan of messy or sticky jerky, so that's why I always do it.
Marie Z says
I've been using Excalibur for many years now, and I LOVE it. My 9 shelves can hold 10 lbs of meat and I never rotate the trays when cooking. I think they are the best dehydrators out there. I researched before I bought it. I find that dehydrators that are cheap ARE cheaply made, I bought one when it was on sale as a back up. The trays were awkward to use and stack, and broke after ONE use. The Excalibur IS expensive, but you get what you pay for, in my opinion.
Thanks for your article. I found the information about safety to be right on! Just a suggestion. I always use parchment paper when making jerky. The meat slides right off the paper. I suggested it to others, who also rave about it. Easy clean up, too.
David says
I was wondering if you had heard of Anfan Kitchen Commercial Food Dehydrator? The temperature goes up to 180 degrees. I am now using an Aroma as I got a good deal at Costco. I like the Aroma and I use curing salt but was wondering how long to dehydrate ground beef at 156 degrees? I have not heated to 160 degrees before dehydrating , it looks done and tastes OK . Thanks
David
Will says
I have not heard of it, but just checked it out on amazon. I might have to buy it and try it out! The FDA recommends heating jerky to 160F because that is the temp that will kill all bacteria. Once you reach that internal temp of 160F, you can turn it down to 140F or so and finish the jerky off. My jerky normally takes around 4-5 hours in my dehydrators but that can vary on how thick you slice the meat. Using curing salt is a good idea if your dehydrator doesn't reach 160F.
Linda says
Currently have maple pork hanging in oven and also some in my Weston. First time dehydrating. The Weston has a bottom heating element. States heats up to 165. Perhaps I should test that.
Read above where someone covered lid partially with a towel for a bit. Thoughts?
Will says
How did the jerky turn out? I always recommend testing your dehydrator temp instead of trusting the dial. You could use a towel at the beginning to help it reach temperature faster, would definitely help it get to 160f quicker.
Heath says
I use the oven. I works perfectly.
Uri says
Hi Will,
I just received a Nesco Snackmaster Express as a gift and I'm looking forward to making my first batch of jerky. I have a couple of questions for you:
1. I keep kosher, so I'm wondering if you can tell me what cut of meat from the fore-quarter would be a good choice for my jerky?
2. Can I make two different recipes at one time in the dehydrator without worrying about the flavors getting muddled?
Thanks
Will says
uhmmmmmm... I have had several comments where people used brisket for making jerky, but I personally haven't tried it. You can totally do more than one recipe in a dehydrator, I do that just about every time I make jerky!
Nathan says
Good article, Will. Covered some different brands and I would agree with most of your points. Should you have any readers from Australia looking for a quality dehydrator from Excalibur, they are welcome to visit http://www.sprout.net.au - Aussies are starting to love drying their own foods more and more so it's great to see your site full of tips and hints.
Neal says
I am planning to buy one dehydrator. Mostly I am going to make beef jerky. Could you please suggest something with mid price range
Will says
Nesco Snackmaster Pro
Carol says
Thanks for the information. The thorough detail is appreciated. Glad I stumbled upon this page. Can't wait to get mine.
Will says
No problem Carol!
Marielle Rigaux says
I have an "American Harvestor", the big one . How would you rate doing jerky in that one?
Will says
I have never used that dehydrator or tested it. It is made by Nesco though, and I like their products.
Ed Matthews says
I have two NESCO 's and I love them. The above Pro's and Con's says it all. I also use the DEHYDRO and it does a good job also. Both are well worth the money.
Clerence says
Thank you for the reviews. These days, I'm trying to prepare as much of what I eat as opposed to buying from outside. And one thing I've found about myself is that I love dehydrated food a lot, especially fried beef. I guess getting a dehydrator is a step towards enjoy more of it. Cheers 🙂
Matt Orf says
I have the presto dehydrator and I get 160-163 degrees by taken a small dish towel and cover about 2/3! Of the Ben hole in the lid. I do this of course while watching closely and the let it stay there about 30! Minutes in the middle of the dehydration process.