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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Dehydrator Information:
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. 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.
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, accessories, etc....
*I tested the heating of the dehydrators by placing 1 hot dog with a thermometer inserted at a spot closest to the fan and one hot dog with a thermometer inserted at a spot furthest away from the fan. I chose hot dogs because they were the same size and an easy constant when determining the internal temp. This method was used to find out how long a dehydrator took to heat up and if the hot dogs reached the safe internal temperature of 160°F that beef jerky needs to be heated to in order to kill bacteria. Click here for more Jerky Safety Tips.
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. So here we go... Read below to find out what the number one dehydrator I would recommend buying to make Beef 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 600watt 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. Does this mean that you will get always get sick if making jerky with this dehydrator? No. But I would not want to risk the safety of my family or friends.
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
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Comparison Table
Mike Palmer says
I have a older version of the Nesco and love it. today I bought a Game Winner brand because it was larger and had a digital readout and timer. Well, made a 5 pound batch (I use ground meat), and it's currently around 6 hours in at the max temp of 158, and it's still not done. Unit is going back tomorrow. Going to order another Nesco, do you think the Gardenmaster is worth the extra $50 over the Snackmaster? With my old Nesco, I could do about 2-2.5 lbs at a time (I had the basic 4 trays), so I always had to do it in 2 batches. Now I can't decide if getting the SNackmaster and getting extra trays is better than getting the Gardenmaster, does the Snackmaster still work as well if you use 12 trays?
Will says
I have never used 12 trays on the snackmaster so am not sure how it would hold up with that much meat in it. The gardenmaster has a more powerful fan and can handle more jerky for sure. Extra trays can be bought online as well. If you want to do 5lbs of meat at a time, I would go with the Gardenmaster.
Derek Wilson says
Testing 2 different dehydrators at a time both holding the same amounts of deer sliced meat around 1/4 inch thick with directions followed with the applied amounts of cure/seasonings and as of now at 7hrs in maximum time and proper time shall be 8hrs at 160 degrees Nesco pro dehydrator is holding very positive heat much better than the other which is open country sportsman kitchen which Is very loud
Will says
Thanks for the test results Derek. I love the Nesco Pro, such a good dehydrator.
csgo says
Hi. Do you allow guest posts on jerkyholic.com ?
Will says
I have not had any to this point, but it would depend on what the topic is and your website.
South West Cleaning says
Keep up the great work! Thank you so much for sharing a great posts.
Will says
Thanks!
Betty says
I didn't look through all of the comments, but I was wondering if you tested the Nesco with all 12 trays and if they were all consistent in temperature/drying without having to rotate? I am trying to figure out which one to purchase for my jerky making between your top two picks... I like the option to set and forget but the 15 degree difference of the Excalibur has me a little worried. However if the Nesco is the most consistent with the max amount of trays I may just go that route. I currently use a Cosori and am playing with the different ways I am dehydrating my jerky, but wanted to invest into something that is proven consistent. Thank you in advance!
Will says
If you want to make A LOT of jerky, check out the Nesco Gardenmaster. It's their dehydrator that is made to handle a lot of trays and meat. A little more powerful than the Snackmaster. I have one and really like using it. I have used it with about 7 trays, but not 12.
Patrick F says
I'm happy to report that the Cabela's 10-tray Deluxe also makes it to 160 degrees on the front of the racks (furthest from the heating element) both at the top and the bottom.
https://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabelas-Tray-Deluxe-Dehydrator/2288563.uts
I do not work for this manufacturer and am only posting as I was heating my meat in an oven before using this dehydrator.
The bottom, front rack does bounce between 155 and 160 (assuming when the heater kicks on/off). Do you think this is sufficient to skip the oven process? I've got some jerkey all prepared today and will still use oven out of pre-caution.
Thanks!
Will says
I think as long as it hits 160 it should be good to go. It does not need to maintain that temperature, just reach it at some point. I have heard good things about that dehydrator, I'll probably get one soon. Thanks for the comment Patrick!
Donna Overstreet says
I have been using Nesco for some time making dog treats.... I usually make two batches at the time. Somehow one of the batches was turned off shortly after I started it and I didn’t realize it for maybe four hours. If I restart it somehow one of the batches was turned off shortly after I started it and I didn’t realize it for maybe four hours. If I restart it Will the jerky still be good or should I throw it away since it’s been sitting out for four hours.
Will says
I wouldn't risk it. If it was me, I would throw it out and start over.
Fred says
Do any of these dehydrators have a means of catching liquid that runs of the meat? Some of my favorite recipes produce A LOT of fluid run off in the first couple of hours. It's the main reason why I want to switch from my convection oven to a dehydrator. I'm tired of cleaning up all the mess from the collected (or worse, spilled and burned) moisture.
Will says
the Nesco has the motor/fan on top and has a catch pan on the bottom of the trays. The Excalibur also can catch liquid in the bottom, but does not have a removable tray which would make for easy cleanup. You would have to use a sponge and soak it up when cleaning, unable to put in the sink or dishwasher.
dave mat says
With the Nesco FD-75a, you say it takes 195 minutes to reach the proper temperature. How much longer do you need to leave it in there after it hits that temp before taking it out?
Thank you
Will says
As long as it takes to finish drying. While drying, starting at around the 3.5-4 hour mark take a piece of jerky out of the dehydrator and let it cool to room temperature (about 5 minutes). Bend the strip, it should bend and crack but not break in half. You should also see white strands of fibers when bending. If this doesn't happen, keep drying for another hour or so and test again.
Faith Romeo says
NESCO FD-75A, Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator How long does this take to dry beef Jerky? Is the machine energy efficcient?
Will says
It's a very good dehydrator. Check out my page on dehydrators for more information. The drying time really depends on how thick you slice the meat. If it is sliced about 1/4" thick, it should take about 4 hours. I am not sure on how much energy the dehydrator uses, I can't imagine it is too much.