A food dehydrator is a simple and effective way to preserve fresh ingredients, reduce food waste and create homemade snacks. By slowly removing moisture using controlled heat and airflow, electric food dehydrators help extend the shelf life of fruit, vegetables, meats and herbs while concentrating their natural flavours. Whether you're experimenting with food dehydration for the first time or regularly preparing dried snacks or spices, choosing the right model comes down to capacity, temperature control and how often you plan to use it.
At Cooks Professional, our food dehydrator range includes 5-tier, 6-tier and 9-tier electric food dehydrators, each offering adjustable drying settings and multiple trays for dehydrating fruit, vegetables, meat, herbs and more.
Which food dehydrator is best for you?
All three Cooks Professional food dehydrators use controlled heat and airflow to gradually remove moisture from food. The main differences are their drying capacity, timer settings and design.
| Feature | 5-Tier Food Dehydrator | 6-Tier Food Dehydrator | 9-Tier Food Dehydrator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of trays | 5 | 6 | 9 |
| Tray material | Plastic | Stainless Steel | Plastic |
| Power | 240W | 400W | 500W |
| Temperature range | 35–70°C | 35–70°C | 35–70°C |
| Timer | Up to 72 hours | Up to 48 hours | Digital timer |
| Controls | Digital | LED touch controls | Digital control panel |
| Best for | Beginners, smaller batches and occasional use | Regular food dehydration and varied ingredients | Large batches, meal preparation and preserving seasonal produce |
5-Tier Food Dehydrator: Best for beginners and smaller kitchens
If you're new to dehydrating food, our Cooks Professional 5-Tier Food Dehydrator is a great place to start. With a 240W motor, five removable trays and adjustable temperatures between 35°C and 70°C, it's ideal for making homemade dried fruit, vegetable crisps, dried herbs and other dehydrated snacks. The digital timer can be set for up to 72 hours, automatically switching off when the cycle finishes. Its compact, stackable design also makes it a practical choice for kitchens with limited worktop or storage space.
Best for: Beginners, smaller households, occasional dehydrating and homemade fruit snacks.
6-Tier Food Dehydrator: Best for regular use
Our Cooks Professional 6-Tier Food Dehydrator offers extra drying capacity for those who regularly prepare homemade snacks or preserve fresh ingredients. Featuring six stainless steel trays, LED touch controls and an adjustable temperature range of 35°C to 70°C, it provides flexibility for drying fruit, vegetables, herbs and suitable meats. The built-in heating element and fan help distribute warm air across the trays for consistent drying, while the 48-hour timer allows you to leave longer drying cycles running with automatic shut-off.
Best for: Regular food dehydrating, homemade jerky, dried fruit, herbs and households wanting additional drying capacity.
9-Tier Food Dehydrator: Best for large batches and food preservation
For those looking to dehydrate larger quantities, our Cooks Professional 9-Tier Food Dehydrator offers generous drying space across nine removable trays. Powered by a 500W motor, it's designed for preparing everything from apple crisps and dried vegetables to beef jerky, fruit leather and cocktail garnishes. The digital control panel allows you to adjust the drying settings, while the transparent door makes it easy to monitor your food without opening the appliance. For sticky ingredients and homemade fruit leather, our reusable silicone dehydrator sheets provide a non-stick surface, making food easier to remove and cleaning more straightforward.
Best for: Batch preparation, preserving seasonal produce, reducing food waste and making larger quantities of dehydrated snacks.
What can you make in a food dehydrator?
Don't know where to start? Well a food dehydrator is useful for far more than dried fruit. With the right temperature settings and preparation, you can create a wide variety of homemade snacks and ingredients.
| Food | Dehydrator ideas |
|---|---|
| Fruit | Apple crisps, banana chips, dried strawberries and mango |
| Vegetables | Beetroot crisps, courgette chips and dried tomatoes |
| Meat | Beef jerky and biltong |
| Herbs | Home dried rosemary, thyme, mint, red pepper (paprika) & parsley |
| Cocktail garnishes | Dried orange, lemon and lime slices |
| Fruit purées | Homemade fruit leather using suitable non-stick sheets |
Drying times vary depending on the ingredients, thickness, moisture content and temperature setting.
What should you look for when buying a food dehydrator?
When choosing an electric food dehydrator, consider these key features:
- Capacity: A 5-tray dehydrator is suitable for smaller batches, while 6-tier and 9-tier models offer more room for drying larger quantities.
- Adjustable temperature: Different ingredients require different drying temperatures. Adjustable settings provide greater control over the dehydration process.
- Timer settings: A digital timer with automatic shut-off makes longer drying cycles more convenient.
- Airflow and even drying: Consistent air circulation helps food dry more evenly across multiple trays.
- Cleaning and maintenance: Removable trays and reusable non-stick sheets make cleaning easier, particularly when preparing sticky fruit.
All cooks professional models have a varying range of capacities, adjustable timers and temperature control, as well as perfect airflow to ensure foods are dehydrated properly.
Frequently asked questions
Is a food dehydrator worth buying?
A food dehydrator can be a worthwhile investment if you regularly make dried fruit, vegetable crisps, jerky or homemade snacks. It also provides a practical way to preserve surplus produce, reduce food waste and prepare snacks with ingredients you choose yourself.
What is the best food dehydrator for beginners?
A compact food dehydrator with adjustable temperature controls and a timer is a good choice for beginners. The Cooks Professional 5-Tier Food Dehydrator features five removable trays, temperatures from 35°C to 70°C and a 72-hour timer, making it suitable for trying a variety of dehydrated foods.
How long does it take to dehydrate fruit?
Dehydrating fruit can take anywhere from several hours to over a day, depending on the fruit, slice thickness, temperature and moisture content. Thin apple slices generally dry faster than thicker pieces of mango or other high-moisture fruit. Follow the recommended drying guidelines and check the texture before storing.
Do food dehydrators use a lot of electricity?
Food dehydrators generally use relatively low-powered heating elements over extended periods. A 240W dehydrator running continuously at full rated power for 10 hours would consume approximately 2.4kWh of electricity, while a 500W model would consume approximately 5kWh. Actual energy consumption depends on temperature settings, drying time and how the appliance regulates heat.
Can you make beef jerky in a food dehydrator?
Yes, food dehydrators can be used to make homemade beef jerky, provided the meat is prepared and heated according to appropriate food safety guidance. Meat requires careful temperature control to ensure harmful bacteria are eliminated, so always follow a validated jerky recipe and your appliance's instructions.
Find the best food dehydrator with Cooks Professional
Whether you're making homemade fruit crisps, preserving fresh herbs or preparing larger batches of dried snacks, Cooks Professional has a food dehydrator to suit your kitchen. Choose from our compact and budget friendly 5-tier model, versatile & efficient 6-tier dehydrator or spacious 9-tier food dehydrator, and discover a simple way to make more from your ingredients.