The Best Food Dehydrators

I’ve been food dehydrator-curious for longer than I can remember. I knew some fellow mushroom foragers had these mysterious and bulky-looking appliances, but I never looked into owning one until I tried to dry sliced sweet potatoes in my gas oven. Not only did using my stove at its lowest setting for hours produce indoor air pollution, but I was unable to set my gas stove below 170 degrees Fahrenheit. My efforts produced burnt versions of the dried sweet potato slices sold as my dog’s overpriced treats. I also wanted to make beef jerky and dry flower petals, those glossy lemon and orange citrus rings for cocktails, potato chips, and fruit leather, and develop my own dehydrated meals for camping, since they are so expensive to buy.

I had been reluctant to buy a dehydrator because I live in a New York City apartment. I vet appliances on ...