Surprisingly enough, when you search for “dehydrator” on Amazon, you get roughly 500 results. That might not seem like a lot, but for a kitchen appliance, with a single, special use, it can be quite daunting to choose the right one. Most dehydrators don’t have many bells and whistles, usually just a timer and a temperature selector.
The dehydrator you select, will more than likely be based on two things: size and price. You won’t need a commercial dehydrator in your home kitchen to make beef jerky for you to snack on.
Is a dehydrator worth it for jerky?
Though you can make homemade beef jerky in your oven, at a low temperature, I’ve always recommended that you get at least a small dehydrator that has the same capacity of your oven, if you aren’t looking to make it that often. Take a look at these dehydrators under $100.
How many trays should a dehydrator have?
Dehydrators come with many different numbers of trays. The amount of trays purely depends on the amount of jerky you want to make at a time. The example we use in all of our articles is the COSORI 6 Tray Stainless Steel Dehydrator. This holds about 4 pounds of beef cut 1/8″ – 1/4″ of an inch thick. Therefor you could make the assumption that for every 10~ oz pounds of meat, you will need a tray.
Common Questions About Dehydrators
Do you have a question? Feel free to submit it here, or on our Facebook Page: Boondock’s Jerky
How long does jerky take in a dehydrator?
Can you leave beef jerky in a dehydrator too long?
What is the best dehydrator temperature for jerky?
