Nesco Food Dehydrator Reviews – Compare Top Models

Model FD-75A is known as the “Snackmaster Pro” and has been one of the best selling food dehydrators on the market for years. It usually sells for around $90, making it Nesco’s middle-of-the-line dehydrator. For an in depth look at it, please see our Nesco Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator FD75-A Review.

While the FD-75A may be the most popular of its type, it isn’t the only Snackmaster. One other worth noting is the Nesco FD-60 Snackmaster Express. This older model is very similar to the Snackmaster Pro and usually sells for a little less. The main difference is that it’s a 500 Watt unit, and it comes with 4 trays (instead of 5). Also, the only extras included are 1 fruit roll sheet and 2 packets of jerky spice. You can see the Nesco FD-60n Snackmaster Express on Amazon here.

For the top selling Nesco in the chart, click the link below.

The FD-1018A sells for around $140, making it one of Nesco’s more expensive dehydrators. Some might feel that the higher price is justified by both its features and capacity.

This is a 1,000 Watt unit that can be expanded to a whopping 30 trays, giving you loads of extra drying room each time you run it. That could make it a good choice for gardeners at harvest time, those who make lots of jerky during hunting season, or anyone who takes advantage of bulk buying opportunities.

However, before you buy this model, consider what it will cost to expand to its full capacity. Extra trays usually cost about $20 for 2 (they are sold in pairs). It comes with 8 trays, so you’ll need to buy 22 trays to have the maximum of 30. Those 22 trays will cost you well over $200.

If you’re going to spend that much, you may also want to take a look at the high end Excalibur models. Excalibur is the leading brand in food dehydrators and has an excellent reputation for both quality and service.

The other Gardenmaster model is the Nesco FD-1040 Gardenmaster. It is almost identical to the FD-1018A – same wattage, same features, costs only a little less. It can expand to a maximum of up to 20 trays, so it’s total capacity is somewhat smaller.

The big differences are that the FD-1040 comes with only 4 trays, and it only includes 1 fruit roll sheet, 1 Clean-A-Screen™, and a single sample of jerky seasoning. Compared to the other Gardenmaster, I’m not sure you’re really saving much money here. You can see the Nesco FD-1040 Gardenmaster on Amazon here.

For the Gardenmaster shown in the table click the link below.

Attention bargain shoppers, don’t miss this one. The Nesco FD-37A might be considered a bottom-of-the-line model, but that doesn’t mean it’s all bad. Just know what you’re getting.

This is a 400 Watt unit, which means it’s going to take longer to process foods. It may process even slower if you add more trays (it can accommodate a total of 7 trays).

Probably the biggest drawback of this model is that the temperature is not adjustable. Everything processes on high heat, and that may be fine for jerky and most fruits and vegetables. However, it will be a problem with delicate foods or for drying herbs or flowers. You may also experience problems with craft projects that will be damaged by higher heat.

The big plus for this model is that it sells for under $50. That might make it a good choice for you if you want to do a little experimenting. Maybe you aren’t sure if you’d really use a dehydrator. You could give this one a try to see if you’d like to invest in a better model that let’s you do a lot more. If not, then you haven’t wasted too much money.

Some people just don’t like round dehydrators. If that’s you, then the Nesco FD-80A might be for you. It sells for under $100 and gives you a little extra capacity on each layer because the trays are square.

For even more capacity you can add another 4 trays to the 4 that it comes with. As mentioned above though, consider how that factors into the price. The square trays sell for about $25 for a set of 2. So 4 trays will cost you $50. That makes for a rather significant increase in the price of your food dehydrator.

That said, what you get for your money is a 700 Watt unit that has an adjustable thermostat. This model has been on the market for quite a few years now, and overall it has maintained a fairly high rating from over 2,000 happy owners.

If you prefer a square dehydrator and want to stay in a moderate price range, this Nesco model just might be the best choice for you.