Are you looking for the best dehydrator for mushrooms to buy in 2022? No worries, we have compiled a list of some of the best choices you can find. We also listed everything you should know when choosing a mushroom dehydrator.
By using this guide you will be able to compare some of the best dehydrators on the market and find one that suits your needs. Keep reading to see what we have in store.
Got no time to read? In this quick summary, we will list our picks for the best dehydrator for mushrooms. You will be able to find more detailed descriptions of all the products a bit later in the article.
| Product Name | Why We Picked It |
| Magic Mill Food Dehydrator Machine | This luxurious model has a large capacity, a high-quality fan, makes dehydrating mushrooms a breeze with various functions, and is our pick for the best food dehydrator |
| Excalibur 3926TB 9-Tray Dehydrator | Another excellent model very similar to the winner, with its only flaw being that you can’t set the timer manually |
| Nesco FD-1040 Gardenmaster Digital Pro Dehydrator | This product comes equipped with plenty of accessories, and offers great functionality, and excellent temperature control, but can get loud. |
| COSORI Premium Food Dehydrator | A great product with six trays and a large window to monitor progress. It has a silent fan and is easy to clean but still loses to other dehydrators on the list. |
Best Dehydrators for Mushrooms
Now, let’s take a look at our top picks for the best dehydrator for mushrooms. Whether you’re looking for top quality, or something a bit more affordable, we’ve got you covered.
Magic Mill Food Dehydrator Machine
This luxurious food dehydrator looks great and has top-notch features such as an adjustable thermostat and a timer that allows it to shut off when you want it to. It also has a window that allows you to monitor the mushrooms and whichever other food you want to dry.
It has a large capacity and it dries extremely quickly.
What We Like
We already mentioned how this dehydrator allows you to set the temperature yourself and has an adjustable thermostat and a nice window screen. It also has wire trays made out of stainless steel, mesh fruit trays, and sheets for fruit leather.
The Magic Mill Food Dehydrator also has a rack for hanging your mushrooms. It is equipped with a drying fan that is mounted on the rear part, and the airflow circulation technology employed in this machine allows for even drying of your wild mushrooms and different foods.
The heated air will dry out the moisture without a problem.
By allowing you to adjust the temperature of the heating element and the drying time, your mushrooms will be dehydrated with the right amount of heat. The size allows you to dehydrate large batches.
You get seven adjustable trays with this model. They are dishwasher safe. This product will dry not just mushrooms, but many other foods as well, including fruits, herbs, and vegetables.
What We Don’t Like
Some might dislike the plastic accessories and housing, especially because this dehydrator has a higher price tag, but the quality is still high. While it is more expensive than other products, so some won’t be able to afford it, we don’t consider these flaws to have a huge impact on our overall opinion.
Excalibur 3926TB 9-Tray Dehydrator
The Excalibur 3926TB is another horizontal dehydrator that is priced similarly to the Magic Mill but offers a bit less functionality.
What We Like
The Excalibur 3926TB is a large machine with plenty of space for dehydrating various foods. Nine trays should be more than enough for anyone, and they provide you with 15 square feet of drying area for dehydrating which is a decent size.
It will dehydrate your mushrooms extremely fast, giving them a nice, developed flavor, and it is yet another unit that is incredibly easy to clean.
The thermostat is adjustable and it goes from 105 to 165 degrees Fahrenheit. While this isn’t as low as some other brands, it’s a good amount of heat, and this one can maintain the internal temperature better than most. It will take care of all moisture in the mushrooms.
The Excalibur also has a rear-mounted 7-inch fan that produces heat evenly allowing your mushrooms to be dehydrated in the best possible way, giving them a good shelf life.
What We Don’t Like
The first thing we disliked about this product is the fact that you can’t set the timer. The heat can be adjusted though, so it isn’t that big of a deal. It can also get quite noisy, which might be a problem for some.
Nesco FD-1040 Gardenmaster Digital Pro Dehydrator
The next model on our list is the Nesco FD-1040 Gardenmaster, a dehydrator that comes equipped with a Fruit Roll Sheet, a recipe book, one Clean-A-Screen, and a Jerky Cure & Seasoning kit. Let’s look at its other functions.
What We Like
This model has 4 BPA free trays but is expandable to 20 additional trays, which will provide you with a lot of dried mushrooms. The extra trays are sold separately, however. The temperature can be adjusted from 90 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit, which is an excellent range.
You want to have good temperature control because mushrooms can be dehydrated in a wide range of temperatures depending on the thickness of the slices.
The heat distribution is even, largely thanks to the 1000 watts of pure drying power. This is a dehydrator that works wonders when drying mushrooms, but it can hold its own with other assorted food like veggies, fruits, and even jerky.
Because it has plenty of power, you will be able to get your dried mushrooms much faster than usual. You can also program the digital timer for up to 48 hours.
It is also equipped with a powerful fan that forces the air through every tray individually, so the drying is fast and consistent. It has a quality top-mounted fan that stops liquids from dripping in the heater chamber.
What We Don’t Like
The biggest flaw of this model is that it can be extremely loud. This might turn off some people. Out of all the products we mentioned, this one is the loudest. Other than that, it comes down to personal preference, we simply enjoyed what other models had to offer more.
COSORI Premium Food Dehydrator
Finally, we have the COSORI Premium Food Dehydrator. This is a product that dries mushrooms by circulating hot air throughout. Let’s take a closer look at it.
What We Like
This product is medium-sized and comes equipped with six trays made of stainless steel. It has a digital control panel for your timer which can be set for up to 48 hours in 30-minute increments.
The temperature range is from 95 and 165 degrees Fahrenheit, which is a great range for mushrooms, and other food as well. The COSORI dehydrator is also incredibly silent, which is a benefit many will appreciate.
It has a large window, so you can monitor the progress of dehydrating your mushrooms easily, and it is easy to clean. This is important because some mushrooms can release enough spores to clog the fan.
What We Don’t Like
The thing we disliked about this product is the fact that it comes equipped with only one fruit tray. It can also get a little bit too hot, so it can be difficult to handle, but we would still consider it a candidate for the best food dehydrator.
Feature Considerations for a Good Mushroom Dehydrator
If you aren’t using specific mushrooms that require special handling, any dehydrator can do a decent job. Some might even be happy with drying mushrooms using a sushi mat and a paper towel.
However, if you’re here that means you want something better than decent. The process of dehydrating can enhance the flavor of mushrooms, so more and more people are interested in it. Properly dehydrated mushrooms taste amazing when cooked.
Our picks should help you with your search, but if you’re interested to see how we picked them, read on to see which feature features we looked into for a wide variety of users.
The Type Of Dehydrator
Food dehydrators are divided into two main types – horizontal and vertical.
Vertical dehydrators are more basic and cheaper. They have a stack of trays or mesh plates that allow air to flow between them horizontally. A horizontal dehydrator will usually look like a box with removable trays.
A downside to vertical models is that you can’t remove trays individually. They are connected by resting on each other’s rims. However, you can make the stack of trays taller or shorter by adding or removing trays. Also, the trays won’t dry evenly, so some need to be unloaded early to dry quicker.
The second type is the horizontal dehydrator. These food dehydrators are more expensive and offer better functionality. The trays, or shelves slide in and out, similarly to drawers, so you can remove them individually. All of the shelves dry evenly.
The Capacity Of The Dehydrator
There is a wide variety of food dehydrators available based on the capacity. Some can handle only a small amount of fresh mushrooms, while others can take in several pounds.
You might consider the size advantage of the big models to come in handy when it comes to dehydrating mushrooms, but that is not always the case.
You should pick the smallest possible food dehydrator that is capable of fulfilling your dehydrating needs. This way you can store it more easily in any location.
Adjustable Thermostat
There are food dehydrators that feature a fixed timer. They keep a consistent temperature and will turn themselves off when the time is up.
However, some people might prefer more control over the drying time. In that case, you might prefer dehydrators with an adjustable thermostat. You will get more freedom this way and can control the way you dehydrate mushrooms.
Ease Of Maintenance
Finally, you should watch out for the ease of maintenance. A good dehydrator should last you several years if you take care of it properly and are lucky. A great dehydrator completely eliminates the luck aspect, and as long as you take care of it, it will last for a long time.
Make sure to keep your dehydrator clean. Dirty dehydrators are prone to breaking and can become a breeding ground for bacteria. You don’t want that near your dried foods.
Mushrooms release spores, and sometimes they will release so much that the top-mounted fan gets clogged. A good dehydrator is one that can be disassembled so you can clean it more easily.
In general, vertical dehydrators get clogged more easily.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you use a food dehydrator for dehydrating mushrooms?
Yes, you can use a regular food dehydrator to dehydrate your mushrooms. All of the models we mention can be used to dehydrate other foods, but they work especially well with mushrooms. So no, you don’t need a special dehydrator for mushrooms, a regular food dehydrator will do.
Naturally, some models provide better dehydration than others so make sure to pick the best food dehydrator for your needs.
How long do mushrooms take in a dehydrator?
Depending on the mushroom type and the temperature they can take anywhere from 3 to 10 hours in your dehydrator. You want the mushrooms to be brittle and break when you fold them, not bend. Think cracker dry.
Another thing that determines how long you need to dehydrate your mushrooms is the thickness. If you cut them thicker, it will take longer, up to 10 hours. After dehydrating, you can extend the shelf life of your mushrooms by storing them properly. In general, they last much longer than fresh ones.
How do you quickly dehydrate mushrooms?
If you want to dehydrate your mushrooms quickly, you can raise the temperature, but try to not make it too hot. Also, you can cut them into thinner slices so they dehydrate faster. The thickness of the mushroom is actually the best way to control the speed of the process itself.
Do mushrooms need to be blanched before dehydrating?
No, you definitely shouldn’t cook or blanche your mushrooms before dehydration. You should always do it with raw mushrooms or they won’t be able to rehydrate properly.
With other foods such as vegetables, you will often need to blanche them before dehydration for various health benefits.
Hey, I’m Joey. I’ve been cooking since I was a little kid and love everything about it. You can find my writing about food, kitchen appliances (such as blenders) and much more. Thanks for stopping by!
