Cosori Food Dehydrator Review: Is It Worth Buying? (2026)

The Cosori Premium 6-Tray Food Dehydrator has been one of the most talked-about dehydrators in the mid-range market for a few years now, and for good reason. It sits in a sweet spot — more capable than the cheap stackable units that frustrate beginners, but significantly more affordable than commercial-grade machines. The question we set out to answer: does it actually deliver, or is it just good marketing?

We ran this machine through several weeks of real-world testing — beef jerky, apple chips, banana slices, mango, strawberries, fresh herbs (basil, rosemary, thyme), and kale chips. We paid attention to drying consistency across all six trays, how well the temperature control held, how loud it ran, and how much of a pain cleanup was. If you're trying to decide whether the Cosori dehydrator is worth buying, this is the review you need. And if you're still comparing options, our best food dehydrators for beginners guide covers the full landscape.

Short answer: yes, it's worth it for most home users. But there are a few things to know before you buy. Here's the full breakdown.

Product Overview: Cosori Premium 6-Tray Food Dehydrator

🏆 Reviewed Product

Cosori Premium 6-Tray Food Dehydrator

8.8 Scout Score

The Cosori Premium 6-Tray Food Dehydrator is a horizontal airflow dehydrator with a rear-mounted fan, six stainless steel mesh trays, and a digital control panel with a temperature range of 95°F to 165°F and a 48-hour timer. It's designed for home use and handles everything from delicate herbs to thick-cut beef jerky. The stainless steel interior and trays are a significant upgrade over plastic-tray competitors at this price, and the horizontal airflow design means you don't need to rotate trays mid-run — a genuine quality-of-life improvement over cheaper stackable units.

~$100–$130 Check Price on Amazon →

Key Specs at a Glance

Design & Build Quality

The first thing you notice when the Cosori arrives is that it feels more substantial than its price suggests. The exterior is a matte black plastic shell — not premium, but solid enough that it doesn't feel cheap. Open the door and the stainless steel interior is a genuine differentiator at this price point. Most dehydrators under $150 use plastic trays and plastic interiors, which absorb odors over time and can warp at higher temperatures. The Cosori's stainless steel trays and interior don't have either of those problems.

The six trays slide in and out smoothly on rails, and the mesh surface is fine enough to hold small herbs and thin fruit slices without things falling through. The door has a solid magnetic latch — no rattling during operation. The digital control panel on top is clean and intuitive: a power button, temperature up/down, time up/down, and a start button. The display is bright enough to read across the kitchen.

One design note worth mentioning: the rear-mounted fan means the back of the unit needs a few inches of clearance from the wall. The exhaust vents out the back, and blocking them will affect performance and potentially overheat the motor. Plan for at least 5–6 inches of clearance behind it on your counter.

Overall build quality earns a solid 8.5/10. It's not built like a commercial unit, but for home use it's well above average for the price.

Performance: How Well Does It Actually Dehydrate?

This is where the Cosori earns its reputation. The horizontal airflow design — fan at the back, air flowing evenly across all trays — is the right approach for consistent results. In our testing, we loaded all six trays simultaneously and ran multiple batches without rotating anything. The results were impressively even: top tray and bottom tray finished at the same time, with no noticeable difference in texture or moisture content.

Beef jerky: We used 1/4-inch sliced top round, marinated overnight, and ran the dehydrator at 160°F for 5–6 hours. The result was properly dried jerky — chewy but not brittle, with no wet spots or over-dried edges. Consistent across all six trays. This is the Cosori's strongest performance category.

Fruit (apple chips, banana, mango, strawberries): Apple chips at 135°F for 7–8 hours came out crisp and evenly dried. Banana slices took about 8 hours at the same temperature and had a nice chewy texture. Mango and strawberries were excellent — the lower temperature setting (115°F) preserved color and flavor well. No scorching, no uneven drying.

Herbs (basil, rosemary, thyme): Herbs are where cheap dehydrators often fail — the temperature runs too hot and you end up with brown, flavorless dust. The Cosori's 95°F minimum temperature is genuinely low enough for delicate herbs. Basil dried at 95°F for 3–4 hours retained its green color and aroma. Rosemary and thyme at 100°F for 2–3 hours were excellent.

Kale chips: 125°F for 3–4 hours produced crispy, evenly dried kale chips. No soggy spots, no burnt edges.

Temperature accuracy is good — we spot-checked with an infrared thermometer and found the actual temperature within 5°F of the set point, which is acceptable for home use. The 48-hour timer is genuinely useful for long runs; it auto-shuts off when the timer expires, so you can set it before bed without worrying.

Performance score: 9.0/10.

Ease of Use

Setup is straightforward — pull it out of the box, wash the trays, and you're ready to go. The digital controls are intuitive enough that you won't need the manual after the first use. Set your temperature, set your time, press start. That's it.

The 48-hour timer is a standout feature for convenience. Most cheaper dehydrators max out at 12 or 24 hours, which means you have to babysit longer runs. With 48 hours, you can load it up, set it, and forget it — the machine shuts off automatically when done.

Loading the trays is easy. They slide in and out without resistance, and the door opens wide enough to load all six trays comfortably. The trays are large enough (about 13" x 11" usable surface per tray) that you can fit a meaningful amount of food per batch — roughly 1–1.5 lbs of sliced meat per tray, or a full bunch of herbs spread across two trays.

One minor usability note: the temperature increments in 5°F steps, which is fine for most uses but slightly coarser than some competitors that offer 1°F increments. For practical home dehydrating, 5°F steps are more than adequate.

Ease of use score: 9.0/10.

Cleaning & Maintenance

Cleaning is one of the Cosori's genuine strengths. The stainless steel trays are dishwasher safe — just pull them out, drop them in the dishwasher, and you're done. The stainless steel interior wipes down easily with a damp cloth; because it doesn't absorb odors or oils the way plastic does, a quick wipe is usually all it takes after a batch of jerky or fruit.

The mesh tray surface does require a bit more attention than solid trays — small herb fragments and fruit pulp can get caught in the mesh. A soft brush (a clean toothbrush works well) helps dislodge anything stuck in the weave before putting them in the dishwasher. For sticky fruit runs, a 10-minute soak in warm soapy water before brushing makes cleanup trivial.

The door and exterior wipe down with a damp cloth. The fan and heating element at the back are not accessible for cleaning, but in practice they don't need it — the airflow design keeps grease and moisture away from the back panel. After 6+ weeks of regular use, we saw no buildup near the fan.

One thing to note: the trays are large enough that they may not fit in smaller dishwashers. Measure your dishwasher rack before assuming they'll fit — the trays are about 13 inches wide. If they don't fit, hand washing is easy enough; the stainless steel surface releases food residue without much scrubbing.

Cleaning score: 8.5/10.

Value: Is the Cosori Dehydrator Worth the Price?

At $100–$130, the Cosori Premium 6-Tray sits in a competitive price band. You can spend less — the Nesco FD-75A is around $60–$70 — and you can spend more, with commercial-grade units starting around $200–$300. The question is whether the Cosori justifies its price over cheaper alternatives.

We think it does, for three reasons. First, the stainless steel trays and interior are a meaningful upgrade over plastic at this price. Plastic trays absorb odors and can warp at higher temperatures; stainless steel doesn't. If you plan to use this machine regularly for years, that durability matters. Second, the horizontal airflow design eliminates tray rotation — a real quality-of-life improvement that cheaper stackable units can't match. Third, the 48-hour timer and accurate temperature control make it genuinely set-and-forget, which is how most people actually want to use a dehydrator.

Compared to the Nesco FD-75A at $60–$70: the Nesco is a capable machine, but it uses a top-mounted fan with vertical airflow, which means uneven drying across trays and the need to rotate them. The Cosori's horizontal airflow is a real advantage. The price difference is worth it if you'll use the machine more than occasionally.

Compared to the Excalibur 3926TB at $200+: the Excalibur is the gold standard for home dehydrators — more trays, more precise temperature control, better build quality. If you're serious about dehydrating and will use it heavily, the Excalibur is worth the premium. But for most home users making occasional batches of jerky, fruit, and herbs, the Cosori delivers 85–90% of the Excalibur's performance at half the price.

Value score: 8.8/10.

Pros & Cons

Final Verdict & Score