Nowadays, making cookies in a food dehydrator is quite easy as users explore different uses of dehydrators other than drying food. If you are interested in using your dehydrator to make cookies, there are many units available that are ideal for this purpose. To help you out more, we have prepared this article to compare the dehydrators that are best for making cookies.
Comparison of Best Food Dehydrator for Cookies
Please take a look at the comparison chart of the two best food dehydrators for cookies before moving to the next section:
| Serial No | Product Name | Temp Range | Wattage | Number of trays | Maximum number of trays | Timer | Adjustable Thermostat | Air Flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gourmia GFD1950 Food Dehydrator | 95ºF to 158ºF | 600 watts | 9 | NA | Yes | Yes | 360-degree air flow |
| 2 | NESCO FD-75A Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator | 95º-160º F | 600 watts | 5 | 12 | No | Yes | Vertical |
If you don’t have an oven, you can use your food dehydrator to make cookies and get excellent results. When you place the dough in the machine, the hot air moves through the dough, allowing it to rise perfectly from all sides.
Moreover, the best part is that the heated air benefits in complete baking of the dough, that makes the cookies just the right texture. You will find your cookies puffier after drying in food dehydrator than other methods of making cookies.
The drying process for the dough in the food dehydrator might take a long time depending on the recipe and ingredients you have used. If you also want to make cookies in a dehydrator but you don’t know which unit would be ideal, check the products reviewed in this article.
In this article, we have reviewed the two best food dehydrators for cookies that can help you in making cookies in the best way. Furthermore, we will also provide you information that will help you in drying your cookies in a more delicious and wonderful way.
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Important Things to Consider While Buying the Best Food Dehydrators for Cookies
The following are the essential things that you need to keep in mind while buying the best food dehydrator for cookies:
1. Top or side-mounted fan
The fan in the food dehydrator must blow the air from the side or the top. It should not blow from the bottom for drying cookies in the food dehydrator.
2. Sliding trays
The sliding trays are more accessible in comparison to the stacking trays while making cookies in the food dehydrator.
3. Adjustable temperature control
Your food dehydrator must have the feature of adjustable control so that you can control the machine’s temperature. The lowest temperature of the machine must not be more than 105 degrees F or 40 degrees C.
Reviews of Best Dehydrator for Cookies
We know that finding the best food dehydrator for cookies is not an easy job when you have so many options available in the market. It’s challenging to differentiate among so many models by simply looking at them. Here, we have picked and reviewed the two best food dehydrators for cookies that you can buy from the market without any worries:
1) Gourmia GFD1950 Food Dehydrator – Non-sticky Food Dehydrator for Cookies
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This dehydrator is big in size and it comes with nine removable and non-sticky trays. These trays offer lot of space for dehydrating the cookies in a single batch. Moreover, you get a drip tray and a fruit leather sheet along with this dehydrator for more convenient drying.
The temperature of the machine is adjustable from 95 degrees F to 158 degrees F. Its fan located at the backside that dries the cookies without the need of tray rotation. The heat flows consistently so that all cookies dehydrate uniformly. The machine will shut down once its timer (19.5 hours) is over.
The best part about this machine is that it has a transparent door through which you can monitor the drying of cookies with ease. This food dehydrator is BPA free and moreover certified by the ETL for efficient, safe, and high quality.
There is an LCD panel on the machine that lets you control the unit with more precision. The 30 degrees airflow in the food dehydrator ensures uniform and fine drying. You can also use the eight temperature presets to get ideal results while making cookies.
Pros
- It has an adjustable thermostat that lets you perfectly dry the cookies
- Due to non-stick shelves and rear-mounted fan the cookies do not stick to the trays
- The digital control panel enables you to choose the perfect drying temperature
- The machine shuts down automatically after the timer gets over
- There is no need of tray rotation due to horizontal airflow
- You will not face the problem of overheating and flavor mixing in this unit
- With the help of the transparent door, you can monitor the drying process of the cookies
- You get lot of space for dehydrating a large number of cookies
Cons
- You might find it tough to clean its base
- The trays are not dishwasher safe
- You cannot adjust its height
2) NESCO FD-75A Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator – Best Fast-Drying Food Dehydrator for Cookies
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It is a fast drying food dehydrator for cookies that let you dehydrate your cookies at the right temperature. Its adjustable thermostat ranges between 95 degrees F to 160 degrees F. Moreover, its top-mounted fan is powerful enough to dehydrate cookies in less time. The machine comes with the drying power of 600 watts. You get five trays with this unit, but it can be expanded to 12 trays as per your need. The transparent vita-save exterior stops harmful light from entering into the machine so that the nutritional content of the food remain intact. The air flows horizontally on all the trays for the fast and uniform drying of the cookies. There is no need for tray rotation in this product.
Moreover, while drying cookies with any other food, you will not face the problem of flavor mixing in this machine. The 2100 RPM power of the fan dehydrates the cookies in a few hours. The drying pressure of the unit adjusts automatically according to the number of trays that you put inside the machine. You can clean this dehydrator easily after making cookies. The additional accessories available with this product are fruit roll sheets, clean-a-screens, and original jerky spice & cure packs.
Pros
- This unit offers you ample space for making cookies
- The top-mounted fan lets you dehydrate cookies faster and efficiently
- It can easily be placed on any size of the kitchen countertop
- You can expand the number of trays for drying more cookies
- You do not have to rotate the trays while drying cookies
- Its temperature can be controlled with the adjustable thermostat
- Easy to clean the unit after you have used it
- The air flows horizontally on all the trays for the fast and uniform drying of the cookies
Cons
- It comes without an ON/OFF switch and timer
- It is difficult to maintain
- It has a circular shape that offers less space than the rectangular machines
Useful Tips for Drying Cookies in the Food Dehydrator
With the help of the tips given below, you can get excellent drying results while making cookies in the food dehydrator:
- If the outside temperature is hot, you should run an AC while making cookies in the food dryer machine
- The cookies can dehydrate quickly in the food dehydrator, but still, it will take 6 hours to 8 hours for complete drying
- Put the iced cookies over the cookie sheet and bare it for drying
- Always set the temperature of the food dehydrator on the lowest setting for drying cookies
- If there is humidity in your area, do not open your windows or doors
- To retain the shine of the cookies, place them in the dehydrator for 4 hours and then dry them in open air
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: How much longer should we leave the cookies inside the food dehydrator?
The time for which you should leave the cookies in the food dehydrator depends on the type of climate of the place where you live. For example, if you are living in a very humid place then, cookies should be left for 12 hours period but if you stay in dry weather then, 30 minutes is enough. In case of any doubt, take out the cookies after 30 minutes.
Q: What should be the temperature of the food dehydrator while drying cookies?
You should always opt for the lowest setting of the heat if possible. The temperature setting of 95 degrees F is the ideal setting, but you can increase it to the 110 degrees F without any significant impact on the cookies. The high-temperature setting can make the icing crack or ripple due to extreme heat flow.
Q: Do the cookies dry completely after 20 minutes in the food dehydrator?
No, the cookies will not dry out after 20 minutes as its top icing layer will not get set quickly. You have to dry the cookies for half the drying time required for overall drying in the dehydrator. For example, if the cookies take total 16 hours for drying then, it means it needs 8 hours in a dehydrator and 8 hours for regular drying in the outside environment.
Q: Is it right to leave the cookies inside the food dehydrator when the machine gets off automatically?
Yes, you can leave your cookies in the food dehydrator’s safe environment after the completion of the drying process or after the automatic shutdown. But don’t forget to take them out when you get time.
Q: Can we use the food dehydrator for dehydrating the royal icing transfers?
Yes, you can use the food dehydrator for dehydrating the royal icing transfers but only with the help of the parchment paper. Do not use the wax paper on trays as its wax gets warm and can melt on the icing. It will only result in more mess and misery for you. You have to leave it for around 3 hours to 4 hours in the machine.
Q: While making cookies in the food dehydrator should you leave the door open or shut?
You should shut down the door of the food dehydrator while drying cookies in it. It will help you in drying the cookies with good airflow and heat.
Q: Can you tell me why occasionally my cookies icing furrows while placing inside the food dehydrator?
The reason behind this problem can be inadequate air flow. The cookies having the size of 3/8 inches require adequate air flow. Moreover, you should not overlap them on each other as this can also impact their drying process. There should be sufficient air flow on all trays that you are using for making cookies.
Can you dehydrate cookies?
Yes. You can dehydrate cookies.
Conclusion
Using the food dehydrator for drying cookies is one of the best methods as it dehydrates the cookies fast and you can quickly get a beautiful dark outline on the icing. These machines have the feature of adjustable thermostat that let you dehydrate the cookies at the lowest temperature setting. It adds more shine to your decorated cookies.
In the above article, we have reviewed the two best food dehydrators for cookies along with their pros and cons. You can pick any of the above machines for making cookies.
So, which food dehydrator for cookies you have picked for yourself? Have you used any other food dehydrator at your home for making cookies? Please let us know your thoughts in the comment section under this article.