If you are planning on dehydrating herbs by yourself at home, we have the perfect dehydrator recommendations for you. We’ve recently tested top real customer-rated dehydrators for herbs to find you the perfect models for your DIY home dehydrating project.
Dehydrating your herbs at home comes with a selection of perks. While retaining their nutritional punch and flavor, home dehydrated herbs are affordable, long-lasting, and most importantly, all-natural.
Unlike their store-bought counterparts, home dehydrated herbs are rarely added with any preservatives or synthetic chemicals.
Nonetheless, the best part of dehydrated herbs is their versatility, whether you use them as food or cosmetics. So, to get the best results from your herbs, you have to invest in the right dehydrator.
We have the solution for this. After serious testing, here are our top 8 recommendations for the best dehydrator for herbs this year.
What Makes A Good Dehydrator for Herbs?
A good dehydrator should be able to effectively dry your herbs.
Most herbs have high moisture content so using a dehydrator is a better option than other methods. Using a dehydrator is more effective than air drying, air frying, or using an oven.
So, when choosing a good dehydrator for your herbs, pay attention to features, such as the type of dehydrator, capacity, and temperature settings, to mention a few. With the right features, you can rest assured that you will get good results on your dehydrated herbs.
Dried Vs Fresh Herbs – Why Use the Former?
Dried herbs offer better functionality and value compared to fresh herbs. Fresh herbs are great for cooking and garnishing.
Herbs, especially the likes of parsley, basil, cilantro, and oregano, offer the best flavors when fresh and make great garnishes and marinades.
You can also use fresh herbs in a range of dishes and sauces – think of fresh homemade pesto, chimichurri, and other delicious sauces made using fresh herbs as key ingredients. However, dried herbs also come with their advantages.
First, compared to fresh herbs, dried herbs are quite long-lasting. Storing fresh herbs means you have to fumble around with different storage methods to preserve them, whether through freezing or wrapping them in paper towels and Ziploc bags to keep them fresh.
But, these methods, while effective, don’t allow for longer-lasting shelf life compared to dried herbs.
Furthermore, like fresh herbs, dried herbs retain most of the nutritional content and flavors (although parsley, cilantro, basil, etc may lose some flavor punch at high heat). In addition to the longer shelf life, dried herbs are very versatile.
Here are some of the interesting uses of dried herbs:
- Use them as a seasoning for food
- Use them to make a herb blend
- Use them for various food recipes, like pasta, dressings, sauces, marinades, vinaigrettes, etc
- Grind them to make powders
- Make infused oils – like rosemary oil
- Add them to cosmetics and toiletries, like soaps, scrubs, and masks, for their medicinal benefits
- Other miscellaneous uses – for example, rosemary, basil, and peppermint
Buying Guide: How To Choose the Best Dehydrator for Herbs
Check out these key factors to look out for when choosing the best dehydrator for herbs!
Type
Home dehydrators come in two key types, i.e. stackable and box/shelf dehydrators.
Stackable dehydrators
Stackable dehydrators stack up as high as 30 inches. But, they tend to be narrower in shape, taking up less counter space.
They are usually more affordable and great for beginners. However, their advantage is uneven heating since their heating element and fan is placed at the bottom.
This means that trays closest to the fan and heating element will heat and dry faster than those further away.
So, during the dehydrating process, you must rotate the trays to ensure even drying. Due to this design, stackable dehydrators are less versatile than box/shelf dehydrators.
Most stackable dehydrators work great for smaller food items like herbs, fruits, vegetables, and jerky.
Box/Shelf Dehydrators
Box/shelf dehydrators feature a relatively larger profile than stackable ones.
They are normally fitted with the heating element and fan at the back of their shelves and not underneath. This design allows for even drying across all shelves as the hot air effectively circulates across the entire unit.
In fact, due to this design, box/shelf dehydrators are great for more creative dehydrating tasks, like culturing yogurt or drying bulk items.
In fact, you can even remove some of the trays if you don’t plan on using them. Box/shelf dehydrators are a good option for bulk drying herbs or drying different types of herbs simultaneously.
Temperature Settings
Most herbs can thoroughly dry out between the temperatures of 95 and 115 degrees Fahrenheit. So, you want to go for a dehydrator with this temperature control range. Nonetheless, different herbs come with different needs.
For example, herbs like cilantro lose their aroma and some nutrients at high temperatures. So, they prefer lower temperatures of around 95 to 98 degrees Fahrenheit.
Ideally, go for a dehydrator with a versatile temperature control setting and not those that heat at a single consistent temperature.
Timers
Choosing a dehydrator with a timer feature can protect your herbs from overdrying. Whether it’s from a recipe you find online or a guide that comes with your dehydrator, you will learn that different herbs require different dehydrating temperatures and durations.
So, with a timer setting, you can present your dehydrator with the right parameters to prevent overdrying and draining the flavors from your herbs. Most herbs will turn bitter when over-dried!
Sizing and Capacity
The size of your dehydrator will determine the number of herbs you can dehydrate. If you want to dehydrate a huge bulk, you certainly want a larger-sized dehydrator.
When choosing the right size, remember that using a dehydrator isn’t similar to an oven or air fryer. You have to leave adequate space (at least an inch) between each herb to ensure adequate water is drained out during the dehydration process.
Other Features
Different dehydrator models will also come with varying functional features.
Ultimately, the features you go for depend on the convenience you are looking for. For example, some dehydrators feature a backlit digital screen for easy use in low light conditions.
Other models integrate a built-in auto shut-off feature to turn off your dehydrator when idle to prevent overheating. There are plenty of other special features you can find in different models – you just have to look at each individual one.
1. Cosori Food Dehydrator
The 6-tray box Style Cosori Food Dehydrator is the perfect investment for all your home dehydrating needs. The dehydrator is designed to comfortably dry all types of foods, thanks to its impressive hot air circulation mechanism.
The box-style dehydrator comes with all the necessary tools to accommodate different types of foods. These include six food-grade stainless steel trays, a mesh screen, and a fruit roll sheet.
A recipe book with over 50 free recipes and the dehydrator’s manual is also included to guide you through your first dehydrating projects. A digital control panel integrated into the dehydrator lets you set the time with 30-minute increments for up to 48 hours.
You will also find a temperature knob on the control panel that allows you to set temperatures between 95 and 165 Fahrenheit. Combined, these settings allow for effective dehydration of different types of foods, including different herbs.
Pros
- Dries different types of foods
- Designed in California
- Free recipe book and fruit roll sheet
- Very quiet – less 48dB noise level
- Built-in auto shut-off feature
- Dishwasher-safe trays and liners
Cons
- Some foods may stick to the tray
2. NutriChef Countertop Dehydrator
The NutriChef Countertop Dehydrator is built with a superior air circulating mechanism to effectively drain out moisture from your herbs and increase their shelf life.
But, this is not all that makes this model unique. The dehydrator comes with an affordable price tag and tabletop-friendly design that takes little of your countertop space.
The stackable style dehydrator also features a simple operational design, allowing you to start drying food with a single button click. With a high-temperature range, the dehydrator is not limited to just drying herbs.
Its 180 degrees Fahrenheit range also allows you to efficiently dry fruits and vegetables like potatoes and kale. You can also use the dehydrator to dry fish, poultry, and jerky.
The dehydrator comes with free removable trays you can also use to sun dry your foods.
Pros
- Facilitates high heat and hot air circulation for thorough drying
- High-temperature range of up to 180F
- Dries herbs, fruits, vegetables, jerky, poultry, and fish
- Drying trays can be used for sun drying
- Good price value
- Space-saving tabletop-friendly design
Cons
- No protective rubber at the bottom for safe storage/placement
3. Magic Mill 7-Tray Food Dehydrator
If you have a large family or bulk drying needs, the Magic Mill 7-Tray Food Dehydrator is a good option.
The 5L dehydrator’s high-temperature capacity makes it great for herbs, fruits, and jerky. The dehydrator’s high-temperature capacity also pairs well with its unique 360-degree Airflow Circulation technology for optimal even heat distribution and thorough drying.
The unique 360 degrees airflow Circulation technology combines a specialized rear-mounted drying fan and a digital adjustable timer to enhance results, without the need for rotating trays. All you do is monitor the drying process through the glass door.
To achieve the perfect temperature for your herbs, the dehydrator comes with 6 simple touch buttons. These include the time and temperature button, the keep warm button, the fast and raw mode, and the start and stop buttons.
Pros
- Allows you to choose between fast or raw mode
- Built-in safety overheat protection
- Digital timer and temperature control
- Unique Airflow Circulation tech with rear mount fan
- Digital thermostat and automatic shut-off timer included
- Free fruit roll trays included
Cons
- Temperature settings adjustments are somewhat inaccurate (especially at high temp)
4. Homdox Dehydrator
If you plan on dehydrating small foods, such as herbs or flowers, the Homdox Dehydrator is worth the investment. The 8-tray stackable dehydrator features an upgraded design with a free fine mesh sheet for even thorough small food and herb drying.
You will also recipe a solid fruit roll tray for making fruit roll-ups and leathers. However, the food dehydrator is also designed with generous adjustable temperature control, ranging from 95 to 158 degrees Fahrenheit.
The control also offers a 30-minute increment setting from 1 to 72 hours, allowing you to even dry relatively larger foods like vegetables and jerky with more accuracy.
On the other hand, the dehydrator’s 8-tray design lets you accommodate more food. You can even place the trays in two different sizes.
You can rotate the trays one by one in an 18o degrees manner, for 1.7 inches or 0.67 inches in height.
Pros
- Great for herbs, vegetables, fruits, and jerky
- BPA-free tray liners
- Free fine mesh sheet and fruit roll-up trays
- 8 stackable trays with two options for height adjustability
- Temperature settings with 30-minute increments for up to 72 hours!
- Digital thermostat included
Cons
- Somewhat slow drying power
5. Cosori Co165 Dehydrator
If this is your first try at dehydrating food, particularly herbs, the Cosori Co165 Dehydrator complements your beginner journey.
The dehydrator is built to make it easier to transition from a beginner to a seasoned food dehydrating DIYer. It’s not only herbs the dehydrator lets you prepare.
You can also dry fruits, vegetables, beef, turkey, and even treats for your dogs. If you are an avid backpacker or camper, this is finally your chance to prepare your own backcountry meals, so you can save bucks on store-bought dehydrated meals.
Integrating a digital timer and adjustable temperature control, the dehydrator allows you to set the perfect temperature for dehydrating so you don’t experience any glitches. It offers a reasonable time range of about 30 to 48 hours.
Additionally, you can set your timer in 30-minute increments for up to 48 hours while the temperature adjusts between 95 and 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Pros
- A free mesh screen, fruit roll sheet, 5 stackable trays, and a manual
- 100% BPA-free trays
- Free recipe book with up to 50 free recipes
- The low dehydrating noise level
- The fruit roll sheet can also act as a drip tray
- Auto shut-off feature to counter overheating
Cons
- Limited capacity
6. Magic Mill 10-Tray Food Dehydrator
Built with a 10 removable tray setup, the Magic Mill 10-Tray Food Dehydrator is ideal for people who want to dry food in bulk. The food dehydrator features a multi-tier box/shelf style design so you can dry different herbs at the same time.
The box-style dehydrator is designed with a rear mount fan instead of a bottom-placed fan for optimal heat distribution and even drying. You don’t have to rotate your trays mid-drying when using this dehydrator!
Just like its generous capacity, the dehydrator also offers a reasonable temperature and timer range. To make it easy to adjust these parameters is a digital thermostat and timer that also features an automatic shut-off feature.
For an exciting dehydrating experience, you will also receive the necessary tools. These include 19 drying trays, a hanging rack for meat, two non-stick trays, a fine mesh sheet, and two silicone gloves.
Pros
- Ideal for bulk food drying
- The rear fan mount for proper heat distribution and even drying
- Unique hanging rack for making jerky
- Free mesh tray for smaller foods like herbs
- 2-in-1 dual non-stick and drip trays for fruit roll-ups
- Free silicone gloves to protect your hands
Cons
- Plastic outer may not be ideal for some people
7. DASH DEHY100GY SmartStore™ Compact Electric Food Dehydrator
If you are on a tight budget, the Dash DEHY Food Dehydrator is a great option. The budget-friendly stackable dehydrator for herbs is perfect for people with limited spaces, like small apartments or campers and RVs.
In fact, the dehydrator features a special compact design, allowing the stackable trays to collapse into each other and save up to 40% more space. The herb dehydrator also comes in three color options, i.e. red, gray, and aqua, and comes with a free recipe book. This makes the dehydrator a perfect gift idea too.
Yet, the utility dehydrator still offers great usability. You can use it to dehydrate a wide selection of food items, including herbs, nuts, fruits, vegetables, and jerky.
It features an adjustable temperature setting, between 105 and 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Pros
- Budget-friendly
- Compact with collapsible stackable tray design
- Transparent design for easy food monitoring
- BPA-free dishwasher trays
- Free recipe book
- Available in red, aqua, and gray finish
Cons
- No automated off
8. Veresix Dehydrator
The Veresix Dehydrator features a digitized design to improve food dehydrating efficiency and results. a built-in temperature probe and control allows you to set accurate temperatures for perfect drying results.
The dehydrator offers a drying temperature range of 95 to 158 degrees Fahrenheit, allowing you to prepare herbs, fruits, vegetables, and jerky. To complement the temperature setting is a horizontal airflow system from the rear mount fan for the perfect 360 degrees of hot air circulation and even drying.
Additionally, the temperature settings pair with a countdown adjustable timer so you can set the exact time for drying.
Once done, the timer’s built-in auto shut-off feature automatically turns the dehydrator off when it’s time. The dehydrator comes with four removable food trays to accommodate different food sizes.
You can remove some of the trays to accommodate thicker foods too.
Pros
- Free 4 stainless steel trays and 2 anti-stick mats
- Dishwasher safe trays
- Drip tray to keep the dehydrator clean
- No plastic use
- Countdown timer with auto shut feature
- Horizontal airflow system for even drying
Cons
- A little loud
FAQ
Why Is It Good To Use A Dehydrator for Herbs?
There are plenty of ways to dehydrate herbs, including sun drying them or tossing them into an oven or air fryer.
However, these methods are not nearly as effective as using a dehydrator. The reason why a dehydrator is good for drying herbs is that it does an excellent job at pulling out all the moisture from the herbs.
Herbs such as oregano, basil, and mint tend to have high moisture content. So, if you don’t pull out the moisture effectively, molds easily build up, causing your herbs to go bad in a very short period.
Using a dehydrator also helps to concentrate their flavors and aroma.
How Do I Dehydrate Herbs In A Dehydrator?
Here’s how you dehydrate herbs:
- You can buy fresh herbs at the grocery store or farmer’s market. If you have a herb garden at home, use herbs when their buds are full but flowers haven’t opened. At this stage, herbs usually have the best flavor and aroma pronunciation.
- Collect the herbs and wash them with cold water, removing any debris. Once done, vigorously shake them to remove excess water or moisture. Remove any herb leaves with visible deformities or bruises. You also want to avoid rubbing them dry with paper towels or similar, to prevent bruising them.
- You also want to remove the stems since they are prone to retain the most water. But, to prevent damaging the herb leaves with your hands, leave a small stem portion when cutting them.
- Transfer the herbs to the dehydrator trays and arrange them in a single layer, leaving space between each leaf. Lightly cover the herbs with a fine mesh (if your dehydrator comes with it) to prevent them from flying around. If you have empty trays remaining in the dehydrator remove them to allow for optimal air circulation.
- Most herbs can be dried at a temperature of anywhere between 95 and 115 degrees Fahrenheit for an hour to twelve hours (follow the manual or recipe for specific herbs).
- Once done, your herbs should feel dry and crumbly. The small stems should fall off when bent. Before storing the herbs, condition them and transfer them to an airtight or vacuum-sealed container. Store the container in a cool, dark, and dry place.
How Long Do Dehydrated Herbs Last?
When stored correctly, dehydrated herbs will last you anywhere between six and twelve months. Vacuum-sealed herbs will last even longer.
Should I Dehydrate or Dry Herbs?
You should dehydrate herbs instead of drying them.
Most herbs have high moisture content so it makes more sense to dehydrate rather than air dry them if you want them to last longer. but, you can also find a few low moisture content herbs, like rosemary and dill that you can air dry with zero problems.
Conclusion
With the best dehydrator for herbs, you will achieve the best drying results.
This doesn’t mean that your dehydrator will be exclusively designed for herbs. After all, the models recommended above all prove to work for other types of foods.
In fact, each of our selected picks is designed to cater to your individual needs, whether you want a beginner-friendly model or looking for a large-capacity option. So, the next time you want to curate your own herb blend or infuse your hair oils, pick any of the top 8 dehydrators for herbs above to get you started.
Donaldina is a home cook and writer who enjoys experimenting with different flavors. She loves to take her readers on a fun-packed, palate pleasing journey through different recipes. Along the way she recommends the best equipment and tools to prepare tasty meals. Enjoy the adventure!