Food Dehydrator Drying Times and Temperatures Chart (°F and °C)

The times and temperatures below are guideline ranges, not exact recipes. Fruit usually dries at 131-140 °F (55-60 °C), vegetables at 122-131 °F (50-55 °C) and herbs at 95-104 °F (35-40 °C). Jerky follows the USDA method. Real times depend on slice thickness, the food’s water content, how full the trays are and the humidity in your kitchen, so always finish with a dryness test.

What are the drying times and temperatures by food group?

Use this chart as a starting point, then adjust by thickness and load. All figures are guideline ranges.

Food group	Temperature (°F)	Temperature (°C)	Guideline time	Done when
Fruit	131-140 °F	55-60 °C	6-16 hours	Leathery and pliable, no moisture when torn
Vegetables	122-131 °F	50-55 °C	4-12 hours	Brittle or crisp
Herbs	95-104 °F	35-40 °C	2-6 hours	Leaves crumble easily
Jerky	Heat meat to 160 °F first (poultry 165 °F), then dry at 130-140 °F	71 °C (poultry 74 °C), then 54-60 °C	Varies; test for dryness	Firm and dry; bends and cracks without breaking

The time ranges are wide on purpose. A thin apple ring and a halved apricot are both fruit, but they sit at opposite ends of the range.

Why do drying times vary so much?

Because water has to travel out of the food, and several things speed it up or slow it down. The four that matter most are thickness, water content, load and humidity.

1. Thickness: a slice twice as thick takes much more than twice as long, since water has further to travel. Aim for even slices of about 1/4 inch (6 mm).
2. Water content: juicy foods like citrus, tomatoes and melon take longer than drier ones like apples or carrots.
3. Load: a full machine holds more water in the air, so everything dries more slowly. Leave small gaps between pieces.
4. Humidity and room temperature: a humid summer kitchen slows drying compared with a dry winter one.

Skins also matter. Grapes, blueberries and cherry tomatoes dry much faster if you cut or split them, because the skin holds water in.

How do I set the temperature for fruit?

Use 131-140 °F (55-60 °C) and expect 6-16 hours. Thin slices of apple, pear or banana finish toward the shorter end.

Whole or halved juicy fruit takes longer. Very sweet fruit can feel tacky even when dry, because sugar stays soft. Test a cooled piece before deciding. Our fruit guide covers pretreatment and conditioning in jars, and our sticky fruit fixes help if pieces stay gummy.

How do I set the temperature for vegetables?

Use 122-131 °F (50-55 °C) and expect 4-12 hours. Thin, low-water vegetables like carrots finish sooner; watery ones like zucchini or tomatoes take longer.

Most vegetables are done when they snap or feel crisp. Many cooks blanch vegetables briefly before drying to keep color. Pack them only when fully dry and cool.

How do I set the temperature for herbs?

Use low heat, 95-104 °F (35-40 °C), for about 2-6 hours. Herbs are thin and dry fast, but high heat drives off their aromatic oils.

Check whether your machine can go that low. Most models in our US catalog start at 95 °F (35 °C). The Excalibur Performance 10-Tray starts at 85 °F (29 °C). The Hamilton Beach 32100A starts at 100 °F (38 °C), so it covers only the upper half of this range. See the best dehydrators for herbs for low-temperature models.

What about jerky?

Follow the USDA method rather than a drying chart. The USDA recommends heating meat to 160 °F (71 °C), and poultry to 165 °F (74 °C), before dehydrating it.

It then recommends keeping the dehydrator at 130-140 °F (54-60 °C) throughout drying. We do not give a jerky drying time, because it varies too much with cut, thickness and marinade; test for dryness instead.

How do I know when food is really dry?

Test a cooled piece, not a hot one. Food feels softer while warm, so pull a piece, let it cool for a few minutes, then check it.

• Fruit: leathery and bendable, with no beads of moisture when you tear or squeeze it.
• Vegetables: brittle or crisp; they should snap.
• Herbs: leaves crumble between your fingers.
• Jerky: firm and dry; it bends and cracks but does not break in two.

A second test is the jar test. Put cooled pieces in a sealed glass jar for a day. If condensation appears on the glass, the food needs more time in the dehydrator.

Does my dehydrator affect the times?

Yes: airflow, power and how full the trays are all change the result. The chart assumes an evenly loaded machine.

In stacked models with a fan at the top or bottom, trays nearest the fan dry first, so rotate trays once or twice. Box models with a rear fan dry more evenly. If some trays lag behind, see our uneven drying fixes.

Large loads also take longer. The NESCO FD-16DZD, for example, splits its 16 trays into two zones with separate controls, so you can dry herbs and fruit at different temperatures at the same time.

How much electricity does a long batch use?

At most the rated watts × hours ÷ 1,000. A 1,000 W unit running 16 hours uses up to 16 kWh; a 500 W unit running 8 hours uses up to 4 kWh.

Real use is lower, because the heater cycles once the cabinet reaches temperature. Lower temperatures also mean less heating. Estimate your cost with our drying cost calculator.

How should I store dried food?

Cool it completely, then pack it airtight, away from light and heat. Warm food sweats inside a container and can go moldy.

For short-term storage, glass jars work well. For long-term storage of very dry food, mylar bags with oxygen absorbers keep out light, moisture and oxygen; see our long-term food storage guide. Never seal moist food this way.

To choose a machine that covers every range here, start with how to choose a food dehydrator or our best food dehydrators.