5 Best Solar Food Dehydrator in 2024

A solar food dehydrator allows you to remove the moisture from vegetables and fruits using solar energy and natural airflow. Sun and air are free so it will not cost you anything to dehydrate your food.

Food dehydration is an excellent method of preserving nutritious produce from your farm or home garden. It’s a good way to promote food preparedness in case your supply runs low. Properly dehydrated and stored fruits and vegetables could last five to 10 years!

If you are considering using the heat of the sun to dehydrate food, it’s a must that you get the best solar food dehydrator. In this guide, we will tell you more about which products we think are worth checking out and what factors to consider when buying one.

5 Best Solar Food Dehydrators

1. Growsun 2ft 8 Layer Herb and Plant Hanging Mesh

The Growsun food drying rack is a perfect choice for you if you have a large quantity of food dry. It measures 24 inches in diameter and 64 inches in height with a total of 8 layers. It has lots of room for drying a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, herbs, nuts and even fish. We love that it has zippered sections to keep the food safe from birds and other fliers.

This solar food dryer is made from non-toxic durable polyester material and comes with sturdy steel support. It is well made for hanging under the heat of the sun. It has a Velcro design for ease in hanging anywhere.

The distance between each layer is 8 inches so even if you fill it with food to dry, there is still enough space for ventilation and natural airflow to remove moisture faster.

Pros:

• Allows for air to naturally flow
• Zippered to protect your food
• Easy to install and use
• It comes with a pair of scissors

Cons:

• Not ideal to use indoors if you have limited space

Buy it now: Amazon

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2. HYDGOOHO 8 Layer Dryer 2ft Black Mesh

Just like the Growsun food dryer mesh, the HYDGOOHO Drying Rack is another multi-layered food dehydrator that is quite sturdy and versatile. It also comes with 8 layers of zippered mesh trays for keeping food under the heat of the sun.

Finding a place to hang this food dehydration rack is also quite easy as it is lightweight, weighing just 13.44 ounces. However, the location to hang it on needs to be a bit high as it is 61.8 inches tall and 24 inches in diameter.

If you often have large quantities of flowers, fruits, herbs and other plant materials to dry this dehydrator is a perfect solution. It has plenty of room for your produce. And since all the layers have a zipper closure, your food stuff are protected from strong winds, birds and insects. Each section has an easy-to-open design so you can easily access each chamber.

Pros:

• Multiple layers
• Zippered opening for easy access
• Mesh material allows for natural airflow
• Easy to install

Cons:

• Not ideal to use indoors if you have limited space

Buy it now: Amazon

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3. POURIN 4 Layer Herb Drying Mesh

This product will come in handy if you are looking for a dryer rack with fewer layers for your solar food dehydrator plans. The four layers of mesh nylon allow for continuous airflow to deter bacteria and mold from forming in your dried fruit and plants.

Four layers of rack that are 2 feet in diameter are enough to give your family a continuous supply of dried fruit, herbs and vegetable varieties. Aside from drying food, you’ll also get good results if you’ll use this rack to let your clothes dry under the heat of the sun.

Since the racks have a zipper closure, you will not have to worry about the wind blowing on what you are drying, or birds feeding on them.

Pros:

• Comes with pruning scissors
• Trays collapse flat for easy storage
• Easy to install
• With zipper closure for food safety

Cons:

• No steel side pieces for support

Buy it now: Amazon

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4. Happy Hydro – 6 Tiers Rack for Drying Herbs & Tea

If you are looking for a solar energy dehydration rack that you can hang in your kitchen or basement, this product is a good choice.

Unlike the first 3 dehydrators that have a zippered chamber design, the Happy Hydro consists of 6 layers of mesh racks with an open top. This design gives you 360-degree access to whatever food you are drying. It also allows for optimum air circulation to deter mold and fungus.

With the open design of this dehydrator, it is more ideal for indoor use. If you have a window screen that deters fliers, your food items will stay safe on the rack even without the cover. It does have mesh walls that prevent them from dropping to the side.

The overall dimension of this dehydration rack is 24 inches in diameter and 64 inches in height. The distance between the racks is six inches, allowing you to dry almost many fruit and vegetable varieties. You can also unclip the bottom tiers if you will just be using 2 or 4 tiers.

Pros:

• Installs in less than a minute
• Gives you 360-degree access to the food items
• You unclip the bottom tiers
• You can easily refold for storage

Cons:

• No top cover so it is not ideal for outdoor drying

Buy it now: Amazon

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5. RIOGOO 4 Layer Herb Dryer

If you think that an 8-layer solar energy dehydrator is just too big for your needs, this 4 layer dehydration rack from RIOGOO might just be for you.

This sun dehydration rack is made of eco-friendly breathable mesh with steel-wire ring for sturdy support. The mesh does not allow water to seep in so it is great for indoor and outdoor setup. Even if you use it indoors, it doesn’t require light bulbs to get your foods to dry. The natural airflow will help in drying.

To install, step 1 requires you to remove the rack from its storage bag. It will automatically unfold, ready for hanging. You can easily attach the hanging loops to any horizontal bar, rod or ceiling hook. In less than 5 minutes, you are ready to dry foods.

Pros:

• Uses waterproof and breathable mesh
• Easy to hang
• Sturdy trays supported by steel wire

Cons:

• Needs extra precaution when opening

Buy it now: Amazon

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Factors to Consider in Choosing the Best Solar Powered Dehydrator

Design

Sun-powered ovens or solar energy dehydrators aren’t only for outdoor use. Some of them are more ideal for indoor use due to their design. For instance, if you want a solar dehydrator that you can hang on the side of your kitchen mainly for your herbs, then an open-top dehydrator is a perfect choice. On the other hand, there are also solar dehydrators that are made of nylon screen or mesh with a zipper design that’s great for outdoors.

Number of trays or racks

If you are one of those people who are experienced in a food preservation method that harnesses the power of the sun, you may get a solar dehydrator with multiple trays to allow you to dry more produce. However, if you are just starting out, you may want to get a product with a few trays like 2 to 4 trays so that you will not feel overwhelmed.

Budget

Solar dehydrators or dryers aren’t that expensive. Checking the prices of those products before buying can give you the best bang for your buck. This is especially true if you are checking three products with almost similar features. The cost can be a good deciding factor in this situation.

FAQ

We don’t get enough sunlight in my place, will a solar powered dehydrator work for me?

Solar ovens or dehydrators depend on the sun and airflow to remove moisture from foods. Your foods will dehydrate more quickly if you are in a place that receives a good amount of sunlight with lots of humidity in the right temperatures. However, if the opposite is true where you live, then solar dehydrators might not be a good option for you.

Conclusion

The five food dryers we have listed above are some of the best in terms of the materials used and overall construction. However, the one that stands out for us is the Growsun 2ft 8 Layer Herb and Plant Hanging Mesh. It’s a great choice for people who want to dry more foods. With 8 trays to use, that’s more food to dry under the sun.

For indoor drying, Happy Hydro – 6 Tiers Rack is our top choice. It is sturdy with an open top to give you easy access to your dried foods.

Using solar power energy for drying is a practical way of preserving food. Make sure to get the best solar food dehydrator to achieve the best outcome.