Hamilton Beach 32100A Digital Food Dehydrator, 5 Tray, Gray review and price compare 2025

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Product overview

Brand	Hamilton Beach
Material	Plastic
Color	Gray
Wattage	500 watts
Item Dimensions LxWxH	10.5 x 13 x 11 inches

product features

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48 hour timer with auto shutoff and clear lid so you can easily check food
Adjustable digital thermostat lets you adjust drying temperature (100-160° F)
Continuous airflow provides even drying
Five stackable drying trays and powerful 500 watts
Includes one fine-mesh sheet for drying small food like herbs and one solid sheet for making fruit rolls

From the manufacturer

Hamilton Beach 32100A Food Dehydrator, Gray

With five stackable drying trays and 500 watts of power, it’s easy to dry a variety of fruits and vegetables, and even make beef jerky. The continuous airflow feature provides even drying, eliminating the need to rotate trays. This dehydrator includes an adjustable thermometer for better performance and a timer with automatic shutoff.

The Hamilton Beach Food Dehydrator comes with two specialty sheets for added versatility. Use the mesh sheet to dry garden herbs for year-round enjoyment, or puree summer fruits and spread on the solid sheet for homemade fruit rolls. Wholesome, home-made snacks for the entire family. ..now that’s Good Thinking.

48 hour timer with auto shutoff and clear lid so you can easily check food.
Adjustable digital thermostat lets you adjust drying temperature (100-160° F).
Continuous airflow provides even drying.
Five stackable drying trays and powerful 500 watts.
Includes one fine-mesh sheet for drying small food like herbs and one solid sheet for making fruit rolls.

Sensational Snacks

A food dehydrator lets you make healthy foods at home like crunchy green beans or dried sweet potato sticks. Have a sweet tooth? Banana chips or dried apples with cinnamon are the perfect fix. And since the fruits are not bogged down with additives or preservatives, their natural sweetness shines.


Dehydrating Fruits and Vegetables Preparing your favorite fruits and vegetables is simple. For best results, use produce that is in season to capture vibrant flavors and enjoy them for months to come. When your selections are made, just wash and slice. Cut your foods to the same thickness, size and shape to obtain consistent results.	Simple Design The Hamilton Beach Food Dehydrator’s continuous airflow feature provides even drying, eliminating the need to rotate trays. Once you’ve lined the trays and adjusted the temperature and timer, there is nothing to do until the timer goes off. However, if you like to watch, the clear lid allows for easy viewing.	A Little Time Reaps Big Rewards Foods may take a few hours to dehydrate, but they can be enjoyed for months. When stored correctly, dried fruits can keep up to a year and vegetables can last six months. Even beef jerky can last up to two months at room temperature in an airtight container. What are you waiting for? It’s time to fill your pantry with nutritious snacks for the whole family.

Make Fruit Rolls at Home

Turn your favorite fruit into a delicious, on-the-go treat by creating your own fruit rolls. Fresh, canned and frozen fruit can be pureed for this simple concoction. Higher pectin fruits such as apples, apricots, blueberries, grapes, peaches, pears, pineapples and plums work best for rolls with a nice leather-like texture. Other favorites such as grapefruits, oranges, strawberries, and raspberries can be used when combined with higher pectin fruits.

Drying Garden Herbs

Enjoying garden herbs doesn’t have to be limited to a few months a year. Capture the fragrance and flavor of fresh basil or rosemary by drying them for year round use. To prevent smaller leaves from dropping through the trays, a special mesh screen is included for optimum results.

product description

Looking for snack options that are high in nutrients but low in calories? Want to offer your family delicious food options to dress up morning oatmeal or replace that bag of potato chips at lunch? The Hamilton Beach Food Dehydrator helps accomplish these goals by taking food preparation to the next level. It opens the door to endless possibilities deemed too difficult to do in the past. With five stackable drying trays and 500 watts of power, it's easy to dry a variety of fruits and vegetables and even make beef jerky. The continuous airflow feature provides even drying, eliminating the need to rotate trays. This dehydrator includes an adjustable thermometer for better performance and a timer with automatic shutoff. A food dehydrator lets you to make healthy foods at home like crunchy green beans or dried sweet potato sticks. Have a sweet tooth? Banana chips or dried apples with cinnamon are the perfect fix. And since the fruits are not bogged down with additives or preservatives, their natural sweetness shines. The Hamilton Beach Food Dehydrator comes with two specialty sheets for added versatility. Use the mesh sheet to dry garden herbs for year-round enjoyment, or puree summer fruits and spread on the solid sheet for homemade fruit rolls. Wholesome, home-made snacks for the entire family. Now that's good thinking. Tip: Post treatment of meat after dehydrating may result in a more desirable jerky texture. Try each treatment to determine which jerky you like best.

product details

important information

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Questions about Hamilton Beach 32100A Digital Food Dehydrator, 5 Tray, Gray

What is the tray height? I am looking to dry a non-food item that is 1 inch tall

Answer: I don't know the actual height but it comes with 4 trays. However each tray is approximately 1 inch tall. We have used our Hamilton Beach dehydrator with great success. Also good instruction booklet with receipts

Answer: The lower trays give you an inch, the top almost 2 inch. But the unit works great.

Are the trays plastic? are they bpa free?

Answer: The video stated that the trays are BPA free

Answer: The trays are indeed plastic. I emailed Hamilton Beach and a few days later they responded that "all plastics used in our products are BPA free in all food zones." They also claim their products are tested by independent laboratories.

Answer: The trays are plastic and dishwasher safe but I am not sure if they are BPA free.

Answer: Yes plastic. User guide does not state BPA free.

Answer: BPA free plastic

Answer: in the video it says bpa free

Answer: I don't know about bpa free. But yes they are plastic

Can I just use 1 or 2 trays if I'm only dehydrating a small amount or do I have to put in all the trays?

Answer: You do not have to have food on all trays but you need all trays stacked on the machine while drying foods. Right now I have 4 filled trays and 1 empty tray running. If I had planned better I would have had all 5 trays filled to make better use of the energy.

Answer: You can any number of trays you want. All or only one. I have found do many times.

Answer: The manufacturer says use all the trays, and to use the fruit-leather tray (this set includes one) on the top tray to improve the circulation among the lower trays.

Answer: Yes, but must include the top tray that has the center cap.

Answer: You can place all your food o the bottom trays and leave uppers ones empty, it allows for better air flow while running.

Answer: yes, you can use any number of trays you wish.

Answer: Instructions say to use all the trays

Answer: Manufacturer says to use all trays, all the time. Doesn't matter if they are empty. I am sure there is a reason, I don't know what it is, but it is no extra work to follow the instructions.

What is the temperature range?

Answer: Temperature can be set from 100 F to 160 F.

Answer: 100F - 160F or 37.8C - 71.1C

Answer: I have the book in my hand, I see 100F to 160F. I hope that helps you!

Is there a drip tray?

Answer: The top of the motor/fan base is the drip catcher, below the last removable tray, it catches drips. As long as you keep the center hole clear of stuff nothing falls into the fan it all goes to the bottom and can be wiped out with a damp cloth or if you are very careful not to get water into the fan opening or the base it could be washed out with a sprayer from the sink faucet.

Answer: No but the bottom of the machine wipes up real nice

does anyone know where I can get an extra fruit roll sheet for this

Answer: You Can order off Hamilton Beach website under parts for $6.99 each. I use the trays to dehydrate mashed potatoes for instant mash potatoes later. I needed extra trays to do it effiently.

Answer: You can make one from plastic mesh you get from a craft store.

i see a lot of complaints that the unit will break/melt aftet 2-4 uses, what protection/guarantee will i get that mine qon't just junk out?

Answer: Mine hasn't broken out of 2-4 uses... It still works. It's definitely a long process, and you have to follow directions. But it works just fine! Good Luck!

Answer: I have used mine at least 2 times a week for the last 6 months..thinking about buying one more.. it works fantastic

Answer: mine died after two uses. they said to send another replacement if i pay 10$ postage. now after four weeks i am still waiting because they said it was sent to wrong address!

Answer: Not sure about a warranty. I've had mine for over a year. Dried about 100 lbs of meat. No problems at all. Never had to use a warranty. Great dehydrator

Answer: Product has “Limited 1 Year Warranty” in US. “Warranted to be free from defects in material and workmanship “. However, you are responsive for all costs associations with returning product and all costs for them to return product or component back to you. Excluding cover glass, filters, normal use, non conformity with printed directions, accident, alteration or misuse. According to booklet. But mine works fine so far and I like it. Probably would be an expensive hassle to return.

Answer: I've got hundreds of batches of jerky and no problems.

Do you have to rotate the trays?

Answer: I don't either; I tried rotating trays once, but I don't notice any difference. I do think the top trays get a little more airflow and heat than the bottom ones, and if I'm drying a variety of foods I try to arrange them so that I've got the foods that need relatively more dehydrating go on top and so forth.

Answer: No, I have never rotated the trays. If doing multiple items, I put the longer cooking on bottom and shorter on top. So if I need to pause I can then remove items from top trays and then turn the hydrator back on to continue it's process.

Answer: Nope. Unless you are OCD or you just want to. It does take a little getting it right. Right temp and time. Just use the pause to check once in a while. You may need less time.

Answer: I don't and everything comes out great.

Answer: No. I suppose you could but I don't know what purpose it would serve. I never have and it works great.

How do we store food after it has been dehydrated?

Answer: I put the food I dry in ziplock bags and date it. Then either refrigerate or freeze until I want to eat it. But some items can be put in jars and left on the counter. (Chickpeas, kale, etc).

Answer: Place it in a closed glass container, and enjoy every time you open the container!!

What is the average wattage pull on this? It goes up to 500 Watt but 500 Watt over 24 hours is a lot of electric!

Answer: Better to ask an electrician, but, until then, ponder; it only takes heat equivalent to that produced by a light bulb and a small fan to move that heat away from the source continually. Expense of that is a small price to pay for all that goodness, considering the hours spent in sweaty effort and the cost to preserve same in canning, or freezing, without the lovely benefit of fellowship offered by the bouquet of aroma arising from the unit as it works, allowing you to anticipate the reconstitution of your bounty without so much effort. You won't regret the kwatts at all! Sorry I couldn't be more specific.

Answer: Hi this was a xmas gift for a family member who I will be seeing this sunday I can ask him I am sorry I took so long to reply I gotten this for his camping trip with the family

Has anyone used this for baby snacks? The kind that melt in their mouths.

Answer: No I am sorry I have not, but Tammy Gangloff has great recipients in her new book, and you can watch her on YouTube.

can you dehydrate chicken and fish? how long does it take to do something like this?

Answer:

Would this be good for preparing food for hiking?

Answer: I would say yes, it would be good to dehydrate most food for going hiking. My daughter-in-law buys about a pound or two of.beef and has it sliced very thin by the butcher to make some delicious beef jerky. I think fruits would be another good thing.

Answer: Sure dried food will last a long time and light to carry.

Answer: Yes, it would be excellent. I use mine to make dried fruit during harvest which I then mix with nuts and use as topping for my yogurt. Sometimes I eat it just as it is. There's a dehydrator book available on Kindle. It would help you enormously.

Answer: Don’t see why not since product is essentially trail mix.

Answer: yes

Can you put the trays into the oven on a high temperature?

Answer: The trays are made of a plastic material that would most likely melt in an oven. Temperatures on the dehydrator range from 100 to 160 degrees.

Answer: I doubt it. The trays are plastic

Answer: I really do not know but I would not be confident in doing so. My guess is that the plastic would be OK at 200F or so but anything higher might melt or warp the trays.

Answer: No, they are plastic.

Answer: No I wouldn't

Answer: No

Does this small thing really use 500 watts? If it does that seems extremely inefficient? Even 100 watts should be sufficient to dry food in this

Answer:

Answer: Checking the label on the unit confirms 500W. I suspect that it does not draw the full wattage continuously and may be dependent on the heat level selected. Temperature ranges from 100-160 F. I dried apples cut into 1/4 inch rings at 135 F in about 12-13 hours and have not noticed my electric bill spiking. Hope this helps.

Answer: Yes its says 500 watts on the bottom of the machine. I am really happy with it, though it is a bit noisy...like a blow dryer. works well

Can I use this with nuts?

Answer: I don't see why you couldn't. There's nothing about the device that would preclude using it for nuts, unless the kind of nuts you use are so small that they fall through the screening. Pine nuts might be too small. Might be trial and error to determine a time and temp. I've now made a bunch of salmon jerky and dried some herbs and chilies and it does a great job for me every time. I continue to be impressed with it, especially in light of its reasonable price.

Answer: yes

Answer: I think so

What trays does it come with?

Answer: 6 trays an 2 tray liners. I am making jerky right now. Love it.

Answer: It is exactly as pictured. Several plastic trays that stack up. There is a separate one for fruit too

Answer: Just the trays shown. I gave as a gift it is very good quality

can i order additional solid sheets for making fruit rolls?

I've had this almost a year and the fruit trays have been out of stock at Hamilton Beach's website. Does anyone know where I can get more?

Answer: Might be at Ebay or Craigslist, you never know!

what is the voltage range of this product? ( 120v or 120-220v)?

Answer: 120v

Answer: 120 V only

How do you wash the trays?

Answer: I use warm soapy water in the sink and a light brushing! Probaly dishwasher safe also

as there is no product description on the voltage, frequency mentioned i wonder if your above product can be used in Malaysia. please advice.

does it have a fan?

Answer: Yes it has a fan.

Please confirm if this will work with indian power sockets, which is 230 volts, 50 hz ac as the power source, 3 pin (type-d) or 2 pin (type c).

Answer: This is a 120 Volt AC appliance.

Answer: No, this unit works on 110 volts ac.

Answer: I do not know--Why not contact Hamilton Beach directly

Answer: Probably not.

how variable are the temperature settings for this product? What temperatures does it allow you to specify? Do the temperatures seem to be reliable?

are fine mesh sheets available for this? i dont see where to buy more.

can it make fruit like apple or strawberry crunchy like cereal or does it only make the chewy kind? I like it both ways. Just curious.

Answer: It says it can , but like I said earlier it was a gift to my girls. and they seem to like it and have been posting things they do with it in their FB pages... Smile.

Does anyone use this for drying edible mushrooms ?

Answer: I have only dried them once. They were very good dried. I stored them in the freezer after drying and pull out just what I need.

Answer: Yes, absolutely! It dries them very evenly.

Answer: Don’t know of anyone but I think it will work.

can you purchase more trays for this machine?

Answer: You should be able to. I went to their website & they seemed to have a verity of things to buy.

how would be the best way to add height to between trays? I want to do tracheas for dog treats

Answer: You cannot add height to the trays. They stack on top of eachother. The top tray is best for larger or thicker items because the top is higher.

Can you use the silicone sheets to dry the fruit leather

Answer: It come with 2 sheets one for herbs and the solid one for fruit rolls.

Does anyone know what to do when the Er message comes on the screen?

Answer: Well I would assume er means error. I don't know what you are supposed to do. But if you can't reset it by pushing buttons. I would unplug it to clear it and try again. It is relatively simple in that you push the top of a button arrow pointing up to have the settings go up for temp and for time..or the bottom of the button down arrow to have it go down. if that doesn't work you probably have a power or cord issue, maybe a short. Refer to the manufacturer.

Answer: No, never had a issue, check the manual.

can you order more trays?

Has anyone figured out the best temp, time and thickness to make sweet potato dog treats?

Answer: Cut the sweet potatoes thin with a knife about 1/4 of an inch. Temp 130 for eight hours.

do they have it in 220 v?

does it come with a book

Answer: It does come with an instruction manual and a few recipes. It also tell you how to dehydrate properly and the amount of time certain fruits may take to be dehydrated.

Answer: Yes. It comes with a manual and includes recipes.

Does it make crunchy or chewy veggie/fruit ?

Answer: It depends on how thick you slice, the temperature you set, the length of time set and the moisture content you start. I dry mushroom to total crispy. I make giant raisins that remains soft at 16 hours but add 2 more hours they become crunchy. The point is if you want long term storage dry to crispy. Rehydration is easy for all fruit and vegetables. Jerky doesn’t rehydrate very well. Keep jerky soft.

Answer: You have to get the hang of it. My kiwi fruit was hard, however, my bananas were not as hard.

Answer: Yes. It is a very good product..!

is it noisey?

Answer: It has a hum when turned on. If I were to stay in the room with it for hours, I might find it bothersome, but I use it in the basement and only check on it periodically. In the same room, one can easily talk with someone, so the hum is not loud. More like white noise.

Answer: Very very very !!! It is also much less effective than any of the other 3 dryers I have had over the years. My advice to you is to spend a little more and get a better machine. This is junk. Good luck.

Answer: Its far less noisy than a hairdryer. It reminds me of a white noise machine. You’d have to turn up the t.v., if its next to you, but it’s definitely tolerable.

Answer: Unsure! Bought as a gift for my dad. He loves it! Uses it all the time. Can't imagine it's too annoying or he wouldn't still be using it.

Answer: Not noisy. Very quiet, though you can hear it. But, does give off a bit of heat.

Answer: There is a slight humming noise from the dehydrating fan. Definitely tolerable.

Hello, Can you tell me the drying surface (area) that this food dehydrator has ??? Thank you !

Answer: mine has five rectagular racks that measure about 13" x 9"

Does anyone know if the plastic is BPA free

Has anyone tried making yogurt?

Extra fruit roll sheets? They are out of stock on HB, and cant find them on amazon...

Answer: Hey Paul, I had the same problem and ended up waiting a month and a half for a new shipment from HB. In that time frame I never saw any other provider that sold the fruit roll sheets.

Answer: On amazon they sell sheets for dehydrator, I just ordered them

Answer: Soory havent been able to find any either

Can I dehydrate shredded coconut?

Answer: Must be shredded, if not takes too much time

Are the trays dishwasher safe?

Answer: Yes, but stay away from sani-temp which means in other words I guess they may not like hot wash. Info with mine says use warm soapy water.

Does this come in 2 boxes?

Answer: No it comes in 1 box

What are the dimensions of the trays?

Answer: The dimensions of the tray--9"xl2" It's perfect for my needs--bear in mind that a circular tray will hold more--

Are the trays dishwasher safe with heated dry?

Answer: Thank you for your question. Yes, the trays used with this appliance are dishwasher safe. However, we recommend that the noted parts are not cleaned using the "SANI" cycle as referenced in the use and care manual.

Answer: I've placed the trays in my dishwasher multiple times without any issues.

Answer: Do not know about heated dry sorry

Answer: No - I would not put them in the dishwasher- pretty sure it will warp

how many watts is it?

Where can i get additional trays other than at hamilton itself? any hints/links? thanks!

Answer: Hamilton Beach has them on their web site for sale, but they have been on backorder for at lease six months. They are priced at $15 per tray. I just purchased a second unit to obtain more trays.

Answer: Sorry, but I have not found a source. I think it only supports 5 trays.

why lid does not fit properly?

Answer: It does not have enough lip. It does fit very loosely and comes off easily.

Answer: I do not have that problem with my dehydrator. It should fit on top fine.

Answer: It just sits on top, it does not latch or fasten in any way.

Product reviews of Hamilton Beach 32100A Digital Food Dehydrator, 5 Tray, Gray

iichan : Great little machine!

I contemplated for a while before buying this because I already had a working dehydrator but was really interested in one with temp control. It’s a little noisy compared to my one temp heat only one because this one has a motor and a air blower to evenly dry the items. No more rotating my trays!!! I used it the first time to dry my pickled apricot which worked like a charm at low temp. I then went ahead and tried ground beef jerky’s at highest setting 160F which I think I over dried but still tasty. It was a good decision and I wish I purchased this dehydrator months ago!!!

Sierra : Zero Complaints!

I love this thing! I have used it a few times with bananas and cucumbers, and it works great!
I love the amount of trays, and they settle into each other perfectly.
**Keep in mind the lid does NOT seal shut. It does not need to..it just sets on the top, and everything works just fine.**
Easy to clean, easy to use, and the manual even tells you which settings to use for different fruits and veggies.

Jennifer M : Returned this item as the unit smelled like melting plastic and it was so loud there was ...

Returned this item as the unit smelled like melting plastic and it was so loud there was no way to run it in the house without it becoming a bother.

Kent T. : Very good dehydrator

Good dehydrator. My first dehydrator so maybe I'm being generous with the stars, but it does everything I want it to do & more than likely stuff I have no idea how to do (fruit leather...whaaaat?). Banana chips, kiwi & strawberries turned out fantastic. The little instruction/recipe book included has a list of drying time for various products and a great recipe for Teriyaki Jerky. I followed it to the letter, the flavor was amaaaaazing! But the dry time was apparently a little short, even though it looked like wood chips, there was still a lot of moisture in the jerky (inside the vacuum bag) and it went bad after just a few days. Plus I may have cut the meat a little too thick. I don't blame the dehydrator, just my inexperience.

It holds a LOT of product, 5 trays held 4 bananas, 5 kiwi and a handful of strawberries all sliced thin.

The digital read out is super easy to use & set the temp and drying times.

Jennifer M : Returned this item as the unit smelled like melting plastic and it was so loud there was ...

Returned this item as the unit smelled like melting plastic and it was so loud there was no way to run it in the house without it becoming a bother.

Lost Lovely Lady : Fantastic!

I've had this dehydrator for about 2 1/2 years now. I've dehydrated apples, strawberries, lemon balm, strawberry leaves, bananas, tomatoes, and chamomile. I haven't done jerky yet but I will soon.

I love that the heat and time is so adjustable. I love making my own snacks and teas. It's already paid for itself!

My husband has complained about the humm the dehydrator makes but it doesn't bother me at all. It's a "white" noise that is pretty neutral. He'll get over it, lol ???? ???? ????

Tracey L : Defective product, hassle to replace

I received my order and was excited to make some jerky! It ran fine for 4 hours, then I put it on for another 2 hours, and after about 15 minutes an ER code came up. Tried unplugging it and plugging it back in ...the error code kept coming up. Called Hamilton Beach to troubleshoot , after they took the serial number and model number, they said it was an internal problem and they would send a new one. HOWEVER, I had to pay the $12 shipping. WHY? Their product was defective. I called Amazon. They are sending a new one, but I still have to send the old one back (for no charge to me). Which is great from Amazon, but it still irks me I have to be inconvienced because of their defective product. Hopefully the replacement works, or who knows what I will have to do for a refund.
PS. In the few hours it did work, I must say it did run nice and quiet :)

A. Person : 2 years of use and going strong

I have had occasion to have this running days on end when its the right time of year or I get a hankering to do a lot of dehydrating, it has held up just fine. I have used it across the entire temperature range for a variety of different things to good effect. It always works well and I have been very happy with it.

The only problem is I have come to want some extra trays so I can load a bit more at a time - the hamiltonbeach website has extra trays listed for $9 each, but they have been out of stock for quite some time. If you think you might ever want to expand capacity perhaps consider going with one of the popular round models that always has extra trays readily available.

J. Chacon : The BEST!

I love love love this thing. I have made 2 batches of apples and mangoes and it came out great. I als made beef jerky and that was incredible. I like the fact that for an inexpensive machine it has the ability to change the temperature unlike others which only have one setting. This one has a max temp. of 160 degrees F.

I recommend it to anyone who wants to make their own beef jerky instead of paying $7 an ounce at the grocery store :

D Hunt : So Simple to Make Dog Treats

I wanted to make dehydrated chicken and beef for my canine. I'vee never used one before, and I was concerned it would be difficult. It's not! I slice the meat 1/8-1/4 thick and place on the trays. After 12-16 hours, I have dog treats my puppy cannot resist. Quick, easy clean-up too! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

shopperextreme : Satisfied

The only reason why this product gets a 4 is because of length of drying time. Directions show one time and I show twice the drying time. So far I am happy with this product. I have dried many herbs and they come out perfect! I have had other dehydrators that had no temp control and would cook rather than dry. Yes they were inexpensive like this one but this one surpasses the ones I have tried. I am very content with this one. I have not done meat or others only herbs but my herbs have not burned like they have in others. Very happy. Time does not bother me only the outcome.

Amazon Customer : Would recommend this one vs the circular simply bc it has ...

Very impressed! I have done batches of strawberries and apples with no problems. Although the lid was cracked during shipping I contacted Hamilton Beach and they replaced within 15 days( lids were on back order). Would recommend this one vs the circular simply bc it has outdone my old one by how much I can dehydrate at a time.

Cathie P : I love the HB Hydrator's sleek design

Dry a little, dry a lot. The stackable trays allow you to chose the number of trays you want to use at any time. I like the size and flexibility of this dehydrator. It is easy to store and doesn't take up much space. I use it primarily for herbs. During the winter months, I purchase small, pricey, packages of fresh herbs. Now I can use what I want and preserve the remaining portion for a later use. I also grow my own fresh herbs. The garden and dehydrate allow me greater control over the quality of my food.

Cathie P : I love the HB Hydrator's sleek design

Mohamad Kamani : Not too loud, got the job done

I needed a dehydrator to start drying some vegetables I grow and to try my hand at making beef jerky. This has been my first ever food dehydrator and I must say it is failry simple to use and comes with a few accessories for the various things you may need to dry. Also has quite a bit of room to dry. I just could not keep it on at night in my room as it was somewhat loud. Not too loud tho.

Amazon Customer : Controls SUCK!

It works well, but it really is not very quiet. The control panel has been terrible since we received it an is just getting worse. It switches from temp to time and back again while you're trying to set each setting.

Sergey Tsukanov : very noisy

Well, for this price I think the dehydrator could be less noisy and better quality. I don't like the hole in the middle of each tray, since its very uncomfortable to use for flaxseed crackers or fruit/berry purée. It will work fine if you'll only do the veggie/fruit chips. Rather than that, don't waste your money and buy the one with flat trays (with no holes in it). I don't recommended it!

Karin E Challis : WORKS GREAT!

I felt like I was going back in time to when I was a teenager. My mom dried fruit ALL the time with the old round style dehydrator that you can add trays to. I have been buying so much fruit (I'm always guilty of this in summer) that sometimes it spoils before I can get to it. I also have strict dietary needs and dried fruit makes great snacks for 1/2 the cost of buying a bag at a convenience store. This dehydrator is super easy to use and it includes instructions for settings & time for whatever you are dehydrating. Highly recommend.

Kent T. : Very good dehydrator

Amy Browne : Simple to use for a newbie!

I got this after stumbling on a few youtube videos from the purposeful pantry about dehydrating. At first it was just a 'cool thing' with a vegetable for the pantry-- by the second week it was being used on a daily basis for my pantry. I have made jerky (steak and ground beef) and loads of vegetables. I have had it almost a month and almost as soon as its done another type of food is in there. This is so simple to use and very addictive too! I am doing other types of meat, vegetables, fruits and combining them to be meals.-- omg I love this and I will be getting another one soon.

Melissa : Love it!

I bought this for my parents since my mom seemed to like my dehydrator. I'm glad and sad to say that it seems to work better than my very well know brand. I chose this one because it was smaller for the space she had available, and I wasn't sure how often she would actually use it. It was a great choice. The smaller trays make the so much easier to clean since they fit right in the sink, and everything she has made as been dehydrated well, evenly, and it a very reasonable time. I'm actually considering switching to it myself.

Tracey L : Defective product, hassle to replace

John G : Top of the trash heap

I got this item given all the great reviews and was hoping this would be a great find amongst the cheap hamilton beach trash pile. Thow this cheap crap at the top of the heap! It cut off after a few minutes of use displaying "Er" and after searching online discovered this is a common fatal error. It is useless. Thankfully amazon sent me a refund. I guess I'll bite the bullet and buy a quality product.

ChrisandDog : Still Great after a year and half!

I bought this in Jan 2020 and I am still using it. I make chicken Jerky for me and the dog. I make pineapple fruit roll ups and homemade corn chips. I use sheets to cover the trays for easy clean up. I use on of inserts as a templet. It is a bit noisy but it does not bother me. I normally run it over night. I love it!

Mira Hodges : my first dehydrator

Super loud and bulky but it is my first dehydrator and it works. I like being able to control the temperature. There are not enough tray inserts for making fruit roll-ups and drying herbs. And it is hard to get in all the crevices to clean. It takes a lot longer to dehydrate than described in the instruction manual. But it functions pretty well.

Jade : Used it to dry some peppers

Ran it soon as I got it. Looks nice. It's about as loud as a small fan. Uses almost no electricity, my meter says 2 cents an hour. Which is a steal compared to the oven which was costing 50 cents an hour to dry herbs and peppers... You can do the math, this thing will pay for itself within 80 hours of drying things. Takes about 6 hours to dry a batch of peppers. So in 14 batches of drying stuff, it's completely paid for itself with the electricity I've saved from switching over from my oven!

10/10 would recommend

will update if it breaks down or anything.

UPDATE JAN 8: We've run this thing for a good 70 hours now, no issues. Did notice however that the front corners don't dry quite as quickly as the rest. If you're going to fill the thing totally full on all racks, lift up every tray and flip it around halfway through drying. Everything will dry much more evenly and nicely, especially fruit leather. Or just avoid putting things directly in the front corners.

Still 100% satisfied, I don't think I've ever spent a better $40 in my life.

PlantsandPerfume : It's nice! Very versatile with what you can make and the included instructions are great!

It's a nice design, and fits more food than most of this size. I love the digital temperature control and the timer is amazing (self-shut off, it's excellent!). I've made tangerine segments , tangerine peels, and ginger root, all for use in tea. I purchased this for drying herbs as well , but our growing season has just started, so I haven't tried herbs yet. I can tell you the tangerine peels took 5 hours, the ginger root took 7 hours, and the tangerine segments took almost an entire day (23 hours). I like the dehydrator quite a lot, but I took a star of because I do wish it was less noisy. The sound it makes is equivalent to an air conditioner or a fan. After one day of this noise, it can be a bit much. I will definitely be slicing the tangerines thinner next time, so the drying time is less. The food on all 5 trays seemed to evenly dry, with the food in the middle of all the trays drying slightly faster. I did pause the machine to rotate and flip the tangerine segments. Our family will definitely be getting a lot of use from this dehydrator, I can't wait to make fruit leather with the provided tray insert. It also has a mesh insert for use with smaller foods (like rosemary or thyme). Overall very pleased with the dehydrator, the price, quality, and would purchase again. UPDATE: I wanted to update my review now that I've had more time using this dehydrator :This dehydrator is amazing and so worth the price! Chicken and meat can take anywhere from 4 hours and up, depending on the thickness. 1/4 inch thick slices took almost 6 hours for me (I made chicken jerky for my dog). I found the easiest way to slice it that thin, was to freeze it, then use a mandolin slicer. I allowed it to thaw in fridge before putting it in the dehydrator. The directions state that all meats for jerky can be no more than 1/4 inch thick, and should be checked at 4 hours and every 30 minutes after. I mostly do fruit in mine. Strawberries are super quick, a mere 4-6 hours depending on thickness, where as citrus slices have taken anywhere from 24-28 hours. It's an excellent dehydrator for the price. I literally ran it for 4 days straight when I first received it, and every week after that, and it's still running perfect. I love it! My family loves having fruit to flavor their tea and water. The dried fruit is perfect in trail mixes and nut mixes (especially pineapple, kiwi and cranberries). My husband loves the beef jerky, and my dog the chicken jerky. Everyone loves something made in this dehydrator! We've gotten a ton of use out of it already!

Steve nave : Good for drying shrooms

Drying out shrooms right now lol

Suzie : Great, great, great.

I bought this to make dog treats. I was disgusted with the warnings about buying them, so I really paid attention to the ingredients. I then spent some guilt ridden hours over what we had been feeding our babies. A downside of making treats without preservatives is that they can get moldy. Add in humid Florida weather, then make room in your freezer. Hence, the dehydrator.

I spent weeks comparing makes & models, going back & forth. From other reviewers I knew that I wanted a timer, the right fan placement, and not too noisy. Price of course, for what I was going to use it for.

This fit the bill. I started just drying the dog treats after baking them but then I got cocky and decided to make jerky. OK so the 1st batch was disgraceful and inedible. Hint: you are warned to not make the meat too thick. Well the opposite is true- don't make it too thin, either!

I had the butcher slice some meat for me, but I also found thin slices of sirloin that I simply had to cut in half with scissors. Perfect. I partially froze a chicken breast to slice it, and that was easy. Flank steak is wonderful. I even sliced a beef heart and wrapped it with sweet potato strips that I steamed for a few minutes to soften.

While I've made some mistakes, they were all mine, the unit performed great. I never have to move items around because one section is drying faster. Keep everything the same size, or at least the same size on each tray where you can pause the unit to remove a tray and keep the rest going.

I have 6 months at this and I couldn't be happier. That includes 3 dogs (one diabetic ) one daughter and one very happy jerky loving son-in-law. Not to mention the money I've saved and why I bought it in the first place. If offered a store bought treat or a homemade one, they immediately go for homemade. Smart dogs!

Rosee : Chicken jerky

Excellent for dehydrating foods. A little noisy, but the machine does the job. Better to have a good fan in the unit than a quiet one that takes twice as long to get the job done.

Gary Quinton : dries everything!

I initially bought this because I had a hankering for some beef jerky. Satisfied I moved on to dry some pears and some plums. I even tried to dry watermelon! (not recommended. Watermelon needs to be wet.) The fan can be a bit loud, so if you have a pantry, behind closed doors is the way to go. Drying time will vary, and it is not uncommon to have this baby run all night. Trays seem sturdy until you try to wash them, and you feel that they are indeed lightweight and somewhat fragile. Cleaning is easy though, and the device itself can be cleaned with a damp sponge.

Mia Kalish, Ph.D. : My 2nd one of these :-)

I had ordered a dehydrator last year when the peaches came in. There were so many that I had to "do something." So I ordered this dehydrator. And I was very, very happy with it. I got a little Kindle instruction book, and I and my peaches were happy campers indeed.

Then this year, the apricot tree that produced only one fruit for me and two for the birds last year graced us with a double bumper crop this year. So, desperate, I ordered a 2nd dehydrator. It still took over a week to dry all the apricots but I got it done and I have fruit for my trail mix for over a year.

That said, the dehydrator has a nice temperature control, you can set the hours, it's easy to use and it's predictable. I like knowing that my fruit will be ready to pack just when the time says it's done. Sometimes a little adjustment of time or temperature is necessary but that is dependent more on the fruit I'm drying that on the unit.

Great buy! Give it a try :-).

Jennifer Alvord : Very simple to use, and does a great job!

I LOVE this dehydrator!

I have never made dehydrated food before, and now I can't stop. I have made apples, pears, grapes, watermelon, and lemon so far, and all of them turned out great, I even made some really good zest seasoning.

I am very happy how simple it is to use, it is a little loud, but that is understandable with the fan keeping the air circulating.

SouthernAmazoner : Nice basic machine

This is the first food dehydrator I've owned and the reason I chose one of the least expensive. I like this machine a lot. I wanted it primarily to make chicken and beef jerky for my dog who is on a low carb diet to lose weight. This dehydrator works perfectly. It makes jerky in about three hours. The LED display shows time left and temperature. The trays are easy to clean. The dehydrator is a little noisy, but since I've never had one before, I don't know if that's normal. It comes with a user manual and a few recipes.

MzSoCali2U : Small great for home use Does not take up much more room than a small toaster oven

Works great arrived on time and in perfect condition. I have already made beef jerky for my husband and chicken jerky for my dogs!

Kristin Reite : Buyer beware! Broke after 32 days

This product was great for the 4 times I used it. Then it just stopped working after having it for only 32 days. The return window was 30 days and I contacted Amazon to figure out a replacement option and they told me I need to contact the Seller, which is Hamilton Beach. I reached out and we placed that I was 2 days outside of the return window and my devices stopped working. I received an auto email back that I should hear back in a few days and 5 days later...still no response. Buyer beware! Don’t be fooled by the reviews.

YardWorkisaPain : Smokey Burning Plastic Smell

When first turning on this dehydrator, there was a smokey burning plastic smell. I removed all of the trays and let the unit run for a while. After about 15 minutes the smell decreased to a level where I felt I could put the trays back on the base. Hopefully the apples I am trying to dry won't smell or taste like the plastic smell.

The fan is a lot louder than I thought it would be. Not as loud as an air popper for popcorn but annoying enough to put it in another room and close the door.

Mohamad Kamani : Not too loud, got the job done

Darren : Awesome value

It's about as loud as an air fryer. But the heat distribution is perfect. Use all 5 trays as directed, even if some are empty. And use a meat slicer for uniform thickness of jerky if you want all of the pieces to finish at the same time. You shouldn't have to rotate anything.

AJ : Great Dehydrater!

Great product for the price! Definitely does the job. We make all natural chicken jerky treats for our dog with this. They turn out great every time. You do still need to finish the jerky in the oven (we do 20 min at 275) to make sure the temp gets high enough to kill the pathogens in the chicken. We would buy this again!

Jordan Swanson : Stops working after a few uses.

After one or two good uses, I tried to use this to make fruit leather. It has been giving me an "Er" message after shutting itself off after an hour or two ever since. Can't figure out why this is happening, and the directions give no indiction of what it means. I got it to start up one other time, but am now back to the same issue. At this point, I wish I had bought something else.

I expected better performance from this dehydrator. When it works it does an okay job, but it seems to break down too easily.

SouthernAmazoner : Nice basic machine

Amazon Customer : Mass jerky producer here!!

After much research, this seemed to be the perfect fit, and over a year of regular use later it has not let me down. I can usually get an average bushel of bananas on all the trays. About 2.5lbs of steak for jerky will fill the trays. The spice layer is awesome for a topper. The reference book included has great info on temps and times. It tops out at 160, I wouldn't mind 165 for jerky, though I just run it a bit longer, 8 hours or so. So far I have done about 18lbs of jerky, 6 rounds of banana chips, 4 round of pineapple chips, various spices I have grown. Detail: I have not gotten the real crisp on fruit chips. Close but not quite there and I have experimented with times. They last for a while though and everyone loves them. The timer option and adjustable temp are my favorite options

The Murph : Worked well when it worked.

Worked great, when it worked. Only used a few times. Has now stopped drying food well. Been running a small batch of fruit for about 14 hours now, still not dry. Before, that would be dry in 6-8 hours.

I took it apart to see if it was dirty - spotless on the inside.
Checked the fan - works.
Error messages - none.
Top tray with cap is on top - as it should be.

The only thing is maybe the heating element is going out. I did notice that only about 1/4 of the coil glows at max temp, not sure how much of it should glow, never looked at it before I started having issues.

Seems like most people have good luck with this product, must have just gotten a lemon.

Nicole : Worthless machine, only runs for 15 minutes before turning off

I was excited to start dehydrating my own crackers and fruits and bought this machine. I did not use it right away, so my warranty is worthless at this point. But, today, on the first time out of the box, I discovered it only runs in 15 minute increments and then turns off. When I came online to see if I was doing something wrong, I discovered that this has happened to many people. I'm irritated with myself for not using this sooner and discovering I had wasted my money, but I wanted to share with you NOT to buy this machine. This is absolutely no good to anyone.

Maggie Norcross : It works well for drying things...

The adjustable temperature and time settings are great. It absolutely does the job. I have no complaints about the functionality of this as a dehydrator for food.

But it only comes with one solid liner (for e.g. fruit leather) and one crosshatched liner (for drying anything that would fall through the otherwise large holes on the trays themselves). And I can't find any place to buy any additional liners. The Hamilton Beach website is sold out, and has been for at least the month that I've had this.

So, I guess I'm saying, if you want to make fruit leather then either try to source liners for this first, or buy another dehydrator.

shopperextreme : Satisfied

Leondraconum : The noisiest dehydrator ever!

This thing sounds like a vacuum cleaner running!!! There is absolutely no way I could keep sane and leave this running for 4-10 hours with it’s incredibly loud whirring and humming. It can be heard across the house. I attached a video. Returning it ASAP as this is unacceptable.

John G : Top of the trash heap

Kat : Ehh ?

I was under the impression that I can make CHIPS with this. As in CRUNCHY. I’ve attempted beats once, and strawberries twice. Followed instructions to a T and have gotten dried soft maybe a little crunch on the edges results every time.

I even tried letting them sit longer. I did this with the beats and instead got burnt tasting beats that were just void of life.

I really want this thing to work. If I can’t even make my favorite chips ( beat chips ) I see no point .

On top of all this it’s noisy, and I got a lot of complaints from the other people in the house. You have to have a spare room for this thing to give it privacy to make all its noise by itself lol.

It’s also pretty small. I was very unsatisfied with the fact that I have to wait so long to make something I can eat in one quick sitting.

It had me considering to just buy a really expensive commercial one. At that point it’s like .... yeah no.

Returning this.

you can compare the product price from Costco, wayfair, bestbuy, lowes, target, homedepot, Walmart, ebay, amazon to find the best price for you

Hamilton Beach 32100A Digital Food Dehydrator, 5 Tray, Gray review and price compare 2025

Product overview

product features

From the manufacturer

Hamilton Beach 32100A Food Dehydrator, Gray

Sensational Snacks

Dehydrating Fruits and Vegetables

Simple Design

A Little Time Reaps Big Rewards

Make Fruit Rolls at Home

Drying Garden Herbs

product description

product details

important information

Questions about Hamilton Beach 32100A Digital Food Dehydrator, 5 Tray, Gray

What is the tray height? I am looking to dry a non-food item that is 1 inch tall

Are the trays plastic? are they bpa free?

Can I just use 1 or 2 trays if I'm only dehydrating a small amount or do I have to put in all the trays?

What is the temperature range?

Is there a drip tray?

does anyone know where I can get an extra fruit roll sheet for this

i see a lot of complaints that the unit will break/melt aftet 2-4 uses, what protection/guarantee will i get that mine qon't just junk out?

Do you have to rotate the trays?

How do we store food after it has been dehydrated?

What is the average wattage pull on this? It goes up to 500 Watt but 500 Watt over 24 hours is a lot of electric!

Has anyone used this for baby snacks? The kind that melt in their mouths.

can you dehydrate chicken and fish? how long does it take to do something like this?

Would this be good for preparing food for hiking?

Can you put the trays into the oven on a high temperature?

Does this small thing really use 500 watts? If it does that seems extremely inefficient? Even 100 watts should be sufficient to dry food in this

Can I use this with nuts?

What trays does it come with?

can i order additional solid sheets for making fruit rolls?

I've had this almost a year and the fruit trays have been out of stock at Hamilton Beach's website. Does anyone know where I can get more?

what is the voltage range of this product? ( 120v or 120-220v)?

How do you wash the trays?

as there is no product description on the voltage, frequency mentioned i wonder if your above product can be used in Malaysia. please advice.

does it have a fan?

Please confirm if this will work with indian power sockets, which is 230 volts, 50 hz ac as the power source, 3 pin (type-d) or 2 pin (type c).

how variable are the temperature settings for this product? What temperatures does it allow you to specify? Do the temperatures seem to be reliable?

are fine mesh sheets available for this? i dont see where to buy more.

can it make fruit like apple or strawberry crunchy like cereal or does it only make the chewy kind? I like it both ways. Just curious.

Does anyone use this for drying edible mushrooms ?

can you purchase more trays for this machine?

how would be the best way to add height to between trays? I want to do tracheas for dog treats

Can you use the silicone sheets to dry the fruit leather

Does anyone know what to do when the Er message comes on the screen?

can you order more trays?

Has anyone figured out the best temp, time and thickness to make sweet potato dog treats?

do they have it in 220 v?

does it come with a book

Does it make crunchy or chewy veggie/fruit ?

is it noisey?

Hello, Can you tell me the drying surface (area) that this food dehydrator has ??? Thank you !

Does anyone know if the plastic is BPA free

Has anyone tried making yogurt?

Extra fruit roll sheets? They are out of stock on HB, and cant find them on amazon...

Can I dehydrate shredded coconut?

Are the trays dishwasher safe?

Does this come in 2 boxes?

What are the dimensions of the trays?

Are the trays dishwasher safe with heated dry?

how many watts is it?

Where can i get additional trays other than at hamilton itself? any hints/links? thanks!

why lid does not fit properly?

Product reviews of Hamilton Beach 32100A Digital Food Dehydrator, 5 Tray, Gray