Guide · updated 2026-11-10

Food dehydrators & electric smokers with metal racks

We score what your food sits on for hours: the trays or racks, then the drying chamber and any liners in the box. Stainless trays from Cosori and Excalibur and SmokinTex's all-stainless smoker pass; chrome-plated smoker racks are partial; plastic trays fail, BPA-free or not.

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Black Friday / Cyber Monday: every vetted Pass & Partial pick with a live Amazon listing — real price drops only when the listing showed one.

How to read verdicts: Pass metal/glass primary path (silicone seals OK if disclosed). Partial usable if you skip a coated accessory, or plastic remains on lids. Fail plastic or fluoropolymer/nonstick in the normal use path.

Short answer (checked 2026-11-10): for drying fruit, herbs and jerky without plastic under the food, buy a box-style dehydrator with stainless steel trays. The Cosori Premium CP267-FD (about $144) is the value Pass: stainless trays in a stainless housing, glass door. The Excalibur Performance 10-tray is the big-batch pass. Most round, stackable dehydrators (Hamilton Beach, Presto, Cosori's own Pioneer) dry food on plastic trays and Fail. For smoking, the bestselling Masterbuilt cabinet uses chrome-coated racks (plating, not bare stainless), so it's Partial. The only electric smoker we found where the maker says it's stainless throughout is the SmokinTex Lil' Tex, at $699.

How we score dehydrators and smokers

Not scored (checked 2026-11-10): Nesco FD-75A Snackmaster Pro (both Amazon listings showed no featured offer; Amazon says its trays are BPA-free food-grade plastic), Excalibur 3926TB classic 9-tray (Amazon unavailable; Amazon points to the stainless Performance model as the newer version), Cuisinart COS-330 electric smoker (Amazon showed no featured offer; Amazon copy lists chrome-steel racks and stainless water and wood trays) and the Ninja Woodfire OG701 grill-smoker (both Amazon listings currently unavailable; SharkNinja sells its grill grate as ceramic-coated nonstick, which would fail). Ninja doesn't sell a stand-alone dehydrator; its air fryers' dehydrate mode is covered in air fryers. Prices are Amazon on 2026-11-10 unless a card says otherwise. No product here matched a CPSC or Health Canada recall.

Quick picks

Comparison

Pass Passes
CosoriCP267-FD
Pass
Price
$143.96
Food-contact
6 trays: stainless steel, dishwasher-safe (Cosori product page and FAQ; Amazon)
Origin
Not stated (unverified)
ExcaliburDH10SSSS13
Pass
Price
$373.23
Food-contact
10 trays: stainless steel (Excalibur product page: "10 dishwasher-safe stainless steel tra
Origin
Not stated (unverified)
SmokinTexLil' Tex (formerly Pro 1100)
Pass
Price
$699.00
Food-contact
Grill racks: stainless steel, dishwasher-safe (SmokinTex)
Origin
Not stated (unverified)
Partial Partial
Magic MillMFD-7070
Partial
Price
$159.99
Food-contact
7 trays: food-grade stainless steel (Magic Mill on Amazon; maker product page)
Origin
Not stated (unverified)
MasterbuiltMB20071117
Partial
Price
$249.99
Food-contact
4 smoking racks: chrome-coated (Masterbuilt); base metal not named
Origin
Not stated (unverified)
Fail Fails
CosoriCFD-N051-W
Fail
Price
$49.99
Food-contact
5 trays: BPA-free polypropylene (Amazon material: Polypropylene (PP); Cosori: BPA-free tra
Origin
Not stated (unverified)
Hamilton Beach32100A
Fail
Price
$59.95
Food-contact
5 stackable trays: BPA-free plastic (Hamilton Beach copy on Amazon; Amazon material: Plast
Origin
Not stated (unverified)
Presto06300 (06300-05)
Fail
Price
$55.33
Food-contact
4 nesting drying trays: plastic (Amazon material: Plastic; resin not named)
Origin
Not stated (unverified)

Swipe sideways to see all columns →

ModelVerdictPricePrimary food-contactOrigin
Pass Passes
Cosori
CP267-FD
Pass$143.966 trays: stainless steel, dishwasher-safe (Cosori product page and FAQ; Amazon)Not stated (unverified)
Excalibur
DH10SSSS13
Pass$373.2310 trays: stainless steel (Excalibur product page: "10 dishwasher-safe stainless steel traNot stated (unverified)
SmokinTex
Lil' Tex (formerly Pro 1100)
Pass$699.00Grill racks: stainless steel, dishwasher-safe (SmokinTex)Not stated (unverified)
Partial Partial
Magic Mill
MFD-7070
Partial$159.997 trays: food-grade stainless steel (Magic Mill on Amazon; maker product page)Not stated (unverified)
Masterbuilt
MB20071117
Partial$249.994 smoking racks: chrome-coated (Masterbuilt); base metal not namedNot stated (unverified)
Fail Fails
Cosori
CFD-N051-W
Fail$49.995 trays: BPA-free polypropylene (Amazon material: Polypropylene (PP); Cosori: BPA-free traNot stated (unverified)
Hamilton Beach
32100A
Fail$59.955 stackable trays: BPA-free plastic (Hamilton Beach copy on Amazon; Amazon material: PlastNot stated (unverified)
Presto
06300 (06300-05)
Fail$55.334 nesting drying trays: plastic (Amazon material: Plastic; resin not named)Not stated (unverified)

Product notes

Pass Passes

Cosori Premium 6-Tray Stainless Steel Food Dehydrator CP267-FD

Pass

Cosori · Model CP267-FD · 4.7★ (23347 ratings)

$143.96 (also seen ~$159.99) · checked 2026-11-10

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Disclosure.

Why: Food dries on six stainless steel trays inside what Cosori calls a food-grade stainless steel housing, behind a glass front door, with the fan at the back. Nothing plastic or coated sits under the food in normal use. The two liners in the box (a mesh screen and a fruit-roll sheet) are plastic, so skip them or use parchment; we treat them as optional accessories, the same way we treat a plastic beaker with a stick blender.

Food-contact
6 trays: stainless steel, dishwasher-safe (Cosori product page and FAQ; Amazon)Drying chamber: "food-grade stainless steel housing" (Cosori brand copy on Amazon); front door glass (Cosori brand copy on Amazon bundle listing)Included mesh screen and fruit-roll sheet: plastic (Cosori sells them as "BPA-Free"; resin not named). Optional, hand-wash only (manual)
Made in
Not stated (unverified)
Warranty
1 year, plus 1 more year if you register (Cosori manual); Amazon lists "2 year manufacturer"
Watch-outs
  • Included liners are plastic: skip them or use parchment
  • Prop 65 lead warning on Cosori's page (part not named)
  • Cosori's 2023 recall (CPSC 23-130) covers air fryers, not this dehydrator
Sources (5)

Excalibur Performance Digital 10-Tray Stainless Steel Dehydrator DH10SSSS13

Pass

Excalibur · Model DH10SSSS13 · 4.3★ (90 ratings)

$373.23 (also seen ~$379.99) · checked 2026-11-10

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Disclosure.

Why: Excalibur describes this as a stainless-steel dehydrator with ten stainless steel trays and a glass top viewing window. Excalibur's own listing includes only the trays and a digital book, no plastic liners. It's the big-capacity pick. One caveat: a European Amazon listing for the same model calls the trays "stainless steel plated", which conflicts with Excalibur's US copy.

Food-contact
10 trays: stainless steel (Excalibur product page: "10 dishwasher-safe stainless steel trays")Cabinet: stainless steel (Excalibur: "expertly crafted stainless-steel dehydrator"); glass top viewing window (Excalibur)No liners included (Amazon: "(10) SS trays; Preserve It Naturally Book")
Made in
Not stated (unverified)
Warranty
3-year limited (Excalibur; Amazon)
Watch-outs
  • European listing calls the trays "stainless steel plated" (conflict with Excalibur US copy; unverified)
  • Thin trays can warp under heavy loads (Serious Eats)
  • A few Amazon owners report an odor/taste early on (owner reports, unverified)
  • CPSC 19-115 covers "Excalibur EZ DRY" dehydrators sold by Greenfield World Trade (models TTEVM50W/EVM50W), not this model
Sources (4)

SmokinTex Lil' Tex Stainless Steel Electric Smoker (Pro 1100)

Pass

SmokinTex · Model Lil' Tex (formerly Pro 1100) · 4.5★ (75 ratings)

$699.00 · checked 2026-11-10

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Disclosure.

Why: The only electric smoker we found where the maker says the cooking box is stainless throughout: SmokinTex says it "uses high quality stainless steel throughout", with dishwasher-safe stainless racks and a stainless drip pan. Food sits on bare stainless, not chrome-plated wire. The trade-offs are price ($699) and size: it's a small smoker, and the door seal isn't described.

Food-contact
Grill racks: stainless steel, dishwasher-safe (SmokinTex)Cooking box: stainless steel throughout, double-wall insulated (SmokinTex)Drip pan: stainless steel (SmokinTex brand copy on Amazon)Door seal: material not stated (unverified)
Made in
Not stated (unverified)
Warranty
Conflicting: Amazon bullet says 5-year, Amazon item details say "2 year warranty thru smokintex" (unverified); free lifetime technical support (SmokinTex)
Watch-outs
  • Door seal material not stated
  • Amazon copy is inconsistent (wattage, warranty, calls it a 'pellet smoker')
  • Small capacity for the price
  • Outdoor appliance
Sources (3)

Partial Partial

Magic Mill Pro 7-Tray Stainless Steel Food Dehydrator MFD-7070

Partial

Magic Mill · Model MFD-7070 · 4.6★ (4642 ratings)

$159.99 · checked 2026-11-10

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Disclosure.

Why: Serious Eats' top dehydrator has seven sturdy stainless steel trays and a rear fan. It stays partial because Magic Mill doesn't say what the drying chamber or the see-through door is made of, and the box includes "non-stick" fruit-leather sheets whose coating it doesn't name. Food on the bare trays touches only stainless.

Food-contact
7 trays: food-grade stainless steel (Magic Mill on Amazon; maker product page)Drying chamber and transparent door window: materials not named (unverified)Included "non-stick" sheets and mesh sheets: material/coating not named (Amazon; manual), skip or use parchment
Made in
Not stated (unverified)
Warranty
1-year limited (Magic Mill copy on Amazon)
Watch-outs
  • Chamber/door materials not named
  • Nonstick sheet coating not named
  • Owner reports of units failing within a year (Amazon review summary)
Sources (4)

Masterbuilt 30-Inch Digital Electric Smoker MB20071117

Partial

Masterbuilt · Model MB20071117 · 4.4★ (11216 ratings)

$249.99 · checked 2026-11-10

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Disclosure.

Why: Amazon's #1 best-selling outdoor smoker. Food sits on four racks Masterbuilt calls "chrome-coated", which means plating over steel, not bare stainless: fine while intact, but it can chip and rust. Masterbuilt doesn't name the interior liner, water bowl or wood-chip tray. No nonstick coating is claimed, so it's partial, not fail.

Food-contact
4 smoking racks: chrome-coated (Masterbuilt); base metal not namedInterior: aluminum per a Smoked BBQ Source hands-on review; Masterbuilt doesn't say (unverified)Water bowl, wood chip tray, grease tray: materials not named (unverified)
Made in
Not stated (unverified)
Warranty
1-year (Masterbuilt; Amazon)
Watch-outs
  • Chrome-plated racks, not bare stainless
  • Interior and tray materials not named by Masterbuilt
  • Older Masterbuilt electric smokehouse recalls (CPSC 13-241: 20070312/20070512; CPSC 06-173: ESQ30B/ESQ30S) are different models
Sources (3)

Fail Fails

Cosori Pioneer 5-Tray Food Dehydrator CFD-N051-W

Fail

Cosori · Model CFD-N051-W · 4.6★ (9559 ratings)

$49.99 · checked 2026-11-10

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Disclosure.

Why: Cosori's budget round dehydrator stacks five BPA-free polypropylene trays over a base fan. Same brand as our stainless pick, but here the food sits on plastic, so it fails.

Food-contact
5 trays: BPA-free polypropylene (Amazon material: Polypropylene (PP); Cosori: BPA-free trays)Body/lid: plastic ("solid material" per Cosori; resin not named)
Made in
Not stated (unverified)
Warranty
Amazon lists "2 year manufacturer"
Watch-outs
  • Polypropylene trays are the food-contact surface
  • Prop 65 lead warning on the Amazon listing (part not named)
Sources (2)

Hamilton Beach Digital 5-Tray Food Dehydrator 32100A

Fail

Hamilton Beach · Model 32100A · 4.5★ (6724 ratings)

$59.95 · checked 2026-11-10

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Disclosure.

Why: Food dries directly on five BPA-free plastic trays under a clear plastic lid. BPA-free is still plastic, warmed for hours at up to 160 °F, so it fails our rule.

Food-contact
5 stackable trays: BPA-free plastic (Hamilton Beach copy on Amazon; Amazon material: Plastic)Clear vented lid: plastic (Amazon)Mesh screen and fruit-leather sheet: material not named
Made in
Not stated (unverified)
Warranty
1-year (Amazon item details)
Watch-outs
  • Plastic trays are the food-contact surface
Sources (1)

Presto Dehydro Electric Food Dehydrator 06300

Fail

Presto · Model 06300 (06300-05) · 4.6★ (11253 ratings)

$55.33 · checked 2026-11-10

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Disclosure.

Why: A long-running budget dehydrator with four nesting plastic trays (Amazon lists the material as plastic) and a fixed preset temperature. Food sits on plastic, so it fails.

Food-contact
4 nesting drying trays: plastic (Amazon material: Plastic; resin not named)Base drip tray: material not named
Made in
Not stated (unverified)
Warranty
1-year limited (Amazon item details)
Watch-outs
  • Plastic trays
  • No adjustable thermostat (preset temperature)
  • Presto's 2021 recall (CPSC 21-079) covers its Indoor Electric Smoker, not this dehydrator
Sources (2)