What We Bought: The Cosori 0165 Dehydrator Mummifies Meat for $70

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I'm a big fan of beef jerky. Not so much the exorbitant retail price, beware, or the untraceable nature of the precursors to the commercial product – like when you get that bag that's nothing but leftovers, unidentifiable knuckles and strands of desiccated flesh, ew . So I decided, in keeping with my recent self-sufficiency kick, to start dehydrating my own food for fun and, presumably, eventual profit. Certainly not because the USDA warns that in 2022, "all food prices are expected to increase between 8.5 and 9.5%", with "home food prices expected to increase between 10 and 11%" .

Dehydration is one of mankind's oldest and most useful food preparation techniques. We did this before we started farming, sun-drying meat and vegetable matter to wick away moisture that leads to spoilage, extending its durability and making it easier to transport. Even with later advances in fermentation, pickling, salting and canning, drying remains a ubiquitous practice, with the global meat snack industry estimated at $9.47 billion in 2021 .

Since I was new to the business and generally a cheap slut, I ignored advice from popular review sites and gave up the bells and whistles of Wi-Fi connectivity, stainless steel construction and accompanying smartphone apps, opting instead for the cheapest and most barebones dehydrator I could find: the Cosori C0165. It's $70 and that's perfect.

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I mean it's a food dehydrator. It is, by definition, a box that blows hot air. You could literally MacGyver a hair dryer, a plastic milk crate, a two-gallon jug of water, some chicken wire, and a roll of duct tape if you wanted. And there's nothing out of the ordinary about the dehydration process. You set the temperature and a timer and then wait 6-18 hours for a bell to ring so why would I spend over $200-500 on a bunch of features that only give the illusion of a bigger control but don't do the actual process go faster?

The C0165 does exactly what it's supposed to do and not one iota more and I love it for that. You get five stackable BPA-free plastic trays, a fruit roll sheet, and a mesh sheet for the herbs (yes, those herbs too). You put moisture-filled stuff on those trays, stack the trays, turn the machine on, set the temperature (95ºF-165ºF) and time (30 minute increments up to 48 hours), then you go on with your life. There are no pop-up reminders to clear, no app permissions to grant, and very little to break, as long as you don't submerge the base unit in liquid. The thing is pretty darn quiet, running at 48dB - you won't notice it running overnight unless it's in the same room as you - and is compact enough to fit in the cabinet when it's is not used. Cleanup is also easy: just wipe the base with a sponge and lightly rub the trays to remove any remaining dried bits.