[
  {
    "brand": "Excalibur",
    "model": "3926TB",
    "name": "Excalibur 3926TB 9-Tray",
    "slug": "excalibur-3926tb",
    "category": "adjustable",
    "price_usd": 239.99,
    "price_source": "excaliburdehydrator.com (reg. $299.99, sale price)",
    "price_date": "2026-07-14",
    "max_temp_f": 165,
    "temp_range": "105–165°F, adjustable thermostat",
    "watts": 600,
    "trays_note": "9 trays, 15\" × 15\" — 15 sq ft published",
    "verdict": "reaches-160",
    "headline_claim": "Adjustable to 165°F; Excalibur's own FAQ says the dial reflects food temperature, with air running hotter",
    "verdict_note": "The published range tops out at 165°F — above the USDA jerky line on paper. Excalibur's FAQ is unusually candid about what a dehydrator dial means: the setting reflects intended food temperature, and air temperature runs higher, because evaporation cools the food. That is exactly the mechanism USDA cites for why no dehydrator setting guarantees meat reaches 160°F before it dries — the dial number and the meat's internal temperature are different things. The oven pre-heat or post-heat step is USDA's answer, whatever the dial says.",
    "sources": [
      {"name": "Excalibur — 3926TB product page (105–165°F, 15 sq ft, price)", "url": "https://excaliburdehydrator.com/products/excalibur-9-tray-26hr-timer-solid-door-black"},
      {"name": "Excalibur — FAQ (dial reflects food temperature; air runs hotter)", "url": "https://excaliburdehydrator.com/pages/faqs"},
      {"name": "USDA FSIS — Jerky (heat to 160°F before dehydrating)", "url": "https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/meat-fish/jerky"}
    ],
    "amazon_search": "excalibur 3926tb dehydrator",
    "brand_url": "https://excaliburdehydrator.com/",
    "checked": "2026-07-14"
  },
  {
    "brand": "Cosori",
    "model": "CP267-FD Premium",
    "name": "Cosori CP267-FD Premium 6-Tray",
    "slug": "cosori-cp267-fd",
    "category": "adjustable",
    "price_usd": 143.99,
    "price_source": "cosori.com (reg. $159.99, sale price)",
    "price_date": "2026-07-14",
    "max_temp_f": 165,
    "temp_range": "95–165°F, digital control",
    "watts": 600,
    "trays_note": "6 stainless trays, 12\" × 13\" — 6.5 sq ft per Cosori's listing",
    "verdict": "reaches-160",
    "headline_claim": "\"165°F … Temperature Compliant\" — Cosori's Amazon listing title markets the number itself",
    "verdict_note": "Cosori publishes a 95–165°F range and puts \"Temperature Compliant\" in the product's own Amazon listing title — the clearest example in the category of the max-temp number being sold as the safety story. The number is real and manufacturer-published. What the marketing omits is USDA's point: within a dehydrator, evaporating moisture keeps the meat below air temperature until most of the drying is done, so a 165°F setting does not mean 160°F meat. \"Compliant\" is a marketing word here — USDA publishes guidance, and no authority certifies dehydrators for jerky.",
    "sources": [
      {"name": "Cosori — CP267-FD product page (95–165°F, 600W, price)", "url": "https://cosori.com/products/premium-stainless-steel-food-dehydrator-cp267-fd"},
      {"name": "Cosori — Amazon listing (title: \"165°F … Temperature Compliant\", 6.5 ft²)", "url": "https://www.amazon.com/COSORI-Dehydrator-Stainless-Temperature-Compliant/dp/B07PY5M579"},
      {"name": "Ask USDA — why temperature matters when drying meat (the evaporation mechanism)", "url": "https://ask.usda.gov/s/article/Why-is-temperature-important-when-drying-meat-and-poultry-jerky"}
    ],
    "amazon_search": "cosori food dehydrator stainless",
    "brand_url": "https://cosori.com/",
    "checked": "2026-07-14"
  },
  {
    "brand": "Magic Mill",
    "model": "MFD-1010",
    "name": "Magic Mill MFD-1010 11-Tray",
    "slug": "magic-mill-mfd-1010",
    "category": "adjustable",
    "price_usd": 399.99,
    "price_source": "magicmillusa.com",
    "price_date": "2026-07-14",
    "max_temp_f": 167,
    "temp_range": "95–167°F, 9 increments",
    "watts": 1000,
    "trays_note": "11 stainless trays, 15.5\" × 15.34\"",
    "verdict": "reaches-160",
    "headline_claim": "\"Perfect for … delicious beef jerky\" with the highest adjustable max in the ranked set (167°F)",
    "verdict_note": "Magic Mill publishes a 95–167°F range — the highest adjustable ceiling among the ranked units — and markets the machine explicitly for beef jerky. The two extra degrees over the 165°F crowd change nothing about the physics: USDA's guidance is about the meat's internal temperature, which evaporation holds below air temperature regardless of the setting. A generous ceiling is genuinely useful headroom; it is not a substitute for the oven step.",
    "sources": [
      {"name": "Magic Mill — MFD-1010 product page (95–167°F, 1000W, price, jerky marketing)", "url": "https://magicmillusa.com/products/magic-mill-commercial-food-dehydrator-machine-adjustable-timer-and-temperature-control-dryer-for-jerky-herb-meat-beef-fruit-and-vegetables-over-heat-protection-11-stainless-steel-trays"},
      {"name": "USDA FSIS — Jerky (heat to 160°F before dehydrating)", "url": "https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/meat-fish/jerky"}
    ],
    "amazon_search": "magic mill food dehydrator stainless",
    "brand_url": "https://magicmillusa.com/",
    "checked": "2026-07-14"
  },
  {
    "brand": "Nesco",
    "model": "FD-1040 Gardenmaster",
    "name": "Nesco FD-1040 Gardenmaster",
    "slug": "nesco-fd-1040",
    "category": "adjustable",
    "price_usd": 149.99,
    "price_source": "nesco.com",
    "price_date": "2026-07-14",
    "max_temp_f": 160,
    "temp_range": "90–160°F, digital control",
    "watts": 1000,
    "trays_note": "4 round trays (1 sq ft each), expandable to 20",
    "verdict": "reaches-160",
    "headline_claim": "Digital control to exactly 160°F — the USDA number is the ceiling, with nothing above it",
    "verdict_note": "Nesco publishes 90–160°F: the maximum setting IS the USDA meat number, with zero headroom. That matters because of what independent testing keeps finding — dehydrator dials commonly run 5–15°F cooler than set. A unit whose ceiling is exactly 160°F has no way to compensate if it runs cool. Nesco ships jerky cure samples with the machine; the record's answer is the same as for every row: the oven pre-heat or post-heat step is what puts the meat at 160°F, not the dial.",
    "sources": [
      {"name": "Nesco — FD-1040 product page (90–160°F, 1000W, price)", "url": "https://www.nesco.com/product/fd-1040-gardenmaster-digital-pro-food-dehydrator/"},
      {"name": "The Purposeful Pantry — testing dehydrator dial vs actual temperature", "url": "https://www.thepurposefulpantry.com/test-dehydrator-temperature/"},
      {"name": "USDA FSIS — Jerky (heat to 160°F before dehydrating)", "url": "https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/meat-fish/jerky"}
    ],
    "amazon_search": "nesco gardenmaster fd-1040 dehydrator",
    "brand_url": "https://www.nesco.com/",
    "checked": "2026-07-14"
  },
  {
    "brand": "Presto",
    "model": "06301 Dehydro Digital",
    "name": "Presto 06301 Dehydro Digital",
    "slug": "presto-06301",
    "category": "adjustable",
    "price_usd": 114.99,
    "price_source": "gopresto.com",
    "price_date": "2026-07-14",
    "max_temp_f": 165,
    "temp_range": "90–165°F, digital thermostat",
    "watts": 750,
    "trays_note": "6 round trays, expandable to 12",
    "verdict": "reaches-160",
    "headline_claim": "\"Great for homemade jerky\" — and Presto's own manuals document the oven step most brands omit",
    "verdict_note": "Presto publishes a 90–165°F digital range and markets jerky on the box — but Presto is also the rare maker whose own instruction book spells out the heat treatment: cook the meat before dehydrating, or bake the finished jerky in a 275°F oven for 10 minutes after. That is the USDA-consistent instruction printed by the manufacturer itself, and it applies to every dehydrator in this table, not just Presto's.",
    "sources": [
      {"name": "Presto — 06301 product page (90–165°F, 750W, price)", "url": "https://www.gopresto.com/product/presto-dehydro-digital-electric-food-dehydrator-06301"},
      {"name": "Presto — 06300-series instruction book (bake-after-dehydrating step, 275°F/10 min)", "url": "https://www.gopresto.com/manual-finder.php?id=10331"},
      {"name": "USDA FSIS — Jerky (heat to 160°F before dehydrating)", "url": "https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/meat-fish/jerky"}
    ],
    "amazon_search": "presto 06301 dehydro digital dehydrator",
    "brand_url": "https://www.gopresto.com/",
    "checked": "2026-07-14"
  },
  {
    "brand": "Hamilton Beach",
    "model": "32100A",
    "name": "Hamilton Beach 32100A",
    "slug": "hamilton-beach-32100a",
    "category": "adjustable",
    "price_usd": 59.99,
    "price_source": "hamiltonbeach.com",
    "price_date": "2026-07-14",
    "max_temp_f": 160,
    "temp_range": "100–160°F, digital thermostat",
    "watts": 500,
    "trays_note": "5 stackable trays — 4.2 sq ft published",
    "verdict": "reaches-160",
    "headline_claim": "\"…and even make beef jerky\" — ceiling at exactly 160°F, the same zero-headroom shape as the Nesco",
    "verdict_note": "Hamilton Beach publishes 100–160°F and sells the jerky use case directly. Like the Nesco Gardenmaster, the maximum setting is exactly the USDA meat number — so any real-world undershoot (testing routinely finds dials 5–15°F cool) lands the air below 160°F, and the meat below that. At $59.99 it is the cheapest ranked unit; the oven step costs nothing and is what actually reaches the number.",
    "sources": [
      {"name": "Hamilton Beach — 32100A product page (100–160°F, 500W, price, jerky marketing)", "url": "https://hamiltonbeach.com/food-dehydrator-32100"},
      {"name": "The Purposeful Pantry — testing dehydrator dial vs actual temperature", "url": "https://www.thepurposefulpantry.com/test-dehydrator-temperature/"},
      {"name": "USDA FSIS — Jerky (heat to 160°F before dehydrating)", "url": "https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/meat-fish/jerky"}
    ],
    "amazon_search": "hamilton beach 32100a dehydrator",
    "brand_url": "https://hamiltonbeach.com/",
    "checked": "2026-07-14"
  },
  {
    "brand": "Presto",
    "model": "06300 Dehydro",
    "name": "Presto 06300 Dehydro",
    "slug": "presto-06300",
    "category": "fixed",
    "price_usd": 58.99,
    "price_source": "gopresto.com",
    "price_date": "2026-07-14",
    "max_temp_f": 165,
    "temp_range": "Fixed — \"preset temperature of approximately 165°F\" (no thermostat)",
    "watts": 600,
    "trays_note": "4 round trays, expandable to 8",
    "verdict": "fixed-165",
    "headline_claim": "\"This dehydrator operates at a preset temperature of approximately 165°F\" — Presto's manual, verbatim",
    "verdict_note": "No thermostat at all: Presto's instruction book states it \"operates at a preset temperature of approximately 165°F,\" full stop. For jerky that is at the line (with the same evaporation caveat as every unit — and Presto's book prints the 275°F/10-minute bake-after step). The trade-off cuts the other way for everything else: NCHFP's drying guidance puts fruits and vegetables around 140°F and herbs lower, and this unit cannot go there. A fixed-165°F machine is a jerky-and-little-else appliance sold at a very tempting price.",
    "sources": [
      {"name": "Presto — 06300 instruction book (\"preset temperature of approximately 165°F\"; bake-after step)", "url": "https://www.gopresto.com/manual-finder.php?id=10331"},
      {"name": "Presto — 06300 product page (600W, price, jerky marketing)", "url": "https://www.gopresto.com/product/presto-dehydro-electric-food-dehydrator-06300"},
      {"name": "NCHFP — drying foods at home (fruit/vegetable temperatures)", "url": "https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/dry/"}
    ],
    "amazon_search": "presto 06300 dehydro dehydrator",
    "brand_url": "https://www.gopresto.com/",
    "checked": "2026-07-14"
  },
  {
    "brand": "Nesco",
    "model": "FD-75A Snackmaster Pro",
    "name": "Nesco FD-75A Snackmaster Pro",
    "slug": "nesco-fd-75a",
    "category": "adjustable",
    "price_usd": null,
    "price_source": "no current price located on nesco.com (checked 2026-07-14) — not ranked without one",
    "price_date": "2026-07-14",
    "max_temp_f": 160,
    "temp_range": "95–160°F, adjustable thermostat",
    "watts": 600,
    "trays_note": "5 round trays, expandable to 12",
    "verdict": "reaches-160",
    "headline_claim": "\"For Snacks, Fruit, Beef Jerky\" — in the product's own title, ceiling at 160°F",
    "verdict_note": "The best-selling budget dehydrator in the US, with \"Beef Jerky\" in its listing title and a published ceiling of exactly 160°F — the zero-headroom shape again. The specs are manufacturer-published and consistent across Nesco's materials; what we could not locate on nesco.com is a current first-party price, so the row sits in the record unranked (the ranking never guesses a number). Everything on the jerky question reads as the Gardenmaster row: the oven step is what reaches 160°F, not the dial.",
    "sources": [
      {"name": "Nesco — FD-75A Amazon listing (title marketing; 95–160°F, 600W)", "url": "https://www.amazon.com/NESCO-FD-75A-Snackmaster-Food-Dehydrator/dp/B0090WOCN0"},
      {"name": "USDA FSIS — Jerky (heat to 160°F before dehydrating)", "url": "https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/meat-fish/jerky"}
    ],
    "amazon_search": "nesco fd-75a snackmaster dehydrator",
    "brand_url": "https://www.nesco.com/",
    "checked": "2026-07-14"
  },
  {
    "brand": "Colzer",
    "model": "12-tray stainless",
    "name": "Colzer 12-Tray",
    "slug": "colzer-12-tray",
    "category": "adjustable",
    "price_usd": null,
    "price_source": "Amazon-only brand; no first-party price page located (checked 2026-07-14)",
    "price_date": "2026-07-14",
    "max_temp_f": 194,
    "temp_range": "\"68–194°F\" per the Amazon listing — no manual or spec sheet located to check it against",
    "watts": 800,
    "trays_note": "12 stainless trays",
    "verdict": "claim-unchecked",
    "headline_claim": "\"194ºF Temperature Control\" — the highest number on the shelf, published nowhere we can verify",
    "verdict_note": "The Colzer listing advertises 68–194°F — nearly 30°F above the Excalibur/Cosori ceiling, on an 800W stacked unit. We could locate no Colzer manual, spec sheet, or first-party page stating the range (checked 2026-07-14); the number exists only in marketplace listing copy. It may be real. But a spec that appears only in an Amazon title is a claim with nothing behind it to read, so this row carries no buy link and no ranking — the same rule our sibling sites apply to safety systems advertised without a named standard. If Colzer publishes documentation, the row moves.",
    "sources": [
      {"name": "Colzer — Amazon listing (\"194ºF Temperature Control\", 800W, 12 trays)", "url": "https://www.amazon.com/Dehydrator-Stainless-Adjustable-Temperature-Control/dp/B08G1DHBP6"}
    ],
    "amazon_search": null,
    "brand_url": null,
    "checked": "2026-07-14"
  },
  {
    "brand": "Elite Gourmet",
    "model": "EFD319",
    "name": "Elite Gourmet EFD319",
    "slug": "elite-gourmet-efd319",
    "category": "below-line",
    "price_usd": 39.99,
    "price_source": "shopelitegourmet.com",
    "price_date": "2026-07-14",
    "max_temp_f": 158,
    "temp_range": "95–158°F per the maker's own spec table (the description says \"160\"; the specs say 158)",
    "watts": 350,
    "trays_note": "5 stacked trays, 11.4\"",
    "verdict": "below-160",
    "headline_claim": "Marketed for \"all types of meats for jerky\" — with a published maximum of 158°F, below the USDA line",
    "verdict_note": "Elite Gourmet's own product page sells jerky in the headline and lists a 95–158°F range in the spec table — a maximum below USDA's 160°F meat number before the first degree of dial drift. The same page's prose says \"160\"; the spec table says 158; neither reaches poultry's 165°F. On a unit that cannot set 160°F even nominally, the oven pre-heat or post-heat step is not a refinement — it is the only route to the number the marketing invokes. We don't link a purchase on rows marketed for jerky below the line.",
    "sources": [
      {"name": "Elite Gourmet — EFD319 product page (jerky marketing; spec table 95–158°F; $39.99)", "url": "https://shopelitegourmet.com/products/elite-gourmet-5-tier-food-dehydrator-efd319"},
      {"name": "USDA FSIS — Jerky (160°F meat / 165°F poultry)", "url": "https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/meat-fish/jerky"}
    ],
    "amazon_search": null,
    "brand_url": "https://shopelitegourmet.com/",
    "checked": "2026-07-14"
  },
  {
    "brand": "CO-Z",
    "model": "10-tray stainless",
    "name": "CO-Z 10-Tray",
    "slug": "co-z-10-tray",
    "category": "below-line",
    "price_usd": null,
    "price_source": "Amazon-only brand; no first-party price page located (checked 2026-07-14)",
    "price_date": "2026-07-14",
    "max_temp_f": 155,
    "temp_range": "Max 155°F per the listing's own title",
    "watts": 1000,
    "trays_note": "10 stainless trays",
    "verdict": "below-160",
    "headline_claim": "\"Meat or Beef Jerky Maker … 155 Degree Fahrenheit, Jerky Safe\" — the listing title contradicts itself",
    "verdict_note": "The CO-Z listing title is the category's starkest artifact: it names the maximum temperature (155°F) and calls the unit \"Jerky Safe\" in the same breath. USDA's jerky number for meat is 160°F; 155°F is below it on the label, before accounting for dial drift or the evaporation gap. \"Jerky safe\" here is a marketing phrase sitting five degrees under the guidance it evokes. No buy link, per the below-the-line rule.",
    "sources": [
      {"name": "CO-Z — Amazon listing (title: \"155 Degree Fahrenheit, Jerky Safe\", 1000W, 10 trays)", "url": "https://www.amazon.com/CO-Z-Commercial-Stainless-Dehydrator-Fahrenheit/dp/B0756ZSV6S"},
      {"name": "USDA FSIS — Jerky (160°F meat / 165°F poultry)", "url": "https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/meat-fish/jerky"}
    ],
    "amazon_search": null,
    "brand_url": null,
    "checked": "2026-07-14"
  }
]