Cosori vs Excalibur Dehydrator: Which Should You Buy?

On this page (19 sections)

1. Cosori vs Excalibur: the specs side by side
2. How much more drying space does the Excalibur give?
3. Stainless steel or chrome-plated trays?
4. How the controls compare
5. Heat range and the lowest setting
6. Which one for a family batch of jerky?
7. Which one for herbs and garden harvests?
8. Mesh screens and what comes in the box
9. Size, weight and counter space
10. Airflow design
11. Glass doors and watching the batch
12. Is a 3-year warranty worth more than a 2-year one?
13. Cleanup after a run
14. Who the Cosori 6-tray suits
15. Who the Excalibur Select 6-tray suits
16. Who should skip each one
17. Which one fits a first-time owner?
18. Check these four things before you order
19. Cosori dehydrator vs Excalibur: which to buy

A Cosori dehydrator vs Excalibur choice comes down to space, trays and extras, since both are six-tray countertop units that run on 120 volts.

The Excalibur Select 6-tray gives you more drying space, and the Cosori 6-tray gives you stainless steel trays and a mesh screen in the box. We compared the published specs and the parts in each box, not how either machine dries in use.

If jerky is your main use, our best dehydrators for jerky guide puts these two in a wider field.

Cosori vs Excalibur: the specs side by side

The Excalibur has more drying space and a longer warranty, while the Cosori has more parts in the box. Both top out at 165°F, but the Excalibur starts lower, at 85°F.

The table covers the three shared specs. Here is every other number that separates them:

• Timer: up to 60 hours on the Excalibur, up to 48 hours on the Cosori.
• Power: 700 watts on the Excalibur, 600 watts on the Cosori.
• Depth and height: the Excalibur is 20.67 in deep and 17.32 in tall, and the Cosori is 17.8 in deep and 12.4 in tall.
• Trays: chrome on the Excalibur, stainless steel on the Cosori.
• Warranty: 3-year limited on the Excalibur, 2-year manufacturer on the Cosori.

How much more drying space does the Excalibur give?

The Excalibur gives you 9.6 ft² against the Cosori's 6.5 ft², which is 3.1 ft² more on the same six-tray count. Spread across six trays, that is about 1.6 ft² per Excalibur tray and about 1.1 ft² per Cosori tray.

What more space means for a batch

More area holds more strips or more herb bunches in one run, so you make fewer runs for the same harvest. It doesn't change the temperature, so your manual's settings still apply.

Is 6.5 ft² enough?

For a small household, 6.5 ft² across six trays can be a workable batch size. A big garden harvest or a family's worth of jerky is where the Excalibur's extra area starts to save you runs.

Stainless steel or chrome-plated trays?

The Cosori's six trays are stainless steel, and the Excalibur's six are chrome plated. Both units have a stainless steel housing, so the trays are the main material difference.

For more stainless picks, see best stainless steel food dehydrators.

Dishwasher care for the Cosori dehydrator and Excalibur

Cosori says its trays are dishwasher safe. Check the Excalibur manual before you put its chrome trays in a dishwasher.

How the controls compare

Both units have digital controls and a countdown timer, but the Excalibur's timer runs longer. The Cosori's runs up to 48 hours, and the Excalibur's runs up to 60 hours.

The Cosori sets the temperature to the degree, while the Excalibur uses an LED control panel with an adjustable thermostat. The Excalibur also shuts off on its own when drying is complete, and its countdown shows on the screen.

Shutoff on the Cosori

Cosori doesn't describe an automatic shutoff for the 6-tray, so check its manual before you rely on it to stop a long run.

Heat range and the lowest setting

The Excalibur starts at 85°F and runs at 700 watts, while the Cosori starts at 95°F and runs at 600 watts. Both top out at 165°F, so the difference is only at the low end.

The lower start can give you a gentler floor for delicate herbs. For drying charts and exact settings, use your manual and the National Center for Home Food Preservation guidance.

Which one for a family batch of jerky?

For jerky, drying area decides how many strips fit in one run, so the Excalibur's 9.6 ft² matters more. Its six trays average about 1.6 ft² each, against about 1.1 ft² on the Cosori.

Both dials cover the 130 to 140°F drying range in USDA's guidance, but neither dial replaces the pre-heat step. USDA's jerky guidance says to heat the meat to 160°F, checked with a food thermometer, before the drying step.

USDA also notes that many dehydrator manuals leave out that step. Our how to make jerky in a dehydrator guide walks through the order of steps.

Which one for herbs and garden harvests?

For herbs and small fruit, the Cosori's mesh screen and fruit roll sheet are the extras you would otherwise buy. The Excalibur's 85°F floor and bigger area suit a large harvest of delicate leaves, if you add mesh.

Our how to choose a food dehydrator guide explains how to match features to the food you dry. For machines picked around garden drying, see best food dehydrators for herbs and garden produce.

Mesh screens and what comes in the box

Only the Cosori includes a mesh screen and a fruit roll sheet, so with the Excalibur you'd buy a screen separately for small herbs. The Excalibur box holds six chrome trays and the Preserve It Naturally book.

The Cosori box includes six stainless steel trays, one mesh screen, one fruit roll sheet, a 50-recipe cookbook, a user manual and a quick reference guide. Cosori also points buyers to extra accessories under the search term "Cosori Dehydrator Accessories".

Model numbers worth knowing

The Cosori is model CP267-FD, and the Excalibur Select 6-tray is model DH06SCSS13. Keep the model number handy when you look up manuals, replacement trays or accessories.

Recipes and how to start

New owners often start from a recipe book, so the Cosori's 50 recipes give you a head start. The Excalibur comes with a digital book called Preserve It Naturally, which covers preserving more broadly than a recipe set.

Fruit leather and the extras

The Cosori includes a fruit roll sheet, which is made for fruit leather. With the Excalibur you'd buy a sheet or a solid liner, and our best dehydrator trays, mesh sheets and liners roundup shows what fits which tray size.

Size, weight and counter space

The Cosori measures 17.8 in deep, 13.4 in wide and 12.4 in tall. The Excalibur is 20.67 in deep, 12.2 in wide and 17.32 in tall.

The footprints are close, since the Excalibur is deeper and narrower, but the Excalibur stands almost 5 in taller. They also weigh about the same, at 18.1 lb for the Cosori and 18.3 lb for the Excalibur.

The Cosori comes in a silver finish, and the Excalibur Select comes in black. If a cabinet sits low over your counter, the Cosori's 12.4 in height clears spots where the Excalibur's 17.32 in won't.

Depth and height on the counter

Plan for about 3 more inches of depth with the Excalibur. Check the height under any cabinet above the unit before you set it down.

Airflow design

Cosori says its rear-mounted drying fan and upgraded airflow give even drying without manual intervention. Excalibur says its Hyperwave Pulse technology and horizontal airflow give even drying without tray rotation.

Excalibur also says Hyperwave Pulse fluctuates the temperature while warm air keeps circulating. Both are brand descriptions, so read your manual for how to load the trays.

Glass doors and watching the batch

The Excalibur's clear glass French doors let you check the batch without opening the unit. No window is mentioned for the Cosori, so you'd open the door to check, which lets heat out.

Is a 3-year warranty worth more than a 2-year one?

The Excalibur carries a 3-year limited warranty, one year longer than Cosori's 2-year manufacturer warranty. Length matters, but read the terms, since the coverage and the claim steps decide what you get.

The extra year counts most if you expect to run the unit through several harvest or jerky seasons. If you dry a few times a year, the shorter term may never matter.

Cleanup after a run

The Cosori has six trays, a mesh screen and a fruit roll sheet to wash, and Cosori says the trays are dishwasher safe. The Excalibur has six chrome trays and a set of glass doors to wipe down.

Dry the trays fully before you stack them away, whichever unit you own. Your manual has the care steps for the finish on each tray.

Who the Cosori 6-tray suits

The Cosori suits a cook who wants stainless trays, a mesh screen and a fruit roll sheet from day one.

• A cook who dries herbs and fruit and wants the screen in the box.
• A buyer who wants trays that Cosori says are dishwasher safe.
• A counter with room for an 18 in deep unit.

Our Cosori 6-tray review covers the unit in more detail.

Who the Excalibur Select 6-tray suits

The Excalibur suits a cook who wants the most drying space on six trays and a longer warranty.

• Someone who dries larger batches of fruit or vegetables.
• A cook who likes to watch progress through glass doors.
• A counter with room for a 20.67 in deep unit.

If you're weighing the Excalibur's model lines, see the Excalibur dehydrator models guide.

Who should skip each one

Skip the Cosori if you need more than 6.5 ft² of drying space in a single run, since the Excalibur gives you 9.6 ft². Skip the Excalibur if you want a mesh screen and a fruit roll sheet in the box, or if your counter is shallow, since its depth runs about 3 in more than the Cosori's.

Which one fits a first-time owner?

The Cosori is the easier start for a first-time owner, since the mesh screen, fruit roll sheet, cookbook and manual all come in the box. The Excalibur suits a first-time owner who wants a longer warranty and a bigger drying area, and who is ready to buy a mesh screen for herbs.

Check these four things before you order

Run through these points against your own kitchen and food.

• Measure the counter depth, since the Excalibur is about 3 in deeper.
• Decide whether you need a mesh screen in the box or are happy to buy one.
• Read the warranty terms, since the Excalibur's is one year longer.
• Confirm the dishwasher care in the manual you receive.

Cosori dehydrator vs Excalibur: which to buy

Pick the one whose extras match your food, since both have six trays and a 165°F top.

• Pick the Cosori 6-tray if you want stainless steel trays, a mesh screen and a fruit roll sheet in the box.
• Pick the Excalibur Select 6-tray if you want 9.6 ft² of drying space and a 3-year warranty.

If you're also weighing a Magic Mill, our Cosori vs Magic Mill comparison covers that match-up.

For the basics of choosing, read the food dehydrators for jerky guide for the wider category. You can also browse the brands and accessories section.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Excalibur Select better than the Cosori 6-tray?

Neither wins across the board. The Excalibur has 9.6 ft² of drying space and a 3-year limited warranty, while the Cosori has 6.5 ft², a mesh screen, a fruit roll sheet and a 2-year warranty, so pick by the space and parts you need.

Are the Cosori and Excalibur trays the same material?

No, Cosori's six trays are stainless steel and Excalibur's six are chrome plated, though both units have a stainless steel housing. Cosori says its trays are dishwasher safe, so check the Excalibur manual before you put chrome trays in a dishwasher.

Which one has the lower temperature setting?

The Excalibur starts at 85°F, which is 10°F below the Cosori's 95°F. Both top out at 165°F, so the gap is only at the low end, and your manual or the National Center for Home Food Preservation charts should set the temperature for each food.

Which dehydrator is quieter?

Cosori says its brushless motor runs below 48 dB. Excalibur doesn't give a noise figure, so check its manual or ask Excalibur before you buy if quiet running matters to you, for example if the unit will run in an open kitchen.