Magic Mill Premium vs Excalibur Dehydrator: Which Is Better? (October 2026)

On this page (21 sections)

1. Magic Mill vs Excalibur: the specs side by side
2. Which Magic Mill is this?
3. Tray space: 15 Magic Mill trays or six Excalibur trays
4. Which top temperature suits jerky: 167°F or 165°F?
5. Controls, timers and auto shutoff
6. Stainless or chrome: what the trays are made of
7. Size, weight and counter space
8. Glass doors and a clear view of the batch
9. What comes in the box
10. Warranty: one year against three
11. Cleaning the trays after a jerky batch
12. Power, noise and the outlet
13. Airflow: a rear fan against horizontal air
14. Which one suits herbs and garden drying?
15. Which one suits a big jerky batch?
16. Questions to ask each brand before you order
17. Choose the Magic Mill Premium if
18. Choose the Excalibur Select if
19. When batch size and warranty point different ways
20. Who should skip each one
21. Magic Mill vs Excalibur: which to buy

Buy the Magic Mill Premium if you dry big jerky batches and want 15 dishwasher-safe stainless trays. Buy the Excalibur Select if you want a longer warranty, a stated 9.6 square feet of drying space and glass doors.

This page compares the 15-tray Magic Mill Premium, not the Pro models or the 10-tray Premium. We compared the specs and the parts in each box, not how either one dries in use.

Magic Mill vs Excalibur: the specs side by side

The Magic Mill has 15 trays and 800 watts, while the Excalibur has six trays, 700 watts and a 3-year warranty. Both run on 120 volts, so either one plugs into a standard kitchen outlet.

Two gaps decide most buying choices: tray count and warranty length. The sections below cover those first, then heat, controls, size and the box.

Which Magic Mill is this?

Magic Mill sells several dehydrators with similar names. This one is the Premium with 15 trays, 800 W and a 167°F top.

The Pro 7-tray and Pro 10-tray run at 600 W with a 176°F top, and the Premium 10-tray runs at 700 W. If you mean the 7-tray, read our Magic Mill Pro 7-tray review, and for this model alone read our Magic Mill Premium 15-tray review.

Tray space: 15 Magic Mill trays or six Excalibur trays

The Magic Mill has more trays, 15 against six, but that doesn't prove it holds more food. Excalibur states 9.6 square feet across its six trays, about 1.6 square feet each, while Magic Mill gives neither a total nor a tray size.

Neither brand publishes the gap between trays. As a rough ceiling, divide each height by its tray count: about 1.1 inches per tray on the Magic Mill and about 2.9 inches on the Excalibur.

Thin jerky strips fit either way, but ask about the gap before you load thick pieces such as fruit slices. For jerky, lay the strips flat in a single layer and spread the same number on each tray, so the batch dries evenly.

Which top temperature suits jerky: 167°F or 165°F?

The Magic Mill tops out at 167°F and the Excalibur at 165°F, so the top gap is 2 degrees. Both reach the 130 to 140°F drying range that USDA describes for meat.

Magic Mill and Excalibur low settings

The Excalibur starts at 85°F and the Magic Mill at 95°F. The lower start helps with slow drying of herbs and fruit, while jerky uses the middle of either range.

Neither dial replaces the 160°F pre-heat USDA asks for before drying meat. Check the heat with a food thermometer, and read the USDA jerky and food safety guidance before your first batch.

Controls, timers and auto shutoff

The Excalibur has an LED control panel with a countdown timer that runs up to 60 hours, and Excalibur says the unit shuts off by itself when drying is complete. The Premium has a digital control with a 48-hour timer.

Magic Mill ties the Premium's automatic shutoff and overheat protection to the unit overheating, not to the end of the timer.

Magic Mill and Excalibur timers on long runs

The Excalibur's timer runs 12 hours longer, which helps on a slow, low run. If you plan to leave a long run unattended, check the Premium's manual for what it does when the timer ends.

The Premium also has Keep Warm, which holds a serving temperature for up to 24 hours after a cycle. Excalibur doesn't name a hold mode, so check its manual if you want one.

Stainless or chrome: what the trays are made of

Magic Mill says its build uses food-grade stainless steel and BPA-free materials, with stainless trays.

Excalibur's trays are chrome plated, while its housing is stainless steel. Plated trays have a different finish from stainless, so follow the manual's care advice for the chrome.

Size, weight and counter space

The Premium is 18 inches deep, 14 inches wide and 17 inches tall, and it weighs 21.4 pounds. The Excalibur is 20.7 inches deep, 12.2 inches wide and 17.3 inches tall, and it weighs 18.3 pounds.

Both stand about 17 inches tall, so cabinet clearance won't separate them. Depth will: the Excalibur is about 2.7 inches deeper and 1.8 inches narrower, and it weighs about 3 pounds less, so check a shallow counter first.

Glass doors and a clear view of the batch

Both units let you watch the batch. The Premium has a transparent door, and the Excalibur has clear glass French doors, which Excalibur says let you follow the drying.

If you want the Excalibur family explained, Excalibur dehydrator models: Select vs Performance sorts the two lines so you can match a model to your batch.

What comes in the box

The Excalibur includes six chrome trays and the Preserve It Naturally digital book. Magic Mill mentions a liner and dishwasher-safe trays, but doesn't name mesh screens or a recipe book.

Count the screens and sheets you'll use before you buy, since the two boxes don't match. For a wider look at accessories, see best dehydrator trays, mesh sheets and liners.

Warranty: one year against three

Excalibur gives a 3-year limited warranty. Magic Mill says the Premium has a 1 year limited warranty, so the gap is two years.

If the warranty decides your choice, the Excalibur gives you the longer cover. Ask Magic Mill for the terms in writing if coverage matters to you.

Cleaning the trays after a jerky batch

Magic Mill says the trays and the liner are dishwasher safe, which saves time after a big run of 15 trays. Excalibur doesn't say its chrome trays are dishwasher safe, so check its manual before you use a dishwasher.

Rinse either set soon after a batch, since marinade and sugar dry hard on metal.

Power, noise and the outlet

The Premium is rated 800 W and the Excalibur 700 W, so the Magic Mill has more power on paper. At 120 volts that works out to about 6.7 amps and 5.8 amps, so keep other large appliances off the same circuit while a batch runs.

Magic Mill calls the Premium whisper-quiet but gives no noise figure, and Excalibur doesn't give one either. For a quiet kitchen, ask both brands for a noise figure before you buy.

Airflow: a rear fan against horizontal air

Magic Mill says a rear-mounted fan and Precision Airflow circulation move air across every tray. Excalibur describes its Horizontal Parallex Air Flow and Hyperwave Pulse Technology, which it says gives even drying without tray rotation.

Both brands make the same no-rotation promise, so judge it by how you load the trays. Leave a gap between strips so the air can move, whichever unit you buy.

Which one suits herbs and garden drying?

Both units start low enough for herbs, and the Excalibur starts lower, at 85°F against the Premium's 95°F. Its longer timer, up to 60 hours, gives a slow, long run more room to finish.

The Premium's 15 trays give you more places to lay out a garden harvest in one run. For the herb and fruit side of the choice, see best food dehydrators for herbs and garden produce.

Which one suits a big jerky batch?

For a big batch, the Premium's 15 trays can hold more strips in one run. If you often slice more meat than six trays hold, the Premium saves you a second or third run.

The Excalibur suits a smaller batch if its 9.6 square feet covers what you cut. Plan the timing with our jerky drying time guide, since strip thickness matters more than the brand.

Questions to ask each brand before you order

Both brands leave a few details open, so these questions are worth asking before you buy.

• What is the Premium's drying area in square feet, and how big is each tray?
• How long is the Premium's warranty, and what does it cover?
• What does the Premium do when its timer ends?
• Are mesh screens sold separately for the Excalibur?
• Are the Excalibur's chrome trays dishwasher safe?

Choose the Magic Mill Premium if

The Premium suits a jerky maker who dries large loads and wants 15 trays on one machine.

• You slice more meat than six trays hold and want fewer runs.
• You want dishwasher-safe trays and a liner, so cleanup is quick.
• Your counter is on the shallow side, since the Premium is 18 inches deep and the Excalibur 20.7.
• You want Keep Warm, which the Excalibur doesn't name.

Choose the Excalibur Select if

The Excalibur suits a buyer who wants a stated drying area, glass doors and a longer warranty.

• You want the 3-year warranty, two years longer than Magic Mill's.
• You dry herbs, fruit or vegetables and want the 85°F start and the 60-hour timer.
• You want a stated 9.6 square feet, not a tray count alone.
• You want a clear view through glass French doors.

When batch size and warranty point different ways

Ask two questions. Do you regularly fill more than six trays, and would a repair after year one worry you?

If the first answer is yes, the Premium fits better. If the second is yes, the Excalibur does.

If both are yes, weigh batch size first. A unit that can't hold your load costs you extra runs every time, while a warranty only matters if something fails.

Who should skip each one

Skip the Premium if you need a stated drying area or a warranty longer than one year. Skip the Excalibur if you need more than six trays for big batches, or if you want stainless steel trays.

Magic Mill vs Excalibur: which to buy

For a big jerky batch, buy the Magic Mill Premium, since 15 trays and dishwasher-safe parts cut both the runs and the cleanup. For a smaller batch, a garden harvest or a buyer who wants longer cover, buy the Excalibur Select.

• Pick the Magic Mill Premium for 15 trays, 800 W of power and dishwasher-safe parts.
• Pick the Excalibur Select for six trays, 9.6 square feet and a 3-year warranty.

If you're also weighing the 7-tray Magic Mill, our Magic Mill Pro 7-tray review covers that model. For the Cosori side, read Cosori vs Excalibur, and for the wider field see the food dehydrators for jerky guide.

Frequently asked questions

Which Magic Mill is in this comparison?

This comparison covers the Magic Mill Premium with 15 trays and 800 W of power. It isn't the 7-tray or 10-tray Magic Mill Pro, which run at 600 W with a 176°F top, or the 10-tray Premium, which runs at 700 W.

Which one gets hotter, the Magic Mill or the Excalibur?

The Magic Mill tops out at 167°F and the Excalibur at 165°F, so the top gap is only 2 degrees. The Excalibur starts lower, at 85°F against the Magic Mill's 95°F, which helps with slow drying of herbs and fruit.

Which one has the longer warranty?

Excalibur gives a 3-year limited warranty. Magic Mill says the Premium carries a 1 year limited warranty, so ask Magic Mill for the terms in writing before you buy.

Are the trays dishwasher safe on both?

Magic Mill says the trays and the liner are dishwasher safe. Excalibur doesn't state that for its chrome trays, so check its manual before you run them through a dishwasher.