Nesco Gardenmaster Pro Expandable Food Dehydrator

Last updated: December 23, 2022


The Nesco Gardenmaster Food Dehydrator's expandable design means you can squeeze in a large quantity of food without taking up storage space in your home. The 1,000 watts of power also pushes air evenly over food, ensuring quick, even drying that takes hours, not days. One downside: You can't remove the trays and use the dehydrator to proof bread or dry large items.

Nesco Gardenmaster Pro Expandable Food Dehydrator

We looked at the top Dehydrators and dug through the reviews from some of the most popular review sites. Through this analysis, we've determined the best Dehydrator you should buy.

Product Details

Key Takeaway: An expandable design with 1,000 watts of power makes this dehydrator a top pick.

In our analysis of 88 expert reviews, the Nesco Gardenmaster Pro Expandable Food Dehydrator placed 4th when we looked at the top 18 products in the category. For the full ranking, see below.

From The Manufacturer

The FD-1018A Gardenmaster Dehydrator features 1,000-watts of drying power that generates maximum speed and quality for dehydrating fruits, vegetables, herbs and jerky. A quiet, 2,400-RPM motor and specially designed 4 1/2-inch fan mean faster, more nutritious drying. An adjustable 95-160°F thermostat provides the flexibility to achieve the best results when drying foods at different temperatures. The Converga-Flow drying system forces air up and across the trays, converging in the center for fast, even and nutritious drying. There is no flavor mixing and no need to rotate trays. The opaque Vita-Save exterior is designed to block light which helps retain more of the food’s nutrients and vitamins during the drying process. Cover and trays are dishwasher safe. The FD-1018A GardenMaster Dehydrator comes with eight trays and can expand up to 30 trays. Includes eight Fruit Roll-up Sheets, eight Clean-a-Screens, one recipe instruction book and one NESCO Original Jerky Spice pack with cure. (Additional Trays sold separately)

Expert Reviews


What reviewers liked

This expandable dehydrator dries food quickly and evenly, without your needing to monitor progress or rearrange trays.
The versatility of the Nesco FD-1018A Gardenmaster Dehydrator is one of its strongest suits! Not only that it’s easy to use, the manual and the recipe book that come with the device ensure that you always get fantastic results with this dehydrator.
The design, being an expandable one, makes this dehydrator very versatile since it can carry a lot of food to be dehydrated.
Affordable price for such a large capacity dehydrator

What reviewers didn't like

The FD-1018A Gardenmaster doesn’t have a timer or automatic shutoff,
With the non-transparent tray sides, you won’t be able to monitor the process- but you can rely on the superior air circulation system to get the job done without the need to check up on it every so often.
The programming of the fan, which is to work together with the heater, is not properly wired. Most times, the heater will work, while the fan is not functional.
Due to design, can’t dehydrate large items or use for other purposes.
View our Dehydrator buying guide for in-depth advice and recommendations.

From our partners