Dehydrator Electricity Cost Calculator: kWh, Cost per Run and per Pack

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Opens on the book's Stall Batch. Change any number to your own and press Calculate.

Rated power W, from the plate: the most it can draw

Hours

Heater on % of the time; 100 = the maximum, measure yours

Or a meter reading kWh for the run, from a plug-in meter

Electricity price per kWh, from your bill

Packs from the run

Compare: oven power W, optional

Oven time × the dehydrator's hours

Oxygen absorber (optional; dry foods only)

Pouch holds mL: fill with water, weigh

Food in it g

Food density g per mL, about

Absorber rating cc

Shelf life (optional)

Product

Stored at

Made on

Enter the watts and hours, then press Calculate.

The formula

kWh = watts × hours × heater-on % ÷ 1000 (or your meter's reading)
Cost = kWh × price per kWh; per pack = cost ÷ packs
Oxygen = free air × 21 %; free air = pouch volume − food volume (g ÷ density)
Best by = made on + the NCHFP storage time for that food and temperature

The book's worked example, Chapter 10. 1,000 W × 10 h = 10 kWh at full power, the most it can be; the thermostat cycles, so a plug-in meter will read less. At 0.18 a kWh: 1.80 a run, about 0.12 a jerky pack. Each pack gets one 100 cc oxygen absorber.

Check it. Plug the dehydrator into a meter for one whole run: the reading replaces the plate's figure, and it is almost always lower.

Honest limits. The rated watts are a maximum: a thermostat switches the heater on and off, so the real figure is lower; measure it. Oxygen absorbers are for dry foods only (about 10 % moisture or less): with moist food, removing oxygen can raise a botulism risk, as USU warns. Shelf-life figures are NCHFP's general guide for home-dried food, not a tested date for your product. Prices are illustrative US prices from October 2026, shown without a currency sign; put in your own. Everything stays in your browser: no sign-up, nothing stored.

These calculators go with Vegan Pantry Math (Craft & Studio, Book 3), where every number on this page is worked by hand.