The biggest immediate difference you will see when comparing food dehydrators is whether the design is square or round.  In addition, when comparing good food dehydrators, you should check for these features:

• Airflow is horizontal over the food trays, providing even drying across all trays
• Adjustable thermostats allow for selection of the proper temperature depending on the food being dehydrated
• Design should be easy to clean and maintain
• Good designs allow for flexibility of adding and removing trays to accomodate for larger food items being dried
• While higher-wattage units can provide more heat and shorter drying times, the maximum nutritional benefit of enzymes can be preserved with lower heat settings.

Square Food Dehydrators

Although square designs can take up a bit more counter space than round designs, square designs have some slight advantages over some of the round models:

• Square trays can hold a bit more food in the corners of the trays as opposed to the round designs
• It is a bit easier to use wax paper or plastic wrap to lay down in the trays as liners
• Square designs typically have the airflow horizontally over the trays, allowing for even drying of the foods.  Cool air is drawn in the back, heated, and distributed evenly across each tray. During the dehydration process, warm air removes moisture from foods and is pushed out the front of the machine.
• Square designs vary in price from about $150 to $300 for non-commercial models.
  

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Round Food Dehydrators

• Round designs are a more efficient use of space compared to square designs.  When choosing a round dehydrator, the motor/fan placement and airflow design can make a big difference.
• If the fan unit is at the bottom, it is subject to catching food drips and spills.  Better designs have the fan at the top of the unit.
• Some units have rotating trays in an effort to provide uniform drying.  If airflow is insufficient, the trays may need to be shifted during the drying process so that the trays farthest from the fan will receive adequate airflow.
• Some units actually pressurize so that the airflow actually flows horizontally over the trays just as in the square design.  Good designs do not need to rotate the trays.
• Round designs vary in price from under $50 to $200

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