I love the dryer for jerky, but have never used it for dehydrating. I would think that if you wipe the interior down good, clean the smoke box, and foil as normal, you wouldn't get much of a smoky flavor, but I could be wrong. Dehydrating is just heat and air movement, which the SI & dryer do very well. If you ever intend to do sausage or jerky, or want to make some good smoky chipotle peppers, the dryer is fantastic, and worth the money.