A simple method was proposed for estimating drying rate from the material temperature change in a drying process. This method was applied to convective and combined convective-conductive dryings of a thin glass-particle layer, i.e., non-hygroscopic porous slab, and to convective drying of a PVA solution film. The method was proved to be useful except for two cases; the period when the temperature rise of the drying material is not accompanied by moisture evaporation; and the period when the quantity of moisture evaporating is small with the change in material temperature is extremely small. The proposed method can be applied to estimate drying rate of a coated web in a rapid drying using hot air, where the conventional method of estimating drying rate from mass change data is difficult to apply.