Ronco Food Dehydrator, Yogurt Maker and Beef Jerky Machine

I received the dehydrator in great time, have spent so much time looking for one in the stores. Got it at a great price. Now I have enough snacks around for young kids as well as adults. Fruit comes out tasty. I have also done many green peppers, tomatoes, parsley, onions, and more from the garden. It is so simple and I have all I need stored away for use. Can't wait for the garden to produce again next year. I highly recommend this for healthy minded people who love fresh seasonings in the cooking and want to give the kids (and adults) something to snack on that taste good and still has great favor.

This thing does what it says. It takes a long time to dry certain items and because there is a heater at the bottom food 'cooks' slightly but overall an easy to use and reliable product. Don't leave it too close to your oven though, the unit is made of a pretty cheap plastic and it will melt and deform easily.

Some reviews refer to this machine as being less than perfect. However, I'm very pleased. It is a perfect price for a person just starting out. I can always purchase another one that has a fan, has "sheets" for certain types of dehydration, etc. I don't mind flipping the layers and rotating the meat. It's sort of like having a plain coffee maker that just brews the coffee--who wants that when you can be a barrista in your own home and have fun making coffee in a very involved and special way? I ENJOY being involved in the things necessary to use this machine. I think it adds to the fun of the whole concept of "making your own." I am recommending it to several friends!

I am not unsatisfied with my dehydrator, but after several years of use the tray are starting to warp/melt. It dries things fairly quickly, and having a large garden (3/4 acre) I use it all year long. The only thing I don't like is the uneveness of the drying. Not haveing a fan makes this a problem. The stuff on the inside of the tray dries quicker than the stuff along the rim, and things on the bottom tray can sometimes burn in 8 hours (while I am at work) since it gets much warmer near the bottom than the top. Most of the time I use an empty tray on the bottom to act as a spacer between the food and element, which helps. If you are looking to dry a few things for snacks or camping this is a good starter model. But if you are perserving a harvest that you rely on for your winter food I would suggest looking for a higher end model with a fan and thermostatic control. which is what I am looking for now.

This is the best dehydrator have used -- I do lots of venison jerky and the slow cooking I get from this dehydrator is excellent --- I plan to do vegetables and fruit when in season - living in the country as I do will be able to save on storage space -- canning in jars takes up lots of space and freeze canning takes up freezer space - I hunt and fish and utilize a dehydrator lots.

So many people have written great reviews, so I won't parrot what is pretty unanimous here. Maybe a piece of advice for potential buyers that hasn't been covered: This is a great product for the money, but if you have a larger family, eat jerky/dehydrated foods as a staple, or are impatient, I would recommend moving up to the 10-tray motorized fan version - the manual claims it will make jerky (and more of it) 400% faster. Even if it's only twice as fast, it's worth the price of admission to me. Oh, and if you're a big jerky eater, get Mary Bell's book - it's full of great jerky marinade recipes. Seriously - people are trying to pay me for jerky instead of buying it in the store!

I've had this now for a few years, use it all the time and love it. The only down side is the trays wear out over time. Depending on what you use (high acid type food) the trays become brittle. Overall, totally worth the price. Long lasting heating element.

I bought this machine for making jerky for the family before vacation. I have made jerky many times in the past but have not had a machine in years. Price was great, so I thought. Bought $35 worth of meat, marinated and put it in the dehydrator. Drying time is very slow, the meat spoiled from lack of air rotation and lack of heat through the trays. 2 days later when the jerky was finally done (supposed to be) all the trays had cracked around the rim and the slats had fallen off like particles of glass onto the meat. So, need I say more. Contacted the company and if you warranty within the 1st 30 days they will replace the product. I find this hard that it is not an ongoing issue with the set up of the machine. I am going to request a refund from the company and we will see what happens. I recommend you search for another deyhdrator altogether. The machine not only cost me the $30 but the meat loss of $35 a total loss so far of $65. Should have just gone to Walmart to purchase jerky for the vacation!