Customer Reviews

Ronco FD1005WHGEN 5-Tray Electric Food Dehydrator

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(16)
1 star:		(43)

 

 

I bought the previous model of this dehydrator. I seriously would not even give this machine 1 star, but there is no lower rating. I bought mine a year ago, used it once, and the bottom heating element burned every single tray that I rotated to the bottom, which you have to do in order to get anywhere. The entire machine was worthless within a week of me owning it. I did eat the beef jerky, but that was the most expensive jerky I will ever make! I called immediately to complain, talked to a guy named Saul, who said the unit must be defective, DUH! and he would send me a new unit and a return authorization. I have gotten neither, I am just out the money. I have called back, faxed, mailed, waited on hold, and finally decided that Ronco products are CRAP. I will never give him or his company another cent. Buyers please research your purchases, I see from other reviews that I am not the only one with a complaint. Buy a different machine!

I was in the market for a dehydrator to make fruit leathers for my kids who are sensitive to red dye 40. This is an ingredient found in all of the fruit snacks in our grocery store. I ordered this one and when it arrived I was seriously disappointed. Construction was subpar and the fact it is a passive dehydrator meant it required an extraordinary amount of time to process the foods we wanted dried. It also required rotation of the trays, something I did not like. I immediately returned it and ordered the Nesco American Harvest FD75PR with the fan in the lid and the powerful 700 watt heating system. I highly recommend passing on the Ronco unit and spend a little more on the Nesco. I wish I had (could have saved on shipping).

As with any Ronco product, it is very cheaply made, with seemingly nothing more than mass-production and profit margins as the basis. Fruit on the bottom tray will be brittle by the time fruit on the top trays are ready. If you like rotating trays and waiting a very long for dried fruit and jerky, then buy this dehydrator, and plan on buying it a few times. If not, then buy one by Nesco American Harvest. I have learned twice to stay away from Ronco products. Once with this and once with the Showtime Rotisserie.

To be quite honest, I am glad this is my first Ronco purchase (as opposed to spending $150 or so on the Showtime Rotisseire or more on another Ronco product). After inspecting first hand the (lack of) quality this device exhibits, this will not only be my first Ronco purchase, but my last as well. I will be ordering the Nesco American Harvest FD-75PR 700-Watt Food Dehydrator tomorrow (a friend owns one, raves about it, and I have seen the difference in quality first hand).

The Ronco Food Dehydrator
The Good:
It actually does dehydrate--we've mostly made jerky, and with 1/4" slices of meat on four trays, it takes about 30 hours to dry.

The Bad:
You need to rotate the trays for "semi-even" drying (emphasis on "semi").
Takes a long time to dry anything.

The Severely Ugly:
Brittle plastic trays. I've seen thicker plastic on drink straws!
Although it takes forever to dry a batch of jerky, you'll spend twice as long trying to clean this thing after you're done.

My advice is to spend a little more money for alot more quality--Nesco seems to be the way to go with food dehydrators, and I will update my review here with a comparison of the model (FD-75PR) I am purchasing tomorrow.


***EDIT*** (9/22/2008)

I purchased the Nesco American Harvest FD-75PR 700-Watt Food Dehydrator and . . . WOW, what a difference! MUCH easier to clean and it dried the same amount of jerky in 1/5 the time--we have been using about a 2 1/2 pound top round roast sliced to 1/4" pieces which fits perfectly in either (both offer nearly identical drying space)--it took 30+ hours in the Ronco but only 6 hours in the Nesco and the texture was much better.

I did not dishwash the Nesco--didn't really need to. I hand washed it in about 10 minutes where the Ronco took 30-45 minutes and never really came clean no matter how long you soaked it. They use a different type of plastic for the trays. The Ronco's tray mesh seems thicker (which is not good in this instance) and the holes are closer together making it impossible to clean it entirely. The Nesco's trays are thinner and the gaps are wider to allow for cleaning. Don't misuderstand my explanation when I say Nesco's plastic is thinner than Ronco's--Nesco's in tougher, more durable, and flexible while Ronco's is stiff, flimsy, and very brittle.

Ronco's heat source is an element in the bottom of the dehydrator that is held in place by three thin (about half the thickness of a paper clip), flimsy metal clips which adds to the frustration of trying to clean it. Nesco's heat source is enclosed in the lid, complete with a fan that evenly disperses the heat and a thermostart.

If you are considering buying this Ronco food dehydrator, do yourself a HUGE favor and look at Nesco's dehydrator line. The one I bought is comparable to the size of this Ronco and cost about $20 more--in terms of what you get for your money, it's worth 10X what the Ronco costs.

We are pawning the Ronco off on my stepdaughter--she'll be cursing us soon enough and asking for a Nesco for Christmas!

I bought this for my husband because he's always wanted one to make beef jerky, and we love it. It takes about 1 day and a half to make the jerky and he is always experimenting with different seasonings. It's super easy to use and super quiet too. We have a three year old daughter who loves the dried bananas and apples we make. I love it because the dried fruit can last months and is great to take on long trips or for snacks. I searched and searched for the right one for the right price and amazon provided it. I would highly recommend this product to anyone who likes dried food.

I've used this product about a dozen or so times and I guess it did what it was supposed to do. But the element clips have broken of the bottom and burned a hole in the unit. It does take a long time to dry food, due to the passive heat operation. Even as a starter dehydrator I would probably pass on this and try a Nesco model. I received this unit as a gift, and it did help me determine if i would use it enough to buy a better unit though.

Ordered the RONCO because it was supposed to be "made in the states", but upon receiving the dehydrator, I found it to be "made in china". I tried making beef jerky and drying various fruits, but they did'nt dry right. I think the heating element was too hot for the unit. Any how, I sent it back and bought a NESCO, which is made in WISCONSIN.

there are 3 different types of dehydrators: conventional heat, fan, and a dehydrator that uses both. what i was looking for was a fan only type. this one is a heater. i guess i can only blame myself for failing to research a product thoroughly, but cost was a factor. i just went for the cheapest one and hoped for the best. however, i would have appreciated better technical info from the website itself instead of just flashy advertising.

good shape, not too big, plenty of rack space for whatever it is your drying. pretty good quality for the price. if i was making homemade candies this would be pro.

product: 5 stars

website info: FAIL

hope you find this useful.

I purchased this dehydrator because it was cheaper AND ronco. It sucks. I've gotten my $40 worth of use of it though.
Within the first 3 uses 1 tray broke. I've had it less than 6 months now, used it maybe 6 times, and all of the trays are broken in some way. The heating element has broken off its plastic clips, and even melted part of the dehydrator. Do yourself a favor and buy a more expensive, durable item. This would be great for someone who only plans on using it once, or only occasionally, but if you plan on making your food on a regular basis, its not worth the money. I plan on replacing it soon, I'll have to, my trays won't be able to take another 1 or 2 uses.

If you do not mind running up your electric bill and waiting forever on food to dry then go right ahead and by this dehydrator... I bought and returned it right away! GET A NESCO THEY ACTUALLY DO THINGS IN ONE DAY!