Ronco Food Dehydrator, Yogurt Maker and Beef Jerky Machine review and price compare 2025

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Product overview

Brand	Ronco Inventions
Material	Plastic
Color	Black
Item Dimensions LxWxH	13.4 x 13.2 x 11.6 inches
Item Weight	1 Pounds

product features

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Dehydrates foods for snacks, camping, hiking
Operates silently with convection air flow; no motorized fan
Includes five trays for drying fruits, vegetables, jerky
Fruit rollup trays and herb/flower screens sold separately
Makes yogurt in eight hours

product description

Product Description

As Seen On TV, the deluxe 5-tray electric Ronco Food Dehydrator is also a yogurt maker and beef jerky machine. No fan or motor is used; instead silent, powerful convection airflow dehydrates food. Includes a food dehydrator recipe book. No. 1876. Made in USA. 10-1/2Hx12-3/4Wx12-3/4D".

Amazon.com

This Ronco dehydrator dries everything from fruits and vegetables to meats and seafood to flowers and herbs to flour-and-water dough for crafts. It makes beef jerky (and other jerkies) and, with the aid of a little unpasturized yogurt as a starter, it also makes yogurt. This 5-tray model is a medium-size convection-air dehydrator, as opposed to the 10- and 15-tray models that use motorized fans, and runs silently. It can take a day or two to dry apple slices, which may be longer than a motorized-fan unit. Up to five trays can be stacked on the base, and then the unit plugs into a wall socket. The included trays are 12-1/2 inches in diameter, the unit is 12-3/4 inches high, and instruction/recipe booklets come with it. For fruit rollups and dried herbs and flowers, special trays and screens can be ordered separately. --Fred Brack

product details

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Questions about Ronco Food Dehydrator, Yogurt Maker and Beef Jerky Machine

I just got my dehydrator. It doesn't say how to make yogurt anywhere in the instruction book. How do I make it?

Answer: Officially I do not know but I might be able to help as I do make yogurt. Turn on your hydrator an insert a temperature probe. Let it warm up, say 15 minutes and check the probe. If it is between 95 and 100 degrees F, that is the target. Down to 90 or up to 105 should work. You can try moving the probe higher or lower in the stack to try to get the ideal location. If you get a good zone then make up a milk and yogurt bacteria mix in a covered container, ideally glass and let it 'cook' for 6-10 hours. Longer cooking is thicker yogurt, too long and you get a curdled effect. Good luck.

Answer: Copy and paste this link, then go to page 19.

Answer: Yogurt isn't an easy make in this machine. You would need to pre-make and put into smaller containers that fit on the shelves, or purchase the rubber trays that are also used for fruit leather. I would think there are easier ways to make yogurt using your stove top and oven. If you are not drying herbs, fruits and making jerky, this machine isn't for you. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5NltUQJn3Q

Answer: You would be doing a lot of rotating of the yogurt. Better another method where the heat can be more evenly distributed at one time.

Answer: im not sure

How many watts is this unit?

Answer: Prolly 100. I would not buy this. You'll be a lot happier with the Nesco. The Nesco pushes heat from the top making it a breeze to clean. This unit has the heating coils on the bottom and has no fan to help with cooking. Get the Nesco. It's the superior product.

Answer: 125 watts

Answer: It is 120 watts. Thank you

Answer: The box says 600 watts.

Answer: 125

how to clean the base of the dehydrator where the drippings end up

Answer: It is extra difficult to clean. I'd stay away from this model. The Nesco that dries from the top down is so much better and is a cinch to clean. http://www.amazon.com/Nesco-FD-80A-Square-Shaped-Dehydrator-Frustration-Free/dp/B0090WOCM6/ref=sr_1_sc_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1430534704&sr=8-3-spell&keywords=Nesbco+dehydrater

Answer:

Answer: My best advice comes in two parts. One, carefully. A little soap and water on a paper towel, let it soak and then wipe off. This takes a while. Two, try not to do that again, at least that's my current working strategy. You can put foil or a dish in the lower tray under the dripping pieces until they dry enough to no longer drip. Then pull out the foil and finish. Good luck.

Answer: virtually impossible!

Some of my trays were melted /deformed. Where do I get replacement?

Answer: I have had these Ronco dehydrators for many years and never had anything like this happen. To replace them I would contact Ronco company. I always bought extra trays from them.

Answer: I have been lucky and found some trays/dehydrators in second hand/thrift stores.

How do you know how to set the temperature on this one?

Answer: Their is no temperature setting has a manufactured setting but you have to rotate the trays every two hours or so while cooking . cooks the old fashion slow process way 11/2 days . the jerky turned out very good afterwards

Answer: Sorry I am not sure and the one I had listed sold.

is there an insert so you can use 8oz jars to make yogurt? I don't see how any container can fit on a shelf under the lid to make yogurt.

Answer: I would buy the https://smile.amazon.com/Euro-Cuisine-YM80-Yogurt-Maker/dp/B000EX16RY/ref=sr_1_4?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1490989227&sr=1-4&keywords=yogurt+maker or the https://smile.amazon.com/Instant-IP-DUO80-Programmable-Electric-Pressure/dp/B01B1VC13K/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1490989293&sr=1-1&keywords=instant+pot to make yogurt. This Ronco isn't the best dehydrator. I like Nesco FD-80 American Harvest Square-Shaped Dehydrator for jerky.

Answer: Top rack only you have about 2.5 inches of room. I guess it depends on your jars. Also, the temperature is somewhat able to be regulated as you can add a pan of water on a lower rack, more water is less heat due to slow evaporation. I use 4 oz jars.

should i be concerned about toxicity from heating the plastic?

Answer: I don’t and this is my second one over a 25 yr span. So they have been around a long time. That’s just my thoughts on it. Enjoy.

I got this at goodwill. Do i need to oil the plates , because my chicken jerky stuck very badly. I actually threw in tray out.

Answer: Never tried drying chicken. I have dried apples, bananas, and ground beef for beef jerky.

Product reviews of Ronco Food Dehydrator, Yogurt Maker and Beef Jerky Machine

Molnar : Ronco Food Dehydrator, Yogurt Maker and Beef Jerky Machine

No blower. Very slow. I would recommend a dehydrator with a blower over this one. It works with heat only.

Amazon Customer : Nice.

I've been careful not to overload this and therefore found it easy to clean.
There aren't too many instructions so you just have to putz around, but it's pretty intuitive.
Most remarkable feature is that it's really really quiet.

Christiane M. : really good even in germany

Hi there

First off I must say that its fab. My husband loves Jerky and everytime we fly over to the US most of our cash is spent on getting jerky. Last year made the difference. We were visiting friends and they had a dehydrator and I was envious caus u cant get them over here.

So as a xmas gift they sent the it to us and since then I can only recommend it!

It isnt the fastest or the "best" on the market but if your looking for that you should not even be on this page;o)

For all those that want a light weight good and easy dehydrator read on.

Yes the trays are plastik but no none have melted or cracked or even wharped at all. I got it sent from the US and none were broken or damaged.

As its plastik i recommend washing them by hand.The dishwasher is to brutal and as the water is really hot they might wharp. If you prefer the dishwasher then set it to low heat.

The dishes must be rotated but also its like grilling or do u only grill ur meat on one side?

the best thing is its QUIET no noise no humming like with fans and its so easy!!

cleaning the bottom is also easy if you know how. It also says that your meat/fruit should be dripped off. And so even if the bottom is open you shouldnt have to clean that much.

The meat doesnt take 48h to finish 24h is enough.

Im not even scared of leaving it on overnight it has never ever gotten too hot and nothing has ever melted or happend.

So I recommend it to all ppl that love dried "anything" love to cook and dont mind waiting that little bit longer.

For all others there are faster and more complicated ones out there. If you have the cash go ahead for all those cheap but still good lovers buy this you really will be happy with the money u save and still have a good and usable appliance!

Coleman Supply Inc : 1st product review; durability not function

Well, got my unit last night and open it to find two of the five trays had shattered, presumably during shipment. I was surprised as the shipping box showed no signs of crush or other damage. I requested a replace ment and shall review the next units condition as well as, hopefully, its function.

Margaret Whitsitt : love the product

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.

E W Sugarman : Poor product quality and even worse customer service

On the second time we used the Dehydrator, one tray cracked - on the third use, 4 trays melted. When we informed Ronco they refused to replace the trays, stating that it had been more than a month since our purchase.

Gerald Oleson : Wonderful machine...A+

I have used Ronco dehydrators for 10 years. For the fellow who had trouble with his beef jerky burning. The only thing I can thing of is that maybe he did not leave the top and bottom vents open...I have run tons of meat through the dehyrdrator and never had a bit of trouble....Try deer, moose, and bear jerky. Yumm.

Paula J. Lewis : Trays melted

On the first use, making beef jerkey, the plastic trays melted after about 8 hours. Will not recommend this product to anybody.

Margaret Whitsitt : love the product

pat raines : have had this for long time

I have had the Ronco for maybe twelve years. Mainly used to make jerky as we were avid outdoorsmen. I was raised to dry all food possible so as not to waste. This dehydrator has been so convenient and easy to me. I used it in my motorhome, while traveling so nothing would spoil and we always had jerky for a quick snack. Have dried vegetables from my garden or store and always felt a pride in doing so. Wish I had been a pioneer, but now it is so easy compared to what they did to preserve their food. Want my son to have a Ronco, as he is a hunter, always asking me how to cook game or preserve. He also wants my Ronco. I will not part with it , so guess I better buy him one so he can enjoy the benefits of how to preserve food from the land that we grow or hunt for to feed our families and continue what my father and his father had taught me to love and use what God gave us.

Nerf Herder : Great tool for learning the ropes

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!

Blondie : Love it!

I am absolutely delighted with this product! I had been using my oven to dehydrate liver for dog treats. After I gave some to a friend she mentioned that her dog liked them so well she had purchased a dehydrator to make some herself. I shopped around a little and chose this one mainly just because Ron Popeil is so successful I figured he must be selling good stuff. This little unit made beautiful dehydrated liver in half the time it took in my oven. I can't wait for summer to try it with my home-grown herbs and flowers!

POP : It will only last for a few uses

Trays are way too fragile. I bought this and used it about 5 times before one tray cracked and broke due to the heat. Trays are made from cheap plastic and break easily.

RGL : Great For Beef Jerky

I use this constantly for making beef jerky. The trays aren't real rugged, but it has lasted several years. It's lightweight and easy to use.

Royce Plourde : What a Jerk !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I Purchased a Ronco food dehydrater just before christmas while watching a T.V. Infomercial on it. I have always loved beef Jerky But have always found store bought Jerky is usually made up from all the meat scraps & then pressed seasond & dried . They are usually quite awful.
Being an experienced cook I figured it was time to experiment & start making my own Jerky, so I right then & there picked up the phone & ordered one.
When I received it I immediatly started to experiment with the machine & creating my own marinades for different types of jerky. That was 10 years ago & 2 machines later I am now Making & selling Jerky. I can't keep the stuff in the house. If the kids aren't in it , Then it is usually already spoken for.
I have 2 dehydraters going at almost all times. I go through about 45 lbs. of meat a week. My son is loading the trays right now as I write. I love my Ronco Dehydraters But I do have a few suggestions.
The electrical unit should be detachable & water proof for easier cleaning. The Little Hair pin size holders that keep the coil in place should be made of stainless steel or something comparable . For those are the first things to rust & fall apart. & the Material itself for the lid Base & trays be made of a stronger plastic. I have used mine so much that my trays are cracking My bases are cracked in several places & the trays & covers also have cracks. I am not complaining the machine makes the meanest Jerky I have ever had & my customers say the same.
But I would like to see a Larger & more cleaner friendly machine . That is a little more durable. If you have a garantee on this product please let me know .
Thank You sincerely: Royce Plourde

Deejo : Luck of the Draw

Having read so many negatives, I couldn't believe we are talking about the same product. I have had my FD5 dehydrator for about 16 years. I dust it off & use it each summer to dry the fruits & veggies from the garden. I have not had any bad luck with it. Maybe I wasn't expecting a Rolls Royce for the price I paid - but it has certainly paid for itself many, many times over.

jollen j gibbs : Ronco won't stand behind their product

I have a Ronco food dehyerator that the heating element has gone on steroids & has melted 2 of the plastic trays. I called Ronco & unless I bought it directly thru them, they refused to do anything about their product. I was shocked and said "you mean you won't back up the product you made". Their response was "Unless you purchased it thru us directly, I won't be able to help you".

I own 7 dehydrators and until today would have reccomended the Ronco. I teach dehydration classes! My opinion of the company has just plumeted! This STINKS!

Mo Allam : great product

great product, been using it for years with no problems.

William Igarta : Beef Jerky at its best

Simple to use. Works well

Nathan Eady : Inferior product

Executive summary: spend ten dollars more and get the Snackmaster model instead. I've got a Snackmaster FD-50 that I bought a year or so ago, and more recently my sister picked up a Ronco FD5, so I've had a chance to compare the two, side-by-side. Buy the FD-50, not the FD5. Details follow.

First, the Ronco FD5 is slower. It takes up to twice as long to dry food as the Snackmaster. This may not seem like a big deal, but it's the difference between being able to dry three batches of apple slices in a single day off, versus only one batch.

Second, and more important, the Ronco FD5 does not dry evenly. This is probably because it doesn't have a fan, but it's very annoying. For one thing, it means you need to rotate trays. Regularly. It's no good to set the thing going and then go do other things for four hours; you have to stay close enough that you can monitor it and rotate the trays every hour or so; otherwise the bottom trays get dry, and the top ones don't. Additionally and worse, there is no consistency in dryness from piece to piece within the same tray. One piece of fruit will be dry while the piece right next to it is still wet on the surface, let alone in the middle. Not only does this necessitate removing some pieces early and letting others dry longer, but, worse, it also means checking each piece for dryness (by tearing to see if there are moisture droplets inside) before removing it from the dryer. With my Snackmaster 50, I can just tear one or two of the thickest pieces on any tray, and if they are dry, I know all the fruit is dry on all the trays, and there is no need to rotate trays.

Finally (and this is a smaller issue), the bottom of the Ronco model is open to the coil, so that when (not if) you're rotating the trays or removing dry pieces and some pieces drop through the trays by mistake, getting them out means reaching past the heating coil, which is a minor annoyance but one that you will encounter frequently. The Snackmaster's base is covered, except for the central fan area, making this largely a non-issue.

All told, you will spend a lot more time babysitting the Ronco; the Snackmaster is a much more hands-off proposition. The ten dollar price difference does not in my opinion justify the extra aggravation and time investment required to use the FD5.

Amazon Customer : Five Stars

Love it! Quiet and fruit and such come out just right. Thanks so much.

Jeyne : Good price, but you get what you pay for

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.

One Great Chef : Not a great purchase at any price!

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!

dwhite : Works Great

My wife uses this every fall to dehydrate apples. It works great and was a great price. Would reccomend it to anyone.

TJV Golfer : Cooks more than dehydrates.

Just was not as simple as it looked on TV. My fruits look more cooked than dried.

M. Green : Ronco Mold Grower and Crematorium

We tried this for the first time and were told how to dehydrate food on a normal dehydrator. So we left the fruit in for a day and then a little more until we noticed a nasty stale odor. We opened it up and there was mold all over the fruit and the bottom two rows were cremated. Not a pleasant thing to clean up. Get one with a fan so you don't incubate things you don't want to grow on your fruit.

Lynda M. Breeze : great, but slow, dehydrator

This dehydrator is good for my purposes; I grow and dry herbs and flowers. It is a little slow for high water content foods. It is not too loud and delivers just as promised. I am anxious to try making yogurt with this dehydrator. Based on my yogurt making experience I think it will be great for making yogurts and as quick as any yogurt machine.

Trina : VERY DISAPPOINTED

I bought this dehydrator a year ago...the first time I used this product, it melted whatever tray was on the bottom nearest to the heating element. So, in the end, I had beef jerky with melted tray stuck to it. I called the customer service number, within a week of ordering it, spoke with a gentleman named Saul, who said he would send a new unit and a return authorization for the old, clearly defective machine. I have yet to receive ANYTHING, a year later! I have called, been put on hold, faxed, mailed, done everything I was supposed to in order to get this taken care of. I guess I am out $35 and will never buy another Ronco product in my life. Buyers beware!

Sarah : Cheap but good for the newbie

I got the Ronco dehydrator free from a friend who thought it was the kind of thing I would like (she was right!). I agree with other reviews that the machine is pretty dinky and I'm planning to build my own dehydrator one of these days (for a design see the hippie food-drying bible "Dry It -- You'll Like It!"). But I've been using it for a couple of years with great results. We live in NYC and during the summer running the oven for days on end is just not an option. So the dehydrator is terrific if you don't want to spend money, want something that's quiet, and don't mind that it might break. It's also a minimal investment if you're not sure that you want to be the obsessive dehydrator that I've become....

J. Terborg : RONCO FOOD DEHYDRATOR

I just love Ronco Food Dehydrators for making beef jerky. I have three. I can't stand the dehyrators that have the fan!

Joanna D. : Gardener's friend

If you garden and raise fruit of any kind, this is a useful device. It's also good if you have kids. Here's why:
You can take apples, peaches, strawberries or other fruits and make candy-like healthy snacks. It's a nice alternative to canning, which uses a lot of sugar. So you can preserve your crop rather easily. All you need to do is slice the peeled or unpeeled fruit. To prevent browning due to an enzymatic reaction, you can dip each slice into a solution of ascorbic acid (available at the pharmacy) or in lemon juice. You can also make yogurt in this, using the gentle heat as the incubator to keep the milk with yogurt starter warm in jars overnight.
The trays feel a bit flimsy; this is a lightweight device and it is a bit large. So you'll probably have to find a place to pack it away unless you have a lot of counter space and use it all the time.

you can compare the product price from Costco, wayfair, bestbuy, lowes, target, homedepot, Walmart, ebay, amazon to find the best price for you