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

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

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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

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

Q:

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

Q:

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

Q:

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!

Q:

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.

Q:

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.

Q:

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.

Q:

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.

Q:

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.

Amazon Customer : Five Stars

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

TJV Golfer : Cooks more than dehydrates.

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

Itty Bitty : Worked as advertised, a little slow to dry, lots of room for items.

Sturdy, easy to clean, plenty of shelf space for lots of veggies or fruits. Evenly dried the products, just seemed to take longer than expected. Healthy way to make inexpensive dried fruit without additives, and to dry vegetables for storage. My dog loves the beef jerky made from table scraps, saves a lot on dog treats! Didn't attempt to make any yogurt.

Pete Vere : Great for meat, vegetables and fruit

I purchased one of these about five or six years ago. Initially I used it to make beef jerky, which didn't turn out too badly after a little bit of experimentation. What is neat is that you can mix and match, so I once I figured out the a spice mix I liked as well the proper tray rotation, I began using it more often to make my own beef jerky.
Then when I got married, my wife began using it to dry herbs, vegetables and fruits for soups and trail and soup mixes. This was much easier to figure out than with beef, since one does not have to spice fruits and vegetables.
I would be careful, however, about doing fruits and beef together, since the flavor tends to overlap a tad. This is good for the beef, but not so good for the fruits. Also, this unit can be somewhat of a pain to clean, since stuff gets stuck in the spaces in the trays, as well as in the drip pan under the electrical unit.
However, apart from these small problems, this unit makes a wonderful dehydration unit, and it holds quite a bit of food.

Elizebeth Neumann : Love my food dehydrator!

So about ten years ago when I was a teenager I saw the infomercial for this product and convinced my mom to buy it. I love jerky and dried fruit and thought this would be an awesome way to make my own!
I made homemade jerky all the time, probably about once a week. I would do beef and turkey and flavor it any way I wanted. So much more inexpensive than those big expensive bags with little meat that you get in the store!We also made banana and apple chips which turned out yummy as well.
Now that Im an adult I had asked my mom if I could have the food dehydrator as I still love jerky. Unfortunatly she had given it away when I got married cause she never used it. So now I am ordering my second one. I love this machine!
This is very easy to use, easy to clean and not loud at all. As long as you have a space on your kitchen counter to leave it out as long as it needs to then you will have tasty treats in about a day!

Teebar : Ronco Beef Jerky Machine

We are very happy with the Ronco machine, great value for money.

We have been making jerky for many years, this does the job overnight and is as good as anything we have used before, from oven to motorised machines. We will purchase this product again in the future when we need to replace from overwork!! :-)

Susan S. Humphrey : Great Service, great product

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.

fishpick : Better than OK, but not great

Got this for my wife and we have used to to dry mainly herbs and flowers and things for decorations. It puts off a lot of heat but the lack of a fan makes it uneven. I added a computer case fan to the bottom and that helps a lot. Point is, you shouldn't have to do that.

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

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.

Marilynn O'Malley : Go For Better Quality

From the start, this dehydrator has been bad luck. The first time it arrived, three of the trays were already broken. The second one shipped only had one broken tray. After just a few months, the remaining trays started cracking. And just tonight, two of the TRAYS MELTED. Luckily we were home when it happened!!

C. Kar : Dry food

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.

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!

Teebar : Ronco Beef Jerky Machine

We are very happy with the Ronco machine, great value for money.

We have been making jerky for many years, this does the job overnight and is as good as anything we have used before, from oven to motorised machines. We will purchase this product again in the future when we need to replace from overwork!! :-)

Joseph Moloney : Do you like beef jerky?

Beef jerky is a protein rich snack that is perfect for hiking, biking, or just plain snacking. Store bought brands can run you $5.99 for a 4 oz. pouch. Making it yourself with the Ronco FD5 Food Dehydrator will cost half the price and you can control the flavors & tastes that you prefer. Experiment with different levels of pepper flavors or even some with honey flavor. It,s fun and it,s inexpensive and this machine works very easily and very well. If you like beef jerky, definately check it out.

Lillian A. Kinsman : Ronco Food Dehydrator Standard

I really wish I did not buy this item , as it is so time consuming upgrading is mandatory to get any decent results.I would highly suggest buying the upgraded model with fan and bypassing this one.

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!

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.

Pat Brummett : Ronco Dehydrator - great purchase

The Ronco dehydrator was one of my greatest purchases. We live on 3 acres and have 11 fruit trees, plus we always have a garden. The dehydrator makes great dried fruit for making fried pies (which my husband loves). By the way, this was such a great purchase, I bought another one. Tomatoes are another delicacy, it brings out the sweetness in them; plus, I dry bell peppers and mushrooms for pizzas and soups. There are hundreds of uses for vegetables and fruits. Zucchini is great dried, all you do is hydrate it again, and you can use it to make zucchini bread. I do not do jerky because I do not like it; although, my 2 grown sons do but since their wives have a dehydrator, I assume they can make their own jerky. If you have not invested in a dehydrator, please do. They are inexpensive and you will by far recoup your investment the first month. I did.

Georgia : Terrible product

This is a terrible product. First time using it and two shelves melted and cracked. I compared it to my American Harvest dehydrator and the Ronco is made so cheaply. I am not happy at all with this product. It's like throwing away $40.00 on a pile of crap.
I do not recommend this to anyone.

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!

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!

Mike Park : Burnt extra cripspy Beef Jerky

This product burns the steak to a crisp in 6 hours. The instruction states to dry for 1-2 days, rotating every 6 hours. I dried the steak for 2 hours and noticed that the beef was getting burnt in the bottom trays. Therefore, the trays were rotated in 2 hours, then 4 hours. At the end of the 6 hours, the beef in all of the trays were burnt to a crisp.

Mo Allam : great product

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

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.

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

Georgia : Terrible product

This is a terrible product. First time using it and two shelves melted and cracked. I compared it to my American Harvest dehydrator and the Ronco is made so cheaply. I am not happy at all with this product. It's like throwing away $40.00 on a pile of crap.
I do not recommend this to anyone.

Just Me : Great basic dehydrator, especially for the price

I bought this last year as a Christmas gift for my husband, who likes to make his own jerky. It gets used several times a month for that and for drying fruit. Cleanup is simple, and while I was afraid we would have trouble with cracks in the plastic trays, so far so good. This item definitely has proven to be good value for money and I would not hesitate to buy another or to give it as a gift.

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.

Joseph Moloney : Do you like beef jerky?

Beef jerky is a protein rich snack that is perfect for hiking, biking, or just plain snacking. Store bought brands can run you $5.99 for a 4 oz. pouch. Making it yourself with the Ronco FD5 Food Dehydrator will cost half the price and you can control the flavors & tastes that you prefer. Experiment with different levels of pepper flavors or even some with honey flavor. It,s fun and it,s inexpensive and this machine works very easily and very well. If you like beef jerky, definately check it out.

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.

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

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Product Description

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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?

How many watts is this unit?

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

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

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

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.

should i be concerned about toxicity from heating the plastic?

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.

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