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!
Want the Best Kitchen Appliances? Then Don't Miss Our:
Kitchen Appliance Reviews & Tips Section
