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Chefman 6 Tray Digital Review

An inexpensive six tray, shelf-style dehydrator that struggles with maintaining accurate temperature settings
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Chefman 6 Tray Digital Review
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Price:  $130 List
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Manufacturer:   Chefman
By Nick Miley and Michelle Powell  ⋅  Aug 11, 2021
64
OVERALL
SCORE

RANKED
#11 of 12
  • Dehydrating - 25% 7.6
  • Temperature Accuracy - 25% 7.5
  • Ease of Cleaning - 25% 4.0
  • Ease of Use - 25% 6.4

Our Verdict

The Chefman 6 Tray Digital Food Dehydrator is an above average sized shelf-style machine that renders decent dry food. Unfortunately, this machine suffers from poor internal temperature regulation and it is very difficult to clean. As such, it is hard to imagine a customer that wouldn't be better off selecting another product in our review.
REASONS TO BUY
Easy to use controls
Transparent door
REASONS TO AVOID
Tough to clean
Inconsistent internal temperature

Compare to Similar Products

(change comparison)
 
Awards      
Price $130 List
$142.09 at Amazon		$110 List
$94.99 at Amazon		$70 List
$69.99 at Amazon		$90 List
$88.00 at Amazon		$60 List
$59.99 at Amazon
Overall Score Sort Icon
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Star Rating
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Bottom Line An economic multi-tray dehydrator cabinet that is hard to cleanA quality dehydrator for the space conscious consumerThis unique dehydrator has ample tray space in a rectangular, stackable format; it also has simple controls and is easy to cleanAn adjustable capacity stacked dehydrator that renders evenly dried, tasty morselsA simple machine that has two settings, is easy to clean, and is very inexpensive
Rating Categories Chefman 6 Tray Digital Presto 06301 Dehydro Hamilton Beach 32100A NESCO Snackmaster Pro Nutrichef PKFD12
Dehydrating (25%)
7.6
8.5
7.4
7.9
8.5
Temperature Accuracy (25%)
7.5
9.5
7.0
9.3
5.0
Ease of Cleaning (25%)
4.0
7.0
8.0
6.0
9.0
Ease of Use (25%)
6.4
5.6
5.8
4.0
4.2
Specs Chefman 6 Tray Digital Presto 06301 Dehydro Hamilton Beach 32100A NESCO Snackmaster Pro Nutrichef PKFD12
Tray Dimensions 13" x 12" 15" diameter 10.5" x 13" 13.5" diameter 12" diameter
Number of Trays 6 6 5 5 5
Temperature Range 95-158 F 90-165 F 100-160 F 95 - 160 F Max 180 F
Tray Material Plastic Plastic Plastic Plastic Plastic
Power Consumption 480W 750W 500W 600W 250W
Capacity 6.5 sq ft 3.25 sq ft 3.75 sq ft 5 sq ft 3.25 sq ft
Outside Dimensions 13.6" x 17.5" x 12.4" 14.5" x 15" x 7.25" 10.5" x 13" x 11" 13.5" x 13.5" x13.5" 12" x 7.5" x 13"

Our Analysis and Test Results

Performance Comparison


chefman 6 tray digital - a small window is better than none at all.
A small window is better than none at all.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Ease of Use


We found the Chefmen 6 Tray to be straightforward to use. The controls are simple, with on/ off, temp/ time and +/ - buttons. The trays are rigid plastic, so flexing them to remove food isn't an option. However, the gaps in the grating are large enough to push sticky foods off from the bottom with a fingertip. Finally, a transparent viewing window allows one to check the progress without opening the machine.

chefman 6 tray digital - ample tray space is always a plus.
Ample tray space is always a plus.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Temperature Accuracy


The internal temperature regulation of this machine is not the best. In our series of tests across four settings, the Chefmen 6 ran consistently below the marked value.

chefman 6 tray digital - digital controls don't always ensure accurate settings.
Digital controls don't always ensure accurate settings.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Dehydration Results


We processed several different types of food with this machine using the manufacturer's recipes. While the difference in dehydration results between the best machines and the worst isn't vast, this machine landed in the middle class. However, it did struggle with drying meat.

Clean-Up


Truth be told, most dehydrators are a pain in the you know what to clean. However, this machine is particularly challenging. This critique is solely a product of the shape of the bottom of the machine. Our tester resorted to vacuuming the Chefman out and then wiping it down with a hot, wet cloth.

Value


The Chefman 6 is relatively inexpensive, considering the amount of tray space that it enjoys. However, those savings come at the cost of time cleaning up the machine. For this reason alone, we think that this model is not as good of a deal as it first appears.

chefman 6 tray digital
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Conclusion


Time is a precious commodity and one that can't be bought. The Chefman 6 Tray Digital Dehydrator has several fine qualities, such as ample tray space and simple controls. Unfortunately, the clean-up time required to maintain this machine is a costly and unnecessary burden. There are other machines with similar capacities that are much easier to maintain. This box and tray-style dehydrator have ample square footage at a reasonable price.

— Nick Miley and Michelle Powell
 
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