REASONS TO BUY
Easy to use controls
Transparent door
REASONS TO AVOID
Tough to clean
Inconsistent internal temperature
Chefman 6 Tray Digital Review
An inexpensive six tray, shelf-style dehydrator that struggles with maintaining accurate temperature settings
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
RELATED: Best Food Dehydrators of 2023
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.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Chefman 6 Tray Digital | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  |  | |||
| Price | $130 List $119.99 at Amazon | $150 List $149.99 at Amazon | $110 List $85.69 at Amazon | $120 List | $80 List $63.99 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Pros | Easy to use controls, transparent door | Metal trays, easy clean-up, digital interface | Consistent morsels, compact storage dimensions | Budget-friendly, minimal counter space, solid performance | Easy to clean, economic, simplistic controls |
| Cons | Tough to clean, inconsistent internal temperature | Temperature settings in 10 minute increments, inaccurate on high heat settings | Counterintuitive controls, trays could be easier to clean | Small temperature range, questionable durability, handle prone to accidental opening | Poor temperature regulation, flimsy trays |
| Bottom Line | An inexpensive six tray, shelf-style dehydrator that struggles with maintaining accurate temperature settings | A modern-looking machine with intuitive controls, metal trays, consistent heat, and primo outcomes | This reliable dehydrator offers adjustability and compact storage for those with limited space | Great performance paired with a great price, it excels in all metrics | This affordable stackable dehydrator offers copious square footage that is easy to clean |
| Rating Categories | Chefman 6 Tray Digital | Magic Mill Food Deh... | Presto 06301 Dehydro | Elechomes 6-Tray Dryer | Hamilton Beach 32100A |
| Dehydrating (25%) | |||||
| Temperature Accuracy (25%) | |||||
| Ease of Cleaning (25%) | |||||
| Ease of Use (25%) | |||||
| Specs | Chefman 6 Tray Digital | Magic Mill Food Deh... | Presto 06301 Dehydro | Elechomes 6-Tray Dryer | Hamilton Beach 32100A |
| Outside Dimensions | 13.6" x 17.5" x 12.4" | 18" x 14" x 13" | 14.5" x 15" x 7.25" | 11" x 11" x 11" | 10.5" x 13" x 11" |
| Capacity | 6.5 sq ft | 7.6 sq ft | 3.25 sq ft | 6.5 sq ft | 3.75 sq ft |
| Tray Dimensions | 13" x 12" | 13" x 12" | 15" diameter | 10.2" diameter | 10.5" x 13" |
| Number of Trays | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 |
| Tray Material | Plastic | Stainless steel | Plastic | Plastic | Plastic |
| Power Consumption | 480W | 480W | 750W | 400W | 500W |
| Temperature Range | 95-158 F | 95-165 F | 90-165 F | 95-158 F | 100-160 F |
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Our Analysis and Test Results
Performance Comparison
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.
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.
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.
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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