Chefman 6 Tray Digital Review
Our Verdict
Compare to Similar Products
This Product Chefman 6 Tray Digital | |||||
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Awards | |||||
Price | $130 List $125.19 at Amazon | $110 List $94.99 at Amazon | $70 List $69.99 at Amazon | $90 List $86.48 at Amazon | $60 List $50.98 at Amazon |
Overall Score | |||||
Star Rating | |||||
Bottom Line | An economic multi-tray dehydrator cabinet that is hard to clean | A quality dehydrator for the space conscious consumer | This unique dehydrator has ample tray space in a rectangular, stackable format; it also has simple controls and is easy to clean | An adjustable capacity stacked dehydrator that renders evenly dried, tasty morsels | A 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%) | |||||
Temperature Accuracy (25%) | |||||
Ease of Cleaning (25%) | |||||
Ease of Use (25%) | |||||
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
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.
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.
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.
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.