Oster FPSTDH0101 4-Tray Electric Food Dehydrator, White Reviews

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Okay, I've been in your shoes. You are stopping by Amazon to read reviews before heading off to the local grocery super-store. The Oster dehydrator has terrible reviews online, but it happens to be the only model the super-store carries. You are so excited to try dehydrating your summer veggies that you want to chance it. After all, only a dozen people gave it a bad rating, surely they only had bad eggs. If a company is selling a product, surely it went through testing!

Stop right there. Don't do it. Learn from my mistake and save yourself time, energy, and hard earned cash.

Upon arriving home from the super-store, I excitedly took my new dehydrating friend out of its box. This next part is my faultI should have tested the unit before slicing my veggies, but I did not. I happily arranged my zucchini on the trays, set the machine on the counter, and plugged it in. The light turned on, but everything was oddly quiet. Just like in the reviews online, the fan did not operate. Undeterred, I called Oster customer service. The helpful representative told me that the fan makes a "very noticeable" noise when functioning. The silence meant nothing at all was happening. She advised that I return it to the store.

Next, I cleaned and repackaged the product. Thankfully I still had my receipt and made my return. The next day, I went to another store and picked up a different brandNesco. The Nesco was similar in price, but had more features. It has an adjustable temperature and the heating unit is on top, making it easier to maintain and clean. The Nesco is quiet and efficient. Most importantly, it works.

Walk away from the Oster. Trust the reviewers online and buy another model. I wasted was lured in by false hopes and advertising, but it's not too late to save yourself.

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If you are looking for a dehydrator to use just a couple time a year, then this one would be great. It is cheap and it gets the job done. I, personally, should have spent the extra $20 to get a Nesco. This one is VERY LOUD when running. Also, the slots in the trays are quite large. So far most every thing I have chopped up has fallen through the trays while drying. This dehydrator has no temperature control either; depending on your goals, this may or may not matter.

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I love this dehydrator; we actually bought two of them to keep up with the demand for crispy apple chips. Today the oldest one (was Christmas gift) started shutting off by itself, that is the fan stopped running. The older one which is a couple weeks old started last week to shut off. My husband returned it and got a replacement. I set it up this morning and the fan shut off within and hour after I started it. I have seen one other query regarding the fans shutting off. I would consider this a perfect appliance for the money if only I could find out how to fix the fan issue.

We tried using different electrical outlets but it didn't make any difference.

Honest reviews on Oster FPSTDH0101 4-Tray Electric Food Dehydrator, White

I bought this dehydrator because I wanted to bring jerky with me for a high protein, on-the-go snack at work and other places. I'm not sure why so many people are having as many problems with this machine as they are. Maybe there are a lot of "lemons" in the bunch, but I have had no problems with mine. Maybe I'm one of the lucky few, or maybe people are doing something wrong which causes the machine to fail. I've only used it for batches of jerky, but that's all I wanted it for. Many people have said that it stops and starts up again after a while, but I would guess they have overfilled the trays and the machine is possible heating up too much so shutting down for a while is a safety mechanism. Mine just goes, but I leave quite a bit of room between pieces of jerky so that there is plenty of room for the air to circulate. I have not had it stop once during drying. If you follow the directions it is fairly clear that you need to leave space between pieces. I have not done more than about 2 1/2 lbs of meat at a time so that there is plenty of space for circulation. That seems to be a good amount, and it gives me plenty of jerky for a while. I think you've gotta realize what you are getting before you start griping about the machine. This is an entry level, cheap dehydrator at best that you can get at Wal-Mart. If you are expecting top of the line quality and features, you're kidding yourself. If you want all the bells and whistles, you're gonna pay a lot more for them. It would be nice if it had a timer to turn it off automatically, but again, you get what you pay for and I chose to get a cheaper dehydrator that does not have that option, and really it has not been amuch of an issue. Size-wise, it's about 14 inches across and about 10 inches tall so not that big, and it's not as if I leave it on the counter when it's not in use. I've read a lot of reviews of people complaining about it sounding like a "jet engine". If you think it sounds like a jet engine, I would suggest you've never heard a jet engine. Mine sounds like a fan, a little louder than a regular desk fan but quieter than a floor box fan. That's what it is basically, a fan with a heating mechanism and some trays. I can easily tune it out and so can my wife. Sound has not been an issue for us. All in all, if what you're looking for is a simple to use dehydrator that has no bells and whistles and is cheap, this may be the one for you. Follow the included instructions, and I would guess you'll be fine. Like I mentioned before, maybe there are some bad ones out there, but I have had no problems with mine.

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Just bought one of these last week. Dehydrated a batch for less than 3 hours. Went to use it again this week, turned it on and went to working on other things. Walked by it a few minutes later and noticed the fan had stopped running. The light was still on indicating it was getting power, but no fan. Disappointing and expensive for one use and not worth the hassle.