Mellerware Biltong Maker & Fruit Dehydrator
Shopping on Yuppiechef is safe and secure
Scan the QR code to open this page on your mobile phone.
Product info
Make home preservation your thing, and create perfect dried fruit and meats for the whole family. With drying rods and racks included, you can make delicious dried goods at home. Perfect your spice rub for biltong, and know exactly what goes into your dried fruit.
- Biltong maker and food dehydrator
- Hanging rods for biltong and droewors
- Drying shelves for fruit and vegetables
- Light fitting to reduce moisture
- Continuous airflow to speed up drying
- Easy to assemble design
- Comes with 8 plastic drying hooks
For more inspiration, have a look at how to make biltong, how to dry your own fruit as well as some top tips for drying fruit at home with the Mellerware Biltong Maker and Food Dehydrator.
Biltong cutter not included.
Product specifications
- Power: 16-116W
- Weight: 2.86kg
- Knocked-down size: 50.5 x 9.5 x 32cm
- 40 watt bayonet candle lightbulb can be bought separately to speed up drying, but the machine will work without it
Key features
| Product SKU code: | BK002 |
|---|---|
| Product barcode: | 6002674006115 |
| Product condition: | New |
| Warranty: | 2 Year |
| Power connection: | Corded |
Note: Some images are shown to illustrate scale, usage or features of the product, and may not be of the specific variant selected.
Care instructions
- Always clean the appliance and its accessories with a damp cloth and a few drops of washing-up liquid and then dry thoroughly
- Don't use any solvents, or products with an acid or pH base, such as bleach, or any abrasive materials to clean the appliance
- Don't let water enter the built-in circulation fan
- This appliance and all of its accessories are not dishwasher safe
Warranty
This product has a 3-year warranty: 1-year retail + 1-year extended when you register you product + 1-year extended when you opt in for communications during registration here.
Shipping & returns
Delivery
Yuppiechef delivers throughout South Africa. Choose from a number of delivery options.
- Delivery by courier to your door — free for orders over R700
- Collect from a Yuppiechef store — free
- Collect from your nearest PostNet — free for orders over R700
- How long will my order take to arrive?
- Can I send my order as a gift?
Returns
Customer Reviews & Ratings
Loving this
Item reviewed:
Review by Tania R. on 26 February 2013, 12 days after purchase
I have always wanted a food dehydrator and am in love with this as we make healthy biltong and dried fruit as school snacks at a fraction of the cost. If you are a little patient and are cool with pre-planning these things you cannot go wrong here.
I would recommend this product to a friend.
16 out of 16 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No
Biltong maker (sue me for being unoriginal)
Item reviewed:
Review by Graham M. on 23 February 2014, 13 days after purchase
This little biltong maker does what it says it does, it dries fruit and meat. It works very well and the process is surprisingly simple. (I haven't tried fruit yet). The dehydrator requires a 40W standard size bayonet fitting candle light bulb which is not supplied. I suggest you stock up on a few of these as incandescent lights are getting more expensive every month. I doubt that the fan will last forever and the sides are rather brittle and a bit flimsy, but don't let this put you off. While the product isn't very sturdy it is sturdy enough to do the job and if something does break then a spot of superglue ought to sort it out easily. A hidden benefit is that your house will smell like biltong while the machine is in operation! :) I definitely recommend buying this, I'm certainly very happy with mine. Read more
I would recommend this product to a friend.
11 out of 11 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No
Awful!
Item reviewed:
Review by Tamsyn W. on 14 February 2015
One star because there's no option for less. The unit is somewhat flimsy, but stable and strong enough for its purpose. The fan stopped working after less than 24 hours, resulting in a batch of ruined meat. I exchanged the unit for a new one... twice. With all three units, the fan gave up after less than 24 hours of running. Perhaps a poor batch, but three unlucky tries with this product means I'll never try again. Waste of money in spoiled meat; waste of time spent in returning the device. I'll never use Mellerware's products, thanks to this display of uselessness! Read more
I would not recommend this product to a friend.
10 out of 11 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No
Not well thought out
Item reviewed:
Review by Karen G. on 30 September 2014, 22 days after purchase
This food dehydrator would be wonderful if Mellerware just manufactured it stronger. The fan on mine is faulty, noisy and overheats to the point of us fearing it will catch on fire. The assembly itself is very wobbly and can fall apart easily if you try to move it. The shelves bend if wedges of fruit are added (instead of thin slices). Fruit flies have no problem getting inside.
I'm sadly having to return this one without any obvious substitute for a great concept. Read more
I would not recommend this product to a friend.
8 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No
Dried EVERYTHING!
Item reviewed:
Review by Ane C. on 20 August 2013, over 6 months months after purchase
I have made dried strawberries, apples, bananas, biltong.... and I have so many more ideas! This is really cool! Especially if you are concerned about all the chemicals they put into dried fruit these days.
I only wish that there are more drying racks! (Two racks are enough for about two apples).
I like that you can disassemble it and store it neatly when not in use.
I would recommend this product to a friend.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No
Mellerware Food Dehydrator
Item reviewed:
Review by Lynne R. on 7 June 2013, 10 days after purchase
The Mellerware Food Dehydrator is amazing value for money and very easy to use - I am just loving the one that I purchased and would recommend it to anyone to purchase.
I would recommend this product to a friend.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No
Really useless gadget
Item reviewed:
Review by Gus K. on 11 November 2015, over 1 year after purchase
It is very flimsy, easy to fall apart plastic gadget. I used it once, and threw R400 of rubbish away. Will not even recommend to my enemy. sorry
I would not recommend this product to a friend.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No
Wonderful product!
Item reviewed:
Review by Marida B. on 8 May 2013, 13 days after purchase
This is one of the best kitchen tools I've ever bought, it makes the tastiest dried fruit at a fraction of the cost in the shops. I would highly recommend it to anyone.
I would recommend this product to a friend.
Excellent purchase and value for money
Item reviewed:
Review by Alistair D. on 11 September 2013, 10 days after purchase
Great purchase. Will be using for a long time. Made the first batch of biltong and can't wait to try out using it for the dried fruit.
I would recommend this product to a friend.
I-Love-It!
Item reviewed:
Review by Kathy M. on 27 November 2013, 12 days after purchase
This is so cool, I can now make my own biltong at a fraction of the price, plus have the added option of drying fruit! I have already made a batch of biltong and I must say I am very impressed.
I would recommend this product to a friend.
The Mellerware Biltong King & Food Dehydrator is a great biltong maker
Item reviewed:
Review by Maida B. on 20 December 2013, 1 month after purchase
We have made biltong in this several times now. The dehydrator assembles easily and takes up little space. It works well and produces good quality biltong within 2 days.
I would recommend this product to a friend.
An idea for drying more fruit at one time...
Item reviewed:
Review by Denise R S. on 20 December 2013
I can't wait to get one of these Mellerware Biltong and Dried Fruit makers - I'm saving up! To the person that wanted more shelves for drying fruit - leave the shelves out, and thread your fruit pieces onto some thread or fine string, leaving space between each piece, then tie a loop at the top and suspend from the empty biltong 'S' hooks - as well as from homemade "paperclip 'S' hooks" - using the bars at the top that usually carry hanging biltong - you can dry a great deal of fruit at one time using this method, I should imagine! Read more
I would recommend this product to a friend.
Excellent Biltong Maker
Item reviewed:
Review by Monika R. on 17 July 2014, 3 months after purchase
We are delighted with the biltong maker/ food dehydrator, easy to use. A nice feature is that it is in an enclosed unit and compact. I dried a couple of layers of chillies and my husband loves making his own biltong in the dehydrator. Would most definitely recommend.
I would recommend this product to a friend.
Fantastic product
Item reviewed:
Review by Greg H. on 5 September 2014, 12 days after purchase
I've had this item for a very short time and already cannot stop raving about it. I'm considering purchasing a few more so I can indulge in more of its capabilities.
I would recommend this product to a friend.
Love it!
Item reviewed:
Review by Natasha O. on 16 October 2014, 12 days after purchase
Absolutely adore it! Look at the fridge with a whole new set of eyes now - wondering what I can dehydrate next. Have made biltong, dried strawberries and even mushroom biltong! Next up is dehydrated crackers and buckwheat pizza bases.
I would recommend this product to a friend.
Mellerware Biltong King
Item reviewed:
Review by Lynsey S. on 19 March 2015, 1 month after purchase
A bit flimsy - one of the sides cracked when I put it together.
Crack doesn't effect the working of the product. Does what it should - just be careful building it!
I would recommend this product to a friend.
Great Product
Item reviewed:
Review by Anonymous on 14 May 2015, 11 days after purchase
The Biltong maker is so easy to use. It drys wors in 2 days and is light and compact. In fact mine is going to my daughter in Germany as she is missing the taste of biltong.
I would recommend this product to a friend.
Careful about the light
Item reviewed:
Review by Anthea Mathew on 27 December 2015, 16 days after purchase
The biltong maker seems to be doing its job but we have only had the meat in overnight. However, as there was no light in the pack we used a 40w round globe and unfortunately it has melted the plastic rack closest to it. So now we have taken the globe out and will try it without a globe.
I would recommend this product to a friend.
Absolutely fantastic
Item reviewed:
Review by Anonymous on 3 January 2016, 14 days after purchase
I must say that I am extremely happy with the product, I have made 2 batches of biltong already and I am not going to stop. Thanks to all and greetings from Dubai.
I would recommend this product to a friend.
Early days
Item reviewed:
Review by Lyn V. on 4 January 2016, 14 days after purchase
I only just started using the food dehydrator yesterday. It is easy to use and seems to work well. My concern is that getting globes will be a problem going forward as they are not readily available.
I would recommend this product to a friend.
Great fun for the foodie
Item reviewed:
Review by Nina E. on 5 January 2016, 15 days after purchase
We love our biltong maker so much and enjoy creating and testing new ways to spice the meat.
To make chilli bites & chunks we used the drying trays and lay them down in strips.
We find that it takes about 2-3 days to dry to our satisfaction.
Just watch out if you have any pets. My cat loves knocking it down and stealing a nibble.
This is a great gift for any meat lover. Read more
I would recommend this product to a friend.
Brilliant for biltong lovers
Item reviewed:
Review by Meagan G. on 6 January 2016
Great product, have used it numerous times and will continue to use it. Takes a day to prep biltong before it goes into the machine and then 3-5 days to dry it and then that's it! Best biltong! Love this product.
I would recommend this product to a friend.
Best Buy Ever
Item reviewed:
Review by Lynne S. on 9 May 2016, 21 days after purchase
I bought the Biltong Maker a few weeks ago and we are on our second batch of homemade biltong.
It is a great product and we are loving it.
I would recommend this product to a friend.
Awesome
Item reviewed:
Review by Lynette D. on 26 May 2016, 23 days after purchase
This was a gift to my brother He is LOVING IT.
From the start of ordering to receiving - total professionalism as a first time user of Yuppiechef.
My brother is loving the fact that he can do dried fruit, as well.
I would recommend this product to a friend.
Works beautifully
Item reviewed:
Review by Hazel T. on 28 September 2016
I gave this to my husband for his birthday and it has kept him occupied ever since. He has done fruit, is experimenting with various meats for biltong and intends to try tomatoes etc in due course. First class toy for boys!
I would recommend this product to a friend.
A must have for the biltong lover
Item reviewed:
Review by GEORGINA S. on 9 December 2016, 1 month after purchase
I make my very allergic dog biltong with only a little salt on it. I freeze the biltong and only keep out enough for a few treats. Making my own biltong, I use very little salt and a mix of spices to my taste is just perfect! Only 1 problem though, the "bars" on which the biltong hangs, is just a little bit too short. Otherwise, this biltong maker is amazing.
I would recommend this product to a friend.
Easy to use and easy to acquire
Item reviewed:
Review by Anonymous on 19 January 2017, 1 month after purchase
This is a great gift for your hubby or your biltong lover. But what surprised me was the fact that you can even dry fruit and nuts in the biltong maker. Now my Hubby and I can both use it!
I would recommend this product to a friend.
Biltong Maker
Item reviewed:
Review by Marietjie S. on 19 January 2017, 1 month after purchase
I got one for my birthday, and loved using it, so we decided to give one to my 70+ old father in law and what a great gift. He is using it daily, easy to use with amazing recipes. It's an awesome gift for young and old.
I would recommend this product to a friend.
Biltong maker is brilliant
Item reviewed:
Review by Anonymous on 23 January 2017, 1 month after purchase
We received the parcel and was very easy to set up. Our first batch of biltong came out very well, and was eaten quickly.
I would recommend this product to a friend.
Bargain price and works amazingly :)
Item reviewed:
Review by Gavin P. on 31 January 2017, 12 days after purchase
The product itself does exactly what it suppose to. Easy to assemble, and even easier to use, highly recommended to everyone who loves biltong.
I would recommend this product to a friend.
This product really works
Item reviewed:
Review by JESSICA E. on 4 April 2017, 10 days after purchase
It makes biltong in 3 days! Easy to use and easy to clean. The 40W light bulbs are hard to find. So if you do find them - stock up.
I would recommend this product to a friend.
Do not buy..
Item reviewed:
Review by Delphine P. on 18 September 2017, over 1 year after purchase
This biltong maker doesn't deserve any stars at all.... It is just bad quality and overpriced... When we received it the light was not working, so this was exchanged. After a while the fan stopped working, so this was exchanged again. The fan lasted 3 days and stopped and this was exchanged again... And finally, the fan gave in... so that has now gone into the bin alongside the meat that we had just put in.
I have just read all the reviews and can see that many people had the same problem... Wish I had read these before... Do not buy! Read more
I would not recommend this product to a friend.
Brilliant - just what I have wanted for a long time!
Item reviewed:
Review by Anonymous on 11 October 2017, 15 days after purchase
I assembled this product immediately and put it to use straight away by drying some thin wors sausage. It works very well and the next time I will be drying some fruit. Many thanks for your excellent service.
I would recommend this product to a friend.
Cheap junky plastic
Item reviewed:
Review by Cherene N. on 26 December 2017, 23 days after purchase
I bought this as a Christmas gift. It's difficult to assemble as it's badly made with thin plastic sides that keep falling apart as you try build it. When applying the slightest pressure to the one side while attempting to attach the 3rd and 4th sides, the one side snapped in half! It was out its box for all of 10 minutes and now has to go in the dustbin. What rubbish! Very disappointed and embarrassed that I gave this as a gift. Read more
I would not recommend this product to a friend.
Mellerware Biltong Maker
Item reviewed: Biltong Maker & Spices (no longer available)
Review by Melanie D. on 2 March 2018
This is my favourite toy at the moment. However we have detected a design flaw. The fan is an extractor fan and sucks the air out of the unit. The bulb is placed at the top of the dryer next to the fan - which is useless as the heated air is then just sucked out again and probably has minimal effect on the meat. The unit should have a bulb on the base - such that the hot air can rise as it would and dry the meat and then be extracted out by the fan at the top. I could improvise and add my own bulb at the bottom - and may do that - but thought you might appreciate the insight for future units. Read more
I would recommend this product to a friend.
What a joke
Item reviewed:
Review by Jemma L. on 25 June 2019, 1 month after purchase
Extremely flimsy. Takes days and days to dry small things, can't imagine how long biltong would take.
I don't understand the logic of putting the source of heat (the light) right next to the fan at the top of the unit. Not nearly enough heat is generated by the bulb to warrant the extra electricity being used.
Can't believe how many positive reviews this thing got; really wish I'd paid more heed to the negative reviews. Read more
I would not recommend this product to a friend.
What a Handy Gadget!
Item reviewed:
Review by Lisa K. on 9 July 2019, 1 month after purchase
I absolutely love my Biltong Maker! The "hinges" and side panels are a bit fragile and the plastic rods tend to fall, but otherwise the product is of amazing quality. I just love having biltong ready within 2-3 days and have even made droewors. Today I am going to try making dried apples. Currently this is my favourite gadget at home!
I would recommend this product to a friend.
Biltong maker
Item reviewed:
Review by Garath D. on 20 July 2019, 1 month after purchase
The Mellerware Biltong maker works like a charm. My biltong came out very nice every time.
I do think that the construction is a bit flimsy, needs focus when putting it together.
I would recommend this product to a friend.
Certainly Does Its Job
Item reviewed:
Review by Luane B. on 10 October 2019, 1 month after purchase
Although the product 'seems' flimsy, it was easy to set up and I had my first batch of "nasties free" biltong in 3 days!! So.... it works!
I would recommend this product to a friend.
Works pretty well
Item reviewed:
Review by Moore M. on 28 January 2020, 13 days after purchase
I tried it with fruits for my colleagues to try them and they came out perfect, they also like them, I am now ready to get started with my dry fruits business,
The bulb was hard to find, at least i got a pack of 5 in Checkers Hyper,now I don't have to worry much
I would recommend this product to a friend.
Utterly Dissapointing
Item reviewed:
Review by Natasha ten Krooden T. on 13 January 2021
This was a Christmas gift long-awaited as biltong making was something I wanted to try for quite a number of years.
The concept is a good one, and the ideal is something that could excite me, but, and this is a VERY BIG BUT
It is poor quality and flimsy to the point of the terrible cheap plastic cracking on assembly... For what you ask this product is so far below standards, a knock-off company would reject it.
I am severely disappointed as YC supposedly prides itself on quality and then you sell this. I am even ashamed that I told my mother of YC and products. Read more
I would not recommend this product to a friend.
This product is amazing and fast
Item reviewed: Biltong Maker & Spices (no longer available)
Review by Carry M. on 17 January 2021
Awesome, awesome, awesome. I love it, I'm very happy. It's perhaps only the lightbulbs that are difficult to find by the bulb/light manufacturer as you need a very particular screw-in bulb for the Mellerware biltong maker and if you do find the bulbs, you have to buy a lot because the store does not know when they will receive more of those particular bulb lights. But other than that, I love it.
I would recommend this product to a friend.
Enjoying my biltong!
Item reviewed:
Review by Anonymous on 18 June 2021, 18 days after purchase
Tried my first biltong and within 4 days it was ready! Tasted better than the butcher's biltong. I will try drying fruit for my wife. This product definitely does what it says and it works great!
The light bulb the unit uses was a bit of a struggle to get but got it from another retailer at the end of the day.
I would recommend this product to a friend.
Meh
Item reviewed:
Review by Anonymous on 20 February 2022, 12 days after purchase
The dryer does what it is supposed to do, but the design is very flimsy and the plastic tabs break very easily. For the price, I would expect something better.
I would not recommend this product to a friend.
Does what is says
Item reviewed:
Review by Karen C. on 10 May 2022
We bought this a year ago and finally used it for the first time last week to make biltong. We did not use the light bulb and with just the fan going it made super biltong in a few days. The fan was quite noticeable so next time we will put in a room other than the kitchen but otherwise worked perfectly fine. You definitely have to be careful with the plastic sides, they feel like they could crack very easily and the whole setup is a bit flimsy when assembled so we didn't dare move it once the meat was in. There are probably way better units available but for the price it is totally fine and does what it is supposed to do. Read more
I would recommend this product to a friend.
Biltong maker.
Item reviewed:
Review by Gail L. on 17 October 2022, 14 days after purchase
This is going to be a Christmas gift.
But I have the same one and we use it frequently. It works perfectly but you need to be careful when handling it as it is a little delicate!
I would recommend this product to a friend.
Awful quality.
Item reviewed: Biltong Maker & Spices (no longer available)
Review by Vanessa R. on 20 October 2022
Could not fit it together doesn't line up, it is poor quality and chipped straight away when assembled.
I would not recommend this product to a friend.
Reply by Yuppiechef
We're sorry we got it wrong this time around, and hope you've used your refund to find something that suits you better.
Still testing.
Item reviewed:
Review by Naomi L. on 28 January 2023, over 6 months months after purchase
We're still trying it out but have some concerns. The plastic is very iffy, and it's hard to hold it all together. I've had to add tape to keep it somewhat stable.
The three rods that hold the meat just fall down because they're not quite long enough and I'm having to figure out how to extend them a bit, even though I've put tape around the box to hold it together better.
>
After trying it with fruit on the two shelves, which also kept falling in until I taped the box on the outside, I decided the amount of electricity used to get the fruit to the right dryness was not worth it because you can only put a very small amount of fruit on the two shelves. There should be many more shelves. One apple and one banana to all the space.
With regards to meat, this is slightly better once I get the rods to work, the outer two rods are better at staying put, but I'm having to figure out how to gauge when the meat is ready. That's my learning curve.
So I think it's better for meat than fruit or vegetables, but the composition is flimsy and the rods are too short. Read more
I would not recommend this product to a friend.
This product is amazing and it works well.
Item reviewed:
Review by Anonymous on 19 May 2025, 17 days after purchase
The product is great and easy to use with a few instructions from YouTube. The biltong is getting ready as I comment.
I would recommend this product to a friend.
Amazing product — drying made super easy.
Item reviewed:
Review by Anonymous on 30 September 2025, 1 month after purchase
We're over the moon with our brand new biltong maker. A fantastic multi-purpose appliance: fantastic for drying edible flowers, herbs and fruits. Highly recommended.
I would recommend this product to a friend.
100% happy with this biltong maker.
Item reviewed:
Review by Nadia V. on 3 November 2025, 17 days after purchase
Happy with this purchase. Works very well — had biltong in 3 days. Haven't tried to make dried fruit just yet.
I would recommend this product to a friend.
The best product 😍
Item reviewed:
Review by Tebatso L. on 16 November 2025, 1 month after purchase
It’s an amazing product indeed and you can easily pack it away once you done using it. What I love the most about it — it’s definitely easy to use and not complicated at all. The texture of the biltong is perfect and the nice part about it that there’s also recipes that you can use 👌
I would recommend this product to a friend.
Allows flies and fruit flies in
Item reviewed:
Review by Shanti S. on 22 April 2014
I have read all the other reviews and am wondering if we have the same product. I own this and have used it for both biltong and dehydration and have found a major flaw. The slots at the bottom to allow air out once it has been sucked in via the fan are too big they allow fruit flies and even small household flies in. I have had to go and purchase some mosquito netting and tape it on the bottom. I can't believe people are giving this 5 stars with such a massive flaw. I certainly don't want flies walking on or laying eggs in my biltong or fruit flies all over my dehydrated fruit. Read more
I would not recommend this product to a friend.
3 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No
Biltong King
Item reviewed:
Review by Elmarie B. on 31 August 2013, 11 days after purchase
I have assembled the biltong king, but have not used it as yet. I am sure it will give us loads of tasty biltong. I am pleased that the appliance came with recipe's and food preparation suggestions.
I would recommend this product to a friend.
1 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No
Biltong Maker & Fruit Dehydrator
Item reviewed: Biltong Maker & Spices (no longer available)
Review by Gillian on 21 February 2017
Sadly, this product did not work for me! I needed to dry Organic parsley and it took THREE days and the parsley was partially dried but still 'leathery'! I was hoping it would be quicker and more economical to use this dehydrator but the oven at 70 deg C for 45 mins works better and parsley lovely, dry and crisp!
Not at all sure how it will dry meat or fruit :(
I would not recommend this product to a friend.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No
