This is very straightforward to use and that is great as I am not a seasoned professional dehydrator. It takes time, and I know that should be obvious and I did expect that but some items take a lot longer than I thought; not a fault of the oven I'm sure, just the nature of the process. I like the low heat and if you want to really love this thing, go crazy and buy some filet mignon Prime beef...yep...go ahead...you won't eat any other jerky again. :-) Season cautiously as it seems to get more intense in the process. Again...best part is that it is simple. I think the price (current sale price) makes this a great value for what it will do.