Noisy. Vibration can make the machine "walk" by itself.
Detailed Commentary
This is my first roaster, so I don't have a basis of comparison. However, I like it very much and use it every 3 days. My wife, who generally has problems with technical issues, has learned to use it with ease as well. It does make small batches, so if you plan on making coffee for more than 2 people on a regular basis you should consider another machine. However, if you have 2 or less people this machine is perfect. You never want to roast too many beans anyway as that defeats the purpose of having fresh beans! I like a darker roast, so I set it for about 7 to 8 minutes. You should stay close by when it approaches the end of the cycle however as heating in the second crack is exponential - a few extra seconds and you could have a lot of smoke. If you like lighter roasts stick to about 6 minutes or less. The timer automatically turns off the heating element for a final two minutes of cooling where it still blast air, but no heat.
The construction is fairly solid on the base. The whole thing is plastic, and I leave it on the counter top. I don't think it's too big so it's not a problem. The top part is a plastic assembly too which catches the spent chaff. That part seems a bit cheap, but it does the job. The bean receptacle is glass and works fine. The first minute or so is noisy but then it seems to turn into high gear and really vibrate. Because of the vibration, it can start 'walking' on the counter top. So make sure not to set it too close to the edge. I'm thinking of making a small base out of wood with a rubber mat underneath to dampen the vibration- I tried putting a wooden cutting board underneath and then a thick dish towel underneath that and the counter top, which worked quite well. But it tends to 'walk' off the cutting board if you don't watch it.
All in all I like this machine a lot. We don't need a lot of beans, so we can make small batches fresh and in a short amount of time.
Buying Experience
Coffee Corral was hassle free. No problems and received the order quickly.
Three Month Followup
Some quality problems materialized. The screen in the upper lid came unraveled and chaff started to go back in the main chamber. Also the nut on the center screw on the handle for the glass chamber vibrated loose, but couldn't get it back on without removing the whole handle. Later couldn't get the lower screw back in. Still under warranty, the manufacturer promptly mailed me replacement parts. I think the screen part will wear out again though - this is a weak link. Now I put a towel under the base to keep the unit from vibrating so much and that should prevent future damage to the glass chamber handle screws. By the way my wife and I roast about 4 to 5 times a week, so this is certainly heavy use. We prefer a unit like this where we can make small fresh batches rather than roasting large batches that would get stale faster than we could consume it. Using a wire screen of heavier gauge in the chaff chamber would make this machine a real winner for the price.
