I really like this roaster and only wish for longer roasting times so I did not feel that I had to make split-second decisions during the roast.
Positive Product Points
Quiet operation- you can hear the 1st and 2nd crack clearly.
Small footprint- makes for easy storage (important if you live in a old home).
Ease of cleaning- roasting chamber and chaff collector particularly.
Price- purchased from sweetmarias for $69 with 4 lbs of coffee beans.
Small roasting chamber- good for me since I'm the only coffee drinker in the house.
Negative Product Points
Roasts very fast- I am still fooling with Light/Dark slide trying to extend roast time.
Timer sloppy- marks do not line up with events.
Detailed Commentary
I find that it is a good practice to clean the chaff collector after every batch. Chaff quickly builds up and blocks the ports resulting in suddenly reduced roasting time. Also I added a thermometer to the unit by drilling a hole just a little off-center in the top (you want to just miss the screen hold-down that is in the center but do not go too far or you get on the up-angle of the top and the probe will hit the glass) so I can get more consistent roasts. I also pre-heat the unit by cycling through a 5-minute empty batch.
