A waste of money and time. It might be best to buy the cheaper Hearthware roaster without the 'brain.'
Positive Product Points
Roasting beans are visible. If the roaster is working properly, you can get the exact roast (color) you want.
Negative Product Points
Stops roasting, starts cooling, no matter the dial setting, sometimes 20 seconds into the roast, sometimes two minutes. "Roaster setting" dial is useless -- even when the roaster is working properly, the dial is only a reference point, that is, it does not measure minutes. Twice the fan has quit while roasting, burning beans - the burning is almost instantaneous.
Detailed Commentary
Incompetence or intentional rip-off? It hardly matters. I read the reviews and suggestions: I ran the roaster on a circuit on which nothing else was running; I always used the measuring cup provided and never overloaded it; I cleaned it after every roast, and I ran it twice on the same day only with several hours between roasts so that it had completely cooled down. It worked properly for eight roasts. I called the company, sent the base back as requested, the new base worked properly twice. At $129, maybe you can't expect 'precision,' but at the least you should expect it to function. Turn the dial all the way to the right (the highest setting), watch the roaster every second, push the cool button when you see the roast/color you want - maybe you'll get lucky, but you can't expect it to work the same way in successive roasts. If others who have this roaster have no problems, all that means is that the company has zero reliability/quality control. Who should buy this product? (1) Gamblers (you might get one that works!); (2) Those who enjoy wasting time, money, and coffee beans.
