"Best I've found so far... as long as you have ventilation!"

Most Helpful Review:

I bought my husband one of these for a present in Christmas 2004. He is a total coffee addict and had been making all kinds of sounds like he needed a roaster. O got him this one because it seemed the cheapest and easiest to figure out. He figured out how it worked pretty easily and it didn't take long before he had figured out all the different "cracks" and which beans needed to go how dark. He has used this thing daily, sometimes even 2-3 times every single day, to make his own coffee in the morning, at night, he brings his own to make it at work, for friends, you name it. We went on vacation (road trip vacation) and it came with us. Twice. It hasn't burned out yet but the plastic top thing has come apart and it's kind of hobbling its way through. If there was a nontoxic epoxy that would stand the heat that I trusted, we would use it and carry on, but I think it's about time for a new one.

Pros - you can see the beans, it's very reliable, ours like I said has not burned out yet even after all the use its gotten. It makes really good coffee (I don't roast it but I do drink it).

Cons - it doesn't make enough, at least not enough for us. Now hubby wants to roast half a pound or more at once. Also, it gets very smoky. I love the smell of the coffee, but even with two commercial range hoods going in the kitchen (no exaggeration, one 36" 1200 CFM and one 60" 1800 CFM), the smoke detector on the first floor goes off. Before we had vent hoods we had to open up all the doors and windows and stand in front of the alarm waving a towel like some demented toreador. Drove the pooch nuts. But still - I'm going to buy this same one again because we like it, how it works and the coffee it makes.

(4 Stars)

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