Easy to operate
The chaff collector
Very little smoke
Small batches makes for fun experiments
Fun
Negative Product Points
It could be a little quieter so I don't have to strain to hear second crack.
Detailed Commentary
$121 got me the HWP and 4 lb sampler from Sweetmarias.com about two months ago. It is truly fun to roast coffee with this thing. It is my first and only coffee roasting experience. I decided after looking at all the alternatives, I needed the simplest method. And it certainly is! I just set it on the stove under the outside exhausting range hood running, pour in the beans, put the lid on with care, set it and go. I generally roast by watching the color and listening to the cracks. If it looks done the way I want it before it goes off automatically, I just hit the cool cycle button. If it goes into the cool cycle before it is where I want it, I just turn the dial up a bit and hit the roast button again. I do have to strain to hear second crack, what with the sound produced by the roaster and the range hood fan, but it isn't too bad. Anyway, I find that going a little long or short doesn't do any damage. With this setup I have never actully seen any smoke, although I've smelled it.
For those who need to roast lots of coffee at a time, it might be more time consuming than you might like. But for me who is the sole coffee drinker in the house it is ideal. The great part about the small 3 oz batches is it lets me experiment with a variety of coffees without having to do a lot of roasting at a time. I'll do four roasts of four varieties at a time. I can also easily experiment with post-roast blending as well.
Even if this thing breaks down after a year, it will have been worth it. But so far after about 40 3 oz batches it has operated flawlessly. I'd buy another.
