Buy one of these cheap plastic toys as a gift for your brother-in-law. Buy a decent-quality unit from another manufacturer for yourself.
Positive Product Points
This is a cheap roaster. It's easy to use.
Negative Product Points
I will break after 6 months use. Customer Service will not repair it. They will insist you buy a new roaster. It's essentially a plastic toy, not a reliable, functional appliance.
Detailed Commentary
I have had three Z&D roasters over the past two years. They work fine, at first. But each of the three has broken at the six month point. The reviewers with little experience (i.e. < 6 months use) tend to be happy. But if you really use it, it will burn up as it's cheaply built of plastic and thin glass. Be especially careful with the glass container, as it is so thin it tends to shatter if it touches the sink too hard (and it doesn't take much). You'll be picking glass shards out of the disposer, as I've had to do twice.
The unit doesn't smoke under normal operation, but it really smokes when it burns up. The wife forced me to relocate my roasters to the garage, as the house filled with smoke when the first one burnt up. Now the garage just fills with smoke after the motor burns. You know the unit is history when it no longer turns and the metal parts turn black.
So buy one of these as a starter, but just plan on getting a decent-quality unit at the six month point. I'm not willing to purchase a fourth unit, and customer service will not repair this one, so I'm looking for a better-made roaster. Even a $300-500 unit will cost less than shelling out $150 every six months for a Z&D plastic toy.
Buying Experience
Customer service has taken a nosedive lately. They'll treat you nicely when taking your order, but just try to get anything fixed. They told me a new unit was shipped, then didn't ship it and their internet ordering system broke so I couldn't check it. They can't be trusted. Their online order tracking system gives "Foxpro ODBC" errors and dies.
