II like it but no thermometer. Makes it tough to roast my coffee beans.

I started with this roaster and used it for about 9 months before moving on to a more automated roaster only after I understood the various aspects and relationship of the physical changes/characteristics the beans. The key is to develop a detailed understanding of the relationship of how the smell progresses from straw getting more pungent as the beans begin darken towards the 1st/2nd cracks. Before getting a more automated roaster you truly need to recognize the progression of the roast from the changes in smell as related to the cracks. Additionally, the most important visual cue relates to the absence or present, and increase, of oil on the beans - not darkness of the beans.I originally went to the Nesco on here after the Whirley mostly because the plastic gears broke twice after some significant use. The Nesco is nice because you still have the ability to easily track changes in smell because of the exhaust while, somewhat problematic because of the noise of the motor and spinning beans, you can still track the 1st/2nd cracks. I really liked this roaster better than $350+ drum roasters despite only able to do about 1/3 of a pound vs 1+ pounds of the drum types. If you consider all things, a 1/3 of a pound is perfect for ensuring that you always have the freshest coffee available. If you drink regularly, that 1/3 pound will be gone before 7-10 days when quality begins to decline. Those are just my $0.03 worth.

You can't get a better value than the whirly pop. It is labor intensive and loud as sin but gets the job done and base model is available at many local stores for under $20.