In today's marketplace there are a mind-boggling number of advanced appliances. Computer controlled multi-pots, robot vacuum cleaners, and automatic bread making machines. My home receiver/surround sound system came with a microphone that allows it to adjust itself to my room and speaker placements! We have come a long way since the days of hand-pump vacuum cleaners, cooking stew in a pot hung in the fireplace, and console AM radios. As consumers it is easy to become complacent when using our modern conveniences. But in the case of coffee roasting, PLEASE DO NOT DO SO!
The Hottop Americas warranty on the Hottop Coffee Roasters is pretty much like so many others. You can read the details there, but the general gist of it is that the limited warranty covers defects in parts and workmanship for a period of one year from the date of purchase of a new roaster to the original purchaser. This warranty is applicable solely in the continental United States. Shipping (& handling charges if any) are not covered by the warranty.
No warranty covers user error that I have ever seen. Our warranty also does not cover a roaster that gets such a heavy buildup of burnt-on oils, chaff, and particulate matter that it does not operate properly. Chaff, fine particulate matter, and coffee oils and the eventual greasy buildup that this creates can damage a roaster.
The back of the owner's manual covers maintenance in detail. Cleaning out the roast chamber so that it is free of chaff is very important and cleaning the viewing window to be able to observe the roast progress is a good start, but it is only that- a good start. The main fan and rear compartment should be cleaned occasionally as well. But how often?
There is no way to state a specific cleaning frequency. It depends on a lot of factors:
- Total number of roasts in a given period
- Amount of chaff that your coffee of choice creates
- The roast level you prefer
- The amount of coffee you roast each time
- Back to back roasting
All of the above combine to require varied frequencies of cleaning cycles. But the main point of this article is that user error or neglect is not covered by the Hottop warranty. If your roaster is sent to us for repair and the problem is found to not be covered by the warranty, the repair labor, parts cost, and shipping costs will be your responsibility. A roaster that stops working and is found by our technician to have been damaged by user error or neglect can cost the owner many hundreds of dollars in repair costs. In some extreme cases even over $1000.
This article is not meant to scare you. We are coffee enthusiasts and want to see you become a successful home roaster and want your Hottop to give you many, many years of service. There are twenty year old Hottops still in use! Let's make sure you can say that about your Hottop twenty years from now!
If you have any questions about maintenance please feel free to contact us.