While shopping at a big super store, we came across an electric roti maker. The guy at the counter said he can arrange for a no-strings-attached demo at our home. We decided that wouldn’t hurt and asked him to.
I then tweeted for advice on if its really worth spending Rs.2000 on an electric roti maker. Nearly everyone who responded back didn’t have a good experience and advised me against buying one. I googled for it and most of the top links pointed to complaints.
I’m a guy who strongly believes in the wisdom of the crowd. So, why did I still go ahead and buy it? Here’s my reasoning.
Reason #1: I was absolutely impressed with the product. Sure, all demos are meant to impress but this one was special. I can see a good product when I see one. The roti maker made fluffy, light rotis, just like in those TV commercials. And consistently at that.
The sales guy insisted we knead the dough from the flour from our home. He asked us to knead it just the way that we normally would do. He then taught the technique and asked us to use the machine ourselves. I can’t remember the last time, *I* made fluffy rotis.
Reason #2: My mom and wife are trying to lose weight. Both are targeting to lose 10 kgs before April 14, 2009. We now have strict ‘No-Rice’ dinners and replace rice with rotis. Investing in the electic roti maker is my way of showing solidarity and support in their ‘weight-loss’ effort.
Reason #3: Making rotis using the traditional wooden roller is tough and not to mention for the entire family. It’s the most strenuous part and the most time consuming. Anyone who has done it will know. The roti maker needs just one press to get a ‘well rolled’ roti. I remember seeing the glint in the eyes of my mom the first time she saw it. That’s all the reason I needed.
Reason #4: We get thinner rotis from the roti maker than the ones made by hand.
Reason #5: Requires no oil. Big thumbs up.
Reason #6: It’s economical. Saves gas. One hour of electric roti maker consumes just a little over 1 unit of electricity. It frees up the gas stove for cooking other stuff.
Now, lets look at the negatives. The rotis *must* be consumed while they are hot. They are soft and fluffy but once it cools off (and it happens real fast), the roti hardens and becomes rubbery.
While pressing the roti, a particular technique must be followed. Otherwise, you are asking for trouble. The lid and the pressing handle must be pressed at the same time for a quick second. If you don’t press them together, you don’t get the perfect roti.
Most of the folks who advised me against buying had two valid reasons.
1) “After the initial week, we no longer use it.”
My reasoning: In our case, its a necessity. We *have* to make rotis almost every night.
2) “It conks off after a month ”
My reasoning: Now, I can only hope it doesn’t. My expectation is low and I’ll be happy if it lasts at least 6 months. Fingers crossed. If it did, it would have paid for itself well.
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Email:Kiruba @ Kiruba.com
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Kiruba, I look forward to the sequel to this piece in a month’s time, and then I will probably invest in one
Gayatri
Your serious?
hey kribs,
You should write a sequel in april and tell us about the roti maker as well as whether were you able to shed any pounds.
thanks for sharing Kiruba. Good rationale. Best wishes to your wife and mom for a happy weight loss with rotis.
In case you or any family memebr wants to loose weight, there is a better option…try this link
http://www.iimahd.ernet.in/~jajoo/gmdiet.html
What about the health factor? how healthy it is to use electronic appliances for cooking?
Hi,
I was reading ur blog posts and found some of them to be very good.. u write well.. Why don’t you popularize it more.. ur posts on ur blog ‘Kiruba.com’ took my particular attention as some of them are interesting topics of mine too;
BTW I help out some ex-IIMA guys who with another batch mate run http://www.rambhai.com where you can post links to your most loved blog-posts. Rambhai was the chaiwala at IIMA and it is a site where users can themselves share links to blog posts etc and other can find and vote on them. The best make it to the homepage!
This way you can reach out to rambhai readers some of whom could become your ardent fans.. who knows..
Cheers,
Yep , I agree with diwakar give us a sequel to this. Both from a weight-loss and product value perspective..
Kiruba sir,
)
After such an impressive pitch for ElectriK roti Maker… wanna see it…
Could you please post the snap of ur won roti maker as well… (u posing as making roti… the snap which can be used in front of ur better half throught life
_
Take Care
Murli
Kribs, what’s special about April 14, 2009?
April 14th –> Tamil New years day or has it been changed ?
Krib
A lot of physical work while making conventional rotis is now waived off because of this auto system. Your Mom and wife should feel happy if it didn’t work reverse:)
Lakshmi
// We now have strict ‘No-Rice’ dinners and replace rice with rotis. //
It is a big myth that Wheat instead of Rice will reduce weight.
–
Both Wheat as well as rice are equally good / equally bad
Poorna electronic appliance nobody is using our Kiruba using roti maker it is electrical appliance. See in 1994 my English Professor’s son in Cornell sending him one mail so everyday Professor comes to laboratory and asking Sir my Son sending electronic mail have you seen it ? So lab admin get angry and say what Saar everyday you say electronic mail coming it is not coming you search for it yourself so Professor reaches for the keyboard but that computer power cord exposed so it give him the powerful 220V shock. So he saying ayyo! aiaiyo! and jumping in mid air. So we all clapping and saying Professor may not be getting electronic mail but atleast he got electrical mail!
Hi!Thank you for pointing the mistake..I meant exactly electrical appliance.
We bought one and using it for more than a year now.
But watch out for number of rotis that gets consumed, and like you have planned, myself and my husband did, eventually have gained weight over last 1 year!
To have soft rotis after making, even hot, store the cooked one’s ina towel inside a hot pack. Works!
The screws in the roti maker handle will go off in few weeks
its my experience…
Please let me know the shop at Chennai where u purchased this roti maker and the brand name also. I will be visiting chennai in a couple of months so that I can also purchase one such. — Ramesh, Delhi.
How is the electric roti maker now?
Hello Kiruba,
I am planning to buy a roti maker for my wife to help her in dieting as suggested by our doctor. All the reviews on the net are discouraging or against the roti makers.
Then, i read your post and gave me a ray of hope. Can you please tell me whether yours is still working fine?
Hareeyam,
Don’t buy it.
Mine stopped working after about a month, I guess.
Hi, I was thinking of buying one Roti Maker to bring back to UK. Your comments helped. Many thanks.
Hi Kiruba,
Thanks for your review and tips, i was looking to buy one roti maker for my mom…but what about that rubbery part if you consume after how much time? Please write back…and it must be a long time now…is the roti maker working fine still. please write.
Thanks.
Sir,
I am planning to buy one , which is the best Roti Maker brand available and where in Bangalore so that I’ll not get ‘shocks’ from my wife when it works fine. Please reply if any one knows
Thanks for sharing this. I am looking for the reviews on Roti Makers because I will be gifting my mother a Roti Maker. I found Jaipan Jumbo Roti Maker is good too. I found it here: http://www.straightline.in/product/roti-maker/Roti-maker_SL_10051_English_13502_13002_1_PL