Auctor wrote:Same same. I had a lengthy discussion with their customer support today. Unfortunately, in this case I think the support team only knows what they are told and are given talking points. I agree - they do seem to be making this up as they go along. Pricing is not always easy to get right, but once presented, it should be clear and transparent.

I think they probably have a lot to balance. Which is keeping pro people happy that paid a much higher price, keeping people who bought the 50g home roaster for same price within last year and then trying to entice some new people to come on board.

Worry is they just change the policy when they feel like it. So you buy now and if you got the subscription free for the app then in a few months all of a sudden they make it free anyway through some offer. Very confusing

BlueWater wrote:I was seriously considering ordering before the deadline to receive the advanced app functionality expired. Forcing me to a subscription model changes my purchase interest to a hard no. I have a Cormorant and no interest in a crippled fluid bed machine.

Same for me - zero reason to even consider pre-ordering it anymore.

Crippling basic roast control functionality after providing it for free for years - that doesn't seem like a good marketing strategy to me.

tallamericano wrote:I think they probably have a lot to balance. Which is keeping pro people happy that paid a much higher price, keeping people who bought the 50g home roaster for same price within last year and then trying to entice some new people to come on board.

The pro still has the material advantage of logging roast temperature curve - I actually don't see the increased capacity being that much more attractive to a pro roaster, since you still don't get very much information on how the roast actually progressed.

TigerStripes wrote:Same for me - zero reason to even consider pre-ordering it anymore.

Crippling basic roast control functionality after providing it for free for years - that doesn't seem like a good marketing strategy to me.



The pro still has the material advantage of logging roast temperature curve - I actually don't see the increased capacity being that much more attractive to a pro roaster, since you still don't get very much information on how the roast actually progressed.

Did some more searching on website and in FAQ it says:

For those who want to go solo or try taking forward what they have learnt from the App's primary roasting mode, we've made freestyle editing of roast recipes available as an optional, paid feature.

In Advanced Editing, you can edit roast recipes with up to 6 roast inlet temperature points, 3 airflow points across 12 minutes and customise bean cooling for up to 3 minutes. It's available as a subscription at £29.99 (facilitated via the iTunes store) or free for users with app accounts created before the 1st of November 2021, when these controls were the primary mode of our Roasting System.


So you just need to install the app before 1st November but not purchase the roaster ?

tallamericano wrote:Also thinking to purchase.
Also 970$ price in US is a lot cheaper than 970£ which makes me wonder. I know you have to pay customs or VAT but Ikawa don't get that money so how can they sell it for 970$

Wouldn't this be more like $1300 usd? The price listed on the website is in gbp. I saw a box appear asking me if I wanted to see currency in CDN $. However it remained in gbp even after I clicked it.

pcdawson wrote: Wouldn't this be more like $1300 usd? The price listed on the website is in gbp. I saw a box appear asking me if I wanted to see currency in CDN $. However it remained in gbp even after I clicked it.

Well I'm based in Ireland and it's 970 euro. Presuming the other poster just sees 970USD. So 970£ is 1170 euro.

But if I buy at 970 euro I have to pay 23% VAT . Presume in UK all you pay is the price listed.

So it evens itself out but it makes me wonder how ikawa can sell it for 970€ or usd as they don't get the vat

pcdawson wrote: Wouldn't this be more like $1300 usd? The price listed on the website is in gbp. I saw a box appear asking me if I wanted to see currency in CDN $. However it remained in gbp even after I clicked it.

Switch to delivery to the USA and US$ and the price drops to $970USD (still with free delivery).

970£ if shipped to Canada. Good thing the border is opening next month albeit with a test needed to get back into Canada.

Huh - I wonder if this is a mistake on their end. I can't imagine why they would charge me $700 more for the same roaster just because I live in Canada.

No mistake. It's been like that on the website now for months. Unless they are planning to change the price tomorrow

tallamericano wrote: Did some more searching on website and in FAQ it says:

For those who want to go solo or try taking forward what they have learnt from the App's primary roasting mode, we've made freestyle editing of roast recipes available as an optional, paid feature.

In Advanced Editing, you can edit roast recipes with up to 6 roast inlet temperature points, 3 airflow points across 12 minutes and customise bean cooling for up to 3 minutes. It's available as a subscription at £29.99 (facilitated via the iTunes store) or free for users with app accounts created before the 1st of November 2021, when these controls were the primary mode of our Roasting System.


So you just need to install the app before 1st November but not purchase the roaster ?

This is exactly what is available for free in the current app. I'm curious if they will make the current app unusable when they release the new one. That doesn't seem like an effective strategy. Couldn't I just download the app to an android tablet and adjust the roast curves to my heart's desire forever? Honestly doesn't seem like they've thought this through.

*EDIT* IKAWA customer service confirmed to me that if you participate in the pre-order, you will get "full access to the app". I assume that means it includes the advanced roast controls.

pcdawson wrote:Huh - I wonder if this is a mistake on their end. I can't imagine why they would charge me $700 more for the same roaster just because I live in Canada.

Welcome to the power and size of the American market, and playing the exchange rates.

Espresso machines, grinders, roasters ... manufacturers have to deal with exchange rate fluctuations, and so do you. Sometimes it works to your advantage; sometimes not.

What hasn't changed is shipping from overseas to the USA has always been much, much, much less expensive than shipping from overseas to Canada - well, it has been that way since the 1980's, anyway. I can often pay a second shipper/broker to move goods from upstate New York to me in Ottawa and still come out ahead.