It might seem like only a real coffee geek (not that there's anything wrong with that!) would roast coffee beans at home when there are so many options for buying beans, but the truth is that roasting at home is easy and you really haven't experienced coffee to the fullest until you've played with the beans.
A machine like the Nesco Home Coffee Roaster makes roasting very easy, letting you watch the beans as they darken and giving you complete control over the color of your roast. The machine has a good agitator for even roasting, is quite quiet and - perhaps the best point - is virtually smoke free, so it can be used safely indoors without smoking up your kitchen.

This is an expensive machine for the quality. Mine failed after one year (beans get stuck in the auger; the motor is susceptible to burning up - Nesco's response was to send it back with a sticker on the front reading, "Don't leave machine unattended," which is apparently their solution for any items that might warrant recall.) After being completely repaired, the machine in fact failed AGAIN - but couldn't be repaired this time. Customer service just called to ask if they could throw it away.

Friends who have the Fresh Roast Plus 8 machine have been happily roasting for years; and at about $80, that's a good price-quality ratio. The Nesco is disappointing in every respect. I don't think it's unreasonable to be disappointed when a $150 machine fails annually. Look elsewhere for a good home roaster.