A Review of the Rotimatic Roti Maker

Want to know all about the robot that makes fresh rotis? I’m sharing my review of the Rotimatic with you all today! Before I get to the full review, here’s a video to show you how this roti-making machine works:

If you’re reading this post then chances are you’ve been wondering whether to get a Rotimatic yourself. Hopefully after reading this review, you’ll know enough about this appliance to make that decision.

Here are some of the things I’ll be talking about today:

• What is the Rotimatic and what can it do?
• Is it worth the cost?
• Pros & Cons of the Rotimatic
• Who should get this appliance? Who should not get this appliance?
• What about gluten-free rotis? (I am gluten-free so make sure to read this section if you are too!).
• What if it doesn’t work for me? What’s the refund policy?
• How to get a Discount + get a few extra goodies from me! (hint: use this link for $100 off)

This is a little embarrassing to admit… but I have never been able to make a proper/perfect roti. I don’t think I’m alone here either… 🤷🏽‍♀️ I’m not sure many or really any of my friends make their own rotis from scratch. If they do, it’s certainly not as often as our parents did while we were growing up.

I first saw an ad for the Rotimatic several years ago and I remember being in awe of the technology and to be honest, I was also pretty skeptical. I mean, fresh hot rotis with the touch of a button? Too good to be true, right?

When Rotimatic reached out to me a little over a month ago asking to team up, I told them I’d love to play with the machine and that if I was happy with it, I’d be happy to work with them. Well, clearly I am happy with it – in fact, I’m thrilled with it! That’s not to say there aren’t things to be aware of before making a purchase. I’ll be sharing my full and honest review with y’all today. After reading my post, you can decide whether this machine is a good fit for you and your family and if you decide that it is, then you can use this link to get $100 off – plus get a few extra goodies from me!

What is the Rotimatic and What Can it Do?

The Rotimatic is a robot that makes fresh roti (also known as chapati) which is an Indian flatbread that acts as a tasty vehicle to bring curries right to your mouth. 😋 If you’re not familiar with roti, that’s because it’s a flatbread that’s often eaten in Indian homes and not in Indian restaurants (where you will typically find naan served). Roti is like an Indian tortilla, eaten with everyday meals.

How does the Rotimatic work? The machine dispenses out the ingredients to make dough, kneads it and rolls it into a ball then flattens it into a perfectly round flatbread and cooks it! It’s incredible to watch (did you see my video above?). You just need to fill three containers with flour, water and oil and press a few buttons. Within minutes, you’ll have fresh hot rotis ready to eat!

In addition to making roti, the Rotimatic can also roll out dough for pooris and for pizza (you’ll then need to fry or bake the dough to make poori/pizza).

You can get really creative with these three settings. Try making variations of roti (masala roti, methi roti, spinach roti) or stuff a roti made on the thickest setting with a tasty filling to make paratha. Use the poori dough to make samosas. Get creative with pizza toppings!

Is it worth the cost?

Here is my take:

Typically, when a company upgrades an existing appliance or offers a new feature, they require you to buy a new one (eg. I personally have gone through four Instant Pots over the years – that said, I’m also a food blogger and I try to have the latest in gadgets so I can share my opinion of them with you all). My point is that it seems uncommon for a company to work hard to make a product better without expecting more money from previous customers in return.

Rotimatic does not charge for updates/upgrades. The new features automatically load onto your appliance when you connect it to wi-fi. It’s less wasteful and it’s also considerate – they’re working on new features without any further expectation from past customers. For this reason, I consider the Rotimatic an investment and worth the cost.

With a $999 price tag (well, $899 if you use this link), this machine is clearly a big expense. Only you can decide whether your family can afford this appliance. I would suggest reviewing the pros/cons section and the who should/should not get this appliance section below to help you make this decision.

What are the Pros/Cons of the Rotimatic?

Pros:

• Fresh roti: you can enjoy hot and fresh roti – made with minimal effort.
• Simple Ingredients: You know all of the ingredients going into the roti: flour, water and oil. I usually add some spices to the flour container to make masala roti (hubby’s fav) or I’ll sneak in a bit of organic spinach powder into my toddler’s rotis.
• Eat at Home: I cook a lot and since getting this appliance, we eat at home even more now. I make homemade pizzas for my husband and son all the time and don’t feel bad about it one bit.
• Other Capabilities: it also makes poori and pizza dough. The company says they plan to add new features as well.

Cons:

• Cost: this automated roti machine is expensive and not for everyone’s budget (you can get $100 off if you buy with this link)
• Not Your Mom/Dad’s Roti: If you are Indian, then know these are not going to taste exactly like mom/dad’s because they aren’t hand-rolled and made with love. I think these are actually even better because this means mom/dad can relax while a robot makes perfectly cooked rotis for everyone 😉 Also, these rotis are a million times better than anything I can make by myself.
• Size: It’s a fairly large appliance – about the size of a microwave or 1.5 Instant Pots (measures about 15 inches by 15 inches). I live in a small city house so I understand having limited counter-space. The Rotimatic has earned it’s spot along with my beloved Instant Pots and my tiny Nespresso machine. My Kitchenaid mixer now lives on top of my fridge.
• Noise: When the Rotimatic is working, you’ll definitely hear it working. I’d say it’s slightly less noisy than a blender and about as noisy as my roomba. I have a toddler so the noise doesn’t bother me one bit but it’s worth being aware of this if you’re expecting a quiet hum.

Who should get this appliance? Who should not get this appliance?

Consider getting this if:

• You eat (or want to eat) fresh roti on a regular basis
• You’re too busy to make roti or don’t want to make your own roti
• You’re a parent with a million things to do  (hello, I see you…)
• You feel that it’s important to make roti for your family (this is culturally important to me…I grew up eating roti and want my kid to as well).

Perhaps the Rotimatic isn’t for you if:

• You are picky about roti and won’t like any roti that isn’t made by you or your parents.
• You are really fast/awesome at making rotis.
• You are impatient – it can take a few tries before you get this machine to work properly (the machine learns as it makes roti so the first few may not be perfect). Be patient and you’ll be rewarded with roti!
• If you are gluten-free – though they plan to add this setting soon (read the next section for more details!)

Basically I would only suggest getting this machine if you think you’ll use it often. For our family, it makes a lot of sense because our diet is mostly Indian and now we no longer need to buy frozen flatbreads from the Indian store. And thanks to their latest update, we won’t need to buy frozen pizzas either. I can’t wait to see what other updates they have in store. I’m personally so happy with this machine and it seems others are too (you can read other positive reviews from happy customers here if you’d like!).

I’m gluten-free, should I get the Rotimatic?

A lot of you know that I am gluten-free. I was able to make gluten-free roti with this machine (you can see pictures of these rotis below) BUT I would not recommend that you buy the Rotimatic yet if you follow a gluten-free diet. I suggest waiting until the company formally releases a gluten-free setting, which I’ve heard is coming soon!

The amazing thing about the Rotimatic is that it LEARNS how to make roti based on the type of flour you are using. So yes, I was able to make gluten-free roti in the Rotimatic but it took several tries and I got several errors before I was able to get it to work properly. That said, once I got it to work, it continued to work – until I switched over to making regular roti for my family.

Because the Rotimatic “adapted” to the gluten-free flour, it took me a few tries to get it working again using regular flour. This is why I suggest waiting until they release a gluten-free setting. If you’re only planning to make gluten-free roti and don’t mind getting over that initial hump, then by all means get it and give it a go.

Here is a picture of the gluten-free roti that I made – I used a combination of gluten-free chapati flour and coconut flour – and it was SO nice being able to eat roti with my meal! I can’t tell you how much I am looking forward to their official gluten-free setting.

My husband and my son eat gluten, so we are a split household. One thing to be aware of is that it seems impossible to fully avoid cross-contamination. If you have someone in your family who is severely allergic to gluten, then you will want to only prepare gluten-free rotis. A bit of flour can get stuck in the flour dispensing tunnel, so cross-contamination seems unavoidable. What we do in my family is: when I switch to gluten-free flour, I give the first few gluten-free rotis to my husband. This works for us but every situation is different. We also have separate flour containers and kneading sets (reach out to customer support via the app to purchase these) and I clean the machine as well as I can after each use.

If you are interested in how I made these gluten-free rotis: I mixed 2 cups of swad chapati flour with 1 cup of coconut flour and these are the settings I used: Roti, Pillsbury/Sujata Multi-G, Thickness: 2, Roast: 4, Oil: 2. But again, be prepared to get errors at first.

I’ll definitely update this section and share information on making gluten-free rotis as soon as their gluten-free setting is out!

What if I don’t like the Rotimatic? How do I fix my issues? What is the refund policy?

When I was first getting used to the Rotimatic, I had a few issues with assembling the flour container properly which resulted in flour getting stuck in the flour tunnel. That resulted in what the machine calls “imperfect dough.” It was definitely user-error (I probably should have watched intro videos but I tend to “wing it” more than I should). I fixed the flour container but was still having trouble so I hopped onto the Rotimatic app on my iPhone and sent them a message over their live chat. They were able to fix the issue remotely and the next thing I knew, my Rotimatic was making perfect rotis. They’ve told me the best thing to do when something goes wrong is to disconnect the machine and reach out to them via their app because they can read the data on their end and figure out how to fix the issue.

I asked Rotimatic about phone support – they told me they’re in the process of setting up a call center but it may take several months. In the meantime, they suggest reaching out to them via their app or via email (moreinfo@zimplistic.com). If you really want to talk to them on the phone, reach out to them and ask them to call you.

As for their refund policy, Rotimatic offers a 30-day refund policy – just make sure to keep all the parts, packaging and the invoice. They have also assured me that they will pay the return shipping cost if my readers are unhappy (even though their website says it’s up to them).

I want one! How do I order? Tell me how to get a Discount!

You can use this link to get $100 off the Rotmatic 🙂 And if you order by 4/20/18, I’ll also send you a pdf copy of my eBook, Indian Food Under Pressure, and my favorite jar of Organic Grassfed Ghee from Pure Indian Foods (US only). Please email me (ashley@myheartbeets.com) a copy of your receipt + the mailing address where you’d like me to send the ghee by 4/20/18!

I plan on sharing more Rotimatic posts – is this something you would be interested in? I have a masala mix that I use that my husband loves – maybe I’ll share that soon!

With my Rotimatic and my Instant Pots (and my pre-made onion masala), it has never been easier to prepare an Indian meal. With these two appliances, I literally feel like simple Indian food is at my fingertips. Hungry family to feed? No problem. Last minute dinner guests? I’ve got this. If you do get the Rotimatic, I hope you love it as much as my family does!

Let me know if you have more questions and I’ll do my best to answer them! I’d love to hear about your experiences as well!

Thank you to Rotimatic for sponsoring this post!