sunvivi BC5018240101 Roaster (Open Box)

I just received my 24 quart SunVivi roaster and was looking forward to using it. I cleaned the pan and top before testing. I wanted to test the temperature control to see how accurate it was plus burn off any leftover chemicals etc., so I put 2 gallons of water in and turned it up to 350* F. It's good that I did because there was a plastic smell emanating for about 10-15 minutes, so there was something burning off, which I sort of expected. There was no mention of that in the manual that I could see. There were no instructions for a need to do this pre cook test or anything. After 3 hours I checked the water temperature and the highest it got was 211* F. So at least I knew how off the heat is and could make adjustments accordingly but this was a significant difference. After another hours I checked the temperature and it was reading the same 211-212* F. I shut it off and let it cool down. Dumped the water and you can see by the photos what I found. I thought initially the ring around the pan may have just been film from the water because it was right around the top of the water level, but after cleaning it, the coating in the pan was what was burned off and it was down to the Aluminum. (yes that is aluminum not stainless steel). Then looking at the inside of the cover you can also see where the metal coating was also burned away. So now at least I know what that smell was that was emanating from the unit. This product is very cheaply built. I was expecting something a little bit higher quality for spending $125 after tax for it. Lastly, there is a clip above the handle that you can use to rest the top in so you don't have to rest on the counter or find a place to put it down. It's a nice idea, but when you put the top in there, you can see the lid where it meets the clip bend the top from the weight of the lid. Not a big deal but just shows the quality of the product in my opinion. I have a feeling that most of these brands are similar in quality, but for me, I don't want the painted coating or aluminum getting in to my food when cooking with a product. Made in China of course so it should be expected to be of lesser quality, but still.... I returned the product today 9/14/24 which was the day after I tested it. I'm going to look at a different brand and see if there may be a better result. I would not buy this product though if I were you. Try something else.