I have been making roux for years. The process takes a long time and you must attend to the roux all the time that it is cooking. I don't mean to be lazy, but Tony's is much quicker and adds a flavor that makes my gumbos very flavorful. I have had a hard time duplicating the flavor in my own roux since the first time I used Tony's. I got good reviews for my shrimp and crab gumbo using Tony's. That's why I bought a big quantity, in addition to the unavailability of this product in my area.
I can not tell the difference between when I spent 45-60 minutes making Roux than 5-10 with Instant Roux. Have been using it for over 10 years without a complaint