Almost ready to order....

[MJ5150]

Did anyone research the Amazon 1kg roaster in comparison to the Huky? It's all electric.

I am intrigued by the bean cooler/sifter and the cyclone option.

-Mike

[SusanJoM]

Electric?

I don't know about anyone else here, but the whole point of the HUKY to me is/was that it is NOT electric. 

[MJ5150]

Interesting.

I wandered into the Huky world, not with the intention of finding a non-electric roaster, just with the intention on finding a home roaster that would let me roast more than one pound per hour.

I am still researching the electric/gas differences, so I can't speak to one being better or worse than the other. My initial research indicates that gas is a better option for temperature control and timing.

At the same time, I am hung up on cosmetics and like the look of the cooling tray with the stirrer. I think I am seriously over inflating the value there as a couple of you have already explained the ease in which beans cool and can be stirred with the Huky.

I'm fairly certain I'll end up with the Huky, I am just flushing out all the options in the $1500-2200 price range. I don't want to buy one, then have the 'oh schucks, I didn't see this one' moment.

-Mike

[SusanJoM]

Good luck...

[MJ5150]

What do you mean?

-Mike

[jeffgsd]

I looked at every roaster under $2000 before I made my decision and read up on all of them.  These include the Hottop, the Quest, the Gene Café, and the Behmor.  I also looked at the hot air models just to see everything that was available.

I ended up with the Huky for a few key reasons:

1. For me it was most analogous to a commercial roaster both in controllability and measurability.
2. After looking at all of the details - it seemed to me that Electric heating presents some challenges in that the reaction to temperature adjustments will take more time than Gas.
3. Many of the other models use preset programs that give the user little control over small adjustments and decisions during the Roast.  The Huky of course is fully manual.
4. The ability to do uninterrupted back to back Roasts
5. The geek in me was attracted to the ability to customize and experiment with setups, temperature monitoring, and over the long term the potential automation of roast profiles.

I have attached a photo of my current setup for roasting with the Huky connected to my Laptop using Artisan to record my roast profiles.  More changes to come in the next few weeks.

That's my 2 cents.  Ultimately you need to decide what your goals are and what solution fits you best.


   

[kenneroast]

I'm fairly certain I'll end up with the Huky, I am just flushing out all the options in the $1500-2200 price range. I don't want to buy one, then have the 'oh schucks, I didn't see this one' moment.

I believe you'd have those moments with any roaster that you consider and/or buy. From the research I did, everything has trade offs (price, heating elements, airflow, electronics, etc). Some will probably have more of those moments you fear than others. I can personally say with the Huky that I've already had moments of 'oh shucks.' I can also say that I was quick to adapt solutions for problems I ran into. I felt similar to what you're describing before, but now that I'm 3 sessions into roasting with the Huky, I don't regret my purchase at all. I love this contraption that sits in our kitchen at home. It feels like a trophy when I stare at it.

My first night using the roaster felt like a disaster. Nothing happened as I was anticipating that first night. There was a lot of over and under compensating with heat and air simply because I was overwhelmed with everything that was happening. Smoke was generating when I wasn't ready for it. Beans darkened faster than I was ready for (too much heat). My ET/BT thermocouples were hooked up backwards on my Phidget, so Artisan logged it differently than I anticipated. That really made for an interesting first time experience. Looking back at it now though, I wouldn't trade that experience for anything. It was awesome. The best part is that both my girlfriend and I are still really proud of the coffee we roasted from that night. We both expected poor tasting coffee. Even more interesting is that our favorite from that first night was hands down the very first roast we did. Call it beginner's luck.

The biggest advantage to the Huky for me is that it's one of the most flexible roasters on the market in it's price range.  My friend called it a "pro-sumer" device, and it seems spot on. Also, since they're all handmade, it allows you to customize it from the beginning of the order. It was a gratifying experience communicating with Mr. Li while placing my order. Things I was unsure of I communicated and he promptly responded his advice. Even the back story behind the name and logo is interesting. Huky is the name of his Husky dog. 2 thumbs up for being a dog owner.

If you are at all a DIY type person, and I get the impression you might be, then there's another great benefit to this roaster. I'm a very hands on person when it comes to my hobbies. I can't tell you how many warranties I've voided because I took the device apart. Upon receiving the Huky that first night I had it in pieces. Since I ordered both drums and motors, I wanted to know how to change them out. It's a really simple roaster, which makes maintenance and repairs simple to do. In my opinion, I'd say it's a great starting platform if the baseline isn't enough out of the box.

As you can see on this forum, plenty of people have taken the plunge and went for it with the Huky. It says a lot about the product. So far, this forum has been a great deal of help. I have no idea how many hours I've spent reading, and even re-reading posts. This community has been one of my biggest supporting arguments for my positive experience with the Huky. If anything, I would say the community behind the Huky is a huge selling point. There's enough help already published here to go through, and plenty of people willing to help you along the way.

I'd say just pick something and go for it. Huky or not, roast away.

[MJ5150]

Awesome info, thank you jeffgsd and kenneroast.

I know in the back of my mind that the Huky is my next step. I just have this process I have to work through to thoroughly convince myself. Not quite a 'paralysis by analysis' situation, so at least I'm not that bad. Your thoughtful post has helped me take the next step.

Despite the look of the Amazon roaster and that neato bean cooler/sifter, I know the Huky is right for me. The reasons you listed are some of the same ones on my list. None of the other roasters under $2,500 have the same long list of 'pro' as the Huky.

The 'tinkerability' is huge for me. Like you kenneroast, I have anything I buy pulled apart and modified in some way on the way home, so to speak.

-Mike

[hankua]

The Amazon has some issues regarding flexibility. You really need a 220v electric roaster in the 1lb and above category; especially with 110v service.

[Gregr]

Boy you got some great responses here.
Regarding the electric v propane subject-- I had a Hottop before I got my Huky so that gave me a feel for what it's like roasting with that heat source. I have to assume that professional electric roasters react faster- I assume the Quest is faster otherwise it wouldn't be so popular, but it only does a half pound. Anyhow- the Hottop was, in my opinion, very slow to react to heat adjustments. Sloooooow.
If you're the type of person that wants the ability to fine tune a roast profile go with fire
As for worrying about making a decision you'll regret- I can relate to that so well... I took months to pull the trigger, many months. Part of the problem was that before I got the Huky I really didn't know how important the control-ability was. The coffee I made with the Hottop was great- I was extremely happy with the results. It was only after I got the Huky that I knew how much better it could get.
Something that speaks volumes about the Huky is that superfast roast I did last week. The Huky was able to match the profile from another professional roaster easy as pie-- an extreme profile. That means there's pretty much nothing it can't do with a full pound of beans.

[MJ5150]

I have submitted my parts list to Mr. Li to verify my pricing and customization requests (tilt the trier/remove analog thermo, install thermocouple probe, but send analog thermo in case I change my mind). Once confirmed, I'll pay up.

This is a huge expense for our family, so I really had to make sure it was the right thing for us to do. I see where some people here have more than one Huky. That isn't a possibility in my world. It is funny though how we went from trying to justify the $600 for a Gene Cafe all the way up to $1,700 for a Huky. Our family can make the expense work, it will be tight for a few months, but we can figure it out.

I am very grateful to all who answered my questions in this thread, as well as when I popped in other peoples threads to ask more questions. I feel like we put together the right package of parts at this point.

1 Huky 500T with solid drum, 72 RPM motor, 1 fan, 1 tray, 1 funnel
Custom request: (tilt the trier, replace analog thermostat with installed thermocouple and probe, but please send analog thermostat and mounting parts)
1 MET thermocouple installed
1 extra tray
1 extra fan
1 extra funnel
1 motor set (48rpm) (may not actually get, see next note about drum)
1 extra drum, perforated (I am actually debating this as I think I will be happy with just one drum)
1 infrared propane stove

-Mike

[SusanJoM]

Mike, I think if finances are tight for you that you should just go with the solid drum and fast motor. 

That configuration will keep you busy and happy for a long time.  You can always add the other configuration in the future if you feel you really need it. 

My highly inflated 2 cents :-)))

[MJ5150]

Good point. Thank you for those valuable two cents. 

I was just thinking about shipping costs later to order a drum and motor kit alone. If it's like $75 shipping (which I saw for another person to add just one box), then I should get it with this order.

-Mike

[SusanJoM]

Yes/and/but....

by the time you have spent long enough with your solid drum and fast motor to be really ready to play with a whole other iteration, there may be other things you want to add to your order or there might even be new gizmos that Mr Li has concocted....

It's a gamble either way....:-)))

[MJ5150]

Another good point. You are like the Huky Yoda. Thanks for taking the time to help me work through this decision.

-Mike