Why Choose a Huky?

[wideasleep1]

Quickie backgrounder:
About a decade ago, I decided to try my hand at espresso and espresso-based drinks, acquiring a Silvia and Mazzer Mini timer. As one soon discovered, fresh beans (roast date) were uncommon, and this led to an interest in roasting. After melting a popper, I bought an iRoast (RIP), and perfected, given its constraints, air roasts. Led to an iRoast2, partly for more profiling but also to do back-to-back batches for volume.  Desire for volume roasting led to a build of 'SC/TO' stir-crazy popper with a turbo oven on top, heavily modified to stir at roasting temps. Air/fluid bed still didn't give me the depth and complexity I sought, and Behmor was on the horizon, and moved to that upon release, off the very first pallet. That roaster has served me very well for the past 6 years, after what can be described as a long learning curve of nearly a year. Again, constraints and requirements affect results. Once the roaster is mastered, it is easy to reproduce great roasts that have more depth and complexity I sought versus air roasting. After a conversation with roastmaster, I learned about the impact a true drum can have on the roast and flavor profile. True drum roasters are quite expensive, and aren't kitchen appliances by any account, and require a great deal of accomodation in space, energy and effluent. It was clear I wanted a VERY small 'mini-me' drum roaster, and choices began to be emerge: Quest and HUKY. I followed the Quest for a bit, but ultimately decided I wanted even more control over the heat reactions than an electric roaster could provide. Consequently, HUKY became more viable as a candidate, and seemed to check nearly all of my requirement boxes.

As I followed user experiences, some movement in organizing a group buy gave me the final push to get serious and upgrade from my Behmor (ironically my 6 year old Behmor fried its mobo after I decided to get a HUKY..jealous?). I joined the Green Coffee Buyers Club's (GCBC) group buy round 1, and still await my HUKY delivery...Mr. Li has just updated and shipped round 1 today (1/15), so 5 machines were built in two weeks, when we finalized our orders (1/1/2015). Can't wait to join the experiences you current owners enjoy..and looking forward to new dimensions in my cup!

[dickcoffee]

welcome.  I think you will enjoy your Huky.  I sure like mine.

[Johnny4lsu]

Welcome!! You will have a very capable machine.. It's really crazy how much better my Huky is than my Behmor... Enjoy!

[wideasleep1]

Thanks 454 and 457!

Johnny..did you find the learning curve a bit daunting moving from Behmor, and how long did your Behmor incarceration last?

dickcoffee..what was your prior roaster, and is/was the move to HUKY challenging? (realizing HUKY is a bit new to us all...)

[Johnny4lsu]

Thanks 454 and 457!

Johnny..did you find the learning curve a bit daunting moving from Behmor, and how long did your Behmor incarceration last?

dickcoffee..what was your prior roaster, and is/was the move to HUKY challenging? (realizing HUKY is a bit new to us all...)

I actually went from Behmor to the hottop.. Neither of those taught me how to roast... I've learned how to roast on my Huky... Simple as that. It's a machine.. The others are toys

[wideasleep1]

Thanks 454 and 457!

Johnny..did you find the learning curve a bit daunting moving from Behmor, and how long did your Behmor incarceration last?

dickcoffee..what was your prior roaster, and is/was the move to HUKY challenging? (realizing HUKY is a bit new to us all...)

I actually went from Behmor to the hottop.. Neither of those taught me how to roast... I've learned how to roast on my Huky... Simple as that. It's a machine.. The others are toys

LOL! Yeah....I briefly considered the Hottop, but I couldn't help but notice the migration FROM Hottop TO something else. That's rarely a good sign.

[John F]

I've roasted on almost everything...

I'm on a Hot top now but decided to move to the Huky almost exclusively on a gut feeling.  I don't have any problems with the HT but my sense is that the Huky is pretty much a miniature pro roaster vs a personal home roaster and I was interested in moving that direction.  The idea that it roasts a pound and has every feature that a $6,000 and up machine has is awesome.

I attempted to do initial research and group buy at HB but they weren't into it.  :/  Fast forward to the GCBC group buy and right about now I'm super glad to be part of group 1 because our machines are on the way! ! 

I should personally thank Susan because she pointed me to the Huky off a question I asked and I'd never heard of it before that.   Now I'm about to be unpacking one soon. .... sweet!

[wideasleep1]

I haven't clicked on my tracking number yet..it's kind of like not wanting to know the sex of your unborn...I'll just wait for the stork to deliver.

[John F]

Ha!  I just set up for continuous text alerts on its progress. 

[wideasleep1]

Ha!  I just set up for continuous text alerts on its progress. 

You just jinxed yourself..I WILL have it first, and be a lower model number than you!

Echo the gut instinct too...it surely seems to have all my boxes checked..full control, compact, versatile, serviceable, and relatively easy to get great results. We owe a lot to those who've gone before us!

[Gregr]

6 years on the Behmor- wow. Joe kind of sets the bar mighty high for vendors. I got to meet him several years ago when there was a coffee show in LA.
You guys are going to be so happy when you get your new roasters and see how agile it is. It takes a bit to learn how she drives but once you do... fun fun fun.

[Johnny4lsu]

6 years on the Behmor- wow. Joe kind of sets the bar mighty high for vendors. I got to meet him several years ago when there was a coffee show in LA.
You guys are going to be so happy when you get your new roasters and see how agile it is. It takes a bit to learn how she drives but once you do... fun fun fun.

This x 1000

[wideasleep1]

Yep..from grocery-getter to midlife crisis hot rod...