The Huky has become very popular lately. Reading all the positive comments has sparked an interest within me.

I am currently using the HT B-2K. I am very happy with the control and the results I am getting, but I have that itch you know... Of coarse you do, we all get it...

I know that there are some give and takes with either machines, but is there any discernible differences between the two that would make switching worthwhile? Or am I having the 'grass is greener on the other side' effect?

Some might wrongly have me tagged as a Huky hater, which I'm not. So consider it endorsement enough that I'd say most definitely it's an upgrade over the Hottop. Any machine that gives you full manual control without the babysitting, not to mention the tiny screws and fasteners that need to be minded when working on the Hottop, going from that to the Huky should give you a significant improvement.

I have exactly the same model as you, bought it probably 2006~7. All original apart from the filters of course. Never had any worry about its final product and been getting into manually screwing around recently. Started in fully auto like many.

If anything I'd probably 'upgrade' to a Quest but really that's low on the priority list, much rather keeping try different coffees, really into SO espresso now. Churning out fabulous 250g batches is great but really the only thing I do not care for is the forced cool down / warm up in its programming. Been home roasting for years (popcorn pumper and all) so I know limitations.

Compared to the HT the Huky has twice the capacity (400g vs 200g sweet spots), quicker turn around when batch roasting, better BT probe location, and is more agile; that is it responds to power and air changes more quickly with a load in the drum.

The Huky is clunkier to operate than the better laid out HT, mostly in that it requires the user to assemble and disassemble some of the plumbing for every roast; and its cooling scheme isn't as good. The HT is more toy like, in that it's more of a miniature real roaster than the Huky.

The Huky is built by a machinist, the HT on an assembly line; the Huky's assembly and design are more rugged.

There's a myth that gas roasters are inherently better than electrics, but it's BS; you're not missing much if anything on that score. It's been a long time since I've used my HT and I've never really used a Huky, but my impression is that it's easier to repeat profiles with the Huky.

Where the rubber really meets the road: Both roasters allow serious profiling on the part of the roast master.

So... With all of that said, unless you REALLY want the Huky's extra capacity and batch roasting capabilities, you'd be better off either staying with the HT, or -- if you can afford it -- making the (very expensive) jump to a professional quality 500g or 1000g Asian or American roaster. I'm basing this opinion more on human nature than the Huky itself. As a sort of general rule, the next step up -- especially if it's a small one like HT -> Huky -- isn't very satisfying from a hobbyist's standpoint.

More specifically, if using the HT taught you that roasting is a lifetime activity, you might want to consider buying a lifetime roaster.

Rich

boar_d_laze wrote: ... As a sort of general rule, the next step up -- especially if it's a small one like HT -> Huky -- isn't very satisfying from a hobbyist's standpoint.

Rich

What are you basing this on? I highly doubt that's the general rule, or even the opinion of the majority of folks who upgrade in that fashion. There certainly isn't much of a market for Buyers Remorse Huky's, suggesting that the folks who decide they want one are satisfied plenty. Much more commonly, it's the end point for home enthusiasts with upgraditis.

TomC wrote:What are you basing this on?

General observation of hobbyist behavior, based on my participation in several equipment intensive hobbies; and on watching people in this forum in particular.

TomC wrote:There certainly isn't much of a market for Buyers Remorse Huky's

Give it a few years. Huky buyers are still too invested in the choice itself and in the comparison between Huky, HT and Quest to look much beyond that.

The two people I know who've moved up (one to a North TJ-067, the other to a USRC Sample Roaster) have been very happy about the move.

You and I researched the market for our own purchases fairly recently and both of us leapfrogged the Huky to commercial roasters. You to a custom machine from Roaster Authority. Me first to a Dalian Amazon 1000, then to a USRC Sample Roaster.

My post was clear that I believe (based mostly on what I've read here) the Huky is a capable, practical choice. I'll add that I think -- based almost entirely on what I read in H-B -- that its capacity makes it better bang for the buck for the kind of roasting most people want to do than the Quest or HT; but further add that I don't think that makes it a better roaster than the Quest or HT in an absolute sense. Capacity aside, they do about the same things in about the same way. Which is to say they hook up to livetime BT plotting, afford some agility, and provide reasonable control of power and air.

Maybe I'm projecting, but it's my impression that roasting hobbyists' deepest desires tend towards machines which look and act like "real," industrial roasters, rather than roasters which just do the job cheaply; and its also my impression that H-B is filled with people who remain restless until they've fulfilled their desires. Some people call it "upgradeitis," but it really isn't. It's about getting what we really wanted in the first place -- even if it isn't the most cost-effective solution for our stated goals. Once we've done that, we tend to stay satisfied for a long time.

Rich

lain2097 wrote:I have exactly the same model as you, bought it probably 2006~7. All original apart from the filters of course. Never had any worry about its final product and been getting into manually screwing around recently. Started in fully auto like many.

If anything I'd probably 'upgrade' to a Quest but really that's low on the priority list, much rather keeping try different coffees, really into SO espresso now. Churning out fabulous 250g batches is great but really the only thing I do not care for is the forced cool down / warm up in its programming. Been home roasting for years (popcorn pumper and all) so I know limitations.

I started with a popcorn popper also. I started to crave control and capacity, so I bought the HT. Within a week I added the HTCT and probs. My baby was on full manual control and computer monitoring! Now I am craving even more capacity as I would like to start providing friends and family, maybe a farmers market with beans... currently looking into rules/regulations/health codes...

Oh man the force cool down! I'd suggest wiring in a button to by-pass the cool down. You can look up instructions, its called 'breaking the 165F barrier'. This saves me at least 10 to 15min between batches. Now I can hit the button when the HT cools to my desired drop temp and cool down stops.

boar_d_laze wrote:Compared to the HT the Huky has twice the capacity (400g vs 200g sweet spots), quicker turn around when batch roasting, better BT probe location, and is more agile; that is it responds to power and air changes more quickly with a load in the drum.
....
As a sort of general rule, the next step up -- especially if it's a small one like HT -> Huky -- isn't very satisfying from a hobbyist's standpoint.
....
More specifically, if using the HT taught you that roasting is a lifetime activity, you might want to consider buying a lifetime roaster.

Rich

Capacity is a big one for me and so it repeatability of coarse, but do not want to lose on ergonomics. I'd love to go with a commercial sample roaster, but have no where to store it/use it/vent it. I am renting renting a small town home and lug my HT from a shelf to a spot outside every time I roast, maybe in the future. Yes, roasting seems like it is a hobby that is here to stay, maybe the larger upgrade will occur when I get a more permanent residence.

As a sort of general rule, the next step up -- especially if it's a small one like HT -> Huky -- isn't very satisfying from a hobbyist's standpoint.

Just had to drop in and say that statement is waaaaaay off. Just completey utterly wrong. Going from the Hottop to the Huky had a huge impact on the quality of the coffee I roast and that's really the bottom line after all. Maybe it was just a poor choice of words but satisfying... deeply satisfying is just what it was. I loved my Hottop but it was like driving a Ford van loaded with bricks compared to a hopped up Italian (Chinese in this case ) sports car.

The Huky just might be the ticket, if propane is allowed on your patio. It is quite portable, quick to set-up and break down. Like any small roaster, roasting outside wind and weather causes problems but still very workable.

I bought a Yang-Chia 800n/mini500 in 2011 and a used Huky last year and can compare the two. Lately I've been roasting exclusively with the Huky to gain proficiency.

The three thermocouple placements on the Huky are brilliant. The ET dial analogue thermometer is junk, and if you've got one replace it with the thermocouple. The ET placement is almost dead center in the drum. You can watch in real time the delta BT/ET? change which is correlated to the ROR. The MET probe is above the drum and below top cover. Mr. Li can install all three thermocouples for peanuts if you get the order right.

I use Fluke 54's, but now the Phidget 1048 can handle all three and bridge to Artisan. Watching all three thermocouple is pretty interesting and must be a blast with Artisan.

Next cool thing is the choice between the perforated drum with sliding shutter or solid drum with no shutter. This choice is very confusing to buyers because both versions roast well.

The IR stove goes well with the perforated drum and the solid drum. It's a lot less responsive than the atmospheric burners on the 800n, that baby can turn on a dime. Huky IR stove with Taiwan regulator goes to 4kpa, my 800n tops out at 3kpa. That extra headroom on the Huky stove is nice and I like to use it.

I can roast 1lb batches one after another after learning a logical work flow. The bean cooling and green bean charging require separate operations as opposed to a pro machine with everything built in. Mr. Li couldn't sell the Huky for the current price with all the features of a mini500/800n.

The 800n adjusts on the fly easier, is more precise, and has a bean cooler w/stirring arm. It's just a lot easier to use, but cost 3X more than Huky and has one digital BT standard. It's pretty easy for me to see why the Huky is gaining popularity.

hankua wrote:The Huky just might be the ticket, if propane is allowed on your patio. It is quite portable, quick to set-up and break down. Like any small roaster, roasting outside wind and weather causes problems but still very workable.

I could probably get away with this... I just spent the last hour looking into my county and state requirements regarding selling beans and brewing at farmers markets. Without a certified kitchen and being a certified food manager I cannot brew coffee at a farmers market or any other venue. I can though sell roasted beans, as long as they are labeled stating that I roasted them in my home and not a certified inspected kitchen (cottage food law)...

This is not the thread for the discussion, but if anyone knows differently please PM me.

Besides for that. The Huky is very appealing. The control sounds wonderful. Trying to drive the HT can get frustrating when dealing with a new bean, you need to be anticipating any changes at least a minute + before, it is not very reactive.