Ebay - Handyimports Stockpots

[dicko]

Rebirthing an old topic.

Looking at getting one of these in the next few weeks. How is everyones holding up a year on?

I have built a full s/steel brewery from Handi imports, 5 vessels in total of various sizes, and have not had a problem with any of the pots.
None of the above problems have emerged with my purchases at all.

One pot had one extremely small "ding" close to the base but hardly noticeable.

I have drilled mine and fitted taps and electric elements both through the base and the sides. I also heat the 98 litre kettle with a Nasa on full "noise" without a problem.

When you build a full brewery it is a big saving over Robinox and lets face it, aluminium doesn't even compare - the reason for my purchase was to replace the aluminium pots that are so difficult to clean. Do you see any commercial brewery using aluminium vessels?

I have passed their info on to a mate who has built a crab cooker from a pot he bought and no problems even boiling salt/sea water.

Their delivery and communication is excellent and I would use them again.
I think it is like anything from China you may get a dodgy product at times but the suppliers that survive are interested in improving quality for future sales. (no affiliation etc)

Within the HB equipment these days there are increasing numbers of items that come from China.

Grain Mills - less than half the price of mills that we bought back in the early 2000' s

Temp Controllers - 1/8th the price from the same era and they will switch from heating to cooling within the one controller. Fcuking amazing for $17.00

And without knowing probably most of the plastic bits and pieces are made in china as well.

The only thing at the moment that comes from China and is CRAP is their hops and that is still only the thoughts of some. :lol: :lol:

Cheers

 

[under]

Awesome. Just had a look on ebay. There is a 30% off sale.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/98L-CHEF-QUALIT...=item2eb4b4532f

$199. Fark.

 

[roller997]

I figured I would pay extra for a stainless steel pot which was manufactured properly and won't rust in the future.
Since mine rusted, I sent them back, so I can't comment on how they are holding up.

I would suggest that my "better" pot would have had significant issues standing up to wort boiling and using harsh cleaners, however it might have been fine for being my HLT with just heating up water.

I had a chat to the guy over the phone and he admitted that the batch he imported was sub standard and as it turns out, after I sent mine back, he didn't re-advertise the large pots for some time so he "might" have been genuine with that comment and he may have taken some time to straighten it out with the manufacturer.

I think both Beerbelly and Allquip are an option to purchase a good quality pot and from the feedback in this thread I would be very hesitant to take my chances.

Tony (chap I spoke to who apparently was the business owner) ended up becoming quite dishonest with Ebay on quoting the reason for reversing the sale, so I wish you best of luck dealing with him.

 

[dicko]

Awesome. Just had a look on ebay. There is a 30% off sale.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/98L-CHEF-QUALIT...=item2eb4b4532f

$199. Fark.

Thats a cheap price under. Why dont you contact the seller and ask him why it is so cheap.
He may be trying to move old and "dodgy" stock.
Mention this forum and post so he knows people are looking at what he does :unsure:

Cheers

 

[jyo]

My 70 litre has rust all over the lid and outsides of the pot. Lots of general discolouration inside and outside that I do not expect from 'high quality' stainless steel. Some of it scrubs off, but comes back very quickly. The inside has a long black stain that is actually ingrained in the steel- I can't remove it. There are tiny rust spots at the bottom of the pot on the inside and out.
Nonetheless, it has seen many double batches and I'm sure it will last for years to come.

I tried to return mine about 3 weeks after receiving and Tony from HandyImports was happy to replace/refund, yet I had to pay for shipping back over East which was going to cost me about $65 75 IIRC, so I cut my losses and kept it.

Next time I will buy a Keg King or Robinox...
Cheers, John.

 

[Brad Churchill]

I have done 20+ brews in my two pots with no problems.

It does seem a bit hit and miss though with these stock pots and maybe he is trying to move some of the dodgy stock. Then again maybe the 98L is not a popular size and he just isn't selling them.

I would do as dicko suggested and get in touch with him and let him know about this thread and see what he says. If he would agree to pay for return postage if it starts to rust then maybe...

Cheers
Brad

 

[Brad Churchill]

Was just thinking...

Perhaps some people are having problems with rust because they are cleaning them too thoroughly and thereby removing the protective oxidized layer. I don't use anything other than boiling water and dishwashing liquid which does a pretty good job. Because these pots will be made from cheaper stainless than your expensive Robinox they will be more susceptible to rust and any harsh cleaning you do will make them more so.

Just a thought

Cheers

 

[Synthetase]

Was just thinking...

Perhaps some people are having problems with rust because they are cleaning them too thoroughly and thereby removing the protective oxidized layer. I don't use anything other than boiling water and dishwashing liquid which does a pretty good job. Because these pots will be made from cheaper stainless than your expensive Robinox they will be more susceptible to rust and any harsh cleaning you do will make them more so.

Just a thought

Cheers

Seems to me that if this is so, then the stainless is a poor quality alloy. The fact is that this shouldn't be happening on food-grade stainless equipment.

 

[dicko]

I've not heard back from bakery equip yet, however I found out an interesting nugget of information.

Handyimports ad states that the pots are induction ready, yet induction requires magnetic metals. Their pots are actually 18/10, or AISI 304 stainless (10% nickel makes it non-magnetic somehow) on both sides of the sandwich alu base... it is not magnetic and won't work on induction cookers.

Mmmm!

Just checked mine (handi imports) and they are magnetic on the base but not magnetic on the sides. A magnet sticks like poo to a babies nappy on the base of all my pots.
Must make them ok for induction cooking not that most brewers have induction elements under there pots.

Your statement above sounds like it came from another supplier just trying to downgrade their competitors' goods. - This happens all the time in todays' retail world.

You should google induction cookware

http://theinductionsite.com/induction-cookware.shtml



I priced a 50 litre s/steel mash tun with Beerbelly and it was 660.00 bucks. I built mine for less than 300.00 for about the same thing.
Yes argue about the labour cost but the main expense is with the robinox pot. A 98 litre kettle and mash tun was around the 400.00 dollar mark each, and that was with one outlet for a tap.

If you can build a brewery to your liking and save some money then that is a bonus, you only need to go back seven or eight years and NONE of this gear was available.

There are many suppliers around now so check the value service and quality and go from there.

Again I say - no affiliation etc etc.

Cheers

 

[RickyC]

Rebirthing an old topic.

Looking at getting one of these in the next few weeks. How is everyones holding up a year on?

Got mine in March.

Welded sockets on for ball valve and bimetal therm.

No problems and am extremely happy thus far.

Only real thing I've noticed is the surface finish of the interior of the pot is not as polished as it probably should be for food grade, but for boiling wort it's a non issue.

 

[technoicon]

I got a 80L alu pot from allquip for about 130 6 months ago. love it. cost about $70 for tap and element, so about $200 and i had a good BIAB setup.

 

[Fat Bastard]

I just got my 36 litre pot for my electric kettle project and discovered some of the rust marks others have been complaining of.

They appeared after filling it with some water and giving it a boil to see if it leaked. What I think it's from is tiny iron fragments embedded into the metal during the polishing because they run parallel to the scratch marks from the factory polish. Using steel wool or a scour pad to clean stainless is a no-no.

There also appears to be a spot that looks like it has been welded up and ground down again before polishing, some of the metal looks slightly heat affected but there is no sign of rust or leaking in that area.

So, while I'm not thrilled with it, it seems reasonable for the price. We'll see how it goes once I start punching holes in it!

 

[under]

Ok. So im still looking at buying a new pot. Theres mixed results in relation to the quality of the pots, some are still fine others have rusted etc. I decided today to email them about the pots and linked this forum to the email. This was the reply.

"Dear Shane, Thanks for your e-mail. They are a new batch but would remain under same circumstances. They are good for cooking but not so good for brewing."

Im still unsure if I should fork out the extra or risk it. $200 difference is a fair whack.

 

[jyo]

Ok. So im still looking at buying a new pot. Theres mixed results in relation to the quality of the pots, some are still fine others have rusted etc. I decided today to email them about the pots and linked this forum to the email. This was the reply.

"Dear Shane, Thanks for your e-mail. They are a new batch but would remain under same circumstances. They are good for cooking but not so good for brewing."

Im still unsure if I should fork out the extra or risk it. $200 difference is a fair whack.

MMM. I emailed the retailer before purchase and explained what I was going to use it for and was told that they are high quality and that many have been sold for brewing...Why would a high quality SS pot be good for cooking, but not for brewing? Strange, hey?

 

[roller997]

Ok. So im still looking at buying a new pot. Theres mixed results in relation to the quality of the pots, some are still fine others have rusted etc. I decided today to email them about the pots and linked this forum to the email. This was the reply.

"Dear Shane, Thanks for your e-mail. They are a new batch but would remain under same circumstances. They are good for cooking but not so good for brewing."

Im still unsure if I should fork out the extra or risk it. $200 difference is a fair whack.

It might be worhthwhile to add that I only had plain water in my second pot and the next day it developed spots of rust even though I emptied out the water after my "leak test". Also I noticed someone suspecting harsh chemicals causing the spots of rust - There were NO chemicals involved as I didn't clean it before I filled it with water, with the exception of spraying it out with a hose and wiping it with a clean cloth.

I would suggest that only heating water in a pot should have a lot less chance of corroding the pot than cooking which he seems to have endorsed.

I would advise on paying with Paypal as you have a greater chance of getting your full money including postage back again.

While I was willing to cut my losses and pay for 50% of the postage, I ended up recovering the whole lot as he lied to Ebay on why I was returning the goods. His description was that I had changed my mind but failed to highlight that incorrect item was sent for one pot and the other was rusting. I gave him a chance to correct the statement and when he didn't comply, I successfully requested Paypal to refund me the outstanding postage amount from his account.

Best of luck



Roller

 

[TonyC]

under,
I have read the various threads, and asked the same question, and got a similar answer. In the end i took the plunge and purchased the 98 lt pot, for $199.00 plus delivery. I am i disappointed, no not at all, i am yet to drill and fit a tap, but i am sure if i passivate the drilled area after drilling all will be good. I look at my not so perfect 50lt keggle, and can see a vast improvement. If you are looking for a perfect pot, go for it, but the extra 300. clams , in my opinion is not worth it.

Regards Tony

 

[jyo]

After a couple of questions from forum members about how these pots hold up, I though I would update how mine is fairing after nearly 12 months. It has seen 8 brews in that time.
I brewed a double batch last night and gave it the usual clean down with just warm water and a light scrub with a soft green scrubbie. I know many others are happy with their purchases. I am not. Most of these stains showed up either after its initial clean or shortly after the first batch. To put things into context, I have a cheap 36 litre pot (cost 45 bucks IIRC) I use for single batches and it is sparkling compared to this.

The lid- (these rust stains will not come off)



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The outside black ingrained stain-


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Stains around the handles and rivets-


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The ingrained black stain inside the pot- This will not come out of the metal and you can actually feel the bump- there are two of these lines inside.


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[WitWonder]

I think the summation is "You get what you pay for". If you are anal (as the above poster obviously is - no offense jyo) - then buy the best and suck up the cost by sitting back and admiring the sparkle from your ss pot. If, like me, you have other things to buy with the difference in cost between ebay and the best pot, then be prepared for some imperfections.

I have a 98L Robinox I use as my boiler and I have a 71L pot from these guys that I use as a mashtun and, although it does have some imperfections, does it effect the final product? In my opinion, no.

 

[jyo]

I think the summation is "You get what you pay for". If you are anal (as the above poster obviously is - no offense jyo) - then buy the best and suck up the cost by sitting back and admiring the sparkle from your ss pot. If, like me, you have other things to buy with the difference in cost between ebay and the best pot, then be prepared for some imperfections.

I agree 100 percent, mate and no offense taken- I am a bit anal h34r:
I would just hate for someone else who thought they were buying a top notch product to be a bit disappointed as I was.

Cheers.

 

[Cocko]

I agree 100 percent, mate and no offense taken- I do take a lot of pork sword, anal h34r:
I would just hate for someone else who thought they were buying a top notch product to be a bit disappointed as I was.

Cheers.

I am shopping for a new 98L stainless ATM and have been excited by how cheap these are but have, since your pics, re-glued up the piggy bank and will wait and save to go Robinox....

So you have saved me from the disappointment mate! Cheers for the pic effort, appreciate it!

:icon_cheers: