I have a Europiccola and originally used it with a Hario Slim. I was pretty happy with the combination except it took about 300 turns to grind 13 grams (for the 49mm portafilter) so I just had more of a workout when I pulled more than a couple of shots. I upgraded to Orphan Espresso's Pharos (35 or so turns for 13 grams) and now my hario is a strictly travel grinder. I really like my Pharos and the manual feel of hand grinding not to mention how quiet it is the morning when the rest of the household is sleeping (or late night shots).

I've had a LaPavoni Pro for about 12 years. I've replaced the boiler, and rewired it with a reset button rather than the thermal link. I went through a kitchen aid (hobart style) grinder and turned the screw till the burrs touched, but it died. I then went the hand grinder route. Thant works, but can get frustrating if you're in a hurry. After tons of research, I settled on the Ascasco iMini. I absolutely love it. The only drawback, for me, is changing the adjustment for drip. Changing for different espresso roasts is no problem. The dial makes very small changes, so changing for drip takes a lot of turning. I just use my hand grinder for drip. This is a http://www.1st-line.com/machines/home_mod/ascaso/ascaso_i-mini.htm mine isn't stainless, but black, so it cost less.

I think the Pavoni is very picky about grinders. At least to a point the better the grinder the more consistent the results will be. I found a Super Jolly to be a fantastic pairing with it. (I have not tried a hand grinder with it, but in spirit they are a nice pairing, too).

I have taken the risk of going for a hand grinder without name or reputation. I found it on ebay and mainly liked it for the look and the brass. It's this one:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TURKISH-BRASS...1484196359


This works fantastically well with my La Pav Pro. I get thick crema and a very balanced flavour. It takes me about 200 turns to grind about 8-9 grams of coffee, but with the extendable handle this is not tiring at all.

Cheers,
Angelo