I am looking for a good mechanical espresso grinder to use with my Cremina. I home roast, and usually go through 1/2 lb beans at a time. But I occasionally have multiple beans and like to switch from day to day or cup to cup. I am currently grinding with a Pharos, which was a big upgrade to my Rocky. The Pharos really showed me where I could take my espresso, having a noticeably more consistent grind. But I'm getting a little tired of fiddling with the adjustment mechanism and really tired of the gyrations I go through to get the grinds out. And after watching Doug's videos about burr alignment, I worry about throwing off the alignment with all the shaking and slapping I do to get the grinds out.

Anyway, I am ready to go big. It seems like the K10 is a favorite around here. But which one? The K10 Fresh? Conic? Pro-Barista? Why is the Pro Barista in the $1500 range while the Fresh is in the $2000 range? I am also seriously considering the MK Vario K30, and I am intrigued by the new Olympia Moca.

Thanks for the help.

I know it isn't what you asked about, but why not get an HG-One? You didn't complain about the effort of grinding with the Pharos, only the adjustment and getting the grinds out. The HG-one makes both of those aspects stupidly easy. Unlike the motorized grinders, it is designed from the ground up for single dosing, which makes it perfect for someone who switches between different beans during a session. To me, it seems like the perfect thing to pair with your Cremina.

Have you considered modifying the Pharos (i.e. Voodoodaddy mods - Pharos - Removing Grounds (voodoodaddy mod)) , which adds a catch cup to the bottom of the grinder instead of the funnel.

Also have you tried adding a droplet of water to the beans before you grind (known as RDT, Ross Droplet Technique - Ross Droplet Technique-Eliminating Grinder Static). I found that RDT helped reduce static for me to the point where it is now a non issue.

Also if you just want to make the adjustment easier the Voodoodaddy mod handles that but others have come up with similar solutions which are pretty easy to implement even with little mechanical experience/tools. See rpavlis' adjustment nut setup which seems to be the one of the best ways to tweak adjustment Pharos - Finally satisfied with adjustment system!!!.

Thanks for the input. I have considered the HG One and expected to see it mentioned here. Will it take up more or less counter space than the K10?

As for improvements to the Pharos, I will have a good look at the links posted above. I sent a PM to Voodoodaddy last week, but I haven't heard back. Is he still doing the mods?

ltjaw wrote:I sent a PM to Voodoodaddy last week, but I haven't heard back. Is he still doing the mods?

He's so busy doing the mods he's backlogged. I counsel patience.

ltjaw wrote:Thanks for the input. I have considered the HG One and expected to see it mentioned here. Will it take up more or less counter space than the K10?

The footprints on the counter are somewhat similar. Here's a pic taken at a HB get-together in Chicago of Ultramatic Orange's HG One and another-jim's K10 sans hopper:



The HG One is big and heavy enough that it stays put while you are grinding, but it's not really as massive as commercial titan-class grinder. It is pretty ideal for single dosing.

There are some pictures of the HG One in use here:

http://bit.ly/1fzBdZE

Eastsideloco wrote:The footprints on the counter are somewhat similar. Here's a pic taken at a HB get-together in Chicago of Ultramatic Orange's HG One and another-jim's K10 sans hopper:

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The HG One is big and heavy enough that it stays put while you are grinding, but it's not really as massive as commercial titan-class grinder. It is pretty ideal for single dosing.

There are some pictures of the HG One in use here:

http://bit.ly/1fzBdZE

Were you guys doing a head to head comparison of those two grinders? I'd like to read the thread about that.

ltjaw wrote: Anyway, I am ready to go big. It seems like the K10 is a favorite around here. But which one? The K10 Fresh? ? Pro-Barista? Why is the Pro Barista in the $1500 range while the Fresh is in the $2000 range? I am also seriously considering the MK Vario K30, and I am intrigued by the new Olympia Moca.

Thanks for the help.

The Conic and Pro Barista are basically the same grinder, just with different dosers, with the later model PB version being preferred.

The "Fresh" is an electronic dosing version with some retention issues.

If you single dose, most around here prefer the Pro Barista.

Were you guys doing a head to head comparison of those two grinders? I'd like to read the thread about that.

It wasn't a formal head to head comparison. Rather, both grinders were in use throughout the day. Based on the commercial conical burr sets, these grinders are in the same general equipment class. They should perform comparably.

In this instance, we pulled shots with about a dozen different coffees. While the shots were consistently good, the input variables were constantly changing, including rotating baristas. Jim did remark that the best shot of the day came from the HG One. But that speaks more to that fact that these grinders are comparable in terms of quality in the cup, rather than that one is clearly preferred by most connoisseurs.

I must admit I'm a little bummed I wasn't aware of the HG One when I bought my Pharos, although I hold the Pharos in high regard. I am going to put my name on the waiting list for the HG One. It seems to be the ideal setup for single dosing. And 83 mm conical burrs!

In the meantime, the less expensive (than the K10 Fresh) K10 Pro Barista seen here would be the electric grinder to get?

http://www.1stincoffee.com/compak-k10-b ... 7AodVWEAbg