Hi all,

I have an opportunity to pick up a Mythos Plus (model with tamper that I would remove) for ~$1200 CAD and it seems to be an interesting proposition that I'm having trouble turning down. Using a SJ now and tired of the single dosing/brushing routine. Limited retention is a key priority of mine and it seems like the Mythos fares rather well in that category.

The majority of the praise & info seems to be attributed to the Mythos One, as it is the variation that includes the ClimaPro technology that was developed in conjunction with WBC baristas - i.e. the sexy one.

Aside from the ClimaPro technology, which would have little to no application in the home environment (i.e. always grinding cold), are there any major differences between the two? I believe the model I would pick up has the ClumpCrusher that was introduced in later models, if not I can add it easily it seems.

Also, any idea if the Mythos One hopper is interchangeable with the Mythos? It's significantly shorter.

That might be the high speed version, whereas the Mythos One is the "low speed" version I think. NS are very cagey about what those speeds are though, and there is much conflicting information on vendor websites! I'd quite like to know myself if anyone's got any reliable info.

I believe it is the high speed version as well. I wonder, again, if that would have any impact on the quality in the cup in the home environment, where most of the time I'm making one espresso at a time.

GlennV wrote:That might be the high speed version, whereas the Mythos One is the "low speed" version I think. NS are very cagey about what those speeds are though, and there is much conflicting information on vendor websites! I'd quite like to know myself if anyone's got any reliable info.

I had trouble determining whether lower RPM grinding was limited to Clima Pro models only, or if it was introduced to all Mythos grinders in 2013 like the clump crusher was. For my home grinder needs, it wasn't important enough to speculate - I purchased a second hand Mythos Plus from 2012; stripped it of the built in tamper & gave it a thorough cleaning of any old grinds and build up oils. Color me impressed, and I wouldn't have my home grinding any other way except perhaps an EK43.

I have done both single dosing & hopper dosing, and ultimately I prefer the hopper dosing as it's just so much quicker & more consistent than single dosing, which must be done with a brush to ensure all of your pre-weighed dose do indeed get fed through the burrs. The Clima Pro hopper will fit just fine, so says the Austin area NS distributor who uses a Mythos Plus on their espresso bar. I skipped it due to the cost, but if I could fit the Mythos on my kitchen counter I'd certainly want the Pro hopper. The Clump Crusher is great and I am a long long way away from ever having concern for replacing my burrs, as my unit came from a low traffic cafe.

The main feature that is attracting me to this grinder above all else is its low retention. When you're dosing with a filled hopper, do you begin with purging some grounds? Or do you just go ahead and dose directly into the PF?

With any grinder i like to purge just a little ground before my first shot each morning, but never purge during the day. But on a very low retention grinder like the Mythos and if i am making a latte i would not care to purge. If i make an espresso i will for the first shot of the day only. I really liked the shots i had out of the Mythos.

mikeness wrote:The main feature that is attracting me to this grinder above all else is its low retention. When you're dosing with a filled hopper, do you begin with purging some grounds? Or do you just go ahead and dose directly into the PF?

I don't purge. Having watched many other grinders grind & dose shots on Youtube and in various cafe settings, I must say the Mythos grinds pretty damn fast. I have the grinder set on the finer side and even a 0.10 second purge feels wasteful. I have my third button set to 0.15 seconds for up-dosing, as 0.25 or more was "too much" for this purpose.

So turns out the model was made prior to 2013 therefore didn't have the ClumpCrusher. Couldn't agree on price with the seller so I suppose the experiment will have to wait!

Thanks all for the replies.

No worries but FWIW the clump crushed is quite an affordable and easy update. In the USA it retails for about $40-50, but I had a pal get it for me across the pond for about $16 including postage installs within 5 mins with a basic screwdriver.

I've just picked up a Mythos Plus, manufactured Jan 2014. This thing is huge! Being manufactured post 2013, I was expecting it to have the shark-teeth-shaped clump crusher, but in fact, it came with the drop-down-curtain chute (as pictured below). Can anyone confirm if this is indeed the older PTFE flap? I noticed on SCG's video, they have the same 'drop down curtain' chute on their Mythos One.