Pharos vs HG one

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coffeesnob1
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#1: Post by coffeesnob1 »

Anyone have first-hand experience with both the hg-one and Pharos to say which takes the least effort to crank? I've seen the discussions on the 71 vs 83 as far as crank ability on the HG's, but haven't seen the 2 compared. Thanks.

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TomC
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#2: Post by TomC »

Yeah, it's hands down obvious that the HG-One is a great deal easier to turn. You pay a premium for larger materials costs, but the ergonomics can't be beat. Build quality and engineering are equal. I personally have used both, own the HG-One, and think that anyone who says the Pharos is easier to grind is just deluding themselves.

It's one of those things that borders on the line of subjective vs objective. But if you remove yourself from attachments to the respective makers, and just blindly evaluate the grinders for what they are, any reasonable person should conclude the HG-One is far superior in about every perceivable way. This doesn't take anything off of what OE has made. They were able to make a titan grade grinder, with its respective grind quality, in a bulletproof design, for 1/3 the price of the HG-One. It's just more of a hassle to use.
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galumay
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#3: Post by galumay »

Pretty well what Tom says, I have both, there is no comparison in ease of grinding. Simple fact, my wife couldnt/wouldnt use the Pharos, happily uses the HG-One every single day. (83mm version).

Both produce very similar results in the cup and the Pharos is a great entry point for a titan conical burr grinder, but if you can afford the extra the HG-One is in a different class.
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Bluecold
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#4: Post by Bluecold »

TomC wrote:the ergonomics can't be beat.
Between the required RDT, manual labor and the ensuing required WDT, I beg to differ. The ergonomics of the HG-One can only be described as awful.
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Spitz.me
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#5: Post by Spitz.me »

You've obviously never used a Pharos, the process IS more trying than the "awful" you describe... But, I do realize you're not making a comparison.

How about adding to that laundry list of 'awful', smacking your grinder to get your grinds out onto a piece of paper or big bowl, or having the grinder seize and/or slip from the grind size? All of the stuff you pointed out, you most likely do with the Pharos anyway...
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arcus
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#6: Post by arcus »

Bluecold wrote:Between the required RDT, manual labor and the ensuing required WDT, I beg to differ. The ergonomics of the HG-One can only be described as awful.
Thanks for the morning chuckle! Perhaps you should consider switching to coffee pods so you can conserve as much energy as possible.

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TomC
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#7: Post by TomC »

Bluecold wrote:Between the required RDT, manual labor and the ensuing required WDT, I beg to differ. The ergonomics of the HG-One can only be described as awful.

Your argument is wrong on every level.

Operator fatigue or discomfort is what's being evaluated here. Not whichever steps one includes to produce their coffee.

I haven't WDT'd a thing in over a month. My misting the beans briefly takes fractions of a second compared to the chronic banging and rattling one would need to do to clear the Pharos. And RDT has been adopted rather widespread in order to reduce waste, static and to generally keep the device clean, on ALL GRINDERS.

If the degree of manual labor required to grind your coffee is that great in your mind, then you'll be happy with an electric grinder.
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Bluecold
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#8: Post by Bluecold »

Indeed, the ergonomics of the HG-One seem slightly less aggravating than those of the Pharos. However, that was not my point and it wasn't your stated point either. You literally stated that the ergonomics of the HG-One can't be beat. I could easily sum up three key areas on which the ergonomics of the HG-One could be improved
-need to RDT
-need to hand grind (which, admittedly, isn't that much of an issue)
-need to WDT

The HG-One's makers response on the static problem was basically 'you're on your own'. After which the HG-One owners had to search in the bowels of internet coffee discussion history to find a pretty crazy way to alleviate the problems. The need for WDT was dismissed as 'it's not WDT, it's just stirring the grounds', a laughable excuse since WDT is stirring the grinds.

Horrible static and the need to WDT were usually causes to upgrade from sh**ty grinders to proper grinders that aren't so fussy. And now all of a sudden, static and the need to WDT is the pinnacle of ergonomics and user friendliness.

In short, the continuous downplaying of the HG-One's problems by owners of the HG-One feels like stockholm syndrome.

PS. I've got an electric grinder, because that was for me the most cost-effective way to get going with large conical burrs. The Pharos did not exist when I bought my Faema MC, and I have ground a large amount of coffee by hand on my PeDe. I don't hate hand grinders or the act of grinding by hand.
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TomC
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#9: Post by TomC »

There's gotta be a mental syndrome one could acquire from repeatedly banging one's head into a wall after reading the same incorrect information over and over too.

I do not need to WDT EVER on the HG-One. I've said it a million times. The aluminum dosing funnel thing is COMPLETELY WORTHLESS. It does absolutely nothing but add to the task and make noise. I don't need to ring a goofy bell every time I'm preparing a shot. It's been sitting in a cupboard above my fridge collecting dust for several months.

Grinding directly into a paper cup and giving it a brief shake while in one hand while you unlock your PF from your machine in the other, is all it needs. My initial horrible donut extractions are a thing of the past once I discovered the paper cup method. And the funny thing is, this is actually where a symbiotic relationship between HG-One and OE come together. This method only works well because I use the OE aluminum dosing funnels above my baskets. It gives a larger diameter to shake out the grounds and evenly distribute them into the basket without scattering all over the counter. It's too messy without their funnels.

And once again, you're confusing the basic premise of ergonomics. How does it feel to crank on? Not "Do you need to RDT, WDT, WD40, R2D2....." whatever. :roll:

It would appear that OE has realized the Pharos could use some help in the stabilizing department with their introduction of the new Pharos dogs. I wouldn't want to drill holes and screw mount them into my cutting board or countertop in order to use them, but that wont stop someone else from doing it.

As far as what the HG-One guys recently apparently posted on their site ( I haven't looked, just seen it mentioned) I agree, it's stupid and splitting hairs.

The Pharos has unbeatable attributes too that the HG-One will never have. It's far more portable, and I think due to its compact size, it could weather being thrown out a window without suffering permanent damage. I know the HG-One is solid, but anytime I'm working on it, I'm always kid gloving it, worrying about possible damage if it were to fall over.
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prof_stack
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#10: Post by prof_stack »

Wow, such emotion for a simple hand grinder! TomC, you are so passionate!

I have used both the HG-1 and the Pharos, at FotonDrv's house. I didn't find the degree of labor involved much different at all. Keep in mind that my 60+ year old muscles have been toned in using the Zassenhaus (see photo) for quite a while. :D

To say that the HG-1 is clearly superior in almost every way is hyperbole, and deserves an IMHO or YMMV afterwards. Someone who owns and uses both would be in a better position to pontificate.

The HG-1 is a fabulous grinder, for sure. At the $850 price I would think so. I thought it was a USA made product, but Craig (who has been very good in responding to emails) told me otherwise.

Barb at OE has also been very good in responding to my queries. Both the Pharos and HG-1 offer superior adjustability over my Zass.

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