After opening the package I was very pleasantly surprised. I had heard mostly good things about the grinder but also some complaints about alignment issues etc.
I dialed it in according to the manual's specs that put it in the espresso range. And I got.... Turkish dust. Ha! I had to back off another four notches to finally get a reliable espresso grind. And, wow, it made a very nice cappuccino from my Redbird. Not as nuanced as from a big conical but quite nice and palatable in its own right. I was genuinely surprised as I didn't think it would work as well for espresso! But yes, it is certainly capable of a good espresso grind.

One has to tighten the lock ring adamantly to avoid slippage during grinding. But it can be done, and then it doesn't shift. I can see how some people don't like the ergonomics but given the aggressive burrs I don't think one spends too much time grinding. I can grind a 17g shot of espresso in under a minute (medium roast that is, not light roast).

I haven't tried the Lido 2 for my Chemex yet (its main duty) but I can already say that this is going to be a long-term relationship. Grinding for espresso is a bit messy as grinds will remain stuck at the bottom of the grinder, and as one tries to brush them into the jar with the nice brush (included), some will end up on the counter.

A slight concern I have about the durability of the plastic bean hopper/holder. I would assume that forces are exerted on it as one grinds, and its stability is important for the integrity of the grinder. But then I would assume it is probably made from high-impact plastic that is very stable. The weakest point is probably around where the four screws at the top and bottom go through the hopper. Does anyone know anything about the material's tolerances and specs? Has anyone ever had to deal with cracks?

The handle just spins around freely when unloaded. Nice and smooth with the two ball bearings. There is no discernible play, and the whole grinder makes a very solid impression.
I can't think of any grinder in that size and price range that is as nicely built, rugged, long-lived and reliable. Having to grind one's beans manually is a small inconvenience and the gains in reliability and quality of grinds far outweigh it.

Well done, Orphan Espresso!


PS to Dan, if appropriate, would you consider reopening that thread? There is a bunch of new Lido 2s heading towards their new homes right now, and I am curious to see if there are new impressions to be shared.

I share mine here (and if you can reopen, please consider deleting my thread and adding my post there, thanks!):

Had a wonderful Chemex today. I am using the oxygen bleached white filters and I have heard that some people report clogging issues. That was my experience when using the Super Jolly and the HG one for Chemex: The pour would slow down towards the end and finally needed to be aborted manually. I still got good brews using the aforementioned grinders. But it is very clear to me that neither the HG one nor the Super Jolly (nor any grinder with a similar burr set geared towards espresso) excel at pour over brewing. They just don't.

Now, with the Lido 2, set to approx. one revolution from zero, I got the steadiest Chemex brew as of yet. Continuously brewing/draining through the filter until all water was gone. Nice, deep and intense flavor of a Guatemala San Jose Ocaña (light) medium roast from Klatch.

This grinder does a fine job. It opens up realms of experimentation for my Chemex brews. I feel like I can now really investigate and tweak this brewing method. Next is French Press (which I rarely do but might now be tempted to attempt)!