Oh no, not another HG One thread! Sorry...
Just thought it would be interesting to see what works for people concerning how you use the HG One. Being new to single dose low retention grinders (but not new to grinding with doserless grinders) I am a bit in the dark on how to form a routine with a good 'flow' in it. Ultimately, I guess it all depends on what your level of cleanliness (and maybe nerdiness) is, but I for one would welcome practical input.
I would surmise anyone with a straight grind path, low retention, big burr set single dose grinder should have a lot in common with HG One users, so... You know who you are: welcome to chime in.

I'll start off then, with my clumsy newbie method, shall I?
For the past two weeks we haven't had a brush. I know... stupid. So we haven't quite cleaned out the top and the bottom as well as we should. Not doing this means you get to see how much actually collects... Well, everywhere. I must say, it does get a bit messy. No worse than any other grinder I have used, but not that much better either.
Also, fresh, dark roasts get static. The fact that I happen to like it fresh and dark doesn't help much...

The fact that the funnel is so easy to take off and put back on has saved us a LOT of cleaning though. What a great idea that was, to use magnets...

So, this is what we do. We have a Caravel, so we can't really pour directly through the blind tumbler into the pf. Even though we have an OE funnel on top of the pf.
We don't weigh the dose! This is because a) I haven't brought my scale to the job yet an b) because it feels like it sorta breaks the flow, and also c) because we dose by feeling more than by science... I don't think we end up more than 1-2 grams off anyway - I know this is too much for some of you, but on the other hand, the Caravel is really forgiving concerning dose.
So:
1. Scoop some coffee in - usually a bit more than enough.
2. Grind.
3. Off with the funnel, shake out what's in it straight into the blind tumbler.
4. Dump the grinds into the old Saeco grinder grounds box. Stir or shake if you feel like it. (We don't, usually)
5. Pour from the grounds box into the Caravel pf, with the OE funnel in place.
6. Whack pf, off wih the OE funnel, tamp a bit. Lock and load.

It works, but I still find it a bit messy. Table is sprayed with a fine layer of coffee after only a couple of shots. Perhaps if we could dump the grinds straight into the pf... But the blind tumbler is just... I dunno, too big and bulky to hold on top of the small Caravel pf.

OK, so what do you guys do? What works for you?

Zix,
Seems I follow almost the same routine as you. My basket is 58mm. Once I've emptied the funnel into the HG1 collector, I empty the latter into the portafilter/basket assembly through the OE extension. I broke down and got the HG1 portafilter holder to steady the portafilter/basket/OE funnel, but only because my hands shake. The only other choice is to purchase Steven's acrylic set up. I've run out of funds for his holder. I'm sure he would make one for you to match your size basket. I don't clean out the HG1 because, well,...I'm lazy. And I am afraid of upsetting any mechanics of the machine. From time to time I do blindly use the Rocket air blower to make me feel I am sort of cleaning out.

I use the funnel wiper, in my experience this also helps with the mixing of the grounds = even extraction no or less spurting.

Weigh the beans in cup
1 or 2 sprays of water
Load beans
Grind into paper cup
Distribute into pf / basket
Couple of light taps on bench to settle the grinds
Tamp
Pull shot

I get very nice even extractions and they taste good to.

Forgot. I also have the funnel wiper and I just started water spraying about a week or so ago. I do not use WDT...yet.

- Weigh the beans
- Add 2-3 drops of water
- Grind in the blind tumbler
- Put blind tumbler on top of filterbasket
- Stir in blind tumbler with a small whisk about 7 rounds
-Pull the plug
- Level the dose and tamp

Been doing this for over a year and tried numerous methodsa in between but this seems to suit my setup well.

Here's a video I made a while ago.

Here's my routine:

1. Weigh beans in a flexible plastic try.
2. Spritz them with a small squirt of water from a small atomiser.
3. Pour them into the upper funnel and grind.
4. Pop the lower funnel off and tap it against the blind tumbler to release any retained grinds (usually very little with RDT, but I am fussy like that).
5. Swirl a cocktail whisk a few times through the grinds in the tumbler.
6. Pull the stopper up and dose into a filter basket. I do this directly into MCAL baskets, or onto an OE dosing funnel when using the Caravel basket.
7. Stockfleth's move (if necessary) to even out distribution. Many times the distribution is adequate out of the tumbler and this is unnecessary.
8. Tamp.
9. Lock in and pull!

I just timed it out and it takes about 90 seconds from opening the bag of beans until I am locking in the portafilter, moving at a typical pace.

Thanks, all!

bronsht wrote:I broke down and got the HG1 portafilter holder ... The only other choice is to purchase Steven's acrylic set up... From time to time I do blindly use the Rocket air blower to make me feel I am sort of cleaning out.

Oh, the portafilter holder - yes, I would like that. Was going to wait until the slightly larger ca 50 mm basket arrives, with its machine, and try to find out meanwhile what I would prefer: keeping on grinding in the blind tumbler or starting to grind direct into the basket.
An air blower! That's smart. I'll find one.

bronsht and oldmatefromOZ wrote:funnel wiper

oh, thanks for the reminder! Must try putting it on.

Erik82, nice video! That's a very tidy coffee bench you have there. And a beautiful machine. You and [creative nickname] seem to use similar routines, and you both use that small atomiser. Is it the type of atomiser you get when you buy those cold relief nasal sprays in the drug store (sorry, Swede, don't know the correct term) ?

Thanks for the compliments. Craig from HG One also saw it and put it on their facebook. Already has 1000 hits in 1 day according to an email I got from Craig . It's a video I made a while ago for the dutch coffee forum for a testpanel of beans from a local roaster. Used my skydiving camera helmet.

It's indeed the cheapest nose drop bottle from the drug store just for the atomiser. Rinse it a couple of times and you're ready. Two drops for normal beans and three drops for static beans should be enough.

Great, erik82! Thanks.
So, on Tuesday I'll bring an atomiser to the job. Maybe mount the static wiper too, I probably need it more than some other HG One users...
I will probably try taking off the flywheel handle lever also, I feel like I am flailing around a bit right now.

One thing that would make dosing nicer is... A doser a bean doser, that is, not a grinds doser. If I can think of something like the Versalab doser, but less kludgy (not interested in having an entire hopper up there), I'll be back.

zix wrote:So, on Tuesday I'll bring an atomiser to the job. Maybe mount the static wiper too, I probably need it more than some other HG One users...
I will probably try taking off the flywheel handle lever also, I feel like I am flailing around a bit right now.

At first, I didn't install the static wiper because I didn't think it was necessary. But it was. There was a lot of retention without it. So I installed it and now there is virtually NO grinds retention. I still haven't found a need to atomize the beans, however.

What do you mean by "I will probably try taking off the flywheel handle lever also..."? I'm trying to imagine turning the wheel without the handle...but can't quite wrap my mind around the image. So I suspect you mean something else?