Hey there. Long time reader, infrequent poster. I want to complement my Mazzer Super Jolly with a dedicated conical burr espresso grinder! I don't want to spend money on a Robur and Kony. Also, I like the simplicity of a manual device and would give it a try. My trusty Mazzer will remain but I want to be able to explore my espresso with conical burrs also.

I have been investigating the OE Pharos and the HG One hand grinders. I have read through a few threads on here and am somewhat aware of the strengths and weaknesses of both. They seem to be economical choices for owning a true conical burr grinder.

I also have a Lido 2 on preorder, and I am very curious to use it for my pour-over brewing (mostly Chemex).

Is there a place in the U.S. where one can finder either the Pharos or the HG One in stock?

I emailed Orphan Espresso a week ago about the Pharos but have not heard back. They seem to be out of stock, and so are the people of HG One.

I own, and enjoy using, both of these grinders. If price is your main concern, obviously the Pharos is quite a bit cheaper. If ergonomics and aesthetics are more important, the HG-one is far more fun to look at and use. If you are in a hurry to get your hands on one, my guess is that the HG-one will be available first, as Doug and Barb at OE are far more focused on their Lido 2 business these days.

As far as taste goes, I doubt you could distinguish a difference between the two of them, so I wouldn't choose on that basis.

The HG One strikes me as the more elegant (yet pricey) grinder. Is there anyone who is currently stocking it? I am tempted, very tempted indeed.

You have to purchase directly from HG1

The demand for either grinder is high and as they are hand built the supply lags the demand. Very determined checking of the OE site is usually rewarded with a grinder though.

I love my Pharos, but ergonomics are its obvious weak point. As an engineer I appreciate its minimalist design, but aesthetically speaking it isn't necessarily what everyone ideally wants in their kitchen either. The HG ONE appears to solve both these problems. Consensus seems to be that the in the cup quality of each is roughly equal, so these are the differences that mater.

If money isn't a problem HG One seems like an obvious choice. If money is a problem, or you're not sure if you'll even care about the conical burr difference, than go with the Pharos first. Either can be resold for very near its purchase price, so its a low risk thing.

This third party vendor sells the HG-ONE. But they're in Canada. So you would have to ship cross-border. It's more expensive price would be offset somewhat by the favourable exchange rate:
http://www.idrinkcoffee.com/HG_one_Prec ... -hgone.htm

As for the Pharos, you have to check the OE site frequently. Barb and Doug only hand assemble the Pharos sporadically. And when they do go on sale, act fast. They often sell out in a matter of hours.

I have both a Pharos and Hg One. (I have a built in hatred for needlessly electrical things. Thus remember I have a bias!)

I tend to use the Pharos for travelling, and for making Turkish grind coffee. After one has learned to use it, it produces very consistent and high quality grinds. I like tinkering with things, and I added aluminium spacers instead of the original plastic ones, and I also converted my slightly older one to using a threaded collar for grind adjustment. I machined for my own use a, to me, neat special Allen adjuster.

The Hg One is a beautiful and extremely functional device. I have not found any parts on it that send me running to my lathe and milling machine to modify. Besides hating needlessly electrical things I also hate the use of polymers in inappropriate places. The Hg one even has metal handles. The special tumbler is an extraordinarily great idea. Although a bit expensive, I would prefer it to electrical things at the same price and higher. It is put together with care and about everything seems well planned. (It is just as capable as a Turkish grinder as the Pharos. I still prefer the Pharos for this.)

pumpkinscastle wrote:The HG One strikes me as the more elegant (yet pricey) grinder... I am tempted, very tempted indeed.

In this case, allow your temptation to win the day. You will be happy, very happy indeed.

The Pharos is the economic bargain of a lifetime in grinders. With my grind setting for espresso the Pharos grinds at 0.5gm/rev.