Owner experience with LIDO cupping coffee grinder by Orphan Espresso - Page 2

Grinders are one of the keys to exceptional espresso. Discuss them here.
Sam21
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#11: Post by Sam21 »

MSH wrote:Thanks!
I noticed from earlier posts you have been playing with the Aeropress. I'm about to brew up a cup of some slightly old (12 day post roast) Verve Kenya Keratu. I'm totally out of any home roasted beans as I just got back from a week long biz trip. :cry:
Any recommendations on starting point? I noticed you went with 1.35-ish turns for your first go, but mentioned you may need to go a tad finer. My brew guidelines are close to yours...Inverted, 16-18g depending of coffee, water right off boil (here in Denver at 6k ft = 201), typically 1:15 steep and 30s press
I actually did a slightly finer grind and ended up over-extracting a bit, but only really noticed the slightly bitter edge once the cup had cooled down. I think that 1.5 is a good starting point and then adjust up or down from there based on the first cup. I am really excited to start playing around with this grinder this week. Unfortunately (for the grinder), I had friends visit this weekend and needed to grind large amounts of coffee - they are not coffee-centric folks, so speed was slightly more important. My Preciso/Esatto stepped in and made some fantastic large press pots, but I look forward to putting the LIDO to work next time I have one or two people with the patience for a good cup :D

opother
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#12: Post by opother »

Today I filled up the chamber with about 30 grams (1/2 of the grinders capacity I don't have a scale handy today so it's a rough guess.) of Espresso Vivace Dolce blend.

I used the same setting as before (about 1 full turn + 1/4) 200 cranks and about a minute and a half later with slow to moderate cranking got me nice drip grind for the chemex (8 cup model I think.) Using the crank handle in it's fully extended position provided continuous grinding without any hitches.

After rinsing I allowed 30 seconds for blooming and starting pouring out of the Simplex Windsor kettle stopped at a total of 4 minutes (including bloom) and it took another minute for the rest to drip (5 minutes total plus 10 seconds or so.)

The yeild was a dark reddish brew that filled up to the little bump mark on the brewer. It was a good strong tasty brew. Caramel with roast flavor. A tad of bitterness that blended quite well and complimented (the touch of bitterness made it better) the whole profile. The aftertaste is lingering and pleasant with roast flavor and hints of unburned fresh tobacco.

I did not think Dolce blend could have that much clarity as a drip brew. The flavor was close to french press without the sludge but mixed with a drip profile. It was delicious both straight as well as with milk and sugar. I am hard pressed to tell if I like it better straight or with milk.

The milk (regular milk) brought out an unusually pleasant creamy flavor that was very well in balance with the coffee flavor.

A good grinder has now become closer to something that most people can afford to buy and use practically. Thankfully experiencing mind blowing coffee outside of a reputable high end cafe (at home) without the huge price tag roadblock barrier of a high end home or commercial grinder is now a very good possibility for those who wish it.

entropyembrace
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#13: Post by entropyembrace »

Question for those of you with a LIDO...how does it handle espresso?

I know the Pharos is more the espresso grinder....but the catch cup on the LIDO should make dosing into the portafilter directly easy and mess free.

jbviau
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#14: Post by jbviau »

jbviau wrote:I'll do a head-to-head press-style (Eva Solo) cupping challenge pitting the Preciso against the LIDO in the next few days. Based on what I've seen so far, I predict the LIDO will have no problem holding its own.
Confirmed. Well, sort of. The Eva Solos were taste-tested one after the other with a 12-hour gap in between (!) rather than simultaneously. Next time I'll do a more rigorous test, provided the kids cooperate. I slightly preferred the press-style cup I got from the LIDO, but that could be due to any number of confounding variables. What I feel more confident in saying is that the LIDO's fines production (again, at 2 turns CCW from zero--haven't changed settings yet) is effectively the same as the Preciso's, i.e. minimal. Very nice.

For the most recent batch, I put 20.2 g. of 1000 Faces' Oromia into the LIDO and got that same amount out of it. No measurable retention whatsoever. Ground that amount in 40 seconds or so.

I'm finding clean-up to be very quick and painless. However, there are some fines stuck between the nylon tubes covering the rods and the polycarbonate hopper. Eventually, because I'm a bit of a neat freak, I'll want to try to blow those out using compressed air or dislodge them using some kind of long, thin brush. For now, though, I'm not sweating little niggles like this.

Speaking of niggles, I was getting some light squeaking coming (as far as I could tell) from the upper bronze bearing when I started grinding tonight. It went away quickly and hasn't come back since. Didn't feel any resistance, so I'm chalking this up to the "breaking in" process.

Finally, in case people haven't seen them, a few LIDO accessories are now available:

Spare catch jar: http://www.orphanespresso.com/OE-LIDO-G ... _4690.html
Get your drill on: http://www.orphanespresso.com/OE-LIDO-P ... _4691.html
"It's not anecdotal evidence, it's artisanal data." -Matt Yglesias

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drgary
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#15: Post by drgary »

This is a small data point, perhaps, but with the LIDO set at two turns, I made a terrific AeroPress of Counter Culture Idido Yirgacheffe, using 1 1/3 scoops of beans, about 180F, 15 second stir, 1 minute 45 seconds steep before pressing through. This was as good or better than I've had using the same coffee with my Pharos.
Gary
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What I WOULD do for a good cup of coffee!

Lurkerjohnny
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#16: Post by Lurkerjohnny »

drgary, as an owner of both a Pharos and LIDO, how do the grind particle sizes compare on both at a coarser setting? Though I love my Pharos, at 1 turn setting, the grind particle size is noticeably uneven.

Sam21
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Joined: 12 years ago

#17: Post by Sam21 »



I meant to post this picture when I first received the grinder, but am just getting to it now. This is what the static cling/dust looked like for me when I was running test grinds on day one. Have others gotten a similar result? A small tap on the table loosens it all though.

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drgary
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#18: Post by drgary »

Lurkerjohnny wrote:drgary, as an owner of both a Pharos and LIDO, how do the grind particle sizes compare on both at a coarser setting? Though I love my Pharos, at 1 turn setting, the grind particle size is noticeably uneven.
Hi Johnny,

I'm a little pressed on Monday morning to do comparative grind settings, but I think Doug's already addressed your concern in the first LIDO thread, along with a few other helpful comments. Here's what he wrote about the Pharos. His sieve studies on particle size for the LIDO speak for themselves.
orphanespresso wrote:The Pharos is a most pleasant grinder for coarse as well as espresso but in the coarse range I personally observe quite a few overly large chunks giving the impression of lack of consistency, at least visually, though not taste wise. But I do think that the capacity of the Pharos may be a bit short for most people wanting to make 2 to 4 cups of press or drip. And then there are the "quirks" often referred to which are undone by the LIDO.

Yes, you are right, much more straightforward adjustment and the glass jar makes the whole process transparent for the user. No retention to answer the specific question.
Next month I'll be getting together with some experienced H-B members and I'm proposing we compare Pharos, LIDO and Versalab M3 at least, doing blind tasting.
Gary
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What I WOULD do for a good cup of coffee!

Bak Ta Lo
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#19: Post by Bak Ta Lo »

Lido number #017 arrived to me in Macau today! I am playing with the Lido now, and have burned up a bunch of beans testing it. I like the very smooth, easy, and even grinding action. It is very pleasant to grind with, no hanging and catching as beans catch in the burr, just a smooth turn until they are all ground.

I see that at a very large setting of 3 turns on the grinder adjustment i get a wide variety of large particle sizes, but as I turn the adjustment tighter towards 2 turns, the consistency is drastically better, better than a similar setting on my Breville Smart Grinder. For me, the 2 turn setting looks just right for Aeropress or V60, I will make a brew when I get up for work, in 4 hours!! Playing with the Lido has kept me up way past my bedtime!

Nice packaging and shipping Barb and Doug, the Lido went around the world without a scratch! Thanks for taking the time to process and ship internationally, much appreciated. :D
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espressoperson
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#20: Post by espressoperson »

Lido 012 arrived just in time for afternoon coffee break. Set the grinder two turns out, 12 g beans (10 day old home roasted Kenya Nyeri Ngunguru, Full City roast), Clever dripper, 200 g water just off the boil, 4 min brew with one stir halfway through. Went for a small amount because I thought I would be having a few cups, but it turns out I didn't need anymore after the knockout first cup and the lingering aftertaste. Lido managed to put a sparkle back into these aging beans. Silky mouthfeel, pungency and brightness evenly balanced, hearty raisiny sweetness, berries came back but faded into the background, and only a hint of chocolate. A very good cup of coffee overall, but amazing for a ten day old roast. I'm looking forward to trying this with fresher coffee.

The ease of dialing in the grind and catching and emptying the grinds is a big plus. It seems that there are no oversize chunks and fewer fines but I will need more time and experience to know for sure. Also, I will need to get used to the different feel, the slight resistance to turning the empty Lido as compared to the completely free swinging Pharos. The build quality and completeness of the kit (fitted sleeve and brush and grabber) add to the overall enjoyment.

Thank you Barb and Doug for another winner. We are off to a wonderful start...
michaelb, lmwdp 24