Perhaps the OP should change the thread topic by the way... I read "a budget above $2000" and thought we'd be talking big dual boilers. Should be < $2000 instead of > $2000.

+1 Same here.

neutro wrote:Perhaps the OP should change the thread topic by the way... I read "a budget above $2000" and thought we'd be talking big dual boilers. Should be < $2000 instead of > $2000.

My bad, just corrected it.

M1337 wrote:I will probably get a baratza vario... In the first place, I didn't read the price of the one on eBay properly, the price was fair Compared to what I thought, looked at it too late though... And I don't know if there's gonna be any other Hg one on sale(used) in Canada anytime soon.

BDB, pro 500 and magical... The list is getting shorter and shorter!

The Vario is great performer for the money. It was my first real espresso grinder. I still have it and use it despite having a K10PB. Just be sure to get the most recent iteration. The Vario has been tweaked over the years and some older versions have been known to sit in warehouses for years, to then get sold via eBay at "Irresistible" prices.

Also, if you're careful with the Vario you can avoid problems. So always run the grinder while adjusting the grind setting. Never adjust while idle. And forget switching back and froth between espresso and coarse. Just dedicate it to espresso. Then get another grinder for brew if you need one. It can take up to 3 or so grinding sessions to settle into the desired grind setting after switching from coarse to fine. You can read endless threads about this. And I have experienced this first hand.

FYI, a used Pharos just got posted on kijiji in the Toronto area. I also have a Pharos. But I use it at work for Aeropress and Espro grinding. It's definitely more involved and more work than, say, an HG ONE. But at 1/4 to 1/5 the price of an HG ONE, it's the best performer for the price. You just have to be prepared for some frenetic arm twisting and some ergonomic idiosyncrasies.
http://m.kijiji.ca/coffee-maker-espress ... rce=alerts

Thanks for the link Ryan!
I am not sure if I would enjoy the Pharos. A lot of people love the quality of the grind and I am sure it is excellent, but I dont think I can deal(and even less my wife) with the headaches and that comes with it. The HG1 seams 100x times more appealing. HG1 isnt perfect and definitivly not cheap, but still higher my wishlist than the Pharos. Like said previously, I will probably get a new Vario unless I find a used HG1.

On a quick side track, I know the vario cant go from dip to espresso, but could it do espresso and aeropress or even the slight change in coarse setting would make it painful to go back to espresso?

During that time I will go back on my Hx E61 or DBD reading...

M1337 wrote:Thanks for the link Ryan!
I am not sure if I would enjoy the Pharos. A lot of people love the quality of the grind and I am sure it is excellent, but I dont think I can deal(and even less my wife) with the headaches and that comes with it. The HG1 seams 100x times more appealing. HG1 isnt perfect and definitivly not cheap, but still higher my wishlist than the Pharos. Like said previously, I will probably get a new Vario unless I find a used HG1.

On a quick side track, I know the vario cant go from dip to espresso, but could it do espresso and aeropress or even the slight change in coarse setting would make it painful to go back to espresso?

You should be able to move the grind between aeropress and espresso and make it work. ALWAYS run the motor, no beans in the hopper, when adjusting the grind, coarser or finer. Always make the final adjustments on both levers from fine to coarse, and if you move 1 notch too far towards coarse moving it 1 notch finer is no good. With the motor running, no beans in the hopper, move it fine and then coarsen again. Finally give it one last spin of the burrs. (I had a timer set on mine for 12 seconds and would spin that when adjusting grind and when finished adjusting.) How close the grind comes to what you want will only be determined from there.

HG1 is a great grinder. Pharos is a great burr set in a usable grinder body. When I made my kludge grinder with used burrs (thanks Terranova), PVC plumbing parts, steel bar for crank and bolt for burr shaft I didn't expect much more than a spice grinder. The problem was it was so much better than the Vario that I stopped using the Vario immediately. Vario is no slouch, but it couldn't compete with a good conical burr set. To make my grinding easier I removed the crank arm, put a handle strap on the PVC pipe, hooked up a cordless drill and ground away. Flavors were so much better this way than with the Vario - it was a pain to grind, but worth it in the cup. (Today I have a K10 to do the grinding.)

Thank you all for for advices, links and more. I will most likely be pulling the trigger on a BDB and a HG1...Decided not to be cheap on the grinder and give BDB a try...with my credit card it makes it a 3years warranty and we will see how long it lasts...by then I will have a better understanding of what I want and dont want and not having to upgrade the grinder at the same time will(potentially) allow a bigger budget for the machine.

The End!(or not)...