Thanks to everyone who commented, I went against the two initial requirements I set in my first post purchasing the K10PB linked earlier by DanoM. Figured I'd give it a try... at least I wont have to do the WDT anymore

Congratuations on the K10 PB. So many people are happy with that grinder that you should be able to make it work for you. If not you should be able to get your money out of it too.

Let us know how it goes, and what you think of the difference when the same beans are dialed in side by side if you get a chance. Always good to hear field and personal opinions.

c1raider wrote: Requirements:
1. Doserless, something without retention issues
2. Easily change between French grind to Espresso (I love the notched grind adjustment concept on the Vario)


Wish List:
1. Small Footprint (I expect an upgraded grinder will be larger than the vario I just want to avoid a mammoth)
2. I dont want to limit the answers here but I would ideally like to stay under $1,000 (I expect to buy used)

All four are going to be a challenge, but if the footprint of the HG-One is not too big for you, then that may be your answer. Read on for why:

It is fairly well established by the illuminati here on H-B that the Vario grinds in the class of a medium commercial flat like the Super Jolly, (which in fact was the model specifically mentioned here). Some will say that there are grinders the lie between the Super Jolly/Vario, and the titan-class, and that may be true. But in my opinion the improvement (in taste in the cup), would be small-to-undetectable. The _real_ difference in taste that an ordinary person could detect would come from moving all the way up to a titan-class grinder. But all of them have retention issues except the H-G one, which is a manual. Some people with titans will say they have no retention issues because the have come up with elaborate, time consuming rituals that allow them to recapture the retained grinds. If you are ok with that, then maybe you can find a K10 for $1000.

I have a Vario, and the only upgrade I'm interested in is a full-blown titan. I'll probably get an H-G One.

As to not leave any stones unturned, a more than significant number of people are put off by the "plasticy'ness" of the Vario and end up happier with something like a Mazzer Mini because of it's cute mini-commercial-quality, even if it's not the quality in the cup of a Vario. Like it or not, espresso IS a highly aesthetic/artsy pursuit and to some, if they don't like the "look and feel" of their grinder it affects everything else. So you might have to ask yourself if you might be in that category.

-Peter

pcrussell50 wrote:Some people with titans will say they have no retention issues because the have come up with elaborate, time consuming rituals that allow them to recapture the retained grinds. If you are ok with that, then maybe you can find a K10 for $1000.

I guess the OP agrees that it's worth a shot, because they jumped on the K10 PB that was available for $1000.

Should be a nice upgrade even if there are minor retention issues you have to ignore or deal with. Got a nice set of 68mm burrs that will yield a very nice, fluffy grind.

I really like the idea behind the HG due to size and performance, but know I will get burnt out on a manual machine. I thought about taking on a monolith/powered HG one project but would only do so if I could buy a kit. I really like the look of the Versalab m3 but they're more pricey and seem to be a little finicky. I also like the ease of the V30 but I use 2 or 3 roast at a time. While I dont like the idea of thwacking a doser not having to complete WDT will save time and hopefully mess (isn't it all just a trade off at this point). The K10 is a good fit for me overall and it also has mods done to decrease retention, I'm excited to try!

Hope your as pleased as I am! I took an identical path and still love it.

The K10 Pro-Barista is such a breeze & so consistent and the vario with steel burrs rocks for my other brews.

I saw you like a small footprint. I highly recommend the OE short hopper

http://www.orphanespresso.com/OE-Short- ... _5598.html

Looks like drgary has a short hopper for sale on the buy/sell forum:

[FS] OE Mini Hopper for Compak K10

Thank you for the heads up, sold!