Orphan Espresso LIDO for espresso? - Page 2

Recommendations for buyers and upgraders from the site's members.
forbeskm
Posts: 1021
Joined: 11 years ago

#11: Post by forbeskm »

I have usd a lido 2 for years with a pavoni and cremina, works just fine. I use a sharpy dialing in. Do I want finer threads, no, not for me.

randyh
Posts: 267
Joined: 8 years ago

#12: Post by randyh »

In my experience, any of the LIDOs are not ideal for espresso. At finer settings, I've always had burr rub and have had difficulty aligning the burrs well enough in the espresso range. With the locking ring design, it's also more difficult to get very precise adjustments.
The king of small burr hand grinders is the Kinu M47. The most cost-accessible (by far) titan grinder is the Pharos.
A somewhat cheaper but high quality grinder is the Helor 101.
A very compelling grinder for espresso at a fantastic pricepoint is the Knock Aergrind. History tells us that Knock makes very high quality and well-aligned grinders which are very espresso-capable and with easy grind adjustment. The only limitation of the Aergrind is small capacity, but it's plenty for espresso purposes. I've not used the Aergrind, but I have had the Feldgrind which is essentially the same grinder but a bit bigger, using the same burrs. https://prima-coffee.com/equipment/knoc ... bUQAvD_BwE

If I were you and could spend ~$350, I'd go for either Kinu M47 vs. Pharos.
If I were on a tighter budget, I'd go for the Aergrind.
For me, the LIDO series is great for brew grinding, but there are many better choices for espresso grinding out there.

tag1260 (original poster)
Posts: 121
Joined: 5 years ago

#13: Post by tag1260 (original poster) »

Thanks. I have other grinders for drip and Aeropress so this will stay set for espresso. Just not completely cutting it for espresso. I have just started with a Flair and will probably want to move up at some point so why not get the grinder with expansion in mind.

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baldheadracing
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#14: Post by baldheadracing »

randyh wrote:A very compelling grinder for espresso at a fantastic pricepoint is the Knock Aergrind. History tells us that Knock makes very high quality and well-aligned grinders which are very espresso-capable and with easy grind adjustment. The only limitation of the Aergrind is small capacity, but it's plenty for espresso purposes. I've not used the Aergrind, but I have had the Feldgrind which is essentially the same grinder but a bit bigger, using the same burrs.
I have an Aergrind and a Hausgrind (and a Lido2, and Pharoi, and ...). There is no comparison. As has been documented in the Aergrind thread, the axle (and thus inner burr) mounting/bearings/alignment are not at the same level as Knock's other grinders - and, in my experience, the play gets worse with use. The Aergrind is probably still the best grinder that fits inside an Aeropress at its price point, but if one removes those qualifications, I would say that there are grinders that produce tastier results - including MBK's other grinders.

As the OP is after espresso grinding, I would never recommend an Aergrind for espresso - besides the grind quality, I found that the adjustment was just not fine enough, nor repeatable enough. I'm not knocking Knock - I used my Hausgrind as my office espresso grinder for years, and that was with a vibe pump machine with no over-pressure valve, not a relatively-forgiving manual lever machine.
-"Good quality brings happiness as you use it" - Nobuho Miya, Kamasada

randyh
Posts: 267
Joined: 8 years ago

#15: Post by randyh replying to baldheadracing »

Thanks for clarifying this. Unibody frame with dual bearings seems like a foolproof design but I guess not.

Javier
Posts: 649
Joined: 18 years ago

#16: Post by Javier »

In my experience, any of the LIDOs are not ideal for espresso. At finer settings, I've always had burr rub and have had difficulty aligning the burrs well enough in the espresso range. With the locking ring design, it's also more difficult to get very precise adjustments.
"Any of the Lidos are not ideal for espresso"??? Really???

I have had the OE Lido 2 since it was released, and it has been great for espresso, pour over, AeroPress, and Moka pot. Also, it is pretty easy to get precise adjustments.
LMWDP #115

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yakster
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#17: Post by yakster »

I also haven't had any issues with burr rub or precise adjustments with my Lido 2.

It's my regular work / travel grinder.
-Chris

LMWDP # 272

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baldheadracing
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#18: Post by baldheadracing »

randyh wrote:Thanks for clarifying this. Unibody frame with dual bearings seems like a foolproof design but I guess not.
Note that not everyone is experiencing this. However, some are, and people have gone to the effort of retro-fitting other bearings with positive results. This points to a quality issue, not a design issue ... and Knock's customer support is not even remotely close to industry leaders like Baratza.
-"Good quality brings happiness as you use it" - Nobuho Miya, Kamasada

tag1260 (original poster)
Posts: 121
Joined: 5 years ago

#19: Post by tag1260 (original poster) »

Thanks everyone. I'm looking into the purchase but am wondering if there is anything better at the same sort of price point. I don't need the capacity that the Lido has so smaller grinders may be an option too.

randyh
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#20: Post by randyh »

If the m47 is too expensive I'd implore you to consider spending a bit more and go for the Helor 101 or Kinu m47 traveler. Both I believe will be much better for espresso