I'm willing to cut the stock grip material off my q2 and take pics. I would replace it with leather instead of grippy rubber, but it should still be helpful. If there's interest I could probably do it this weekend.

Timemore Slim also a good candidate... It fits in Aeropress

Miltonedgebert wrote:I'm willing to cut the stock grip material off my q2 and take pics. I would replace it with leather instead of grippy rubber, but it should still be helpful. If there's interest I could probably do it this weekend.

I'm interested!

Thanks all for your suggestions. There's some really good info for me to digest. I'll be interested to see how the grip mod turns out.

This is my current setup with a few Aeropress mods & some constructive packing of the Porlex. It all fits in a 1l Sigg Bottle sleeve

jpender wrote:Still, I've been thinking for a long time about a replacement and the Q2 is a good one. I'm very happy with it.

Would you say that you prefer the flavor you get over the Kinu M47 with an Aeropress? I can only add that for my tastes Timemore G1 (same burrs as Nano and Slim) does better than my M47 did coarser than espresso. Those burrs in the original Timemore line-up actually do a good job for espresso as well, but it's impractical to grind because it could take anywhere from 2 to 8 minutes to grind for a shot.

I have had the Timemore Slim+ for about 1.5yr and am happy with both build and grind quality after using it multiple times every day. Without the catch cup it fits entirely in the a-p plunger (minus the handle) with nothing sticking out. About 393g without the cup. With my current ethiopian city roast the max I can get in it is 22g. The nano looks to have a considerably smaller capacity.

Jonk wrote:Would you say that you prefer the flavor you get over the Kinu M47 with an Aeropress?

I can't really say. I've only used the Kinu with my Aeropress a few times. And even the Q2 has only been on a few trips during the pandemic. To be honest, I'm usually just really happy to have fresh coffee when I'm in a hotel somewhere or car camping. And while I used to get good cups of coffee with the Porlex the user experience was pretty bad: it took a long time to grind, the handle always wanted to fall off, and adjustment was quirky at best. The Q2 is smooth, repeatable (I've used it with my Robot), and much, much faster.

It is heavier though. I have only taken my Porlex backpacking on a few luxury overnight backcountry ski trips. But if I were going to backpack with a grinder on a regular basis I would stick with the Porlex.

I weighed my Q2 just now and was disappointed to find it is significantly heavier (407g) than the manufacturer claims (385g).

AZRich wrote:Without the catch cup it fits entirely in the a-p plunger (minus the handle) with nothing sticking out.

How does grinding without a catch cup work for you? Do you have some sort of adapter or what?

jpender wrote: How does grinding without a catch cup work for you? Do you have some sort of adapter or what?

I had never tried it since my grinder has never left the house. Just mentioned it due to what the OP wanted, to reduce size and weight. But earlier today I did try grinding directly into my a-p without the catch cup. Holding both in 1 hand while grinding was awkward/unpleasant. Holding a small plastic bag to grind into would likely be no problem. Probably won't try that myself...

Just another data point for you, but I'm also happy with the Q2 Penta as a replacement for the Porlex with my AP travel setup. I usually end up making cups for everyone at camp which is a breeze with the Q2.

It is heavier tho. But I'm mostly 'backpacking' in a sea kayak these days so there's not a weight penalty. TBH if I were concerned about weight I'd just drink a <gasp!> Charbux Via packet which happens to taste a lot better when you're outdoors!