I have just received this reply from Helor, answering my questions about their Helor Stance-

Hi Paolo

Those are excellent questions. We're happy to clarify. In fact we intend to update our website soon. If you have friends that have similar questions feel free to share them.

*Will the incremental scale for the adjustment of the grinder be changed? If so, how will it look?
With the production units, we will include a numbered scale on a transparent adhesive-label that you can place on the grind setting ring. This way, the customers can choose between maintaining the clean look of Stance or have a numbered scale that can be easily referred to. We think that's the best of both world as we did get comments that some customers do like our clean approach without numbers.

So it'll be a simple procedure out-of-the-box to customise the grinder to suit your preference. Of course, instructions will be included and the process is entirely reversible.

*When would a realistic supply time be? (I have read that your 45 day period on your website is not reducing day-by-day)
Our original plan was to supply by 22nd August. Initially, we were not planning to include the fork but rather with a different grind delivery system - thus the initial proposed supply time line. The portafilter fork was originally an add-on for extra costs to be supplied later. However, after gathering a few feedback (including Sam's), most customers would prefer one, and so we have decided to include it as a standard. As for the cost, we will eat up the cost this time round for pre-orders but are expecting a change in retail price to reflect that inclusion. As there were some fine-tuning were made to the fork at the time, that did cause a delay on our production schedule.

As to where we are now, the fork design has been finalised and we have also finalised the details with our production company. We are now aiming to ship about early to mid September (about 10-15 working days delay from original time line).

*Does the grinder come with a 58mm dosing funnel?
Yes, for our pre-orders, the dosing funnel as part of the portafilter fork system will be included free-of-charge.

*What material will the portafilter fork be made from in the production model?
The portafilter fork will be machined out of hardened 6061 aluminium. It will be finished in black colour similar to the body so it does look very similar to what Sam has in his excellent review.

*Will the production model have variable grinding speed available?
As we're using an AC induction motor, it is unfortunately slightly more complex to include the variable speed feature. The speed on a DC motor can be regulated more easily, however, it is not suitable for the torque requirement on conical burrs. So unfortunately variable speed on Stance is not feasible at this point.

Feel free to contact us if you have more questions and we look forward to your order when you have decided. Thanks again for considering our grinder.

Kind regards,
Option-O Support




Cheers,
Paolo

Great info, thanks for sharing.

Personally, I think choosing an adhesive label for the scale is a bit of a disappointment given how much thought has been put into the rest of the machine.

My $0.02. I would not want the scale so an adhesive label that's an option is a good compromise.

There you go...we are all different.

I would like the increments to be marked in numbers and would prefer it to be permanent. I imagine that the adhesive scale would eventualyy look tatty.

I have an HG-1 that has braille markers on it (for some reason that I can't think of) which took me a long time to get used to.

I also have a Rosco grinder and Rosco mini grinder that both have lines (but not numbers). One tightens the grind with a clockwise turn and the other tightens the grind anti-clockwise. Really confusing unless you use them exclusively.

To me, numbers make it all so much more intuitive.

Great review Sam!

After the great review here and a few back and forths on my own,I just ordered one. Here are a few additional questions I asked and their reply:

- What is the process like for burr disassembly for cleaning? Will it require re-dialing in afterwards?
For thorough cleaning (every 6 months or so), we recommend removing the inner burr to access both the burrs. That will involve removal of the fasteners holding the inner burr using the tool (hex key) supplied. It is a relatively easy procedure and no redialling is required. If you have to remove the outer burr, the adjustment may be affected slightly but it will still very close to your dialled-in setting (just a hair tighter or coarser).

For routine cleaning (weekly or so), we recommend removing the magnetic funnel and wipe down both the funnel and the lower burr area. There is no coffee ground retained in the grinder unlike a traditional grinder so it's really a low-maintenance equipment.

- How many grams of beans does it hold with the lid on? I use 20grams for espresso but 40 grams for my Kalita Wave. Can it hold 40 or would I feed them in continuously while it's running?
With the lid on, the chamber can comfortably hold 70g and easily up to 75-80g at the max capacity (based on medium roasts). So no problem at all with 40g.

- How would you describe the ease of changing from espresso to pour over and back to espresso? Easy to get back to the espresso mark consistently?
In short, the procedure is relatively easy and will be very repeatable with the numbered scale.

Because the Stance has a fine thread (0.5mm) to make it easy to adjust for espresso, it does mean you have to move the adjustment ring by about 1-1.5 revolution for pour over. Moving the ring is easy and smooth, but the trick/catch is to remember where you are relatively on the scale (whether +1 revolution or -1 revolution). If all else fail, just chuck a few beans in for test grind and you'll know for sure. Returning to your dialled-in espresso grind just means you have to remember what number it was dialled in to before. When adjusting finer, you do need to keep the motor running while making the adjustment.

- What all comes in the box?
Assuming you're ordering the complete Helor Stance Motor for use in USA (110V - specified when ordering), you will get the following:
- Complete pre-assembled Helor Stance Motor
- Instruction manual
- IEC power cord for USA
- Tools for burrs removal and cleaning
- Included optional (for pre-orders) :
- Portafilter Fork (suits portafilters with 58mm basket)
- Dosing funnel for 58mm baskets

- What is the warranty?
All grinders come with 1-year limited warranty. So that guarantees the Helor Stance Motor to be free from any manufacturing defect, but does not cover accidental damages, which includes putting through non-coffee or hard materials such as metals or hard rocks, or due to accidents in disassembly (such as dropping the bearings or burrs during disassembly - there is no need to disassemble the grinder on a regular basis), or any use of the grinder outside the designed scope of grinding roasted coffee.

However, our customers' satisfaction is always our utmost priority and we strive to ensure you have a great functioning grinder under all circumstances. In any unfortunate event such as the mentioned cases, we will provide all the required parts at a reasonable price. Under normal use, the grinder is designed to last for many years - the bearings and burrs are rated for optimal performance for 1800 lbs. In the context of home use, that's essentially a lifetime.

My experience with them has been equally rewarding in terms of thoughtful response to questions. Did you get a delivery time estimate? Thanks.

mkrissel wrote:After the great review here and a few back and forths on my own,I just ordered one. Here are a few additional questions I asked and their reply:

Matt, Thanks for the additional info. Their customer support appears to be prompt with their responses. I hope their after sales support will be equally as good as I am getting more impressed with the Stance Motor and getting close to making a decision.

One question - what was the shipping cost?

ncrc51 wrote:My experience with them has been equally rewarding in terms of thoughtful response to questions. Did you get a delivery time estimate? Thanks.

Early to mid September is the delivery estimate.

isabelo wrote:Matt, Thanks for the additional info. Their customer support appears to be prompt with their responses. I hope their after sales support will be equally as good as I am getting more impressed with the Stance Motor and getting close to making a decision.

One question - what was the shipping cost?

Express Shipping was $89.00.
They wrote back within a few hours of each inquiry (including Saturday).