Did you find alignment was necessary right out of the box?

Mine needed it, yes. Thankfully it's extremely simple to do with the included tools.

Even if it was for sale I wouldn't bother, I still get popcorning using the Weber lid on the HG-2 or Key. I'm sure there are better 3rd party options out there, or find / cut your own plastic lid if you don't mind the looks.

chipman wrote:You could order the "popcorn lid" that is designed for the WW Key grinder from Weber.

I'm curious whether or not the coated / pre-seasoned burrs on the HG-2 (and Weber Key) really affect grind quality or not. I've heard somewhere it gives more flavour clarity but also less body on the coated burrs. I was surprised the Key seemed more like a flat burr than conical to me when I first tried it.

Spec wise and company wise I'd say HG-1 Prime might be the better buy (with a lower price too), But I do enjoy the quality / results from my Weber Key and HG-2 (trying to sell one since they're a bit redundant having both )
I haven't tried the HG-1 Prime but curious to see if grind quality is that much different or the same if anyone wants to lend me one for testing

I asked Craig about his lid recommendation as well, and he said he's still working on it but sent a DXF file that I could get laser cut. You can get different materials laser cut like plastic, wood, and metal (metal is much more expensive). Originally I thought a clear plastic would be good to see if any beans are hanging around, but wood would probably look the nicest.

I've been playing around with a couple of different 3D printed lids. I have a couple of observations after playing with some lids:
1. Even though the lid leaves only ~15% of the funnel uncovered, some bean shards still end up on my counter. So, I went for a 2-piece design that would cover 100% of the funnel.
2. I want to grab the lid with my right hand, so that I can pour the beans in with my left. So I moved the little grab tab a quarter way around the lid to make it easier to grab with my right hand.

The 2-piece lid doesn't seem the most elegant, but it works great for keeping beans in the grinder and off the countertop. I also worked on a sloped lid design that I pull out a little bit and use to help funnel beans into the grinder. But, this one would have to be 3D printed, so a nice laser-cut version with wood is not possible.

I use a soda cup lid on top lol

mine use flexible plastics sheet cut out from something i cant remember
(it could look better tho)

I have the original HG1 and I was so annoyed with the popcorning that I made my own custom wooden lid. Not sure how I can post images here, video in the link. It's two parts which can magnetically couple

Very cool! Thanks for sharing

I decided to try mounting the grinder to a large, heavy cutting board made of rubberwood. Overall, I think the experience is pretty good as long as I focus on having a smooth continuous grind, rather than cranking as fast as I can. You still want something sticky on the bottom of the board, like the silicone feet included in the HG-1 Prime mounting kit. I think the wood board looks nice with the setup, and gives you a nice area to prepare the espresso basket.