Hi Tom, I have an EK43 I use only as a brew grinder. It is a pain to clean and I am about to align the burrs parallel wise which looks like it could take a LOOOOONG time.

What comments do you or others have on the EG-1 in terms of the burr alignment and if any shimming of the burrs is required to get close to perfectly parallel?

I could get a great price selling my EK43, I only use it for brewing 3-4 coffees per day on a V60. The smaller size would fit my home use. My priority is the alignment of the burrs and result in cup, plus ease of cleaning and no need for shimming burrs. Is changing to the EG-1 a no brainer for me? No need to explain I'm an absolute fanatic having an EK43 at home and I only buy the best coffees.

Thanks for any advice!

My advice isn't scientific, it's observational/anecdotal and simple. The EG-1 prototype I received has delivered equivalent (excellent and fully capable) cup results. I have no idea if it needs to be shimmed. I see no reason to pursue such a task. The grinder works well for what it was intended. That's 95% of the battle for the end user in terms of alignment fears. The far greater matter to be concerned with is if the overall design works for your particular needs.

We tend to navel gaze way too much when it comes to gear, most particularly grinders. Give me one that does exactly what I need it to do and deliver the cup results Im seeking, and I'm a happy customer. I don't win any internet points by arguing back and forth whether one grinder over another happens to have a 0.5% higher EY.

I think the EG-1 has some incredibly well designed components and thoughts put towards how the end user is going to want to use it. My only reservations is the way the beans get bounced around pre-grind in the little "finger" augers above the burrs. I picture a simple silicone propeller blade working better in that regard. Retention isn't an issue at all with the EG-1, but the slightly drawn out time to end the grinding session because of beans bouncing around the "fingers" might be a concern. I do think the spring loaded design of the EG-1's porftfilter mount is a superior design relative to anything out there at the moment, however. It opens up a lot of usability options. I haven't even tested the newest design with the flicker bar thing that knocks loose any stray grinds, but I'd be curious to see others impressions on that as well.

Seriously, at the end of the day, we're ALL winning when people are faced with competition to build better single dosing grinders. The EG-1 is more expensive, but offers a bit more in certain regards. But in day to day use, something from Kafatek is highly compelling and valuable. There really isn't a "downside" for the end user other than weighing what matters more, price or functionality. I can't honestly conceive of any end user claiming that one grinder fails so horribly that the other becomes the clear choice. It more comes down to what you want in your workflow and space requirements.

I'm excited to see developments to come in the next few years as more companies and designers realize the value of meeting the needs of the home user in a single dosing grinder. Imagine how awesome a V2 EG-1 or V2 Monolith would be? We all win.