Owner experience with Pharos manual coffee grinder by Orphan Espresso - Page 2

Grinders are one of the keys to exceptional espresso. Discuss them here.
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galumay
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#11: Post by galumay »

Great review Michael, I would have to agree re the seasoning, I havent put a lot thru mine yet, but from the first go it was noticeably better than my big flat burr grinder so if it does improve with seasoning its a bonus!
LMWDP #322 i started with nothing.........i still have most of it.

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orphanespresso
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#12: Post by orphanespresso »

007,
You cannot imagine how good it is to finally see a serious review of the Pharos from an independent source. I admit that this morning when I saw that Dan had split off a review of the Pharos into a stand alone thread that I had to wait to drink at least 2 espressos before reading it. After all, your emails about having some troubles with it at first were ringing in my ears and we had not heard if you had resolved the dialing in problems that you were having on day 1. But as I read your review aloud to Barb we began to smile more and more!

Your observations of the cup are the same as ours, though we have avoided promoting the cup profile and taste since we reason that, who would believe us? Having a vested interest we could say anything, no? We don't have a Titan grinder on hand so have nothing to directly compare, but the brightness of the cup is very noticeable as compared to a Baratza Vario, which has been our daily driver. We are using the Pharos every day for espresso and have found that I had been grinding far too fine for our lever machines and the fluffiness of the grounds has caused me to alter my usual prep routine of overdose, finger sweep flat and light tamp/polish. The same dose settles and polishes farther down in the basket than with the Vario and with our Faema lever the puck height is critical for the best shot. I had been using 21 grams of beans in a triple basket and the pull splits into 2 ristrettos @ 1.5 oz each and with the Pharos I am using 23 grams of beans to achieve the same puck height for the 2 ristrettos, giving the same finger sweep, settle and polish routine. Just how I am fitting another 2 grams into the basket I cannot say. Of course the geometry of the ground particles is quite different than on the Vario so therein must lie the explanation to this.

Very well written review and most encouraging!

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michaelbenis (original poster)
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#13: Post by michaelbenis (original poster) »

Hi Doug! (or should I say M? :shock: )

Sorry to add a little unnecessary tension to your morning (it must be the fact that I am still overworking - between one leisurely European cocktail and the next).....

I have also found that while the grind is very fluffy it does seem to settle quite a bit comparatively. I tend to dose by weight and the difference in tamper height (or depth) with the Pharos is noticeable. This squares with the comments of another user and Jim S. about big conicals in general, that the grind seems to me more shaved/sliced than pulverised.

An area I aimed to hold back commenting on until I had tried more beans and done more comparisons with the Nino and SJ is mouthfeel. It is very full, yet light and voluptuous, definitely more of a tactile adventure than the SJ and quite possibly the Nino, too.

Slowing down these bug burrs is very interesting (a bit like slow food :D ).

You've done a great job.

Many thanks

Mike
LMWDP No. 237

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trollklint
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#14: Post by trollklint »

A very well written review. I can certainly endorse all the above positive criticism!

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orphanespresso
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#15: Post by orphanespresso »

007....I would be Q.....I would hazard to say the Barb is M.

Doug

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Carneiro
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#16: Post by Carneiro »

So nice! Congrats Mike, and of course, Doug and Barb.

I'm so anxious to test mine, and customs and post office here are killing me! :evil:

Márcio.

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JohnB.
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#17: Post by JohnB. »

Have any of the first adopters used the Pharos in the drip/siphon pot range?
LMWDP 267

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harris
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#18: Post by harris replying to JohnB. »

I'm curious about this too, especially the siphon pot, Anybody?

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trollklint
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#19: Post by trollklint »

My experience is that the grinds is very nice on the drip/siph. I'll take some pictures during the evening and come back later. If I compare with my PeDe 550 the taste from the Pharos is more subtle, fruity and clear...

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peacecup
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#20: Post by peacecup »

The most famous statistician of all time, R.A. Fisher, once did a simple statistical test to see if a lady could taste which was added first, the milk or the tea:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_tasting_tea

I'm still waiting for someone to grind eight samples of coffee, four with one grinder, and four with another, then to identify correctly which grinder all eight shots came from. Until someone does so, I'll continue to be skeptical whenever someone says:
If I compare with my PeDe 550 the taste from the Pharos is more subtle, fruity and clear...
or
It is very full, yet light and voluptuous, definitely more of a tactile adventure than the SJ and quite possibly the Nino, too.
Sorry to be the skeptic - too many years of peer-reviewed science I guess...

PC
LMWDP #049
Hand-ground, hand-pulled: "hands down.."

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