Hands On: Orphan Espresso Pharos Hand Grinder

[Sherman]

I came into this event with no research, no preconceived ideas and hopefully no bias.

Unfortunately, there was also no instruction manual, so attacking the Pharos was a bit of a monkeys-pounding-on-obelisk scenario. Eventually, we were able to dial in a solid espresso grind. In retrospect, I should have done SOME research to learn how to operate this beast.

The good:
 - Grind Quality: In our shortened round of testing, we were able to get very similar tasting shots out of Peter's S1. To go much further, I suspect that we would need two groups and a blind cupping setup, but that seems to be out of the scope of this thread, so we can leave it alone for now.

 - Build Quality: parroting what others have said, this thing is built like a tank.

The bad:
 - Grind adjustment: I'm not sure where to lay fault, and will certainly accept my fair share for not reading up, but this thing is definitely not the most intuitive to calibrate, nor is it easy to adjust unless you have the appropriate tools (e.g. pliers)

 - Exit Path: I don't know if this was OEM, but someone drilled a hole and added a plug. We ended up tapping it with a plastic headed mallet to try and coax out the grounds, and it took longer than was comfortable (upwards of a minute).

I'll have to wait until B|Creminiac ships it down and I can spend some time with it going head to head against my K10.

Thanks to BoldJava, Peter and Jeffo for not running me out of town on a rail. Next time, come south to Civilization and we'll do it up.

[BoldJava]

This is worth a link from H-B for those of you who have played with the Pharos:  http://www.home-barista.com/grinders/owner-experience-with-pharos-manual-coffee-grinder-by-orphan-espresso-t17714-440.html#p222088

The gent has modded it by not using the spacers or springs.  Great pics. Look at the parts he has left over.

Doug reflects on mods right after the OP -- as Sherman said, give OE credit for the "open source" approach they have taken to this product.  I find the mods fascinating but as a LTMIT ("less than mechanically inclined type"), pronounced "lit-mit," this grinder frustrates the dickens out of me.  If it were mine, I would look for a simplex form of adjustment mechanism (haven't discovered it) and leave it. 

Sherman, need your address.  I will ship it on to you on Monday.

B|Java

[BoldJava]

Quick review of the Pharos before it crosses into Lincoln-Land with Sherman for his group review.  My opinion has gone up since our Friday marathon, but more on that later.

Bean Opening.  (Photo 1)
Round plastic ring is used to corral beans and slide them into gaps (photo 2)
Silicone cap keeps beans from popcorning. (photo 3)

[BoldJava]

Difficult ergonomics.  Unable to grind well in seated position.  Do best in standing up and using weight/strength to bear down directly onto the Pharos.


1.  Backed off both lock nuts and used the retaining ring for adjustment. Needle points to it in photo 4.
2.  Can turn retaining ring -- black, below two lock nuts (see photo 5) with fingers to adjust to a KONE grind (between espresso and pourover grind),
3.  Excellent, fluffy grind at KONE grind level. (photo 6) Consistency in size of grind.  Few fines.
4.  Very easy to release this particular grind from unit.  Pulled the plug and wrapped it with my palm twice.

[BoldJava]

Just a bit shy of a vacpot grind, medium fine, extremely uniform and fluffy.  See photo. 17.6g in => 17.3 grams out with two raps on the side with edge of hand.  Used the handle as my anchor point for mentally imagining clock.  For KONE grind to vacpot, I moved the retaining ring about half hour on the hour hand.  Finger manipulation only -- no pliers, no locking it down.  Set it and forgot it.  Did not move during grinding.

[BoldJava]

Regular pourover grind was accomplished with about 40 minute movement imagined on hour hand of the retaining ring.  All these adjustments are being made by finger.  The grind adjustment ring stays in place during the grind without bringing the lock nuts down and into contact with the retaining ring.  I think we were trying to make it more difficult than it is during our marathon a week ago.

The grind at the pourover size begins to introduce more fines.  17.9g in, 17.8g out.
Compared it to the pourover grind on the Macap (58mm blades).  17.8 in, 17.8 out.

The Pharos is fluffier and there is more uniformity of size with the Pharos grind.

[BoldJava]

Espresso grind.  16.1g in, 15.3 out.  Nicaragua COE, Las Flores, full city.
Three hammers later, two drops on the table yields a total of 16.0g.

32 second ristretto, 25g.  I am comparing this to a shot I had this morning.  The shot from the Pharos/Cremina is more structured, more layered, more nuanced than the Macap/Cremina.  The Macap's was smoother, creamier, less distinct.  Both shots were very good.  Just different.

[peter]

32 second ristretto, 25g.  I am comparing this to a shot I had this morning.  The shot from the Pharos/Cremina is more structured, more layered, more nuanced than the Macap/Cremina.  The Macaps was smoother, creamier, less distinct.  Both shots were very good.  Just different.

That's pretty much what I noticed when I went from the Macap M4 to my Compak K10, nuance and detail was easier to discover, and figure it is the conical burrs vs. flat.

[BoldJava]

...
That's pretty much what I noticed when I went from the Macap M4 to my Compak K10, nuance and detail was easier to discover, and figure it is the conical burrs vs. flat.

I had to experience it to believe it.  "I belieeeeeeeeeeeeeve..."

[BoldJava]

Reflection of my two-hour efforts with the Pharos. 

Simple directions:

• It is easier than it appears.  Don't make it hard. Ignore all the 43 pages of the H-B thread.  Back the lock nuts way off, giving yourself manipulation room on the handle stem for the retaining ring so you don't have to disturb the lock nuts.  (Doug refers to the retaining ring as a "thumb nut" if you want to order a second one here.  It is their approach rather than use additional lock nuts:  http://www.orphanespresso.com/Pharos-Top-Adjustment-Upgrade-Kit_p_4245.html
• Use that amount of handle stem thread to move the retaining ring up and down with your fingers.  Don't bother with pliers.  The retaining ring will stay put during the grind.
• Imagine an hour hand on a clock and use that as your mental reference point. 
• Very small adjustments make a visible/tactile difference in the grind size.

Observations:  Superb, fluffy grind.  Remarkable.

• The coarser the grind, the more the fines appear.
• Very hands on.  Too much so.
• Impossible to grind in a seated position.
• Difficult to grind, even standing up.
• Best effort comes from pressing down and holding with thumb on top and fingers on the reservoir.

Tentative Conclusions:

• Superb grind.  Equivalent to the $1300 motorized, 68mm grinds.
• For me, too difficult to manipulate
• Needs some kind of platform to secure grinder for better grinding
• Emptying grinder at espresso grind too difficult - needs work
• Needs compass/hourglass reference points

Would I buy one?  No

For whom might the Pharos make sense?  An experienced geek, seeking a superb grind, who finds futzing as a needle-mover on the happy meter.

On to Chicago. 
Goodbye Mr. Pharos.  May your life outlast us all.

[BoldJava]

Burr Alignment 201 for Uber Geeks. He even uses a bicycle torque wrench with "newton <?> meters."  New tech bulletin that came out over night.

OE Pharos Tech Bulletin 5 - Burr Alignment - Back to Basics

[Sherman]

Delivery received. Now the learning begins...

[peter]

It starts with unlearning everything you've read about the Pharos and just getting your hands on it.

This is one grinder that you have to make your own way with.

All I know is, I was out-smarted by a hand grinder.   

[milowebailey]

Maybe it should have been dubbed the Sphinx.

Would that make the person using it a sphinxter?

[BoldJava]

Maybe it should have been dubbed the Sphinx.

Would that make the person using it a sphinxter?

It would totally depend on which muscles were used to grind.