Hands On: Orphan Espresso Pharos Hand Grinder

[BoldJava]

I thought yesterday that a gent had a brilliant mod for the grinder.  Opened it up for easier access to the grinds instead of the funnel.  Wrong, or as he says, "FAIL!"  Static.  Great pics.

http://www.home-barista.com/grinders/owner-experience-with-pharos-manual-coffee-grinder-by-orphan-espresso-t17714-470.html#p222894

[Sherman]

One day in, and yakster is dead-on. After thinking about the machinations that we went through, I was skeptical about this beast.

After dis- and re-assembling it twice and watching the latest OE tech bulletin on burr alignment, I saw the light. The notion of using a floating upper burr and relying on tight tolerances for the upper and lower bearings as a means of burr alignment amused me at first, because I didn't understand the underlying principles. After teardown and rebuild, it made a heck of a lot of sense. From an engineering standpoint, it's a pretty exciting thing.

I just pulled some shots from Peter's Guatemala CODECH, using the Pharos and my Cremina. It's as vivid as the K10, and now I'm wishing that I had done this while with Peter and BoldJava. I'm warming up to it pretty fast, and can see how it has garnered such positive attention.

The one sticking point is grinds extraction. I understand that it's not feasible given the current build, but it would be so nice to have a better method of getting the grinds out. At FP/drip setting, there is no issue because the grounds are coarse enough to eliminate static as an issue. At espresso setting, I have to forcefully thump it on the countertop a few times to get everything out.

More to come this week...

[expy98]

this has helped me to monitor any turn-down issues (both grind adjustment as well as crank handle)
or make small grind adjustments, less than 1/12 of a turn.

[hankua]

There is a much better way to get the grounds out of the Pharos and it's called Version 1. It was discontinued very quickly, but can single dose to a portafilter or anything else without any extra steps.

[expy98]

just curious but the latest FAIL mod on HB showed that there's significant static all around
the axle (looking at the pics again, grind clinging all over the bottom plate as well). 

I'm not convinced V1 is better/worse than V2...

[Sherman]

Thanks to ecc (who has the patience of a saint), I spent this past week testing the Pharos against a Mazzer Robur, Nuova Simonelli Mythos prototype, Compak K10 Pro and Macap M7.

All in all, I'm extremely impressed by the engineering and function of the Pharos. Its grind quality equals that of the Robur & K10. The Mythos and M7, being big flats, produce slightly different profiles, but no better or worse. If I held grind quality as the ONLY requirement, then the Pharos would get my wholehearted recommendation as the best value of ANY grinder, bar none.

Unfortunately, there are other considerations. Ergonomics and grind retention are sore points in my book. I realize that OE supports the modding community and encourages any hacks/additions/tweaks, and am sure that someone out there is upping the ante by adding their own spin to it. That's all good and fine, but it's not a user-friendly out of the box experience. I'll be packing it up this week and sending it on to its home in Indy.

Testing this thing has been a good time, and I'm grateful to have had a part in this version of the travelling road show.

[ecc]

The #23 Pharos has arrived in Indy, home after a nice trip around the GCBC.

Thanks everybody, I had a lot of fun reading about this grinder, and I'm sure I will enjoy working it into my espresso routine.
Review to follow in a few days, but after using it a few times already, I think you guys have it nailed. 
Great quality grinder,  tricky to adjust, bad grind retention, and completely, absolutely cool.

[BoldJava]

OE is offering a free rubber grinding pad to all those holders of the Pharos.  Get current if you are the one on the block with the Pharos.

http://www.home-barista.com/marketplace/oe-pharos-counter-pad-grinder-stabilizer-now-available-t19518.html

B|Java

[BoldJava]

Some very pretty mod pictures on HB today:   http://www.home-barista.com/grinders/owner-experience-with-pharos-manual-coffee-grinder-by-orphan-espresso-t17714-660.html#p240225

[ScareYourPassenger]

Well, I couldn't resist. I sold my cimbali grinder and bought a Pharos. I enjoy the hand grinding at work so this seemed like a good fit. Plus I can single dose!

[expy98]

congrats, that's what, 3 on gcbc? 

can't wait to hear your reviews...

[Ray T]

Hope it works out for you. BTW single dose is about all ya got 

[ScareYourPassenger]

Hope it works out for you. BTW single dose is about all ya got 

I know:)

I change beans every 1/2 lb so keeping 1/8-1/4 in the hopper got annoying especially when the grinder pop corns like mad. I bought it knowing most found the operation clunky and annoying but I am willing to try it knowing that the next logical step was a Compak k10 or macap conical.

[ScareYourPassenger]

Got mine today.

I think I bruised my hand removing grounds:( Works like a champ and it is very easy to chock a machine with it. I still have to dial it in a bit before I can get a decent shot.

[Bendo]

Adjustment takes some getting used to. Small turns can make a big difference.

I'm growing tired of spanking as well. Wish they had given grounds removal a bit more thought, but you can't beat the taste/$.