Pharos pimped!

Paolo5

Lacehim wrote:

How much did the voodoodaddy mods cost you? I would have thought that voodoodaddy could even have OE sell the kits for him. Has the price come down on these since they started? They seem like a good grinder, but I was hoping they would bring out a Mk2 with a slightly more compact design.

The upgrades from VoodooDaddy were around AUSD250...which is about the cost of the grinder itself. The Pharos is the same cost now as it was when introduced. Visually, the upgrades make the Pharos much more pleasant to my eyes. They make for a much more practical grinder on a day-to-day basis too...no comparison there. I wonder how small the Pharos COULD be made, given the size of the burrs and the kickback that can happen whilst grinding. The Rosco seems a bit more steady in the grinding process, probably aided by the way that you need to hold it to grind. I have been using the Pharos whilst it sits on a counter. It is about the same if you hold the Pharos in a similar grinding position....but (to me) this does not seem to be a comfortable position. I will have to work on that. The Rosco is also about half as fast as the Pharos. I cannot discern any taste differences between the two...they both do a truly fabulous job. Some may say that both of these handgrinders are overpriced....after all...they are just handgrinders. But I think that they are both bargains, considering the engineering (especially with the Rosco...true aesthetic work of art) and the magic that they create in the cup. I can't see either of them ever wearing out. The icing on the cake for me is that when time is not pressing, both of these grinders allow me to really get in touch with the process of making a Godshot in a much more earthy and intimate way that I can't do with the Robur.

Beanz

C-man wrote:

the Lido is not even in the equation having a ceramic burr

The Lido from Orphan Espresso has a 38 mm conical steel grinding burr. Porlex and Kyocera hand grinders have ceramic burrs

C-man

OK, I did not know that the Lido had steel burrs I stand corrected. No, doubt the Pharos is the number one hand grinder being bigger burrs and faster, I just think he under-called the Rosco for quality in the cup.

galumay

I think you are probably right, the Rosco should produce similar results in the cup to the Lido. The price difference is pretty compelling though, and in the end, given that I already had a Pharos and a Wega 8.6, the decision to go for the much cheaper Lido as a travelling grinder was a no brainer.

lemoo

any chance you have done a comparison between the pharos and the 8.6?

galumay

Chris, not much difference that my palate can pick, i reckon the Pharos 'opens' up the flavours slightly more than the Wega, but they both produce fantastic shots with amazing consistency - compared to my La San Marco flat burr grinder (that was no slouch either). One notable point is that for a single coffee, the Pharos is faster to use. Brushing out and jogging the Wega takes up more time than the manual grinder.

lemoo

yeah thats a good point its surprising that the pharos (with the mods you have on it) has reached a stage where you can my manual grinder is faster lol of course only when you are pulling just one shot but nonetheless, its still quite remarkable

BLrdFX

I really love the Pharos with the MOD's!!! It grinds better than my Kony and as well as my Versalab, just not quite as fast. Kudos to OE and their shop for producing such a good grinder at a very reasonable cost and Vodoodaddy (Will) for thinking through and producing the MOD items.

C-man

galumay wrote:

I think you are probably right, the Rosco should produce similar results in the cup to the Lido. The price difference is pretty compelling though, and in the end, given that I already had a Pharos and a Wega 8.6, the decision to go for the much cheaper Lido as a travelling grinder was a no brainer.

just wondering if the Lido can produce a shot like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dinAnnzbsIU

galumay

C-man wrote:

just wondering if the Lido can produce a shot like this

It can, i would have to grind a little coarser to get such a fast shot :stir When I get back from sorry business i will post a video for you.

C-man

I would like that, thanks But don't grind coarser for a fast shot just do your best shot with that grinder so I can see it's capabilities. cheers!

Beanz

If anyone is in the Melbourne area and wants to see a Voodoodaddy pimped Pharos you can see one in operation at the Oak Room in Ashburton. They use the Pharos for grinding their single origins. The Pharos allows them to run several single origins and swap between them without any waste or emptying hoppers.

Kelsey

It's a little hard to get full info on the Pharos, but it seemed like they were incorporating these kinds of updates into subsequent versions. Does anyone know what the current Pharos is like in comparison to the Voodoo modded variety?

UNM

Beanz wrote:

If anyone is in the Melbourne area and wants to see a Voodoodaddy pimped Pharos you can see one in operation at the Oak Room in Ashburton. They use the Pharos for grinding their single origins. The Pharos allows them to run several single origins and swap between them without any waste or emptying hoppers.

That's new I think. Don't recall a pharos last time I was there and there was only one single origin on offer. Time For another visit

C-man

Kelsey wrote:

It's a little hard to get full info on the Pharos, but it seemed like they were incorporating these kinds of updates into subsequent versions. Does anyone know what the current Pharos is like in comparison to the Voodoo modded variety?

Good question! you would think by now they would sell the complete unit ready to go.

Beanz

The standard Orphan Espresso Pharos is documented in detail on the OE website including the statement "We fully recognize and support the concept that the owner can and will MOD the grinder." My understanding is that OE aimed to provide the best possible grinder at a price that allowed people to own an outstanding grinder at an affordable price. The design upgrades and additions could go on forever but would also push up the price. The Voodoodaddy modifications appear to be the most popular and well documented upgrade. The main difference is that the standard Pharos dispenses the grinds via a funnel, the Voodoodaddy mod uses a stainless cup/ bowl to catch the grinds which is then removed to transfer the grinds to the portafilter etc. Other mods include a graduated scale to assist in dialing in the grinder and resetting, a different method of locking the grind setting and then there is the bling factor of stainless vs plastic spacers The Voodoodaddy modifications are not neccessary but some users prefer to have a different way of accessing the ground coffee, accessing the lower burr for cleaning, setting the grinder etc. This becomes a user based decision and does incur additional cost. The user can have the full upgrade or select the parts of the upgrades that appeal to them. In my case I chose to add the Voodoodaddy modifications. I use the Pharos for espresso and use a LIDO for Aeropress, syphon and pourover. The OE grinders are excellent value for money and the Voodoodaddy modifications are manufactured to an extremely high standard. There are pages and pages of feedback and notes on Home Barista, good Xmas reading if you are contemplating an upgrade

BLrdFX

Galumay! Nice video 🙂 I too have a Pimped Pharos (#0520) and love the way it works :thumb: Here is what I compare it to:

C-man

then if someone bought the standard Pharos without the mods the grind quality would still be the same, just a little more awkward to use?

BLrdFX

C-man wrote:

then if someone bought the standard Pharos without the mods the grind quality would still be the same, just a little more awkward to use?

Not necessarily "Awkward" but the grounds retention is higher if you don't beat on it to get the grounds down the internal funnel. They used to come with a doctors rubber hammer to dislodge the grounds. You still hold the Pharos in the same manner as you would without the MOD. I set mine on a counter and grind away! In a previous Post someone asked why the large tub below the burrs and why not a smaller container to get grounds into a PF. Simple answer is that the lower shaft bearing that holds the burrs is held in place by a wide bracket and the large container goes over that bracket. The smaller the bracket the more prone to misalignment I would guess.

Naki_chap

I found the standard pharos fine to use ,I have the voodoodady adjustment nuts upgrade and the stainless bolt covers, I alligned my burrs and tightened the four inner bolts which hold the outer burr so it is locked solid now.

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