Pharos pimped!

C-man

I came so close to ordering the Pharos, then when I saw the $60 postage (fair enough) and the Voodoo mods I decided on the Mini-Rosco, also I travel a lot and will bring it along. I just wonder how much difference there really is in taste between the Rosco and the pharos? 68mm vs 38mm makes that much difference?

Ol_Grumpy

Interesting question C-man, There are not too many people who actually own and use both machines. I've read one semi-commercial review that slightly tipped the Pharos. http://www.home-barista.com/grinders/hand-grinder-showdown-pharos-lido-rosco-t21359 But I've actually talked to two CS that own and use both and both people gave their personal preference and thumbs up to the Rosco. Mind you, the negatives were about the 'clumsiness' of the Pharos, in daily use- not necessarily about the 'ultimate' grind. I suspect you will put 20 people in a room and get 30 different opinions. There is no doubt you have one of the best hand grinders money can buy... You certainly don't have to fiddle or faddle to get it to operate easily. So, C-man... When you gonna start roasting? OG

galumay

I dont think there is any doubt that bigger burrs make a noticable difference all other things being equal. There has been enough comparisons over at Home Barista to satisfy that question IMO. I know that it is easy to detect the difference in the case of the Lido's 38mm burrs compared to the Pharos - but then I am also extracting them on a commercial lever that makes very consistent and high quality shots, not sure if it would be so obvious with less consistent machines. I think the important thing to remember is just how far ahead you are with any of the new manual grinders,they all produce a quality of grinds that is an order of magnitude above the comparably priced electrics The best value in that regard is undoubtably the Lido, at $165 i reckon its sensational value. Personally the Pharos would still be my first choice for matching with high quality coffee machines, with the VoodooDaddy mods any ergonomics issues disappear, easy and repeatable stepless adjustment, easy removal of grounds and an improvement in the overall aesthetics. The HG-1 will be the interesting one to try, it may be at the high end but its a great looking bit of kit.

C-man

So, C-man... When you gonna start roasting? OG [/quote] I have started mucking around with a little popper, the stopped after turning beans into charcoal hahaha

Paolo5

I finished adding the VoodooDaddy pimping to my Pharos yesterday. Today I dialled it in to my Cremina, using some Nicaraguan beans one week post-roast. It took 3 tries but the results were excellent. With the pimping, any adjustments made to grind settings are now made with a pointer that is referenced on a circular, graduated scale. These adjustments are made relative to the position of the handle. The grind adjustments are now as easily repeatable as the adjustments that are made on a Robur. My Pharos has gone from a curio that lived in the hallway to a workable titan...and has earnt its way back out into the kitchen. A thoroughly recommended this grinder (especially with these new modifications).

Beanz

I also have a Pharos pimped by Voodoodaddy and I find it easy to dial in and easy to change settings. As noted by Paolo5 the scale makes going back to previous settings very easy. I shipped mine direct from Orphan Espresso to Voodoodaddy for modification and then shipped to Australia. A sensational grinder, easy to use, no waste / grind retention and extremely consistent grind size. Doug and Barb at Orphan Espresso have created an affordable high quality grinder that is accessible to most enthusiasts. Voodoodaddy's modifications make the grinder easier to use and make adjusting the grind easy, the modifications are manufactured to the highest of standards. Thanks to Galumay for his earlier reviews which helped with the decision making process, there is also an excellent review by Bak Ta Lo on HB that is worth reading although at the time of writing he did not have all the available mod's added http://www.home-barista.com/grinders/hand-grinder-showdown-pharos-lido-rosco-t21359.html

UNM

someone referred to that comparison review recently and I found it very interesting. the voodoodaddy mods seem like they really address the main issues of usability to the extent that it seems strange Orphan Espresso have not rolled them in to current production models.

Lacehim

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.

C-man

Postby Bak Ta Lo on Apr 17, 2012, 4:33 pm Jack, Yes, the Pharos and Rosco shot pulled very similarly visually, but the taste was no comparison. I will qualify that though with I liked the Pharos shot a lot better, the Rosco shot was not worse, but it was different, someone else might have like the Rosco shot better. But, both the Rosco and Pharos for sure beat the Lido. The Pharos shot had layers of flavor and brightness that the other two did not, while the Rosco shot had a more syrupy body, which was really nice. to quote Bak Ta Lo the shots were just different so to compare 38mm to 68mm you need to compare the Rosco to the Pharos, seems the Pharos had a better taste to seperate the fruit him, but the Rosco had a more syrupy body the Lido is not even in the equation having a ceramic burr

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!

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