# Eureka Helios 80 - Six Month Review



## Philip HN (Nov 7, 2019)

Eureka Helios 80 - Six Month Review

In early June 2020 Eureka managed to ship its first consignment of Helios grinders to the UK. As far as I can tell, that shipment was the first and last of the summer, as Eureka then suffered raw material shortages which impacted on the production of their newest grinder.

I had been looking for a new grinder, something much better than my Mazzer SJ, so I was particularly keen to find something faster and easier to adjust and maintain. Thanks to Bella Barista I was fortunate enough to receive one of the first Helios grinders, specifically a black model 80. At the time I posted a first impression but since then the Helios has just been taken for granted as part of my morning routine, and so it occurred to me recently that it would be interesting to stop and reflect on how it has felt to own it, and how I would describe it to anyone thinking about buying one now that at long last the Helios models appear to be coming into stock with suppliers.

So to begin, the Helios hasn't got any smaller! Wearing the supplied 1.2 kg hopper, it stands at 60cm (the 65mm burr model is the same height). This has never represented a problem for me as I do not have any wall mounted cupboards above my coffee space but elsewhere in my kitchen there is only 46cm of space above my work surfaces and even without a hopper the Helios is 38cm high, so positioning this grinder in the average kitchen may be challenging. In a commercial environment of course there should be no such limitations.

At present I can find no online reference to smaller capacity/shorter hoppers for the Helios. It might be tempting to try to source a smaller hopper with the correct throat diameter, but the top cover of the Helios has an indent containing a microswitch which engages with a projection on the outside of the supplied hopper base. This switch prevents the grinder from operating with the burrs exposed. Remove the hopper and the grinder switches off. Use a hopper without the necessary projection and the grinder will not function.

At over 15 kg, the Helios 80 is no lightweight (the 65 is 3 kg lighter). Moving it around eg to clean the work surface, was a little tricky at first because its not immediately obvious where to hold it. I have found that the easiest solution is to reach into one of the shallow gaps either side of the base and to support the machine on the opposite side. The gaps are to provide space for the power cord so when repositioning the machine you have to take care not to set it down on the cord.

In daily use, the Helios is, as best I can judge, almost flawless. Lots of references have been made to the touch screen interface: it really is very fast and extremely intuitive. There are three pre-programmed timer settings and one manual setting, all of which have counter totals showing. Each programme is adjustable by grind time only, in increments of 1/20th of a second. Touching any one of the four corners of the screen immediately highlights that corner and determines the programme or manual setting. In practice I have found it most convenient to use the first programme to dispense about 5g of coffee between bean changes or at the start of the day, and I use the second programme for everything else. There are several sub-menus accessible which allow for things like counter resetting, screen back-light, colour scheme, automated burr maintenance alert and factory reset. Using the screen is so simple I no longer give it any thought, which is probably exactly as it should be.

Speed of grind has settled over the six months to where it delivers approximately 8g of coffee per second. I believe the 65mm burr model delivers approximately half that. Speed isn't everything of course but the Helios was not explicitly designed to be a quiet grinder, so the c.2 second grind time is a huge improvement on the eg 12 second grind time of a slightly louder/harsher Mazzer SJ. I have encountered just one issue with the speed of the Helios which was when, early on, I was adjusting the grind to a finer setting while operating the grinder (of course) but did so way too slowly. I learned my lesson at the expense of about 40g of coffee&#8230;

I don't know if retention has changed over the course of the six months. I cannot see how it could, as I imagine it to be purely a function of the internal design of the grinder. Not long after starting to use the grinder I did dismantle it after running it to empty and then extracted all the grounds from around the burrs and in the shute. I managed to find around 4g in all, which I'm comfortable with.

There continues to be minimal popcorning, although I very rarely allow the hopper to get close to empty other than when I am using up a batch of beans. However weight of beans in the hopper does play a part in ensuring consistency of grind output. I generally find that timed doses deliver very similar weights, usually within 0.3g albeit with outliers. However when the hopper is near to empty, the same grind time will result in a shortfall of about 2g.

On the strength of the consistency of the coffee being produced in my kitchen since the Helios arrived, I would have to say that it does what it is designed to do very well. Coffee I was previously familiar with improved dramatically. I found myself able to accurately predict the results of grind adjustments, and the clumping that was commonplace with the Mazzer became a rarity.

The features of the Helios are probably widely known by now, but I have noted that not all reviews mention all the features, so it does have an adjustable fork under the shute which enables hands free grind into your portafilter (I use a dosing cup so have just moved the fork down to maximise space). The shute itself has a light; the length and angle of the shute can be adjusted; and the shute itself can be withdrawn completely for cleaning (it is pulled down until it comes free: pushing it back up into position is just as easy). The grinder is operated by a button under the shute, intended to be pressed by the portafilter. If you use a dosing cup, it is easy to reach behind the cup to press the button.

Maintenance is very straightforward. Cleaning the burrs involves closing the gate on the hopper, removing it and clearing away beans left in the top of the grinder; then lifting off the magnetic top of the grinder (it remains attached to the grinder body by the microswitch wiring, some of which needs to be unclipped to allow sufficient slack to enable the top to hang to the side of the grinder body). You then remove three bolts and lift out the top burr carrier to expose the lower burr and gain access to everywhere likely to need cleaning. Once everything has been put back into place, the grinder setting remains exactly where it was before you started. Coming from the world of Mazzer this feature of Eureka grinders is an absolute joy.

When you do need to adjust the grind, this is done by turning a knob on the top of the grinder body. It did take me a while to work out how much adjustment was necessary to achieve eg a given extraction time change (very little) but what I have found is that the results are consistent and repeatable. The only gripe I have is with the reference mark on the grinder body under the knob. This is positioned off to one side, so I was having to lean over the worktop to visually line the mark up. A few months in I printed a tiny white arrow against a black background and using double sided tape stuck it on the body of the grinder under the knob in a position I could see clearly when standing directly in front of the grinder. This was probably unnecessary given that there are other details I could be using as reference points, but it is what I chose to do at that moment.

Over the six months I have relocated the grinder perhaps three times. Most recently I suddenly realised that the reason I have had to move the grinder is that each time I use it, the torque of the motor moves the grinder to the right by a tiny amount, maybe a couple of millimetres. I believe this is due to the fact that the grinder is (temporarily) sitting on a highly polished smooth bamboo work surface which provides little or no friction. I've now cut a piece of thin rubber mat to size and put that under the grinder. It no longer moves.

So to summarise, the Helios 80 is a beautifully made machine which is a pleasure to use. It is fast, consistent, extremely easy to clean and maintain, and it has done wonders for my coffee. In the current Covid world I know that it is likely to be some time before prospective purchasers are able to get their hands on one to try, but hopefully it will not be long before in depth reviews start to appear on YouTube. In the meantime if anyone is planning to purchase a new grinder in the Helios price bracket I would strongly recommend holding on to try one. Or just go with your instinct as I did and buy one!

I am happy to respond to specific questions or to post any photographs people might request.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Nice write up for those interceded would be worth adding some pics here to show sizes perhaps a clip of it dosing into the pf etc.

Cheers for taking the time to post .


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## Philip HN (Nov 7, 2019)

Thanks, will do in daylight tomorrow morning.


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## B-Roadie (Feb 29, 2016)

Thanks for the write up, much appreciated.

I recall your first post a while back being one of the first I saw in the wild.

I do really like the Helios but I think it might be a bit big, need to have a proper measure. Also on the fence about single dosing.


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## Philip HN (Nov 7, 2019)

I promised to add some photos and clips: I think the clips - me being a bit technically challenged and therefore unsure how to reduce file size - may have to be posted separately because they are close to the max file size, but let's see...

Photos similar to the following were posted when I first reviewed the Helios, but here are three showing around the grinder, with a 2 ltr water bottle for scale (haha pun not intended) followed by a photo confirming the height of the grinder body alone (the adjustment knob is the high point). This photo also shows my added reference point/arrow, with the original mark visible beyond it on the right.

I've then added a short clip showing the touch screen and how programmes are selected and adjustments are made to timings. Sadly my phone decided that it was more interested in focusing on my hand but the general idea is clear enough.

































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View attachment 20210104_114558.mp4


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## Philip HN (Nov 7, 2019)

And finally a clip showing me purging about 5g of grounds first thing this morning, using the first programme (set to run for 0.65s), then dosing 18g into my dosing cup using the second programme set to run for 2.2s

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View attachment 20210104_114655.mp4


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## B-Roadie (Feb 29, 2016)

Thanks for posting even more info 👍

That is insanely fast 😳


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## Philip HN (Nov 7, 2019)

B-Roadie said:


> Thanks for posting even more info 👍
> 
> That is insanely fast 😳


 Yes, it's bonkers. Takes a bit of getting used to!


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## Akula (Oct 1, 2020)

18g in a little over 2 seconds !! absolutely mental !


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## Northern_Monkey (Sep 11, 2018)

@Philip HN - Looks like an EK Is down as 20kg per hour, so rough guesstimate for 18g would be just under 3.3s.

Sound like your Helios is pretty quick on the draw! 💨☕


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## Geezercdg (Dec 29, 2018)

Thanks for this, its a bit too high for my kitchen though but really appreciate the review.


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## Izzoalex (Jan 18, 2021)

(My apologies if I repeat anything from Philip's excellent review)

I too have picked up a Helios 80 (chrome) upgraded from a mazzer super jolly.

I have had it one week and noticed straightaway a really big improvement in extraction quality and consistency. Using a bottomless filter, my results have been excellent with no noticeable channelling. I'm consistency either spot on or within 1 or 2 grams of the weight of the double shot I'm aiming for.

I have though recently bought and have been using the Londonium distribution tool which might be having an impact (although I still have a great improvement whether I use that tool or not).

I've been using the hopper with my bag of coffee in it rather than putting in 18g each time (which I did with the super jolly). I've had to adjust the grind very minimally over the week as the coffee ages.

I'm getting 18g ground coffee in around 2.55 seconds which is incredible.

Also besides the high functionality, the machine is a beauty to look at, especially at it matches the chrome of my Izzo Alex. The light on it is always on which looks nice and being able to change of the interface colour is a nice touch too (eg I've made it blue to match the PID on my Izzo).

I'd be interested in due course to upgrade the burrs and perhaps get a blow out dark hopper. However, although the grinder has a setting to measure maintenance timescales for different burrs (eg diamond, redspeed), as far as I can tell, I don't think any other burrs are on sale anywhere yet (?). Also, I'm not sure the blow up hoppers on the market fit the helios.

Thanks


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## Rincewind (Aug 25, 2020)

@Philip HN Thanks for the write up and the videos....wow that's moocho fast 👀


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## Beanbag (Apr 12, 2017)

Nice review Philip, thank you. And Alex. This is currently on my short list.


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## Beanbag (Apr 12, 2017)

Izzoalex said:


> I too have picked up a Helios 80 (chrome)


 Would you mind sharing some pics? Would be nice to see some real world chrome pictures.


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## Izzoalex (Jan 18, 2021)

Hi,

Here it is. Couldn't figure out adding photos until just now!


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## Beanbag (Apr 12, 2017)

ooooh yeah, super cool! Thanks for taking the time to do that.

Adam


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## Rincewind (Aug 25, 2020)

@Izzoalex Oh my, i liked Philip's black version, but after just picking my jaw up from the floor i'm in awe of your shiny-chrome version...kinda caught me off guard, still gobsmacked :classic_love:


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## Izzoalex (Jan 18, 2021)

Rincewind said:


> @Izzoalex Oh my, i liked Philip's black version, but after just picking my jaw up from the floor i'm in awe of your shiny-chrome version...kinda caught me off guard, still gobsmacked :classic_love:


 Haha, it is a real beauty!


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## Hayri (Mar 25, 2021)

Thank you for the lengthy review of the Helios 80.

I am in the market to buy a new grinder for my new espresso machine (lelit bianca, which I hope to order this week).

I am searching for something with low retention yet is able to single dose as well, as I like to try different types of origins and blends.

I know that Niche Zero is all the hype right now but it's availability is a pain in the ... So I kind of narrowed my list (with the little amount of knowledge I have concerning grinders) to the following:

- Eureka atom 75

- Eureka Helios 80*

- Eureka Olympus 75e w/ tin burrs

- Kinu m47 (hand grinder)

* regarding the helios 80. It's a new information I found when I was searching for grinders. I stumbled upon this one and after more research I found out that this isn't particularly the best grinder for single dosing + saw a widespread video of a customer who had many clumps. Apparently, a fabrication error. Is this error resolved in their other machines as well? + I also found out that Eureka has a 2nd brand /class of new grinders. The Eureka Oro line through which the Eureka Zeus will launch. Especially targeted towards low retention.

Now my question would be which one of the following would you advice me if I am to use the grinder for different types of roasts + low retention + of possible single doseable (not mandatory though - I rather buy the best for buck on the top level of my budget) + if it's worthwhile to wait for the Zeus and or if it will be available before June?

ps: I am also open for other grinder suggestions. Budget about 1200 - 1500 euros.

Thanks in advance and best Regards

MHS


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## Philip HN (Nov 7, 2019)

Hello... Sorry I didn't pick up your questions before now. I am concerned that I may not be able to give you a comprehensive answer because I am not really that experienced, but I will give you my best shot.

I have used the Atom 75e during a pre-pandemic afternoon at Bella Barista (I don't know where you are, so BB is one of the UK's leading espresso machine retailers). On the day I preferred the Atom's slightly bigger brother, the Olympus. There wasn't a lot in it, I just preferred the bigger form.

I haven't experienced any problems with my Helios 80. I am aware of one owner who I believe is a member of this forum, who tells me that his Helios arrived with a clump crusher that folded (literally) under the pressure of normal use. I understand that, contrary to initial reports, he was not trying to use the Helios as a single doser. He has told me that Eureka have acknowledged the problem. I assume that because my Helios has performed well, and because I have not read multiple reports of issues, then the one case is likely to be from a sub-standard batch of machines. I know that not everyone is interested in acknowledging the impact of the pandemic on the Italian manufacturing industry but my personal view is that this is probably at least part of the answer. Eureka is a long established company with a reputation to maintain so I expect that they will have ensured that there are no further examples of this.

None of this answers your broader question about low retention/single dosing. All the grinders I have ever owned have been designed to operate best with a weight of beans above the burrs. Certainly the performance of the Helios (predictability, consistency) falls away if the hopper is allowed to run to empty. I have never attempted to make changes to a grinder to address these issues, but I have seen very many references to that kind of activity on this forum. No doubt someone will attempt a hack the Helios at some point, but it is probably too early days. Also the low retention point is a challenge (apart from what anyone considers to be low retention). Again, the machines I have had have all retained several grams of coffee. The Helios probably retains less than any other grinder I've owned, but it still retains much more than machines aimed at single dosing.

The Eureka Zeus looks incredible but I cannot imagine that (given the state of the world) you will see one on a shelf this side of 2022. And of course we do not know how the Zeus will be marketed and who the target customer will be. SIngle dose machines are (I believe) generally not aimed at commercial customers, and the market for really good single dose machines is dominated by some seriously expensive grinders.

I'm not sure I will have advanced your thinking much in this answer. There are however people on this forum whose knock boxes I am not worthy of emptying and who I am sure will pick up on your question and offer further thoughts.


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## Hayri (Mar 25, 2021)

Dear Philip

First and foremost, I would lile to thank you that you took the time and effort to reply in a genuine way.

You definitely helped me narrow down my choices as I have also had the time to think how I would use my grinder.

I think that I would probably use batches of 300grams (for maybe for a few weeks) until I find a blend or single origin I prefer (taste in cup).

I know that at the moment the helios comes with a big hopper whereas, the atom is available with a smaller one. (Atleast from the online stores I could buy from).

But the small batch consumption will only be temporary for me.

I have a virtuoso+ for my pour overs and other brewing methods. And would use my esreswo grindef to probably make around 5 cups a day where some of them will be milk based.

I also understood that the predessor of the Helios, the Olympus, left a better overal result. Therefore, if I add all this up to my equation, I feel lile the Helios would be my go to at the moment. And if they released a smaller hopper I would also get that later on.

Another question I would like to ask is which burr you recommend on this grinder and how many lbs/kgs of coffee I should put this grinder through to burn in the burr.

Ps: I am residing in Belgium.

Best regards and a happy weekend

MHS


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## Philip HN (Nov 7, 2019)

Hayri said:


> Another question I would like to ask is which burr you recommend on this grinder and how many lbs/kgs of coffee I should put this grinder through to burn in the burr.


 When I ordered my Helios it was available only with the hardened steel burrs (now there are two additional options). It would have been tempting to buy more expensive and (so) longer lasting burrs, but for example the standard steel Atom 75e burrs are rated for almost 500 kilos of coffee (about 14 years' use for me, on paper) so it's all a bit academic. I haven't yet seen anything about the lifespan of the Helios burrs. On dealing with new burrs, there's a range of opinions out there about what to do with new machines. Some people will suggest putting 10 lbs of sub-standard beans through a new grinder. Other people (including me) just get on with using their new grinder as per normal and accept that over time the burrs will become more efficient. I get through a couple of kilos of beans every three weeks so whatever was going to happen, happened some time ago.


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## Hayri (Mar 25, 2021)

Dear Philip

Thank you again for your reply. I will order the yellow helios 80 with the regular burrs and I was able to get an additional discount code from the supplier which is an additional money freed for accessories 🤭

Thank you for your help and I wish you a wonderful day.

Best regards

MHS


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## camphoto88 (Feb 13, 2021)

Have a Helios 65 on order.. experiencing delays very likely due to the pandemic.

Keen to get it and add my experience to this thread.

Not coming from a vintage style lever and single dose point of view. This will be run in a mobile coffee business with 2 groups/ volumetric.


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## Philip HN (Nov 7, 2019)

camphoto88 said:


> This will be run in a mobile coffee business with 2 groups/ volumetric.


 Good luck! Hope the business goes well for you.


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## BlackCatCoffee (Apr 11, 2017)

camphoto88 said:


> Have a Helios 65 on order.. experiencing delays very likely due to the pandemic.
> 
> Keen to get it and add my experience to this thread.
> 
> Not coming from a vintage style lever and single dose point of view. This will be run in a mobile coffee business with 2 groups/ volumetric.


 We have them in stock for immediate delivery if it is of interest.

David


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## camphoto88 (Feb 13, 2021)

BlackCatCoffee said:


> We have them in stock for immediate delivery if it is of interest.
> 
> David


 In yellow? 😅


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## cewuk (Oct 29, 2020)

@Philip HN thanks for this thread - really informative. Was just about to purchase the Helios 80 in Chrome from Bella Barista before coming across all of the clump-gate issues!

I presume you've still not had issues with your clump crusher?

YouTube reviews look pretty horrific in terms of clumping on the review grinders which were presumably new - did you experience similar and did it settle with use?

Thanks for any info you can provide!


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## Hayri (Mar 25, 2021)

https://ibb.co/ZgdHJwH@cewukHi cewuk. I know your question wasn't meant for me to answer but as someone who had similar thoughts, I think I have the experience to inform you about a thing or two:

I am the user @Hayri who asked similar questions like you do now. It is understandable as there is almost no coverage about the Helios 80.

as you stated I was also afraid of the clumping issue and asked a few questions to Philip about it, and he shared his experience with the product which was far from negative.

I said I would get the yellow one, in the end I got the chrome one.

I guess the user that had the clumping issue probably had one of the first batches and like Philip said, I don't think a legit brand like Eureka would sit still when a problem which will tarnish it's image occurs.

It's a really fast grinder and with my grinder settings I get 18 grams in, in about 2,60 seconds. Due to the bigger burrs, it's normal that you'll need to purge it a bit before use for like 0,6 seconds.

Try a few beans until you find the one, as I would advise to put a min of 300grams-1kg of beans in the hopper.


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## cewuk (Oct 29, 2020)

Thanks @Hayri that's really helpful. No issues with clumping then? Or perhaps some at the start which settled with use?


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## Hayri (Mar 25, 2021)

@cewuk I think I am fortunate enough not to experience clumping in general sense. From the 20+ coffees I made there were maybe 2-3 where i did a lil distribution technique but that was a clump of like 3mm (0,3cm) and tbh I worked with professional machines as well so this is normal.

And I didn't experience a clumping in the size (in the likes) of the guy who posted that video where his coffee clumped). He just is unfortunate to have received a faulty production unit.

I hope this clears a bit of your doubt.


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## cewuk (Oct 29, 2020)

Hayri said:


> @cewuk I think I am fortunate enough not to experience clumping in general sense. From the 20+ coffees I made there were maybe 2-3 where i did a lil distribution technique but that was a clump of like 3mm (0,3cm) and tbh I worked with professional machines as well so this is normal.
> 
> And I didn't experience a clumping in the size (in the likes) of the guy who posted that video where his coffee clumped). He just is unfortunate to have received a faulty production unit.
> 
> I hope this clears a bit of your doubt.


 @HayriThanks. That's really helpful.

Had a really useful chat with a chap at
Bella Barista. He recommended the Eureka Mignon XL as potentially a better option for domestic use as lower retention/price/size.

Going to spend next few days weighing up the Helios vs XL vs Atom 75. Decisions decisions!


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## Philip HN (Nov 7, 2019)

cewuk said:


> @Philip HN thanks for this thread - really informative. Was just about to purchase the Helios 80 in Chrome from Bella Barista before coming across all of the clump-gate issues!
> 
> I presume you've still not had issues with your clump crusher?


 Hi, not like me to keep an answer short but no, I've had no issues at all. Let us know how you get on with your deliberations...


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## Hayri (Mar 25, 2021)

@cewukit's all up to you. You should chose the one where your heart feels at ease. It's in the end a personal preference.

best of luck 😉


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## cewuk (Oct 29, 2020)

Popped to BB yesterday and am now a very happy matt black Helios 80 owner. Took me a little while to get it dialled in but sorted now. Thanks for the advice @Philip HN & @Hayri 👍🏻


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## Hayri (Mar 25, 2021)

@cewukI a happy your are happy with the grinder. Enjoy it and have a great week


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## cewuk (Oct 29, 2020)

Eureka have just replied to me via Instagram that they will be releasing a short hopper in the near future for the Helios.

They also advised it's possible to upgrade the firmware in the grinder to the latest version (supports grinding via touchscreen press and includes new languages) by contacting original purchase location.


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## Hayri (Mar 25, 2021)

@cewukit's nice to hear that they'll be releasing a small hopper for the Helios as well


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## Philip HN (Nov 7, 2019)

cewuk said:


> Eureka have just replied to me via Instagram that they will be releasing a short hopper in the near future for the Helios.


 Excellent news, thanks for investigating.


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## Diesel Mat (Aug 29, 2021)

Thanks for the review.

Just wondering, given the height of the Helios is 60cm, what would be the minimum height needed to lift up the hopper from the grinder.

Im asking this because in my counter top I have only about 70cm of height to play around with.

Thanks again for the great and detailed review


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