# HG-One 2014



## aphelion (Nov 23, 2012)

So, just sold my Kony-e to Richard and am looking to replace it with an HG-One (want to try manual espresso for a while).

Wondering who currently has one? how are you finding it? Any issues, breaking in etc?

Hovering over the "purchase me now" button

Cheers


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Had a version I for over a year and was very pleased with it. The design is paired back and, as a consequence, little or nothing to go wrong with it. New variant has stepped grind setting other than that, no significant design changes. HG is easier to use on medium plus roasts - lighter roasts require more effort and, if that's your preference, bolting the base to the worktop is a really sensible consideration to stop the grinder moving whilst grinding.


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## aphelion (Nov 23, 2012)

Yeah, generally steer towards lighter beans, so will plan to bolt it down at some point. Glad you enjoyed yours, am very close to purchasing now.

Cheers


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## Soll (Nov 10, 2013)

I've had version 1 now for sometime and I still haven't got bored of the grinding by hand but I normally only make coffee for myself but if your having a party, forget it! Your arm will ache. The taste in the cup is a huge step from the Super Jolly I had before (which I still use for parties) and it has spoiled me because if upgraditus strikes I'd have to spend quite a bit to get similar in cup wow factor


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## aFiercePancake (Dec 8, 2013)

I have an early, original version HG One. It is getting close to three years with no discernible changes in anything. Adjustment and grind are the same as when new. Zero problems. I added a large rubber seal over the top to prevent the few popcorned bits from flying out, and I have an acrylic PF basket holder from Stephen Sweeney, but otherwise it is original. The grinder can move a bit with harder beans, but I have found that one's body position relative to the machine has a very strong correlation to movement. Which is to say, it moves less when the operator has more control over it. The only thing no one seems to mention is that the base can develop a circular wear mark when using the included "blind tumbler." It does not wear through the surface much, but for the money one would think a bit more attention to the base would have been made. I use a thin rubber pad taken from the bottom of a mousepad if using the "blind tumbler" for long periods of time. I only use it when grinding for my Caravel because its basket is so small.

I have had no desire for a different grinder-except for a better grinder to use at work, but that is a different issue. Using the HG One is straightforward and it is very easy to live with.

My 2p. HTH.


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## Southpaw (Feb 26, 2012)

Reminds me that I really need to unbox mine and have a play.


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

Southpaw said:


> Reminds me that I really need to unbox mine and have a play.


 How have you managed to resist the tempation (unless it only arrived a few days ago).


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

Southpaw said:


> Reminds me that I really need to unbox mine and have a play.


I would last all of 10 mins before getting it open. How long has it been in the box?


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## Bigpikle (Oct 14, 2014)

What are the purchase options for an HG One? Is it only via the US website and then dealing with import costs ourselves?

Would love one of these - I guess finding a secondhand one is like rockinghorse poop?


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## 2971 (May 7, 2012)

I'm using the 2014 model. Have had it a few months and wouldn't change it for anything.


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## Southpaw (Feb 26, 2012)

urbanbumpkin said:


> How long has it been in the box?


Embarrassingly almost 2 months now. I was due to move house around now and was saving it for the new home. Our move has been delayed so maybe I should think about getting it out.


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

Southpaw said:


> Embarrassingly almost 2 months now. I was due to move house around now and was saving it for the new home. Our move has been delayed so maybe I should think about getting it out.


Doom! Well if you need to save a few quid on storage and need someone to season the burrs for you I'll happily help you out.


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## aphelion (Nov 23, 2012)

So, the new HG one turned up yesterday









The package turned up from UPS looking like it had been sat out in the rain for a week!









Not happy about that, but thankfully it had been double boxed!

First impressions:-

The grinder had most likely been sitting out in the cold for a few days, and the retention collecting around the lower funnel was frankly comical..

I put 18g into the hopper, and got 18g of retention!!









Quite worrying, thankfully I left it overnight in the warm kitchen, and this morning I'm getting zero retention issues.

Build quality is very good as expected, actually much easier to grind than expected (even with light beans).

Managed a pretty good couple of shots this morning, still time for the TiN burrs to bed in.

Overall feeling is very good so far


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## Bigpikle (Oct 14, 2014)

Good news its as good as expected. Any pics of it in place?

That's very quick delivery if you only ordered a few days ago. With customs payments etc I would have expected a longer delay?


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## Thecatlinux (Mar 10, 2014)

Wow HG one on the counter already , I dont feel so guilty about taking the Kony away now.

You will have a great time with your new toy , the limited time I got to play with one I was really impressed and I missed up an opportunity of owning one through lack of funds.

I love the little ring the tumbler makes .

nice one andy would be great to see some photos .


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## aphelion (Nov 23, 2012)

Bigpikle said:


> Good news its as good as expected. Any pics of it in place?
> 
> That's very quick delivery if you only ordered a few days ago. With customs payments etc I would have expected a longer delay?


Yep, I paid extra for UPS Express, and it came yesterday, was blown away by the speed of delivery.

Slightly unfortunate that the outer box was in such bad shape, but inner box was absolutely fine.

Can't really fault UPS on their speed though..

Import duty was a large dent in the wallet - approx £111









UPS bloke actually came to the door wanting me to pay him cash in hand (thought that was a bit weird..)

Have to say, it's a really nicely put together hand grinder.

I'm only drinking 2/3 cups a day, so the minimal retention will definitely come in handy.

Looking forward to cranking out some great shots, will post some pics tonight!


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## aphelion (Nov 23, 2012)

Thecatlinux said:


> Wow HG one on the counter already , I dont feel so guilty about taking the Kony away now.
> 
> You will have a great time with your new toy , the limited time I got to play with one I was really impressed and I missed up an opportunity of owning one through lack of funds.
> 
> ...


Cheers dude, hope you're enjoying the Beast!

HG one is more of a side step I reckon, certainly will miss the Kony's automation and speed.

The tumbler sounds like a little dinner bell, my wife thought i'd made her breakfast or something!


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## Neill (Jun 26, 2013)

It's a great grinder isn't it. Takes a while for the burrs to bed in. I had shots all over the place and spritzers all the time for the first 4-5kg of coffee.


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## aphelion (Nov 23, 2012)

Neill said:


> It's a great grinder isn't it. Takes a while for the burrs to bed in. I had shots all over the place and spritzers all the time for the first 4-5kg of coffee.


Yeah definitely Neill, I put about 250g of Lavazza through it last night (straight into the bin







), and it's already a bit quicker to 18g.

Funnily enough, I was expecting massive channelling issues but it seems pretty good at the minute..

Did you go for the TiN burrs?

I'm hoping it will only get better, but the shot I had this morning was pretty excellent


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## Neill (Jun 26, 2013)

aphelion said:


> Yeah definitely Neill, I put about 250g of Lavazza through it last night (straight into the bin
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I went for the mazzer bb burrs. Definitely involve a bit of effort with lighter roasts. I might get around to bolting mine down some day.


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## aphelion (Nov 23, 2012)

Neill said:


> I went for the mazzer bb burrs. Definitely involve a bit of effort with lighter roasts. I might get around to bolting mine down some day.


Was debating which way to go for a while, still don't know if there is much difference between the 2 burrs really..

I generally use lighter roasts, so bolting down is probably a good way to go.

(although I coped with a Pharos for 6 months so its going to be a lot easier with an HG one!







)


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## Neill (Jun 26, 2013)

Plus, doesn't it just looks great! And the ping from the catch cup!


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## aphelion (Nov 23, 2012)

Neill said:


> Plus, doesn't it just looks great! And the ping from the catch cup!


It's a absolute work of art, like apple design or something similar.

Like a sculpture, very modern, very classy.

It actually makes my Brewtus look a bit old and weird lol









I think the catch cup is a great idea, and it works brilliantly with the stopper.

I just give the fluffy grinds a quick stir, and it lands in a tidy pile in the basket.

I haven't experienced much popcorning either yet, so not quite sure why people are getting the top covers made?

So far so good anyway, really happy purchase!


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## Neill (Jun 26, 2013)

I get little shards pop back out when grinding denser beans. Not a lot though. I don't tend to worry about it.


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## aphelion (Nov 23, 2012)

Next question is what do I pair with it!









Will swap the Brewtus for something else next year

L1 or something else...?


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## 7493 (May 29, 2014)

Interesting! I'm thinking about the Brewtus (among others) as my next upgrade maybe even an L1. Would be interested to hear your reasons for swapping.


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## Blackstone (Aug 5, 2012)

when i finally move and have a bigger kitchen, i will be stumping up for the L1 and HG One


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## aphelion (Nov 23, 2012)

Rob666 said:


> Interesting! I'm thinking about the Brewtus (among others) as my next upgrade maybe even an L1. Would be interested to hear your reasons for swapping.


I've lived with a Brewtus for about 15 months, and I think it is a great machine for the money, great shots, stable, reliable etc.

You get what you pay for..

The more expensive dual boiler machines will offer better build quality, potentially quieter, shinier etc.

However, I'm not sure that any other dual boiler e61 machine up to £2000 will give me an improvement in the cup (perhaps a small one).

Is that worth the extra...maybe if you want something built better, shinier etc.

Moving to a manual hand grinder also raises the idea of a spring lever machine.

The L1 being probably the best current/affordable example of that.

So for me, it has to be an L1 or something different, maybe with pressure profiling (GS3 or Vesuvius).

But i'm not in a rush, the Brewtus is a great machine


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## aFiercePancake (Dec 8, 2013)

aphelion said:


> Next question is what do I pair with it!


It is no secret why the blind tumbler perfectly fits a 49mm basket: The grinder was originally designed around the Olympia Cremina. That would be my suggestion. Go full manual!

A good piece of advice I learned from the HG One fellows was to mix up the grounds using what some call Weiss Distribution Technique. Straight from the exit, the HG One will deposit grinds almost too perfectly. According to Paul:

"First, the grounds leave the lower funnel in a vortex. We've noticed that this seems to make the fines accumulate more toward the center of the pile, while the coarser grounds accumulate toward the perimeter. When we ground directly into the portafilter and tamped without any redistribution, we got a very distinct donut extraction. From this we determined that the fines had to be stirred in with the coarser particles to get a homogeneous puck."

Mix up the grinds and level in the basket precisely. No spritzers, even extractions.


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

aFiercePancake said:


> the HG One will deposit grinds almost too perfectly.


Thats a cosy way of making bad initial fines distribution sound good, if the depositing of the grinds was perfect or 'too perfect' they would be ripe for tamping directly from the grinder, perfectly distributed.


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## iroko (Nov 9, 2012)

Fantastic grinder, I also couldn't believe how quick ups express was.

I've got mazzer ti burrs on mine, and though I've never really had any trouble with spritzers or bad pours I recently run a big box of quick rice through

the grinder and It definitely improved shots.


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## aphelion (Nov 23, 2012)

iroko said:


> Fantastic grinder, I also couldn't believe how quick ups express was.
> 
> I've got mazzer ti burrs on mine, and though I've never really had any trouble with spritzers or bad pours I recently run a big box of quick rice through
> 
> the grinder and It definitely improved shots.


Agreed, I definitely got a bit of channelling this morning, so will have to run some tests this afternoon.

I've got another bag of Lavazza to run through it!









Shots are so far really nice, so things can only improve from here


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## aphelion (Nov 23, 2012)

aFiercePancake said:


> It is no secret why the blind tumbler perfectly fits a 49mm basket: The grinder was originally designed around the Olympia Cremina. That would be my suggestion. Go full manual!
> 
> A good piece of advice I learned from the HG One fellows was to mix up the grounds using what some call Weiss Distribution Technique. Straight from the exit, the HG One will deposit grinds almost too perfectly. According to Paul:
> 
> ...


Yep, am considering a Cremina, although I've heard milk steaming is not perfect (might be wrong there).

They now include a little glass/plastic stirrer for exactly the purpose you mention.

I've been giving the grinds a decent stir cos they are so fluffy, and don't fit in the basket otherwise.

The fines distribution is interesting..


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## 2971 (May 7, 2012)

Seriously try grinding into a paper cup, stirring, then tipping into the pf. This fixed most of my problems.


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## aphelion (Nov 23, 2012)

wintoid said:


> Seriously try grinding into a paper cup, stirring, then tipping into the pf. This fixed most of my problems.


Cheers, what did you find was wrong with the blind tumbler?


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## aphelion (Nov 23, 2012)

As requested, a grainy pic of my new setup (apologies for the quality)..


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## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

aphelion said:


> Yep, am considering a Cremina, although I've heard milk steaming is not perfect (might be wrong there).
> 
> They now include a little glass/plastic stirrer for exactly the purpose you mention.
> 
> ...


Only by a Cremina if you can find one second andy, the new price is ridiculous for what it is, a quality used one would be ok but, the shots are not anyway near as consistent as the L1 nor as good.


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## 2971 (May 7, 2012)

aphelion said:


> Cheers, what did you find was wrong with the blind tumbler?


As an object, I love the blind tumbler. I like the idea. It makes good sense to me, AND it's perfectly sized for my 49mm Cremina baskets. In practice, even with copious WDT, I was getting channelling and dead spots... the severity of this seemed to vary with the coffee bean.

Since using the paper cup, which is very inelegant I agree, I have had far less of these problems. Most of the time I get a perfect extraction. Ignoring the cosmetics, it's quick and faultless. I can't say it will solve all your problems because everyone is different (and I am guessing that smaller baskets like the Cremina/Ponte Vecchio I have owned have more of these sorts of issues), but for me it made a big difference.


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## aphelion (Nov 23, 2012)

coffeechap said:


> Only by a Cremina if you can find one second andy, the new price is ridiculous for what it is, a quality used one would be ok but, the shots are not anyway near as consistent as the L1 nor as good.


Good advice, cheers dude.

Will most likely opt for an L1 in the new year, but useful to look at all options I guess









Are there any interesting updates planned for the L1 that you know of?


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## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

There won't be any updates apart from a new tip sometime early next year, no

Need for any really


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