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Seems like there's some discussion & interest on the pretty-new-to-market Helor 101 hand grinder. So I just want to share my experience in using it for espresso hopefully it can help others with 'upgraditis' 
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The Helor grinder, as advertised, has a machined aluminium body in a one-piece construction. Having it in my hand, I can see how it helps ensure the alignment of the upper and lower bearings. Being CNC-machined means the tolerance can be very tight as specified in the manufacturing process. In practice, I am just happy I don't have to fiddle much with alignment even after complete disassembly. Visually, I can see the burrs are concentric and they are flawless to my eyes.
The grind adjustment setting is stepless and is clearly marked. Grind quality seems great. In my view, it is, at the very least, on par the other high end hand grinders on the market. One of the biggest advantage is it's lightweight at just under 600g. I have used it for coffee brewing too. I am not much of a brew coffee drinker but it does switch back and forth between grind setting confidently.
The ceramic bearings are quite interesting. In my view it should provide a longer service-life. I have a Voodoodaddy modded Pharos hand grinder purchased second hand. Loved that grinder and its big conical burrs, but I could see one of the bearing show signs of wearing (shaft can wobble to one side). That's not unexpected because the brass/bronze bearing is softer than the shaft itself, which is of stainless steel. If the Pharos had the ceramic bearing, I doubt this wear would happen.
Grinding speed is on par with all other high end hand grinders with smaller conical burrs (the Pharos or HG-1 with big burrs are obviously faster but requires more cranking force). Takes around 45 sec for 15g really fine grind for the 15g VST basket on my favourite commercial spring lever machine. In my view, it is just ideal for espresso and can travel with no compromise in espresso quality (when used in conjunction with Portaspresso Rossa PG).
There was some static initially when I received the grinder (which means the bottom is covered with coffee). But it seems that the burrs benefit from breaking-in as well. After using it for a bit, the static just seems to reduce significantly.
If there's some improvements I could wish for, is that there's a better way to store the handle separately (like a Porlex Mini where the handle can be strapped to the body). Also, sometimes I wish the barrel diameter could be a bit smaller for my short fingers but it's not like I have any problem holding it. It is still pretty mini in size so these are probably just nickpicking.
Overall, it's a fantastic hand grinder, handles the toughest duty of espresso with no sweat. The build quality is very good too I can see it as a heirloom quality - you might drop it and ruin the aesthetic but the grind mechanism is very well built. Oh, it's really quiet too so I can make my coffee in the morning without waking up the family.
Here's some lousy phone cam pic.
You can see how small it is compared to the CS DMM meter.
:The Helor grinder, as advertised, has a machined aluminium body in a one-piece construction. Having it in my hand, I can see how it helps ensure the alignment of the upper and lower bearings. Being CNC-machined means the tolerance can be very tight as specified in the manufacturing process. In practice, I am just happy I don't have to fiddle much with alignment even after complete disassembly. Visually, I can see the burrs are concentric and they are flawless to my eyes.
The grind adjustment setting is stepless and is clearly marked. Grind quality seems great. In my view, it is, at the very least, on par the other high end hand grinders on the market. One of the biggest advantage is it's lightweight at just under 600g. I have used it for coffee brewing too. I am not much of a brew coffee drinker but it does switch back and forth between grind setting confidently.
The ceramic bearings are quite interesting. In my view it should provide a longer service-life. I have a Voodoodaddy modded Pharos hand grinder purchased second hand. Loved that grinder and its big conical burrs, but I could see one of the bearing show signs of wearing (shaft can wobble to one side). That's not unexpected because the brass/bronze bearing is softer than the shaft itself, which is of stainless steel. If the Pharos had the ceramic bearing, I doubt this wear would happen.
Grinding speed is on par with all other high end hand grinders with smaller conical burrs (the Pharos or HG-1 with big burrs are obviously faster but requires more cranking force). Takes around 45 sec for 15g really fine grind for the 15g VST basket on my favourite commercial spring lever machine. In my view, it is just ideal for espresso and can travel with no compromise in espresso quality (when used in conjunction with Portaspresso Rossa PG).
There was some static initially when I received the grinder (which means the bottom is covered with coffee). But it seems that the burrs benefit from breaking-in as well. After using it for a bit, the static just seems to reduce significantly.
If there's some improvements I could wish for, is that there's a better way to store the handle separately (like a Porlex Mini where the handle can be strapped to the body). Also, sometimes I wish the barrel diameter could be a bit smaller for my short fingers but it's not like I have any problem holding it. It is still pretty mini in size so these are probably just nickpicking.
Overall, it's a fantastic hand grinder, handles the toughest duty of espresso with no sweat. The build quality is very good too I can see it as a heirloom quality - you might drop it and ruin the aesthetic but the grind mechanism is very well built. Oh, it's really quiet too so I can make my coffee in the morning without waking up the family.
Here's some lousy phone cam pic.
You can see how small it is compared to the CS DMM meter.
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