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Baratza Vario Flat Burr Coffee Grinder
Color | Black,Silver |
Brand | Baratza |
Style | Coffee Grinder |
Capacity | 230 Grams |
Recommended Uses For Product | Grinding |
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About this item
- SPECIALTY COFFEE ASSOCIATION AWARD WINNING GRINDERS - Baratza grinders are preferred by coffee professionals and backed by Baratza’s world class support.
- 230 GRIND SETTINGS - For dialing in espresso and all brewing methods (Aeropress, Hario V60, Chemex, French Press, and automatic brewers). Offers exceptional cup quality for home, office, or light commercial use.
- HIGH PERFORMANCE - 54mm professional ceramic flat burrs by Mahlkonig, provide high throughput and maintain sharpness, and a built in digital timer provides precise dosing. Programmable buttons allow you to save up to 3 different presets for repeatable, one-touch grinding.
- PORTAFILTER HOLDER - A heavy duty, all metal portaholder allows you to grind directly into your portafilter.
- WARRANTY/QUALITY PARTS - Engineered with 54mm professional ceramic flat burrs by Mahlkonig in Germany, plus a powerful DC motor. This combination creates a consistent grind and durability ensuring the longevity users have come to expect from the Baratza brand. The Vario is backed by Baratza’s world class support and a 1 year warranty.
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Price | Currently unavailable. | $199.00$199.00 | $345.00$345.00 | $89.99$89.99 | -13% $399.95$399.95 List: $459.00 | $249.95$249.95 |
Delivery | — | Get it as soon as Sunday, Mar 31 | Get it as soon as Sunday, Mar 31 | Get it as soon as Sunday, Mar 31 | Get it as soon as Sunday, Mar 31 | Get it as soon as Sunday, Mar 31 |
Customer Ratings | ||||||
Easy to clean | 4.6 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.3 |
Value for money | 3.8 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 3.9 | — | 4.5 |
Flavor | — | 4.2 | 4.4 | 4.6 | 4.8 | 4.9 |
Easy to use | — | 4.2 | 5.0 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
Noise level | — | 3.7 | 4.3 | 4.0 | 3.2 | 3.9 |
Sold By | — | Amazon.com | Fellow Industries Inc. | ShardorDirect | Kitchen Kapers | Amazon.com |
capacity | 230 grams | — | — | — | 14 ounces | 230 grams |
material | Metal | Plastic | Aluminum | Stainless Steel | Steel | Metal |
style | Coffee Grinder | Modern | — | — | Micro | Automatic |
weight | 15 pounds | 3.35 kilograms | 9.92 pounds | 6.35 pounds | 3.2 kilograms | 3.2 kilograms |
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Product Description
Vario
A solid example of a multipurpose grinder combining ease-of-use, sleek appearance and excellent features to assist you in creating cafe quality coffee.
Digital Control Panel
The front mounted control panel with LED display is easy and intuitive. Three programmable buttons allow for grind time setting within 0.1 seconds (about 0.2 gram). Simply press the START button and the Vario automatically delivers precise dosing.
Macro micro adjustment
The Vario offers macro and micro adjust for fine tuning with ease. The macro adjust moves from fine to coarse in 10 distinct settings. A secondary micro adjust arm further divides each of the 10 macro steps into 20 distinct settings. With a simple slide of the lever, you can switch from espresso to other coffee methods.
Ceramic Burrs
The Vario’s 54 mm professional ceramic flat burrs produce accurate grinding and high throughput. The Vario grinds 1.6 g/second at fine and 2.2 g/second for coarser settings. The broad range of grind (230 microns to 1150 microns) and the narrow particle distribution are the hallmarks of the superiority of the Vario burrs.
Tools included
The Vario comes standard with a heavy-duty metal portaholder, a burr removal tool, and an adjustment tool, allowing customers to personalize their grinding experience to their brewing preferences.
Digital Control Panel
Macro micro adjustment
Ceramic Burrs
Tools included
Don’t Dump it, Fix it!
Most small, consumer appliances are designed to wear out, or stop being useful in a very short time. These appliances are difficult and expensive to repair, so consumers are trained to dump and replace which has big environmental implications.
In contrast, we’ve purposefully designed Baratza grinders to be maintained like commercial grinders and maximize their value. With regular cleaning, maintenance, repair, and even rebuilds our grinders can give an excellent, accurate grind for many years.
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Baratza Vario Flat Burr Coffee Grinder
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Customer Review: Does not grind for espresso
Diane Tien
Product information
Color | Black,Silver |
---|---|
Brand | Baratza |
Style | Coffee Grinder |
Capacity | 230 Grams |
Recommended Uses For Product | Grinding |
Product Dimensions | 5.1 x 7.1 x 14.2 inches |
Item Weight | 15 pounds |
Department | Small Appliances |
Manufacturer | Baratza |
ASIN | B00LWFJ8V4 |
Item model number | 885 |
Customer Reviews |
3.9 out of 5 stars |
Best Sellers Rank | #2,090,676 in Home & Kitchen (See Top 100 in Home & Kitchen) #303 in Burr Coffee Grinders |
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
Date First Available | April 23, 2009 |
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Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers like the consistency of the coffee grinder. For example, they say it produces consistent grinds. That said, some complain about the adjustability, quality, performance, and noise.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers like the consistency of the coffee grinder. They mention that it produces consistent grinds, and is reliable, accurate, and repeatable. Some say that the coarsest setting produces a nice grind for ordinary coffee, and that it grinds so well that even cheap beans taste great.
"...-Consistent grinding once broken in-It has programmable timing pre-sets which I imagine could be helpful but don't personally use..." Read more
"...The result is perfection and perfect crema every cup...." Read more
"...The Baratza got good reviews and because it can also grind into a container and is programmable, I thought I could replace my two larger burr..." Read more
"...you need - nearly infinite grind size selection, memory, consistent grinds coupled with a superb timer means you don't have to weigh every grind...." Read more
Customers like the value of the kitchen product. They mention that it produces the best coarse grind for the money.
"...That alone makes it worth the premium price...." Read more
"...With that caveat, I believe the Vario produces the best coarse grind for the money so although it was an extravagant purchase for me I have been..." Read more
"...They should be ashamed for recommending such an overpriced, poorly designed, terrible user experience of a grinder...." Read more
"...Easy to use and clean. It grinds consistently. Very good value for money." Read more
Customers find the coffee grinder easy to use. They mention it's super easy to dial and gives great results. They appreciate the portafilter holder and nearly infinite grind settings. They also say the machine works flawlessly and the timer adjustment for perfect dosing.
"...Setup was very easy...." Read more
"...make all the adjustments, it seems very reliable and consistent, easy to use, small, nice metal porta-filter holder...." Read more
"...I love it.It's easy to adjust and easy to remember where you had it set for different coffees...." Read more
"...The range of grinds is great for expresso and it seems to be very easy to operate. It looks and feels like a robust piece of equipment...." Read more
Customers are happy with the speed of the coffee grinder. They say it makes excellent coffee, is fast, and has a superb timer function. They also appreciate the programmable timing pre-sets, which eliminate stale grounds.
"...-Consistent grinding once broken in-It has programmable timing pre-sets which I imagine could be helpful but don't personally use..." Read more
"...grind size selection, memory, consistent grinds coupled with a superb timer means you don't have to weigh every grind...." Read more
"...This grinder is fast, smooth and quiet. The timer function is convenient for dosing...." Read more
"...The consistency of grind is amazing. It's also pretty quiet, and extremely fast. The beans don't get overheated...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the adjustability of the coffee grinder. Some mention that it has very accurate grind adjustments, and the settings are easy to adjust and repeatable. They also appreciate the almost infinite grind adjustability, and say the range of grinds is great for expresso. However, others say that the grinder was way too fine, and will not grind consistently. They mention that the grind can be a little bit clumpy, and that the user experience is terrible.
"...It took me a while to find the right grind setting and the settings are fine enough that I have learned to adjust the grind fine setting about every..." Read more
"...good reviews and because it can also grind into a container and is programmable, I thought I could replace my two larger burr grinders with this one..." Read more
"...I mean that during the first ~1-2 lbs of coffee, the grind can be a little bit clumpy and not as even as it ends up being once broken in...." Read more
"...This one has all the features you need - nearly infinite grind size selection, memory, consistent grinds coupled with a superb timer means you do..." Read more
Customers are mixed about the quality of the coffee grinder. Some mention that the build quality on this machine seems fantastic, it has a very solid frame, and is reliable. However, others say that Barazta has a serious quality control problem with this model, and both have been defective.
"...It's not light and flimsy at all - the pieces are hard plastic (the front display) and metal on the sides and the portafilter holder that it comes..." Read more
"...So back in the box it went. Very disappointing...." Read more
"...and ~1000 double-espressos, still cranking out the uniform, high-quality grind that any non-pressurized-basket machine demands. - Still fairly..." Read more
"...can do espresso well, dials in good, and also can do a nice pour over or french press! It almost hits coarseness to be used for cold brew...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the performance of the coffee grinder. Some mention that it does its job well, while others say that it stopped working before it was even 2 years old. Some customers also mention that the machine does not even power up correctly, and some customers report that it jams and stops.
"...The result is perfection and perfect crema every cup...." Read more
"...EDIT: 1.5-2 months into ownership, the motor burnt out and is no longer working...." Read more
"...But this machine still does its job and does it well.PROS:-produces consistent grinds.-Small & light..." Read more
"Been using for espresso for a few weeks. No issues, cleaning is easy and I've yet to fail to dial in on any of the espresso I've tried (~6 bags)...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the noise of the coffee grinder. Some mention that it keeps the beans cooler, making the grinder much quieter. They say it produces a uniform coarse grind that is ideal for French Press, while others say that it makes a very weird and high-pitched noise when it tries to grind coffee. Some customers also mention that the grinder makes screaching and bad metal noises.
"...That alone makes it worth the premium price. Add in the much quieter operation and getting a consistent amount of grind each time and this is a no-..." Read more
"...-It's a little bit loud, a consideration when grinding really early in the morning-ExpensiveThe Review:..." Read more
"...This grinder is fast, smooth and quiet. The timer function is convenient for dosing...." Read more
"...arrived with a massive short to ground: Impressive blue flash and snapping sound upon plug-in to a grounded outlet. - Unit #2 appeared after a..." Read more
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-Solid construction
-Looks great on the counter top
-Portafilter holder is convenient as you can prep other things while you grind
-Abundance of fine tune settings to enable dialing in of espresso shots
-Consistent grinding once broken in
-It has programmable timing pre-sets which I imagine could be helpful but don't personally use
Cons:
-Takes a bit of time to break in (~1lb of coffee) before clumps go away and consistency kicks in
-It's a little bit loud, a consideration when grinding really early in the morning
-Expensive
The Review:
I recently replaced my older espresso machine (Delonghi pump) after realizing that it wasn't the real deal and couldn't quite make what's considered real espresso. After much research, I decided to go big as I've found that quality products, while more expensive up front, generally tend to last much longer and therefore make for a much better deal in the long run. This was no exception.
I read a ton about different grinders and decided to go with the Baratza Vario. I would highly recommend reading up on grinders and taking into consideration what you intend to use it for. If you're mainly going to grind for espresso, I think this is a great grinder.
First off, the construction on this product feels great. It's not light and flimsy at all - the pieces are hard plastic (the front display) and metal on the sides and the portafilter holder that it comes with is solid metal and quite heavy. Really gives you that feeling that if taken care of, will last a long time.
Setup was very easy. The burrs were already installed so all I had to do was install the hopper basket (simple place and twist) and then it was ready to go.
On to the most important part - the grinding. To begin with, this grinder takes a little bit to get broken in. By that, I mean that during the first ~1-2 lbs of coffee, the grind can be a little bit clumpy and not as even as it ends up being once broken in. Though I had read this in my research, I kind of forgot about it as I began to try and dial in the espresso I had first bought. I ran into some difficulty with this and I was a tad bit worried that I had bit off more than I could chew with regards to espresso making. Well, turns out I just needed to break the sucker in and after going through a bit of coffee, it really started to shine and now grinds beautiful, consistent espresso every time. To avoid this, I would recommend either running some Grindz through the machine (Grindz is a cleaner that you should consider buying - it's a fake coffee bean that you just toss in the grinder and grind as normal, but it removes residue from your burrs and grinder and cleans it well) to get the burrs broken in or run ~1lb of old beans that you don't care about through it. This will save some money and some frustration as it's much easier to dial in your shots after the grinder has gone through some beans.
*TIP* I only grind what I drink each morning as the freshness of the espresso is very important. I would consider doing this if you only brew 1-2 shots per day as having a lot of coffee sitting in the hopper will not keep it as fresh as a mason jar, for example.
The fine tuning available on this machine is incredible. Espresso making is a sensitive activity - too coarse and it splashes out the portafilter and tastes sour. Too fine and it chokes the machine or comes out too slow and is bitter (these are generalizations - definitely ready into it! :D). Once broken in, there is no such problem with this machine as the fine tuning options are numerous.
As you can probably see in the picture, the left side contains steps from A-W while the right side contains steps from 1-10. The right side steps are considered macro steps (they each equal a full A-W change in coarseness) and the left side is for fine tuning (micro steps) in between each macro step. Therefore, you can adjust the fineness of your grind 23 times (A-W) for each change in your macro setting.
An easy way to think of it is this: Step 1 on the right is the finest you can get. Put the left setting on A and you have 1.A, the finest setting the machine has. To coarsen up your grind, you can either do so in tiny increments by moving up the left side (up to 1.W) or, you can increase a full step by using the right side (going to 2 in this case), until you reach your desired coarseness. Once you feel you've found the right macro setting (1-10), use the micro settings on the left to get it just right. Also, keep in mind that each grinder differs a bit and can also be calibrated individually, so my 3.L might be very different from somebody else's Vario 3.L.
Overall, I'm really happy with this purchase and with proper care, I imagine this will last me a long time. It grinds incredibly consistent coffee, which is critical to making good espresso. Before I started, I had read in many places that the grinder is actually more important than the machine. I wasn't convinced of this as it sounded counter-intuitive, but after several months with my new setup, I believe it. Espresso making is sensitive - everything from the grind, to the tamp to the temp of your machine's water to the extraction time, all make a difference in the end result. Therefore, getting the proper grind size and consistency at the beginning of the process is very important in my opinion.
In the last week the grind became inconsistent and the grind adjustment levers were slipping down. From what I've been able to research this is a very occasional problem. An email to Baratza and they had express shipped me some tiny shims that were easy to install to fix this issue - took me about 5 minutes. Service and response were excellent. In a machine at this price point you would hope issues like this wouldn't occur but as someone who designs, builds complex items (far more complex than a grinder) it's obvious to me that this would also be a very difficult flaw to catch during development and testing given that it has a low probability of occurrence. They are handling it promptly and professionally which is the best that can be hoped for.
- After 2 years and ~1000 double-espressos, still cranking out the uniform, high-quality grind that any non-pressurized-basket machine demands.
- Still fairly quiet, and it's a whirr not a whine.
The Bad:
- Unit #1 arrived with a massive short to ground: Impressive blue flash and snapping sound upon plug-in to a grounded outlet.
- Unit #2 appeared after a quick and easy warranty exchange. Fast-forward two years and ~1000 grinds later, and a couple of age-related infirmities afflict my Vario:
1. The "fine" grind adjustment lever, always too easy to accidentally bump to a wrong, shot-ruining setting, seems even easier now.
2. The coffee hopper has likewise loosened -- where it fits into the top of the grinder -- and with normal vibration of the motor and burrs will rotate counter-clockwise out of the fully-seated position, such that it no longer activates a safety-interlock switch. Your first warning of this happening is a sudden silence, as the motor stops -- although the grind timer continues merrily counting down toward '0'. The Workaround: After tapping 'start', reach upward with that same hand, grasp the narrower bottom end of the hopper, and maintain a slight clockwise torque throughout the grind. Why not use the other hand? See below ...
The Ugly:
- The provided portafilter holder produces a big mess every time, at least if your portafilter is a Breville (900XL). The Fix: slide out Baratza's portafilter holder insert. Trim the bottom of a yogurt cup to fit into your portafilter basket. Now trim just enough off the top to let the portafilter+cup fit between the lower "ledge" of the grinder and the bottom of the coffee chute. Using your off-hand, support and keep level the portafilter handle for the whole 10-12 seconds of the grind. Result: grinds in the basket, with only a few strays on the countertop. See photo.
- After 2 years and ~1000 double-espressos, still cranking out the uniform, high-quality grind that any non-pressurized-basket machine demands.
- Still fairly quiet, and it's a whirr not a whine.
The Bad:
- Unit #1 arrived with a massive short to ground: Impressive blue flash and snapping sound upon plug-in to a grounded outlet.
- Unit #2 appeared after a quick and easy warranty exchange. Fast-forward two years and ~1000 grinds later, and a couple of age-related infirmities afflict my Vario:
1. The "fine" grind adjustment lever, always too easy to accidentally bump to a wrong, shot-ruining setting, seems even easier now.
2. The coffee hopper has likewise loosened -- where it fits into the top of the grinder -- and with normal vibration of the motor and burrs will rotate counter-clockwise out of the fully-seated position, such that it no longer activates a safety-interlock switch. Your first warning of this happening is a sudden silence, as the motor stops -- although the grind timer continues merrily counting down toward '0'. The Workaround: After tapping 'start', reach upward with that same hand, grasp the narrower bottom end of the hopper, and maintain a slight clockwise torque throughout the grind. Why not use the other hand? See below ...
The Ugly:
- The provided portafilter holder produces a big mess every time, at least if your portafilter is a Breville (900XL). The Fix: slide out Baratza's portafilter holder insert. Trim the bottom of a yogurt cup to fit into your portafilter basket. Now trim just enough off the top to let the portafilter+cup fit between the lower "ledge" of the grinder and the bottom of the coffee chute. Using your off-hand, support and keep level the portafilter handle for the whole 10-12 seconds of the grind. Result: grinds in the basket, with only a few strays on the countertop. See photo.