Baratza - Forté

* Forte BG - First electric and still use it * Comandante MK4 - travel and PO * Niche Zero - 1 year old and espresso * Philos- got it during pre order and it’s great for almost everything * I haven’t got around to selling my NZ or forte BG as I still use them here and there. 😂

With that budget I'd want a refurbished Baratza Forte BG. Extremely self-serviceable, replacement parts easily obtained from Baratza, and built like a tank.

I second this suggestion! OP, if you can swing it, the Forte BG offers everything the Vario W+ does, but with a more robust motor and build quality. As it should, because it’s designed to handle light commercial use.

Mazzer Major V Electronic, Mazzer Philos, Fiorenzato All Ground Sense, Baratza Forte AP, Baratza Encore ESP Pro Bunn GVH-2 (and a few more)

Depending on how much you want to spend, i love the Baratza Forte BG i bought 10 years ago. works great with the Moccamaster!

The Forte BG suits your budget, and outperforms its class by far. I actually prefer it over several of the more popular "endgame" grinders which I have. Enough so, that I have one in my home kitchen and in my cupping lab.

I have two regular Vario and a W+ also. The Forte is an incredibly better build. It's heavier and stronger, it feels better, it sounds better, it's nicer to use. The user experience is night and day between Vario and Forte. Forte is definitely worth the extra cost if your budget allows.

If you like the Vario, and can afford the upgrade - get the Forte BG (still well within your budget). The build quality and user experience is well worth the upgrade.

I've had Forte BGs for roughly 12 years - no problems, even using one to grind pounds at a time. The Vario I've broken multiple times with light home use.

If you want a noticeable step for pourovers on that budget, check manual Comandante C40 or a good 1Zpresso (JX/JP) — burrs are top-notch, low retention, super serviceable, and honestly they beat a lot of electrics for pour-over. Electric picks if you want motor consistency: Sette 270Wi or a Baratza Forte BG used, look for big flat or high-quality conical burrs, low retention, stepless adjustment and easy parts to swap/clean.

Baratza forte would be great, grind by weight, fantastic filter grinder. Maybe a bit over your budget. Also good support if it breaks, easy to fix yourself. DF64 would be fine if you get a good unit. I've had df64 that was ok but had a very stiff adjustment colar, and currently have a df54 that I love, no issues whatsoever. The df64 did around 10-20 espresso shots a day without issue in an office.

Baratza is a workhorse. It is not a quiet workhorse but it is a good machine 

My Baratza, ordered from Baratza, ground unevenly (dust, ground coffee, and biggish pieces) with a loud cracking noise at regular intervals (not just the usual burr grinding sound) from the git-go, and broke irreparably within a year -- as I drink coffee only two or three times a month, that would be more like a few weeks for most users. The on/off switch doesn't have a timer and if you fill the top -- if you put in more than a few tablespoons, actually-- and turn your back for a moment it will clog. As I put up with it for about a year, having no other option for grinding coffee, service was nonexistent. The years old Baratza this was supposed to be a replacement for had a timed switch (the same switch from the outside, and the little glitch of turning on until YOU turn it off wasn't mentioned in any review or Baratza's description), ground delightfully evenly at all settings, and never clogged despite my ex-husband -- the main coffee drinker-- never cleaning it and me only cleaning it (running rice or cleaning grains through it) when I thought of it, which wasn't often. I guess the gist is, be sure of what you're getting if you get a Baratza.