Still running an old Baratza Preciso. Most parts have been replaced thanks to Baratza's great support (in NZ). I want better espresso but I'm not sure how a new conical burr grinder with the same format as the Preciso can do any better.
Parts have been super cheap, like $20-$25 for the plastic bits (burr holders, adjustment rings etc) and new burrs were reasonable as well.
Previously I got them from L'affarre, who were the Baratza dealer. More recently I've got parts from [https://www.espressorepairspecialists.co.nz/](https://www.espressorepairspecialists.co.nz/) and Baratza/Breville Aus directly.
My first burr grinder is a Baratza Preciso (think Encore's cousin the Virtuoso but with another set of grind adjustment) and I've bought and flipped several Encores.
The Encore is a really solid grinder that has stood the test of time- being really capable, simple, and reliable.
Otherwise the Fellow Opus is another grinder under $200 that is pretty good.
In the second-hand market, you might be able to find a Fellow Ode Gen 1, Baratza Virtuoso, or Varia VS3 for that price.
I've seen a few posts with this topic, but nothing substantial lately. I'm looking for recommendations for the best electric filter grinder for medium to darks roasts ideally UNDER $1000. I currently have an old Baratza Virtuoso, but it's not always consistent and just looking to upgrade anyway if that's possible to do under $1000. I've thought of the Ode Gen 2 with stock burrs. I also saw someone say the Timemore 078 is good for dark roasts IF the RPM is put at full speed. Some body and mouthfeel is nice, but I value sweetness the most for my medium to dark roasts. Any feedback is greatly appreciated.
Thank you for your response! I was interested in the Lagom Casa, but saw several people say it's a conical grinder that doesn't do very well with med/dark roasts. I've heard great things about the Femobook A68, but the power brick is an issue in my coffee station, plus no color options I'm looking for. I would go with the Femobook A5 battery: same color issue, but more importantly the grounds cup is limited to around 30grams of coffee I think--and I need something that can handle at least 40 grams. I did clean the Virtuoso burrs etc., but it is a +9 year old burr set and is still producing more fines than a new burr set would. I realize I could just get a new burr set from Baratza, but am looking for a different color grinder anyway for my current coffee station, ideally white or silver. That leaves the (white) Encore ESP as a viable option. I'm looking more closely at the Turin SK-40 you mentioned. I like the look and it may be good enough. However, I should say it would be nice to have the potential option to make an "ok" light roast every now and then so don't want to completely shut the door on the lighter roasts. With that said the Ode Gen 2 comes into view again. I really do like the support offered by Baratza, but really like the single dosing focus and low retention of the Ode Gen 2. If the Ode Gen 2 can make a sweet med/dark roast the slight additional cost isn't an issue.
Sorry for the delay, but to answer: I have the old version of the virtuoso and yes, I understand the M2 burr in the virtuoso+ is upgraded. I appreciated all the responses I received to my post, but still had not made a decision on how to next proceed when I saw that Zerno was taking orders again for the Z1 and decided to put resources towards that as I had previously decided on that as an espresso grinder. With that I did a cleaning on my Virtuoso and began using it again for larger servings, but have mostly used a K-Ultra manual grinder for my pour over. I do think the Virtuoso is good, probably better than the K-Ultra on medium dark roasts and darker. The K-Ultra makes less of a mess and gives a more consistent grind that gives better results with light and medium roasts. So I think you made the right decision there with the Virtuoso+ for dark roasts. My next move with pour over might be trying a Commandante C40 as it supposed to give a slightly sweeter/rounder flavor than the K-Ultra. Would be curious to know what you think of the Virtuoso+ after spending a bit of time with it. Btw: I feel the same about Fellow. I have a Fellow goose neck kettle that already seems to have issues with consistency after just 3 months or so. It's too bad because they look great.
Comfortable_Half_494
