Baratza - Vario+

It's a bit inconsistent grind at this point. Always probably was but I've had it for ages and wasn't as refined in my approach when I go it so might not have realized it. But it's loud and messy. A worthy idea, thanks. I guess I had sort of mentally blocked the vario/w+ as options, but worth a consideration. I did initially look at a Forte but started to be told to look beyond baratza at that price point and haven't really gone back...

I like the Vario+ a lot, but recently traded mine up for a Mazzer Philos. My biggest gripe with the Vario is the workflow: the grind size adjustment is weird (there’s a coarse and fine adjustment that you can adjust independently), and the levers can lose their settings easily. Baratza sell shims to prevent the levers from moving easily, but that feels like a design defect. The grounds catch bin is enormous (relatively speaking) and a little awkward compared to a catch cup for transferring to a brewing funnel.  Retention was an issue for mine, too. I frequently had 0.3 to 0.5 g retention on an 18–20 g dose. That was perhaps my biggest annoyance. There are tricks you can find online (like inverting the flap on the exit chute, but again, those feel like hacky workarounds for design defects.  That said, when it performs well, the grinder is capable of making great coffee. The steel burrs in particular make for really yummy pour overs. 

I’ve had a Baratza Virtuoso+, a Baratza Vario+, and now a Mazzer Philos, and I’d rank them in Bottom, Mid, and Top Tiers, respectively. 

I have a timemore c2 that I use as my travel grinder. When I travel with the family and have to make a pot of coffee, its kind of a pain because I have to fill and empty the grinder a few times to make 10 cups. I would not want to do this all the time, but its fine for a few weeks out of the year. Maybe you can find a decent used burr grinder for a good price. I have a really old vario that is now relegated to grinding for pots of coffee at home.

# **Without philosophizing in the answer, you have two options: a handgrinder, or electric grinder.** — ## **🔹 Hand Grinders** ### **High-End Options:** - **1Zpresso K-Ultra** – External adjustment, versatile for both pourover & espresso. - **1Zpresso J-Max** – 8.8-micron steps, optimized for espresso but handles pourover. - **Kinu M47 Phoenix / Classic** – Precise & durable, great for both. - **Comandante C40 MK4** – Ideal for pourover; needs *Red Clix* for better espresso dialing. - **Timemore Chestnut S3** – Stepless adjustment, more suited for pourover. - **1Zpresso ZP6** – Produces ultra-clean grinds, excelling in filter brews. ### **Mid-Range Options:** - **1Zpresso JX-Pro** – Espresso-friendly with finer adjustments than JX. - **Timemore Chestnut C3 ESP** – Budget option with espresso-compatible burrs, decent for pourover. - **1Zpresso X-Pro** – Compact, external adjustment, slower but espresso-capable. — ## **⚡ Electric Grinders** ### **High-End Options:** - **Mahlkönig EK43** – The gold standard in specialty coffee shops. - **Weber EG-1** – Premium single-dose grinder for all brew methods. - **Lagom P100** – High-performance, SSP burr options for precision grinding. ### **Mid-Range / Prosumer Options:** - **DF64 Gen 2 / DF64P / DF64E** – Affordable single-dose grinders, great for both. - **Niche Zero** – Top-tier single-dose grinder for espresso & pourover. - **Eureka Mignon Specialita** – Stepless adjustment, solid for espresso & can handle pourover. - **Fellow Opus** – Budget-friendly, designed for both espresso & filter brewing. - **Baratza Vario+ / Sette 270** – Great entry-level grinders with micro-adjustments for espresso. - **Timemore Sculptor 078 / 064S** – New contenders with solid grind consistency. ### **Budget-Friendly Options:** - **Fellow Ode Gen 2** (Needs *SSP burrs* for espresso) – Excellent for pourover, but needs mods for espresso. - **Baratza Encore ESP** – Beginner-friendly with stepped adjustments. - **Eureka Mignon Crono** – Simple & effective for both espresso & filter. — 🔎 **Check reviews before buying**—grind quality & user experience vary. Preferences are subjective!

Just looking at it, I can see it's got the same internal design as the burr grinder Cuisinart has been making for decades now. It's better than a blade grinder, but it's on the lowest quality rung of electric burr grinders. The cheapest baratza is significantly better.