Baratza - Vario+

As much as I love Baratza, and the Ditting 54mm steel burrs, I really don't think the Vario is a good pick in 2025. The only exception to this is if you plan to fill the hopper instead of single dosing.

See my reply below to SpookZero. It's certainly doable, it's just that you have to use a bunch of Workarounds to make it happen. For the price of the Vario, there are better options available today. I bought my Vario W+ specifically to grind large doses of a single coffee for batch brewing for a group. It's a fantastic grinder for that purpose. I ended up discovering that I really enjoy the espresso it can produce, but it's a nightmare to switch back and forth. I would 100% recommend skipping the 'W' model if you plan to single dose. There is no timer and you will constantly fight with the scale. There's an override, but it requires you to either leave the LED display on 24/7 or unplug after every use then go through the steps to override the scale every time you want to use it. I think it's a fantastic grinder, I love Baratza as a company, and I think the Ditting steel burrs are the best multi-purpose burr set I've tried. I still can't recommend this grinder as a single-dose multi-purpose grinder. For espresso or filter only, with a full hopper? I think it's a great option.

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. 

Currently Baratza Vario+ (just replaced an Encore which I may keep as a backup), and I’ve got a J-Ultra for travel of a different espresso expression (since the Vario is a flat burr). It’s a fun hobby.

You can go the cheap route and try a Neo Flex from flair to see if you like making manual espresso. That’s what I did for about 4 months (with an encore). I’ve since upgraded to a cafelat robot (and a Vario+ and a J Ultra as grinders) as I did like it, but saw the shortcomings of my machines, but I still made some tasty shots while doing more research, deciding what I did and did not like about the workflow, etc.

I have a fellow opus and baratza vario. Although I like the vario, it’s just so loud. The fellow has a nice fit and finish to it.

Flat burrs seem to bring out the fruit notes more. I have an opus, ceado, and vario.

🤣🤣 after a while I learned to recognize the difference. To me, I taste much more sweetness on the flat burrs.

I have had a vario for 4 months now. I performed the alicorn procedure per the resources provided here and it works great! I can pull high altitude single origin shots and everything. The problem i’m running into is that the grinder falls out of alignment after some time. In 4 months, it’s fallen off twice. I re-align, and am back to winning, but it’s not the quickest process, and I worry that something is wrong. Anybody have the same issue?

My best coffee related purchase was an older Baratza Vario that was half the price of the current retail price. Use it daily and it’s a champ. Facebook Marketplace for the win my friend.

Did people still use the Baratza Vario? It doesn't compete in the burr size race, but actually does a good job with big grind size changes while being relatively consistent.

I don't think there's anything wrong with wanting to use a conical over a flat from time to time (or even all the time if that's your preference). I just got my Ode Gen 2 to replace my aging Baratza Vario and it is a wonderful grinder. I am very happy with it. I also have an OE Lido ET but I haven't used it in ages. The Baratza is heavily used and abused, so it is probably not nearly as consistent as it once was. I might experiment with the OE again now that I have the Ode that is just so good.

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!