Baratza - Vario™ W+ (ZCG988WHT1BUC1A)

I had the Vario W+ for a while and liked it during that time. Although I have to say that I've abandoned automatic weight dosing by now.

It was convenient, but I would have occasional inconsistencies that led me to think it was part of the problem. Usually it was pretty accurate, but occasionally the weight would be off just enough to be annoying. Also, the grinder retained a fair amount, which was a slight issue the next morning because you'd get some day old grinds. I don't think it was bad at all, and it certainly was convenient... But in the end I started ignoring the weight function by setting the target weight really high, and then single dosing. It also means I can use a couple sprays of water to reduce friction. That being said, now I have a Zerno Z1 which was a remarkable upgrade, and I wouldn't consider going back. The Vario was great for its price range though. It made some good pour over as well.

The Vario W+ is an excellent grinder—its 54mm Ditting flat burrs are tried-and-true for pourover. Plus you get the benefit of excellent product support from Baratza. IMHO, there really isn’t any other grinder to consider because you like the convenience of the hopper and grind-by-weight features. Other people are chiming in with the usual grinder recommendations—and they are good grinders. However, please keep in mind that most people recommend things that work well for them, and according to their own preferences. Most pourover enthusiasts eschew grinders with large hoppers and grind by weight features, for example. Many have a strong preference for hand grinding. Get the grinder with the features that \*you\* want, not the grinder that others would prefer to own. After all, \*you\* are the person who will be using it every day. The Vario W+ is an excellent grinder, and there is no other grinder at its price point that offers its combination of 54mm Ditting flat burrs, generous hopper, grind by weight convenience, and strong product support by Baratza.

The AllGround Sense is an excellent grinder as well, but it’s most likely out of the OP’s budget. The AllGround Sense typically retails for around $1,300. I suppose it’s possible that one might be had for closer to $1,000 if a sale can be found. The AllGround Sense is more espresso-focused, although it is capable of grinding for filter coffee. While the Vario W+ is a primarily filter-focused grinder capable of grinding for espresso. IMHO, the Vario W+ is a better fit for the OP.

Another vote for Baratza. I've had my Baratza Vario-W+ for going on 15 years and it has been flawless. Like others have said, parts and servicing is easy. I replaced the motherboard on it once, but that was due to a power spike after a power outage. Not a cheap date, but it'll give you many years of service. I also like it as you can get consistent weighs due to the built-in scale. Solid build, great service, easy maintenance...Just my .02

A burr grinder is far superior to a blade grinder without question. And don't cheap out. A good burr grinder will last you for many years. I purchased my Baratza Vario-W(built-in scale for consistent grind and weight) over 15 years ago and it is still going strong. It wasn't a cheap date, but I have absolutely no regrets. HTH

Vario+W with steelies is probably all you need. Or one of the femobooks. Ode Gen2 is good too if you prefer the look.

They only sell the + now. One of the upgrades they made was to make steel standard since most people were upgrading to steel anyway

Yep you’re right I’ve been looking at the W+ and I think it was mostly because of the steel burrs. Thanks for all your help on this one

I am using my vario w+ sometimes for pourover. It might be not as good as Pietro, but tbh I feel it is good enough. I don’t use it often for pourover for it is set for espresso, and adjust back and forth will lose its espresso setting. I did consider timemore 64s at that time, but finally went to a grinder with good history of reputation

On the paper cf64v is the best, right? I almost bought it, but finally switched to vario w+ for I hope I can use it like forever :)

I don’t have issues switching between grinds with the vario-w. Just change the grind when running and there aren’t beans in the hopper. I’m not storing beans in the hopper anyway. 

You may be able to find a used Baratza Vario-W around that price. The ceramic burrs are not recommended for multipurpose use, so if you're interested in more than espresso or want to pull something more modern, try to find the steel burrs instead.

The baratza vario w can do either espresso well or the others well - but doesnt not switch between them well. The answer for me was to have two of them! one for espresso - one for everything else.

Same setup here…except I’ve got the Baratza Vario-W. If I were to do it again, I’d skip the Vario-W and get the Encore.