I have the 2nd gen (I think?) varia vs3 for my espresso grinder and itās been great for the past 2 years. I replace my eureka perfetto after it died on me. It was $299 but I think theyāre on sale now. Itās not a flat burr but it gets very fine Iāve choked my Lelit a few times going too fine.
I canāt speak for the others, but my Varia VS3ās motor struggles to grind at finer settings and often binds half way through a dose. I just submitted a warranty request for a refund yesterday. Hopefully they process it quickly as I will be in the market for a new grinder now too:(
Varia VS3 Gen 2, been using it for the past 2 years twice a day for both espresso and pour overs and seemed to be the best decision in that price range.
I've owned my VS3 Gen 2. Great grinds and solid build and you can upgrade the burrs. However....
The on/off switch has failed after two weeks of monderate use. It works, but I have to press and hold the button for it to work.
Lodged a warranty claim, let's see how this goes... If necessary I can change the switch to a simple lever type on/off switch which makes more sense anyway
Nice. Well done. The VS4 looks awesome. I'm not at a stage where I can notice the benefits of the VS4 but who knows maybe in a few months. I like the idea that you can upgrade the burrs so cheaply and simply.
I got my machine back up and running with a replacement switch from the company I bought it from who were more than professional about it. I was worried that because it's a Chinese brand with clones on AliX and hearing about bad experiences for support. Also the whole DF54/64 customer service support dramas. But these guys were fantastic. The switch replacement took me less than 10 mins. I'm actually looking at getting an illuminated or toggle switch for customisation.
One thing I noticed is that while it looks the part on the outside, on the inside it's very basic. A switch and a basic motor. Don't really know what to think here and hard not to think they could've sold this for much less but they're probably doing quite well at market price.
Funny because a day after ordering the VS3, I start getting ads for the Geimori popping up. This looks identical.
How is your VS3 working for you? I chose it over the DF54 but the VS3 seems to have better support.
If you like the idea of clearing clogs with chopsticks or feeding by single bean, then buy the mess that is the df54
I don't know why anyone talks about varia gen 1 anymore, it doesn't get sold anymore. Gen 2 is a nice clean grinder with all the issues fixed.
Varia is not prob not for you cuz of conical, but don't for the trap of the homeschool project df54. Get a legit vertical mounted flat burr.
I used vs3 for a while and I used the df54 thru a friend who had it temporarily before returning it. It's just a finicky grinder that clogs and is messy. It gets frustrating. I personally don't want to stand there slow feeding beans, it's not going to be a game changer in taste for me and it's a ridiculous ask.
Why is the varia burrs so expensive for you? I think they're $70 USD from varia direct and I doubt you would pay much in duties/customs. Even in Canada if I pay the big mark up from a retailer, they're $140 CAD
I might be the exception but I love my Varia. Got the second gen without the plastic parts and it's performance is perfect so far. Basically zero retention and no issues with consistency. Didn't break the bank and does exactly what it should do.
EDIT: I am talking about the VS3
When I got it, the VS3 v2 was the newest model. I used a good hand grinder before that but wrist issues permitted me from continuing doing that for espresso.
So, I was looking for single dosing (because I change beans a lot and like to keep them fresh inbetween) with little retention. That put the VS3 on the list. The small footprint was a nice bonus and I love the simple design.
If you want to brew larger badges of e.g. drip coffee, it does a good job, but as it a single dose grinder, you might need two rounds of grinding (everything up to 24g is no issue).
It is not very loud (I've read somewhere 73db but never checked it myself) but some might not like the specific sound of it. It's not the fastest grinder, but for 18g of coffee I really don't mind 5 seconds more or less, so it doesn't bother me. You need to spray a bit of water on the beans as the grinder does produce static as do many electric grinders, but there is a small spray bottle included.
Overall I am happy with it. I pair it with a Rancilio Silvia if this matters.
I don't know about "endgame" but I switched to a Varia VS3 when it's version 2 released. Couldn't be more happy. Works perfectly for v60 and espresso (I mostly drink medium roasts and the occasional lighter roast). Retention is basically zero, the footprint is small and it's reliable/consistent.
I have not looked at the market since I got it, so my opinion might not be the most up to date.
https://preview.redd.it/ckhbvndjqxwg1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ed7c5021a451648bceb0d7e1e06d1bbed4fc79af
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DF54 Series
80% positive of 386 users
Great value for espresso, but clogs and poor for pour-over.
ashgreyt
