Baratza - Vario Series

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.

Baratza is a workhorse. It is not a quiet workhorse but it is a good machine 

My Baratza, ordered from Baratza, ground unevenly (dust, ground coffee, and biggish pieces) with a loud cracking noise at regular intervals (not just the usual burr grinding sound) from the git-go, and broke irreparably within a year -- as I drink coffee only two or three times a month, that would be more like a few weeks for most users. The on/off switch doesn't have a timer and if you fill the top -- if you put in more than a few tablespoons, actually-- and turn your back for a moment it will clog. As I put up with it for about a year, having no other option for grinding coffee, service was nonexistent. The years old Baratza this was supposed to be a replacement for had a timed switch (the same switch from the outside, and the little glitch of turning on until YOU turn it off wasn't mentioned in any review or Baratza's description), ground delightfully evenly at all settings, and never clogged despite my ex-husband -- the main coffee drinker-- never cleaning it and me only cleaning it (running rice or cleaning grains through it) when I thought of it, which wasn't often. I guess the gist is, be sure of what you're getting if you get a Baratza.

There is a comparison of many grinders you're looking at [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/LanceHedrick/comments/139zzei/addendum_to_sculptor_video/). There is a description of the coffee produced although they are very much toward Lance's preferences. I have a Baratza Vario W+ which makes excellent coffee and is relatively forgiving. While Baratza's are not the most trendy (single dose, low retention, static reduction, etc), they are very well built and have a history of reliability and support should something go wrong (you can actually buy nearly all of the parts or have them service the machine). With newer models you will likely gain features or lower the price but you run more risks on longevity.

Baratza is the answer. I've had mine for over 20 years. I recently contacted the company to buy the little rubber feet that deteriorated on the bottom and they sent me the feet, some extra other parts, stickers and postcards. Years ago I contacted them to buy a few other normal wear and tear parts and they sent those free too. Buddy at work has one, they've sent him new circuit boards and gearboxes for free. Outstanding product and customer service you just don't find anymore.

If you're using one grinder for espresso and pour over, I'd stay away from Eureka. Their biggest weakness is the turning dial, which is small and doesn't give you an indication of how many times you've rotated it. Going back and forth between espresso and pour over/drip would be annoying and harder than necessary to dial in. Baratza grinders are workhorses, but they're mostly plastic and loud. To service most parts of the machine, you have to pry open the bottom, which can bend the plastic and potentially rip off plastic tabs, which is kind of annoying. They're a good entry level grinder for people who can't afford something better, but if you can spend more, you might want to. For espresso, Aeropress, and pour over coffee, I've been served well by a Timemore Sculptor 064s. It has low retention, a brushless motor, solid metal build quality, is easy to dial in between different grind sizes, sounds less annoying than my old Baratza, and I think it looks good (which is subjective). I can't speak to the Fellow Ode 2 + Niche Zero option, but people do love them. James used a Niche Zero as his go-to espresso grinder for years. It has conical burrs, which gives a more full bodied (thicker) espresso. I'm sure others will chime in.

I had a vario, 886, and upgraded it to steel burrs. I really enjoyed it and being able to also do espresso. But I found that I got more rounded notes and changed it up to try and seek out those specific flavor notes. Ultimately a personal preference

On my bar currently is a Fellow Ode, Baratza Vario, and a Timemore 064s. Had SSP cast in the 064 but probably swapping them to the Ode now. All that to say, I could have just one of any of these and be perfectly happy. Timemore is probably my favorite as far as quality and workflow, plus it can genuinely pull double duty. Ode is great but obviously you’re not getting espresso there. Vario is an old design with clunky workflow but the burrs are great—in fact, the Mahlkonig X54 is essentially just an updated Vario. All these are great grinders.

Get a used grinder on marketplace for sure. Oxo and Breville are the bare minimum, but if you see a sub-$50 Baratza, that’s even better. If you don’t want to then start buying more beans, just resell it yourself when you finish the bag. Anything lower-end than those and I wouldn’t bother. Blade grinders ruin beans, as do super cheap “burr” grinders like Cuisinart and Shardor. As far as storage, if you brew coffee daily, I’d just keep them in a resealable container (with a “burp” valve if possible; old bags from previous coffee purchases should work) in a cool and dry place.

Sadly the turin DF lineup is the best that you can afford in that price point. You'll get sick of hand grinding fast. Especially if you start to like the medium light to light roasts. So I don't recommend hand grinding long term. But you are running out of options in the budget space I don't like the plastic internals or noise levels of the Baratza grinders and too many others in the $200 price range are no better. If you are truly looking for a buy once and cry once with higher quality of life features and you don't want a turin or miicoffee DF style of grinder then you're looking at vertical burrs and $600 to $800 minimum. Like a timemore 64s or 78s.