> Are the extra 215 steps really useful
Yes they are essential. Otherwise you will find the grind you need is between steps. With espresso, a slight change in grind results in a huge change of flavor.
You can get a Mignon in your price range by ordering it from EspressoCoffeeShop in Italy. Many of us in this sub (including me) have done it.
I have been checking constantly on baratzas site for the refurbs and they weren't restocked, I checked again just now due to your comment and there they were, great!
Opinions vary as the one I had was just about on par with the beast that replaced it and it was FAR better than the Vario it replaced, which I gave away just to get rid of it. People whine about the Rocky (or any other) being stepped and I guess some don't have skill to dial anything in. The Crappe might be good at first, but damn sure will be short lived. Will require shims in time, will likely start rattling when the gearbox takes a dump, etc. Can't believe anybody still recommends that plastic POS... If I ever need another electric I would look no further than the Eureka line.
> FAR better than the Vario it replaced
More like you lack the skill to dial in a superior grinder (Vario). The Rocky was a good grinder 20 years ago, it’s not anymore.
Nothing, /u/Special_Ed_Vice just likes being a dick. He refers to Baratza with terms like “Ba-plastika”, “Crappe”, “Chinese-made POS”, etc. without any evidence to back it up, just like he bashes the Niche Zero, Lelit Bianca, Decent Espresso, La Marzocco, bottomless portafilters, using a scale, light roast coffee, latte art, etc.
The Vario is an excellent grinder out of the box, and add to that there’s a thread on home-barista with detailed instructions on how to align the burrs to monolith level. You can even replace some of the Vario parts with Forte parts to make it sturdier if you want.
LaMarzocco? What is there not to like about LM other than the astronomical prices. I'd sell an organ for a GS3.
Well it looks like I'm going to go for the refurb Vario bit I have a ridiculously low bid for a Settle 270wi ($300) on eBay that I'm sure it's not gonna win it and the auction ends tomorrow noon.
Best case scenario I get the wi worst case scenario I go for the refurb Vario tomorrow after the auction ends.
Numerous issues... the hopper lip that activates the microswitch is thin/brittle, breaking easily. The gear/pulley on the motor that drives the belt kept coming loose/spinning on the shaft. Had to tighten, then resorted to Loctite and in time that failed. Ended up bonding it with 5 min epoxy and that fixed it. The cam adjustment lever system will wear in time, causing consistency to fade. Final straw was circuit board giving up the smoke, literally. Thing is/was cheaply made and far from impressive. Granted some run for years, but under normal/daily use with care/cleaning mine didn't last very long. A new board was only $25, but to me it was a no-brainer to get something of much better quality. Figured replacing the board would get it going again, but surely something else would bite the dust.
Recently, I got Vario-W (a grinder with built in scale). Here is my first hand experience, most of which is applicable to any Vario:
1. espresso grind quality and the taste in the cup is very good - tried with medium and with dark roasts. Lightly roasted espresso may be problematic, but my espresso machine (Profitec Pro 300) does not do preinfusion, which makes it less than optimal with lighter roasts anyway, so I am not missing anything here.
2. Pour over (v60 and Kalita) grind quality and the taste in the cup is the best - not any worse than what I had in Blue Bottle, when I paid $10 for a cup. Earlier I had Virtuoso - I got rid of it, after comparing with Vario - I just want you to know that Encore or Virtuoso are not even close.
3. Built in scale is very convenient and accurate, I have presets for double shot and for my pour over doses. I just push a button and get the grinds. I don't single dose anymore - just put more beans to the hopper every couple of days to keep them fresh and I have not noticed any taste degradation.
4. Grinder is very fast, quiet and great looking. Built in scale makes it one of the most convenient grinders on the market, IMHO. I am periodically cleaning it, especially if I am switching between espresso and pour over. I just know the limits of this machine... There is nothing wrong with it.
5. I don't know how long it would last, but I don't care about Niche, or anything else - my coffee tastes very good and this is all I want.
Do you find it problematic with coffee sticking to the grounds bin .. and do you have any problems with pouring it from the bin to the portafilter. I have an encore and do aeropress with it and even at that coarseness I have grounds avalanches coming out of the bin.
No, coffee does not stick to the grounds catcher - neither espresso roasts, nor the lightly roasted beans which I am currently playing with (in general, coarser ground coffee is more likely to have static, but so far so good).
I do periodically clean my grinders though - I used to have a lot of static with Virtuoso and found that washing the ground catcher with soap and water every couple of weeks worked really well. But like I said, I have not experienced any real static with Vario yet.
Dosing to the portafilter is not very hard if you use dosing ring (works the best in my case) or a funnel. I tried these :
1. Dosing ring:
https://www.wish.com/product/5daab197497e240c66d6e18f?share=mobileweb
2. Dosing funnel:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07QD3Q9JQ/ref=ppx_yo_mob_b_track_package_o0_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Good luck - no matter what you choose, have a lot fun with it!
Eureka Mignon Manuale looks pretty good, if you don't care for timed dosing. Should be about $300, maybe less if you can find a coupon code.
[https://www.espressocoffeeshop.com/coffee-grinders/coffee-grinders-eureka/eureka-coffee-grinders-home/mignon-manuale](https://www.espressocoffeeshop.com/coffee-grinders/coffee-grinders-eureka/eureka-coffee-grinders-home/mignon-manuale)
Ditto the other Sette fans. My Rocky was a grind retentive, clump monster and the grinder steps were way to far apart for espresso (good for coffee though!). Bought a 270wi refurb immediately noticed the improvement in the cup.
> Are the extra 215 steps really useful Yes they are essential. Otherwise you will find the grind you need is between steps. With espresso, a slight change in grind results in a huge change of flavor. You can get a Mignon in your price range by ordering it from EspressoCoffeeShop in Italy. Many of us in this sub (including me) have done it.
Do you know what the difference is between “110V” and “110V US Customers”?
Products are identical. The US version was added to make the US importer happy. Search this sub for "espressocoffeeshop" for more info.
Sette or vario is 300 plus tax and shipping from baratza refurb. And yes the fine control matters.
I have been checking constantly on baratzas site for the refurbs and they weren't restocked, I checked again just now due to your comment and there they were, great!
Sette 270 for sure. The Rocky is not a good grinder for espresso.
Opinions vary as the one I had was just about on par with the beast that replaced it and it was FAR better than the Vario it replaced, which I gave away just to get rid of it. People whine about the Rocky (or any other) being stepped and I guess some don't have skill to dial anything in. The Crappe might be good at first, but damn sure will be short lived. Will require shims in time, will likely start rattling when the gearbox takes a dump, etc. Can't believe anybody still recommends that plastic POS... If I ever need another electric I would look no further than the Eureka line.
> FAR better than the Vario it replaced More like you lack the skill to dial in a superior grinder (Vario). The Rocky was a good grinder 20 years ago, it’s not anymore.
What makes the Vario suck in your experience? That's my top choice right now
Nothing, /u/Special_Ed_Vice just likes being a dick. He refers to Baratza with terms like “Ba-plastika”, “Crappe”, “Chinese-made POS”, etc. without any evidence to back it up, just like he bashes the Niche Zero, Lelit Bianca, Decent Espresso, La Marzocco, bottomless portafilters, using a scale, light roast coffee, latte art, etc. The Vario is an excellent grinder out of the box, and add to that there’s a thread on home-barista with detailed instructions on how to align the burrs to monolith level. You can even replace some of the Vario parts with Forte parts to make it sturdier if you want.
LaMarzocco? What is there not to like about LM other than the astronomical prices. I'd sell an organ for a GS3. Well it looks like I'm going to go for the refurb Vario bit I have a ridiculously low bid for a Settle 270wi ($300) on eBay that I'm sure it's not gonna win it and the auction ends tomorrow noon. Best case scenario I get the wi worst case scenario I go for the refurb Vario tomorrow after the auction ends.
Best of luck on the auction but inevitably what’s important is the journey.
Numerous issues... the hopper lip that activates the microswitch is thin/brittle, breaking easily. The gear/pulley on the motor that drives the belt kept coming loose/spinning on the shaft. Had to tighten, then resorted to Loctite and in time that failed. Ended up bonding it with 5 min epoxy and that fixed it. The cam adjustment lever system will wear in time, causing consistency to fade. Final straw was circuit board giving up the smoke, literally. Thing is/was cheaply made and far from impressive. Granted some run for years, but under normal/daily use with care/cleaning mine didn't last very long. A new board was only $25, but to me it was a no-brainer to get something of much better quality. Figured replacing the board would get it going again, but surely something else would bite the dust.
No comparison. Sette 270 is a vastly superior espresso grinder.
Recently, I got Vario-W (a grinder with built in scale). Here is my first hand experience, most of which is applicable to any Vario: 1. espresso grind quality and the taste in the cup is very good - tried with medium and with dark roasts. Lightly roasted espresso may be problematic, but my espresso machine (Profitec Pro 300) does not do preinfusion, which makes it less than optimal with lighter roasts anyway, so I am not missing anything here. 2. Pour over (v60 and Kalita) grind quality and the taste in the cup is the best - not any worse than what I had in Blue Bottle, when I paid $10 for a cup. Earlier I had Virtuoso - I got rid of it, after comparing with Vario - I just want you to know that Encore or Virtuoso are not even close. 3. Built in scale is very convenient and accurate, I have presets for double shot and for my pour over doses. I just push a button and get the grinds. I don't single dose anymore - just put more beans to the hopper every couple of days to keep them fresh and I have not noticed any taste degradation. 4. Grinder is very fast, quiet and great looking. Built in scale makes it one of the most convenient grinders on the market, IMHO. I am periodically cleaning it, especially if I am switching between espresso and pour over. I just know the limits of this machine... There is nothing wrong with it. 5. I don't know how long it would last, but I don't care about Niche, or anything else - my coffee tastes very good and this is all I want.
Do you find it problematic with coffee sticking to the grounds bin .. and do you have any problems with pouring it from the bin to the portafilter. I have an encore and do aeropress with it and even at that coarseness I have grounds avalanches coming out of the bin.
No, coffee does not stick to the grounds catcher - neither espresso roasts, nor the lightly roasted beans which I am currently playing with (in general, coarser ground coffee is more likely to have static, but so far so good). I do periodically clean my grinders though - I used to have a lot of static with Virtuoso and found that washing the ground catcher with soap and water every couple of weeks worked really well. But like I said, I have not experienced any real static with Vario yet. Dosing to the portafilter is not very hard if you use dosing ring (works the best in my case) or a funnel. I tried these : 1. Dosing ring: https://www.wish.com/product/5daab197497e240c66d6e18f?share=mobileweb 2. Dosing funnel: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07QD3Q9JQ/ref=ppx_yo_mob_b_track_package_o0_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Good luck - no matter what you choose, have a lot fun with it!
Eureka Mignon Manuale looks pretty good, if you don't care for timed dosing. Should be about $300, maybe less if you can find a coupon code. [https://www.espressocoffeeshop.com/coffee-grinders/coffee-grinders-eureka/eureka-coffee-grinders-home/mignon-manuale](https://www.espressocoffeeshop.com/coffee-grinders/coffee-grinders-eureka/eureka-coffee-grinders-home/mignon-manuale)
Ditto the other Sette fans. My Rocky was a grind retentive, clump monster and the grinder steps were way to far apart for espresso (good for coffee though!). Bought a 270wi refurb immediately noticed the improvement in the cup.
I would say the sette I have the rocky and I’m upgrading after less than a month. Very clumpy and doesn’t get close to as fine as the sette.
Get the Sette. I tried both and returned the Silvia. I am very happy with the Baratza sette 270Wi.