BARATZA
Baratza™ was started in 1999 by Kyle Anderson and Kyra Kennedy. Anderson, Baratza™ President, is the well-known inventor of the first commercial super-automatic latte/espresso machine and founder of Acorto. Anderson was awarded a number of US and foreign patents for the innovations incorporated in the Acorto machines. Kyra Kennedy was Acorto’s Sales and Marketing Director.
After many years in the commercial coffee business, Kyle and Kyra wanted to use their knowledge of and passion for coffee to make superior quality coffee equipment available to the home. Because freshly ground coffee is an essential element of a great cup, Baratza is dedicated to designing, manufacturing, and selling world-class burr grinders to help create exquisite coffee and espresso.
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GREAT (on Baratza Vario-W Weig...)
avaserfi | avaserfi | Tue, 02/07/2012I just received one of these. After pulling a few shots, a calibration and dialing it in the Vario-W is a pleasure to use and very accurate. It has streamlined my process greatly.
GOOD BREWED COFFEE GRINDER (on Baratza Maestro Plus...)
Steve Rhinehart | Steve Rhinehart | Thu, 02/02/2012The Maestro does a fairly good job across the brewed coffee range of grinds, from a fine drip to a coarse perk or french press. Espresso grinds are lacking, in part due to the steps in the adjustment range, but also due to consistency of grind - I was having difficulty dialing in an espresso grind even when manually holding the adjustment between steps. I would recommend this grinder as a good starting grinder for brewed coffee at home, as the grind quality, usability, and price are all quite satisfactory, not to mention Baratza's great reputation for customer support. My minor qualms are in the adjustment mechanism, materials, and fit and finish. The adjustment feels flimsy to me, which may not be the case, but I became overly gentle while adjusting my grind, so as not to break any plastic. In the same vein, the use of plastic is prevalent, likely aiding the lower price. Still, the burr carriers are what appear to be nylon, including the sweeping vanes, which I feel will surely break off with time, leaving me lacking confidence in the longevity of internal parts. A plastic body is one thing, but the moving parts being plastic seems to spell eventual disaster. Finally, the fit and finish, while my most minor complaint, are quite in contrast with my other Baratza grinder, the Vario. Small things, such as the cutaway finger used to tension the grinds bin into place, bother me, as that particular item is right below the grinds chute. I've already knocked grinds into that opening, which is nearly impossible to clean out without opening the case. Another source of woe is the tiny cord storage compartment. I purposely located my coffee equipment right next to a power outlet, so I only need about a foot of power cord, and yet I can only store about eight inches or so of it at the grinder. A zip tie will help tidy that problem, but again, the Vario affords cord storage, and I'd wonder why it was left out from the Maestro. Apart from those minor misgivings, the Maestro is quite a capable grinder, and I hope it serves me well for years. In the interest of keeping function before form, the quality in place here merits a 4/5.
BEST GRINDER UNDER $300 (on Baratza Virtuoso Pre...)
samuellaw178 | samuellaw178 | Tue, 01/31/2012In my opinion, this is a very good grinder for espresso,best to go with machines a few hundred to thousands. It's really good! It outdoes many grinders at prices many times of a Preciso. The grind quality, retention, space requirement, etc etc, are very excellent and perfect for home use. If you're looking at $300 range for a grinder, go for this. I personally would choose this over a Vario because it covers all grind size easily and have very good grind quality, comes very close to Mazzer major and Pharos. Here's my more indepth review: http://www.roaste.com/CoffeeBlogs/samuellaw178/My-Baratza-Preciso-Review-Impression I took two cups off because my grinder had a problem after just 2 weeks. But Baratza CS is taking care of me. Expect it to take a while and grinderless(for espresso) if you don't have back up because it takes at least 1 week to ship from west coast to east coast using their UPS service. I would easily gives it six cup when it's working perfectly though. The one I had now could be just a lemon
A GOOD GRINDER (on Baratza Maestro Plus...)
avaserfi | avaserfi | Fri, 01/27/2012I'm borrowing one of these from a friend right now. For the money, this is a great coffee grinder for preperations like drip, pour over, Aeropress etc. For the money, I think this is a great entry level grinder.
A NICE GRINDER (on Baratza Virtuoso Pre...)
Wakeknot | Wakeknot | Wed, 01/18/2012If you are shopping for grinders under $300 and you want to make some espresso this should be at the top of your list (I don't even know of another grinder to put on that list).
AN EXCELLENT STEP UP (on Baratza Maestro Plus...)
intrepid510 | intrepid510 | Thu, 01/12/2012This grinder is an excellent choice for those wanting to stop using their blade grinder. You should see a noticeable difference in your coffee, less bitter coffee! Like others said the timer does fall off sometimes, but it goes back on easily. Also the reason to get the plus model over the other version of the grinder that is on other sites is because the added weight of the grinder makes it much quieter compared to the other version which will vibrate more, in addition the weight leads to a slightly improved grind. This grinder however is not going to cut it for espresso just because it has some large step, and you need to be able to make small adjustments, but it will work for a pressurized portafilter if you have one of those!
INNOVATIVE (on Baratza Vario-W Weig...)
jbviau | jbviau | Sat, 12/31/2011A more elegant weight-based grinding solution than the Esatto, but single-dosers beware: both options push you toward using the hopper. If you can't imagine doing so, think twice before adding this to your cart.
STEAL (on Baratza Vario-W Weig...)
samuellaw178 | samuellaw178 | Fri, 12/30/2011Considering Vario is $449 and the Esatto is somwhere near $150, this Vario W is a steal! It works like a champ with the weight-based system. The original Vario is the best grinder for its class, and this W system brings it to a whole new level in the grinder world.
USEFUL FOR 58MM PORTAFILTER (on Baratza PortaHolder)
samuellaw178 | samuellaw178 | Sat, 12/24/2011This is quite useful for most portafilter especially 58mm for handless operation. Those pf that are smaller might have a problem with the pf staying in the portaholder from my experience. Normally, this comes with Vario or Preciso so there is no need to purchase a separate one until you damage it, which is very unlikely.
GREAT (on Baratza Maestro Plus...)
samuellaw178 | samuellaw178 | Sat, 12/24/2011I would either go a little higher to get a Virtuoso/Preciso for coffee brewing, or go lower and settle on a normal Maestro. However, there's no problem with the Maestro Plus itself and it's a very decent grinder compared to most for coffee brewing. Not recommended for espresso use because it lacks of microadjustment.
GREAT FOR COFFEE BREWING (on Baratza Virtuoso 586...)
samuellaw178 | samuellaw178 | Sat, 12/24/2011As mentioned by other reviewers, this is a great affordable grinder without going over ~$1k mark. It gives consistent grind size and repeatable setting for non-espresso use. For espresso, you might want to get its brother, Preciso, for a better microadjustment. Plus, Baratza has very good customer service so you probably have nothing to worry about in at least a few years.
NICE DESIGN (on Baratza Vario-W Weig...)
EricBNC | EricBNC | Thu, 12/22/2011This design with the built in scale combined with one of the finest home grinders on the market will let you hone in your espresso skills with greater ease and repeat-ability.
NEW BURRS! (on Baratza Virtuoso 586...)
intrepid510 | intrepid510 | Fri, 12/16/2011Baratza just keeps getting better, they are now offering the same burrs as are in the Virtuoso Preciso in this grinder. This improvement arguably makes this the best grinder on the market for non-espresso coffee grinding. The burrs that were first introduced in the Preciso allow for a more uniform grind with less "fines" those fines are what produce bitter notes.If you are not planning on make espresso at home you have found your ultimate grinder, no need to look any farther.
CUTE (on Baratza PortaHolder)
EricBNC | EricBNC | Sat, 12/10/2011I have this complements of my Preciso grinder - they include one in the box along with some grindz - looks nice.
FLUFFY GRINDS (on Baratza Vario Coffee...)
EricBNC | EricBNC | Sat, 12/10/2011The grinds are fluffy for espresso and the shot has a wonderful flavor - honestly a great grinder for espresso based on taste.
NICE (on Baratza Esatto Grind...)
EricBNC | EricBNC | Sat, 12/10/2011This scale with it's built in timer turns the Preciso into a timer grinder like the Vario - very slick.
QUALITY PRODUCT (on Baratza Maestro Plus...)
EricBNC | EricBNC | Sat, 12/10/2011This is the grinder you need if you intend to have the best cup of brewed coffee every morning - recommended.
VARIO (on Baratza Vario Coffee...)
yeahyeah | yeahyeah | Sat, 12/10/2011I am very happy with the performance of my Vario so far. The quality of grind for espresso is fantastic and the drip grind is pretty nice as well. I did change the calibration a bit in order to grind coarse enough for press while still allowing for an espresso grind. The hopper, particularly its interface with the safety switch, feels delicate even though I imagine it should be fine if treated gently. The rest of the grinder feels much more substantial than the you would expect based on pictures alone. Bottom line: My espresso and brewed coffee taste much better, and my morning routine is more efficient.
NICE, BUT... (on Baratza Esatto Grind...)
jbviau | jbviau | Fri, 12/09/2011Works well (haven't needed to calibrate, for example). You *can* single-dose with it and purge afterwards, though it's not quite as easy to do so as it is sans Esatto; nevertheless, you'll find yourself being pushed somewhat toward using the hopper if you didn't before. I enjoy the added precision this accessory gives me but don't love the bulk it adds to my grinder's profile. Will update after a few more weeks of experience.
EXCELLENT (on Baratza Esatto Grind...)
lezhonka | lezhonka | Fri, 12/09/2011Quick shipment. Enjoying Esatto, made everything straight forward