Yeah that's what I was led to believe, a temporary sale at $189, but now since Sam21 pointed out refurbished options, I'm a bit skeptical that for that price I'm actually getting a factory fresh NEW one as claimed by the seller (who is now selling the same thing for $40 more). I guess I'll find out once it gets here... assuming a refurb will obvious enough that I can tell the difference (stickers or markings to look for)?
BTW I've been advised when starting it up for the first time, to be careful not to let the burrs grind against one another- but if it does come with the burrs set that close together, how am I supposed to adjust them wider without gnashing them if you're supposed to only make adjustments while it's running?
Posted Thu Mar 29, 2012, 7:22am Subject: Re: Would a Vario be "wasted" as a drip-only grinder
VKirby Said:
Yeah that's what I was led to believe, a temporary sale at $189, but now since Sam21 pointed out refurbished options, I'm a bit skeptical that for that price I'm actually getting a factory fresh NEW one as claimed by the seller (who is now selling the same thing for $40 more). I guess I'll find out once it gets here... assuming a refurb will obvious enough that I can tell the difference (stickers or markings to look for)?
BTW I've been advised when starting it up for the first time, to be careful not to let the burrs grind against one another- but if it does come with the burrs set that close together, how am I supposed to adjust them wider without gnashing them if you're supposed to only make adjustments while it's running?
Baratza's factory refurbs are updated with all the most recent hardware. If it's a refurb, it may have some markings, but will operate as if brand new.
You only have to run the grinder for adjustments when there are beans/grounds between the burrs. Additionally, this only applies when adjusting finer (to the left). So, if it arrives to you with the hopper set at a fine setting, just adjust to the coarse range. No need to worry about running it. Even if there were beans in the grinder, adjusting coarser is fine with the machine NOT running.
jaybar Senior Member Joined: 13 Sep 2011 Posts: 111 Location: Brooklyn Expertise: Just starting
Posted Thu Mar 29, 2012, 7:44am Subject: Re: Would a Vario be "wasted" as a drip-only grinder,
I am using the vario-w with the metal burrs. Well worth the money I can't speak for others, but there is no comparison between the vario-w and my July 2011 version of The virtuoso.
People's attitudes are funny. They spend $20 a pound for coffee and yet are resistant to a $450 grinder which will grind at least 500 pounds. That is $10000 for coffee vs $450 for a vey long term grinder. Even if one were to spend 1/3 as much for coffee, we are still talking about the value of coffee being many multiples of the grinder clost.
I would suggest getting the best grinder one can afford and not focus on whether x is a good deal. If I were spending $10000 on coffee or even half that over time, I would treat that coffee with thei best grinder I .can muster.
Posted Thu Mar 29, 2012, 9:36am Subject: Re: Would a Vario be "wasted" as a drip-only grinder,
jaybar Said:
I am using the vario-w with the metal burrs. Well worth the money I can't speak for others, but there is no comparison between the vario-w and my July 2011 version of The virtuoso.
People's attitudes are funny. They spend $20 a pound for coffee and yet are resistant to a $450 grinder which will grind at least 500 pounds. That is $10000 for coffee vs $450 for a vey long term grinder. Even if one were to spend 1/3 as much for coffee, we are still talking about the value of coffee being many multiples of the grinder clost.
I would suggest getting the best grinder one can afford and not focus on whether x is a good deal. If I were spending $10000 on coffee or even half that over time, I would treat that coffee with thei best grinder I .can muster.
In this case though, the post was about a Vario being wasted as a drip only grinder. IMO (also based one much of what I have read), the Vario's drip and coarse grinds are less consistent when compared to grounds coming from the Preciso burrs (whether in a Preciso or Virtuoso). From that point of view, the user is much better off with a Virtuoso if they are only grinding for drip. The Vario wins in the espresso department with the ceramic burrs and sounds like it excels in the drip range with the metal burrs. As of now, there are no comparisons between the drip grinds with the metal Vario burrs and the Preciso burrs.
Personally, I have a Preciso with an Esatto attachment and couldn't be happier. The grind quality is fantastic. If I could go back to square one before I bought the Preciso, I would still choose the Preciso over the Vario with metal burrs simply because the added cost of the Vario + metal burrs does not justify the differences between the two machines for me. This is all personal preference. On the other hand, if someone is looking for a quality burr grinder, I would rather recommend a grinder like the Virtuoso or Vario (depending on the type of coffee they seek to make) than recommend a cheaper unit. That is unless the cheaper unit provides the same quality in the grounds.
I completely agree with you though. I went from a $30 hand mill to the Preciso more or less. I did my research, found the grinder that matched my needs, and didn't think twice about the price tag. If I had been looking for a grinder to do mainly espresso and some drip coffee here or there, I would have purchased a Vario or Vario W without hesitation. It's all an investment.
jaybar Senior Member Joined: 13 Sep 2011 Posts: 111 Location: Brooklyn Expertise: Just starting
Posted Thu Mar 29, 2012, 10:00am Subject: Re: Would a Vario be "wasted" as a drip-only grinder,
I disagree about being better off with a virtuoso if only for drip. I had a virtuoso and now have a vario-w. I have lost the bitter taste I was often getting with my virtuoso. I only brew chemex.
My first choice would be the Vario with metal burrs. Second would be the Preciso.
The very fact that Baratza have released a set of metal burrs for the Vario for non espresso use instead of the ceramic says that the metal burrs are more suitable than the ceramic burrs for your purpose.
If I had the money I'd go for a commercial Mahlkoenig for brewing which would cost several times the Vario with metal burrs, so I'd say that this would certainly not be over kill.
Posted Thu Mar 29, 2012, 11:14am Subject: Re: sDFD
jaybar Said:
I disagree about being better off with a virtuoso if only for drip. I had a virtuoso and now have a vario-w. I have lost the bitter taste I was often getting with my virtuoso. I only brew chemex.
I don't doubt that the cups taste better with the Vario W and metal burrs in comparison to your Virtuoso. There have been two notable upgrades to the Virtuoso recently. One was the near hear box that further stabilizes the burrs and makes everything a bit more rugged. They also added a brand new burr set that produces noticeably very consistent grinds. More consistent than the old burr set. I am sure the metal Vario burrs are a large step up in quality over the old Virtuoso burr set, which were very standard as far as I know. With these upgrades, the new Virtuosos and Precisos are excellent drip/coarse grinders.
From my point of view, based on the limited information out there about the new Vario burr set, they do an excellent job with coarse grinds. Similarly, the Preciso burrs in the Virtuoso and Preciso are excellent based on lots of user experience/formal reviews. I am not knocking the Vario-W with metal burrs in any way. I am just saying that it would appear that both produce fantastic grinds, just at different prices. Obviously, if one has the money to spend, they may be more swayed to go with a Vario + metal burrs. It really all depends on the buyer, their needs, and their budget.
Posted Thu Mar 29, 2012, 11:58am Subject: Re: Would a Vario be "wasted" as a drip-only grinder,
jaybar Said:
I disagree about being better off with a virtuoso if only for drip. I had a virtuoso and now have a vario-w. I have lost the bitter taste I was often getting with my virtuoso. I only brew chemex.
youre getting bitter taste from the virtuoso? i wouldnt blame the grinder. it's been well documented by many users that the virtuoso is an excellent choice for drip coffee. i own one(older burrs) and i have never felt it was the reason for coffee to taste bitter. actually, my coffee rarely EVER tastes bitter.
you may want to adjust your brewing parameters(ratio, temp, grind size/drain time, etc).
also, the virtuoso uses conical burrs and the vario uses flat burrs. typically the conical will bring out the brighter notes of the coffee and the flat will make for a bit more balanced coffee with more body.
Posted Thu Mar 29, 2012, 12:02pm Subject: Re: Would a Vario be "wasted" as a drip-only grinder,
frank828 Said:
youre getting bitter taste from the virtuoso? i wouldnt blame the grinder. it's been well documented by many users that the virtuoso is an excellent choice for drip coffee. i own one(older burrs) and i have never felt it was the reason for coffee to taste bitter. actually, my coffee rarely EVER tastes bitter.
you may want to adjust your brewing parameters(ratio, temp, grind size/drain time, etc).
also, the virtuoso uses conical burrs and the vario uses flat burrs. typically the conical will bring out the brighter notes of the coffee and the flat will make for a bit more balanced coffee with more body.
I hadn't thought about the conical vs. flat different. How big of an impact do the burr types have in the drip settings? I know that flat and conical grinders produce very different espresso profiles, so does this apply also to drip coffee? I've only ever used a conical burr grinder with light roasts, so I am after those bright fruity cups.
Posted Thu Mar 29, 2012, 12:10pm Subject: Re: Would a Vario be "wasted" as a drip-only grinder,
Sam21 Said:
I hadn't thought about the conical vs. flat different. How big of an impact do the burr types have in the drip settings? I know that flat and conical grinders produce very different espresso profiles, so does this apply also to drip coffee? I've only ever used a conical burr grinder with light roasts, so I am after those bright fruity cups.
thinking about it...are there even any/many flat burr grinders designed for drip coffee? nothing really comes to mind except the big commercial ditting/mahlkonig stuff.
i'm picking up a super jolly tonight and if i get a chance, i may attempt to do a blind tasting between the virtuoso and SJ.
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