IMAWriter Senior Member Joined: 4 Jul 2002 Posts: 5,476 Location: Brentwood, TN Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Nothing at the moment Grinder: Vario-W,Preciso-Esatto/KyM... Vac Pot: Adcraft SS, Yama 8 cup Drip: Brazen.Chemex, Hario, Clever... Roaster: Behmor 1600, CO/UFO combo
Posted Fri Oct 19, 2012, 2:10pm Subject: Re: The Baratza Vario Grinder Owner's Thread
Intrepid510 Said:
Hey guys, do you ever run into the problem of not being able to grind fine enough for light roasts? I am thinking of getting a Vario, but I am a little uneasy since there are some light roasts that my Preciso just cant grind fine enough even when up dosing. Current problem roast is Primes from Ritual.
Posted Fri Oct 19, 2012, 7:33pm Subject: Re: The Baratza Vario Grinder Owner's Thread
I'm a late-comer to this thread, and this grinder -- just acquired one used for a good price. So far, when dialed in, it's been the best grinder I've had to date, but the single-dose dialing process has been frustrating, and this could be a problem if my partner winds up using it more often for her pour-over. Granted I'm not weighing every dose; I very unscientifically toss one flat aero-scoop in there, although I always start out weighing enough of those with a given coffee to feel confident that it's within a 1g margin of error. I don't think it should take 3 sink-shots every morning to account for that variable, given an otherwise stable technique & Livietta. I apologize if this issue has been addressed before, but my specific questions are these:
1) Has anyone encountered a loose micro-adjuster? If so, is there an easy fix? It happened once that I actually eye-witnessed the knob slide a couple notches down the dial upon activating the grinder. I've only seen this happen once so far, but the knob always feels pretty loose to me, like it could be seated more assertively and/or slide with more confidence-inspiring tension.
2) I've read about some people's occasional problem of getting the grinder to "settle" into a new setting after adjusting. My question to the Vario public is: On average, how much coffee do you find is needed through the burrs before it settles? Should just a few sprinkled pre-dose beans do the trick, or should I expect/accept a full sink-shot or two for every slide of the adjuster?
greekespresso Senior Member Joined: 27 Jul 2011 Posts: 172 Location: Ptolemaida, Greece Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Rancilio Silvia V3, Gaggia... Grinder: Mahlkönig Vario Home, Anfim...
Posted Fri Oct 19, 2012, 11:47pm Subject: Re: The Baratza Vario Grinder Owner's Thread
OriginCharacter Said:
...
1) Has anyone encountered a loose micro-adjuster? If so, is there an easy fix? It happened once that I actually eye-witnessed the knob slide a couple notches down the dial upon activating the grinder. I've only seen this happen once so far, but the knob always feels pretty loose to me, like it could be seated more assertively and/or slide with more confidence-inspiring tension.
Posted Mon Nov 5, 2012, 3:00pm Subject: Re: The Baratza Vario Grinder Owner's Thread
does anyone know how to replace the bottom burr carrier on the vario? my burr looks to have a crack in it . I thought just removing the burr would let it screw out but it didnt budge and I dont want to force it until I find out for sure. I did notice my set screw heads are above the burrs alittle on top and bottom but are tight, not sure if this is normal but I do hear metal clanking while I grind.wonder if there was some defective burr carriers,or burrs with the holes not deep enough?only8 months old so I doubt from wear.
michaelgo Senior Member Joined: 21 Jan 2012 Posts: 92 Location: Rancho Cucamonga, CA Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Breville 900XL Grinder: Baratza Vario
Posted Thu Nov 8, 2012, 6:28pm Subject: Re: The Baratza Vario Grinder Owner's Thread
Hello all. Today I received my Vario after spending a year with Breville SmartGrinder. I know there is tons of information in this thread that I'll have to wade my way through, but anyone have quick tips or wish to refer me to a specific topic here to search for to maybe lessen my setup and testing time? My current process is to weigh every dose, but that was because of the inconsistencies of the SG. I'm hoping this grinder is a bit more controllable.
My beans are purchased (the GF won't let me get into roasting yet LOL) from a local company and generally used within 2 weeks. I don't go for the dark, oily stuff but wouldn't be able to tell you where they fall, mostly a medium roast I would guess. If that makes a difference.
Anyway, thanks in advance, can't wait to make my first cup in the morning.
Posted Thu Nov 15, 2012, 6:58pm Subject: Re: The Baratza Vario Grinder Owner's Thread
Thanks for the tip, greekespresso. As an update to my query: I contacted Baratza and asked them for shims. They replied pretty quickly and sent the shims free of charge. It took a while to find the time to make the installation, but a couple days ago i got it done and was pleased with how simple and straightforward the process was. The adjusters now feel firmly in place, and I've enjoyed a good couple stretches of consistent grinds. There are still some headscratching moments of making adjustments to go finer and then pulling a shot that somehow runs even faster than the last, but in the end the trial and error has been paying off.
apfeltorte Senior Member Joined: 4 Dec 2012 Posts: 3 Location: Melbourne Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Tue Dec 4, 2012, 7:21pm Subject: Re: The Baratza Vario Grinder Owner's Thread
Hi there,
I was wondering if the owners of the Vario-W could help with this...I was told by an Australian seller that the Vario-W came with a steel burr set specifically designed for pour over and french press coffee, and would therefore be pretty much unsuitable for espresso. But it seems from this thread and others, that people are using the Vario-W just fine for espresso, so what's a noob to believe? Is this maybe a new version of the Vario-W? I thought it came initially with the ceramic burrs...
Any advice appreciated, I was really excited about the weight based grinding and am now just utterly confused. :)
IMAWriter Senior Member Joined: 4 Jul 2002 Posts: 5,476 Location: Brentwood, TN Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Nothing at the moment Grinder: Vario-W,Preciso-Esatto/KyM... Vac Pot: Adcraft SS, Yama 8 cup Drip: Brazen.Chemex, Hario, Clever... Roaster: Behmor 1600, CO/UFO combo
Posted Tue Dec 4, 2012, 10:02pm Subject: Re: The Baratza Vario Grinder Owner's Thread
apfeltorte Said:
Hi there,
I was wondering if the owners of the Vario-W could help with this...I was told by an Australian seller that the Vario-W came with a steel burr set specifically designed for pour over and french press coffee, and would therefore be pretty much unsuitable for espresso. But it seems from this thread and others, that people are using the Vario-W just fine for espresso, so what's a noob to believe? Is this maybe a new version of the Vario-W? I thought it came initially with the ceramic burrs...
Any advice appreciated, I was really excited about the weight based grinding and am now just utterly confused. :)
Kat, welcome to CG. AFAIK, (and I own a Vario-W) the ceramic butt is the preferred burr for espresso, as well as all around grinding. The metal burr is designed specifically for those doing pour-over, vac and French press. I am happy to stand corrected if this is not so. Perhaps Kyle or Kyra will weigh in here. You could also go to the Baratza web site for more information, or perhaps PM a member using the metal burr. Most of us are OK with a PM now and then!
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