Hi, will be getting 2 lbs of beans in several days & thinking of junking my MDF for the Baratza Vario. Is this simple to use. I'm technically stupid.... Thanks!

I would say yes. Just push the button. Changing the preprogrammed timers is also very easy, didn't even need to open the manual for that.

But you should still read the manual...

Does anyone use this grinder with a Gaggia Classic? I know the timer appears to be factory set for espresso grind for 10 seconds. I have nevered measured with a scale my beans. How I have always done it is I use either 1/2 cup of beans, sometimes 3/4 of a cup of beans to grind. How do I know that adding 1/2 cup of beans to the hopper is going to just require 10 seconds to grind? They must base 10 seconds for espresso on an amount of beans put in hopper? HELP.
Also, if someone has a Classic, do you put the Macro on 1 and the micro on 12? HELP again. Thanks for the patience!

The Vario's timer factory settings are not for espresso or any other type of brewing. They are just factory settings which you are meant to adjust for your needs. You change the timer duration by using the arrow buttons and then hold one of the three preset buttons until the display blinks. You've just programmed a new timer duration for that preset button!

Each blend of espresso will grind differently. Say you want to grind 17g. Some blends could take 14 seconds to grind this much, others could take 18 seconds. It's not an absolute.

You really should have a proper scale that's accurate to 0.1g in order to properly dial in an espresso blend.

1 Grind beans.

2 Weigh out 17g of the grounds, place in the PF and brew.

3 Adjust grinder based on step #2's brew success or failure.

4 Using the adjusted grinder settings from step #3, grind and weigh 17g and place in PF and brew.

5 Repeat until you've found the correct grinder setting.

Once your beans are "dialed in" you can play around with different dosages and grind settings. I just picked 17g as a starting point for a double basket.

nixter wrote:You really should have a proper scale that's accurate to 0.1g in order to properly dial in an espresso blend.

Yes, and you can get great ones on eBay for about $6/$10 shipped.

... or if you can afford it, buy the Vario W with an integrated scale.

I had the regular Vario and now have the Vario W. The W saves me the extra measuring step and creates a little less wasted grounds.

Just saw your other thread about the MDF. Can't help you with a buyer, but that was my first grinder which I got several years ago used for about 100 bucks. At the time, I think that was a little less than half its retail price. I don't know if it was in as good condition as yours, although I recall it was only a year old.

The spring worked when I got it, but broke soon after! Just like you I continued to use it, toggling the lever like a mad man, and it worked fine. But I think you made the right call upgrading.

In my case, I stuck with the MDF for a very long time while I exhaustively, obsessively researched and sought out my next grinder. I finally got one last year. A Baratza Vario!

For me, it turned out to be absolutely the right call. Hope it will be for you too.

You can also use the manual dosing button if you don't want to deal with setting the timer. But setting the timer is really easy to do, and it makes life much easier once you have it dialed in.

The grind settings will vary depending on the type of beans you're using, the machine, the weather, etc. It's not possible for us to tell you which settings will work with your machine, since we can't predict how your setup will respond to the unique beans and environment you'll be working with. Just experiment and see what works for you.

Generally speaking, you're looking to pull a two ounce shot in about 25-30 seconds. If it's running too fast, grind finer. If it's choking or running too slow, grind coarser. Keep experimenting until you get results that work for you.

And a final note: make sure your beans are really fresh (less than two weeks out of the roaster, not fresh from the supermarket) and high quality. Otherwise, no amount of fiddling with grinder settings is going to help. Your shots are still going to be disappointing.

The Vario is a great grinder, could not be simpler to use.