Baratza Vario or Vario W?

Recommendations for buyers and upgraders from the site's members.
jgottlieb
Posts: 35
Joined: 12 years ago

#1: Post by jgottlieb »

I'm looking to upgrade from my Rocky which has served me well to a Vario or Vario W. From what I understand the W weighs the actual grounds which seems like a neat concept, but in reality, is it worth the extra $100?

I'd love to hear from anyone that has used both or has a strong opinion on either. I figure if I'm going to spent $400-$500 or so on a grinder I'm not going to stress over the $100 dollar difference, but at the same time I don't want to just throw money away on what amounts to a pointless feature.

Also, and I don't know if this is the right place to ask this, but I'm looking to sell my Rocky. I'm going to put a brand new hopper in it and as far as I can tell the burrs are great. Any thoughts on what it might be worth?

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jsolanzo
Posts: 108
Joined: 12 years ago

#2: Post by jsolanzo »

If using mostly espresso, I'd do normal vario. If you want to weigh out your grinds or use it mostly for drip I'd get the w. it comes down to your preference
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pacificmanitou
Posts: 1302
Joined: 12 years ago

#3: Post by pacificmanitou »

A vario w doesn't grind directly into a portafilter, only a catch cup, if that makes a difference. I find my vario to be plenty consistent with times dosing.

This probably is the wrong place to inquire about market value, but I've seen the current model go for $250, and the older, brown plastic version go for $175 or so. This is like new condition on eBay, where prices tend to be higher. This is just my experience from watching them sell. I would check the used market before you sell for a benchmark price, and for how many are available at the time. You can probably get a better price with less on the market.
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localhost127
Posts: 19
Joined: 11 years ago

#4: Post by localhost127 »

jgottlieb wrote:but in reality, is it worth the extra $100?
imho, yes. i went from rocky doserless to vario-w and haven't looked back.

-it removes clutter, as a separate scale is no longer required
-it speeds up the process by removing as step - as taring the scale with the empty basket and then pouring & weighting the coffee is no longer required
-it removes mess. i no longer have any grounds clean-up as the vario-w grinds directly into a bin and you can use the bin to pour the grounds into the portafilter (over the sink).

these factors alone were certainly worth the additional $100 for the '-w' model imho.
it's nice not having to fuss with a separate scale and worry about clean-up when making a shot in what little time i have before work in the morning.

pacificmanitou
Posts: 1302
Joined: 12 years ago

#5: Post by pacificmanitou »

Once you've calibrated using a scale, there is no reason to weigh, since the timed dosing is fairly accurate. Having a scale on the counter is unnecessary unless you're particularly anal about accurate doses. The workflow of a vario w adds an extra step that would inconvenience me quite a bit.
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another_jim
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Joined: 19 years ago

#6: Post by another_jim »

jgottlieb wrote:I'm looking to upgrade from my Rocky which has served me well to a Vario or Vario W. From what I understand the W weighs the actual grounds which seems like a neat concept, but in reality, is it worth the extra $100?
It is under two conditions:
1. if you already weigh your doses
2. if you do not single dose (in which case, you would weigh the unground beans, not the ground ones.)
Jim Schulman