Looking for advice or options on what I could/ should do to "upgrade". Have a Baratza Vario now (wish I would have purchased the "W" version outright but, live and learn), however, I'm not all that happy with the quality of the coarser grinds for press pots and pour overs. For espresso, no problem, I've got it adjusted, dialed in and am quite happy with the results, other than the constant weighing before and after the grind. I suppose with more experience I'll be able to do away with that step and do it more by feel but for now, it helps with my consistency.

More to the point, I'm considering upgrading, it's more of a lateral move I suppose, and purchasing the Vario "W" version solely for grinding espresso. I like the idea of not having to weigh out every shot before grinding along with the precision of the machine weighing it for you.Then swapping out the stock ceramic burrs with the new Ditting metal burrs in the older machine and keep it expressly for pour over and French press grinding. Should be a little less than $600 all said and done for the both the new W Vario and Ditting burrs. I'll get the p convenience and precision of weighted shots with the "W" Vario and the timer function on the older machine will be more than adequate for the larger doses used with the French press and Pour overs. The other option would of course would be, just buy a cheaper dedicated coarse grinder(ideas?) at probably half the price of going the former route.

My bio, it's only me drinking coffee at home and I usually alternate between doing a French press or Clever dripper (or maybe two a day) one day and Espresso/Cappuccino the next. However, I could also be easily persuaded to go another way and get a doserless heavy duty grinder(my only real complaint with the Baratza's/ they feel a little on the light side) and open to any suggestions. Size is an issue, fitting under the cabinets, and why I leaned towards the Vario in the firs place.

Thanks in advance.

Funny, I just posted about my frustration with the Vario, though those are not unique to the W version.

My two cents - Vario/Vario-W is great when it works. But it does not like any variable change - weather, age of beans, certainly not a new blend - any of these seem to require a couple tossed shots. Sometimes more. If I were to do it over again, I'd probably go with a sub-titan level grinder like the K8 Fresh or Pro-M. I'm considering doing that anyway.

If Baratza had a espresso-dedicated Vario-W with a worm gear adjustment I'd be all over it, given that it is an otherwise great grinder at a great price. They try to please everyone by allowing highly different grind settings, but I would never go from espresso to press and back again and expect to be back where I started on this thing, even on the same setting. The little numbers give you a rough estimate of how close the burrs are, but that's it.

Hi Wallace. I can empathize with you on the difficulties of getting a good press grind (from what I gather, many espresso grinders fall down somewhat on coarser grinds) and the desire to have a dedicated espresso grinder and one for other applications.
Before I give my 2 cents, I have to confess that I am a "value for money" as my first priority kind of guy, so that colors my opinion. If you are totally against grinding beans by hand, then don't waste your time reading on. If you are OK with hand grinders (and as a lever owner, I'm assuming you'll at least be somewhat open to them), perhaps an Orphan Espresso LIDO might be a good fit.
When I was researching my jump into espresso, I determined that an Orphan Espresso Pharos hand grinder would be for my first foray into "real" grinders, and I am very glad I chose it. Quickly, though, I realized that switching back and forth between espresso and press (which I do pretty much daily) made it very difficult to keep consistent grind size from day to day. Thus, I decided I needed a press grinder (since the Pharos is optimized for espresso, larger bean volumes don't work very well in it), and bought a LIDO hand grinder from Orphan Espresso since I was so happy with the Pharos. The LIDO ran me around $165, and I am finding the coffee excellent.
I'm certainly not someone who has owned many high-end grinders, but I have tasted a lot of coffee. The LIDO isn't a Ditting batch grinder, but it's excellent in my opinion. The build quality seems great, and the service from OE is top notch. I'm assuming that it's the last grinder I'll ever buy.
There are, of course, many grinders to choose from, but for well under $200, you can get what I feel is an excellent quality grinder, new. All the best with whatever you choose.

Jason & Jamie

Thanks for the replies, both were very insightful and helped shape my decision. After several hours worth of reading, last night and again today. I decided to get the Pharos, in fact I just pulled the trigger on one! And then upgrade the Vario with the new Ditting burrs and just use it as a dedicated "coarse" grinding machine. I think that gives me the most bang for the buck too.

Thanks again!

Hi Wallace. I think you made a great decision. Enjoy your Pharos, and Ditting burrs.