Hello,

I am very new to the home espresso world. I decided a while back that I would love to start learning how to make espresso at home, but I decided to look around for a bit for a good deal on a machine, since I was in no hurry. Well, I searched around on Craigslist, and, about 6 months later, I finally found a very slightly used Silvia for a great price. I bought her and everything; however, I still have no grinder to use so I still can't start... and I am in something of a hurry, since I have a machine on my counter that I can't really use ;P

My budget for a grinder is about $300-375ish. It would be used primarily with my Silvia, but also I would use it from time to time with my french press and drip machine. Noise and looks aren't all that important to me, but grind quality and reliability are. I really want to buy a grinder that I can keep (and will still be working. . .) if/when I upgrade from my Silvia (in a few years?).

I have been looking around the forums here and at CG and it seems to me that my options are a refurbished Vario from Baratza (http://www.baratza.com/cgi-bin/commerce...n&key=885R) for $360, a new Preciso for $300, or a new Rocky for $350. Any advice on which to choose? I am thinking not Rocky, as it seems like it has a worse grind(?) and is less adjustable than the Baratzas. The refurbished Vario is what I would really like, but is getting a refurb a good decision? It does has a six-month warranty, which is okay, but is buying a refurbished grinder just asking for trouble or is it a good choice? Could the Preciso do basically what the Vario does for less? I have seen some reviews that say that it is a good budget choice, especially with the burr change, but for $60 should I just get the Vario?

Sorry if this question has already been asked or if it's a dumb question. . . just looking for some advice before I buy

A refurbished product oftentimes goes through many more quality control checks than one that is new. The Vario at $360 looks like a "steal".

+1

I've purchased several refurb Baratza products for relatives.

All flawless.

I have been using a refurbished one for six months now without any problems . And I also had excellent service from Baratza when I purchased it. Make sure your follow the directions in the manual that says to change the Macro Grind Setting while the grinder is running

Good luck
Geoffrey

+1 on the Vario, its a fantastic espresso (and all around) grinder. Plus Kyle and Kyra at Baratza are top notch folks active in this community. Grade A people, company and products.

Order the Vario without hesitation. You'll love it.

P.S- Good call on skipping the Rocky.

I'd like to join in on the chorus of praise for Baratza. I purchased a Preciso 3 months ago (not refurbished) and could not be happier with it. Great products, great company, with great people who support their customers.

Cheers!

i purchased a refurbished virtuoso (not the same model, i know) four years ago and it has worked flawlessly. baratza support is second to none- i would not hesitate to purchase a refurb again from them.

jim

Thanks a bunch for the replies! I feel a lot better after hearing good stories about various Baratzas and refurbs (especially the four-year-old virtuoso), partly because I have never really bought anything refurbished before. . . my gut instinct is that it would be a "lemon", but really it would make sense that they are better tested, and anyways I guess that, if it is some sort of lemon, any problems would probably appear within the six months. Also good to hear about their service - nothing worse than dealing with bad customer service (had a nightmare experience after buying directly from Panasonic over Christmas break. . . ugh). Anyways, I think that I will go ahead and order the Vario soon, as I don't want it to go out of stock, and, having thought about it some more, I decided that it seems to be pretty well worth the extra $60

GB: Yes! I read about that earlier, and I'm really glad I did. . . I honestly would not have thought to do that had I not read it. My first thought really would have been to not run it while changing grind settings, but now I understand why that is wrong.

Tim: Haha, yeah the Rocky sounded good at first (esp to go with Silvia), but it just seems like the Baratzas offer quite a bit more for the same price. I mean, maybe it's just the threads that I have read, but I didn't see a whole lot of big Rocky recommendations, while the Vario seemed to be well recommended.

Thanks again everyone!