Socalsteve wrote:I went to go look at the Vario at a local coffee house and wasnt impressed by the fit or finish of it. It just looked plasticy and not well built. Sitting next to it was a Mazzer Mini Electronic A...There is absolutely NO comparison between the 2 grinders. The Mazzer looked like it would make it through WW III and come out shiny...
Some hints:
The Vario as been tested and compared to many grinders. See
Baratza Vario Grinder - Second Look, particularly this post:
Baratza Vario Grinder - Second Look"The twin Elektra Test or Can it Beat the Compak WBC?"another_jim wrote:Our plan was to do 4 pairs against the Compak, with 2 pairs of each coffee, and 8 pairs with the Mini, with 4 pairs for each coffee.
But the Vario spanked the Mini three times in a row on the Black Cat, and edged it three times in a row on the Bonko. The Vario tasted silky and buttery, while the Mini tasted angular and edgy. On one Bonko shot, we thought the edgy flavor on the Mini was slightly better, but the mouthfeel edge of the Vario was too much. That was on the final shot, and we knew by then which grinder was which.
So we promoted the Vario to the Titan league, and did six shots against the Compak. Here we had two slight slight wins by the Compak, two by the Vario and two ties. We never could tell which grinder was which. On this day, the Vario played in the Titan league and won.
Ending with:
another_jim wrote:If this result holds up for all the test grinders, and the grinder is reliable, the Vario is the espresso bargain of the year.
Recognizing that the Mini-E is a different beast than the Mini, the Vario still plays in the Titan league and should produce a grind comparable to those grinders (Cimbali Max, Robur, Kony, etc.) (search for the Titan Grinder Project for more details).
Maybe someone else can say how the Mini-E fits in/out of this league.
Of course, the Vario durability still needs to be proven...
by Socalsteve on Mon Jan 10, 2011 4:08 pm 
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