Hi,
Just got my Vario hopper on, portafilter doser set in & tomorrow will try grinding some beans for espresso. I will be pairing this grinder with a Gaggia Classic machine.
In the manual it said you have to have the grinder running before you change the Macro. It appeared on one video on YouTube that the woman changed the micro & macro without the machine grinding. HELP. Also, what marking on the micro and macro would you have this on for use with a Gaggia Classic espresso machine?
Also this calibration tool it comes with.....do I HAVE to do anything with that to start off using my machine, or is this only in special cases?
Thanks!!!

If you move the burrs closer while grounds are between them without the motor running, they may bind and stall the motor. If you're moving the burrs further apart, no need to worry about running the motor. As for the initial grind setting, I would start at two clicks away from the most finest on the macro setting and in the middle for micro. Or, better yet, read Fine tuning grinder setting with minimum waste and figure out the correct setting yourself.

I didn't need to calibrate the Vario out of the box, but some people do in order for it to grind fine enough. Your instruction manual describes the steps, the Baratza website has a troubleshooting guide, and there's youtube videos showing the steps. Here's one I found with the help of Google:



BTW, new burrs often need some "break in" time before the grind settings are stable. For a small grinder like the Vario, I would run a pound or two of stale coffee through it before testing (for big grinders, I run at least 2-3 pounds and ideally 5). It's not absolutely required, but keep in mind the grind setting may drift as the burrs settle in. See Do grinder settings change while breaking in? for discussion.

chanty 77 wrote:In the manual it said you have to have the grinder running before you change the Macro. It appeared on one video on YouTube that the woman changed the micro & macro without the machine grinding.

The original manual from 2008 said (still found on 1st-line website using Google):

Note: Partially ground coffee beans may remain between the burrs after the grinder is turned off, adjusting the grind may be easier when the grinder is running.

Dan,
Thank you! I have no grounds in the machine, as it is brand spanking new fresh out of the box. So if there are no beans/grounds in the machine yet--can I move the Macro lever down a couple and the Micro down to mid point without the machine grinder being run? Sorry if I'm confused..

If there are no grounds in the grind chamber, there's no need to run the motor when changing the grind setting, though it certainly does no harm if you do.

I didn't think I was so dumb.... I'm frustrated right now....I have a Gaggia Classic, and I put the MACRO on the Vario on the 1st notch down. Then I started out putting the MICRO about 1/2 way (9 notches ). Flow way too fast. Tried Notch 6 from top, flow still too fast. Ran out of beans. Hope I don't have to use that precision tool. I mean, that is in extreme uses, right??? Arghhh
My tamping is normal, so it's not that I'm not tamping firm enough. Maybe the MACRO should not be moved at all?

Did you do the coffee grounds "feel test" as suggested in Fine tuning grinder setting with minimum waste? Or check the calibration zero point as suggested in the video above? While I'm asking questions... how many grams of coffee are you using? Are you using the pressurized basket (the one with the tiny hole on the bottom) or the commercial basket?

Grinds feel very fine. Using pressurized gaggia portafilter basket(has two holes). Never used a scale, put 1/4 cup of beans in at a time. I don't want to try the calibration tool until trying more beans.

I don't recommend pressurized portafilters; Alan said it best:

Alan Frew wrote:Pressurized portafilters and pressurized filter baskets come in many guises, but they basically have a single purpose: to allow the customer to get the appearance of acceptable crema from stale, poorly ground supermarket coffee.

That said, if you're getting fast pours from a pressurized portafilter, the grind setting is way, way too coarse or you don't have enough coffee (1/4 cup? Sorry, you lost me there).

Dan, I've never had a scale, and normally this has worked for me. To get 2 double size, I use the portafilter twice. To get the amount of coffee I need ground, I use 2- 1/4 cup (measuring cups) or a 1/2 cup. I grind 1/4 cup first in case I have to play with the grind. I use the portafilter that came with the Gaggia Classic. They send a pressurized porta. with the unit.