I would never argue against the Forte, but the basic Vario with ceramic burr set has a lot to be said for it for home espresso use. I'm sure dosing by weight appeals to some of the most technical among us, but dosing by 1/10 second intervals is fairly precise for the rest. And the way to really make the Vario shine is by adding the Forte portaholder. It fits fine, is beautifully made, and includes what amounts to a small funnel so coffee slides right into the portafilter with no muss, no fuss, and no mess. There are better grinder set-ups for espresso out there, but there are not better grinder set-ups out there for the money.

Dooglas wrote:There are better grinder set-ups for espresso out there, but there are not better grinder set-ups out there for the money.

+1

When I was looking for an espresso only grinder, I had considered the Mazzer Mini-E also. At that price point I could not justify the purchase. At the time I was able to purchase the E37s for 174.00 more. It was a no-brainer for me.

Good luck in your search

JR_Germantown wrote:For what it's worth, I was about to pull the trigger on a Mini E and they were out of short hoppers. Then the Baratza Forte got my attention. :/

Still hoping for some feedback on that topic.

Since the Vario is now out of the picture completely, I'd lock this topic (if I could). Feedback is still needed, especially from Forté owners in my Forté topic.

Thanks.
Jack