Say I want to free myself from the Varios stepped adjustment.

Is there are stepless grinder, other than the Superjolly, that rivals the Varios grind quality? (need not matter if its doser/doserless, rocker/timer)

Is there a particular reason you need to go stepless? Word on the street is that the steps between each micro adjust on the Vario exceed the majority of users needs. From what it seems, most people adjust 3-4 microclicks before they get a noticeable change in flowrate.

No particular reason. Never have used one and curious.

I've never used the Vario but I love the stepless adjust on the Macaps. Worm drive is nice and smooth and does not drift. Minimal effort to adjust compared to the Mazzer SJ. I am able to dial in easily and I still have a ton of room for extra fine settings for light roasts or ristretto. It's also pretty easy to clean. Word of caution tho regarding stepless.. Re-calibrating can take longer compared to stepped. Adding a few marks with a china pen helps tho. If your looking for espresso only I think it's great but if your going to jump around grind settings stick with the Vario. The MC4 is within your price range. The M4 digital at SGC just wen't down to $599.

MC4: http://www.1st-line.com/store/pc/Macap- ... -p3960.htm
M4D: https://www.seattlecoffeegear.com/macap ... ss-grinder

I can't think of a grinder I'd rather have for under $600 more than a used Super Jolly.

I've owned the Vario, the M4, and the Super Jolly over time. All three have their own virtues, but if I had to have just one for espresso there is no question it would be the Super Jolly. In fact, it is the only one of the three I haven't parted with. My impression (without blind tasting) was that that the M4 was an enormous step up from my cheap burr grinder and then that the Vario and SJ were a not huge, but nontrivial step up from the M4. The Vario and SJ struck me as comparable in the cup. I love the Vario interface and for a while preferred it to the Super Jolly for that reason, but I did have occasional issues with my Vario especially if I wanted to go back and forth from coffee to espresso and that finally tipped the scales for me in favor of the SJ. That said you couldn't ask for a better company in terms of standing behind their product. Even long after the warranty had expired I called with an issue and they took care of me. I wouldn't expect that to happen at Mazzer if I had a problem. Baratza you can basically get the president of the company on the phone at the drop of a hat even if you are a nobody (like me) because they really are made up of great people who care about making the customers happy.

I would certainly not avoid the Vario due to your concern about stepped adjustment. The micro steps of the Vario are so fine that this is not an issue in my opinion. I use a Vario for espresso, and a Virtuoso for drip and press. I have found these to be an excellent combination at a modest investment.

I do like my Vario and have no problem with the stepped settings and find the micros adjustments more than suitable. Never having used a stepless grinder I am not sure how it would compare and was/is curious.

It seems the Macap M4, or any other grinder in this price range, will not rival the Vario (besides the SJ). I am not willing to spend money on a lower end Baratza, due to my negative past experience with them. Also the Breville Smart Grinder for drip does not excite me.

I will most likely wait a bit longer and expand my budget for a large conical burr grinder. From reading further the SJ seems to be messy affair. I am strongly considering the HG-One. I like the aesthetics, ease of cleaning, and ease of making adjustments. It will take about an extra 15-25 sec. to grind 18 grams compared to the Vario. Haha the sacrifices I will make for an excellent espresso

Thank you everyone for sharing your thoughts and advice!

I think that is an excellent choice. The HG one will make you happy for a long time to come!