I have a Monolith Max and a hyper-aligned Vario but with the key metal Forte bits installed by Baratza. Using the steel brew burrs which have the look of being pretty unimodal, I can't tell which makes espresso I like better if I alternate shots over the day. I am going to have to start making them side by side and taste testing that way.

The Baratza ceramic burrs seem to be more multi modal and versatile for a wider variety of coffees, when you're not chasing that singular high EY point... Which IMO is not the best approach for all coffees anyway.

-Peter

cccpu wrote:Single dosing the Forté with the default BG hopper is a little less than ideal.

I have 0 issues with this.
0.1 - 0.2g retention at the VERY MOST. Have you flipped the flap on yours? I never RDT and have no static issues at all.

jerbear00 wrote:My 2 cents:

If the monolith is what you want just wait until you can get what you want. Otherwise, you will feel you made a compromise and will likely regret the "middle step."

You're probably correct. It'll likely be next year at the earliest that I could get a Monolith Flat. I'm not entirely sure the MAX is desirable for the kinds of coffees I prefer (medium roast - slightly dark roast).

In the mean time my espresso equipment dealer often has 6 month no payment no interest plans come up so I always like to know if there is a viable alternative out there in case I'm feeling impulsive some morning at 2am.

PIXIllate wrote:I have 0 issues with this.
0.1 - 0.2g retention at the VERY MOST. Have you flipped the flap on yours? I never RDT and have no static issues at all.

Flipping the flapper is huge. I also use the old school plain, non-shutoff, simple hopper. Clean flow to the burrs when single dosing.

-Peter

I've flipped the flapper, I just haven't got the other hopper style.

pcrussell50 wrote:Flipping the flapper is huge. I also use the old school plain, non-shutoff, simple hopper. Clean flow to the burrs when single dosing.

-Peter

That's the hopper I have. Works fine. I'm wondering if it might end up being better than the new Baratza single dose hopper because it has that little mushroom cap for the beans to bounce off of. I don't think the new SD one has anything.

Good question. I'm kind of curious myself. I've been watching it with interest. I don't see how it wouldn't popcorn. But I suppose you could put something in there like a tamper to keep the available space for bouncing beans, to a minimum.

-Peter

Or an upside down basket.

Just sayin...

I guess my Vario must have heard me talking because it had "one of those days" today. It just seemed to want a finer grind than I knew it should.

I decided to re-check the touch point (2Q) and sure enough it had drifted so that I had to turn the adjustment with the provided tool about another 3/4 turn finer. Most of the time I'm in the 3B-3F grind setting range for espresso. I'm wondering if I shouldn't just adjust it so 3A is the real touch point since I never use it for anything other than espresso.

Because I'm using the ceramic burrs I've never really found a good way to ink test the alignment (too hard to see with dry erase of any colour I've tried) so I don't know if my alignment job is at fault or something about the adjustment screw just lets it drift over time with all of the vibration. Jake?

The adjustment screw is just sort of sitting there in the FRP motor plate, so it certainly wouldn't surprise me if it is backing out...

The grinder is a brilliant design, if not particularly robust.

It's possible that something else in there is moving, but far more likely that the vibration of grinding and the constant pressure on the calibration screw has it wandering over time.

Cheers!

- Jake

My Vario is so old it doesn't have numbers and letters. And not because they wore out, but because they never had them back in summer 2009 when I got it.

Say Jake, does mine, which now has the Forte chamber and upper burr carrier have the same FRP (I learned it as GRP) motor plate? Have you ever talked to Kyle Anderson, BTW?

-Peter