Hello All,

I am once again hoping to tap the vast knowledge/experience out there!

So here goes. I currently make espresso 50% of the time and pour over 50% of the time. I have a Vario with Ceramic Burrs. I thought about getting a set of steel burrs and swapping back and forth, but that seems time consuming.

Would I be better off getting something like a Baratza Virtuoso (586) refurb or used.. Or an Encore for that matter (is it really different than the Virtuoso)...

OR, just stick with my Vario for both methods !? Would there be a benefit to a conical grinder as above?

I like my Preciso for brewing more than I liked the ceramic-burred Vario I used to own. (The virtuoso now has the same burrs, and you won't need the extra adjustment precision that the Preciso has for brewing purposes.) Having a second grinder also saves you the fuss of having to dial in your espresso grind size each time you switch back, which is both a small hassle and a waste of coffee.

I bought an Encore for pour over and brewed coffee. Works great. That way I can just use Vario for espresso.

I have used a Baratza Vario just as you have for five years. I am thinking about getting a dedicated espresso grinder for more precision, quieter, and I am told a better taste. Until now it would have been wasted. I don't think my taste buds could have told the difference. Are you will to spend a lot more for the convenience of two grinders? A lot more? You are looking at shelling out about $1,000 to $1,600 to $2,300 or $2,700 depending on how much of a jump you are wanting to make.

Also, my coffee requires a grind adjustment after the coffee ages a week. A little more if I don't drink it before it turns two weeks old. So, a dedicated grinder will be more convenient, but perhaps not as much as you might think. Of course, much of this depends on how much perfection you are willing to spend time and money on:)

r.rowlan wrote:I have used a Baratza Vario just as you have for five years. I am thinking about getting a dedicated espresso grinder for more precision, quieter, and I am told a better taste. Until now it would have been wasted. I don't think my taste buds could have told the difference. Are you will to spend a lot more for the convenience of two grinders? A lot more? You are looking at shelling out about $1,000 to $1,600 to $2,300 or $2,700 depending on how much of a jump you are wanting to make.

Also, my coffee requires a grind adjustment after the coffee ages a week. A little more if I don't drink it before it turns two weeks old. So, a dedicated grinder will be more convenient, but perhaps not as much as you might think. Of course, much of this depends on how much perfection you are willing to spend time and money on:)

Your still going to have to dial in any grinder, not just the Vario as beans age even sometimes after a couple days. Grinders with Titan Class burr sets ($$$) are more forgiving there but still need to be dialed as coffee ages.

RyanJE wrote:Hello All,

I am once again hoping to tap the vast knowledge/experience out there!

So here goes. I currently make espresso 50% of the time and pour over 50% of the time. I have a Vario with Ceramic Burrs. I thought about getting a set of steel burrs and swapping back and forth, but that seems time consuming.

Would I be better off getting something like a Baratza Virtuoso (586) refurb or used.. Or an Encore for that matter (is it really different than the Virtuoso)...

OR, just stick with my Vario for both methods !? Would there be a benefit to a conical grinder as above?

I wouldn't use the Vario for both, thats what will put extra wear and tear and cause grind settings to wonder or other issues, leaving it to either espresso only or brew only is best. Virtuoso has the Preciso burrs which are pretty damn good for brew means. If you want something better then the Vario for espresso, like the other poster mentioned and if you don't mind hand grinding, you could get the Pharos for espresso and steel burrs for the Vario to use just for brew. That'd be a nice combo for the $.

cmin wrote: I wouldn't use the Vario for both, thats what will put extra wear and tear and cause grind settings to wonder or other issues, leaving it to either espresso only or brew only is best.

+1

I used a Vario for several years for both espresso and pour over. It became so unreliable and aggravating to try and return to an espresso setting that I have left it in the espresso range (macro 2) indefinitely and gone without pour overs ( ) for the last three months. I suspect, without knowing for sure, that all the back and forth has caused irreparable damage to the burr carrier and/or other components because the grind setting seems to slip or wander sometimes when moving just one or two micro steps.

So I've been considering a dedicated pour over grinder or swapping out the ceramic for steel burrs and buying a new dedicated espresso grinder.

Bottom line: I would personally not recommend using a Vario for espresso and pour over on a regular basis.

Ditto what the others have said. Don't plan on switching back and forth on your Vario! Get 2 separate grinders and save yourself the headache.

OK then.. Seems to be a unanimous decision... .

So question now is then. Is the virtuoso a decent option considering I'm looking ballpark 200 used or refurb?

I've looked at Pharos for espresso (then steel burrs on variofor drip) just not sure I want to hand crank tho!

Virtuoso is more then good for brew, about the only things better would be a Lido, Vario with steel burrs, something like a Bunzilla, EK43 if you don't mind the ginormous size and price tag lol