Baratza Vario owners... how are things? - Page 4

Grinders are one of the keys to exceptional espresso. Discuss them here.
zin1953
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#31: Post by zin1953 »

Congratulations, Mitch!
A morning without coffee is sleep. -- Anon.

Dodger1
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#32: Post by Dodger1 »

ASFx wrote:How do I know for sure that if I order the Vario, I have the latest version? I remember seeing someone explain how to check the difference between the older and newer versions but i can't find the thread anymore. Is it safest to order from somewhere like Chris Coffee or WLL since they are most likely to sell through older inventory the fastest?
If your Vario has the secondary calibration adjustment screw, which is located between the discharge spout opening and the rubber grommet, you have the latest model. Chris has these in stock and is offering a very nice discount to boot but you have to call them directly in order to get this discount.

As a side note: The latest model offers two types of adjustments. One for adjusting if your grind is too fine and one if it isn't fine enough.

Here are three links that explain those different adjustments:

https://www.coffeegeek.com/forums/espre ... 856#416856 Scroll down to the post from KyleAnderson

https://www.coffeegeek.com/forums/espre ... 682#432682 Scroll down to the post from germantownrob

and the last one is from ddr Recalibrating the Baratza Vario [photos] BTW, ddr's thread is based on a prior model of the Vario and does not show the secondary adjustment screw opening.

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Peppersass
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#33: Post by Peppersass »

Dodger1 wrote:Here are three links that explain those different adjustments:
Thanks Dodger1, that was incredibly helpful. I wish I'd found the post from germantownrob quoting Kyle about the new 2mm adjustment screw before I got my Vario! I had found the other two posts about the 2.5mm screw under the grommet and thought that was the only adjustment.

My Vario arrived with the factory setting which was too coarse for espresso. It could choke my machine with a 14g dose, but only with the macro and micro levers at the very highest setting. I was sure I'd need more headroom than that, so I proceeded to adjust the 2.5mm screw. It was set all the way forward, at the coarsest setting (just as Kyle says.) It was difficult to change the range with that screw, to say the least. Eventually I found you have to remove the fixed burr for the screw to slide smoothly. Since the 2.5mm screw is not intended for small adjustments, it took a lot of fooling around with the setting to get the grinder into a range where I had enough headroom for espresso. In the end, it worked but I wondered if there was a better setting.

After reading germantownrob's post, I went back and set the 2.5mm screw back to the factory setting for max coarsness (after removing the fixed burr.) After reinstalling the fixed burr, I found that motor loading began with the macro lever all the way up and the micro lever close to all the way up, just like when my grinder arrived. I then set the micro lever to the mid-point and used the 2mm screw to increase fineness until the motor just started to load. The resulting grind was just about perfect for a 14g dose of fresh coffee, and I think there should be enough headroom for smaller doses. If not, the 2mm screw is very easy to access and adjust. Much, much easier than the 2.5 mm screw under the grommet.

How I wish the instructions for fine tuning the grind were in the owner's manual! That would have saved me a bunch of frustration when I first got the grinder. I shouldn't have to get lucky and find just the right post on CoffeeGeek to do that.

My only other (very minor) beef is that the plastic knob for the macro lever had come off in shipment and was rolling around in the box. The plastic is fatigued on one of the legs, so it doesn't snap on firmly and will come off if handled with too much force. I need to call Baratza to get a replacement knob.

Otherwise, I love the grinder :-)

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futz
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#34: Post by futz »

itch808 wrote:So the Baratza Vario has been out now for a couple months now, how are owners liking it so far? Any new reliability issues? Does anyone have buyer's remorse and wish they had opted for something else?
I'm pretty happy with it. Took me a while to get over my Rancilio Rocky habits and figure out how to dial in the Vario properly, but now that I've had it for a couple months I'm very pleased with it. For a while there I was wishing I had bought a Mazzer Mini instead.

BrianG
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#35: Post by BrianG »

My Vario arrived yesterday from Chris'. I'm hoping it will be a suitable replacement for my Macap M4 stepless/doser. I don't really think of the change as an upgrade as I love my M4, but we have a baby in the house now and the thwacking of the doser lever early in the morning is sometimes a problem.

So far I'm pretty happy with the speed and low noise level, but I can tell I will need to re-learn my espresso making routine. For the other Vario users: after grinding directly into the portafilter do you do any kind of leveling or do you just tamp directly onto the nice mound of coffee that the grinder produces? I've seen a few videos posted of people just tamping right away but I'm so used to my old routine that it just feels wrong.

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Peppersass
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#36: Post by Peppersass »

BrianG wrote:For the other Vario users: after grinding directly into the portafilter do you do any kind of leveling or do you just tamp directly onto the nice mound of coffee that the grinder produces? I've seen a few videos posted of people just tamping right away but I'm so used to my old routine that it just feels wrong.
Depends on the basket and dose. For updosed baskets, I've been doing a NESW level with my finger. For standard doses (14g in a double basket), I've been just tamping. Sometimes I tamp right on top of the mound in the center of the PF. Other times I shake the PF right after grinding to evenly distribute the grounds. Sometimes I tap the PF on the counter to settle the grounds before tamping, other times I don't. It doesn't seem to matter.

For tamping, I like to make sure the edges are seald and the puck is level. I usually press the tamper straight down lightly, run my thumbs around it to make sure it's level with the basket rim, then lift and tamp NESW with maybe 5-10 lbs. Sometimes I do a nutating tamp instead. Then I run my thumbs around the edge of the tamper again to make sure it's level with the basket edge, then do a 30 lb tamp straight down. This sounds like a lot of stuff, but it takes just a few seconds.

JeepRage
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#37: Post by JeepRage »

Well... I just bought my first piece of equipment, a Baratza Vario from Chris in NY. Should be here not soon enough.

I wanted a grinder that could hopefully do espresso and drip grinds, but we'll see how much longer I use drip for. Taking my parent's older machine for now, although I don't even remember the brand. By no means a professional machine, but should suffice with the Vario for the time being.

Now to learn how to use any of this. I'm excited to give it a try, although I truly don't know good from bad yet.

caferetro
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#38: Post by caferetro »

What seems to be the consensus on if the Vario is commercial duty or not? What was Chris Coffee's view on the Vario? What type of "special discount" was applicable at Chris? Price of replacement burrs?

Caferetro

hperry
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#39: Post by hperry replying to caferetro »

1. Some reviews have described it as "light commercial." I see it more as "heavy duty home."

2.(Chris view). I'd call Chris directly They are very reponsive and would be better than a second hand response

3. Discounts? (See 2 above).

4. Replacement burrs. (See 2 above).
Hal Perry

foon
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#40: Post by foon »

I ordered a Vario from espressotec out of Vancouver about a month ago. It's a fine upgrade from my $8 blade grinder! (I'm just getting into this tasty "sport" of espresso making).

I've used Vario to grind espresso, drip coffee and a french press and am pretty stoked on the results. Unfortunately, the grinder needs to be exchanged on warranty. The LCD display goes out after random periods of time and does not come back on unless I "reboot" the grinder by unplugging & plugging back in. I was a little apprehensive about buying a grinder with electronics, and this is doing nothing to quell that fear. Hopefully the replacement unit will be problem free for many years.

Has anyone else had any problems with the LCD?