Baratza Virtuoso+ Grinder with Digital Timer Display (Black, Silver)

It’s an amazing grinder if you brew coffee. Obviously, it’s not something new I’m saying, the reputation of Baratza is well known.But if you want to make great espresso, this isn’t a grinder for you. I’ve still rated it 5 starts because it’s not supposed to be an Espresso grinder in the first place. It can grind fine enough for espresso but you can not dial it in properly for espresso. But overall, it’s an amazing grinder for brewing with all other methods.

Since I enjoy coffee tremendously, I decided to up my grinding game. After some research, I learned this is one of the best "home" burr grinders on the market. The company's heritage and commitment to service and support tipped the scales for me. Let me tell you this is not a cheap as in dollars unit, so the overall sturdiness, build quality and versatility impressed me. Ease of assembling and maintenance is a bonus. And it's not even that loud, relatively speaking. With 40 grind settings and programmable timer, it takes some trialing to dial in correct settings to your taste. And when you nail it, you are consistently rewarded with rich, flavourful coffee. That is, until you try a different blend. But it's also about the journey, right?

Got an espresso maker for my birthday, but we only had a hand grinder. So guess what? SORE arms all around. Grinding fine grounds every morning for 20+ mins was really taking its toll on me. I'm lazy. In the AM, I'm tired. I want coffee NOW, not in 20-30 mins. So what'd we do?We got this baby, after searching high and low for an auto Burr. We ALMOST got the lesser model without the LED display and light, but boyo, this thing is REALLY, REALLY worth every single penny. My arms (though less buff) thank me kindly, and reducing coffee time from 30 mins down to 1 minute? a blessing. Do yourself a favor and get this one for the coffee lover in your life, even if that means YOURSELF. NOW'S THE TIME to TREAT. No tricks.Pros-Easy to cleanExtremely fast grindsSTRONG and FAST grinding. CONSISTENT.Versatile settingsAdjustable times, and pulse mode.Cons-*There is a learning curve for grounds! Everyone has different taste. Plus the pamphlet is pretty off in terms of what ground settings go good with each type of coffee. I think the settings say 8 for Espresso.... our first run the machine got completley stopped up when we tried to brew. It was too dense. We adjusted to 10, 9 at the finest and it ran fine, perfect even. This con isnt the machines fault, just the manual's / the company's 'suggested settings'.* If I could change anything about this grinder, it;d be the way the grind time is entered. You turn the dial clockwise to add seconds, counterclockwise to reduce half (.X) seconds. Which is kind of annoying! You're constantly twisting the dial counter clockwise to like you're winding a clock. MILDLY irritating at worst, but not a dealbreaker.* The instructions for how to build it are a little bit too vague. Had to go online to watch multiple step by steps, because the manual didnt explain how to put on the (Silicone? Plastic? Rubber?) burr protector. The Manual needs a total rehaul tbth, its not written well, the times are all off, and its missing crucial info. Again, not a huge issue, just irritating if youve never used one of these before.THATS IT! Once you work out the kinks, its perfect. The grinds are super consistent and beautiful. We've used it for espresso, pour over, and most importantly, cold brew, since we can grind with much higher volumes now. YES, we used to make cold brew with our tiny hand crank, do not reccomend. Now you'll be crushing 100g of coffee in 10 seconds flat.

We finally found a coffee grinder that grinds a lovely fine espresso grind as well as switches easily back to french press grind. It sits nicely under the cabinet and isn't too loud. Found out match but had to pay for it.Another good thing, it doesn't leave grinds scattered all over the counter each time we use it. Worth the extra dollars!

Cons: too tall to fit in the 13.25" space under my cabinets. It is not 12.6 " tall, it's 13.75" tall with the top lid on. Also, the upper burr doesn't seat as snugly and isn't as heavy as the upper burr in my old grinder. So that's more of a concern, than a flaw at this point. Also, the gasket isn't easy to seat -- at all.Pros: The pros outweigh the cons. It's fast, and accurate. Reduced static, rarely use the brush any more. Not as messy as other grinders we've had. Quiet, in a low growl sort of way. Plus, you can order Replacement Parts from Baratza!Less messy to no mess counter, if you firmly tap the side of the unit twice before removing the container, to dislodge grounds remaining in the chamber.If the light is on, the unit is awake. If the light is off, press the button once to wake it. Then again to grind. So, to reiterate: As long a the light is on, the button push will grind. If the light is off, you need to press the button twice to grind.We fill up the top container with beans as needed (we don't bother with the scoop every time). To grind the equivalent of two generous scoops of beans for one 16oz mug of coffee (pour-over), we:Set the timer to 10.1 seconds, it auto memorizes that setting. Set the grind selection to #9. Press the button. (if you have to wake it up, press twice)The timer determines how much coffee goes into the bin. We had some coffee beans that weren't fit for consumption, so we used those to test the settings. We'd equate our strength preference for coffee to a 16oz, two-shot Americano. So, the 10.1secs at #9, was good.NOTE: Download and read all the literature!Service or Cleaning, important: Before servicing or cleaning the burrs, remove all beans by turning the unit upside down and emptying them into another container. Then run the unit until all remaining beans have been ground. Then service and clean.Changing Grind Setting, important: There are only two times/ways you are allowed to adjust the grind setting. 1. When no beans are in the chamber, after servicing or cleaning (see above). 2. If beans are in the chamber, you can only adjust the grind setting when the machine is running.

I finally upgraded to a formal coffee bean grinder and this has not dissapointed. This has a good range of settings that allow for either a fine or coarse grind, and the capacity of the hopper is quite nice. It is easy to clean and all around, is great value for the money. As others have already mentioned, it is a bit louder than your average grinder, but that small tidbit isn't enough to prevent me from singing praise about it.