**FREE SHIPPING!! ------------------------------------------------------------- Baratza Virtuoso
All Baratza grinders are fantastic home grinders and the Virtuoso is one of their most basic models. But “basic” doesn’t do this grinder justice. The Virtuoso has 40mm commercial grade, conical burrs which provide a consistent, precise grind from espresso grind to a course, french press grind (there is a way to calibrate even finer). Under the hood the Virtuoso hosts a powerful DC motor along with speed control via electric and gear speed reducers, ensuring smooth bean feed through the burrs and reducing heat and static buildup.
The hopper holds 8oz of coffee and the anti-static ground bin holds 5oz of coffee. Turn the hopper for 40 different grind settings. The Virtusoso has a 60-second dial timer on the side and also boasts an incredibly convenient “pulse” button on the front so you can grind directly into an espresso filter basket or for when you need just a touch more for your brew. Worth noting here too, the grinds fall directly from the burrs into the grounds bin - no angles or chutes for the grounds to go through.
Baratza has also made the Virtuoso easy to clean, which is important with all grinders. Turn the hopper all the way to the side and it easily lifts up, exposing the grind chamber. Then, simply lift up the outer ring burr and you now have both burrs easily accessible to clean.
At 9 pounds, the Virtuoso is a sturdy machine measuring 14”H, 5”W and 6”D.
An adjustable PortaHolder can be purchased separately.
The Virtuoso ships directly from the manufacturer.
Baratza Virtuoso $229.00 ------------------------------------------------------------- Baratza Virtuoso Preciso
Imagine improving on the Virtuoso! Well, they did and it’s called the Virtuoso Preciso.
Right off the bat, it’s clear the Preciso was designed with espresso in mind. It comes standard with the PortaHolder (which can be adjusted to accommodate different portafilter heights) AND the standard anti static 5oz grounds bin. The Preciso also has the same 60-second timer, Pulse Button, 40mm conical burrs, 8oz bean hopper, motor, gears, weight and dimensions as the Virtuoso.
Here’s what’s really exciting: Macro and Micro adjustments on the grind! Over 400 steps of adjustment!
Like the Virtuoso, turn the hopper for 40 different grind settings from espresso to french press. New on the Preciso is a secondary micro adjustment level allowing 11 additional steps within the macro settings making dialing in on the proper espresso grind easy!
Includes PortaHolder and grounds bin.
The Virtuoso Preciso ships directly from manufacturer.
Baratza Virtuoso Preciso $299.00 ------------------------------------------------------------- Baratza Vario
Big differences? Programmable digital timers. Programmable by time, not weight (see Vario-W). Three user-programmable buttons make finding and repeating the proper dosage a snap.
54mm conical burrs, even better than the 40mm burrs on the Virtuoso and Virtuoso Preciso.
230 steps of adjustment…was over 400 steps on the Preciso too much? Maybe, maybe not..
Also comes with the adjustable PortaHolder and this time an 8oz anti static grounds bin instead of 5oz.
Still has the Pulse Button for when you need just a touch more.
Bean hopper still holds 8oz of coffee
Dimensions: 14”H, 5”W, 7”D
The Vario ships directly from manufacturer
Baratza Vario $499.00 ------------------------------------------------------------- Baratza Vario-W
Formerly known as Vario-E (awaiting new photos)
2011 SCAA (Specialty Coffee Association of America) New Product of the Year
All the features of the Vario: small footprint, macro/micro adjustment, 54mm burrs, broad grind range but….
Programmable by weight, not time!!
This unit does NOT come with a PortaHolder and was not built for that purpose. The anti static grounds bin sits directly on the scale. The bin was redesigned to be “free floating” so only the bottom contacted the scale and neither the top nor the sides would come in contact with the grinder, thus throwing off measurements.
The perks? Never manually pre-weigh your beans again. This grinder is ideal for those who have a lot of coffee “toys,” such as chemex, clever coffee drip, aeropress, hario, pour-overs, siphons, etc
I have seen, read, and heard of people using it for espresso by dumping the grounds from the grounds bin straight into the filter basket.
I could see this grinder being utilized for LIGHT commercial use (Baratza says 50-60 cups a day), more realistically as an option in addition to brewed coffee...in other words, using the Vario-W for special "made to order" coffees via some of the methods previously mentioned, while having brewed coffees as the primary means for serving. OR, the perfect addition to an already impressive arsenal of coffee toys, for yourself or the coffee enthusiast in your family!
Baratza Vario-W $499.00
(AVAILABLE MID-OCTOBER)
------------------------------------------------------------- Portaholder for Virtuoso (or replacement for Preciso) $28.00
The PortaHolder has screws on the back allowing adjustments in height. This can be purchased to go along with the Virtuoso or as a replacement for the Virtuoso Preciso
------------------------------------------------------------- Gaggia Espresso Pure
The Gaggia Pure is a great starter espresso machine for several reasons:
-Commercial grade portafilter and group head. A full 58mm, chrome-plated brass, one-pound portafilter, and solid brass group head. All this metal mass allows Gaggia machines to store and hold heat while also preventing heat loss. These two perks alone are unheard of in espresso machines in this price range.
-High capacity broiler means less warm-up time (5min or less) with a quality, high output pump (15 bar pump pressure)
Some specs:
-It is plastic (eh?)
-Small, which could be a plus if you don’t have a lot of countertop space in your kitchen. (14”H, 8.3”W, 10.8”D)
-Light weight – 14 pounds
-Passively heated cup warmer, via the heat from broiler (you don’t want to pull shots into cold cups)
-42oz removable water reservoir
-Includes three filter baskets – single shot, double shot, or pods
-Comes with tamp (plastic) and scoop
-All Gaggia’s ship directly from the manufacturer
Gaggia Espresso Pure $249.00 ------------------------------------------------------------- Gaggia New Baby
A couple differences between the New Baby and Pure
-A three-way solenoid valve which means excess pressure is released after extraction which in turn, leaves you with a clean, dry puck. That makes for easier cleaning and ability to pull a couple shots in a row.
-Mostly plastic still but has a stainless steel front, allowing more boiler heat retention
-Bigger and heavier (which I like) 15.7”H, 9.6”W, 10.4”D – 14 pounds
-Still has awesome brass, commercial grade 58mm portafilter, group head, pump, broiler
-64oz removable water reservoir
-Includes three filter baskets – single shot, double shot, or pods
-Comes with tamp (plastic) and scoop
-All Gaggia’s ship directly from the manufacturer
Gaggia New Baby $399.00 ------------------------------------------------------------- Gaggia Classic
-All stainless steel (finally!) – Allows for faster heating, better heat retention, and less heat loss – and looks better
-Bigger, heavier, more serious! 14.25”H, 8”W, 9.5”D – 20 pounds – 72 oz water reservoir
-Ball-jointed steam wand
-Commercial grade, chrome-plated, marine brass, one-pound, 58mm portafilter
-Commercial brew group and three-way solenoid valve.
-Passively heated cup warmer holds five demitasse cups
-Named Consumer Digest “Best Buy” for premium espresso machine. “Considerations such as ‘beverage quality, ease of use, features and quality of construction’ were used to select ‘Best Buy’ machines.”
-Comes with single shot, double shot, and pod filter baskets, tamp (plastic), and scoop
-All Gaggia’s ship directly from the manufacturer
Gaggia Classic $449.00 ------------------------------------------------------------- Knock Box for espresso $28.99
Gift Box
12oz Gift Basket $48.99
4oz Gift Basket $25.99
