Weight-Based Grinding and Digital Scale
The new 986 Baratza Vario-W Grinder includes the popular shut-off bean hopper. The hopper features a door that can be opened and closed to remove the hopper without having to first empty it. The revolutionary advancement offered by the Baratza Vario-W Coffee and Espresso Grinder is its dosing system based strictly on weight, paired with a super-sensitive digital scale. For the person who has brewed the best batch of coffee or the perfect shot of espresso and wants to do it again, the Vario-W is a must-have. Ultra-fine tuning creates a grinding accuracy of better than +/- 0.2 grams and usually within 0.1. The Vario-W grinds into a specially formed, static-dissipating container which rests upon the integrated scale and can then be poured into your espresso portafilter or coffee filter. Say goodbye to the aggravating days of dumped-out espresso shots, and say hello to repeatable glory in the cup.
User-Friendly Controls with Micro-Step Adjustment
Even though it is equipped with advanced programming and circuitry, the Baratza Vario-W Grinder is pleasantly easy to operate. Once you have stored your desired weights into the 3 preset buttons, simply press the one you need and then Start. Reprogramming is simple: just dial up the weight, to the tenth of a gram, on the LCD screen, and hold the preset button for 3 seconds. Done. To set the grinding fineness, simply raise or lower either the Macro or Micro cam lever while the motor is running (click image on left to enlarge). Just like a microscope, the left (coarse) lever adjusts in large increments while the right (fine) lever lets you tune in your grind with exacting precision.
Commercial Ceramic Grinding Burrs and Powerful Motor
The 54mm flat burrs on the Baratza Vario-W have legendary appeal because they are engineered and manufactured by Mahlkönig and are made from commercially hardened ceramic material. Ceramic is inert, so it passes on no flavors to the coffee and reduces heating of the ground coffee. If that were not enough, hardened ceramic burrs stay sharp nearly twice as long as metal burrs. The Vario-W burrs are driven by a high torque DC motor that spins the German quiet-drive timing belt to lower noise and generate less heat. Output volume averages 1.5 grams per second on espresso and 2.5 grams per second on French Press. A 10 ounce coffee bean hopper with convenient shut-off door is provided. The ground coffee bin accepts up to 150 grams at a time.
Awarded Best New Product of 2011 at SCAA
The Baratza Vario-W Grinder earned the honor of the Best New Commercial Product of 2011 at the Specialty Coffee Association of America's (SCAA) annual exposition. The SCAA doesn't simply hand these awards out like candy. Typically, one award per year is given and it is based on the overall value of preparation and serving equipment in enhancing the quality of specialty coffee and tea beverages in the commercial marketplace. The SCAA is widely judged to be the reigning authority when it comes to coffee and espresso brewing techniques and quality. In 2011, both the Vario-W and the Esatto won awards.
Customer Support and Warranty
The Baratza Vario-W Grinder comes with a one year manufacturer's warranty. Baratza offers two-tiered support via email or phone. If any issue with a Baratza product cannot be resolved over support channels, Baratza will send a prepaid return label for the defective unit and ship a replacement unit. You don't pay for the repair! Additionally, all new Baratza products are backed by J.L. Hufford's 30 Day Satisfaction Policy.