Numbers here are the macro setting, 1 to 10. Fine-tune with the micro letter (A to W) once you're in the right range.
Settings by brew method
| Method | Setting (macro setting) | As the source puts it | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Espresso | 1 to 2 | Espresso 1Q (HCG 1A to 2O) | breville-production-aem-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com Maker |
| Moka pot | 2 to 5 | Moka pot 2K to 5P | honestcoffeeguide.com Reviewer |
| AeroPress | 3 | AeroPress 3M | breville-production-aem-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com Maker |
| Pour-over / V60 | 5 to 7 | Hario V60 5M, automatic drippers 6M, Chemex 7M | breville-production-aem-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com Maker |
| French press | 9 | French press 9M | breville-production-aem-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com Maker |
These are starting points. Beans, roast, water and your own taste all move them, so start in the middle of the range and adjust one step at a time.
Notchbook is a free app that remembers the setting that worked on your Baratza Vario / Vario+ for each coffee and brew method, and keeps a journal of every brew. Get it free on Google Play. The iPhone app is coming soon. More about Notchbook.
About the Baratza Vario / Vario+
- Type
- Electric grinder
- Burrs
- Flat, 54 mm
- Adjustment
- Stepped (macro 1 to 10 + micro a to w)
Dialling in from here
- Sour, thin or fast? Grind finer. Why coffee tastes sour
- Bitter, dry or slow? Grind coarser. Why coffee tastes bitter
- Espresso: how to dial in. Filter: pour-over grind size.
Compare with other grinders in the grind size chart.
What reviewers found
A 54 mm flat-burr grinder that Lance Hedrick found excellent once he fitted Ditting steel burrs.
Specs
| Burrs | Ceramic as standard. The Ditting steel 54 mm upgrade uses the same burrs as the Mahlkönig X54 28:40 15:20 |
| Adjustment | A macro lever from 1 to 10 and a micro lever from A to W, with the stock calibration around 2Q. Lance Hedrick suggests sharing settings as micro steps from the chirp point 28:40 22:28 |
Starting settings
No one has shared grind settings for it yet. Lance Hedrick's blind espresso tests ran about 20 g in and 50 g out in about 30 s 13:18.
| Method | Setting | Context | Confidence | By | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Espresso | 20 in, 50 out in about 30 s (grind number not given) | Blind head to head with an EK43 on a San Remo Racer. Another test was 18 in, 48 out with 12 s of pre-infusion, about 30 s | approx | Hedrick | 13:18 |
| Pour-over | a very coarse setting | Matched grind for a V60, 30 g to 500 g | approx | Hoffmann | 2:04 |
Cup profile
- With steel burrs the espresso was clearer, livelier and more floral than a stock EK43, though the EK43 won on filter 28:40 14:49.
- Ceramic burrs are noisier and less aromatic, and steel is cleaner 27:00. Ceramic gives big-bodied espresso, while steel suits both filter and espresso 2:02.
Strengths
- Easy to modify. Retention drops under 0.1 g with bellows, a low hopper and the flapper flipped 4:08.
- Baratza support 2:02.
Weaknesses
- It needed about 12 kg of seasoning before the shots improved 18:22.
- Even at the touch point it may not go fine enough for very light Nordic roasts 28:40.
- The dial is fiddly, it's slow, and it holds on to some coffee 2:02.
Verdict
Lance Hedrick called it the best grinder around $500 in 2021 28:40 and still preferred it with steel burrs in 2022 27:00. In 2024 he gave it a B, held up by Baratza's support 2:02.
James Hoffmann's take
- 2021: a Vario+ needed a very coarse setting to match a filter grind, but it made a far better V60 than a $50 conical. In particle analysis it landed roughly halfway to an industrial roller mill 2:04.
Kyle Rowsell's take
- 2021: he doesn't like the stock ceramic 54 mm burrs on the Vario+ for either method, so he'd only buy one to fit steel. The Vario-W+ comes with the Ditting steel set shared with the Mahlkönig X54. It retains 0.2 to 0.3 g and makes high-clarity filter and good flat-burr espresso once seasoned (about 10 lb), though the scale stops you using the portafilter holder. He puts it level with a Niche Zero or DF64 4:14 4:44.
Sources
- Lance Hedrick: IS THIS THE BEST HOME GRINDER?: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE BARATZA VARIO (2021-10-01)
- Kyle Rowsell: BARATZA VARIO + | The NEW STANDARD of Coffee Grinders!? (2021-10-03)
- James Hoffmann: $50 vs $500 Vs $500,000 Coffee Grinder (2021-12-11)
- Lance Hedrick: Grinder Tier List (2024-09-10)
- Lance Hedrick: The Ultimate Guide to Grinders (2026-02-09)
- Lance Hedrick: ULTIMATE MIDRANGE GRINDER SHOWDOWN! (2022-05-05)
Summarised in our own words from the creators' videos, with every point linked to the moment it comes from. Notchbook isn't affiliated with or endorsed by any of these creators, so please watch the originals for full context. Sources