Baratza Vario or Preciso - Which one would you get?

[EricBNC]

Baratza Vario or Preciso - Which one would you get?

I am considering buying one of these grinders.  Right now I could get the Preciso or I could wait a 2 or three weeks tops and get the Vario instead.  The time factor is merely for reference and shouldn't be a factor in the decision - assume a price of zero for each - like it will be a gift. 

Here is what I gather about these two grinders: Both are virtually step less and both seem suitable for espresso and other methods as well.  Both share similar footprints and retain few grinds.

I have a decent grinder selection (burr and flat) but I have the opportunity to get one or the other of these grinders so I would like to take advantage of it while I can.

Thanks in advance - any and all feedback is welcome!    

[mp]

What will be your primary brew method for this grinder?

 

[BoldJava]

Baratza Vario or Preciso - Which one would you get?

Vario, burrs.  54 vs 40 (not 38) per Baratza.  http://www.baratza.com/products.php?id=43

[paulallen]

Given the choice I'd get the Precisio.  Conical Burrs vs Flat.  450 rpm vs 1200 rpm

http://www.baratza.com/comparison.php

[ScareYourPassenger]

What will be your primary brew method for this grinder?

 

Ditto, My understanding is the Preciso is better for drip than the vario. I know I had issues with the drip performance on the vario I had.

The Vario for espresso is a great option though. I really miss the programmable time grinding. Even better would be the new vario W:)

[EricBNC]

What will be your primary brew method for this grinder?

 

Thanks for the responses so far.  I am interested in the Preciso for the reasons mentioned here - it looks like a strong performer for drip and press but sounds like it can nail an espresso grind too.  I do have a 65mm flat burr for espresso that has the timer feature found on the Vario. 

The different flavor profile from the conical burr would add variety if I want to experiment with an S.O. or blend. 

Then I look at the Vario and see those long life ceramic burrs and amazing lack of grind retention for single dosing...

[Ascholten]

given its the same manufacturer too bad you cant order a set of burrs from the one to put in the other...   would be nice eh?

Aaron

[moglman]

I use my vario primarily for espresso, but haven't had any issues with drip or press.  I really like the timer and just wish it remembered my settings after losing power.  It produces a very fluffy grind in the portafilter.

[rgrosz78]

I use my vario primarily for espresso, but haven't had any issues with drip or press.  I really like the timer and just wish it remembered my settings after losing power.  It produces a very fluffy grind in the portafilter.

I use my Vario primarily for drip, but it does fine on my espresso as well. I've had it for 16 months, and I have no regrets.

[Marshall_S]

I would get the Preciso.

I had a Vario and I replaced it with a Preciso.

I drink  manual drip coffee in the AM and drip or an espresso at night - I’m not a fan of french press so my grinders don’t go into coarse territory.

I had 2 nagging problems with my Vario which eventually led to its’ replacement with the Preciso:

I had significant drifting of the levers in espresso territory.  By this I mean that the lever would actually move out of its notch during grinding.  Pierce, at Baratza, was very sympathetic and helpful with this problem and sent me many shims which addressed this problem. With the shims in place,however, the adjustments were a bit difficult and I often had trouble dialing in the grind. On a side note, I broke two of the the tiny plastic slider knobs when attempting this adjustment.

I also had trouble calibrating the Vario to get a wide enough spectrum.  To get a drip grind, for example, I was in French Press territory.  Again, Pierce sent me a new burr collar which was designed to broaden the grind spectrum.  Even with this new collar, I felt the grind spectrum was too narrow.

I’ve followed a lot of threads on the Vario and it’s clear that my experience is the exception. I know there are a lot of very happy customers who love their Vario.  I was simply not one of them.  I also have to underscore the commitment from Baratza to make me happy was great.

Nonetheless,I eventually replaced it with the less expensive Preciso and could not be happier.  In the cup, which is all that really matters, my drip and espresso tastes just as good to me as the Vario. On inspection, the grinds look very even and I think that Doug Garrott’s appraisal of the conical burr is dead on. The range of the grind is very good and I like the simple adjustment mechanism as opposed to the levers of the Vario.  Since both grinders are built with a significant amount of plastic, I feel that less is better in this case.

Whether it will hold up over time is a different question -  I’ve only had mine for about 4 months but so far I’m very happy with my Preciso.

[staylor]

I'm on my second Vario. The first one was grinding inconsistently. This second one has a static electricity issue.

Vario was really professional on their replacement grinder after I contacted them directly. They sent me a new one due to the lever slippage and dust/boulders inconsistency from the first one which didn't appear until after several months of use. The new replacement has this static issue where the grinds fire out all over the kitchen counter and cling to the underside and exterior surface of the grinder, this doesn't happen if you are grinding for espresso but anything coarser flies all over the place.

I put an email in to Vario about the static issue and the staff responding said that issue had been sorted out from the 1st Gen days and that the owner was on vacation and would respond when he got back. I responded with a 'no big deal I can wait' but that was about a month ago and I think the email has slipped through the cracks. I shot this video a few days ago and I'm going to send it to them as a reminder.

I still have the first Vario boxed up along with a shipping label ready to send back but I held on to it in case the replacement Vario hammered in. I'm not sure which one I would prefer to use, the malfunctioning grinder or the coffee grind spraying grinder.

Unfortunately I recommended the Vario to one of my athletes back in the day and he went through three Vario's before giving up on it. Not sure I could confidently recommend the Vario to anyone I know at this point.

In this video you will see me tap the coffee container and statically charged coffee will leap out of it and land on the paper. That paper spread is a full 24" wide. Grinding coffee makes a MESS of the kitchen counter and the coffee grinds stick to everything. It doesn't matter how old the beans are or what type of beans/roast I'm using, if it's anything coarser than espresso grind it's a coffee hand grenade.

Baratza Vario static problem

[EricBNC]

Very telling video Shaun. 

Marshall, thanks for the comments (thanks to everyone for their comments) too as the owner of each type.  I wonder if part of the cost savings for the Preciso is related more to the use of an existing (and popular) chassis, motor, and hopper along with the less expensive, more traditional burrs.  The build on my Virtuoso is tight - I am tempted at this moment to go with the Preciso. 

Thanks again everyone for giving great input - definitely will sleep on this decision with the new food for thought.  I admit I expected a overwhelming victory for the Vario when price is removed as a decision making variable.  Not so it seems...

[BoldJava]

...
In this video you will see me tap the coffee container and statically charged coffee will leap out of it and land on the paper. That paper spread is a full 24" wide. .  .

Shaun, try a stainless steel or glass container and I bet the static decreases.  That is my experience with the Macap.  Something in plastic magnifies the creation of the static.  Plastic becomes negatively charged and makes that bad mojo happen. (liberal arts/business major) http://www.electrostatics.com/page2.html

[moglman]

I believe you can still buy the second generation control board that remembers your timer settings and upgrade.

Thanks.  Looks like an upgrade is imminent.

[Richdel]

Current owner of a refurbed Vario for the past year.
I have had several issues since I have had the Vario, and both
of the issues have been resolved to my satisfaction. 
I drink 95% AP coffee, and 5% espresso. 

If the Preciso had been available when I purchased the Vario (it was rumored, but not available), with all the reviews saying it was espresso capable, I would have purchased the Preciso. 
Love my Vario, but for only 5% espresso drinks use, I would have happily saved myself some cash.

Either way, the Baratza support people are some of the best support folks (in any industry)
I have ever encountered!  So feel good about either direction you may go.