Grinder seem to be my weakness. Right now, on the counter, I have a Perciso, a Major, and a Vario-W. The Vario-W rarely gets used. I originally bought the Vario as my espresso grinder. When I moved up to the major, I thought I would use the Vario as my primary coffee grinder. I did not like leaving beans in the hopper and would single-dose for coffee anyways, so I kind of stuck with the Perciso as it will do anything coffee well.
The Vario is a great espresso grinder. I honestly do not know if I could tell the difference between it and the Major in a blind taste test. The thing I don't like about the Vario is changing beans and adjusting grind settings. I would frequently have to change the grind settings when I changed beans or when beans aged to a certain degree. The major has more of a set-it-and-forget-it setting. Occasionally I will have to make minor adjustments when I change beans but rarely to the extent that it pulls a really bad shot. I get many, many less sink shots with the major.
I would second third Larry's advice, be patient, and look for a used commercial grinder. It decreases the level of frustration dramatically. If memory serves me correct, I believe I paid right around the 500 mark for the Major, and it was unused. Or, if I ever find a good deal on a K10 fresh, I will sell you my Major around that price.
