Baratza Virtuoso: Is it the Right Grinder For you?

Baratza Virtuoso: Is it the Right Grinder For you?

William Cawley

Feb 19, 2021

19024

Have you ever asked yourself why a cup of coffee at Starbucks is tastier than the one we make at home? This was my thought every morning when I stood in front of my best coffee maker in the kitchen. Then, I found the Baratza Virtuoso coffee grinder. I had never heard of it but there were hundreds of positive reviews about the machine on Amazon and eBay. It made me curious and I decided to check it out. Now, I am ready to share my experience grinding coffee with the Baratza Virtuoso.

First, I would like to clarify why I decided to invest in a good coffee grinder after many years of brewing and drinking coffee at home.

3 reasons to buy a coffee grinder

● The best cup of coffee is made from freshly ground coffee because grinding exposes the flavors and aromatics concentrated inside the coffee beans.

AVERAGE SCORE8.5

Material quality

9.1

Easy to use

8.7

Versatility

8.3

Durability

8.2

Noise level

● A modern electric grinder allows you to brew coffee in different styles. There are recommended grind sizes for each brewing style but the coffee’s taste also depends on the quality of beans you use.

- Turkish Coffee - Super Fine
- Espresso - Super Fine
- Moka Pot- Fine
- Auto Drip - Fine (Pre-ground coffee)
- Pour Over - Coarse to Fine
- Aeropress - Medium to Fine
- French Press - Coarse
- Cold Brew Coffee - Coarse

● A coffee grinder is the best way to improve the quality of coffee you brew because the grinder allows you to control the grind size to help you improve the coffee’s flavor.

Let me continue with some important features to look for in a coffee grinder.

This part will help you understand why I highly recommend the Virtuoso coffee grinder from the Baratza brand.

Baratza virtuoso coffee grinder

Must-have features of a coffee grinder

The benefits of a good coffee grinder

Controlling the grind size of coffee beans is challenging, that’s why a good grinder is an essential machine for coffee lovers. The grinder will grind your coffee beans uniformly; thus, you can extract the best tasting coffee out of your beans. According to coffee experts, the wrong grind size can ruin the taste of brewed coffee coffee although you used expensive beans.

Burr grinder vs. Blade grinder

You may think good coffee beans automatically make good tasting coffee. It is not that simple. The taste of a cup of Joe depends on various things such as coffee grind, water temperature, brewing methods, etc. That is why I started to consider buying a decent coffee grinder to use at home. There are two types of grinders to choose from:

● Blade grinder

This type of grinder has a blade in the center of the machine, which looks like a propeller. This kind of grinder is not very popular though its price is very affordable because it cannot grind coffee beans to a uniform size. As a result, your cup of coffee will have an unpredictable taste.

● Burr grinder

A burr grinder has two serrated pieces positioned a certain distance apart to grind the coffee beans. Burr grinders are normally more expensive than the blade variety as they allow you to control the grind.

You may have heard the terms flat burr grinder and conical burr grinder. You may be wondering about the differences.

Both flat burr grinders and conical burr grinders function very similarly, so, luckily you don’t need to worry about the difference.

What’s special about the Baratza Virtuoso coffee grinder?

The Baratza Virtuoso uses a stainless-steel conical burr set, which will give you excellent grind consistency. Its grind speed is about 1.5 to 2.4gr/second.

Grind settings and consistency

If you love trying different brewing methods, grind size plays a starring role. For example, a cup of espresso requires an extra fine grind siz.

It is difficult to determine which grind setting is the best because it relies on personal taste, the quality of coffee beans, the brewing method, etc. You should spend some time playing around with your grinder to determine a suitable grind size to match your preferences.

A stepped grinder is more convenient than a stepless one as you can set a fixed grind size for your coffee beans while the stepless grinder offers more options but requires you to be more proficient at using it.

What’s unique about the Baratza Virtuoso coffee grinder?

The Virtuoso coffee grinder offers 40 individual grind settings for various brewing methods from Espresso to French press. Its grind range is from 200 to 1200 microns. For the perfect grind consistency, the Virtuoso is equipped with a 60-second timer.

Durability

To purchase a good burr grinder, you should be ready to pay between 100USD to 500USD. How long the grinder will last should be your major concern before making your purchase. Please note that the more it costs, the more durable it is.

Normally, ceramic burr grinders last longer than stainless steel machines, but they will cost you more, of course.

One more important note is that proper care can help to increase the durability of the coffee grinder.

What’s special about the Baratza Virtuoso coffee grinder?

This grinder has 40mm steel burrs manufactured in Europe and a DC motor. These features and characteristics allow the machine to withstand vigorous use, so you can expect the Virtuoso to work well for many years to come.

Maintenance

According to my own experience, proper care and maintenance will help to increase the durability of a product in general. A coffee grinder is no exception. This is why I looked for a grinder that is easy to clean and care for after each use.

My best tip is to look for a grinder with a removable burrs, hopper, and grounds catcher because they are parts that need to be cleaned and checked. I don’t want the cleaning to be an annoying chore every time I make my cup of Joe.

What about the Baratza Virtuoso coffee grinder?

The Virtuoso features tool-free removable burrs for easy cleaning and maintenance.

So far, the Virtuoso grinder has done a great job of meeting my basic requirements.

Now,

Let’s dive deep into the world of coffee grinders to understand why the Baratza Virtuoso burr coffee grinder has stolen of the hearts of many coffee fans worldwide.

Functionalities and Specifications

Product specifications

☑ Model Number: 586

☑ Manufacturer: Baratza

☑ Width: 5.0 inches

☑ Depth: 6.0 inches

☑ Height: 13.0 inches with hopper | 9.5 inches without hopper

☑ Product Weight (lbs.): 8.0000

☑ Watts: 180W

☑ Volts: 110V

☑ RPM of Burrs: 550 RPM

☑ Case Material: Plastic/Metal

☑ Bean Hopper Capacity: 8 oz

☑ Dosing Options: Timer - up to 60 sec

☑ Adjustment Configuration: Stepped - Macro Settings Only

☑ Grinder Style: Burr - Conical Steel

☑ Burr Diameter: 40mm

☑ Anti-Static Coating: Yes

☑ Timer or On/Off Switch: Both Timer & On/Off Switch

☑ Material: Plastic

Burrs

The conical burrs are manufactured in Europe, and can grind beans at 40 different levels. It is suitable for people who love trying various types of coffee. The burrs are durable and will stay sharp for many years.

Grind Adjustment

The machine offers 40 different adjustments from 200 to 1200 microns.

Grind Retention

The machine minimizes the amount of ground coffee left.

Brewing Methods

The machine can grind coffee beans to the perfect consistency suitable for many styles of brewing from espresso to French press.

Motor

The DC motor is powerful enough to crush the beans effortlessly.

Digital Timer

The 40 -second digital timer ensures the coffee beans are ground for the exact time to get consistent results.

Speed control

The machine allows users to control the rotation of the conical burrs to 500 RPM to reduce the heat produced and the noise while the machine is running.

Baratza Virtuoso review

The Baratza Company was founded in 1999 by Kyle Anderson and Kyra Kennedy and is proudly based in the United Sates. The company introduced its first conical burr grinder named Virtuoso in 2005 after its first two models Maestro and Maestro Plus. The Virtuoso coffee grinder was then upgraded after a lot of feedback from loyal customers. It is now a high-end model that offers more features than most basic grinders but is still easy to understand and control.

Here is just a brief summary of my favorite features.

What I like

≫ The machine ensures consistent results thanks to 40 different grinding options ranging from extra fine to extra coarse.

≫ The grinder does not require your attention while grinding beans as the 60-second timer and 40 different grinding options can help you to control the grind from extra fine to extra coarse.

≫ The machine is equipped with a powerful DC motor to crush coffee beans as finely as you want.

However, nothing is perfect!

What I don’t like

≫ The coffee container is too small to handle large quantities of coffee beans.

≫ If you set the grinder at the highest rpm, your beans may get damaged due to the heat.

≫ The machine makes noise while working as most electric coffee grinders do.

≫ If you still feel unsure about the best features of the Baratza Virtuoso coffee grinder, I am going to summarize all of its functionalities and specifications.

What others have been sharing

Final Word

Italian people are well-known for their coffee culture. They have four traditional “M’s” that constitute the best cup of coffee. Macchina refers to the coffee machine. Miscela means high-quality freshly roasted Arabica beans. La Mano means the ability of the experienced barista. Macinino means the best coffee grinder. Based on my own experiences, the Baratza Virtuoso coffee grinder stands out for its consistency and classy style. It does have its drawbacks because nothing is perfect in this life.

The Virtuoso coffee grinder does not offer the fanciest features, but it does meet the basic requirements to make a tasty cup of Joe, especially pour-over, French press and Aeropress at home. Another bonus for this grinder is that Baratza’s customer service is excellent with a quick and easy warranty process that can help to solve an issue over the phone or deliver a working grinder as quickly as possible.

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