My NEW Vario

System

First off a big thanks to Matt and The E61 Espresso Machinery Co.

Arrived this arvo....

1: Well packed
2: Not as heavy as some, but not as light as I thought
3: The usual manual :-)
4: WASH the plastic grinds container and the PF holder - Helps to reduce static.
5: Took about 4 goes to dial in a Time and a Grind that I wanted...
6: Need to look at some extra static management tools / tricks
7: SO QUITE as compared to others....

I set the Auto timer to  Esp 10.8  Filter 2.1  Pres 15

That way the first timer runs and I compact, then the second timer is enough to fill and mound...  DONE.

15Sec is for my double/tripple but have not played with that one yet..  May work out the time and divide by 3 :-)

Once again, thanks Matt.

May have to look at a more formal review and compare to the Eureka....    Different machines  in ,many ways for good reasons, but providing the same service  when at home.....

Lovey

Nice pickup AM, looking forward to a comprehensive review in the near future. All the best, Steve.

Lacehim

How do you find the mess AM?  Does it dose into the 58mm baskets okay? I agree with all the above, and I'm really happy with mine so far.  The PF holder is also earthed too to reduce static. I had a review in the works, but I'm waiting a little while so that I can live with it a while and report what I think. Maybe we could do a join review AM?  Just an idea...

Gra

Nice one Mate I have all ways liked the Vario look forward to seeing if it ticks all the boxes..how about a pic  Cheers Gra..

Koffee_Kosmo

Its actually a very compact grinder If I am allowed to make a comparison as it looks like its got muscles A bit like a staffie  ::) KK

Brett H

Wow, looks really compact but as KK says... It's got muscles! I'd be interested to know why you chose this model over the much hyped Breville Smart?  I know if I was in the market for a new grinder it would more likely be one of these over the Breville but my reasons are aesthetics therefore largely superficial. Luckily I don't have to make these sort of decisions often because my wife would kill me!!!

Lacehim

I bought one just before am.  I think i half convinced him to take the plunge becuase i was very happy with it.  I bought I over the breville because I believe it has better build quality.  No shims for me thank you.  No grind retention and although it might only have a 1year warranty I believe spare parts will be available long after the breville. Also I preferred the flat ceramic burrs over the small steel conical burrs.  I had read that the small conicals produce a much brighter coffee and combine with my lusso I wasn't keen on the idea.  If I wasn't taking more interest in other brewing methods I might have gone for the mignon, but I'm kinda happy I didn't.  The grind is nice and fluffy with the vario.  Only minor tiny clumps if I ground at Turkish by mistake ona new bean. All my own views anyway.  I've seen a breville at hn but never played with one but matt from e61 has offer a loaner to compare the two.  Maybe later when I get used to the vario. It's so small next to my k6.  It really is. Might just post up a review if my thoughts so far and review it in a few months.

Lacehim

Would be interested in your "little mod" AM.  PM me with details if you don't want to put it out there yet. Here's a piccy of it next to the K6. A major difference, and not a great deal of change in the cup that I can tell myself.  The grind is even more fluffy than the k6.  settles nice and with the addition of the OE funnel that I got off Sniff i've found that a change in process has I can now dose, and tamp faster.   mess is also down using the funnel.  I doubt a 58mm group would have the same mess issues as me, but I am using a small group and basket so coffee does tend to overshoot as the basket is nearly full. The burrs - the first thing I did was take a look! Even the lusso tiny size group handle with 45mm baskets fits the holder.  :o  Nice touch. So far I've been impressed.  Nothing has really been a major issue, and really the only hold back I had initially was the comments about the taste in the cup lacking.  I had since found reviews that tested the vario against other grinders and the vario did rather well and sometimes better, and a number of users that where loving there vario.  Maybe the early models had issues which has not been sorted in the new releases?  Possibly. I certainly haven't been disappointed so far with the results in the cup so far, and you'll notice the K6 is in the FS section.  Nuff said.

E61

on 1308613700:

...The top burr can be replaced by the user but the bottom burr is a different matter.

Hi AM - I'm really pleased that you're enjoying the Vario and that you are putting it through its paces. In terms of the burrs. The distributor advises "...in a domestic situation it is unlikely that the discs will ever need changing. With that said, should the discs ever need changing for some reason, it is a very simple procedure, and could be quite easily undertaken by any service technician or even a reasonably competent home handyman." I do agree that the bottom burr is a bit fiddley though. The feedback about these grinders in a commercial enviroment is also quite good and the Vario can often be seen as a backup or dedicated decaf grinder. The cost of replacement buurs is very reasonable and the only time I am aware burrs needed replacing was when a small rock found its way into the hopper  Regards Matt

E61

on 1308622326:

As to the Burr replacement; I was making reference to the Breville Smart Grinder. Not the Vario  

Ooops  :-[ Sorry AM. You are right - it's a bit more difficult to change the burrs on the Breville Smart Grinder. Technically it is possible.... and replacement burrs are easily available and relatively cheap ........ BUT I wouldn't recommend that anyone who isn't electrically qualified have a go at changing the burrs on a Smart Grinder. I would reccommend that should it ever be necessary to replace the burrs on a Smart Grinder it is returned to a Breville Service Centre or taken to reputable technician. I'd look at it this way. If the burrs on your Breville Smart Grinder ever needed replacing - then it wouldn't be a bad idea to have the entire machine serviced at the same time. Whatever is wearing down your burrs is very likely to also be impacting on the motor etc. Regards Matt

E61

on 1308711514:

... A very small and simple mod and the Vario is as good as totally mess free  ;D ;D ;D

Patent pending by AM  ;D

RichardM

While I think the Vario is a great looking grinder for people who are space conscious, everyone seems to want small coffee equipment, and I don't quite understand. I want my coffee gear to be HUGE. I bought a second hand Super Jolly just because I though the Mazzer Mini was too small... and looking at future coffee machines, nothing is big enough in the ~$2-3k mark Maybe my (future) wife is a bit too understanding :D

Koffee_Kosmo

on 1308730296:

While I think the Vario is a great looking grinder for people who are space conscious, everyone seems to want small coffee equipment, and I don't quite understand. I want my coffee gear to be HUGE. I bought a second hand Super Jolly just because I though the Mazzer Mini was too small... and looking at future coffee machines, nothing is big enough in the ~$2-3k mark Maybe my (future) wife is a bit too understanding :D

Sorry for taking it off topic Yep I also like big My last grinder was a Mazzer Major and the current one is a BNZ (dry weight 22kg) Back on topic This year has been the worst in many years for natural atmospheric static in our neck of the woods Brisbane So I will also make an exit spout KK

Lacehim

Nice mod AM.  That would probably fix my only issue with mne too which is the fine spray around the machine as the grinder is nearly finished.  You need to paint he PVC pipe though... it would just blend in if it was black. What sorta glue did you use? Great little machine isn't it.  I bet you wish you had taken the plunge earlier. Most importantly what does the coffee taste like? RichardM, I swapped this out for a K6 (about the same as your super jolly for burr size).  Other factors stopped me going bigger and bigger, those being grind retention, mess etc.  I am the only coffee drinker in the house so a grinder with zero grind retention is going to save a lot of coffee.

Koffee_Kosmo

OK It took 30 minutes and I now have a exit spout KK

Lacehim

KK, where's yer proof?  ;D We need piccies!  ;D 8)

Koffee_Kosmo

on 1308738088:

KK, where's yer proof?  ;D We need piccies!   ;D 8)

Here it is on the attached photos And yes that Remington big loaf (photo 4) is a bread maker that is used for making fresh hot bread

UNM

on 1308743504:

Should I be worried ?

Be alert, not alarmed.

Koffee_Kosmo

on 1308744572:

Be alert, not alarmed.

I think he should be very worried  >:D >:D >:D KK

grinderz

on 1308546388:

May have to look at a more formal review and compare to the Eureka....    Different machines  in ,many ways for good reasons, but providing the same service  when at home.....

Hi AM, is the Vario much quieter than the Eureka?

Lacehim

Its so much quieter than my old K6.  The Vario has been great, really happy. Ginderz, I posted up a review in the review thread if your interested.

Brett H

on 1311146134:

Its so much quieter than my old K6.  The Vario has been great, really happy. Ginderz, I posted up a review in the review thread if your interested.

It's a great review... Thoroughly recommended.

Gra

Interesting read for those that have a Vario... http://www.coffeegeek.com/opinions/coffeeatthemoment/04-19-2011 Gra...

Lacehim

The lack of a portafilter holder is a killer for the Vario-E.  Would be good if you only did other brewing methods. Can't say I understand the whole weighing everything to the .1 of a gram bit.  Far too scientific for my liking, and would you really notice in the cup?  Doubtful.  Too many other variables to also factor in.

hazchem

on 1311332032:

The lack of a portafilter holder is a killer for the Vario-E.  Would be good if you only did other brewing methods. Can't say I understand the whole weighing everything to the .1 of a gram bit.  Far too scientific for my liking, and would you really notice in the cup?  Doubtful.  Too many other variables to also factor in.

Indeed there are many variables to control in brewing espresso, a consistent dose being one of them. Surely having a method to precisely weigh in your dose each and every time means you gain control over one of the many variables involved in brewing espresso?

Lacehim

on 1313670706:

So how has your unit been behaving ? Mine is OK, but a few tweaks would be nice... Mind you, Brett and I were both impressed to a point with the  "Smart" grinder.  Mind you we got KualityMan one for his retirement and he can not get a fine grind out of it...  Not sure if it is the Grinder or User or Beans  :o

Mine is behaving very well.  It's quiet.  I have noticed a difference in the dose if the grinder is empty or if I'm grinding for my next coffee.  I have to increase the time by around 1 sec to get a similar dose to the second dose. I nearly bought the smart grinder, or a Baratza Virtuoso Preciso.  The Breville put me off because they are so similar to the EM0480, in that you have to add shims to the thing to get it to work right.  The Vario works straight out the box.  No worries.  Fivesenses (the only Aus supplier) didn't stock the Preciso at the time I was buying and I couldn't be bothered waiting the few months just to find out if they would.  (their purchaser was on holiday for a month)

on 1313707747:

Indeed there are many variables to control in brewing espresso, a consistent dose being one of them. Surely having a method to precisely weigh in your dose each and every time means you gain control over one of the many variables involved in brewing espresso?

True, but I think we can all get too caught up in the numbers etc and forget about what it's all about.  Having a damn nice cup of coffee. I've never weighed beans so I'm unsure if the weight does equal accurate dosing.  All beans are different are they not.  Not sure, but I can tell you that the container supplied with the Vario-W (It's been renamed) does retain some coffee grounds due to static.  If it had the portafiler holder on there I probably would have considered one. Mahlkoenig haven't officially released their version for Australia yet, well it's not listed on their website anyway.  I did notice that Baratza sell refurb units damn cheap, and there price is more competative than Mahlkoenig in Australia too.  Pity the US ones are 110V.  But I'm lead to believe that it's the Aussie importer thats keeping the Vario price high.

hazchem

on 1313715449:

True, but I think we can all get too caught up in the numbers etc and forget about what it's all about.  Having a damn nice cup of coffee. I've never weighed beans so I'm unsure if the weight does equal accurate dosing.  All beans are different are they not.  Not sure, but I can tell you that the container supplied with the Vario-W (It's been renamed) does retain some coffee grounds due to static.  If it had the portafiler holder on there I probably would have considered one. Mahlkoenig haven't officially released their version for Australia yet, well it's not listed on their website anyway.  I did notice that Baratza sell refurb units damn cheap, and there price is more competative than Mahlkoenig in Australia too.  Pity the US ones are 110V.  But I'm lead to believe that it's the Aussie importer thats keeping the Vario price high.

So if you haven't tried it how can you be sure weighing beans doesn't equal an accurate dose? If weighing beans doesn't give you an accurate reading of your dose what would? Of course it's all about a nice cup of coffee, but perhaps using more numbers as a guide will help with that? After all, we're already coming from a number base of an espresso being approx 30 mls in around about 30 seconds. Give or take ... And of course, you are completely right that every bean is different. I would never expect the dose & grind for one bean to be the same as another, or for one blend to be the same as another. Just as I wouldn't expect the dose & grind for the same coffee to be the same from one day to the next. I certainly agree that getting lost in the numbers would take some of the romance, some of the art out of making delicious espresso. But perhaps, just perhaps, having an understanding of what an optimum dose & resulting brew volume should be for the espresso you find most delicious gives you a good starting point to work & refine from every day. Perhaps.   having now said all of that & taking this way off topic, I wonder if the Esatto attachment really wouldn't work with my Vario.

shape_shifter

I thought everyone weighed their beans, or is that just me being pedantic  :P

RichardM

on 1313840316:

I thought everyone weighed their beans, or is that just me being pedantic  :P

I weigh with my eyes. Have never tried weighing with scales. I did count once, but that was merely to prove a point about statistical improbability of achieving consistency in blends with just 5% of robusta.

Koffee_Kosmo

I use a shot measure glass Just like this one and its always spot on Look at the one on the right For the baskets I use Markings @ 1 1/2 is perfect for a single Markings @ 2 is perfect for a double KK

mycuppa

I also confess to never weighing beans and using my eyes as the gauge. I used an A8 at home that has electronic control of the dosage and manually adjust the time in 0.1 sec increments based on my knowledge of the bean density, it's age and how I think it will grind. At the roastery I have some conicals but it's mostly one of the smaller K3T's that I throw a handful of beans into the hopper and then flick the switch manually until I'm happy with the amount of ground coffee in the portafilter. Sometimes this is so dodgy, but other times I enjoy the challenge of running freestyle. Suppose being a roaster and having an un-ending supply of beans means I can be tardy with my methods.......if that shot was'nt right, just dump it and try again.