I always applaud those manufacturers who stay close to their product consumers and listen to feedback and suggestions on how to improve or enhance their offerings and communicate with customers as if they are talking to a friend. Too many times I have witnessed products that seem to have a great promise or purpose fail in the marketplace because the maker doesn’t communicate with the user and follow-up and correct or remake the product to fit the needs of the consumer.

That is why I am genuinely happy that Whole Latte Love carries the outstanding line of coffee grinders from the Baratza Company of Bellevue, Washington. This American design and engineering company is focused on making affordable coffee grinders for home-baristas that have professional grade characteristics. Kyra Kennedy and Kyle Anderson, co-founders, have surrounded themselves with a team of employees that is an extension of their collective vision of continuous product improvement and innovation, world-class service, and focus on listening to customers. They have created a socially responsible company that fulfills its corporate citizenship role passionately.

While providing outstanding product support, they have continued to listen to users and have enjoyed phenomenal success as a result. For example, they introduced an affordable home-use burr grinder, the Maestro in 2001. They continuously analyzed customer feedback, and made changes and improvements to the Maestro grinders in 2003, 2007 and 2010. This pattern of continuous improvement and listening to users is the rock-solid key to product success and market dominance.

This month Whole Latte Love is participating in launching the Baratza Encore which is the next generation of coffee grinder replacing the Maestro series. It is very apparent that they have retained all of the best operating characteristics of the Maestro series, while introducing improvements in under-the-hood design, engineered materials and precision manufacturing methods from around the globe. The grinder is designed and engineered in USA, the burrs are precision machined in Liechtenstein, and more parts are manufactured in Taiwan along with final assembly of the grinder.

The major changes included in the Encore include:

• An improved conical burr that produces a greater degree of fineness for brewing espresso while still being adjustable in 40 increments all the way to a coarse French press grind
• A simpler on/off switch vs. a timer switch and a pulse button on the front,
• And a revamped gearbox that has a drive transmission with decreased noise and significantly increased strength and durability. In addition to a new drive shaft, motor mounting plate and bushings, the gearbox includes a new drive gear made of 15% glass-filled thermo plastic which is quieter than the prior metal gear, wears better and is more shock resistant.

The shape and appearance of the Encore is barely changed from the Maestro, and the popular existing accessory enhancements like the Baratza Portafilter holder and the Baratza Esatto grind control scales will also fit the Encore.

Important features that migrated to the new design unchanged include a weighted base, 40-step grind settings (although they grind finer at the low end), and an efficient DC motor that still rotates the burrs at a slow 450 RPM for cool static-free grinding. Perhaps the aspect that will be most appreciated is that even with all of the changes and enhancements the price of the Encore is still the same as the Maestro.

I am confident that those who purchase the new Encore will be very satisifed with the performance of the grinder, and pleased with the Baratza company culture and customer interface.

What I like about the Grinder:

The Grind adjustment – The Ceado E7 grinder is very simple to adjust compared to other grinders in its class. While most grinders in its class use an adjustable collar the Ceado E7 has an easy to use clearly marked slide that moves precisely for coarse or fine grind adjustments.

The Doser – The doser works extremely well and does a very good job of doing a clean sweep of the grinds in the dosing chamber, thus preventing unused grinds from getting stale. The lever also has an admirable action and carries a lifetime warranty on the spring. The doser does an excellent job of shooting the coffee straight down into the portafilter. Of all the grinders I have used it does the best job of delivering the coffee grounds into your portafilter with little mess. Most grinders push the coffee to the right or left.

The Burrs – The 64 MM flat burrs do a great job of producing a consistent, quality grind. They are made of high quality steel specifically to be used in a grinder. They will stay sharp and functional for a long time. I like how the burrs are held in place by three screws not a conventional collar. This means there is no place for extra grounds to accumulate as happens with many other grinders. The collar design can cause some serious issues such as eventually not being able to adjust the grinder.

Cleaning - This is probably the best aspect of the many innovative design features. As mentioned before three screws hold the burrs in place. Removing the screws allows the top burr to be removed in one piece for cleaning or replacement. You can clean the burrs quickly and there is no build up of grounds in strange places. What is really nice is that when you reinstall the burrs they are in exactly the same place as when you started. Therefore you don’t have all the hassle of dialing in your grinder to the setting that works best for your espresso.

Some things that could be better:

The timer – The timer model does have a timer but it is preset for a specific time. This is Ok but I would like to see a dial that when turned will give you a better idea of how much coffee you are going to get.

Smaller hopper – The grinder is more of a commercial grinder. Many people would be thrilled to have this in their home along with a great pro?sumer espresso machine. The large hopper may hold more coffee then most home users will need and/or it may be too tall to fit under standard cupboards. We do have a mini grinder hopper that will work but was not designed specifically for the Ceado.

My overall impressions:
This is a great grinder with more innovative features then I’ve mentioned. I have really been impressed by how quiet it is, how well it grinds, how easy it is to keep clean, and how easy it is to adjust. If you want a quality piece of equipment that works well - then get this grinder. They are manufactured in Italy by a company with a long and successful tenure in the food equipment industry. In my opinion this grinder ranks number one out of all the grinders that I have used.

It’s time for the fourth, and final, installment of the “Best Bang for Your Buck” blog series. This time around, I’m highlighting the grinders I believe offer the best value for your money. I’ll sort our grinders into three categories: drip, espresso and universal.

Judging criteria will include: price, ease of use, build quality, overall durability, and access to after-sale parts and service. I know you’ve probably read this elsewhere, but remember not to short change your grinder. It is actually half of the equation to brewing a solid shot of espresso. Even for drip coffee, you’ll need to spend more than $20 for a blade grinder. Blade grinders, as you may have read, simply spin around two blades at high speed and chop the beans into smaller pieces. Chopping the beans can burn and actually change the flavor structure of the coffee, which is why we tend to recommend burr grinders, here at Whole Latte Love. Burr grinders produce more consistent grinds and help eliminate heat transfer to preserve the flavor of your beans. With that in mind, let’s get right into it…

For drip-coffee drinkers, I’m going to go with the Jura Capresso Infinity Burr Grinder. It’s under $100, unless you go for the stainless steel body, and is a solid little grinder. Sporting a pair of conical burrs, 16 grind settings, a gear-reduction system, and running at a low RPM rate of 420, the Infinity is a great companion for drip coffee makers. While it won’t deliver grounds exact enough for commercial portafilter baskets, you could argue that this grinder can produce results good enough for espresso machines with pressurized portafilter systems. Overall, the Jura Capresso Infinity is an excellent grinder for under $100.

For espresso lovers, once you factor in price, the Baratza Virtuoso and Virtuoso Preciso are incredible grinders that can cater to almost any espresso machine, all the way up to Prosumer-level units. The Virtuoso has a hardened burr set, a beefy, 480-watt motor, a metal retaining collar on the top burr( to eliminate the flex that results in different-sized coffee particles) and 40 grind settings. This grinder can accommodate any of the Gaggia semi-autos, with their exacting commercial portafilters, and deliver the grinds needed to produce great shots. The Virtuoso Preciso is basically the Virtuoso evolved. It is $100 more but has an additional 11 micro adjustments per grinder setting, giving you a total of 440 grind settings. You’ll be able to fine-tune your espresso grind to accommodate machines as finicky as the Rancilio Silvia. The Silvia is one of the most demanding semi-automatic machines we carry. It’s a great feat for any grinder to keep up with Miss Silvia.

Lastly, the Baratza Vario gets my vote as the “Best Bang for your Buck” in the combo or all-purpose grinder category. If you brew multiple types of coffee, there is nothing else that compares or even comes close to the Vario. Other grinders may have more settings, bigger motors and hoppers, but none pulls it all together like the Vario. Within its compact frame lies a pair of Mahlkonig 54mm ceramic burrs, 230 grinder settings, and a digital timer for hands-free operation. The ceramic burrs last twice as long as their steel counterparts and Mahlkonig is the leading ceramic-burr manufacturer. There are two dials on each side of the grinder, one with 10 macro and 23 micro settings. Switching between the settings is as easy as sliding the dials up or down and, unlike infinite grinders, you can duplicate the grind setting every time. Regardless of whether you’re using an espresso machine, French press, stovetop or drip coffee maker, the versatile Vario can keep up with all your needs.

I hope you enjoyed this blog. Feel free to leave a comment and weigh in on my top picks.

In this video I'll go over the difference between a french press grind and an espresso grind and show you what each looks like. I also discuss the difference between a blade grinder and a burr grinder. Hope you enjoy the video. Happy brewing!

The coffee community has been anxiously awaiting the Baratza Virtuoso Preciso for over a year. Now that the Preciso has arrived, it certainly will not disappoint.

The Virtuoso has been a wildly popular home grinder for quite some time, garnering high praise for its reliability, efficient operation and compact frame. But if espresso lovers had one gripe, it would be the grinder's lack of micro adjustments. While the 40 standard grind settings are more than adequate for most people, there are some people who desire greater control over their grind. The Virtuoso Preciso is made to cater to them. Along with the 40 macro settings, the Preciso offers an additional 11 micro settings. Each micro range is equal to one macro setting, so you'll be able to fine-tune your grind to get exactly what you need, coarser for French Press or finer for espresso.

Aside from expanded grind adjustments the Preciso also comes with upgraded 40mm conical burrs. Designed for precision, these burrs deliver uniform coffee as well as very precise espresso grinds. With the improved burrs, the Preciso has seen remarkable speed improvements as well. Depending on the grind, you're looking at producing 1.8-2.5 grams per seconds—pretty impressive speeds for a home grinder. Though the first series of the Preciso grinders did not come equipped with these upgraded burrs, Baratza will be happy to replace your burrs if you have purchased one of these units. If your grinder was purchased before November 15, 2010, chances are it was equipped with the old set of burrs and is now eligible for an upgrade. (Be sure to contact sale@baratza.com for more information.)

Expanded grind adjustments and enhanced burrs are sure to make the Preciso a highly sought after grinder, but this model has not strayed too far from the winning Baratza formula. It retains a small, kitchen-counter friendly footprint and easy-to-use controls—attributes that have made previous Baratza grinders so popular with home users. The 480-watt gear reduction motor is powerful enough for most users and the Preciso is relatively quiet for its class. The burrs operate at only 450rpm to reduce heat transfer to your coffee and help preserve flavor and aroma. As an added bonus, the Preciso comes with a hands-free portaholder. Use it in conjunction with the integrated timer and you'll be able to set your portafilter in place, program the grinder to deliver the exact amount of coffee needed and walk away. At under $300, the Preciso is a great investment for espresso lovers looking for a precise, utilitarian burr grinder.

The Mazzer Mini is one of the most popular prosumer level espresso grinders that we carry. It is always a pleasure evaluating and selling a precision engineered grinder like the Mini. With a choice of silver, black or polished finishes, there is plenty of variety in style to go with your prosumer espresso machine.

The Ceado E37 is a new product for us at Whole Latte Love. It is a great grinder that has a timer for consistency in the sizes of the espresso to be dispensed. They also are the only commercially approved grinders with NSF approval

If you are looking for a grinder that will give you a great grind every time then look no further than the Pasquini K2. Not only does it product a great grind, it is easy to clean and simple to use. With the K2 you will no longer need to worry about the grounds clumping into your portafilter. Check out my video and tell me what you think.

I love the Baratza Vario because it is a great little grinder with all of the bells and whistles of the expensive commercial coffee grinders at a fraction of the price. Given its programmable features and ability to alternate easily among different grind settings, the Vario is the perfect grinder for anyone who brews different coffee styles like I do.

We are proud to announce the arrival of the Ceado grinders from Italy. Ceado has a well-earned reputation in over 70 countries for making great equipment. We created the videos on Ceado to show you how they operate. Perhaps the most noticeable difference has to do with the engineering that makes them quieter, more consistent as well as easier to clean and calibrate. The Ceado line is also the only one to be fully NSF approved.