Thread: Coffee Enthusiasts

I've read some good things about the Flair, so happy to hear it's true and you are able to enjoy your espresso at work!!!

Originally Posted by Dieseld

I've read some good things about the Flair, so happy to hear it's true and you are able to enjoy your espresso at work!!!

Sorry to go OT, but oh man does that machine name bring back a certain scene from "Office Space" to mind.

Originally Posted by holli4pirating

I got myself a Lido-E and a Flair. We aren't allowed to have "personal electronics" at work, so I decided to try full manual espresso on my desk. I'm quite happy with it, and as an added bonus, it all packs up nicely to come home on weekends.

Love my Lido-ET I got back in 2016. Finally broke her down the other week to clean up the bean hopper and anything else looking dirty, and I noticed the lower burr had taken some serious destruction to a few of its teeth. Two teeth had large chunks missing from their top-end side. Sure it still works just fine but the OCD side of me wants it replaced. To my surprise, the other half of the burr-set showed no sign of wear or damage.

Lido shots give you a nice, early morning arm work-out. Each cup I brew in the AeroPress requires about 120 turns of the grinder's handle, and thank java I am ambidextrous. Grinding coffee manually makes you appreciate your electric grinder that much more.

I've always only used manual grinders, so I guess I don't even thing about it anymore. Started with a Hario, then got a Handground. The Handground was able to grind fine enough for espresso but it took FOREVER. Clearly not what it was designed for. The Lido, on the other hand, clearly is.

I'll have to keep an eye on the teeth. Odd that you had damage to the lowers but no the uppers. I wonder what caused it...

Gentlemen,

I've been into good coffee ever since a university job as a barista in the late 90s. For many years I had a very satisfying setup, I used an Aero-press with a Hario hand grinder, and a couple of times a week I would treat myself to a really nice high-end espresso, which was easy to find in Montreal.

However, I've recently moved to a smaller city. The closest good espresso is a 90 minute drive away, and I'm really missing it! Having only the Aero-press is not cutting it. So I want to invest in a good espresso machine and grinder, but as usual the finances are tricky. I'm willing to spend the money if I'm sure the machines will provide high quality coffee for a long, long time - but I need to be sure.

My girlfriend and I decided the best plan of action would be to buy a good grinder first, which we could use with the Aero-press, and then later on buy an espresso machine. I've been researching grinders, and Baratza definitely seems to be where it's at.

My question for you all: which model Baratza grinder should I get? Ideally I'd spend less than $500 CDN, which seems to limit me to the Sette 30 AP. Is this grinder good enough that, when eventually paired with a good quality espresso machine, it would satisfy my espresso needs? (ie. will it be good enough to make espresso comparable to a decent espresso bar?)

Thanks in advance! As usual, comments and advice on the whole plan are welcome.

First of all, one can tell you've worked in the coffee industry before: you've definitely got your priorities right - a good grinder is more important than the machine itself. Sette 30 AP is a great grinder: almost zero retention, and the same burrs set as in the more expensive 270 model. The only difference between them is how many steps of adjustment they have (31 vs 270). They both will grind fine enough for espresso, but to make fine tuning - for example to compensate for the daily humidity changes, drying of the batch etc. - will be impossible with the 30AP. That aside, you can always compensate for this with little variations in quantities or the tamping strength. Not optimal, but definitely doable. Baratza is a good company, and whatever problems they've had with the early models of the 270W - they are over them, so you'd be buying a "field-tested" one either with 30AP or 270.

As said, Baratza produces a great machine and is a great company that backs their products. I had a problem with my first one, they sent me a new one with return label and bam!!! Back in business grinding the perfect cup/shot.

Id suggest, if it's possible, to go one more step up to the Vario. I own this one and it does a great job for any type of coffee maker or espresso machine. I'd say it'll be the last grinder you'll ever need to buy.

Looking forward to hearing what you decide to do and how it works out for you

Here is a good video with the top 5 grinders from 2018.
And yes, the Sette is in this video. It's probably worth you looking at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_c...&v=Mm1TFjBK8Cc


Also, if you really want to do some research, HERE is a link to Home-Barista and their Grinder page. This forum is my go to for ANYTHING coffee/espresso related

Good luck!

Vario is another great option, but I actually think that for home espresso-oriented use Sette 270 is a better option. Vario is heavier, better than 270 for french press/pourover, and grinds faster - all this makes it better for office and small business use. Sette 270 on the other hand has almost zero retention (due to very innovative mechanical design) and espresso-oriented conical burrs which would make it my choice for a home espresso corner. Being cheaper than Vario is another perk.

I will agree on it being better for espresso only. But if you decide to venture into other coffee makers, this is perfect!
And to me, this is a one time, life long investment. I believe I paid just a bit over $500 for mine. But you could also upgrade to the one that weighs out your shots grounds. To me that was a bit more than I wanted.
As you said, you consider it for office or small business, that's very true. But in the same aspect, it's lifespan will be longer than a home use one.