Baratza has been making grinders since 1999. They are a relatively new company compared to some other companies like Bialetti, Bodum, among many others.
What sets Baratza apart from so many companies however is that they have stuck to their tight business model since the very beginning – they only make coffee grinders!
..and they really only make good coffee grinders.
Their most inexpensive model is still easily priced over $100 and it usually out of the price range of budget oriented consumers.
Overall Baratza is committed to producing excellent pro-sumer coffee bean grinders for the home barista and isn’t interested in producing lower end equipment at rock bottom prices.
There is no dilution of focus in the Baratza family of products. If you buy anything with the Baratza label it will be for the purpose of grinding coffee beans fresh, just before you brew your coffee or make your espresso.
We like that kind of focus in a company!
Along the way the company has discontinued a few products, most recently the Preciso was a top seller that was upgraded and replaced by the Sette series of grinders.
The resulting lineup of Baratza grinders is now dizzying and can be confusing for anyone looking to step up from cheap entry level grinders into the next tier of performance.
Some of the higher end Baratza coffee grinders are perfectly capable of working day in and day out in a commercial coffee shop setting.
They are well made machines, built to last, and still priced to sell relative to their commercial grade competitors.
So, with that all said, lets look at the big list of Baratza grinders and compare them.
Current Models in the Baratza Coffee Grinder catalog
The Entry Level Baratza Grinders Include
- The Baratza Encore – Model 586
- The Baratza Virtuoso
- The Baratza Sette 30 AP
The Encore
Here are the direct product comparisons we have published on the Encore grinder:
- The Barazta Encore vs the Barazta Virtuoso –
- The Barazta Encore vs the Barazta Sette 30 –
- The Barazta Encore vs the Barazta Vario –
- The Barazta Encore vs the Barazta Forte –
- The Barazta Encore vs the Capresso Infinity –
- The Barazta Encore vs the Bodum Bistro Burr Grinder –
- The Barazta Encore vs the Breville Smart Grinder –
The Virtuoso
Here are the direct product comparisons we have published on the Virtuoso grinder:
- The Barazta Virtuoso vs the Barazta Encore – See above.
- The Barazta Virtuoso vs the Barazta Sette 30 AP –
- The Barazta Virtuoso vs the Barazta Vario –
- The Barazta Virtuoso vs the Barazta Forte –
- The Barazta Virtuoso vs the Breville Smart Grinder Pro –
- The Barazta Virtuoso vs the Capresso Infinity –
The Sette 30 AP
Here are the direct product comparisons we have published on the Sette 30 AP grinder:
- The Barazta Sette 30 AP vs the Barazta Virtuoso – See above.
- The Barazta Sette 30 AP vs the Barazta Sette 270 –
- The Barazta Sette 30 AP vs the Barazta Vario –
- The Barazta Sette 30 AP vs the Barazta Forte –
- The Barazta Sette 30 AP vs the Breville Smart Grinder Pro –
- The Barazta Sette 30 AP vs the Capresso Infinity –
Best Value Baratza Grinders for Home Use
- The Baratza Sette 270
- The Baratza Vario
- The Baratza Sette 270-W
Commercial Grade Baratza Grinders (Prosumer)
- The Baratza Vario-W
- The Baratza Forte AP (All Purpose)
- The Baratza Forte BG (Brew Grinder)
Here is a comparison table of all the models listed above.
[table id=1 /]
The Best Alternatives to Baratza Coffee Grinders
Around here we are big fans of the entire Baratza line of grinders because we feel they perform very well for what you pay for. There are plenty of other grinders from other brands that are priced attractively but these models can be trusted to make great consistent grind day in and day out.
Even still some of the best alternatives to Baratza are worth looking at and many of them we have dedicated entire articles to just for the sake of our customers.
Below are a few of the most common comparisons are customers ask us about.
Baratza Encore vs the Capresso Infinity Burr Grinder – The Capresso Infinity is a similarly priced (although slightly cheaper) conical burr grinder by Capresso. It’s another entry level machine that gets the job done better than the cheapest electric grinders on the market but still doesn’t compete against true mid-range devices like the Virtuoso or Sette series. For people looking to save a few bucks though the Infinity may be a better buy than the Encore.
Baratza Encore vs Bodum Bistro’s Electric Burr Grinder – Bodum Bistro makes an electric blade grinder and the better burr grinder. Our customers that are considering going with the Bistro Conical Burr Grinder over the Encore are definitely looking to save some money because it is a notably cheaper device. Although the Bodum burr grinder has some great features for it’s price point we usually will advise most shoppers to opt for the better made and higher priced Encore.
The Baratza Encore vs Breville’s Smart Grinder Pro – This is an obvious comparison in my book. Many people love and trust Breville products in the kitchen but don’t always have personal experience with Baratza. The Smart Grinder Pro is an excellent entry level burr grinder that’s bordering on a top shelf device. The price point is significantly more than the Encore but it’s usually less than the next step up in Baratza’s line, the Virtuoso. Honestly, we love the Breville device and wouldn’t hesitate to give it a two thumbs up but for some people the bigger price tag of the Breville isn’t worth it.
