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

AngerManagement wrote:

...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

AngerManagement wrote:

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

AngerManagement wrote:

... 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 😃

Koffee_Kosmo

RichardM wrote:

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 😃

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

Lacehim wrote:

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

AngerManagement wrote:

Should I be worried ?

Be alert, not alarmed.

Koffee_Kosmo

UNM wrote:

Be alert, not alarmed.

I think he should be very worried >😃 >😃 >😃 KK

grinderz

AngerManagement wrote:

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?