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Baratza sette 270Wi review

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  • Baratza sette 270Wi review

    I've been waiting a few months for the latest Baratza Sette offering to become available in Australia. Forerunners are readily available, such as the 270W with inbuilt dosing scale. But the 270Wi --the i is the difference--is supposed to have ironed out all the bugs which afflicted previous models.

    These are my first impressions only -- it's barely out of the box in which the courier delivered it yesterday.

    Certainly doesn't scream I'm a Big Commercial Beast Taking Up Lots Of Bench Space. In neither has the size nor weight to suggest it's up there in the commercial league of the ubiquitous Mazzas. Light, with the distinctive "7" shape from which it derives its name: Sette (7 in Italian).

    In fact, it's the only non-commercial coffee equipment I have.

    Assembly was quick. You only have to push down the hopper and, plug in the electric lead. A plastic jug is for bulk grinding, a brush is...to brush the cone grinders? a couple of shims something to do with extra-fine grinding, and a couple of hex keys, one for adjusting portafilter height, the other I don't yet know.

    The LED display lit up once plugged in, and I was able to work out what was what without reference to the instructions. (If a gadget has been designed well, it should be intuitive, so, ("when all else fails, read the instructions", lol).

    That said, the instructions are not good I am afraid. It's one of those multi-fold papers like the old Shell road maps, with the diagram and part numbers one one side, and multi-language "instructions" elsewhere. So when it says turn shut off lever (3) to 11 o'clock position....you have to refold the paper to find the diagram page, look at what item 3 is, then unfold it and find your way back to the English language section where you were reading....Not good.

    Now I am a big, big fan of the internet and downloading instructions. Good thing because the quick start instructions refer you to the baratza website for the user manual. People not so internet savvy might then have a problem with that. My belief is, if a gadget needs instructions, they should be supplied with it at point of purchase.

    So, having washed in warm soapy water the hopper, lid, plastic jug and so-called grounds catcher, off we go.
    I tried turning the grind setting to the recommended 9 for espresso on the macro adjuster, and F on the micro. But it wouldn't turn beyond about 20. After much fiddling which involved dropping out the bottom cone, it finally freed up and I set it to the 9F.

    Hit the start button, and it roared to life. Loud, but very quick. Maybe I haven't adjusted the ideal positioning of the portafilter holder, but the grounds heaped up and started spilling off onto the bench --- something Mrs Robusto frowns on because her precious kitchen sponge then becomes clogged with coffee grounds.

    Anyway, tapped the unsightly heap down with a couple of thumps on the bench, and they settled to the nether regions of the basket. I could tell right away the fluffy grind was going to be way, way too fine. The solid stainless steel tamper confirmed my suspicion. It had never travelled that low into the basket -- unchartered territory for it

    Popped the lot into the big Grimac coffee machine and pressed play! It was a full 20 seconds before the first drop oozed out into the awaiting cup. Certainly the colour was dark and thick...but from the outset this was looking like sink fodder.

    After 45 seconds I stopped the pour short. Yeah, I guess you could say "drinkable" but a dose of milk would have disguised the inadequacies. As a double shot of espresso...well, the sink is in a better position to judge it than my tongue which managed to sample only a few drops before my nose wrinkled up.

    Now the instructions do say it will take about 4 kilos to pass through the system before it comes accustomed to the vagaries of coffee grinding. Andy will be the beneficiary of that as I am running low on beans.

    So, at first glance... things I am trying to eliminate in my life: has it succeeded in doing so?
    Noise: NO, still loud
    Mess: No (but supposed to learn to be better)
    Weighing every shot (I hate that)...Probably, and should be a certain throw away the scales by the time it auto learns
    Shorter grind time: My Cunill is 9 seconds for 18 grams...Baratza says 7 seconds.
    Bench space: yes, much smaller footprint
    Dose timing: Yes. Set and forget for 5 grams to 35 or more. So I can throw away my digital clock
    Lousy shots: Like the French revolution...too early to tell yet. Hopefully

    So once a few more grams goes through the little hopper, I will update the Baratza 270Wi performance.

    Bye for now

  • #2
    Thanks for the early thoughts review Robusto.

    Look forward to a follow up.

    I’m considering 270Wi as a second grinder.

    Will be interested to hear how you get on after you’ve had more time to play with the grinder.
    [emoji106]

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    • #3
      Originally posted by robusto View Post
      a couple of hex keys, one for adjusting portafilter height, the other I don't yet know.
      The larger Allen key is for when you need to shim it after the burrs settle in.
      Last edited by Lyrebird; 10 August 2018, 01:31 PM.

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      • #4
        Thanks for this.

        Does anyone know how this would perform for pour over?

        I'm looking for a new grinder and only make pour over, but I also want something a bit more high-end than a Baratza Encore or Breville Smart Grinder Pro (which a lot of people seem to be recommending). I also want something that looks a bit nicer - like a Compak K3 Touch Advanced - but apparently that's only good for Espresso.

        Any advice would be great.

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        • #5
          Baratza sette 270Wi review

          Originally posted by mattsanasi View Post
          Does anyone know how this would perform for pour over?

          I'm looking for a new grinder and only make pour over, but I also want something a bit more high-end than a Baratza Encore or Breville Smart Grinder Pro (which a lot of

          Any advice would be great.
          Hi Mattsani. 270 range supposed to be good for pour over and espresso. My brother uses his 270 daily for pour over/batch brew. You could even go the cheaper Sette 30 AP without scales for ~$360. Or if you want something a bit more solid in terms of build you can go more expensive up to the Eureka Atom at around $1100. Quieter too but again no scales. Or Baratza Forte around similar price. I’ve seen mention of BG versions of the Sette and Forte with burr set specifically for brew vs the AP (all purpose?). Hope that helps 🤣
          Last edited by matth3wh; 10 August 2018, 01:35 PM.

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          • #6
            Thanks for the early review, Robusto. This is one of the machines on a slowly shortening list I have. That lack of semi-commercial quality is one of my fears although that may be an unrealistic requirement for my use. Noise is not promising.

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            • #7
              Beensean, Over the years I've had to severely reduce alcohol and coffee consumption so now I generally grind about 18 grams at breakfast...sometimes that again at night.
              So for me, robust commercial build is not an issue for throughput as much as a possibly issue for stability in grind quality .

              By contrast my other, Cunill grinder, is very heavy with very solid burr carriers and no plastic where it counts. And it's been built to grind out a large doserful without raising a sweat.

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              • #8
                Hi Robsto, I have owned the 270W for over a year now(not the i obviously). I only grind for espresso/cappuccino. It has worked quite well for me. It is noisy however it is also quick. It is very consistent on weight and within 0.1-2 grams.

                The one thing that is/was an irritant is the splatter when trying to grind into portafilter. I set 2 presets to make up combined 18g and tapped portafilter after first grind then finish with second half of grind. This is a pain in the A so I have the 3rd programmable button set for 18g and I just grind into supplied container, then pour into portafilter. This is an extra step however it eliminates all spatter.

                I have fitted one of the extra shims after 3-4 kg as required grind was down towards 2. I have now put over 25kg through and it is performing as one would expect and hope for.

                All in all I am very satisfied.

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                • #9
                  One shim will increase it by 6 number increments roughly

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                  • #10
                    Thanks for the great review Robusto! Please keep us updated on how you find it over time, have been eyeing this grinder off... but of course like many others they're worried about durability/longevity. Awesome to hear how clumpfree it is... even though messy!

                    Aaaand I've gotta ask... what's the retention like? XD

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by robusto View Post
                      ...tapped the unsightly heap down with a couple of thumps on the bench, and they settled to the nether regions of the basket. I could tell right away the fluffy grind was going to be way, way too fine..."
                      First up, thanks for such a great review - informative and entertaining in equal measure! :-D

                      I've been considering a 270WI as a replacement for my Macap M4D. I've had a love-hate thing with the M4D since the day I brought it home MANY moons ago. The M4D offers a rock-solid build, it's nice and heavy (no chance of sliding around on the bench) and there's just enough electronics to satisfy my inner gadgeteer. But, the grind retention and clumpiness drives me bloody bonkers. And the timed dosing can be wildly inconsistent.

                      I've been using some Beurer KS51 scales (which nicely accommodate a group handle) for checking my dosing but they've just given up the will to live.

                      So then I start reading about this "unicorn" device which could offer precise-ish doses AND fluffy grinds for under AUD700. My interest is well and truly piqued.

                      Looking forward to updates on your thoughts/experiences.

                      DJ
                      (Former CS user returning to the fold)

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                      • #12
                        Probably too early for an update, so let's call this a progress report...


                        Yesterday I tweaked the the setting a little towards the fine side. You are supposed to ensure there are no beans or partly ground beans in the burrs when doing this because they offer resistance, but I forgot.

                        So I removed the burrs to remove any remnants of the week-old Behmor-roasted Brazilian pulped naturals.

                        The burrs, as on the first day, come out readily enough. But putting them back in -- what a monstrous task that had me one step away from returning this machine.

                        According to dowloaded instructions and Youtube videos Baratza support makes, you simply align the grind adjustment collar with a spot on the machine, push up firmly and twist clockwise to lock the burrs in.

                        Then, continue turning to your desired grind level. Should take half a second.

                        Well, I did that for TWO frustrating hours without success.

                        Push firmly up, twist--- it's not the stuff of coffee-fuelled rocket science, now is it?

                        The burrs lock in alright...but refuse to budge any further, remaining way, way off the coarse end of the scale.

                        Funny that -- if you recall in my original post, that's the way the machine came in the first place, and only after I removed them and somehow luckily put them back in, that adjustment became possible.

                        Over the course of two hours I became very familiar with this burr system. Mostly plastic, in three parts plus burr.

                        The burr is held onto the hollow plastic carrier by one small bolt. Hollow to allow the grinds to drop through into the portafilter basket.

                        A plastic tube slides over the carrier to direct grinds down. That assembly is then pushed into the adjusting collar -- the thing that is refusing to turn once I push up firmly.

                        Baratza support's youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sBpJcsF7-4

                        Pushed, prodded, removed, cleaned, re-cleaned, back to youtube, removed, replaced...rinse and repeated that a hundred times and deduced that despite appearing to seat where where they could go no more, all three bits had to go further into the far reaches of the contraption.

                        This was confirmed to me after a few goes at putting in the stubborn adjustment collar without the burr or carrier. It locked twisted and turned then, didn't it.

                        So, with gentle brute force--after all it is plastic we are dealing with here--I pushed that final hair's breadth which makes all the difference between push/twist success, and push/twist and shout.

                        Unfortunately I've run out of degassed beans and only have some I roasted on Friday.

                        This morning I dialled up 20 grams, pushed play and out they came--or should I say splattered-- in omni directions....a substantial amount on the bench, on the grounds catcher, on the arms which hold the portafilter.

                        Heck, some even made their way inside the the portafilter basket!

                        Obviously that's something which has to be addressed by my inventiveness.....

                        On the big Grimac coffee machine, the grind appeared to have all the hallmarks of a gusher --- and a very pale one at that.

                        But the extraction managed to nonetheless take a reasonable 25 seconds.

                        Awful, awful taste. But in hope and optimism, I put that down to the freshness of the ungassed beans, rather than the unthinkable alternative: a $626 future paper weight.
                        Attached Files

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                        • #13
                          There is definitely something wrong with your machine. It takes me about 30 seconds to remove, knock out and replace the burr assembly.

                          Edit: Just timed it. 26.5 seconds.

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                          • #14
                            I've been offered one of these at a good price (to replace my old Sunbeam EM0480) and I'm following this thread with lots of interest. So far, it doesn't inspire confidence. I'll delay pushing the button for the time being.

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by tristanp View Post
                              I've been offered one of these at a good price (to replace my old Sunbeam EM0480) and I'm following this thread with lots of interest. So far, it doesn't inspire confidence. I'll delay pushing the button for the time being.
                              I have gone the same path, although mine is the previous model 270W - I understand your concern as my initial delivery had a grub screw problem. The distributors were very good and fixed it. I have now had the unit now for over 12 months and put over 25kg through it. I am satisfied with the unit overall. It is accurate and consistent and quick, but would highlight the following:

                              1. Grinding greater than 10g into portafilter is somewhat problematic with spatter/spillage. I overcame this by grinding into supplied container and then pour in to portafilter. No spillage at all.
                              2. Noisy, but very quick
                              3. Easy to clean, but can be a little fiddly putting removable blade unit back.

                              Would I buy it again? Yes

                              Hope that helps - good luck with whatever you decide.
                              Gordon.

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