Owners love it as a built-like-a-tank workhorse that grinds great drip, pour over, French press, and cold brew for years, and they rave about how easy it is to repair with cheap parts. The recurring gripes: it can't grind fine or consistently enough for real espresso, the stepped adjustment is too coarse to dial in, it throws a lot of fines, it's loud, and a lot of owners end up upgrading away to better grinders.
What 381 owners say
1,549 comments reviewed · scored on the 381 clearest verdicts
50%
Recommend
190 owners
28%
Neutral
107 owners
22%
Don't recommend
84 owners
Source
Breakdown
Score
N
Counted in the score
Reddit
50%
381
What owners like
Built like a tank and lasts for years, with many owners still running theirs daily after a decade or more · 60 · 16%
Versatile workhorse that excels at drip, pour over, French press, and cold brew · 55 · 14%
Easy to repair with cheap, readily available parts and excellent Baratza customer service · 40 · 10%
Produces a consistent grind and noticeably better coffee than blade or cheap grinders · 35 · 9%
Simple to use with a timer for one-button, walk-away grinding · 14 · 4%
What owners flag
Can't grind fine or consistently enough for real espresso · 55 · 14%
Many owners ended up upgrading away to a better grinder · 45 · 12%
Stepped adjustment is too coarse to dial in finely · 18 · 5%
Produces a lot of fines and inconsistent, uneven grinds · 18 · 5%
Loud and messy, throwing chaff and grounds around · 15 · 4%
Top quotes, sourced
1,549 reviewed · 341 shown
Sentiment
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Reddit▲ recommend
“I've had my Baratza Virtuoso for over 10 years.”
Reddit▼ don’t recommend
“I was using a good grinder (Baratza Virtuoso).”
Reddit— neutral
“Baratza Virtuoso grinder. Stepped grinder that got fine enough to pull shots, but steps made it hard to dial anything in consistently.”
Reddit▲ recommend
“I freshly grind the beans to number 38 on my Baratza Virtuoso+, and 24 hours later I have a very smooth, low-acid, no-additives, no off-taste cold brew concentrate”
Reddit— neutral
“I own a Baratza Virtuoso and an Aergrind, I'd say my JX Pro outperforms both.”
Reddit▼ don’t recommend
“I can't tell a big difference, if a difference at all.”
Reddit▲ recommend
“I've been using the same (no longer made) Baratza Virtuoso coffee grinder every day for around 8 years, until a couple of weeks ago when the main burr just stopped turning, despite the motor running.”
Reddit▼ don’t recommend
“originally i got the Baratza Virtuoso+ but it wouldnt grind fine enough. I tried to mod it and make the burrs closder and ended up breaking the thing.”
Reddit— neutral
“I kept my Baratza Virtuoso for non espresso and bought a 1Zpresso J-max.”
Reddit— neutral
“I still like the Virtuoso but there's a clear difference between the two.”
Reddit▼ don’t recommend
“The Baratza Virtuoso is not prosumer quality in terms of build quality and durability, and it's not even remotely close to a commercial quality grinder. It's just a cheap switch.”
Reddit▲ recommend
“If you buy a virtuoso grinder, they repair it very inexpensively if anything goes wrong so it is pretty much a buy it for life purchase.”
Reddit— neutral
“It produces less fines than the Virtuoso at comparable grind settings, and although the JX has more precise adjustments, the C2 just feels so much easier to turn the handle on.”
Reddit▲ recommend
“I recommend an expensive grinder: we have a Baratza Virtuso , here:
[http://www.laffare.co.nz/product/baratza-virtuoso/](http://www.laffare.co.nz/product/baratza-virtuoso/)
It's a deal. Very precise grind levels.”
Reddit▼ don’t recommend
“I felt it was a significant upgrade from my Baratza virtuoso several years ago.”
Reddit▼ don’t recommend
“I started on a Baratza Virtuoso+ but kept getting a ton of stalling and got to talk to their support… then I got a Comandante C40, Fellow Ode gen2 and a Wilfa Uniform”
Reddit▲ recommend
“Baratza Virtuoso grinder (refurbished) was around $150”
Reddit— neutral
“I have a machine grinder also, a baratza Virtuoso, which I feel like is the same quality, but has a motor and is therefore almost 4 times more expensive.”
Reddit▼ don’t recommend
“My Baratza Virtuoso has finally shit the bed, I think. I’ve changed burrs numerous times, but it just won’t grind fine enough for espresso anymore.”
Reddit▲ recommend
“using my most prized possession: [Baratza Virtuoso Coffee Grinder 586”
Reddit— neutral
“With the Baratza Virtuoso+, I can grind coffee fine enough that it blocks the extraction entirely in my 9Barista, so it can certainly grind fine enough.”
Reddit— neutral
“I have been happy with my Baratza Virtuoso for many years, but I have to say that the Ode offers a cleaner tasting cup of coffee.”
Reddit▲ recommend
“I use the Baratza Virtuoso. It gives me the range I need for espresso to pour overs. It can be a bit loud tho.”
Reddit▼ don’t recommend
“Lower end grinders, in my case a Baratza Virtuoso, don’t provide fluffy clumpless grounds without help.”
