If you’ve been looking into upgrading from a small grinder to a larger, more commercial-grade coffee grinder, you’ve probably come across the Baratza line of products.
This company produces many variations of electric coffee grinders, with the Sette grinder being one of their popular items. You may have compared between the Sette and other Baratza grinders, only to realize there are a few variations of the Sette itself.
There is the Baratza Sette 30, 270, and 270W. Each of these grinders look pretty similar in appearance, and share a lot of the same functions. They all have their own unique set of abilities, and that’s important to consider when looking into buying a new grinder.
If you’re just looking to get into the next level of grinding, you may want to start with the Sette grind that has the least functionality while you master your skills, and at a lower cost.
If you’re looking to experiment and find the most precise grind for your drinks, you’ll probably want a grinder with more settings. For the most precise grind, you’ll want to dose your beans out by weight.
You’ll want to take the different functions of each grinder into account as you look into what is best for your lifestyle.
We’ve taken a look at the three Baratza products, the Sette 30, 270, and 270W, to find their main features and differences and help clear up any confusion.
Let’s begin by looking with the Baratza Sette 30.
Main Features of Baratza Sette 30
This grinder is the smallest of the bunch, considered an entry-level grinder by the manufacturers.
It has 30 different grind settings, and you can choose across the range from extra fine to extra coarse grounds. This means it will be capable of fine grounds for drinks like ristretto and coarse ground for French press.
It also has a digital timer, and you can set it to grind for a specific amount of time and then stop when it reaches the time limit. You can experiment a lot with this to find what is right for your drinks. The timer is useful if you often have a lot going on at once when you’re getting ready in the morning.
The grind itself is high quality and large. It comes in around 10 pounds. The Sette 30 is capable of grinding five grams of coffee per second, and designed to prevent retaining of the grounds.
This is the least expensive of the three, as well.
Main Features of the Baratza 270
This grinder is a big step up from the previous, packing 270 different grind settings.
It offers user-friendly features, like easy dosing. The machine allows you to program three different dose settings, so the machine will only produce the desired amount for certain drinks.
If you’re looking to make an espresso, you can just choose the setting you’ve saved for espresso. If it’s time to make a French press, you can use another setting you’ve saved that gets the right consistency for you.
Another useful feature for espresso is the option to fill a portafilter directly from underneath the machine. You can just select your saved dosing selection for espresso, and let it fill your portafilter to the desired amount. The switch between portafilter and grounds bin is designed to be as seamless as possible.
The ability to choose from 270 different grind settings is useful for anyone who cares about getting the most precise grind possible, or for those who like to experiment a lot with their machines. It would take a long time to try out all of the combinations on the Sette 270.
This machine also grinds five grams of coffee per second. It weighs about seven pounds, so a little less than the Sette 30.
Main Features of the Baratza Sette 270W
This grinder is the sibling grinder to the 270, so you can expect it to have a lot of the same features with an addition that sets it apart.
As the name implies, the Sette 270W offers 270 different grind settings. The option to save programmed settings is available, and it can grind five grams of coffee per second. It also the same size as the previous, coming in at about seven pounds.
What really sets the Baratza Sette 270W apart from the 270 is the ability to weigh out your grounds straight from the machine. This eliminates the need for a scale to go along with your coffee gear.
Many people overlook how useful weighing can be when it comes to dosing coffee out. It’s a quick and accurate way to get consistent coffee with each brew. It can grind by weight directly into a portafilter, making your morning espresso a breeze.
You can still dose out your coffee with three programmable settings. This saves time in an early morning routine.
This machine also brings in more technology than just the digital screen in the other two. If you need to make upgrades to the weigh technology used in the machine, the grinder has bluetooth functionality.
The Baratza Sette 270W is the most expensive of the bunch.
The Main Differences
The Sette 30 is best for the entry-level user who is looking to upgrade to something with more functionality. There are 30 different grind settings, as opposed to the other two which offer 270 settings.
You can set a digital timer on all of the Baratza Sette grinders, but the 270 and 270W are the only ones that allow you to program in three default settings. All three grinders can also grind at a speed of five grams per second.
The Baratza Sette 30 is also the least expensive of the three.
They are all designed to have minimum retention of coffee grounds, meaning you won’t have to worry about anything going to waste. The Baratza Sette 30 is the heaviest, at about 10 pounds, whereas the other two weigh about seven pounds.
The Baratza Sette 270 and 270W are similar in most features, but the 270W stands out more because it has a built in scale. You can’t dose your coffee by weight with the 270.
All three machines allow you to grind directly into a portafilter for making espresso. The Sette 30 only offers this function, and does not come with a bins for coffee grounds. The 270 and 270W both have a container for coffee grounds which is removable to allow for dosing straight into a portafilter.
The Baratza 270W is the most expensive grinder of the three, but it comes with good reason because it used bluetooth technology to grind your beans at accurate doses. No other grinders offer a built-in scale.
Conclusion
The Baratza Sette 30, 270, and 270W are all great choices if you’re looking to upgrade. They all offer a wide range of grind settings, allowing for a grind fine enough for espresso, or coarse enough for a French press.
The Sette 30 has the least functionality, so it would be best for someone who is just getting started and doesn’t need over 200 settings to choose from. It’s good to get to know a machine a bit before moving to a heavy-duty version.
If you think you’ll get bored with 30 settings, or need a bin for collecting your grounds, the Sette 270 or 270W would be a better choose as the Sette 30 only supports grinding into a portafilter.
If you’re having trouble choosing between the 270 and 270W, there are a few things to consider. The 270 offers a lot of functions, at a lower cost than the 270W. You can experiment with different doses, and program settings in for frequent use. The 270 will allow you to get the desired grind for whatever drink you are making.
The 270W offers the built-in scale, which is what sets it apart from its sibling. If you want the most precise dosing you can get with your coffee, this is the grinder for you.
For my kitchen, I would go with the Sette 30. The number of grind settings in the other machines go way over what I need for my daily life, and I don’t want to spend the extra money on features I don’t need.
The Sette 30 will allow me to switch between all of the drinks I make with ease, and I can use the portafilter for all of those purposes.
If you’re someone who wants more precision with their grind, the Sette 30 will probably not be your first choice. The 270 or 270W will both offer a lot more precision with your dosing of coffee grounds.
Picking the right grinder can be a challenge, so keep in mind that they are all great products, you just need to find what is most compatible with your lifestyle.
For me, the cost and functionality of the Sette 30 is perfect for my current situations. Others may require more from their grinder.
The Baratza Sette 30 Vs 270: What’s the Difference Between These Two Grinders?
There are some poor souls we see every so often, grinding their coffee beans at the super market, not experiencing the joy of fresh grinding their coffee just thirty seconds before use. Personally, I’d crush my coffee beans tediously by hand if I had to, just to savor that freshness.
Perhaps these super market coffee grinders just work better that the blade grinders of yore. However, there are plenty of entry level grinders on the market today.
If you are also looking for coffee grinding perfection, then let’s check out two of the most discussed home grinders available from Baratza, a Seattle coffee maker company that has taken grinding to an obsessive level.
First we’ll look at the Sette 30 which is the cheaper of the two and then we’ll look at the Sette 270 which is a nicer all around grinder.
Baratza makes grinders of a variety of different levels and steps for the causal grinder, coffee hound, or even commercial or industrial use.
Okay, maybe industrial is a branch to far. Still they have quite a variety of grinders and with all the options it can be difficult to understand what is best going to fit your needs.
What Kind of Grinder Is Best?
The distinction between their grinders is all about how the beans are processed. Meaning, that the grinding mechanisms are of different classes: Connical Burr Grinders and Flat Burr Grinders.
Both the Sette 30 and 270 use conical burr grinders which should be great for the home barista because they work great and don’t cost as much as the flat kind.
For instance you would have to pay quite a bit more to get the cheapest flat burr grinder in the Baratza lineup!
Baristas, who better to trust than those who work with coffee all day, generally report that conical burr grinders are more forgiving than flat burr operated grinders. This is probably due to conical burrs having an easier to dial-in adjustment and feature material that is less likely to heat up or expose the beans to rough processing.
Home coffee drinkers might not see these reasoning in their daily coffee practice because they simply aren’t producing Barista-level amounts of coffee.
Many enthusiasts will claim that different kinds of coffee grinders are better at emphasizing different notes. Sure, this doesn’t have much anecdotal evidence to support the claim, but it’s easy to think that burrs will have a varying affect depending on their build, material, and overall processing capabilities.
- Conical burr grinders seem to do best with beans that have unique and bright flavors, such as those of exotic African coffees.
- Flat burr grinders supposedly meld together light coffees and enhance darker notes, think style from South and Central American plantations.
Release of the Sette Series
The reason for the developments around the Baratza Sette Series stems from feedback involving the Brew Grinder, and it’s committed following.
Baratza initially planned to unveil the Sette 30 grinder to it’s inner circle of testers and repeat customers, and it would have to be marketed as a brew grinder using the BG burr. In March of 2016 the unit went out to be tested and scrutinized.
The feedback came back and it revealed a wealth of knowledge. Some testers found that they loved it, while other testers said that the grind was not coarse enough or had too many fine grinding settings. This means in, outside of coffee-speak, that the grinder was in fact not as honed in for specific tasks as it could be.
It was still possible to grind for brewed coffee, but not as intuitively as many users would like. Baratza returned to the drawing board. The testers spoke and a new mission began. Baratza went forward with the idea to develop a burr that could operate on a large scale of brew profile but had fine adjustments from those settings as well.
Baratza spoke out:
“Given the feedback from testing, we do not think the Sette 30 will meet the high standard and expectations of the Specialty Coffee enthusiast, or of Baratza.”
Sad as many were to see the postponement, it was well worth the wait.
The Sette 30 came onto the market as an ideal entry level, conical burr grinder. It’s touted as an inexpensive grinder to get started on an espresso journey. It’s the base level model of the series of Sette grinders. It’s reported by Baratza to be good at manual coffee but better for Espresso style brewing practices.
Its also got some of the best reviews of Baratza’s grinders even though it’s not their best seller.
Coming in hot with a stationary 40 millimeter conical burr. The inner burr being stationary while the upper burr rotates is a major difference in this class of grinder. You’d be hard pressed to find this kind of design applied these days but the reason for it is to optimize for speed and low grind retention.
In fact, the Sette grinds at 3.5 to 5.5 grams per second which is about twice as fast as the Baratza Vario. Read our breakdown of the Baratza Vario Vs. Sette grinders for more information.
The Sette 30 uses a macro-adjust with 30 steps of adjustment. So regardless of what the Baratza is specifically meant for, there’s plenty for room to hone in and experiment with a variety of grind settings and steps in between them.
One special thing about this series of coffee grinders is their vast grind settings that are difficult to match via competitors.
Suitable for basic and advanced espresso machines, the focus here is to try new grind settings to match whatever machine or process you have. There’s bound to be a few you’ll love. Those new to the exactitudes of broad grinder setting, that radically changes on the few steps available will quickly become disenchanted and move up to an investment like the Sette series grinders.
The Sette Series has, at its core, a revolutionary grinding mechanism that produces game-changing performance. Many home grinders tend to be on the slow side in comparison to supermarket grinders. That’s due to the arrangement of the burrs and the worry of overheating beans. With the Sette series, speed and efficiency are both put on a pedestal.
Key aspects of this innovative mechanism include:
Straight-thru vertical transports: Grinding of the beans (highly efficient and results in minimal residual coffee in the system) is treated through a single, easy to maintain, chamber fed by gravity and resilient burrs.
Outer Burr Ring: Grinding here takes place at two to three times the efficiency of other grinders in it’s class. Due to the size of the outer burr ring and the impressive geometric blades, fitting together like teeth of an otherworldly beast.
Gear box: A proprietary design owes Baratza a unique understanding of a grinder gear box. The planetary and crown gear maximize efficiency of power usage and keeps heat in it’s place: outside the grinder.
Powerful DC motor: This motor aids to maximum starting torque and efficiency, resulting in cooler operation.
Advanced Adjustements in the Sette Series
The Sette 30’s adjustments will change the flow, and leave the extraction per blend or roast. This helps beginners learn the basic functions of the grinder without ruining a batch.
The dramatic changes to the Sette grinder series after it’s initial reveal and postponement is the straight thru chamber design. This means that beans literally travel straight through the grinder, vertically, proceeding directly to the portafilter or grounds container.
Speaking of which, there’s a lot of headroom for whatever storage container you’re planning to use and the device holder, which allows you remove or change position of the arms to grind directly into the supplied grounds bin. This is a brilliant addition to the design of home grinders, as often grinding large batches can’t be done conveniently.
Highlighting the differences between the Sette 30 & 270
- Number of Grind Settings So how does the the Sette 30 differ from the 270? Well the numbers in the name say a lot. The 30 AP has thirty macro grind settings. The 270 has thirty as well, but adds nine micro adjustments to each for a total of 270 settings. Much finer control of grind size on the 270 with those micro adjustments. That leaves the Sette 30 more suited to serving less demanding brewing on single boiler or entry level espresso machines or brew methods like Aeropress or pour over where grind size is a little less critical.
- Burr Material The inner workings of the 270, namely the burr casing, is made with resilient metal while the plastic casing of the 30 could lend itself to some static buildup. Though it might sound a bit tedious of a detail to focus on, if you’ve dealt with a static problem in your cafe you know what a difference metal makes as a static deterrent and as long-lasting piece of equipment. The stock AP burrs are what you want for espresso and other finer grinding. For those in need of even coarser grinding, Baratza has the optional accessory, BG burr, their brew grind burr. It costs less than thirty dollars and fits all the Sette models.
- Programmability On the Sette 30, you set one grind time in hundredth of a second intervals up to ten seconds and then tenth of a second increments for times over ten seconds. The 270 comes with 3 programmable timed presets. These timing scenarios are great especially for the larger grind, which the units accommodate with head-room in the design.
- Portafilter And Bin Accommodation
All Sette models allow for portafilters or large grind bins. The 30 once again uses plastic whereas the 270s use sturdy metal builds for the forks. While you must remove the 30s portafiler forks, the 270 is adjustable without.
Pros of the Sette Grinder Class
The Sette models have the same burr set, same grind size range, same grinding speed, so what’s the big difference? These slight variations in the extra micro adjustments, metal build on the burr casing and support forks, and extendable timer is what makes the improvements to the 270s.
Addionally, the same reliable testers that brought the creation of the Sette 30 to life, have spread through the coffee forums to further clarify the difference in the 30 and the 270. Reports show that the 270 is further engineered with burrs that perform their grinding differently with (physically) very hard or very soft beans. This means that the burrs had to be optimized for the vast middle ground of a variety of bean types and roasts.
Cons of the Sette Grinder Class
If noise is a concern, keep in mind the Sette series is a bit louder than other grinders. This is caused by the high grinding speed and possibly also owed to the straight through chamber design. Luckily this is capable of grinding large batches. With the proper storage container, one could reasonably grind beans on Sunday night, for the rest of the week, without waking the whole house.
The Ingenuity of Engineering
These grinders feature relatively smaller burrs. So how can a grinder with burrs no larger than a hand grinder be so fast?
What sets this class apart from basically every other grinder is that the outer burr itself rotates. Whereas the small inner burr is typically responsible for the auger of beans into the unit, the much larger surface of the outer burr is left to that task.
Despite the low energy consumption of the DC motor, the size of that outer burr, grinding beans, is able to make the job fast. That the inner burr is auguring beans also means that whether you have enough beans for a single dose or enough for the week, there won’t be any hangups in speed and efficiency. This is actually not a bad tradeoff for a little extra noise right?
Ease of Cleaning with the Baratza Sette
The straight through chamber makes this a very easy grinder to clean. It should be noted that it’s recommended to give these beauties a bit of regular maintenance to keep your investment in working order.
Since it’s ideal to clean your grinder periodically, time saving might be of great concern.
Grinder cleaner tablets are a small pellet type cleaner that’s food-safe and isn’t of much concern if mixed in with grounds. However, they’re made to avoid that.
The pellets get ground like normal coffee but on their own. Every once and a while this is something to be in good practice of doing. If you notice things aren’t tasting god, grounds wise or perhasp you’re noticing some retention of grinds, throw some pellets in to clean it out.
The pellets you’ll find aren’t oil-based and will relieve the residue that’s built up in even high-end grinders.
Some companies will, probably to protect themselves, advise against using rice. While the results of this practice in the long run are unknown, perhaps the starch from the rice will remain in your grinder, it seems to be okay if you run out of pellets and are in dire need of a cleaning. Otherwise you can remove the burrs and take the machine apart to clean it by hand.
All and all, the Sette class grinders are remarkable. If you’re interested in metal components that will last longer, and grind adjustments galore then the 270 is worth the price tag. These are reasonably priced, surprisingly fast, kitchen friendly, and produces a good, uniform grind across a wide range of settings.
Baratza Sette 30AP vs 270 vs 270W vs 270WI: What are the Differences?
If money is not an object, the Baratza Sette line will definitely be the choice of coffee lovers. Baratza brought espresso home grinding and specialty coffee preparations to a whole new level.
We have Baratza to thank for the Vario grinder, the decade-old burr grinder that set the bar for high-end home grinding for espresso and gourmet coffee. Today, the Vario is still a favored bean grinder despite the fact the many other newer models are now available.
Still, Baratza does not rest its laurel by being happy with the response and feedback for the Vario. There is always room for innovation and the Baratza Sette line proves that.
What Makes the Sette Line Unique?
The two important new features of the Sette line are: design and low retention grinder
- Design – The Sette line features a straightforward design. It has a 40 centimeter conical burr. The inner burr of the Sette is stationary while the upper outer burr rotates. This is the total opposite for most conical burrs in the market today. This setup allows for a straight design with low grind retention and high speed grinding. With this unique design, the Sette can grind 3.5 to 5.5 grams per second, twice the speed of the Vario.
- Low Retention Grinders – Specialty coffee beans are expensive and we want to get the most of them when we grind. The Sette line does that. No beans are wasted and you get the most of your coffee grounds. With other conical burrs, you need to add 3 to 5 grams more in order to get the exact amount that you need.
Let’s now take a look at the different Baratza Sette models.
Baratza Sette 30AP vs 270
The Baratza Sette 30AP came after the phenomenal success of the 270. It is known as the more affordable younger brother of the 270, which was awarded as the best new product in 2016 by the Specialty Coffee Association.
The 270 is already an institution when it comes to high-end grinding, what can the Sette 30AP offer?
Number of grind settings
The Sette 30AP gives us a clue as to the specific grind settings of this new model. The 30AP has 30 macro grind settings. The 270 also has 30 but there are nine more micro adjustments to each for a total of 270. It only means that the 30AP is less complicated and more user-friendly, especially for a first-time buyer of an espresso grinder.
The 270 can offer more grinding options but if you are looking for a less demanding grinding machine and an entry level espresso machine, the 30AP offers that advantage.
Burr material
Baratza Sette models feature a standard 40 mm steel burr, except for the 30AP. The 30AP has a plastic burr which is perfect for espresso and other finer grinding method. If you want a coarser grinder, you can use the BG burr or the brew grind burr. It fits all the Sette models.
Portafilter Accommodation
All the Sette models have coffee ground bins. On the 30AP, the plastic support forks are adjusted by pulling them out and re-inserting. On the 270, the metal support is easily adjusted without removing the bin.
Baratza 270 features
The Sette 270 is the mother of all Sette models. The 30AP is like a downgrade of the 270 but it does not mean that the 30AP is no good. Still, there are more features that are to be loved from the original Sette model. Let’s see about that.
Design
The unique arrangement of the 270 burr gives it a low grind retention. The outer burr rotate and the inner burr is fixed to give consistent and even grind. Literally, almost no coffee ground is left behind. The Sette 270 design create room for the bean hopper on top of the burrs. This improves the speed and efficiency of the burr grinder.
Programmability
The 270 model gives you three programmable buttons to keep the time. The pulse button also helps you to switch to manual grinding until you release it. If you want to increase the volume of your grind, choose the pulse and grind based on your preference. You can save this preference for future grinding.
Glamor
Sette in Italian means “seven”. This design element is obvious in the streamlined shaped, straight lines of the Sette 270. It veers away from the common design of coffee grinders which is more on the curves and bends.
Easy to clean
Because of the low grind retention, it is easy to clean the Sette 270. You just need a grinder brush to dust off any minimal leftover on the burr and the glass. No need to rinse with water.
Baratza 270w features
The Baratza 270W is relatively new. Let’s see how it fares compared to the 270.
Performance
The 270w is virtually the same as the 270. However, it has a new feature that allows you to grind beans by weight. Hence, the “W” in the 270 model. It measures your beans and show you how much beans are loaded and if you want to reduce or add more depending on your need. However, there had been some issues with 270w since some users tend to grind more, causing the portafilter to overfill.
Build Quality
According to coffee reviews, the 270W motor can run for up to 150 hours. If you make 10 espresso shots each day, your grinder can last for 20 years. This is already a good investment for home use. But if you are buying one for a coffee shop, this will wear and tear faster than expected.
Functionality
The 270W has a Bluetooth capability and you can use the Brewbar app and install it on your phone. This records all your grinding process and suggests good combination depending on your usual preference.
Baratza 270Wi features
If you think Baratza is done innovating, think again. The Baratza 270Wi features 40 mm conical steel burrs. It has a time and weigh-based dosing systems and a combined stepped and stepless grind adjustment system.
Like the other Sette models, the 270Wi features the same design, programmability and quality. However, this model perfected the 270W’s weight management feature. With its design, you can place it on top of the counter to save space and put an elegant eyepiece on your kitchen.
Other types of coffee grinders
The Baratza Sette line is an elite type of coffee bean grinder. But, there are other grinders that you need to know as well.
Disc and conical grinder
Baristas prove that this type of grinder produces consistent coffee grounds that works well for coffee makers used in gourmet coffee shops. The beans fall in between cones and discs, ensuring consistent grind. However, they come at a price and may not be a reasonable purchase for average home users.
Blade Grinders
This is considered the cheapest kind of grinder. Your kitchen blender can double as a crude blade coffee grinder. Just like the blade of a blender, this type of coffee grinder slice, tear and smash coffee beans. However, it makes inconsistent grinding. Plus, the high RPM rate can burn the ground coffee. According to expert, if you are using a blade grinder, grind the beans for 20 seconds tops.
Hand Crank Burr Grinder
Nothing beats old-fashioned, manual, hand-driven, burr grinders. It may sound so old school but the rhythmic fashion of hand grinding produce a consistent texture of the ground coffee. You will need a minute to grind coffee beans for a cup of coffee. You may need to pay a few more bucks for it, but it’s worth the investment.