Baratza Sette 270 / 270 Wi burr grinder

The Baratza Sette 270 / 270Wi burr grinder with scale caused a sensation when it was released. It was the first straight through grinder with an accurate scale. This is probably why it was awarded the best new product of 2016 by SCAA (now SCA).

What we like

• Taste of the coffee from it.
• Adjustment means espresso dial in a pleasure, so getting the most from you coffee is attainable.
• The bean hopper is easier to remove and reattach. With the rotating shut-off, removal also makes no mess.
• Supplied grinds container, something we have always felt was missing. Additionally, it is made from anti-static plastic. Static is the evil side effect of grinding coffee.
• The design of the holder is super practical. Able to hold espresso portafilters, smaller pour-overs like the Hario V60 and the supplied grinds’ container.
• As it is a straight-through grinder, there is minimal retention of grinds.
• Ease of removing the burr set, making it easy to clean and change.
• Support for All-purpose (AP / Espresso) and drip Brew Grind (BG).
• Macro and micro-adjustments are simple, with the macro adjustments being stepped and the micro stepless.
• The 270W has a built-in scale, which is relatively accurate.
• The shape and look is clean.
• With Wi has now been updated from the W, and we found it was dosing far more accurately than the older W.

What we are not crazy about

• It is significantly noisier than the Vario. Baratza say this is because it is a straight-through grinder.
• Some people felt that even with the BG set it is not as good – we are also not sure.
• The look and feel of the digital control panel appears cheap.
• You may need some “shimms” to get the grind you want, this is also something we found only after playing.
• For the extra price of the scale included you can purchase a new scale like the Acaia, so only for higher volumes do we recommend the Wi. But the convenience, especially since the Wi version, is also worth considering. Means you do not need to move the scale for dose and yield.
• Build quality is OK, not excellent. (see note below)

Features and Benefits

For a full list got to the Baratza site. We have included a summary:

Grinding Mechanism: 

• The major innovation is that the outer in burr rotates. This doubles the surface area and increases the speed of grinding.
• As mentioned above, straight-thru transport resulting in minimal residual coffee in the system.
• A proprietary gear-box (planetary crown gear) that maximizes the efficiency of torque transfer, resulting in lower power consumption and much less heat.
• Powerful DC motor for maximum starting torque and efficiency, resulting in cooler operation.

Burrs & Brewing Methods

• 40 mm conical AP (all-purpose) burrs, capable of grinding from espresso fine to Chemex coarse. They really excel at grinding for espresso. Coffee is ground at 3.5g to 5.5 g/sec. Burrs are durable and will remain sharp for many years.
• A second burr option – the BG (brew grind) burr. Designed to give a grind profile that is good for brew methods requiring a coarser grind. Available as an option.
• Sette Series burr assembly offers the ability to exchange the burr in less than a minute with no tools or re-calibration. Check this video from about 30 seconds in to see how easy it is to make the switch.

ACAIA – (Weight based Dosing)

The Baratza Sette 270Wi was designed with a built-in scale using the weighing technology of Acaia, giving precise and accurate weight-based dosing, and a tenth of a gram sensitivity. Add to that the ability to grind by weight directly into a portafilter – a breakthrough in grinding technology!

As mentioned before, this is mainly helpful for those that make more coffee on the go. For most domestic user, buying a separate scale means using it for more than one function.

Grind Adjustment

The Baratza Sette 270 has a macro adjust of 30 steps, grinding from espresso to manual brew. A step-less micro adjusts, with 9 indicators, allows the user to easily dial in a perfect espresso. The macro/micro mechanism is directly connected to the cone burr resulting in immediate and true grind adjustment.

Specifications of the Baratza Sette 270

Designed & Engineered, Seattle, WA, USA

Exploded View & Parts List: Download PDF

Grinder Comparison Chart: Download PDF

Videos about the Baratza Sette 270

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgT5Z_dbqDw&list=PLypJZSEQ1-CC_nzHWx-TbUQL2iU35fw7a

Need troubleshooting?

https://www.baratza.com/troubleshooting/

A note about Baratza Sette 270

Since 2018 we have sold a number of the Settes. We love them, and believe they are one of the best espresso grinders on the market. However, it should be noted that this grinder is a domestic grinder. Even considering that, we have found that some of our clients seem to have issues every 18-24 months. An issue that is only resolved by a gearbox kit replacement. While we wish Baratza would address this by looking at the commentary in the construction of this grinder, at this point this is an ongoing issue with the Sette. Does it distract from its grind quality? No, but it means that the grinder does need regular maintenance. As un update on this with the newer gear box we have had very few issues. The main complain is the sound, the new gear box is quite a bit quieter, but still is a little noisey.