It may sound like hyperbole, but the Baratza Sette 270 series of espresso grinders may have been one of the most anticipated new pieces of coffee equipment released in the last few years. They were talked about for long before you could get your hands on one anywhere, and we're very excited to be among the first to sell them right here in South Africa. If you're a serious home barista, this may be the grinder you've been waiting for.

A grinding revolution, redesigned from the ground up

Most technology progresses incrementally, and coffee grinders are no exception, but when Baratza started designing the Sette series, they dispensed with all conventional wisdom and rethought many of the structural elements that were previously taken for granted. The product of 8 years of research & development, this revolutionary grinder, in a surprisingly small package, really is a game changer.

Quick, cool & efficient

While the Sette series incorporates many innovative elements, among the most important are the vertical transport and burr configuration. Coffee drops vertically straight down from the hopper, through the burrs to your portafilter or grounds bin. Coupled with a clever new design feature where the outer burr rotates rather than the inner one (as is the case in most grinders), this allows the Sette to grind at blistering speeds of 3.5g to 5.5g per second - that's a single dose in seconds that you could count on one hand!

This design is also very efficient which lowers power consumption, reduces noise and heats the coffee up much less than conventional grinders, all of which translates to a better operating experience and tastier coffee.

At home in your home

While many pros will undoubtedly be eyeing the Sette series of grinders, it was designed with home baristas in mind. It's attractive, has an incredibly small footprint despite its power, and is very easy to use thanks to its control panel and LCD display. It features a holder both for portafilters and a ground bin, allowing you to minimise counter space use while maximising coffee flavour.

270 vs. 270W vs. 270Wi - weight-based dosing

The Sette comes in three different models - the 270, 270W (now discontinued) and the newest 270Wi. The 'W' in the latter models stands for 'weight-based dosing'. It incorporates weighing technology from Acaia - the makers of the world's most sophisticated coffee scales - which allows you to select an exact dose within 0.1g!

The 270Wi is the newest edition in the Baratza Sette family and adds some additional features to its predecessor the 270W including updates via Bluetooth, a quick burst feature and more intelligence around the weight-based dosing leading to even more accuracy.

The 270 uses more conventional time-based dosing, and both models allow you to program in 3 different presets for your regular coffee brews.

Perfect for espresso at home

The Baratza Sette series was designed specifically for the home espresso brewer, who may also occasionally whip up a french press or an Aeropress. Because it has conical burrs, its grind distribution is ideal for perfectly extracted espresso; however, it should perform adequately for certain manual brew methods. Please bear in mind that the flow rate in pour-overs may be slowed somewhat by the particle distribution.

Sette 270 Espresso Grinder series features

• Straight through vertical transport
• Outer burr rotation
• Proprietary gear box for maximal torque
• High torque DC motor
• Manufactured by Etzinger in Liechtenstein
• Easy access to change and clean burrs
• Convertible device holder and grounds bin
• Digital control panel
• Minimal coffee retention
• Time-based (270) or weight-based (270Wi) dosing - weighing technology by Acaia
• Quick burst feature (270Wi only)
• Updates via Bluetoooth (270Wi only)
• 3x Programmable grinding presets

Sette 270 Espresso Grinder specifications

• 300-400g hopper
• 160g grounds bin
• 3.2kg weight
• Dimensions: 13 / 40 / 24 cm
• 40mm burrs
• 3.5 - 5.5 g grinding speed
• 30-step macro adjustment, stepless micro adjustments with 9 level indicators
• 0.1g weight-based dosing (270Wi only)