Grind setting conversion
Baratza Vario+ vs Baratza Virtuoso+
One collar against a two-stage macro/micro adjustment.
| Vario+ | Virtuoso+ | |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Baratza | Baratza |
| Scale | Numbered dial | Numbered dial |
| Dial range | 1 – 230 | 1 – 40 |
| Burrs | Flat | Conical |
| Espresso → filter | 90 numbers | 13 numbers |
| Filter → coarse | 80 numbers | 14 numbers |
The same number means different things
Both grinders use a numbered dial, which makes it tempting to copy a number straight across. Setting 21 sits at grind index 0 on the Vario+ but 54 on the Virtuoso+ — far enough apart to change the cup.
Converting a setting
If a recipe quotes a setting for one of these grinders, read across for the equivalent on the other. Rows are spaced evenly by grind size, not by dial number — on a conical burr those are not the same thing.
| Vario+ | Virtuoso+ |
|---|---|
| 30 | 5 |
| 48.9 | 7.1 |
| 67.7 | 9.5 |
| 86.4 | 12.6 |
| 105.1 | 15.8 |
| 122.2 | 18.4 |
| 133.3 | 20.3 |
| 144.4 | 21.7 |
| 155.6 | 23.3 |
| 166.7 | 25.2 |
| 177.8 | 27.4 |
| 188.9 | 29.7 |
| 200 | 32 |
| Virtuoso+ | Vario+ |
|---|---|
| 5 | 30 |
| 7.1 | 48.9 |
| 9.5 | 67.7 |
| 12.6 | 86.4 |
| 15.8 | 105.1 |
| 18.4 | 122.2 |
| 20.3 | 133.3 |
| 21.7 | 144.4 |
| 23.3 | 155.6 |
| 25.2 | 166.7 |
| 27.4 | 177.8 |
| 29.7 | 188.9 |
| 32 | 200 |
Side by side, by brew method
Where each grinder lands for the same brew, worked out from its own dial curve.
| Method | Vario+ | Virtuoso+ |
|---|---|---|
| Espresso | 41.3 | 6.3 |
| Moka pot | 64 | 9 |
| AeroPress (short steep) | 86.4 | 12.6 |
| Pour over — V60 / cone | 115.5 | 17.4 |
| Pour over — flat bottom | 126.7 | 19.3 |
| Drip / batch brew | 133.3 | 20.3 |
| Chemex | 144 | 21.7 |
| French press | 162.7 | 24.5 |
| Cold brew | 184 | 28.7 |
The shape of each dial
Where the connectors bunch, that grinder’s dial is compressed and single steps count for more. Comparing the two shapes tells you which gives finer control, and where.
Baratza Vario+
Baratza Virtuoso+
Dialing in the Vario+
Two-stage adjustment: a macro lever in steps and a micro slider between them. That means a given "setting" is really a pair, and quoting one number without the other loses information — worth remembering when comparing notes with other Vario owners.
Dialing in the Virtuoso+
Same 40-step collar as the Encore, meaningfully better burrs. The practical difference is not the range but the spread within it — at any given number the Virtuoso+ produces fewer fines, so a setting that ran bitter on an Encore often lands clean here. If you are migrating from an Encore, start at the same number rather than compensating, then adjust by taste.
Own a different grinder?
Convert between any two of 78 models
The converter runs the same maths for any pair in the catalog.
Open the grind converter →Switching grinders mid-bag?
Log a brew, say how it tasted, and BrewMark tells you which way to move — in whichever grinder’s numbers you are actually using. Free on iOS.
Get the iOS app