Which to buy · Every setting
Rancilio Rocky vs Varia VS3 (2nd Gen)
Conical against flat — the VS3 (2nd Gen)'s scale curves where the other runs straight. The Rocky is numbered 0–55; the VS3 (2nd Gen) is numbered 0–19.
Which to buy
Choose the
Rocky if you…
- are buying used — Rancilio no longer sells it new
- grind from a 0.3 kg hopper
- want stepped settings you can return to — up to 50 on the front ring
Choose the
VS3 (2nd Gen) if you…
- single-dose — a 30 g hopper, under 0.1 g retention on 10 g with RDT
- want a compact grinder — 3.5 kg and 310 mm tall
- want stepless adjustment, 10 microns per increment
Shop links are affiliate links: BrewMark earns a commission if you buy through one, at no extra cost to you. The verdicts were written without regard to it.
Rancilio no longer lists the Rocky (its page now returns 404) and sells the Stile as its home grinder, so you'd be buying the Rocky used.
Sources: Rancilio Group — Rocky (archived Jan 2022) · Rancilio Group — Rocky SD specifications (archived May 2022) · Rancilio Group — Stile · Varia — VS3 Grinder
| Rocky | VS3 (2nd Gen) | |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Rancilio | Varia |
| Scale | Numbered dial | Numbered dial |
| Dial range | 0 – 55 | 0 – 19 |
| Burrs | Flat | Conical |
| Espresso → filter | 20 numbers | 8.5 numbers |
| Filter → coarse | 23 numbers | 9.7 numbers |
The same number means different things
Both grinders use a numbered dial, which makes it tempting to copy a number straight across. Setting 10 sits at grind index 9.4 on the Rocky but 44.8 on the VS3 (2nd Gen) — 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.
| Rocky | VS3 (2nd Gen) |
|---|---|
| 5 | 0.8 |
| 9 | 2.9 |
| 14 | 4.9 |
| 18 | 6.6 |
| 22 | 8.2 |
| 26 | 9.6 |
| 29 | 10.6 |
| 32 | 11.6 |
| 36 | 12.6 |
| 39 | 14 |
| 42 | 15.6 |
| 45 | 17.3 |
| 48 | 19 |
| VS3 (2nd Gen) | Rocky |
|---|---|
| 0.8 | 5 |
| 2.9 | 9 |
| 4.9 | 14 |
| 6.6 | 18 |
| 8.2 | 22 |
| 9.6 | 26 |
| 10.6 | 29 |
| 11.6 | 32 |
| 12.6 | 36 |
| 14 | 39 |
| 15.6 | 42 |
| 17.3 | 45 |
| 19 | 48 |
Side by side, by brew method
Where each grinder lands for the same brew, worked out from its own dial curve.
| Method | Rocky | VS3 (2nd Gen) |
|---|---|---|
| Espresso | 8 | 2.1 |
| Moka pot | 13 | 4.5 |
| AeroPress (short steep) | 18 | 6.6 |
| Pour over — V60 / cone | 24 | 9 |
| Siphon | 26 | 9.6 |
| Pour over — flat bottom | 27 | 10 |
| Steep and release — Clever / Switch | 28 | 10.4 |
| Drip / batch brew | 29 | 10.6 |
| Cupping | 30 | 10.9 |
| Chemex | 32 | 11.5 |
| French press | 38 | 13.4 |
| Cold brew | 44 | 16.5 |
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.
Rancilio Rocky
Varia VS3 (2nd Gen)
Dialing in the Rocky
A stepped espresso grinder that has been the budget recommendation for a very long time. The 55 steps across 50mm flat burrs are its limitation — for espresso you will sometimes want a setting between two of them and there is not one, and a single step can move a shot by seconds. Twenty of those steps cover espresso through filter, which is more resolution than the fine end usually gets at this price. Two things make it an espresso grinder in practice rather than a general one: changing setting means holding the locking lever while twisting the hopper, and it keeps a couple of grams in the chute, so every switch between espresso and pour over costs you both fiddling and coffee. Most owners pick one end and stay there.
Dialing in the VS3 (2nd Gen)
A compact grinder that tries to cover espresso and brew in a small footprint, and mostly succeeds. The second generation improved the burr alignment that limited the original. Expect to work harder at the espresso end than on a dedicated machine.