Baratza Sette Review: the Sette 30 Conical Burr Grinder

Design

Every good espresso story starts with the design of the grinder that you’re using. Following an interestingly-interpreted zigzag line, the plastic body of the Baratza Sette 30 is a telltale sign about the capacities of this grinder. But even though the outer design of this Baratza gives you a hint of what the grinder might be able to do, it is the more hard-to-see features that really speak about the Sette 30’s power.

Bean hopper with a lock mechanism

On top of the grinder is a nice, 10-ounce bean hopper that’s made of plastic. You can easily see how many beans you have left in the hopper by simply looking in the hopper because the plastic used for it is transparent. This is, of course, a nice feature that lets you always be ready for the next shot of espresso, but it is not what’s most notable about the hopper.

The most special thing about the bean hopper of the Baratza Sette 30 is its lock mechanism that lets you easily take the entire hopper off when you need to refill it or clean the burrs. If this doesn’t strike you as surprising, you should know that not every grinder comes with a user-friendly mechanism like this one. Luckily, the Sette 30 does.

Burrs and why the outer burr of the Baratza Sette 30 is special

The burrs of the Baratza Sette 30 are S1 type of burrs. You might know these burrs better as AP burrs. There’s no other difference between the AP and S1 burrs but a difference in their names, however; it is the same type of burr, only renamed.

The now called S1 burrs of the grinder are the key factor in the production of a good espresso grind. Their design helps the Sette 30 be consistent when grinding coffee finer. Even though these burrs are not the best for coarser grinds, they grind coffee for espresso beautifully.

The other thing about these burrs is that, unlike the burrs on other grinders where it is the inner burr that rotates, on the Sette 30 what rotates is the outer burr. Together with the simple pathway of ground coffee as it leaves the grinding chamber, this burr design makes for low grind retention.

Is the Baratza Sette 30 easy to clean?

This is a question we already answered by telling you about the simple pathway for coffee grounds in this grinder. This pathway makes for low retention, which later translates into fewer cleaning sessions. But retention is not all there is in the equation for the grinder’s hygiene. Another thing that helps the Sette 30 to be easy to clean is the fact that the outer burr is removable. Knowing this, you can probably guess that all you should do to clean the grinder is use a brush.

Grind settings and timer

Now that we’ve covered the design and the operation of the grinder, we can take some time to say a word about the grind settings.

With 30 grind settings, the Baratza Sette 30 is, like we already said, beautifully precise when grinding finely. You can choose the settings from a scale located on the front of the machine. If you take a look at the screen of the grinder, furthermore, you’ll see that you can also program the grinder for time. With this feature, you’ll be able to choose exactly how long you want your Baratza to grind, even when you want to grind for a tenth of a second.

Pause the grinding whenever you want

You can also press the Grind Pause button on the Sette 30 to make the grinding stop. This feature is very useful for when you trust the judgment of your eye more than the timer, for example. The grind pause option will also be useful for you if you have a scale at home to weigh the coffee with. Overall, the Grind Pause option has no downsides.

Portafilter arms for a more comfortable espresso-making experience

The portafilter arms of the Baratza Sette 30 will help you grind the coffee directly into the portafilter. These arms are angled in such a way that makes ground coffee to adequately fall into the portafilter. What a great way to grind coffee for espresso!

FAQ about the Baratza Sette 30

Can I use this grinder with 120 volts?

No. The Baratza Sette 30 grinder only works with 110 volts.

Is this a good grinder if I want to grind coffee for the My K-Cup universal and reusable coffee filter?

Yes, you can use the Baratza Sette 30 for this filter by Keurig.

Can I fit a 58mm portafilter in the portafilter holder of this grinder?

Conclusion

It is very surprising that, with all that it has to offer, the Baratza Sette 30 costs as little as it costs. We would’ve expected that such a grinder would have a price that hurts pockets, but it actually doesn’t. That said, the only thing we can imagine when thinking about this grinder is a line of people waiting to buy it.

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