As you might guess, I like coffee. Like REALLY like it. So much so that I have multiple ways I like to prepare it at home and tend to buy fancy-pants

I discovered the joy of repair while fixing my Baratza Virtuoso grinder - Get On With It

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Style Pass

2024-05-10 15:30:35

As you might guess, I like coffee. Like REALLY like it. So much so that I have multiple ways I like to prepare it at home and tend to buy fancy-pants beans. I am also am totally cool with ANY coffee, be it a brew from a gas station or instant crystals (some of which are quite nice!). If the choice is between no coffee and a cup of my beloved dark elixir, I’ll take it no questions asked.

So it goes without saying that when my Baratza Virtuoso grinder, where all my at home coffee brewing starts, was having issues recently, a mild panic-y sweat started to set in.

The grind was too coarse for filter (pour-over) preparation and even a bit too coarse for french press (cafeteria). Wasn’t it also making a funny sound? The adjustment settings weren’t changing it no matter what I did. Since I used this thing every day, multiple times a day, I knew something was wrong. And since these things are expensive, the thought of replacing it and being without a grinder for days or weeks was equally depressing.

I wasn’t thumbing through reviews for new grinders yet, though. See, I’ve had my Baratza for nearly ten years and have had it serviced before for a similar issue. They actually had a service center near where I used to live in Seattle, and rather than hunt for repair tips and self-troubleshooting, I just brought it to the service techs there. They quickly diagnosed the issues (clog + broken burr ring holder), resolved them, and sent me on my way.