#5: Post by HB » May 21st, 2016, 8:32 am

Nathan wrote: The differences were somewhat subtle. The one I preferred was a little sweeter, a little more balanced, and had a slightly softer aftertaste.

Nick wrote: I thought the espresso produced from both grinders was great. There were noticeable, if subtle, differences between the shots, but from what I perceived it ultimately came down to personal preference, rather than a clear victor - one was a little brighter/more punch-y, and the other was more balanced/muted/well-rounded. Especially considering the price point and size/design/ergonomics for home use, I'd be strongly considering the Sette if I was looking to buy a grinder.

Ian wrote: As with most good and better equipment in the coffee business - it is a fine line between better and best. Both espressos I had tasted excellent - probably in part to a fine Barista in Jesse, superb coffee from Counter Culture, an excellent espresso machine and of course good grinders. From a visual point of view the K30 shot had a bit more tiger stripping in the cup - that seemed pretty consistent across all the samples that Jesse pulled. Taste wise I found the cup I picked (still not sure which one it was) was more balanced - less bright (less citrusy) at the front end but with more of a sweet (more coco) finish on the back end. For the third wavers the brighter cup may have been the cup of choice but I preferred the more balanced shot. Both shots had a nice medium body - what you might expect from a high grown washed Idido. Again both shots were enjoyable just a small difference in balance and looks.

Kyle wrote: Pretty impressive for the price point.

Jesse wrote: Having dialed in the grinders, I found it surprising how similar the coffees tasted. The K30 Twin consistently produced sweeter, more balanced shots with what I would assume were consistently higher extraction percentages, but I would happily drink any of the shots from either grinder. The three things I most like about the Sette so far are that there is virtually no grounds retention, the grinding speed was very impressive considering the size of the grinder (~4 seconds for an 18g dose), and the consistency in dosing was very tight. Overall, I can see the Sette being a game-changer for home espresso based on its price versus performance.

Lem wrote: I found both shots to be very balanced and sweet. I wish I would have looked to see which was which, because one had a slightly cleaner finish than the other. Maybe it was the way the shot was extracted by the barista, but I preferred the cleaner finish. For the price point, I think the Sette will be a popular grinder on many home espresso bars. Including my own. Move over Mazzer Mini!

Mike wrote: I thought the difference was significant. The K30 produced a much more balanced shot from beginning to end whereas the 270 was a bit too bright with a lighter body. With the K30, you had the initial brightness of the Idido with a creamy mouthfeel followed by a sweeter, silky finish. Lighter roasts can be more difficult and the 270 still produced a good shots, but like the Vario, there is probably less consistency from shot to shot compared to some of the larger, commercial grinders. However, at its price point it's a fantastic home espresso grinder albeit on the loud side when grinding. For those with the space and budget, the commercial grinders such as the K30 still represent a worthwhile upgrade.

Walt wrote: I thought the espressos were similar but one did have a more satisfying finish. I think I would have liked a second round and looked at which one I preferred. Since it was so close, it speaks well of the Sette and personal taste was key as to which one people preferred.

Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea wrote: It lends great clarity and subtle flavors like tangerine and honey, along with a floral complexity of lavender, honeysuckle, and jasmine. The union of these three coffees yields shots that are hefty in mouthfeel and velvety in texture, with flavors that are far from subtle and, frankly wild, if not aggressive, much like the temperament of the now-internet famous honey badger.



A wild ferocity is not the only trait that Africa's largest terrestrial mustelid and this seasonal espresso blend have in common. Both carry themselves with a "honey badger don't care" attitude. Expect to find this espresso to be somewhat temperamental and tricky to tame; some attention to detail will be necessary when dialing it in. We've noticed that small adjustments in dose have a significant impact on shot output.

After each taster was served, they were asked to place the "winner" to the right below the SCAA trophy and the "loser" to the left. One or two participants struggled to pick a winner in some rounds; they were offered the option of putting both cups on the same side, i.e., if they loved both and couldn't decide, put both on the right. In the end, nobody took advantage of this rule exception. Once the final espresso was judged, the cups were inverted for the grand reveal:Marked cups are for the Mahlkonig K30. It wins this taste test against the Baratza Sette, 7 to 5Below are the comments from the taste test participants:Some participants peeked at the markings on their preferred cup before placing it down. During the follow-up discussion, they commented that they had picked the Mahlkonig each time, but the difference was more about preference than a clear-cut winner.Follow-up discussion after the revealTo be clear, the evaluation grinder for this test is not the final production version. Once Baratza has their final-final version, I would be happy to hold another test to see whether the near tie results above hold. As for my part, the results of the group taste test were not surprising. My informal tests of the Sette against the Compak K10 were nearly identical when using a bright, single origin coffee, Intelligentsia Coffee's Honey Badger:Honey badger don't careI've kept a small stash of this coffee in the freezer just for testing. While Intelligentsia warns that it's temperamental, it's one that's surprising and sweet... under the right circumstances. Apart from Randall's comments on the honey badger (NSFW), Intelligentsia offers these observations My test was short, comprised of ~4 rounds. The K10's espressos were sweeter and more nuanced than the Sette's. I add this observation with a grain of salt, since it wasn't a blind taste test and it was only day 1 or 2 with the Sette.To put a bit more vigor into this comparison, our resident grinder guru, Jim Schulman, has volunteered to compare the Baratza Sette 270 against a host of other grinders, similar in format to his popular Can it Beat the Mazzer Robur? shootout, albeit with different comparison grinders. We can look forward to Jim's observations beginning later next week.