Testing the Varia VS3 Grinder Burr Options

[@bowieknife]

Some tips: 1. Newer production models (prob from end of Jan 2023 batch) only have one flat washer on top of the inner conical shaped burr) 2. Remove the 4 springs before vacuuming in case it gets vacuumed away. 3. There are two very thin washers between the inner conical burr and the bottom-most spinner part. (at 11:19 it falls on the table) Hope that helps! Edit: 4. When tightening the outer burr to the carrier, do it equally between the three screws so the torque on it is the similar, i. e. tighten it bit by bit on each screw so they tighten equally a bit like on car wheels.

[@AlternativeBrewing]

Thanks so much 🙏

[@arwinzaidem623]

regarding 3) I emailed Varia's CS team about this since I got mine out of place and they said that there are indeed 2 identical thin washers (although mine came with 3...). One should sit in between the inner burr and the ground spindle (spinner). The other one should sit below the ground spindle :)

[@bowieknife]

@@arwinzaidem623 thanks for clarifying! Out of the box, mine were double stacked below the burr and above the spinner. I'll rearrange it the way you say next time I disassemble it! Thanks.

[@tomsgrinderlab]

Hey tx. Your post saved me. Swapped the burrs and got rocks. Read your comments and realised I had missed the washer from between the spinner and lower burr. And because mine is newer, it didn't come with the sprung washer. But after watching the video I thought I has simply lost it so found another from the garage. But the grinder would not grind fine enough for espresso. That's when I read your post, replaced the lower washer and removed the sprung washer. A great relief to have it working like a charm again.

[@bowieknife]

@@tomsgrinderlab Glad to help! I actually have to use the original 2 thin washers below the burr to ensure the grind can go fine enough for espresso.

[@davidhatteberg617]

I had this grinder for one month before the motor stopped working. DO NOT get this if you're looking to use it for espresso. The grinder is essentially a higher quality version of a portable grinder. While the materials are high quality, the engine just can't maintain an espresso grind while it can hold up to french press and other drip levels. While I hoped this was a fluke and a mistake I went online to see if anyone else had a similar experience. There is a reason the VS3 has been nicknamed a "Very Shitty" grinder on multiple threads and reviews. Unfortunately I found this out after buying the unit. I'm very disappointed in this product and the service by Varia. Do not buy this product.

[@charleyb4424]

I would like to see an indepth review, including blind taste testing, that compares Hypernova Ultra (HNU) to Hypernova (HN) to a control grinder. The control grinder should be someting popular and well known like Baratza Encore Esp or Vario Plus, or DF64 Gen 2 DLC, or Nich Zero. I want to buy either a HNU or HN burr upgrade for VS3G2, but first I need info from performance testing & review.

[@chrisshone8637]

Update... Just had mine today, great little grinder. I thought I would mention that the Hypernova burrs now come with the outer carrier and top bearing so they are even easier to replace. Really cant fault it, I'm going to spend some time with the default burrs so I notice the difference when swapping out. My distribution and channeling issues have instantly disappeared and my shots have massively improved. Thanks for your extensive coverage of the VS3 you were a major contributor in my decision to buy, Cheers man👌

[@AlternativeBrewing]

Right on! thanks so much and always happy to help 😀 Only good coffee your way!

[@SeeingCirclesLLC]

I have had my VS3 since January no issues with adjustment drifting no stalling and really it’s a simple motorized hand grinder. I use the upgrade gold burrs it’s fun. My La Marzocco can adjust to my quirky grinders. I also own a WW so it’s all in the hobby. It’s certainly not my daily driver silly 😜

[@stephensmirke2146]

I own one and the grind size moves slightly coarser while grinding. I’ll have it set at 3.3 and it will move to almost 3.4 by the end of an 18 gram grind. I contacted Varia and they are sending a replacement so I am hoping this will not be an ongoing issue. I noticed that my grinder did not have the spring washer under the nut, just a flat washer and I had some extra flat washers that are not shown in this video or the official Varia burr replacement video. When I opened it up it looked completely full of ultra fine grinds and was really filthy after about 1 month of about 4 - 18 g doses/day.

[@BerkerKlc]

Hey, I'm about the buy this grinder. Do you recomm mostly for filter coffee?

[@stephensmirke2146]

@@BerkerKlc I use it exclusively for espresso but I’m sure it can handle filter no problem.

[@pavel6575]

Hi, have you seen the new burr pattern? Could you review it compared to the previous model? I'm curious if there is any difference between them

[@AlternativeBrewing]

Thank you for reminding me ❤️ I will

[@wakeawaken430]

WOW, that will be a nice Sunday ❤️ We are also waiting a comparison with the awaited fellow opus 😁

[@pascalsimonskoufos8066]

Josh love your channel, big fan here from Greece. Any chance you tested also the newest burr they released? (Hypernova ultra)

[@AlternativeBrewing]

Ya! Thanks so much 🫶 coming soon !

[@steph8408]

Good stuff Josh. Looking forward to a conical grinder showdown with the Varia VS3 & Fellow Opus comparison then if possible a sequel of both grinders with the burr upgrades please. Also Josh, it's recently been mentioned that the grind adjustment on the VS3 moves during grinding and regularly needs to be reset. Is Varia aware of this and maybe it has already been rectified in the latest production? Cheers.

[@AlternativeBrewing]

Me too! 😀 I've only heard this issue of the Varia VS3 3rd hand myself. I believe there have been small modifications on production. - though I'm not sure exactly what these are.

[@coreycannon4511]

Sprometheus noted the wandering during a recent review. I think he said that it tends to move about 1 notch per 10g ground. A couple of user reviews at Canadian seller Eight Ounce Coffee have also noted it as well.

[@Mandocammarano505]

I received my new gen 2 VS3 yesterday and it’s just not working 😢 I exchanged the burr sets (which I know are different now from this video) and it won’t grind espresso plus the dial gets stuck/met with resistance when I attempt to make the grinder finer going from 3-2 Still not enough for espresso and the grinds are very non-uniform. I have a 2nd flat washer that I’m not sure where to place, some say on the spindle under the inner spinner part and others say to place on top of the original flat washer under the conical burr. My other questions is am not tightening the ball cap tight enough or loose enough? And do I follow Varia’s calibration method of doing one full revolution to 0 ? I don’t want to break the machine if I don’t do a full revolution.

[@friendlyghostkinda]

Which set do you recommend solely for silky thicker body .. medium:dark roasts

[@AlternativeBrewing]

stick with the default burrs, as these will give you that best body and texture 👌

[@SudhirKay]

Hi Josh was wondering what’s your grind time for an 18g dose with the hypernova and what’s the grind size you would use for an espresso machine? Thanks

[@AlternativeBrewing]

It's usually around the 30-40 seconds mark - on a grind of between 3 & 4, depending on the age of the beans. This has changed remarkably since the release of the Gen2's though. More info coming out soon 🔥

[@SudhirKay]

Yeah waiting to see an updated review on gen 2 perhaps soon?

[@marksutton5406]

Hi i watched this and paid for a vario grinder but they did not send it, the comps had stopped answering my emails so what do I do since you are promoting this company

[@Aquilanis]

im about to buy vs3 and im wondering whether i should buy the hypernova burrs from the get go, or should i just try default burrs and buy the hypernova later on?

[@AlternativeBrewing]

Default is still very good 👌

[@Aquilanis]

@@AlternativeBrewing got it, thank u so much!

[@abadyq855]

Ok so which of these burrs should I have for espresso? I don’t need to brew filter.

[@AlternativeBrewing]

Stick to default ones 👌

[@abadyq855]

@@AlternativeBrewing Really! U said it is better to switch to a coated burr instead. Therefore, Thanks for replying!

[@devahuticaampued1962]

What grind size for french press/ cold brew

[@AlternativeBrewing]

I've found like 1 full rotation and 3-4 is a great setting to be on 👌

I recently got one, and it's possible to get to the point of the finest settings and still don't get the best pressure for one specific coffee? I'm in 0.5 and still don't get the "good feeling" in the pressure using a flair 58... or it is just a bad coffee. In others beans I'm in 1.2, but I don't really sure it is a good number...

[@coreycannon4511]

Great video! So in depth! Which I want for this grinder. It’s been checking so many boxes for me. It’s inexpensive (relatively), quiet (relatively), single dosing, and grinds high quality fine grinds. You see, I’m looking for a grinder that can do Aeropress, Moka Pot and Turkish, for a reasonable price, while not waking up the entire house. So the last unanswered question: can it go fine enough for Turkish? I don’t need it to be every day. I make Turkish coffee less than a half dozen times a year. Though each of those times will be for several people. What I’m getting at, is that I don’t need a super robust motor for super fine coffee often. Just a grinder that can do it for rare, but long bursts. And if this isn’t the machine I’m looking for, have you any suggestions? Thanks in advance from Canada.

[@AlternativeBrewing]

Hey Corey, it is a very quiet grinder I would say - compared to most. It will grind fine for Turkish grinds - though very slowly. And Grinding for many people - I've done it regularly for 3-4 people noo issue.

[@coreycannon4511]

@@AlternativeBrewing thanks for the reply. The more reviews I see on this grinder, the more it’s looking like the unit for me. I’m looking to upgrade from an 11 year old Breville 450XL that looks like a rebadged Wilfa Svart. The last couple of attempts to grind Turkish at home on my J-MAX took 10 minutes! Oddly, the effort level per turn of the crank was super low when grinding that fine, which seems counter intuitive, but I guess I’m just grinding less beans at a time. Even super east grinding for 10 minutes is very fatiguing. I actually tried using my drill (at roughly 60 RPM) the last time, but even holding the trigger along with hanging on to the drill/grinder for was just as tiring as grinding manually.

[@TheSydguy30]

I'm interested after seeing your review of the VS3 Gen 2 (with the HyperNova Ultra vs standard) how that does vs the "standard" (if you can call it that lol) Hypernova? Because there is quite a large price difference so I am very curious on your opinion because loved watching this and the other video.

[@AlternativeBrewing]

Video on its way

[@markgorden4210]

Hi just got my second gen VS3 today with HyperNova Ultra Burrs. Stock burrs worked fine; the Ultra burrs were a disaster, only produced large coarse chunks even at the finest setting close to zero. They were installed correctly so wonder if you have any ideas how to get them working properly or are they just defective. I have seen others with similar issues for the Ultras on Reddit.

[@AlternativeBrewing]

Yes, get in contact with your supplier- There’s alternative ballbearings that are being issued that are resolving this issue.

[@mohamedhijazi8460]

This was so helpful. Thank you so much for putting this together.

[@AlternativeBrewing]

Glad it was helpful!

[@joooooooosh]

Which one of these burrs ships with the gen 2 vs3?

[@DieBaertigeUrsula]

Thank you for this great video and comparison, did you also notice some change in the noice of the grinder? 😊

[@AlternativeBrewing]

Yes I did

[@DelReiRock]

Interesting… my hypernova burr is MUCH slower than the original burr. 18g on 2.5 set, it’s about 45s on original burr, and 1min40sec on hypernova…. Is that normal?

[@AlternativeBrewing]

This is interesting.- are you on gen1 or gen2 VS3?

[@DelReiRock]

@@AlternativeBrewing Gen 2. Very weird. At the same settings I use to grind my espresso with the stainless steel burr (2.5), when I use the hypernova the espresso doesn’t even come out of the machine. Very thin grinding. I have to use about 4.8 to grind for my espresso with hypernova and now it takes about 50s (still a bit longer). Is there any chance of having a wrong install of hypernova burr….?

[@AlternativeBrewing]

@@DelReiRock possibly, though if it's all working okay otherwise than yes, it sounds right. I'll be uploading a video shortly of the two Hyper Burrs in a comparison - ill be sure to compare this 100% For now - if the coffee tastes good - and the Grinder is working at least to make the shots Iw ouldn;t change a thing. Otherwise reach out to your supplier - and in the meantime switch back the the other burrs for a faster workflow

[@DelReiRock]

@@AlternativeBrewing But did you notice this big difference in your test? When you changed from the basic stainless steel burr to the Hypernova, did your grinding settings change that much?

[@lordverbik1589]

Are you sponsored by Varia? Or any brand that you review? You don't say disclaimers🙈😇

[@AlternativeBrewing]

No, there's no sponsorship or discussions of any sort around what the end content will be. I'm glad to have open communication with many brands however, and questions I may have can be answered before I film the review. For your knowledge - we are a online e-commerce business that sells these products. We make these reviews to assist you in your purchasing, have a platform where the dialogue with consumers is free flowing and for the love of coffee! 🫶 Alternative Brewing is an Australian owned and operated small business. If there's anything I can help with, let me know

[@HaekalAlchatieb]

drifting grind adjustments is deal breaker for me

[@AlternativeBrewing]

Yes I can understand the concern. From my knowledge there is very little feedback of this. Hopefully Varia address it still.

[@HaekalAlchatieb]

@@AlternativeBrewing 🤞

[@chrisshone8637]

Just ordered a VS3 with the Hypernova burrs, could have gone with the ultras (on a pre order) but as they were a unknown I didn't. Hope you do a review of them after they are in the wild then I can decide if I should put in an order for them :)

[@AlternativeBrewing]

Will do 👌

[@michaelzelaya873]

Which burrs would be perfect for expresso and pour over

[@AlternativeBrewing]

Default and the Supernova are great for filter as well as Espresso - and more than that is really only better for Espresso 👌

[@TC_Prof]

Good one Josh 👍👍💕 for me using it more in the filter side you hit the nail on the head that stock should be fine 😊

[@AlternativeBrewing]

thanks mate 👍

[@SeanGordon-ym4yf]

Thanks for another great vid!

[@AlternativeBrewing]

Our pleasure!

[@redrich2000]

Dis the graphic say plus or minus 10-20 seconds for the hypernovas?

[@AlternativeBrewing]

Yes - 10-20 seconds more using the Hypernova. In some cases 30 seconds- it is noticeable - though quality output is a net positive That was a mistake having the (+/-) 🫣

[@khomichuk]

Hello! I have been researching coffee grinders and I want to hear your opinion. Would you choose Varia VS3 or 1Zpresso K-Ultra ? I need it to be able to do expresso , but I would like to have a good all around grinder as well. Thank you!

[@AlternativeBrewing]

Both! but depends on whether you see yourself making fresh coffee on trips away too. If you're likely to use hte Grinder elsewhere - ofc the 1zpresso is the best choice - otherwise, Varia VS3 all day 😀

Hello, Im new with the vs3 and the settings im using for one specific coffee is 0.5 and still cant get it in a good timing, Im using flair 58, medium roast, I feel it is too fine and still dont get that pressure from other coffee. Is there a point where ''too fine'' ist doing the opposite? Or in this case the coffee ist not the best... thanks, nice video!!

[@jeffreynester7326]

Josh, Did the hypernova iridescent burrs require quite a bit of seasoning before the taste profile improved? I'm not liking the taste profile for espresso on the hypernova iridescent. However out of the box the hypernova ultra s is giving a balanced profile for espresso. I tempted to try the hypernova ultra as the breaker teeth are slightly different.

[@AlternativeBrewing]

The did require seasoning yes 🙌 about 2-5kgs - which I suppose is a lot when the hopper is only 30g capacity. I bought some cheap beans $9/kg and ground them through - realising that they needed to be seasoned This goes for all the Varia burrs for sure. The Hypernova Ultra should sharpen up a bit hopefully. Balanced is not my experience with them - and it's again a more finely tuned version of the Hypernova's - if ever so slightly - and much faster grind speeds with the extra teeth.

[@andhallman]

Any chance you have tried the Hypernova Ultra yet?

[@AlternativeBrewing]

Coming soon 🔥

[@jeffgagne5482]

Great walk through on the burr change.

[@sijie124]

Will you be trying out the hypernova ultra burr set?

[@AlternativeBrewing]

absolutely!

[@themrgumbatron]

nice review of the burr set options

[@AlternativeBrewing]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@ColdcansPL]

How does VS3 with hypernova taste when compared to DF83 default burr set? I'm about to pull the trigger, but really can't decide. Would you consider the rather weak motor on Varia it's weak point? I'm worried that either burr set will greatly outlive the DC motor on it

[@thomasroberts6008]

This feels like a weird thing to ask... The Varia is a £250 conical Burr grinder (with a £50 upgrade for the Hypernova burrs). The DF83 is an £850 flat Burr grinder. I have the Varia with Hypernova burrs and I really like it, I'm having a good time. But even with stock burrs, on paper the DF83 absolutely destroys it. The flat burrs will lend more clarity, the motor is bigger and more robust and bigger burrs generally produce a more uniform grind size and grind faster. The Varia balances a little clarity in the mix by grinding much slower on its small conical Burr set. Though in reality it may come down to the grind/flavour profile you are chasing. Clarity & acidity vs body & sweetness. I saw a post on Reddit of someone preferring the balance of body and clarity on the Varia compared to the DF64 grinder (I appreciate they're not exactly the same) www.reddit.com/r/espresso/comments/10agoiz/my_review_of_the_varia_vs3_vs_df64_also_vs_niche/?

[@AlternativeBrewing]

Wow - DF83 or a Varia - I've not had these side by side at the same time - though I would definitely be leaning towards the 83mm Flat Burrs over 38mm Conicals for clarity, sweetness and balance.

[@BerkerKlc]

​@@thomasroberts6008 Hey, do you recomm varia for v60?

[@scottevans9311]

Any plans to stock the Burr sets?

[@AlternativeBrewing]

soon!

[@alarcilam]

I think this is the most comprehensive 64 flat burr test I’ve seen.

[@sleepygummy7816]

As always, you videos are clean and enjoyable. Thanks for info. I just got Gaggia Classic Pro (no mod) for my home use, and plan to get Varia VS3 for the grinder. (Might take a while for the distributor to import Varia VS3 in my country) Currently, I use Timemore C2 hand grinder to get espresso powder, which takes forever, or ask coffee shop to grind my beans for a small batch. However, the extractions were quite fast (15s-20s). That make me have an eye for Varia VS3 due to its design and budget. So, I would like to ask few questions. 1. Can Varia VS3 produce fine-enough coffee powder for expresso machine (GCP) to get a proper extraction? 2. Does Varia VS3 have its limitations? such as cannot grind below no.2 mark (setting) or the burr will be damaged. 3. If not Varia VS3, which grinder do you recommend for this price range (since Niche Zero price cost more than 2x of Varia's in my country)

[@AlternativeBrewing]

Thanks for watching! and the questions. 1. The Varia has no issues creating very fine cocoa fine particles you would use for Turkish Brewing - so Espresso is too easy. No problems here 👍 2. The limitations would be the the capacity. It's no very big, so it's not ideal for batch brewing. It's not fast grinding either. 3. If not Varia VS3, the Option-O Lagom Mini ... The Eureka Mignon Classico. ... Giotto/DF64 Grinder for a little more. If there's anything I can help with, let me know