Varia EVO Hybrid | Is This Rechargable Grinder A Novelty Or A Necessity?

It's no secret that I'm not a big hand grinder fan, but what I am a fan of is new and unique pieces of coffee gear, and I'd say the Varia EVO hits that threshold. Of course you can use it as a hand grinder, but it also comes with a motor that can be installed for hands-free operation, and it even claims it can do espresso. So, as I often do when I get my sticky barista paws on something new, it's time to put it to the test.
Chapters
[00:00] Intro
[01:06] Standart Sponsor
[01:55] Quick Overview
[03:43] Performance & Usability
[06:43] Quirks & Downsides
[08:22] Final Thoughts
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[@ugliestbread]

I can see this filling a small niche, people who would like a portable grinder to travel with but have problems using a hand grinder because of physical injuries/conditions. On a side note, I'd love it if you could try the various burrs that Varia have released and see if there is actually much of a difference between them.

[@Sprometheus]

That is indeed a small niche! I’d say it’s a little wider than that but not massive. I would love to know the market research done behind products like this. And yeah, playing around with their burrs could be a fun video. I have the v2 set for the VS3, but they have a couple others I believe.

[@tummy_fritters]

I had a similar thought. I think if Varia could correct the motor's self-tightening issue, this could be a really useful grinder for differently-abled people who want to travel.

[@MarketingGuy]

I see it as an option for the niche of people without the couterspace in their kitchen to place a stationary grinder and who don't want to hand grind every morning.

[@Mandragara]

Huge market for those with small kitchens. I have no desire to give up counter space for a grinder

[@asafseri-levy4315]

This video got me excited mainly because of the DF54 in the back. Can't wait for your review on that.

[@Sprometheus]

This actually was supposed to be the DF54 review but had faulty unit we couldn’t figure out it wouldn’t grind fine enough for espresso, so I had to postpone and get a new one.

[@asafseri-levy4315]

@@Sprometheus I'll wait patiently for next week 🤞🏽

[@ShayanGivehchian]

Ok thats a not a good start lol ​@@Sprometheus

[@SunriseLAW]

The Vario VS3 looks equivalent to the DF54, both of which become available to the general public on March 30, 2024. At $299, I think many hand-grinder owners will be grabbing one.

[@jeef16]

@@Sprometheus must be burr related

[@cheekster777]

Thank you my friend.

[@Sprometheus]

Of course! Thanks for watching and enjoy your weekend!

[@cheekster777]

@@Sprometheus - You too Buddy. ☕️

[@antacs2672]

I exclusively make espresso at home because I have a Eureka Atom 75 and switching between espresso grind and pourover grind is too much of a headache and waste of beans. The EVO might be a good solution to the problem since I don't want another grinder on the counter, but I would like to be able to make pourovers every once in a while.

[@allen.t]

I feel like this is just an attempt to upsell a very average hand grinder by adding a motor. I don’t really understand the point of this other than it being for a niche audience.

[@Sprometheus]

Yeah, there’s nothing groundbreaking here. It’s a fun thing to have, but it’s definitely not pushing any limits or taking on a market giant in an attempt to disrupt.

[@veganpotterthevegan]

I'd be in if you could easily replace the battery. Makes it easier to make breakfast while I'm rushing for early shifts.

[@stagus]

You need to review Ikawa Home Roaster. I have been using one and it has been very fun getting into home roasting, smokeless.

[@axelbostrom3606]

Just got a Kingrinder K6 and a small electric screwdriver so when I saw this I was a bit worried I bought the wrong thing.... But after watching I got to say I belive I spent correctly

[@ShayanGivehchian]

I don't think a screwdriver will have enough torque.

[@NoZenith]

Thank you for the review. No I don't think I'm going to go for this because I don't feel like hand grinding espresso every morning...... I also do not like integrated rechargeable units including scales. I want something I can change the battery in because I take really good care of my stuff and my phone is the only thing I have to replace every few years because the battery craps out. Every other piece of technology in my life, including my laptop, I've had for around 10 years.

[@leelossi1257]

Nice review......they should offer a plug in unit and forget the rechargeable one

[@labloke5020]

I purchased a Millab. We will see how good the battery-powered grinder is. The hand grinder is nice in concept, but it results in carpal tunnel syndrome for my arm.

[@vaghatz]

I think a very important question is, will it grind when connected to a charger even if the battery is dead?

[@peshmerge44]

the idea behind this is great, but i don't like the execution. it would be nice if the motor part was plug-able to a socket. so you would have a motorized option for home use and a manual one if you are going out (like a pic-nic or hiking)

[@Sprometheus]

I can definitely see that also appealing to a wider group of people. That’s why I think the Goat Story ARCO is a bit of a smarter angle in the modular motorized to hand grinder market.

[@nutdazzler]

Would be cool to compare again new millab e01

[@hwaseng]

What scale is that ? Looks cool with the red led light ..

[@fforst]

I really don't know to whom this is for. For traveling I would say it's totally enough with a usual handgrinder. At home the Madkat Skope X that is on preorder right now is a better choice assuming a lot of people already own a handgrinder.

[@dalareid]

Thanks! since you didn't go in depth on pour over, can you please share your findings here? do you think this grinder would be a nice option against an 1zpresso K-Ultra?

[@Sprometheus]

I’d say it does have a much wider range for filter applications, and does them well from flavor to extraction yield. The burrs don’t do anything exciting or new but appear to be consistent and produce the texture, body, and complexity forward cups you’d expect from conicals.

[@Kinaanath]

Can it grind lighter roast with the battery-powered motor?🤔

[@AlexandruVoda]

How does it compare to the Goat Story ARCO?

[@jeffjones6667]

Think its a good idea, pair with outin nano, pico presso or aeropress for travel maybe ?

[@Sprometheus]

For sure. A solid piece for a travel kit.

[@shmiffy24]

Seems like Goat Story's Arco Grinder just with a battery grinder instead of mains powered dock.

[@rxonmymind8362]

We need a Tim "The tool" Taylor hack from Home Improvement. 😂

[@coffeecove7058]

I like to take hand grinders on trips and would love to have the option to have a battery; especially for Espresso. The battery would be nice if having a bad day physically. Thanks for the video.

[@Sprometheus]

Yeah it definitely has an audience for sure. I think having a motorized handgrinder sounds more appealing than a standard one .

[@sstockemer]

I have this, but mine is a Timemore Chestnut C3 and it's driven by my cordless drill. My battery lasts much longer though.

[@Sprometheus]

Haha yeah this is basically the same, but I think a drill would likely run faster too. It just dosent come in such a compact, travel-friendly situation.

[@sstockemer]

@@Sprometheus I'm a noob waiting for my first real grinder. I pre-ordered a DF54.😅

[@danielzenner]

Sounds like you'd maybe be better off getting a Lagom Mini, although it doesn't give you the alternative hand grinding option.

[@PanzerIV88]

Interesting but seems pretty meh in the end as i expected. Its like an in between thats neither good, neither bad but honestly I'd rather have the "Option-O Lagom Mini" which i bought like 2 years ago for my GF.

[@Harry-cg5gs]

I think relatively unknown Femobook A5 is a much better implementation, though a bit more expensive.

[@Sprometheus]

I’ve got one of their A68 grinders coming. Very curious about it for sure.

[@CinkSVideo]

I see this as a good camping grinder if I didn’t want to pre grind beans before a trip. I use an aero press as my camping brewer and something like this could work well. As a daily driver…no.

[@needmorebeans]

I still prefer using an electric screwdriver that would usually be in my car or camping kit anyway and I can choose which grinder I bring.

[@bjfeerus]

☕💖 Love Is Important 💖☕ ...

[@urouroniwa]

It's a weird choice. I'm not sure who this would be aimed at. I love hand grinders. Why would I ever want a motor? For someone who wants a motor, why would they want to grind by hand? Like you said, it seems like a travel grinder that's aimed primarily at someone who wants the motor, but where you are going to run out of batteries at some point. But then... It's nearly 1 kg in weight! It weighs as much as my travel laptop. I can not imagine ever wanting to travel with a grinder that weighs that much. So who is this for?

[@timmarshall4881]

Yes I agree that the home user would not be tempted with a battery powered hand grinder unless travelling and then….? It looks great. Love and peace. Tim

[@asabaniam1]

Why nobody review entry level commercial grinders for home? Like mazzer mini? Ceado?

[@Sprometheus]

I’m sure there are reviews for those grinders out there, the issue is, at least with the Mazzer, it’s not all that contemporary and not topics that many are searching for.

[@Mandragara]

Money tends to have been spent in the wrong areas. Device overbuilt for home duty cycle

[@veganpotterthevegan]

The battery waste definitely bothers me. That said, some people have arthritis, disabilities like CP and then theres people that want a very compact grinder that'll do the work while doing something else

[@Sprometheus]

Yeah I think eventuality that the battery will fade is a big factor for me, and likely many others. And the fact that responsible disposal is not guaranteed is another. But it seems battery powered grinders are having a bit of a moment with this, the mill, and Femobook.

[@veganpotterthevegan]

@Sprometheus once sodium or solid state batteries start being the norm for appliances, I'm much more likely to buy. It sucks knowing that the other components will likely be totally fine when the battery inevitably fails. At least it will still work as a hand grinder but you'd still be left with a hunk of trash

[@mopikozz]

not cool, if i were to bring this to travel, i have to hand carry it?? due to the batts?

[@Dan_Mirai]

My question is why? I do not see the advantage of attaching an underpowered battery powered motor to a hand grinder. Especially when you can probably grind faster by hand. Why make compromises trying to do two things mediocre? Why make more e-waste when the battery and motor eventually die?

[@Sprometheus]

Yeah there’s definitely a sense that this is more of a novelty, and for me I don’t really have a travel set up as part of what I love about travel is going to new cafes. But I think if I was going off grid I’d probably grab this over because the motor is convenient as I’m not a huge hand grinder fan on general.

[@johnl.7582]

Let's face it, the battery unit will be junk in a couple of years. Would be more appealing if the batteries were commodity replaceables, e.g. 18650, but really, if you're camping or whatever and enjoying the off-grid experience, wouldn't you prefer using the hand grinder? And if you're somewhere with power, use a mains grinder.

[@Luciferrrr0000000f]

Great review, as allways, but i cannot miss funny marketing words, like "shipped ... nearly anywhere in a world" (sorry).