Baratza Preciso vs Virtuoso+: Key Differences & Review

Have you ever been frustrated because you just couldn’t replicate the amazing coffee of your favorite cafe?

That’s because several elements determine the taste of your coffee.

Among these, many coffee makers overlook the grinding part.

Most great coffees start with a great grinder.

In this post, we compare two burr grinders that can make your coffee taste better: the Baratza Preciso vs Virtuoso+.

Read on to find out which grinder is better for you.

Baratza Preciso vs Virtuoso+: Overview

Baratza Preciso

It won’t be an overstatement to say that the Baratza Preciso is the burr grinder for espressos.

As the name suggests, the Baratza Preciso offers precise grinds, thanks to its micro-adjustments. This means this coffee grinder can go head-to-head with a commercial grinder.

Plus, Baratza’s innovative Portafilter Holder comes with your purchase. This will allow you to grind your espresso grounds directly into a portafilter, hands-free.

Specifications

• Grind Speed: 500 RPM
• Grind Settings: 40 grind settings + micro adjustment settings
• Burr: 40mm conical burrs
• Bean Hopper Capacity: 8oz (227g)
• Coffee Bin Capacity: 5oz (142g)
• Weight: 8lbs (3.6kg)
• Dimensions: 12 x 35 x 16 cm
• Outer material: Plastic and Nickel-plated Zinc

Pros

• Precise and consistent grinds
• Minimal fines/dusty residues
• Wide range of grind options
• Static-free bins

Cons

• Manual settings
• Timer knob difficult to adjust

Baratza Virtuoso+

The Baratza Virtuoso+ is a quick, convenient, and mess-free burr grinder that will keep your coffee flowing all day, every day.

The Baratza Virtuoso+ boasts speed and versatility. You want Chemex? The Virtuoso+ can do it. You want drip coffee today? Say no more.

Plus, the digital screen with an intuitive interface won’t waste your time learning the manual. The LED-backlit coffee bin will also help you track the grinding process from start to finish.

Specifications

• Grind Speed: 550 RPM
• Grind Settings: 40 grind settings
• Burr: 40mm conical burrs
• Bean Hopper Capacity: 8oz (230g)
• Coffee Bin Capacity: 5oz (142g)
• Weight: 8lbs (3.6kg)
• Dimensions: 12 x 35 x 16 cm
• Outer material: Plastic and Stainless Steel

Pros

• Consistent grind quality
• Fast grinding process
• Easy to clean
• Quiet

Cons

• Timer is tricky to use
• Static issues

Baratza Virtuoso+ vs Preciso: What’s the Difference?

After reading the overview, you might be wondering: Are they any different at all?

There are a few key differences between the two coffee grinders. We’ve compared them using these categories:

• Grind Settings
• Grind Speed
• Appearance
• Features
• Price

You might think the answer is obvious. The Preciso is more expensive, so it’s probably better.

But based on our research, we think Baratza Virtuoso+ deserves the praise.

Curious? Read on to find out.

Baratza Virtuoso+ vs Preciso: Grind Settings

Both models have over 40 grind settings, ranging from extra coarse to extra fine.

All you have to do is rotate the hopper to your desired grind setting. For finer grinds, use a lower number. For coarser grinds, choose a higher number.

This makes them versatile coffee grinders, suitable for various brew methods—cold brew, Chemex, French Press, you name it.

With the Baratza Preciso, there’s an extra setting called the micro-adjustment. This is a secondary lever that divides the 40 grind settings into 11 distinct steps.

On the coffee grinder, the micro lever is labeled from A to K. A is finer, K is coarser.

The result? Even more precision and accuracy. This is helpful for espresso aficionados as you can achieve a more consistent taste with each brew.

Winner: Baratza Preciso

Both coffee grinders are powerful and versatile.

But for coffee connoisseurs, you know that the taste of coffee can change a lot depending on various factors.

That’s where the Preciso comes in. It offers more control and precision with its micro-adjustments.

Granted, it’s not a huge difference. But this extra feature made us choose Preciso as the winner for this round.

Baratza Virtuoso+ vs Preciso: Grind Speed

Both models use a commercial-grade 40 mm conical burr. These burrs are powered by a Direct Current (DC) motor.

A conical burr is great for customizing your grind size, ranging from very fine to very coarse. A conical burr is a durable material that will last you for years.

In particular, both coffee grinders use an M2 conical burr. This is an upgrade from the M3 conical burr, which is used in its sister coffee grinder, the Baratza Encore.

The M3 conical burr has a flatter and duller edge, whereas the M2 conical burr has a sharper and steeper cutting edge. This makes the M2 conical burr faster in terms of speed.

As a result, this allows the Baratza Virtuoso+ to run at 550 RPM (rotations per minute), whereas the Preciso follows behind at 500 RPM.

In other words, both the Baratza Preciso and Virtuoso+ can grind coffee beans at 1.5g to 2.4g per second.

This is an improvement from the Baratza Encore. This entry-level burr grinder can only grind coffee beans at 0.8g to 1.1g per second.

The Preciso has a grind range of 200 to 1170 microns, whereas the Virtuoso+ has 200 to 1200 microns.

Micron, short for micrometer, is a unit of measurement that is one-millionth of a meter. A higher micron means the grinds are coarser.

In this case, Preciso has a smaller range, making it more suitable for finer grounds (e.g. espresso, manual pour).

The Baratza Virtuoso+ is more versatile, making it suitable for many different brew methods from espresso, to Chemex, to French Press.

Winner: Baratza Virtuoso+

With Baratza’s cutting-edge materials, both coffee grinders boast power and speed. This makes them almost identical.

If you’re someone who uses an espresso grind more, the Baratza Preciso may be a better option as it offers precise granules.

For others, Baratza Virtuoso+ has a slightly higher RPM and a wider micron range.

This translates to the Baratza Virtuoso+ being a faster and more versatile coffee grinder.

Baratza Virtuoso+ vs Preciso: Appearance

Looking at coffee grinders, you might say: They look the same.

There’s no plot twist here. The difference is indeed very minimal.

Both devices have a dimension of 12 x 35 x 16 cm. They also weigh the same at 8lbs.

Located at the bottom, the ground bin has a capacity of 5oz. It’s semi-transparent so you can see the ground coffee falling through.

Located on top, the hopper can hold up to 227g (Baratza Preciso) and 230g (Baratza Virtuoso+) of coffee beans.

So what makes them different? The material and controls.

The Preciso uses nickel-plated zinc, whereas the Baratza Virtuoso+ uses stainless steel.

For both coffee grinders, the rest are glass-filled thermoplastic, which is a durable and lightweight material.

Also known as ABS plastic, this is a top-grade resin that is crack- and stain-resistant. It’s also quieter than its predecessor, the metal gear.

For Preciso, it has a front-mounted pulse button and a manual timer switch on the right side.

For Baratza Virtuoso+, all the controls are in front.

Winner: Tie

No surprise here. Both models look very much alike, so it’s a tie for this round.

At the end of the day, it’s up to your preferences.

Baratza Virtuoso+ vs Preciso: Features

Both devices have a pulse mode. This makes the coffee beans to be ground in a quick burst, or in a continuous motion.

This is useful for releasing the ground coffee directly into an espresso-brewing basket (e.g. portafilter). Remove the coffee bin and position your basket below the pulse mode.

The Preciso takes it up a notch by providing a Portafilter Holder with your purchase. This allows you to grind your coffee beans directly into an espresso portafilter, hands-free.

In terms of controls, the Preciso features a 60-second timer with segmented graphics. The manual setting reminds us of the Baratza Encore.

The Baratza Virtuoso+ has a 40-second digital timer, which is adjustable to the tenth of a second.

An extra feature of Baratza Virtuoso+ is the LED-backlit grounds bin. It’s a transparent bin with LED lights that makes it easier to see if your coffee grinder is full.

Winner: Baratza Virtuoso+

Once again, both the Preciso and Virtuoso+ prove to be powerful coffee grinders with lots of features.

While the free accessory on the Preciso is a nice touch, the Virtuoso+ wins this round.

This is because the Virtuoso+ is more user-friendly with its LED-backlit ground bin. And the digital timer allows a more precise speed control.

Plus, the Portafilter Holder is compatible with other models, namely Baratza Virtuoso and Baratza Encore.

If this is something you need, then you can purchase it separately.

Baratza Virtuoso+ vs Preciso: Price

Both devices are for serious homebrewers.

With this, both devices come with a pretty hefty price tag for a coffee grinder.

The Preciso is a bit more expensive by $50 to $70. Granted, this price may fluctuate depending on various market conditions.

The Preciso has two additional features, namely the micro-adjust settings and Portafilter Holder.

But keep in mind that the Preciso is a discontinued model so it will be harder to find.

On the other hand, the Baratza Virtuoso+ offers pretty much the same features for less.

Winner: Baratza Virtuoso+

Cheaper isn’t always better.

But in this case, it’s hard to justify the extra cost for the Preciso since the difference is minimal.

So for this category, the Virtuoso+ wins.

Baratza Virtuoso+ vs Preciso: What’s Better for Me?


Although they are very similar grinders, the Baratza Virtuoso+ is our pick.

For a cheaper price, the Virtuoso+ offers almost the same features as the Preciso.

The only big difference is the micro-adjust settings in the Preciso, which isn’t a huge difference unless you’re an espresso expert.

Use Baratza Preciso If…

• You live and breathe espresso (and other brewing methods that require fine grinds)
• You don’t mind the manual settings
• You want the Portafilter Holder as a freebie

Use Baratza Virtuoso+ If…

• You’re a home barista that enjoys a wide range of coffee brewing methods
• You need speed and consistency to make your coffee flowing all day long
• You like the convenience and accuracy of a digital timer

Final Thoughts

A coffee grinder is one of the many components that will decide if your coffee is good or bad.

Both the Preciso and Virtuoso+ are professional-grade devices that will step up your home brewing game.

We hope that this post helped you choose a grinder that suits your needs.

Whichever you end up with, rest assured you’re in good hands.

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