Baratza Forté BG Coffee Grinder

Baratza Forté BG Overview

The Baratza Forté BG is designed for coarse brew methods with a commercial setting in mind. It’s a big step up from the Vario models thanks to the stainless housing and adjustment sliders, commercial grade components and touch screen operation.

Features and Performance

Like the Vario-W, it’s capable of dosing based on weight, thanks to the integrated scale in its base, though, the Forté BG doesn’t stop there. It’s also capable of dosing based on time. Similar to the Vario models, the Forté BG can be adjusted using macro and micro adjustment sliders for a whopping 260 degrees of fineness. We find that, with this style of adjustment, it’s so easy to dial in the grind, jot it down, and easily slide right back to it after experimenting with another coffee or brew method.

The motor in the Forté BG is a big upgrade to the Vario; it’s 70% more powerful and can run twice as long. This powerful motor turns slowly, generating less heat and noise as a result, and is equipped with a thermal cut-off switch that automatically resets itself in the case of overheating. To handle the increased power, the Forté BG has been outfitted with a new drive ratio, pulley, and belt-drive system to help it keep up in a commercial environment. Whether atop a home or cafe kitchen, the Forté BG delivers batch after batch of consistently ground coffee however you prefer.

Using the Forté BG is a breeze. Its intuitive touchscreen display allows you to choose from manual, time or weight based grinding, which accurately dispense grounds within 1/10th of a second or +/- 0.2 grams. Using the touchscreen display, it couldn’t be simpler to switch between time and weight based brewing, or program the three presets available for each method. Or, of course, you can always grind manually, too.

The Forté’s 54mm flat steel burrs can be adjusted between a range of 230 to 1150 microns using Baratza’s unique dual cam grind adjustment. The lever on the right controls the macro adjustment, while the lever on the left allows you to fine tune by making micro adjustments between the macro settings. Grinds are dispensed directly into the enclosed 8 oz. grounds container in a quick 2 grams per second on average.

The Forté BG features a specialized hopper, dubbed the “Stopper Hopper” by Baratza, which reduces bean waste to a minuscule 10 grams. Keeping the Forté clean and calibrated is easy and quick using the included burr removal and calibration tools. For an all purpose version that has all the same amazing features and ceramic burrs in place of stainless, take a look at the Baratza Forté AP.

Why You Should Get It

If you enjoy coarse brewing methods like drip, french press, or pour over coffee, you'll find the Baratza Forte BG to be an easy to use and reliable tool. The touchscreen display makes adjusting different settings a breeze, and 260 grind settings offer a lot of choice when brewing your next coffee.