Baratza Forte AP Burr Coffee Grinder

Description

Key Specifications:

• 54mm Ditting flat ceramic burrs
• 26 micron adjustment steps
• 230 grind steps
• Grind by weight (when using grinds container)
• Small footprint: 13 x 18 x 37 cm tall (approx)
• Three programmable doses

Our extensive testing of the Baratza Forte AP has confirmed its position as one of the finest premium flat burr grinders available for home espresso brewing.

While originally designed for commercial use, this grinder has found its way into many home baristas’ setups – and for good reason.

The ceramic flat burrs deliver outstanding performance, particularly excelling at bringing out rich chocolate notes in your espresso.

With incredibly precise 26-micron adjustment steps, you’ll have exceptional control over your grind size.

We were particularly impressed with the user-friendly interface.

The touch screen makes programming the three customisable dose settings straightforward and intuitive.

The addition of a barista light is a practical touch that we found genuinely useful during early morning brewing sessions.

The build quality is outstanding, with every component feeling robust and precisely engineered.

However, during our testing, we did identify one notable limitation: the grind-by-weight function only works with the grinds container, not with the portafilter cradle.

This restriction became more pronounced after a recent firmware update removed a brilliant feature that allowed users to convert weight measurements into timed doses for portafilter grinding.

While you can still achieve consistent doses by weighing and timing manually, we miss the convenience of the original functionality.

Despite this minor setback, the Forte AP delivers exceptional performance where it matters most.

The grinder operates quickly and produces consistently excellent espresso.

While it’s not the quietest grinder we’ve tested (though notably less noisy than the Sette), its speed and grind quality more than compensate for the sound level.

Regarding pricing, the recent acquisition of Baratza by Sage (known as Breville worldwide) has created some market uncertainty.

The current pricing at Coffee Hit represents exceptional value for a grinder of this calibre.

Given the potential for price adjustments during the distribution transition, we recommend serious consideration at its current price point if you’re in the market for a premium flat burr grinder.