Baratza Forte AP Ceramic Flat Burr Coffee Grinder Review

Baratza Forte AP is a commercial grade all purpose burr grinder equipped with 54mm ceramic flat burrs. Unlike majority of other grinders it can actually grind for any brewing method from Espresso to French Press, at least according to Baratza, so can Forte AP deliver on the promise?

Grinding

Baratza Forte AP grinding performance is truly exceptional. It can grind fine enough for espresso, coarse enough for French press and grounds come out very consistent all across the range. Fine sized grinds are uniform, medium sized grinds are uniform and even coarse grinds are very uniform which is what grinders often struggle with.

The range of grind sizes is very wide as well. Burr grinders usually can grind either for espresso or French Press, rarely for both, but Baratza Forte AP in this case is the exception that can do it all. With that being said some burr grinders can grind even finer than the Forte AP (Eureka Atom 75 for example) but they won’t be able to grind as coarse and won’t be a consistent at coarser grind settings.

Grinding speed is decent. Baratza Forte AP grinds faster than most burr grinders however it’s not among the very fastest burr grinders on the market.

Noise

Baratza Forte AP is relatively quiet for a burr grinder. It’s quieter than most but it isn’t the quietest (for example Eureka Atom 75 is significantly quieter).

Quality

Build quality is superb. Baratza Forte AP has polished metal housing. It feels well made and sturdy.

Controls

Baratza Forte AP has touch-sensitive LCD display which is responsive and easy to use. Grind size setting is selected with two sliders – left one for micro adjustments and right one for macro. There’s 26 micro settings and 10 macro making up for a total of 260 different grind size settings. This is more than enough to dial-in just the perfect size setting and you don’t have to deal with the primary flaw of stepless dials which is that it’s almost impossible to go back-and-forth between different settings.

Baratza Forte AP has 3 grinding modes: time based, weight based and manual. The weight based grinding mode is amazing as you will always get the same amount of grounds. Time based grinding isn’t always accurate as the amount of grounds that come out depends on beans and moisture. If you want to grind manually for some reason you can do that too.

Baratza Forte AP also has programmable buttons. You can save 3 different settings for when you use timed grinding mode and 3 different settings for weight based grind mode.

Bean hopper and grounds container

Bean hopper has shut-off valve and can hold 10 ounces of coffee beans (300 to 400 grams). Grounds bin capacity is 6 ounces (~170 grams).

Conclusions

Baratza Forte AP is a truly exceptional do-it-all burr grinder. It can grind for all brewing methods, puts out consistent grounds all across the range, is well made and feature-rich. If you enjoy different types of coffee then Baratza Forte AP is the grinder to get, however if you drink only Espresso or Turkish coffees then a dedicated espresso grinder like Eureka Atom 75 is a better choice.

Baratza Forte AP Ceramic Flat Burr Coffee Grinder Specifications:

• Voltage/Frequency: 100-120VAC 50/60Hz
• Power: 130W
• Grind settings: 260
• Burrs: 54mm ceramic flat burrs
• Burr speed (no-load): 1,950 RPM
• Grinding speed (claimed): 2 to 3.7 grams/second
• Bean hopper capacity: 10 oz (300 to 400 grams)
• Grounds bin capacity: 6 oz (170 grams)
• Dimensions (W x D x H): 13’’ x 18’’ x 36’’
• Weight: 13 lb (6 kg)