Baratza Forté BG Flat Steel Burr Commercial Coffee Grinder Review

Baratza Forté BG brew coffee burr grinder from the Baratza company which also makes one of the best selling burr grinders Baratza Encore. Baratza Forté BG however is a far more advanced grinder that’s engineered to commercial grade quality. So how good is it and is it worth the money?

Grinding performance

Baratza Forté BG is designed for medium to coarse grinds (think Drip to French press) however it can actually grind pretty fine too. It might not do for espresso straight out of factory however you can adjust burrs to grind of a finer side and then it will do the job. Granted, considering value for money this might not be the best option if you only drink espresso, however if once in a while you decide you want to then this grinder will do.

Grinds are consistent. If you go very coarse you will notice some inconsistencies, however grind quality is good all across medium to coarse grinds.

Baratza Forté BG is equipped with Ditting 54mm professional steel flat burrs and has 260 different grind coarseness settings so you can really tune in small adjustments.

If you have to complain about something it’s grinding speed. Baratza Forté BG grinds 1 to 2.3 grams per second which is slower that its competitors. Probably not a significant flaw if you are buying it for home use but this is something to be taken into consideration for commercial use.

It’s also not the quietest grinder in its class (Eureka Mignon Brew Pro is quieter for example) however it’s not any louder than burr grinders generally are.

One really cool feature is that it can do weight based grinding. Scale is pretty accurate withing 0.1 grams. It also can do time based grinding which is quite accurate too but that’s the feature you will see on other grinders in this class, weight based grinding however is quite rare.

Quality

Overall quality of Baratza Forté BG is really good. Many parts that are not made of metal on other burr grinders are on this model. It feels really sturdy and something that should last for years to come.

Controls

Baratza Forté BG has display with touch sensitive buttons. You can setup 3 different presets. Grinds coarseness can be adjusted with 2 levers, one is for micro adjustments with total of 26 different settings, the other one is for macro adjustments with 10 settings making up for a total of 260 different settings.

Weight and size

Baratza Forté BG weighs 13 pounds (6 kilograms) and measures 13 inches wide by 18 inches deep by 36 inches high.

Other

Baratza Forté BG has shut-off hopper. Bean hopper capacity is 10 oz (300 to 400 grams depending on size/density of beans) and grounds bin capacity is 6 oz (170 grams).

Conclusions

Overall Baratza Forté BG is a superb grinder for the money that outputs quality grounds and offers more functionality than competitors.

Baratza Forté BG Flat Steel Burr Commercial Coffee Grinder Specifications:

• Voltage/Frequency:
  • US Spec: 100-120VAC 50/60 Hz
  • EU Spec: 220-240VAC 50/60 Hz, class I
• Power: 130W
• Burr speed (at no-load): 1950 RPM
• Grind settings: 260
• Burrs: 54mm steel flat burrs (by Ditting)
• 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)
• Certifications/Safety listings:
  • UL
  • CSA
  • CE
  • EK