# Baratza Esatto grinder attachment



## centaursailing (Feb 27, 2012)

This looks like a really good addition for my Baratza Preciso. I have a question arising from the information and videos I've seen which confirm it is also suitable for 240 volts AC. There is a mains plug (USA style?) shown which is plugged into the Esatto under the removable lid. My Preciso has a UK style 13 amp plug and it looks like it wouldn't fit even if there were a UK style socket in the Esatto. I'm capable of changing the plug on the Preciso providing the warranty isn't invalidated by making such a modification.

I'd be grateful for any insights/experience/solutions re: the 'plug' issue and if anyone could point me in the direction of a UK supplier of the Esatto. Thanks









Rod


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## jimbow (Oct 13, 2011)

Did you get an answer to this? I noticed on Coffee Geek you said you were going to contact Baratza. Did you hear back from them?


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## joshuachan28 (Mar 7, 2012)

I have seen the Esatto being used here in the UK in quite a few coffee shops. I'm sure that there is a 240v version that they sell. Coffeehit sells it but it's currently out of stock.


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## jimbow (Oct 13, 2011)

Yup, I received the 230V European version this morning as a Birthday present from my Mrs. (love her!). It has a three pin plug on the flex but the internal socket into which you plug the grinder is a two pin jobby. I am rather reluctant to chop off the 3 pin plug from my Virtuoso and fit a europlug/schuko plug.


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## fatboyslim (Sep 29, 2011)

Happy birthday jimbow!

Excellent present to have received.

Make the chop!


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## jimbow (Oct 13, 2011)

Thanks Mark, I had a fantastic day!

It turns out the socket inside the Esatto is in fact a US 2 pin plug socket which complicates matters because US appliances work off different voltages from the UK. The Esatto box is marked as 230V and is fitted with a UK 3 pin plug but I do not know whether it will work with a UK grinder (with a US 2 pin plug attached) or whether it requires an American version of the grinder rated for 110V. I am afraid I understand very little about electrics, does anyone have any ideas!


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

If the Esatto box is marked with 230V (there should also be a label or marking on the Esatto casing itself confirming this) then the Essatto is expecting to see 230V from the wall AC socket. It looks to me like there is parallel/courtesy plug within the Esatto base, into which you plug your grinder? This will also be at 230V, that's what the grinder itself also wants to see, so it will work with a 230V grinder. (There isn't physically enough space for a voltage step up transformer in the Esatto base).

Connecting the grinder to the base should just be a connectivity issue (just a matter of the right size plug/socket & number of pins), without a closer look I can't really advise. The Esatto base is grounded via the UK/IEC flex & plug, safety-wise, the grinder whilst in operation should also benefit from this ground (a basic legal requirement) & not need a discrete ground connection to the wall (as with hi-fi separates etc.).

I won't mention that we don't actually get 230V here in the UK....









(We just say we do to fall in line with Europe...basically not an issue for most domestic applications).


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## jimbow (Oct 13, 2011)

Just thought I would post a quick update to say I have heard back from Kyle at Baratza in the US to say that the socket inside the Esatto is quasi-universal and accepts both US or europlug 2 pin plugs. The fact that the Esatto is marked as 230V means that it will work perfectly with UK Baratza grinder models (once the plug has been changed).

Thanks to everyone that replied!


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## jimbow (Oct 13, 2011)

I finally got around to integrating the Esatto with my Virtuoso. The hardest part was actually finding a UK stockist for a re-wirable type C Europlug (the type you find on electric razors and toothbrushes). So far I have only tested by running 15g of beans through but it seems to work really well. The weighed dosing mechanism seems pretty accurate (according to my scales it was only 0.1g out). It has 3 programmable buttons for different preset weights. One criticism is that I would like to see the addition of a grind on demand push button, similar to the one on the front of the Virtuoso, that simply grinds whilst the button is depressed. Such a button would be useful when adjusting the grind or purging.

For future reference, here are the steps I followed to fit the Esatto:

1. Remove 3 pin plug from grinder flex (ignore steps 1 to 3 if grinder already has a 2 pin plug fitted).

2. Cut earth wire short and insulate with electrical tape.

3. Fit type C "europlug" to the grinder flex. The live and neutral wires can be wired to either terminal of the plug.

4. Remove 4 rubberised feet from base of grinder.

5. Slide grinder into Esatto and insert new grinder plug into the socket within the Esatto base.

6. Place cover onto Esatto base and secure tightly ensuring the grinder flex is coiled inside the Esatto base.

7. Turn timer dial on side of grinder to 12 o'clock position and slot the supplied grip into the Esatto base to hold the dial in position.

Thanks to everyone for their help and advice.


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## jimbow (Oct 13, 2011)

One final update...

Using my Virtuoso with the Esatto this morning I noticed that the grind consistency seems to have improved (both visibly and with more clarity in the cup). I think the added weight and larger footprint of the Esatto must be helping to stabilise the burrs during grinding, creating a more uniform particle size.

It turns out the absence of a grind on demand button mentioned in my previous post is not that big a deal after all. After selecting a dose weight, it is possible to stop the grinder at any time by simply pressing the start/stop button.


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## Toucan (Aug 16, 2012)

Back to the top with this!

Anybody know where to buy one in the UK? Coffee Omega have stopped stocking them.


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