Baratza Sette 30 vs 270: Which Is Best For You?

This is our comparison of the two mid-range coffee grinders, the Baratza Sette 30 vs 270.

I’m a very passionate coffee enthusiast who researched what sets these seemingly similar grinders apart.

See, both grinders work very well with having the same design and grinding technology; that’s why it’s a bit tough to choose one between the Sette 30 and Sette 270.

And also there are differences too and by the end of this article, you’ll know which grinder you should go with. So, let’s get started with the review!

Baratza Sette 30 vs 270: Which One to Consider?

In short, the Baratza Sette 30 is the overall winner of this comparison as it is a more value-for-money product.

And you should only consider the Sette 270 if you’re a true espresso lover with a high-end espresso machine & loves consistent flavors.

But this is a quick guide; if you want to learn more about these machines in detail, we have compared them in the below section.

Baratza Sette 30 vs 270: Detailed Comparison

In this section, you will come across an in-depth comparison of these two grinders and we have divided it into three sections for better understanding.

Grind Settings

The grind setting is a crucial differentiating factor and an important feature for the Sette 30 and 270 because it is the heart of any coffee grinder.

The Baratza Sette 30 comes with 30 macro adjustments, which are basically the grind settings of the model.

And the Sette 270 comes with 270 grind settings, a combination of macro and micro adjustments.

And if I break it down for the sake of simplicity and to let you understand, the number 270 comes from 30 macro settings and 9 micro settings; so, 30×9 = 270.

So, each grind setting has a further 9 micro-adjustments from coarser to finer and represented by alphabets from A to H. 

It means you have precise control over your grind size at the maximum, which is definitely a plus point for espresso lovers.

Also, both grinder works on time grinding; to understand this, suppose you want to pull an espresso shot that requires 8 grams of ground coffee.

And the average grinding speed of Sette grinders is 3.5 – 5.5 grams per second as you go from finer to coarser.

So, if you are grinding at 7 macro levels, then for 8 grams, it will take around 2 to 2.2 seconds. It may be confusing the first few times, but you’ll get used to it.

But the best option I always recommend is to weigh the coffee beans and then put them into the grinder.

However, Baratza has given some grinding tips for some of the famous brewing methods that we’ve mentioned below for the Sette series.

Brew Method	Sette 30	Sette 270/270Wi
Espresso	9	9E
Aeropress	14	13E
Hario V60	15	13E
Automatic Brewer	26	26E
Chemex	28	28E

Controls and Programmability

To command and control the Sette 30 and Sette 270, you have a front-mount panel with a digital LED-backlit display and buttons.

The display is the same in all Sette grinders, but the major changes are in the buttons; the Sette 30 has 4 buttons and the 270 has 7 buttons.

The 4 buttons are common in both grinders: Stop, Resume/Pause (a LED indicator is on the top) and the 2 for the increase and decrease grind time.

The remaining 3 buttons of Sette 270 are preset buttons with a green LED indicator next to them, where you can save predetermined grind time for your favorite beverages.

For example, in the first button, you can save for Espresso grind time, second for French press and third for Cold Brew.

So with this, you don’t need to set the time again and again, which takes additional time; you have to press the button and it starts grinding according to your preferences.

For customizing the preset button, press the button you want to customize and the led will glow; now set the time with increasing or decreasing buttons and after that long-press the selected button, and the display starts blinking with time, which means it is set.

As they are based on time grinding; so, when you set the time for grinding, apart from seconds, these machines go an extra mile and let you set 100 milliseconds which is one-tenth of a second – that gives more control and accuracy.

Design and Build

Design-wise, almost all the Sette grinders look the same, the famous 7-shape design. But there are some differences in the material and the way it works.

So, as you know, the Sette 30 has a single dial and Sette 270 has dual dials for adjusting grind settings.

The dial and burr carrier of Sette 30 is made of hard plastic; however, it doesn’t feel cheap.

On the other hand, both dials and burr carrier of the Sette 270 are made up of aluminum, which is very durable and solid.

Now, both the grinders have a 10 oz bean hooper with a lock system – so it is easy to detach the hooper with filled coffee beans and also, when you are not grinding, it protects the aroma.

But there is a difference in lock material; the bean hopper lock lever is made of plastic in Sette 30 and in Sette 270, it is made of aluminum – nothing extraordinary but just feeling and touch.

Now support forks, the forks in Sette 30 are made of plastic and the 270 ones are made of metal.

Not only that but there are two support options: one for portafilter and another for any small container like Hario V60.

And again, the Sette 270 is leading this area because if you place the portafilter, you have to adjust the forks closer and if you place something wider, you have to adjust the forks wider.

So, in Sette 270, it is very easy to make these adjustments by turning any one fork and the other will turn itself. 

But in Sette 30, if you want to change the adjustments, you have to do it manually by detaching the forks from the existing position and inserting them in a different direction.

The Sette 270 also has a portafilter holder, which locks it in the grinder and doesn’t let it fall, so you have hands free while it is grinding.

Similarities in Baratza Sette Range

Now, some of their features are compared by their name only; the Sette 30 has only 30 grind settings, the Sette 270 has 270 grind settings and the Sette 270Wi has 270 grind settings with weight grinding and intelligence.

The Baratza Sette uses 40mm steel burrs made by Etzinger, known as the S1, which is very fast, has a minimal retention of around 0.5 – 0.66 grams and gives fluffiness in the grind with a very low mess.

Also, the working of burrs isn’t typical as other grinders; with Sette, it’s the outer burr that spins. Actually, there’s a DC motor system that drives this, resulting in more surface area pulling the coffee through the grinder.

But there are many such things in common that don’t need much explanation; that’s why we have covered this in the table below.

Details	Sette 30	Sette 270/270Wi
Weight	7lbs (3.2 kg)	7lbs (3.2 kg)
Dimensions WxHxD (cm)	13 / 40 / 24	13 / 40 / 24
Bean Hopper Capacity	10 oz (300-400 g)	10 oz (300-400 g)
Grind Range	230 – 950 microns	230 – 950 microns
S2 Burr	Replaceable	Replaceable
Voltage	230 Volts	230 Volts

Baratza 30 vs 270 vs 270Wi

As we have already compared the Sette 30 and 270, here I’m going to add how Sette 270Wi is different in the lineup.

The first thing is that the Sette 30 and 270 are based on time grinding, but the 270Wi is completely opposite and works on weight grinding.

It has a built-in Acaia Scale, which automatically decides the instructed weight and it actually works pretty handsomely.

Yes, there are some variables in accuracy, but it is negligible. Hence, you don’t need to weigh coffee beans manually.

Also, it has 3 preset buttons just like the Sette 270, but with these three buttons, you can only set the predetermined weight rather than time.

So in 270Wi, everything remains the same as Sette 270 except for these differences.

Sette 30 – Quick Rundown

Sette 270 – Quick Rundown

Final Thoughts

See, if we look for extra features and more convenience, the Baratza Sette 270 is leading this comparison, but in terms of value for money, the Sette 30 is ahead in the lineup.

Now, if you have an old-style or entry-level espresso machine like Gaggia Classic or Ranco Silvia with single boilers and pressurized filter basket, then the Sette 30 will give you good results.

Also, Sette 30 is a good choice if you are brewing with immersion methods like French press and Cold brew or Pour-over methods like Chemex or a drip coffee maker.

And if you are looking for an espresso grinder and have a high-end espresso machine or using a straight wall precision basket, then the Sette 270 will give you outstanding accuracy and consistency.

However, both are capable machines and you will go right if you choose any grinder based on the given situations.