Baratza Forte AP: Commercial Grinder with 54 mm Ceramic Burrs

Baratza Forte AP All Purpose Commercial Coffee Grinder with Ceramic Burrs

The Baratza Forte AP is a redesign of the Vario-W. All the interior components now suit commercial use. More metal for a more robust construction and motor/speed efficiency.

The Baratza Forte AP is a compact, commercial-grade grinder, dedicated to grinding for all brew methods. It incorporates many features that fit well into commercial operations, including an all-metal construction, small footprint, intuitive control panel, and solid macro/micro adjustment. It offers the ability to grind by time for espresso dosing, or by weight.

Coffee professionals find this grinder to be a versatile grinder for many situations – as a small restaurant brew grinder, as a Roaster demo grinder for wholesale tasting, or being a dedicated grinder for decaf or single origin in a cafe.

The Forté-AP is a durable workhorse using two 54 mm flat ceramic Ditting burr sets, which produces an accurate and precise grind, delivering exceptional cup quality for brew methods from espresso to press pot. One does need to be careful that there are no stones, cement, or metal objects, sometimes found in coffee beans, which can damage any ceramic burrs. The benefit of ceramic is that there is less heat retention which leads to less burning of the coffee grinds before even brewing in some of the most demanding serving situations.

The Forte includes a grinding assembly with a threaded burr holder which screws firmly into an all-metal grinding chamber for a more accurate grind. A larger gear-to-belt ratio, combined with a more efficient DC motor increases the speed of the grind and duty cycle.

• The Forte coffee grinder line is available in 2 versions. The Forté-AP (All Purpose) version can grind from coarse to fine and comes with a 54 mm flat ceramic burr, a grounds bin for use when grinding by weight, and a portaholder for use when grinding directly into your portafilter. The Forté-BG (Brew Grinder) version is designed for manual or batch brewing and comes with a 54 mm flat steel burr and a grounds bin.

Espresso Coffee Grinder Warnings:

• Roast Profiles: Espresso grinders sold by 1st-line Equipment, unless specifically indicated on the grinder page, are manufactured for coffee beans that have Italian or espresso roast profiles. Lighter roasted coffee beans may clog the grinder or not grind fine enough. Darker roasted coffee beans, such as French roasted or oily coffee beans, may clog the grinding chamber and/or the grinder chute where the ground coffee exits.
• Changing grind settings: It is very important to only change grind settings when the unit is powered on and the burrs are in motion. If you do not do this, the burrs will ‘gunk’ up and render the grinder to only produce very coarse grinds or no grinds at all. To remedy this, you will have to open up the grinder to get access to the grinding burrs. This issue will be considered operator error for lack of following directions, and not be classified as a defective grinder.
• Electrical cord: For most grinders, the cord is placed between the packaging (foam or cardboard) and the underside body of the grinder. During shipping, it is normal for a bend or insignificant blemish/slice to damage the cord.
• Finding coffee grinds in a new grinder: Most manufacturers test their grinders with coffee beans before they leave their facility. Unfortunately, they are not always able to get every trace of coffee out of the grinders after testing. As a result, you may find coffee beans or grinds inside your grinder, or there may be grinds in the packaging.
• Static issues: There are static issues with all grinders, even the highest-quality models. We firmly believe that the static comes from the coffee beans. If you are having static problems with your coffee grinder, try using a different blend of beans.
• Electrical: To avoid electrical damage (which is not considered a manufacturer's defect), please acquire and install a single-outlet surge suppressor rated at 1080 joules or higher. A surge without protection can damage a grinder at the power switch, the capacitor, the motor, or the wiring.
• Burr cleaning: For routine maintenance of the grinding burrs, we recommend using grinder cleaning agents. We do not recommend any removal of the burrs or the burr carrier for cleaning (unless necessary) as re-assembly can cause damage. If the grinder chamber is dis-assembled, the warranty is voided for any damages that result. It is important to always remove all coffee grinds from the threads of the burr carrier and the grinding chamber.
• Replacing burrs: NEVER use a flat head screwdriver and hammer to wedge UNDER the burrs for removal. This could badly damage your grinder.

• Instruction Manual
• Quick Start Guide
• Parts Diagram