Baratza Forté-AP Coffee Grinder

The Forté-AP is a commercial-grade, all-purpose grinder built around 54mm flat ceramic burrs and a dual stepped macro/micro adjustment system. Its standout feature is weight-based dosing — it grinds to a precise gram target and stops automatically, whether dosing 18 grams into a portafilter or 80 grams for a batch brew. It's ideal for experienced home baristas or café professionals who need one grinder to handle every brew method with repeatable precision and minimal countertop footprint.

The Forté-AP covers the full spectrum — Turkish-fine espresso through coarse French press — using its dual stepped adjustment with 260 distinct grind settings. The ceramic flat burrs produce exceptionally uniform particle distribution, which translates to clean espresso shots and balanced pour-over extractions alike. It's genuinely capable at both ends, not just marketed as all-purpose. The stepped system makes it easy to log and return to saved settings when switching between espresso and filter throughout the day.

Run Cafetto Grinder Cleaner tablets through the Forté-AP every two to four weeks to purge stale oils from the ceramic burrs and grind chamber. Between cleanings, use a grinder vacuum to remove fine grounds trapped around the burrs and chute — the Forté's tight tolerances mean even small buildup can affect consistency. Keep the grinder in a dry area away from any moisture source, as humidity can cause grounds to clump and ceramic burrs to underperform.

The built-in scale is remarkably accurate, typically landing within a fraction of a gram of your target dose. For espresso, this means you can program an 18-gram dose and trust the grinder to stop itself consistently. The Forté-AP does retain roughly 1–2 grams in the chute, which the weight-based system accounts for over successive doses. For true zero-retention single dosing it's not ideal, but for daily workflow where you're pulling multiple shots, the smart dosing system is extremely efficient and repeatable.

The Forté-AP sits at the top of Clive's all-purpose grinder selection — it's the go-to recommendation for baristas who refuse to own two separate grinders. It pairs naturally with semi-automatic machines like the Breville Dual Boiler or Profitec Pro 300, where its precision dosing complements hands-on shot control. Its included portafilter fork fits standard 58mm portafilters. Clive's team uses one daily alongside a Ratio Eight for batch brewing, which speaks to its genuine versatility across the full coffee spectrum.