A stepless espresso grinder built around genuinely useful workflow features (micro-adjustment, near-zero retention, grind-by-weight on the Wi model), but hobbled by a plastic gearbox that fails predictably enough that owners budget for the repair. Motors die after several years, burr carriers develop wobble, and the noise level makes early-morning grinding a household incident. Baratza ships replacement parts fast and cheap, so if you're comfortable treating occasional wrenching as the cost of admission for precision at half the price of all-metal rivals, the Sette works. If you want a grinder you never think about, spend more on a Eureka Mignon.
The Sette 30 is a single-dosing grinder with a fatal flaw: the plastic gearbox cracks, motors burn out, and owners replace parts so often that Baratza's excellent repair support becomes a feature, not a safety net. The stepped adjustment is too coarse for real espresso without a $100 upgrade kit, at which point you're nearly at Sette 270 pricing anyway. Skip this unless you're running a pressurized basket or genuinely enjoy tinkering. For reliable daily grinding without the maintenance drama, spend the extra on an all-metal Eureka Mignon and sleep soundly.