Baratza Forté-BG User manual

Weight and Time
Based Coffee Grinder
OPERATIONS
MANUAL
TM
Forte
®
TM
Forte
-BG
-AP

ForteTM Manual
2
Thank you for purchasing the Forté. For the rest of this manual, the generic
name “Forté “ will be used when talking about the Forté-AP and Forté-BG. If we
are talking about a specic grinder, we will call it out.
The Forté is a compact, weight or time-based, commercial grade grinder,
dedicated to grinding for all styles of coffee brewing. The Forté incorporates
many features that t well into commercial operations, including: all metal
construction; small footprint; intuitive control panel; and solid macro/micro
adjustment. The Forté design includes a grinding assembly with a threaded
burr holder which screws rmly into an all metal grinding chamber for a more
accurate grind. A larger belt drive, combined with a more powerful DC motor,
increases the speed of grind and duty cycle.
INTRODUCTION

3
ForteTM Manual
Burrs
The Forté is a durable workhorse using 54mm at burrs. The Forté-BG uses
at steel burrs which produce an accurate and precise grind, with fewer nes,
delivering exceptional cup quality for brew methods from Press Pot to Drip.
The Forté–AP uses at ceramic burrs, which are great for all styles of coffee.
Ceramic burrs are harder than steel and last (on average) about twice as long
as steel burrs.
Shut-off Hopper
The Forté comes with a Shut-off Hopper, which can be removed from the grinder
while the beans are still in it, enabling easier changeover of beans.
Metal PortaHolder
The Forté-AP comes with a solid cast-metal PortaHolder that can easily be
adjusted to t any portalter.
TM
Forte
INTRODUCTION

ForteTM Manual
4
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS 5
PARTS IDENTIFICATION 6
SAFETY INFORMATION 7
OPERATION 9
Setting the Macro and Micro Adjustment 10
Normal Grinding Operation 10
Weight-Based Grinding Operation 11
Time Based Grinding Operation 11
Programming 12
Sleep Mode 13
PortaHolder Set-Up and Use 13

5
ForteTM Manual
Burr Calibration 13
Scale Calibration 14
CARE and CLEANING 16
Removing the Bean Hopper 16
Removing the Upper Burr 16
Cleaning the Grounds Bin, Hopper and Burrs 16
Replacing the Burr 17
Replacing the Bean Hopper 17
Automatic Cleaning 18
WARRANTY and SERVICE 19

ForteTM Manual
6
PARTS IDENTIFICATION
Whole bean hopper (300 grams)
Programable preset buttons (3)
Micro grind adjustment lever
Macro grind adjustment lever
Grind weight adjustment buttons (2)
Ceramic burr
(FortéTM-AP Brew Grinder)
Ground coffee bin (125 gram capacity)
cutaway to show Weight Platform
Weight platform
PortaHolder TM Steel burr
(FortéTM-BG)
Hopper lid
TM
Forte

7
ForteTM Manual
Please read the information below very carefully. It contains important safety
information for this appliance. Please keep these instructions for future
reference.
►Use only with AC current and the correct voltage. See the label on the
base of the grinder to determine the correct voltage.
►Only clean the grinder housing with a dry or slightly damp cloth.
►Do not use this grinder for anything other than its intended use (i.e.
grinding whole roasted coffee beans).
►Baratza will not accept any liability for damage or injury if the grinder
is used other than for its intended purpose or is improperly operated
or repaired. All warranty claims will be void.
►Disassemble your grinder only as directed in the Care and Cleaning
Section of this manual. If you cannot remedy a malfunction, check
www.baratza.com and visit our Troubleshooting page.
►Do not operate the grinder with a damaged cord or plug, or if the grinder
malfunctions.
SAFETY INFORMATION

ForteTM Manual
8
►Do not leave your grinder unattended while turned ON.
►Shut off and unplug the grinder from the electrical outlet when not in
use and before cleaning.
►To unplug, grasp plug and remove from the outlet. Never pull on the
cord.
►Keep your grinder out of the reach of children.
►Do not immerse the grinder, plug or cord in water or any other liquid.
CAUTION: ALWAYS unplug the electrical supply cord prior to cleaning the
grinder.
TM
Forte

9
ForteTM Manual
OPERATION
Place the Forté grinder on a level surface. With the hopper lid in place, mount
the hopper on the grinder housing by lining up the two small tabs at the base
of the hopper with the two slots inside the collar on the top of the grinder. The
Open/Closed lever should be oriented to the back of the grinder.
Turn the hopper clockwise until it
locks into position (expect to apply
force).
Insert the power plug into an AC outlet.
Pour the desired quantity of roasted,
whole coffee beans into the hopper.
Turn the lever to the OPEN position.
Center the ground coffee bin in front of
the grinder and slide it carefully onto
the load cell platform. Avoid excess
weight or pressure on the load cell.
Press WEIGHT, then TARE. The display
should now read 00.0. Press button 1,
then press START.
Insert the bean hopper then rotate
clockwise to lock in place.

ForteTM Manual
10
Setting the Macro and Micro Adjustment
The FortéTM must be running when
grind adjustment are made.
Micro
Adjustment
A-Z
Macro
Adjustment
1-10
Partially ground coffee beans may
remain between the burrs when the
grinder is turned off. When making
ANY grind adjustment, the grinder
must be running.
Normal Grinding
Operation
Move the Macro lever (right side) up or
down, to the desired grind setting. Set
the Micro adjustment lever (left side)
to the middle of the scale.
Starting brew settings can be found at
www.baratza.com under the Support
tab.
Grinda small amount of coffeeintothebinbypressingWEIGHT,thenM (manual),
and then the START button. Press STOP after 5g of coffee have been ground.
Check the particle size. If the particle size is close to what you desire, use the
Micro lever to ne-tune the grind size. If the particle size needs a big change,
then adjust the Macro lever to a new position.
The full range on the Micro scale is equal to one “click” or position change on
the Macro scale. Adjusting levers UP produces a smaller particle size, adjusting
levers DOWN produces a larger particle size.

11
ForteTM Manual
Weight-Based Grinding Operation
Select WEIGHT, then insert the coffee
bin on the load cell and press TARE.
Then press one of the preset buttons
(1,2,3). The screen will show the pre-
programmed grind weight in grams.
Press START to begin grinding.
While grinding, the screen will display
in real-time, the weight of coffee in the
grounds bin. When the screen reaches
the programmed weight (+/- 0.2g), the
motor will stop and the screen will
show the actual weight in the grounds
bin for 3 seconds, then the screen will
reset to the programmed weight. The
grinder will only allow a maximum of 120g to be ground at one time. At any
time, during grinding, you can stop the unit by pressing the STOP button. The
motor will stop and the screen will reset to the selected preset weight. You can
also press M (Manual) grinding, and use the START and STOP buttons to grind
to the desired weight to a maximum of 120g.
Time Based Grinding Operations
Select TIME and place the PortaHolder over the load cell, or place the ground
coffee bin on the load cell. Press the desired button (1,2,3). The screen will show
the corresponding programmed grind time in seconds. Press START button to
begin grinding. While grinding, the screen will count down the seconds to 0.0.
When the screen reaches 0 seconds, the motor will stop and the display will
All Weight and Time settings are made
using the touch screen.

ForteTM Manual
12
reset again to the programmed time. For greater quantities of ground coffee
press the M (Manual) button, then START. The grinder will count up to 40
seconds (AP), 60 seconds (BG), then shut off automatically. At any time during
MANUAL operation you can stop the grinding by pressing the STOP button.
The motor will stop and the screen will show the total amount of seconds, for 3
seconds, then it will reset to 0.0.
Programming
The Forté is equipped with three programmable buttons for both Weight and
Time. The buttons are simply labeled 1,2,3. These programmable buttons only
adjust the amount of time or weight of coffee to be ground, they do not adjust
the grind setting.
Each button comes from the factory with the following presets:
Weight: 1=15g, 2=30g, 3=60g
Time: 1=10s, 2=15s, 3=30s
You can easily program more or less grinding weight or time as follows:
1. Select Weight or Time.
2. Select a Preset button.
3. Press the up or down arrow buttons to adjust the grams or seconds.
(Press and hold the up or down arrow for two seconds to advance the
setting more quickly, hold for ve more seconds and it will advance
even faster.)
4. Once you have reached the desired weight or time setting, press and
hold the preset button for 3 seconds. The setting will blink to conrm
the setting is stored.

13
ForteTM Manual
5. To program the other buttons repeat steps 1-4.
If the grinder is unplugged it will retain the stored settings
Sleep Mode
To minimize standby power consumption, the Forté will go into “sleep mode”
automatically after 3 minutes of non-use. While in sleep mode, the screen goes
blank. To “wake up” your Forté, press any button. Once the screen lights up,
select your grinding method.
PortaHolder Set-Up and Use
Place the PortaHolder on a at surface and check to see if your portalter ts
onto the two steel bars and sits level. The steel support bars can be adjusted
vertically by loosening the two Phillips screws on the back of the PortaHolder.
Once you have the correct vertical position for the bars, tighten the screws.
Insert the PortaHolder into the grinder and press until fully seated. Make sure
not to put any pressure on the load cell. Then insert the portalter into the
PortaHolder by lifting the handle up so the front lip of the portalter slides
under and gets hooked by the nub on the underside of the funnel. To use, insert
your portalter in the PortaHolder, press TIME and the desired preset dose
button, then press START. The grinder will run for the preset dose time and
stop automatically.
Burr Calibration
All directional indications assume you are looking down on the machine.
A 2mm Allen head calibration screw is located in the round hole behind the
discharge chute (see photo). This calibration screw allows the user to easily
ne-tune the calibration of the burr in the ner or coarser direction while the
grinder is running. To make the adjustment, empty all beans from the grinder.

ForteTM Manual
14
Turn the grinder on and lower the
Macro and Micro levers, all the way to
the bottom. Let the grinder run long
enough to expel any remaining ground
coffee. Remove the grounds bin (For
Vario-W and Forte , TARE the grinder).
Now press any one of the preset
buttons, then press START and insert
the Calibration tool into the 2mm Allen
head screw (The grinder will run until
you press the STOP button). With the
motor running, move the Macro arm
up to the top (setting 1). You should
not hear any change in motor speed.
Now, slowly move the Micro arm up to
the midpoint(setting M). If the motor hasn’t started to slow, use the calibration
tool to turn the calibration screw toward the ner direction (as indicated on
tool) until you hear the motor start to slow. This setting will allow for a full
range of grind. If you want a coarser grind, insert the tool and turn the opposite
direction of the arrow on the tool.
Scale Calibration
If the display is showing “EEE”, “out” or the grinder is over or under-dosing
coffee, the scale needs to be calibrated. To do this you need a 200g weight. To
“create” a 200g weight, place the Forté grounds bin on a separate scale and
add whole coffee beans until the scale reads 200g (combined weight of bin
and beans). Keep your “200g weight” handy. Now, unplug the Forté and make
sure there is nothing on the scale platform. Plug the Forté back in, and while
it powers on, hold buttons M and WEIGHT, until a value between 1500-3000 is
Use the burr calibration tool while the grinder is
running.

15
ForteTM Manual
displayed. Then press button M, the display will read “cal”. Gently set the 200g
weight onto the platform. The display will ash “pas” and then show the total
weight of the bin and coffee beans (it should read 200). After removing the
bin the screen will show 0.0. Empty the beans. Then press START to bring the
grinder to the “home screen”. Then place the bin back on the scale and press
TARE. The scale is now calibrated. Please email us at suppor[email protected] if
you have problems calibrating the scale.

ForteTM Manual
16
CARE and CLEANING
Removing the Bean Hopper
Rotate the hopper lever, so it is in the CLOSED position, then press the START
button to run any remaining beans through the grinder. Remove the plug from
the power outlet. Remove the hopper by twisting it, with both hands (with the
lid on) in a counterclockwise direction until it stops (about 1/4inch, or 4mm)
and then lift the bean hopper off of the grinder housing.
Removing the Upper
Burr
Using the Baratza Burr Tool included
with the grinder, rotate the metal
burr carrier clockwise until it can
be twisted free by hand, then lift the
burr carrier straight up and out of the
grinder housing.
Cleaning the Grounds
Bin, Hopper and Burrs
Wash the grounds bin, hopper, and the
hopper lid in warm soapy water, then
rinse and dry.
Turn burr clockwise to remove

17
ForteTM Manual
CARE and CLEANING TM
Forte
If the grinder is used daily, the burrs (steel or ceramic) should be cleaned at least
every few months using tablets (see below for Automatic Cleaning) or with a
stiff brush. Proper cleaning enables the burrs to achieve the most consistent
grind possible. Cleaning also removes some coffee oils, which will stale and
degrade the avor of the ground coffee.
Caution
Do not put the bean hopper, hopper lid, ground coffee bin, or PortaHolder in the
dishwasher. Hand wash only. Do not immerse the grinder housing in water. Do
NOT wash the burrs with water.
Replacing the Burr
Make sure ALL coffee grounds and powder is removed from the mating surfaces
of the grind chamber and the upper burr carrier before reinstalling. Even a very
small speck of coffee powder will throw off your calibration. With your hand,
gently thread the upper burr carrier, turning counter-clockwise until nger-
tight (almost 1 full turn). Using the Baratza Burr Tool, rotate the burr carrier
counter-clockwise an additional 1/8 inch or 2mm (do not over tighten).
Replacing the Bean Hopper
To replace the bean hopper, line up the two small tabs on the base of the hopper
with their respective slots in the top of the grinder housing and insert the
hopper into the grinder. Once the hopper is in place, rotate it clockwise until it

ForteTM Manual
18
clicks to a stop (about ¼ inch or 4mm). The Open/Close lever should be oriented
towards the back of the grinder. Open the lever to allow beans to ow to the
grind chamber.
Automatic Cleaning
A thorough, fast, and easy cleaning
can be accomplished using Full
Circle(tm) biodegradable grinder
cleaning tablets. Full Circle tablets are
designed to dislodge coffee particles
and absorb and remove odors and
coffee oil residue. Remove all beans
from the hopper and run the grinder
to remove any beans inside. Place the
recommended amount of Grindz into
the empty grinder hopper. Adjust the
grind setting to 10, place the grounds
bin on the load cell and press WEIGHT,
M (Manual) and then the START button.
Grind all of the tablets into the bin,
then press STOP. Once complete, we
recommend grinding approximately
30g coffee to remove any tablet residue.
Discard the ground tablets/coffee. For
information on Full Circle cleaning
tablets, go to www.urnex.com.

19
ForteTM Manual
WARRANTY and SERVICE
U.S. and Canadian Warranty Information
Limited Warranty for Baratza Grinders is 1 year. This warranty covers all
defects in materials and workmanship (parts and labor) including free ground
transportation to and from our repair facility within the US and Canada. This
warranty does not apply to: improper use, lack of cleaning, abuse, normal wear
and tear, lack of proper adjustment, foreign objects (stones, screws, etc.) in the
beans, or uses outside the intended use of grinding whole roasted coffee beans.
If your grinder fails within one year, email suppor[email protected] or call 425-
641-1245. For additional warranty, support, or troubleshooting information, go
to www.baratza.com.
International Warranty Information
For all countries outside the US and Canada, the warranty, support and service
is provided by the International Retailer you purchased from. To nd a retailer
near you go to http://www.baratza.com/retailers/international.
Proof of Purchase and Product Registration
You can register your grinder at www.baratza.com. Registration will enable us
to contact you in the unlikely event of a product safety notication and assist
us in complying with the provisions of the Consumer Product Safety Act. The
serial number is located on the bottom of the grinders. Please keep your sales
receipt that shows the date of purchase.
For Repairs or Questions
Email: suppor[email protected]
For Parts and Information go to: www.baratza.com

ForteTM Manual
20
© 2013 Baratza
3923 120th Avenue, SE
Bellevue, WA 98006, USA
www.baratza.com
Manual Revision Date 1/2014
®