Baratza Encore Conical Burr Coffee Grinder: Still the Best Entry Burr Grinder?
The Baratza Encore has been the default recommendation for "first real coffee grinder" for over a decade. That's a long run in a product category where new options appear constantly. If you're wondering whether it's still worth buying in 2024 or whether the market has passed it by, I want to give you a straight answer.
The Encore is still excellent for what it does. Its strengths haven't changed, its weaknesses haven't gotten worse, and the main reason to buy something else is a specific need it can't meet rather than any general quality failure.
What the Encore Actually Is
The Baratza Encore uses 40mm conical burrs made from hardened steel. It has 40 grind settings ranging from fine enough for AeroPress and moka pot through medium drip/pour-over settings up to coarse French press. It produces consistent grinds for filter coffee and lower-end espresso, and it's built by a company known for customer service and parts availability.
It's not an espresso grinder. It will not replace a dedicated espresso grinder for someone pulling shots on a quality machine. More on that below.
The current Encore ESP is an updated version that adds improved coatings and some additional fine settings to make it more useful for pressurized portafilter systems (machines like the Breville Bambino or entry-level DeLonghi espresso makers). The original Encore and Encore ESP are different products aimed at slightly different uses.
Key Specs
- Burrs: 40mm conical hardened steel
- Settings: 40 stepped (original Encore), additional fine settings on Encore ESP
- Motor: 110W
- Hopper capacity: 8 ounces (227g)
- Weight: 7 lbs
- Price: $170-190 (original Encore), $230-250 (Encore ESP)
What the Encore Excels At
The Encore's strengths are clear and well-documented.
Filter Coffee
Pour-over, drip, Chemex, AeroPress, French press. The Encore handles all of them well. The 40 grind settings give you enough range to cover every filter method and enough granularity to dial in within each method. The grind consistency is good enough that extraction quality is primarily limited by recipe and technique rather than by grind variability.
For someone who drinks drip or pour-over coffee daily and wants to stop using pre-ground or a blade grinder, the Encore is the correct first step. The improvement in cup quality compared to pre-ground or blade-ground coffee is immediate and significant.
Repairability
Baratza designed the Encore with serviceability in mind. Almost every part is replaceable, available directly from Baratza's website for a few dollars each. Burrs, motors, PCBs, hoppers, and catch containers all have published part numbers and are stocked.
This design philosophy is unusual. Most grinders at this price point are essentially disposable. When something breaks, you buy a new one. With the Encore, a $15 burr replacement or $25 motor brushes can restore the machine to factory performance.
Baratza also offers a repair program where you can send in your grinder for service and refurbishment. They sell refurbished units directly on their website at reduced prices, with full warranty.
Reliability
The Encore is a simple machine. Simple machines fail less often. The motor is appropriately sized for the workload (1-5 minutes of grinding per day at home), the burrs are easy to clean, and the electronics are minimal. Users regularly report Encores running for 5-10+ years without issues.
Customer Service
Baratza's customer service has a strong reputation in the coffee community. They're known for actually helping customers troubleshoot and fix problems rather than immediately pushing replacements. This makes a real difference when something goes wrong.
Where the Encore Falls Short
No product is perfect, and the Encore has real limitations worth knowing before you buy.
Espresso
This is the most commonly misunderstood limitation. The standard Encore does not grind fine enough for proper espresso on most machines. Espresso requires particle sizes in the 200-400 micron range, and the Encore's finest settings land around 400-500 microns for most units.
You'll hear some people say they make "espresso" with the Encore, but they're usually making moka pot or pressurized portafilter espresso, which doesn't require the same precision as non-pressurized ("bottomless portafilter") espresso on a quality machine.
The Encore ESP adds finer settings, making it workable for pressurized portafilter systems. For unpressurized espresso on a Rancilio Silvia, Breville Barista Express, or similar machine, you need a dedicated espresso grinder.
If espresso is your goal, look at the best coffee grinder roundup for options in the $150-400 range designed specifically for espresso.
Grind Retention
The Encore retains 0.5-1 gram of coffee in the grinding path after each session. This is normal for the design and minor for daily use with the same beans. If you're single-dosing different coffees or experimenting with multiple origins, the first grind after switching will contain some of the previous coffee.
Noise
The Encore is not quiet. It's a normal motor-powered burr grinder making normal grinder noise. If you grind in the early morning in a shared space with sleeping people, expect it to be audible. This is not unusual for the category; it's worth knowing if you're sensitive to noise.
Grind Distribution Variance at Fine Settings
At the finest settings (for moka pot or AeroPress), the Encore's conical burrs produce slightly more variable grinds than higher-end options. For drip and coarser brewing, this variance is inconsequential. For finer brewing methods where precision matters, the variance is more noticeable.
Encore vs. Competitor Comparison
Encore vs. OXO Brew Conical Burr Grinder
The OXO Brew ($100) is a frequent alternative recommendation in the Encore's price range. It has a one-touch timer system that's convenient for drip coffee, but the grind quality is slightly below the Encore's. For filter coffee at this price point, the Encore edges it out.
Encore vs. Breville Smart Grinder Pro
The Smart Grinder Pro ($200) is a broader-range grinder with a digital display, timed dosing, and slightly finer grind range for espresso. For filter coffee, performance is comparable to the Encore. For someone who wants one grinder that can handle both espresso-adjacent and filter brewing, the Smart Grinder Pro has more range. For a pure filter grinder, the Encore is simpler and more reliable.
Encore vs. Encore ESP
If you're deciding between the standard Encore and the Encore ESP, the question is your espresso setup. If you have a pressurized portafilter machine (like most entry-level Breville, DeLonghi, or Mr. Coffee espresso makers), the Encore ESP's finer settings are worth the extra $60. If you only brew filter coffee, the standard Encore is sufficient and saves you money.
For a broader comparison of grinders across categories, the top coffee grinder guide covers options from entry-level through prosumer.
Maintenance and Care
The Encore requires minimal maintenance if you stick to a simple routine.
Weekly: Run the grinder for 10-15 seconds to clear any stale grounds from the previous session. Brush out the catch container with the included cleaning brush.
Monthly: Remove the upper burr (pull it straight up, it locks with two tabs) and brush both burr surfaces with a stiff dry brush. Don't use water on the burrs. This removes coffee oil buildup that can cause off flavors.
Every 3-6 months: Run Grindz cleaning tablets through the grinder (about 30 grams, treat them like coffee beans). This deep cleans the grinding path without disassembly.
Burr replacement is recommended every 500kg of coffee, which for a home user grinding 30-40 grams per day works out to roughly 3-4 years. Replacement burrs cost $15-20 from Baratza's website.
FAQ
Is the Baratza Encore good for cold brew?
Yes. Cold brew needs a coarse grind similar to French press, and the Encore handles it well. Set it at or near the maximum setting (40 on the original) and grind. The consistency at coarse settings is good.
Can you grind spices in the Encore?
No. The Encore is designed specifically for coffee. Grinding spices would contaminate the burrs with oils and residue that transfer to coffee. For spices, use a dedicated spice grinder.
Why is the Encore recommended so often? Is it actually the best?
It's recommended often because it's reliable, repairable, well-supported, and performs well at its price point for filter coffee. "Best" depends on your use case. For filter coffee under $200, it's hard to beat. For espresso or for someone who wants a grinder that does everything, better options exist at higher prices.
Does the Encore have an automatic shutoff?
The original Encore does not automatically shut off. You press the button to start and press it again to stop. Some people find this inconvenient for consistent dosing. The Encore ESP and some newer versions add timed dosing. If automatic shutoff matters, check the specific model before purchasing.
Bottom Line
The Baratza Encore's decade-long run at the top of "beginner grinder" recommendations is justified. It does filter coffee well, it's built to last, it's repairable, and Baratza stands behind it.
If you're primarily a filter coffee drinker stepping up from pre-ground for the first time, the Encore is still the right call. If you want to brew espresso on a quality machine, buy an espresso-specific grinder instead, and the Encore can handle your filter brewing on the side.
The main thing to know going in: buy it for filter coffee, and it'll serve you well for years.