Baratza Encore Manual: Everything You Need to Know About Setup and Use

The Baratza Encore is the most recommended entry-level burr grinder in the coffee world, and it deserves that reputation. I've owned one for four years, recommended it to at least a dozen friends, and it's still grinding strong. But the included manual is thin, and there's a lot it doesn't cover about getting the best results from this grinder. If you lost your manual or just want a more thorough walkthrough, this guide has you covered.

I'll go through the initial setup, all 40 grind settings with practical recommendations for each brew method, cleaning procedures, common problems and fixes, and the calibration trick that most Encore owners never learn about.

Initial Setup

Out of the box, setup takes about two minutes. Remove all packaging from inside the hopper and the grounds bin. Place the hopper on top of the grinder body and twist it clockwise until it locks. Plug in the grinder and press the power button on the left side.

Before grinding your first batch of coffee, run about 10 to 15 grams of beans through the grinder on a medium setting (around 20). This seasons the burrs, clearing any manufacturing dust or debris. Throw those grounds away.

Hopper and Grounds Bin

The hopper holds about 8 ounces (227 grams) of whole beans. The grounds bin catches about 5 ounces (142 grams) of ground coffee. Both are removable for cleaning. The hopper has a locking mechanism that lets you lift it off without beans falling into the grinder, which is handy when you want to switch beans or clean the burrs.

One tip the manual doesn't mention: the grounds bin creates static, especially in dry weather. Grounds will cling to the inside of the bin and scatter when you remove it. A single drop of water on your beans before grinding (the Ross Droplet Technique) eliminates this almost completely. Just add one drop, stir with a spoon, and grind as normal.

Understanding the 40 Grind Settings

The Encore has 40 numbered settings, with 1 being the finest and 40 being the coarsest. The adjustment ring sits on the hopper. Push the rubber tab on the side of the ring and rotate to your desired number.

Here's what I've found works best after years of daily use:

Settings 1-10 (Fine)

These settings produce a fine to medium-fine grind. Setting 5 to 8 is the range I use for AeroPress with a shorter brew time (1 to 2 minutes). Settings 1 to 4 are technically accessible, but the Encore wasn't designed for espresso-fine grinding. The consistency at the finest settings drops noticeably, with too many fines mixed in. If you're pulling espresso shots, the Encore isn't the right grinder. It'll work with pressurized portafilters on machines like the Breville Bambino, but for unpressurized baskets, you'll be frustrated.

Settings 11-20 (Medium)

This is the Encore's sweet spot. Setting 12 to 15 works great for pour over methods like the V60 and Kalita Wave. Setting 15 to 18 is where I land for flat-bottom drip machines like the Moccamaster. Setting 20 is the lower end for Chemex, which benefits from a slightly coarser grind to account for the thick filter.

I brew V60 pour over daily with my Encore set to 14. The grind looks like table salt with good uniformity. Drawdown time is consistent at 2:30 to 3:00 for a 15-gram dose with 250ml of water, which tells me the grind consistency is solid.

Settings 21-30 (Medium-Coarse)

Settings 22 to 25 work for Chemex and large-batch pour over. Settings 25 to 28 suit auto-drip machines that run a bit fast. Setting 30 is where I'd start for cold brew if using a shorter steep (12 hours).

Settings 31-40 (Coarse)

French press territory. I use setting 28 to 32 for French press, depending on how dark the roast is. Darker roasts extract faster, so I go coarser. Lighter roasts go finer. For cold brew with a 24-hour steep, settings 35 to 40 produce a smooth, low-acid concentrate.

At the coarsest settings, uniformity is decent but not perfect. You'll see some larger chunks mixed in with the target particles. For French press and cold brew, this doesn't matter much since the long brew times extract evenly regardless.

Cleaning and Maintenance

The Encore is low-maintenance, but regular cleaning makes a measurable difference in cup quality.

Weekly: Brush the Burrs

Unplug the grinder. Remove the hopper by closing the gate, twisting it off, and setting it aside. The upper burr sits inside a black plastic ring. Pull this ring straight up to remove the upper burr. Use the included brush (or any stiff bristle brush) to sweep coffee grounds and oils from both burrs and the grinding chamber. Replace the upper burr, making sure it seats flat, and reattach the hopper.

This takes about three minutes and keeps your grinder tasting clean.

Monthly: Run Cleaning Tablets

Grindz or Full Circle cleaning tablets are food-safe pellets that absorb rancid oils from the burrs. Run a capful through the grinder on a medium setting, then follow with 10 grams of coffee to clear the residue. This deep clean removes stale oils that brushing alone can't reach.

Every 6 Months: Check for Wear

Inspect the burrs for dullness or uneven wear. New burrs have sharp, defined ridges. Worn burrs look rounded and smooth. With daily home use (grinding 20 to 40 grams), Baratza says the burrs last about 500 to 700 pounds of coffee, which translates to roughly 5 to 8 years. Replacement burr sets cost about $30 to $35 from Baratza's website.

The Calibration Trick Most Owners Miss

The Encore comes factory-calibrated, but the calibration can shift over time, or you might want to adjust it for finer grinding capability. Baratza hides a secondary adjustment ring under the outer burr holder that lets you shift the entire grind range finer or coarser.

To access it: remove the hopper and upper burr. Look at the adjustment ring (the one with numbers). On the underside, you'll see a red tab and several notches. Moving the red tab changes the baseline calibration. Shifting it toward "fine" effectively makes every setting finer than factory default. Shifting it toward "coarse" does the opposite.

This is useful if you find that your Encore can't grind fine enough for AeroPress or slightly-finer-than-normal drip. Shifting the calibration one notch finer gives you access to grind sizes that the stock calibration doesn't reach.

A word of caution: don't shift it too fine or the burrs will touch at higher settings and produce a metallic scraping sound. If you hear that, back off one notch.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Grinder Stalls or Struggles

This happens most often with dark, oily beans. The oils make beans sticky, and they clump together instead of feeding smoothly into the burrs. Try a lighter roast or clean the hopper and burrs. You can also feed beans in slowly, a handful at a time, rather than filling the hopper completely.

Grounds Are Uneven or Clumpy

Static causes clumping, especially in dry environments. Use the RDT method (one drop of water on beans before grinding). If the grind itself looks inconsistent, check that the upper burr is seated properly. A misaligned upper burr produces wildly uneven particles.

Motor Runs But Doesn't Grind

If the motor runs and you hear it spinning but no coffee comes out, beans are likely bridging above the burrs. Oily or large beans can arch across the hopper opening and refuse to drop in. Give the hopper a gentle tap or use a chopstick to push beans down. If this happens regularly, clean the hopper throat with a dry cloth to remove oil buildup.

Grinder Sounds Louder Than Usual

Increased noise usually means the burrs need cleaning or the upper burr has shifted slightly. Remove, clean, and reseat the upper burr. If the noise includes a metallic scraping, your calibration may have shifted and the burrs are touching. Adjust the calibration ring back one notch.

For a look at how the Encore compares against other grinders in its class, check our best coffee grinder and top coffee grinder guides.

FAQ

Is the Baratza Encore good for espresso?

Not really. It can produce a passable grind for pressurized portafilters (like those on the Breville Bambino or DeLonghi Stilosa), but it lacks the precision and consistency for unpressurized espresso. If espresso is your focus, the Baratza Vario or a dedicated espresso grinder is a better choice.

How long does a Baratza Encore last?

With normal home use, 5 to 10 years is realistic. Baratza designs the Encore to be repairable, and they sell every replacement part on their website, from burrs to motors to switches. This repairability is one of the biggest reasons coffee people recommend Baratza over competitors who sell disposable grinders.

What's the difference between the Encore and the Encore ESP?

The Encore ESP is a newer model with a different burr set optimized for finer grinding. It's Baratza's attempt to make the Encore more espresso-friendly. The ESP does grind finer and more consistently than the original, but it still can't match a dedicated espresso grinder. If you want one grinder for both drip and occasional espresso, the ESP is the better version.

Can I grind directly into a portafilter with the Encore?

The grounds bin opening is too wide and too high for most portafilters. You'll need to grind into the bin first, then transfer to your portafilter using a dosing funnel. Some third-party portafilter holders exist, but the workflow is awkward compared to grinders designed for portafilter dosing.

The Quick Reference

Keep the burrs clean, use the RDT drop to kill static, and start with these settings: 14 for V60 pour over, 18 for flat-bottom drip, 22 for Chemex, 30 for French press, 38 for cold brew. Adjust by taste from there. The Baratza Encore does one job, grinding coffee for filter brewing, and it does that job better than anything else in its price range. Treat it well and it'll repay you with thousands of great cups of coffee.