Encore Grinder: Why Baratza's Entry-Level Burr Grinder Remains the Standard

The Baratza Encore is a conical burr grinder with 40 grind settings that costs about $150. It has been the go-to recommendation for people upgrading from blade grinders or pre-ground coffee for over a decade, and that recommendation still holds. The Encore does everything a home coffee drinker needs. It grinds well for drip, pour over, French press, AeroPress, and cold brew. It's easy to use, reasonably quiet, and Baratza's customer support and parts availability are the best in the industry.

I'll be straightforward: the Encore isn't exciting. It doesn't have flat burrs, digital controls, or an Instagram-worthy design. What it has is reliable daily performance, a grind quality that meaningfully improves your coffee, and a company behind it that will sell you any replacement part for years after purchase. For most people making filter coffee at home, that's exactly what matters. Let me break down what you're getting, where the Encore falls short, and who should consider spending more.

What the Baratza Encore Does Well

Grind Quality for Filter Coffee

The Encore's 40mm conical burrs produce a grind that is significantly more consistent than blade grinders and entry-level burr grinders under $80. For drip coffee makers, Chemex, V60, Kalita Wave, and AeroPress, the particle uniformity is good enough to produce clean, balanced cups with predictable results.

Is it as consistent as a $300 flat burr grinder? No. You'll see more fines and a slightly wider particle distribution. But the difference between the Encore and a blade grinder is enormous, while the difference between the Encore and a grinder twice its price is modest. That's the sweet spot the Encore occupies, and it's why it remains the most recommended starter grinder.

40 Grind Settings

The numbered dial runs from 1 (finest) to 40 (coarsest). For pour over, settings 15 to 20 work well. Drip machines sit around 18 to 22. French press works at 28 to 32. Cold brew sits at the coarsest end, 35 to 40.

The steps between settings produce noticeable differences in the cup. If your pour over is running too fast, moving from setting 18 to 16 slows the draw-down meaningfully. This kind of adjustability is one of the biggest advantages over pre-ground coffee, where you're stuck with whatever grind the roaster decided on.

Ease of Use

Load beans in the hopper (which holds about 8 ounces), set your grind level, press the button. The Encore grinds until you release the button (or you can use the pulse function for single doses). There are no timers, no digital screens, no apps. It's refreshingly simple.

The grounds bin sits below the grinder and holds about 5 ounces of ground coffee. It's plastic and can develop static, especially in dry climates. A quick spray of water on the beans (RDT method) before grinding reduces static significantly.

Where the Encore Falls Short

Not for Espresso

The Encore's finest settings don't grind fine enough for proper espresso. You might get something that works passably in a pressurized portafilter, but for unpressurized baskets and precision espresso, this isn't the grinder. Baratza makes the Sette 270 and Vario for espresso.

Fines Production

Conical burrs inherently produce more fines than flat burrs. The Encore is no exception. At medium grind settings, you'll get a small but noticeable amount of fine particles mixed with the target grind size. For most brew methods, this doesn't cause problems. For pour over with light-roast beans, excess fines can slow draw-down times and introduce slight bitterness.

Noise Level

The Encore is louder than premium grinders. It runs at about 75 to 80 decibels, which is noticeable in a quiet kitchen. Grinding a 25-gram dose takes about 10 to 15 seconds. The Encore ESP (the newer variant) is slightly quieter with improved burrs, but it's still not a silent grinder.

Hopper-Based Design

The Encore is designed to hold beans in the hopper, not for single dosing. If you want to switch beans frequently or use exactly the right amount each time, the hopper-based design is inconvenient. You can single-dose by removing the hopper and loading beans directly into the throat, but there's no bellows or anti-retention mechanism. Expect to lose about 1 to 2 grams per dose in the grinder.

For comparisons with other grinders in this range, check out our best coffee grinder and top coffee grinder roundups.

Baratza Encore vs. Encore ESP

Baratza released the Encore ESP in 2023 as an updated version. The changes include:

• Improved burrs: The ESP burrs produce better consistency, especially at finer settings. The difference is subtle but real.
• Wider grind range: The ESP goes slightly finer, making it more capable for AeroPress and moka pot brewing. Still not fine enough for espresso despite the name.
• Quieter motor: Noticeably less noise during operation.
• Same price: The ESP replaced the original Encore at the same $150 price point.

If you're buying new, get the Encore ESP. If you already own the original Encore, the upgrade isn't dramatic enough to justify replacing a working grinder. You can also buy the ESP burr set separately and install it in the original Encore, which gives you most of the improvement for about $35.

Build Quality and Repairability

The Encore is mostly plastic, which keeps the weight down (about 7 pounds) and the cost manageable. It doesn't feel cheap, but it doesn't feel like a $300 metal grinder either. The hopper is clear plastic, the body is matte plastic, and the grounds bin is translucent plastic.

Where the Encore really shines is repairability. Baratza sells every individual component on their website. Burrs, motors, switches, hoppers, adjustment rings, grounds bins. Everything. If your burrs wear out after 3 years, you order new ones for $35 and swap them in 10 minutes. If the switch fails, it's a $15 part. No other grinder company at this price point offers this level of parts support.

Baratza also publishes detailed repair guides and videos showing how to fix common issues. This approach means an Encore can last 7 to 10 years or more with occasional part replacements, which makes the per-year cost of ownership very low.

Who Should Buy the Baratza Encore

The Encore is right for you if:

• You currently use a blade grinder or buy pre-ground coffee and want a meaningful improvement.
• You primarily brew drip coffee, pour over, French press, AeroPress, or cold brew.
• You want something simple that works reliably without tinkering.
• You value long-term parts support and repairability.
• Your budget is $100 to $200 for a grinder.

Who Should Spend More

If you're a pour over enthusiast who wants maximum flavor clarity and minimal fines, step up to a flat burr grinder like the Fellow Ode ($300) or the Eureka Mignon Filtro ($300).

If you need espresso capability, look at the Baratza Sette 270 ($400), Eureka Mignon Specialita ($400), or DF64 ($400).

If you want a single-dose workflow with minimal retention, the Niche Zero ($350) or DF64 are better fits than any hopper-based grinder.

Encore vs. Competitors

Encore vs. OXO Brew Conical Burr

The OXO ($100) is cheaper and has fewer settings (38 vs. 40). Grind quality is similar at medium settings, but the Encore produces better consistency at the fine end. The OXO's advantage is a built-in scale and one-button operation. For pure coffee quality, the Encore edges it out. For convenience and price, the OXO is competitive.

Encore vs. Fellow Ode

Different categories entirely. The Ode ($300) is a flat burr brew grinder that produces cleaner, more uniform particles for pour over. It costs twice as much and doesn't go as coarse for French press. If pour over quality is your focus and budget allows, the Ode is a clear upgrade. If you want versatility across all brew methods at a lower price, the Encore is the practical choice.

Encore vs. Breville Smart Grinder Pro

The Breville ($200) has 60 settings and grinds finer for pressurized-basket espresso. It's more feature-rich (digital timer, dose control) but slightly less consistent at medium grind settings. For versatility including pseudo-espresso, the Breville wins. For pure brew quality and long-term reliability, the Encore wins.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do Baratza Encore burrs last?

With daily home use, expect 2 to 4 years before grind quality noticeably declines. Replacement burrs cost $25 to $35 and take 10 minutes to install. Baratza's website has a step-by-step video.

Can I grind for Moka Pot with the Encore?

The original Encore struggles at moka pot fineness. The Encore ESP goes slightly finer and handles moka pot settings better, though results are still not as precise as a dedicated espresso grinder.

Is the Encore good for cold brew?

Yes. Settings 35 to 40 produce a coarse grind that works well for cold brew immersion. The higher fines content compared to flat burr grinders actually isn't a problem for cold brew because the long steep time and cold water prevent over-extraction.

Should I buy the Encore or the Virtuoso+?

The Virtuoso+ ($250) has better burrs (40mm M2 burrs vs. The Encore's standard burrs), a digital timer, and a metal body. Grind quality is noticeably better, especially for pour over. If your budget stretches to $250, the Virtuoso+ is worth the upgrade. If $150 is your ceiling, the Encore is excellent for the price.

The Bottom Line

The Baratza Encore has been the default recommendation for home coffee grinders for good reason. It grinds well across all filter methods, it's simple to operate, and Baratza's parts support means it will last far longer than most kitchen appliances. It won't impress espresso enthusiasts or flat-burr purists, but for the vast majority of home coffee drinkers who want better coffee without complexity, the Encore is the grinder to buy. Spend $150, swap the burrs every few years, and enjoy genuinely good coffee for the next decade.