Baratza Encore Conical Burr Coffee Grinder
The Baratza Encore is a best-selling coffee grinder beloved by beginners and pros alike for its simplicity, reliability, and grind consistency. Designed with a powerful DC motor, commercial-grade conical burrs, and 40 distinct grind settings, the Encore is versatile enough for all popular brewing methods—espresso, pour-over, Aeropress, French Press, and cold brew.
Its compact footprint, sturdy build, and minimalist interface make it a seamless addition to any countertop, while Baratza’s reputation for long-term support and readily available replacement parts means this grinder is built to last.
🌟 Product Highlights & Features
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✅ Award-Winning Grinder – Recognized by the Specialty Coffee Association, and trusted by coffee professionals worldwide.
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☕ 40 Grind Settings – From ultra-fine espresso to coarse cold brew, the Encore handles it all.
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⚙️ Commercial-Grade 40mm Conical Steel Burrs – Made in Europe for consistent, uniform grinding.
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🧠 User-Friendly Operation – Simple ON/OFF switch and front-mounted pulse button for intuitive control.
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🔇 High-Torque DC Motor – Quiet, cool operation even during heavy use.
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🧼 Easy to Clean & Maintain – Simple disassembly for burr access; compatible with cleaning tablets.
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🏆 Unmatched Customer Support – Backed by Baratza’s world-class service team and repairability.
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💪 Durable Construction – Designed for longevity with ABS plastic housing and quality internals.
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📐 Compact Design – Fits neatly under most kitchen cabinets with minimal footprint.
📊 Technical Specifications
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Brand | Baratza |
| Model | Encore (ZCG485BLK) |
| Color | Black |
| Grind Settings | 40 (Espresso to French Press) |
| Burr Type | 40mm Conical Steel Burrs |
| Burr Origin | European-made |
| Motor | High-torque DC motor |
| Operation | ON/OFF switch + Pulse button |
| Material | ABS Plastic |
| Hopper Capacity | 300g / 10.6 oz |
| Grounds Bin Capacity | 120g / 4.2 oz |
| Wattage | 120 Watts |
| Voltage | 120 Volts |
| Product Dimensions | 5.91″ L x 5.12″ W x 13.39″ H |
| Item Weight | 5.6 lbs |
| Warranty | 1-Year Manufacturer Warranty |
| Customer Rating | ★★★★☆ (4.1/5 from 16,000+ reviews) |
✅ Final Verdict
If you’re serious about elevating your coffee game without diving into the deep end of commercial machines, the Baratza Encore is the grinder for you. Its versatility, reliability, and consistent performance across all brew methods make it an unbeatable value at its price point.
Whether you’re crafting a delicate pour-over or prepping your morning French press, the Encore delivers grind-after-grind precision that brings out the best in every bean. Combine that with world-class support, upgradable burrs, and easy maintenance, and you’ve got a grinder that grows with your passion.
➡️ The Baratza Encore isn’t just an entry-level grinder—it’s your first step into truly great coffee.
CastAway –
Great for cold brew coffee grounds
Makes perfect coarse ground for cold brewing. The grinders at retail stores could never get the grounds coarse enough, but this grinder dies it nicely. Quiet for a grinder. Emptying the grounds from the collection cup into the cold brew sieve takes some care to avoid having the grounds spill all over the counter top. Had a bit of difficulty assembling the parts out of the box due to confusion over the instructions and was going to return the unit as defective until I finally realized the way to correctly align the grinding burr and internal parts.
James L. –
Execllent Coffee Grinder!
I’ve been grinding beans for 15 years. Started out with a blade-type coffee/spice grinder. I moved on quickly to a couple of flat blade burr grinders (like the $40 Krupps) and used them for years. They were a pain in the a$$. I was just lazy and complacent, I guess.I finally bit the bullet and moved up to a conical burr grinder with this Baratza Encore. This thing is unbeatable in this price range. My nephew who owns several coffee shops told me that when his Capresso that he uses at his house breaks, his getting this Baratza Encore.The biggest joy: Virtually no static! The static with the old hi-revving burr grinders was unbearable. When I would remove the cup, the grinds would literally fly out. With this Baratza, just give the thing a couple of bumps with the heal of your hand to get all of the grinds out of the throat before you remove the cup. When you remove the cup, there’s no dust, no grinds falling out anywhere, and NO STATIC. As Biden would say, “No Joke”.Secondly, the uniformity of grind is superb. No extreme variations in size and no dust or powder (aka, “fines”). Just beautifully uniform grounds. I’ve only used it between the number 15 and 18 settings for pour-overs and an automatic drip coffee maker–the two settings recommended by Baratza.Next, I gave it 3 stars for noise level. While it generates a fair amount of noise, show me a coffee grinder that’s whisper-quiet. They make noise, get used to it.It has a DC motor which has more constant torque and rpm than AC motors and it utilizes a gear reduction. The manufacturer’s specs states that it operates at a cool, comfortable 550 rpm. I’m sure my old flat blade burr grinders were screaming at 1000 rpm or faster–probably contributing to the “fines” and the extreme static.I cleaned it once after a week and it really wasn’t dirty–no accumulated dust or funk. Amazing! Worth noting is that if you grind extremely dark-roasted beans, they’re oily and could lead to more frequent cleaning being necessary.Another huge plus: It’s almost completely re-buildable. Baratza sells almost part for it, and at reasonable prices. If a major part would wear out or break, you can replace it for a fraction of the cost of a new grinder. If/when the grinder blades get dull, the replacement blades from their more expensive model work in the Encore.I read quite a few negative reviews ranging from complaints on the quality of the plastic hopper and grounds cup; the top of the hopper coming off during grinding; the noise; and difficulty in cleaning. All unfounded, in my opinion. Baloney!For the price I paid for it through Amazon–$119–it’s the best $119 I’ve spent. Why did I wait so long?Before submitting any silly questions to me on this Baratza Encore grinder, visit Baratza’s site, then read a few online reviews.No, I don’t work for Baratza, nor am I a paid reviewer. I just think this grinder is awesome.JCL,Covington, LA
32 people found this helpful
Keppy –
Very solid performance, very happy with it.
Ok, you wanted a review: Grinds the beans consistently every time. The machine is a pleasure to use. I’m guessing most burr grinders are be a bit of a nuisance to properly clean. Only takes about 3 minutes though.The following are all observations about the idiosyncrasies of the machine, none of these are showstoppers, I would recommend this rig to everyone I know. Like with anything worth having you need to learn the proper operating technique.There are nooks and crannies deep inside the mechanism you can never really clean, or see. You can get most of the way there. The machine would have to be completely disassembled in order to remedy this issue. A problem with any burr grinder I’m sure unless you buy some $$$ commercial unit.It’s takes a bit of a knack to get the snug fitting rubber gasket to seat properly which is necessary to do each time you brush out the internals. A good thing I suppose as it does provide an excellent seal but I can see someone messing up the seating. If it is not right the hopper won’t quite fit and you may get people trying to force things or damage the gasket (see below).Notes about some usage techniques are lacking in the manual, nothing you will not figure out for yourself over the course of time though. For example, there is a fixed on/off switch and a pulse button for controlling the motor. They don’t tell you what the pulse button is for though. Spoiler Alert: It is to be used at the very end of the grind when there are like 4 beans left. You should shut the main switch off at this point and then use the pulse button to coax those last few beans through the grinder. Otherwise they will just bounce around the container.Important: when you clean the machine you can easily/accidentally rotate an internal ring, associated with the lower burr grinder, away from its’ home position. It rotates in one direction or the other when the bean container is in place to select the grinder setting. So anyway, if you unwittingly rotate it out of its home position while cleaning you will never get the bean hopper back on the machine. You will be convinced the machine is broken and have no idea why? And only after the second use! So, I refer back to the manual because I recalled a note about something or other not fitting right. There is a single sentence in there alluding to this situation about having to rotate the ring all the way in one direction. That of course fixed the problem, BUT, if you don’t read manuals you might be in trouble. Also, though the manual does mention this, it should do a much better job of calling it out as an IMPORTANT “feature” that can be encountered during cleaning. I suspect they have had machines returned by folks thinking they were broken. None of these issues are going to trip up an experienced or “technical minded” coffee jock. But a burr grinder rookie may sweat this one out a little and possibly damage the machine trying to force something. Once you know or figure out all of this stuff you will never have another problem. But never let an inexperienced person disassemble the machine for cleaning unless you have schooled them on these caveats.ConclusionGreat grinder, manual could be improved upon. Oh yah, ship an extra rubber gasket with the machine! If that thing fails [for whatever reason] I suspect the grinder becomes unusable. And all for lack of a 50 cent gasket that at a minimum, must be painful to replace. That extra gasket is a great marketing tool that for pennies will immediately improve customer perception of your product.
21 people found this helpful
Randem Phelps –
3.5 Stars. (Edit: 4.5 stars)
Edit: This grinder is now a month under 5 years old, and has performed flawlessly every day, grinding 5 or more shots. Please disregard my concerns about longevity. It’s not the most beautiful, though not terrible either. But *functionally* it’s a workhorse, and one I highly recommend to anyone who seeks perfectly ground coffee!Original review: I rounded up a little to give this four stars rather than three and a half. What’s not to love? Measure for measure, 100% of 15g beans returned as very consistently and nicely ground, cool-to-the-touch coffee using the starter recommended setting of “10” for espresso. Dramatically improved flavor versus my Kitchenaid blade grinder. But I cannot give it 4 full stars or more because the build quality leaves much to be desired.For starters, the user guide states that prior to the first use, you’re supposed to run a full cup of coffee beans through the machine, and discard them, presumably to clean off any oils or coatings on the burr assembly to prevent corrosion while it’s on the shelf. A full cup of my favorite beans runs about $5 to $6. Then there’s the thought of tossing that much coffee into the wastebasket – Not happening in this household! I used rice instead as I have done in the past to clean burr grinders, which seems to have worked just as well, though I did have to run about a tablespoon of beans through afterward to clear the last of the rice powder out of the burr assembly. After this, no off flavors were noticed in the first cup.Next, there is a rubber “gasket” that basically guides the beans form the hopper into the burrs that is very flimsy and does not seem as if it will hold up over time. The same gasket also fits quite poorly and requires a lot of adjustment to get fully seated after stretching it around the lip of the burr assembly. The hopper is placed atop this gasket then twisted clockwise for a sort of compression fit. The gasket does its job well enough now, but it is my fear that will change within a few weeks when the rubber is compressed.Next up is the brush that comes with the unit. It is a stiff wire cone-shaped bottle brush basically – probably a 5-cent part when bought in bulk – that is far more flimsy and less useful than I would have expected given the price of this unit. For a few cents more, the manufacturer could have included another soft-bristle brush that could be used to sweep coffee grounds out of the plastic grounds bin and around the slot base where the bin fits to catch the grounds as they come out of the burr assembly.My biggest issue though is the fact that the switch knob on the side does not sit centered at all in the well on the side of the grinder. I would say it is between 3/16 and 1/4 inch offset, which makes the knob itself sit at an angle on the outer shell of the unit, and makes it quite evident that the plastic of the housing where the switch the knob controls is mounted is very flimsy (when you rotate the knob you can feel it tipping to one side).The listing also says the unit is “stainless steel”, which is absolutely incorrect. It is plastic through and through (with the exception of the burr assembly) and looks very, very cheap, not at all like something that costs $139.00.I know it sounds like a big rant fest, but there is some good to the grinder. 100% of coffee in = coffee out (by weight using a digital scale calibrated in 0.1g increments). Using a digital infrared thermometer, the ground coffee was only 1 degree Fahrenheit warmer than the beans that went in after a solid twenty seconds of grinding for espresso. My Kitchenaid blade grinder adds 20-30 degrees when grinding for espresso, just for a comparison point. The unit is also far quieter than my blade grinder, and puts out a VERY consistent grind that delivered a fantastic double-shot that was good to the last drop without any powder at all left in the bottom of my cup. My Kitchenaid requires that I leave about a half teaspoonful of the drawn espresso in the cup unless I want to feel the powdery granules of overground coffee on my tongue, and if I grind it less so as not to end up with powder in the bottom of the cup, the grind is FAR too coarse to impart much crema or flavor. My standard is and has been 15g for a double shot for a 50/50 Americano, but I will be adjusting that down, probably to around 12g for the flavor I prefer which will save me on coffee. With this grinder, 15g is just a bit too strong for a 50/50 even though I prefer a strong flavor, so I will be using 20% less coffee for the same amount of flavor to which I am accustomed. Side-by-side shots, one using the Encore, the other using my Kitchenaid, show a considerable increase in crema with coffee ground in the Encore (maybe as much as 30% more), and the flavor difference is nothing short of stunning, also in favor of the Encore grinder.In short, the performance of the Baratza Encore is incredible as far as grind consistency and quality. I will update this review in a month or two so I can provide some feedback on the longevity of the unit. I would have been happier with better build quality, materials and visual appeal, and that is the ONLY reason I didn’t give this grinder 5 solid stars. I would likely recommend this grinder to a friend, but I would also recommend having some cabinet space to keep the grinder in as it is not what you want on your countertop on display, especially sitting next to a mid- to high-end brew station, coffeemaker or espresso machine.
70 people found this helpful
J. Ard –
Finally, a does-it-all grinder for a reasonable price
*** Final Update***I have now been using this grinder for close to 2 years. I have also purchased a Vario-W in order to grind by weight as I thought that would help with my consistency while making espresso; however, I will be honest, I now use the Vario for Drip and Press and use the Encore exclusively for espresso. I’m sure the Vario would work just as well (probably better) but I have found the right setting, tamp pressure, etc that makes the coffee I like using the Encore, so why mess with a good thing? I mention that for the benifit of those thinking this might not be a good espresso grinder. While I am aware that there are other pro-sumer models available, this one has been great. It does not have a large range of usable settings for espresso, but with varying tamp pressure, you should be able to get what you are looking for. A quick story about Baratza’s customer support: a few months ago I noticed that my grind was suddenly too course and my shots were flowing way to fast. Since the grinder was well outside of its one-year warrany, I took it apart and found that the insides had been severely damaged. I had just moved form Washington State to Alabama and I am sure the damage was due to the poor packing and handling my goods received from our movers. (A story for another day). Anyway, as I mentioned somewhere below in one of my earlier reviews, Baratza sells pieces to replace your grinder should you need them. I needed a new ring assembly that holds the actual grinder teeth in place (consisting of several pieces) and even a new internal housing to remount the motor as some of the mounts had been broken (probably from the movers throwing my things). I was surprised to see everyting I needed was actually available to the consumer on their website – no annoying calls to convince someone to sell me those pieces. While I was at it, I decided I would also replace some other pieces that I figured wouldn’t hurt – all in all I was looking at around $30 to rebuild my grinder like new. I was pretty excited about the prices. I emailed Baratza and told them my story and asked if they had any guides or schematics to help me in the rebuild. Within a day, I recieved a reply from Baratza and they told me I shouldn’t have such an extensive failure with my unit in such a short time of owning it and they told me they had canceled my order and were shipping me a NEW grinder – and to please return the broken one in the box along with a prepaid shipping label they provided!!! I wrote back and explained that my grinder was no longer under warranty and the damages were due to mishandling: not a manufacturing defect – I thought someone had misunderstood me. They wrote back and said they were sorry my grinder was broken by the movers and they were happy to replace it! I couldn’t believe it – they sent me another grinder with no payment from me and simply trusted me to return the broken one. When I got the new grinder I noticed the grind settings were different from the earlier one – I had read they tuend it up for better espresso performance and they did – before I was unable to “choke” my Quickmill Silvano – now if I use a setting below 6, it chokes up. I find settings 6-8 work the best for espresso, 18-24 for drip/pour-over and 30-35 for French Press. Of course, that is all highly subjective and your mileage may vary, but if you are new to the Encore, perhaps that will give you a “ballpark” to work with. Anyway, since that day about 5 months ago, I’ve continued using my Encore and am very pleased with it. I highly recommend it for its performance, simplicity (sometimes simple is better) and the customer support the Baratza team provided.*** 1 Year Update***I have been using this grinder multiple times per day for a year now and so far I have NO problems to report. It still grinds just as well as it did on day one, the burrs are still sharp and I still love this grinder. I have no doubt I made the right purchase and I am glad I didn’t opt for the “fancy” lcd models with the automated grind features; to me all those extra bells & whistles = more that could break. If I were to upgrade, it would be for a unit in another “class”; perhaps the Vario, but that is several $100 more and I don’t see any reason to do so at this time. I will add that there is a 1 star review on this site that complains about larger beans not feeding through the hopper. Initially, I thought it sounded silly; however, not long ago, I roasted a batch of beans much darker than usual (VERY VERY dark roast), resulting in the beans being about 1 1/2 times their usual size. While grinding, I noticed that about 4 beans got lodged between the hopper and burrs. I tapped the side of the unit a few times and the final beans fed through the hopper. I had this happen two or three times. So, I suppose if you habitually use a bean that is much larger than your typical coffee bean, you might have an issue. Just search through the 1 star reviews for more details (at the time of this update, there was only one 1 star review).Summary: fantastic grinder for an excellent price makes this a best buy in my book and I highly recommend it to anyone who is a serious coffee drinker.***Update***I’ve been using this grinder daily for almost 4 months, grinding enough for about 12 cups each day (maybe more on weekends). I usually use it early morning, afternoon and evening. I grind mainly for drip and espresso, occasionally for French press or pour-over. I still have no complaints with this grinder: I believe I made the right choice between this and fancier LCD options. I’ve ground for a 12 cup pot on numerous occasions when company comes over, and it never overheats or bogs or slows down- I don’t think it notices if you’re grinding for 1 cup or 12! Everything is solid and the burrs are still sharp as ever. Once a month I disassemble it to give it a good cleaning. It doesn’t seem to retain much grinds in the chamber. My only gripe is the static build up after grinding can make a mess when you pull out the grind chamber: there are enough grinds clinging to the exit chute to scatter on the counter if you’re not careful (to be fair, this is a common problem plaguing all burr grinders). But really I don’t even notice that anymore, after a couple weeks you develop your own routine on how to deal with it and it ceases being an issue. I tend to grind, prep the coffee pot/filter to give the static time to discharge, then I give it a solid knock or two on the side and front before taking out the chute (thankfully this is a VERY solid grinder). It might sound tedious, but I actually had to sit here and think about it because it’s simply second nature now and I don’t even notice doing it. The only time I notice the problem is when someone else uses the grinder who isn’t aware of the “technique”.Another great feature is that baratza sells every piece imaginable should you ever have a problem in the future: right down to a new motor or exterior knobs! All the pieces seemed priced appropriately. So while this may not be important to some, I like knowing that should the need arise, my equipment is completely serviceable. So I guess when the day comes that I need new burrs, I won’t be shopping for another grinder, but paying a small sum for a new set of burrs. I didn’t find that option on many of the other units I shopped around for. Ultimately, I still completely recommend this grinder and would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone who wants quality, affordability and versatility all rolled into a single package!***Original Review***I’ve been looking for a grinder that I could use with my current espresso machine (pressurized portafilter), drip coffee pot, and french press and would also allow me to grow into a more expensive espresso machine (i.e. the Rancilio Silvia or Quickmill Silvano). I was looking at the Rocky grinder, the Baratza Vario and Virtuoso Preciso, the Breville Smart Grinder, et al. Then I came along the Encore which I believe is new for 2012. I read several “professional” reviews and even saw some video reviews where the Encore was able to “choke” the Silvia at around grind setting “6”. If you aren’t aware, the Maestro and Maestro Plus (which the Encore replaces) weren’t able to grind fine enough to choke the Silvia straight from the factory. Although this grinder isn’t “stepless” (you have a larger variance from one “click” to the next when adjusting the grind setting, you still get 40 settings which are plenty for any home grinder. With a little tamping technique, this grinder will work fine for any espresso machine – not my opinion – the “pros” opinion. I am currently using it with my pressurized espresso machine, my drip pot and the occasional pour over and french press. It works great for them all! While it doesn’t perform as well (or so I’ve read) as the Preciso or other high-end grinders, the fact that you can even begin to compare them speaks volumes for Baratza. I believe that currently there is NO other grinder on the market that can stand next to this one in terms of quality & versatility within the price range. Maybe the Breville Smart Grinder, but it still costs 50% more, I don’t like the LCD display and I’ve heard (no practical experience) from several sources that Breville customer service is not quite up to par. If any of you out there care, the Baratza Maestro and Maestro Plus were already popular grinders and Baratza completely over-hauled it and produced the Encore – it offers WAY more at the same price. I’m sorry if this sounds like I’m selling the Baratza name, but this is the first of their products I’ve owned – I’m just impressed they did this with the Encore. So often a company produces a 2nd iteration of a product with lesser features or cheaper quality parts. Check it out for yourself, the innards are improved for better durability along with the burrs for a more consistent and fine grind! WOW…who does that?!Oh, and the first time I used it my wife was in the other room (separated by an open doorway) and she was shocked to find I had used it without her hearing it! Maybe when I close the door and begin my 5am grinding I won’t wake the kids!The only con (which I’ve heard is not an uncommon problem with this type of grinder) is that when I remove the grind container and IF I accidentally knock the grinder, leftover grinds can fall from the chute onto the counter. I have a Dustbuster within arms reach of the grinder so it’s no big deal, but if I didn’t, it might aggravate me.I’m so glad I bought this and not one of the other many many brands I researched for months. I completely recommend it.
885 people found this helpful
Luke L.Luke L. –
I finally bought it after years of grinding by hand
I love fresh-ground coffee and have been using pour over brewers for a number of years. We would use pre-ground grocery store coffee for fast morning drip machine brews and save the good stuff for other occasions.All of that changed when we accidentally got a two pound bag of whole bean coffee instead of the pre-ground version for the morning. We thought we could grind it by hand, but boy were we wrong.After two pounds of grinding with my Hario hand grinder, my left wrist has carpal tunnel, but my right forearm is ripped. Quite the combo. However, we knew that grinding by hand wasn’t sustainable any longer and our small grinder was just about to scream. We’ve talked about splurging for a grinder and I’ve seen this Baratza Encore mentioned over and over in forums, we finally decided it was time.First thing that stood out to me was the packaging. It was packed very nicely in the box, but the cardboard was folded in a way that made it easy to removed. Felt like it was designed for an actual human and assumed it was a good sign. I was right!Assembly is easy, the manual is simple and straightforward. Can’t ask for much more than that. The grinder feels very solid and well made once it is all put together.The design of the grinder is really nice and modern. My hope was that it would be visually appealing enough for my better half to want to leave it on the counter full time. After a couple of days, it’s still sitting out in plain site. It fits directly under our cabinets and in my opinion looks really nice. With as much as we plan to use it, putting it away after every use just doesn’t seem right.When I set it down on the countertop, I discovered an issue. Whoever assembled my grinder at the factory forgot one of the rubber feet on the bottom. I fired off an email to Baratza and an actual person responded in, no joke, five minutes. They apologized and shipped out the part immediately. I am grateful for that level of service!One of the complaints I heard about the machine was the noise level, so I was expecting it to sound like a blender. Honestly, I don’t think it is that bad and I don’t think it would wake up my family if I were to run it. It isn’t quiet, but not loud enough that I would think twice about buying it.It’s really easy to select the grind level and Baratza included a guide with good starting points for each type of brewer in the manual. There are enough setting notches that you could customize your own grind sizes. I printed out labels for each brewer type and the grind settings on the back, just so I don’t forget them.It was a relief watching 30+ grams of coffee beans go into the hopper and get sucked down into the burrs and ground in less that a minute. The speed is reasonable, although anything beyond hand grinding would feel fast.The biggest thing I noticed was the consistency. I don’t have experience with high-end coffee grinders, but to my novice eyes the grounds appeared to be very consistent and similar in size. I’m sure there would be some outliers if I dug through it all, but in my unscientific approach, it all looked good as I dumped it into the V60 filter.All in all, it’s a great grinder and according to the other reviews I should enjoy it for many years to come. Hope this helps!
34 people found this helpful
Julie –
America’s Test Kitchen Approved!
This was top rated by America’s Test Kitchen. I have to say, they never go wrong. This was higher end than I wanted originally, and so too was the price point. But after getting a literally non-functioning $30 range grinder, I just went for it. You can feel the surprising weight of this. Even the black plastic doesn’t feel cheap. The clear conical top hopper and the ground coffee bin are potentially weak points. Different kind of plastic. It is relatively quiet as well. The metal burs take in the whole beans quite easily and don’t slap them around like the other kinds and make a horrible noise. I was also surprised by how fine you can grind with this and the granularity of grind selection. Hopefully this will be the first and last grinder I own. I will update this if it fails to meet my expectations and initial impressions.
Sam Z –
#1 Thing I’d buy again to up my coffee game!
I originally had my eye on a European burr grinder because Europeans just have better, sexier lines on their manufactured mechanical grinders. But after reading numerous online reviews, all pointed to the Baratza Encore as a great investment with at-home coffee brewing. While I love brightly colored small countertop appliances and great design, I’m more practical these days, simply needing reliable and easily fixed appliances. This great grinder fits the bill on reliable, fixable, and affordable luxury in at-home brewing.My only suggestion is this: While I appreciate that this burr grinder is an American product, it’s very clear that the company desires a more colorful and even artful emphasis with their products, otherwise why would they be selling “bling” to dress up the grinder with colored on/off buttons. That’s fine, but it’s a half-hearted attempt at something artful beyond middle school standards. This country used to care about quality, reliability, AND artful design. Why have virtually all American companies given up on the arts?I bypassed the more expensive models this company makes. Why? Because until they focus on artful design the way European companies do, I won’t be upgrading. While I understand there are more bells and whistles on the company’s upgraded grinders, most folks I know, and that includes myself, spend on upgrades that have better form AND function. Function alone is not something people are willing to spend to upgrade, particularly in an uncertain economic environment.All that said, I love this grinder and really do appreciate the price for its quality.
Ed D. –
Great grinder with some nitpicks
UPDATE March 8, 2025:The grinder has been wonderful to use over the past year. I am changing my review to five stars.In addition to the star bump, there are three important updates, plus a comment:1) I upgraded the burr from the original “M3” burr to an M2 burr I ordered directly from Baratza (now Breville). I think it was worth the money.2) Lighter roasts do make for a slightly messier cleanup than darker roasts. My original review noted not having experienced much of that.3) Pay attention to your grinding. If it suddenly seems inconsistent, inspect the ring burr holder to make sure all three outer tabs are intact. These are plastic parts designed to break under load to protect the more important internal components. I highly recommend ordering spare holders. I have had two break in the past year, reasons unknown. It sucks to have your grinder down waiting for replacement parts to arrive.Finally, this grinder is not going to give you better coffee if there are problems besides the grinder you’re replacing. For me, I discovered the house water had been a secret roadblock to making good coffee at home. Once I realized how bad it was (cheap TDS meter purchased here on Amazon), I switched to using distilled water remineralized with Third Wave Water (also sold here on Amazon).ORIGINAL REVIEW:This is a “5-stars, but” review that makes me drop the rating to 4 stars. I’d give it 4 1/2 stars. Compared to the blade grinder I was using, though, it’s worth 10 stars.I ordered the Encore in March 2024, shipped from and sold by Amazon.com. I wanted to be sure of the sender, even if it might have saved a few dollars ordering from a different vendor.The first thing you have to do is to do some minor assembly, and you would think that should be easy to do. There is a fluted rubber gasket that would not stay seated on the ring burr, though, and I ended up tearing it even before making a single pot of coffee. I did some googling and found out that there’s a new version of the gasket that is supposed to be with newer Encores, so I’m not sure why mine had the old one. Regardless, I could have tried to obtain a replacement gasket either from Baratza or here, but I ended up ordering some aftermarket gaskets from Aieve (sold here on Amazon) that are a perfect match to Baratza’s new gasket. If you get an Encore and it comes with the new gasket, congrats on not having to deal with that headache.After getting it assembled, I followed another online recommendation to run a small batch of beans through the grinder as sort of a break-in. That worked fine.Since then, the grinder has performed admirably. It has been used nearly every day on a variety of dark and medium roasts. It hasn’t been especially staticky or messy. An occasional brushing of the chute and burrs is all I’ve needed to clean it out. I’ve been careful to keep the grounds below the line on the hopper, so I’ve avoided clogging it. I did buy some Urnex Grindz tablets, and I’ll be using them soon to give the internals a more thorough cleaning.As for the coffee itself, I’m not an expert, but it seems fairly consistent in grinds for drip and French press. Any failures on making a less-than-tasty batch of coffee are almost certainly my fault, not the grinder’s.Besides the finicky original gasket, the only complaint I have would be the noise. There are remedies for that, most notably upgrading the conical burr to the one found in the Virtuoso+ or Encore ESP, but I’m not ready to do that yet.Depending on who you ask, the lack of a timer on the Encore is either a curse or a blessing. I’m happy with it. I don’t store the coffee in the hopper. I weigh each batch of beans before pouring them in the hopper, so I just turn the grinder on and let it empty the hopper. You can tell by the noise level when the grinder is done, it’s significantly quieter. The resulting grounds have been the same weight as what I put in the hopper, so I know the grinder isn’t leaving large quantities of coffee behind.There are tons of videos on YouTube regarding the Encore. I recommend checking those out.
15 people found this helpful
Ronald EpsteinRonald Epstein –
My first Baratza!
This was a step-down purchase for me. For the past 10 or more years I have owned a Rancilio Rocky grinder which costs about 3x more than the Baratza Encore. And in hindsight, it was a stupidly expensive purchase as I never made Expresso or specialty coffees. I just wanted one of the best grinders and at the time I had the financial means to splurge.Now that I am retired, I am a lot more conservative with my spending. That expensive Rancilio grinder finally died and it was time to look for a replacement. The idea here was to find the best bang-for-the-buckgrinder at a price point of under $200. I spent days doing research and found that Barista Encore was constantly rated as the best in class for what I wanted to spend. I placed my order on Amazon and then spent time watching setup videos on YouTube.I had a bit of a rough start. When I unpacked my brand-new Encore I was shocked to find that the gasket included looked nothing like the one I had seen in countless videos and setup guides. Even the included instruction book showed a completely different gasket than the one I received. I panicked. I thought that Baratza made a manufacturing mistake. I placed a phone call to customer service and found that their phones were shut down due to overwhelming demand. So, I fired off an email thinking it would be days before I got a response. Within 15 minutes, a customer service representative emailed me back saying that the company had recently updated their gasket for this model and was unable to include new documentation for it in recent shipments.So, let me just stop here and say that I was extremely impressed by the customer service response. When they were overwhelmed on the phones, they at least had someone watching email inquiries and making certain responses went out within minutes of being contacted.So, let me start with the gasket. For me, after watching all the setup videos, it was the one aspect of putting this Encore together that I was concerned about. The old gasket was cumbersome to align. It was a very smart thing for Barasta to upgrade the gasket. Now, it’s considerably smaller, and you can simply plop it into the burr grinder without any difficulty. There are new videos online explaining how to do it, but I can save you time by saying you need to insert the thick end of the gasket into the grinder before installing the hopper.So, to address the most common questions…1. Is it noisy? Yeah, somewhat, but I’m used to it. It’s less noisy than the industrial Rancilio Rocky it replaced. And, I can’t fathom any coffee grinder that is not going to make a considerable amount of noise.2. Does it leave grinds everywhere? Yes, it does leave traces of grinds in the holder and along the lip of the ground coffee bin. Is it a big deal? No. It’s the nature of these grinders. I have a small handheld vacuum to deal with it. A cheap coffee brush is another way to take care of the cleanup. It’s minor, to say the least.There is a great accessory you can buy on Amazon for under $14 that will eliminate trace grounds. Look for AIEVE Upgrade Single Dose Hopper. It’s a must-buy accessory for your Encore.3. Is it difficult to clean? Not that I can see. The burr grinder is very easy to remove. There is an included brush for cleaning. Every few months I am going to throw in some cleaning tabs and grind it through. I also don’t recommend using this grinder for flavored or shiny beans. They tend to leave a lot of gunky residues. If I want flavored coffee, I buy it already ground.4. Is the power cord too thick? I only bring this question up as it’s one of those things I read complaints about in review after review. No, it’s not. It’s the same as my Rancilio Rocky which is considerably thicker than what you would find on a toaster or electric can opener, which is to be expected.5. Is the build quality cheap? While there is a lot more plastic here than I would want to see, from the online videos I have watched, experts believe that the Encore is made of solid materials and built to last for many years. In fact, if you go through a pound of coffee a week, and clean as recommended, the estimated life of this device is 10 years before you need to start replacing anything.From the research I have done, apparently what makes Barasta grinders so popular is that all their parts are serviceable. They are supposed to be very easy to clean and maintain. The company has a library of diagrams that help you navigate their machines.My first grind and cup of coffee were memorable.With some research, I found the perfect grind setting for my Technivorm Moccamaster. That coffee maker requires a more coarse grind so I set my Encore at “20” and poured my beans into the hopper. It is suggested to have the hopper running when you pour your beans in so you are not grinding from a dead stop (which is not good for the blade). I found the resulting grind to be very uniform in appearance.The coffee the grind produced was spectacular. I think I had been using the wrong setting on the Rancilio Rocky for years, grinding my beans slightly more finely (which you want to do with drip coffee makers). This more coarse grind setting produced a more flavorful cup of coffee. I was delighted.The Encore is for most enthusiasts who aren’t looking for Expresso grinds. It’s the best entry-level conical grinder for anyone that doesn’t want something cheap or wants to spend a fortune on a device like this. And to say “entry-level” isn’t even fair. There are coffee shops that use these grinders, from what I understand. This brand has been a staple in the coffee community for decades. It has a reputation for being the best in its class.So, I promise to keep using this every day and if it doesn’t live up to my expectations, I will update this review regularly and keep everyone aware. For the moment, I am delighted to own this product. If my first cup of coffee is any indication of where things are going, I think we are going to make beautiful java together.
439 people found this helpful