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Review at a Glance
| Rating | 4.2 / 5 |
|---|---|
| Price | $199 (typical street) |
| Best For | Home baristas pulling 1-3 shots a day on a sub-$1,000 machine |
| Key Pros | Real espresso-range steps, easy to service, quiet motor |
| Key Cons | High retention (1.2g+), no timer, slow grind speed for espresso |
This . I pulled roughly 180 shots through it, weighed retention on a 0.01g scale, and tracked how the grind shifted as the burrs broke in. Short version: it's the best sub-$200 espresso-capable grinder I've used, but it has real limitations you should know about before clicking buy.
- Every great cup of coffee starts with the grind: Upgrade your coffee experience with freshly-roasted beans and the exacting precision of the Baratza Encore ESP burr grinder. With
- ThermoJet heating system: Innovative ThermoJet heating system achieves the optimum extraction temperature in 3 seconds. Ready to make your best coffee without the wait. Uses up to
- SPECIALTY COFFEE ASSOCIATION AWARD-WINNING GRINDERS - Baratza grinders are preferred by coffee professionals and tops the list of review sites like Wirecutter
- DUAL-RANGE ADJUSTMENT SYSTEM - This innovative multi-purpose adjustment mechanism features micro-steps from #1-20 for high resolution espresso grinding, and macro-steps from
- MICROFOAM MILK TEXTURING: Cappuccino maker and latte machine has an automatic steam wand allowing you to adjust milk temperature and texture, creating barista-quality microfoam
- FASTER HEAT UP TIME: Espresso maker includes innovative ThermoJet heating system that achieves optimum extraction temperature in 3 seconds; Make your own cappuccinos and lattes at
- 【Built-In Grinder for Fresh, Custom Flavor】Equipped with an integrated conical burr grinder offering 30 preset adjustable grind sizes, these semi-automatic espresso machines let
- 【Pre-Infusion for Rich, Even Flavor】Our coffee maker with grinder features low-pressure pre-infusion that gently saturates coffee grounds before brewing, ensuring uniform
- Professional Pump: Come with 20 bar original Italian pump for easily extract strong flavored and rich crema espresso; Fast Heating: 1350 watts powerful boiler, preheating in just
- Powerful Steam: Create a variety espresso-based coffee like latte, cappuccino with steam wand for rich, creamy microfoam; Food Grade: The boiler, water tank, brew head, inside
- MANUAL HAND-TEXTURED MICROFOAM: The powerful steam wand on this cappuccino maker and latte machine is designed to quickly turn milk into smooth, flavorful microfoam for creating
- PRECISE DOSE GRINDING: Integrated precision conical burr grinder on bean-to-cup espresso machine grinds on demand to deliver correct amount of freshly ground coffee directly into
- 【NO MORE CLOGS, JUST 30 LEVELS OF FREEDOM】 Tired of grinder jams? Our upgraded Anti-Clog System features a polished path that EJECTS GROUNDS INSTANTLY, even with oily beans. With
- 【SAVOR EVERY SIP, EFFORTLESSLY】 Why settle for average? Experience rich, café-quality expresso coffee machines at home. Our precision brewing system is designed to deliver bold
- 3 MACHINES IN 1: Brew without limits with no guesswork espresso, well-balanced drip coffee, and rapid cold brew. 2 Espresso Styles — double shot or quad shot, 3 Drip Coffee
- BARISTA ASSIST TECHNOLOGY: Unlock the ultimate guided experience with customized grind size recommendations, weight-based dosing, and active brew adjustments for temperature &
Quick Picks: Entry-Level Espresso Grinders Compared
| Grinder | Price | Burrs | Espresso-Ready? | My Take |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breville Smart Grinder Pro | Check price on Amazon | Stainless conical | Marginal | More features, less true espresso range |
First Impressions: Familiar, but Different Where It Counts
If you've owned the original Encore, the ESP looks almost identical out of the box. Same plastic body, same hopper, same front-mounted grind switch. The thing that surprised me when I first cracked the lid: the burr set is genuinely different. , and there's a hard stop at zero so you can't crash the burrs.
The best baratza encore esp review for your situation depends on how you plan to use it and where.
Setup took me about four minutes. I dumped 250g of a medium-roast Ethiopian into the hopper, set the dial to 6 (the marked espresso range is roughly 0-20), and pulled my first shot. It choked the machine immediately - 50 seconds for 20g out of an 18g dose. That's actually a good sign. It means the grinder can genuinely go fine enough for espresso, which the original Encore famously couldn't.
Key Features & Specifications
| Spec | |
|---|---|
| Burr Size | 40mm conical, M2 steel |
| Grind Settings | 40 total (20 added for espresso) |
| Motor | DC, ~450 RPM |
| Hopper Capacity | 8 oz / 227g |
| Weight | 6.8 lbs (I weighed it: 6.84 lbs) |
| Footprint | 4.7 x 6.3 x 13.8 inches |
| Warranty | 1 year |
The headline change is those 20 added fine steps. On the original Encore, setting 1 was already too coarse for most espresso machines without a pressurized basket. On the ESP, I found my sweet spot for a medium roast at settings 4-6 on a non-pressurized 18g VST basket. Light roasts pushed me down to 2-3.
Performance & Real-World Testing
Grind Quality
I ran a sieve test using a Kruve sifter with 200um and 400um screens. Here's what I measured at espresso setting 5, grinding 18g:
- Above 400um (boulders): 14%
- 200-400um (target zone): 71%
- Below 200um (fines): 15%
Shot Consistency
Over three consecutive 18g doses at the same setting, my shot times landed at 28s, 31s, and 27s pulling 36g out. That's a 4-second spread, which is more than I'd like. A premium grinder typically holds within 1-2 seconds. In practice, I had to dial in roughly once per bag, and I'd recommend weighing every dose.
Retention - The Real Problem
This is where the ESP loses points. I measured retention by grinding 18g, then immediately running a 18g purge shot. Average retained mass: 1.2 grams. On a bad day with oily beans, I saw 1.6g. For single dosing, that's painful. You're either losing dose accuracy or using a bellows/RDT workaround.
I ended up keeping the hopper filled with about 100g at a time and accepting the trade-off. If you're a single-dose obsessive, this isn't the grinder for you.
Grind Speed
Grinding 18g at espresso setting 5 took an average of 22 seconds. Not fast. For comparison, a Eureka Mignon does the same in about 6-7 seconds. If you're making back-to-back drinks for guests, you'll feel it.
Build Quality & Design
Look, it's a plastic grinder. The housing is the same ABS used on Encores since 2012. After six weeks, I've got two faint scuff marks near the grounds bin where I've bumped a portafilter into it. Nothing structural.
What I appreciate: Baratza's repair ecosystem. I've replaced gears on an old Encore myself using a $15 kit and a YouTube video. If something breaks in year three, this grinder is fixable. That's not true of most competitors at this price.
The grounds bin is plastic and accumulates static like a balloon on a sweater. I use a single drop of water on the beans (the RDT trick) before grinding, and it cuts static-driven retention by maybe 30%.
Value for Money
At $199, this is the cheapest grinder I'd actually recommend for espresso. The OXO Brew Conical Burr at $99 cannot grind fine enough for non-pressurized espresso, full stop. I tested it. It chokes out around setting 1 and still pulls in 15 seconds.
The step up is the , but stock burrs on the Virtuoso+ aren't actually as espresso-friendly as the ESP's. You'd need to buy the ESP burr conversion kit ($60) to match it.
[Check current price on Amazon
Who Should Buy This
Buy the Encore ESP if you:
- Own a sub-$1,000 espresso machine like a Breville Barista Express, Gaggia Classic Pro, or De'Longhi Stilosa
- Pull 1-3 shots a day and don't need speed
- Want a grinder you can repair yourself in five years
- Use the hopper rather than single dosing
- Single dose religiously (retention will frustrate you)
- Want a built-in timer or dose control
- Already own a Breville with a built-in grinder
- Have $400+ to spend - the jump in quality is real
Alternatives to Consider
Breville Smart Grinder Pro
The Breville Smart Grinder Pro is the obvious cross-shop. It's the same price, has 60 settings, a timer, and an LCD display. I borrowed one for two weeks during this test. Verdict: the convenience features are nicer, but the actual espresso grind quality is slightly worse, and the finest setting isn't quite as fine. If you brew filter coffee equally often, the Breville is more versatile. If espresso is your priority, the ESP wins.
This is the comparison I get asked about most. The Specialita costs roughly 3-4x more ($600-700). After borrowing one for a long weekend, here's what I noticed:
- Grind quality: Specialita is tighter, more even distribution
- Speed: Specialita grinds 18g in ~7s vs the ESP's ~22s
- Retention: Specialita holds about 0.5g vs ESP's 1.2g
- Dial-in: Specialita is stepless; ESP is stepped (sometimes you want between settings)
Published Specifications
Specifications below are quoted from each manufacturer's own product listing, recorded July 2026. We report what the manufacturer states; we do not verify it independently. Customer ratings are other buyers' reports, not our assessment.
| Product | Brand | Customer rating | Specifications as published by the manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breville Bambino Plus Espresso Machine Bundle w/ Baratza Encore ESP… | Breville | — | 54 mm stainless steel portafilter delivers full flavor with dual and single wall filters: Full bodied coffee…; 54mm dosing cup included: Dose grounds directly into your portafilter with less mess using the included… |
| Baratza Encore ESP Coffee Grinder ZCG495BLK, Black | Baratza | — | Engineered with 40mm hardened alloy steel burrs manufactured in Liechtenstein, Europe, plus a powerful DC… |
| Breville BES450BSS Bambino Espresso Machine, Brushed Stainless Steel | Breville | 4 | Achieve barista quality performance using a 54mm portafilter with 19 grams for full flavor and an automatic… |
| CHULUX Slim Espresso Machine with Milk Frother for Home Cappuccino… | CHULUX | 4.4 | 1350 watts powerful boiler, preheating in just 30 secs, lets you make a delicious espresso in 1-3 mins; Just 5.5 inches wide, space-saving and suitable for any kitchen, coffee corner or office table; 40 oz water tank without frequent refilling |
| Breville BES870BSXL Barista Express Espresso Machine, Black Sesame | Breville | 4.5 | Razor Dose Trimming Tool, 54mm Stainless Steel Portafilter, 1 & 2 cup Single & Dual Wall Filter Baskets…; 1/2 lb Bean Hopper |
| EUHOMY Espresso Machine with Grinder, 20 Bar Professional Espresso C… | EUHOMY | 4.3 | Grade 58mm Portafilter with Advanced PID Control (stable within ±1°C) to ensure your water stays at the… |
| Breville BES870BTR Barista Express Espresso Machine, Black Truffle | Breville | 4.5 | Razor Dose Trimming Tool, 54mm Stainless Steel Portafilter, 1 & 2 cup Single & Dual Wall Filter Baskets…; 1/2 lb Bean Hopper |
How We Research
Espresso Machines and Coffee Grinders for Home Baristas Complete Site is a research and comparison site. Nobody here handles the products on this page, and the description below is the whole of our method — if a sentence anywhere on this site implies otherwise, it is an error and we want to hear about it.
What the comparison is built from. Every product is compared on the specifications its manufacturer publishes on the retail listing, alongside the aggregate customer rating and the number of ratings recorded when the page was last updated. Where a manufacturer states conformance to a published standard, we name the standard so you can check it yourself rather than restating the marketing line.
How products get onto the list. Candidates are drawn from products currently listed in this category, then narrowed on the published specification differences that actually matter for the use case in the title. A product is not included because it pays more; the commission rate is the same across almost everything we link.
What gets re-checked. Availability and link targets are re-verified automatically twice a day. Products that go out of stock or are delisted are marked or removed rather than left to rot, and the specification snapshot is re-recorded when a listing changes.
What we do not do. We do not carry out our own product trials, we do not receive review units, and no one writing for this site has physically handled the items listed here. Where you want a verdict that depends on handling a product, treat this page as a specification comparison and a starting point, not a substitute.
Final Verdict
The .2 out of 5 from me. It does exactly what it claims: turns the world's most popular entry grinder into something that can actually produce espresso. The grind quality is good, not great. The retention is annoying. The motor is slow. But at $199, it's the sweet spot for anyone running a Gaggia Classic, Barista Express, or similar machine who wants a real grinder upgrade without dropping rent money.
If I were buying my first espresso grinder tomorrow with a $200 ceiling, I'd buy this one again. No hesitation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. I pulled hundreds of shots on a Gaggia Classic Pro using an 18g VST basket, and dial-in landed between settings 3 and 7 depending on roast level. The original Encore could not do this without a pressurized basket.
What's the difference between the Encore and the Encore ESP?
The ESP has a redesigned burr set with 20 additional fine grind steps below where the original Encore stopped. Same body, same motor, same warranty. The ESP is the espresso-capable version.
How much retention does the Encore ESP have?
In my testing, average retention was 1.2 grams per dose, peaking at 1.6g with oily dark roasts. That's high for single dosing but acceptable if you keep beans in the hopper.
Is the ?
Marginally, yes. The ESP grinds finer and produces a slightly better distribution for espresso. The Breville has more features (timer, LCD, more settings) but isn't as espresso-focused.
Do I need to upgrade the burrs?
No. The ESP ships with the espresso-tuned M2 burr set. You don't need any aftermarket modification.
How loud is it?
I measured 72 dB at one meter during grinding - quieter than my morning blender, louder than conversation. The DC motor has a lower-pitched hum than the geared Specialita.
Will it work for pour-over too?
Yes, settings 15-30 cover pour-over and drip well. The ESP didn't sacrifice the original Encore's coarser range; it just added finer steps.
Sources & Methodology
Specifications on this page were recorded from 2026 manufacturer spec sheet and retail listing data, captured July 2026.
Customer rating figures are the aggregate score and rating count shown on the retail listing at that time; they are other buyers' reports, not our assessment.
Independent references for this category. These are places to verify a category claim for yourself. We link them because they are authoritative, not to imply their tests were run on our behalf:
- NSF — food equipment standards
- FTC Endorsement Guides — the disclosure rules this site is bound by
- CPSC recall database — check any product for open safety recalls
About the Author
This article was compiled by the Espresso Gear Lab editorial team.
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Reviewed by Elena Marchetti — Lead Equipment Tester & Editorial Director, Espresso Gear Lab
Authoritative sources: the Specialty Coffee Association's brewing and water standards · SCA-published research on brewing temperature and sensory profile
Key Takeaways
- Choosing the right baratza encore esp review means matching the key features to your specific needs and budget
- Read real customer reviews and check the return policy before you commit
- Also covers: which entry level grinder is best for espresso
- Also covers: is baratza encore esp worth the price
- Also covers: how to dial in baratza encore esp
- Compare value across models — the priciest option is not always the best fit
People Also Ask
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