Tom’s Guide Verdict
Coffee grinders can be fickle beasts.
Adjust the grind setting one click too far and your whole brew is ruined.
Thankfully, theres none of that nonsense on the Baratza Encore ESP.
The famous budget-friendly grinder lives up to its hype, and is the perfect entry-level grinder.
The Baratza Encore ESP is the newest model of the famous budget coffee grinder, aptly named Baratza Encore.
So is it one of thebest coffee grinders?
If youre on a budget, then, yes, 100%.
It wont impress coffee snobs by any means, but the Encore ESP is a perfect first grinder.
Find out the full story in this Baratza Encore ESP coffee grinder review.
Grinding coffee isnt exactly a tidy pastime, and I worry how quickly white would age.
This is a pretty great price for an electric burr grinder.
Our best grinder is theKitchenAid Burr Grinder, which is $179.
Ive just tested the $277 Comandante C40 MK4, which is a hand-crank grinder I actually adored.
If youre a real coffee nerd, Id recommend the C40.
The ABS plastic exterior doesnt have to be a con, though.
It makes the grinder pretty hardy while being relatively lightweight.
Inside theres a 40mm steel burr, which it’s possible for you to completely remove for no-sweat cleaning.
I found myself using the switch over the button as I like the feeling of something tactile.
0 is finest, and 40 is coarsest.
I noticed incremental differences between 0-20, but once I hit 21, the difference was instantly visible.
No counting clicks or wasting coffee to test the current grind; much easier than the Eureka Mignon Specialita.
Ease of use
The Baratza Encore ESP would be a perfect beginner grinder.
Its as easy to use as one of the most basic espresso machines, like theBreville Bambino Plus.
I mastered the basics of the Encore ESP within minutes.
Simply add beans, set grind, and go.
Its as easy as that.
I would recommend this as theperfectfirst coffee grinder.
No faff, no sweat.
However, a low RPM isnt necessarily a bad thing it means it can operate quietly, for starters.
Static & clumping
I ground 75g of coffee to test the static and clumping.
There was minimal clumping, with only one tiny (about 2mm in diameter) clump.
Static is an occupational hazard with coffee grinding theres no way around it, really.
Uniformity
Uniformity is a bit of a sore topic for some in the coffee world.
However, some people vehemently disagree (me being one of them).
For pour-over, at least, most agree that a consistent grind is mandatory.
Im looking for big jumps: for example 0% on 300m, but 95% on 500m.
This means the grind is consistent, as the particles of coffee fit through one sized sifter.
Again, there was a kind of big jump between 60%-95% on the second finest.
Retention
Another major indicator of good grinding is retention.
Between grinds, I cleaned out the burrs and dosing container.
Even so, this wasnt as high a percentage as the 18g.
As a result, Id stick to max ~100g capacity to prevent major retention.
This was also a problem on the Eureka Mignon Specialita.
And my expectations have been met here.
However, you might get upgrades for an extra cost, of course.
you could get a separatesingle-dose hopperand anaccent kitto add a splash of color to your grinder.
This ranges from on/off switches, to screws, to 58mm portafilter dosing cup attachments.
Props to Baratza for doing that.
The grinders pretty big, at over 13 inches tall and 6 inches deep.
Its just another occupational hazard of grinding coffee.
Its so easy to use, theres little to no learning curve, and it does grind good coffee.
All that being said, I dont think this is a good option for serious specialty coffee nerds.
