Yes, if the grinder has enough usable adjustment in both ranges — and many marketed as both do not.
What each range needs
Espresso needs fine grinding with fine adjustment: many small steps inside a narrow band, so one click moves a shot by a couple of seconds.
Filter needs a much wider range at coarser settings, where the steps can be larger without causing problems.
A grinder built for filter typically bottoms out too coarse for espresso, or jumps in steps far too large.
How to judge one
Look at how many steps sit in the espresso range, not the total number. A grinder with sixty steps of which three are usable for espresso is a filter grinder.
The Baratza Encore ESP is the clearest example of getting this right: forty of its sixty steps sit in the espresso band.
The daily annoyance
Even with a capable grinder, switching between espresso and filter means re-dialling every time — and back again. Owners who do both regularly usually mark the two positions, or own two grinders.
The alternative
A dedicated filter grinder like the Fellow Ode refuses espresso entirely, and grinds filter better than any do-everything grinder at the price. If you only brew one way, buy for that.
Last reviewed 8 August 2026