Grinding · review
The cheapest electric grinder that genuinely does espresso and filter without being bad at both. Forty fine steps in the espresso range is the whole point — and Baratza will still sell you a burr set for it in ten years.
The bottom line The point where an espresso setup stops being frustrating.
There is a specific frustration that ends when you buy a grinder like this one. You have a capable espresso machine. Your shots come out sour and fast, so you grind finer — and the next click is far too fine, and the shot chokes. There is no setting between the two, so you stop trying and accept mediocre coffee. That is not your technique. That is a grinder with three usable steps in the range where espresso lives.
The Encore ESP puts forty steps in that range. The practical effect is that the adjustment finally behaves like a control: one click makes a small, predictable difference, and you can walk a shot to where you want it in three attempts rather than giving up. That is the entire product, and it is worth the money.
It manages filter too, with twenty coarser steps, and does it well enough that you do not need a second grinder for a V60 at the weekend. Grinders that span both ranges usually compromise one; this one is honest at both without being outstanding at either.
Baratza’s other argument is the one that shows up in year six. The company documents and sells every part, burrs included, and publishes the repair guides. Grinders wear — burrs dull, adjustment collars stiffen — and most manufacturers answer that with a new grinder. This one you take apart on the kitchen table with a screwdriver.
The weaknesses are the honest ones for the price: it retains about a gram, it is not fast, and it is made of plastic that sounds like plastic. None of that changes what it does to your espresso.
At 200 $, it is the 3 cheapest of the 6 models in this category published here.
| Burr type | 40 mm conical, hardened steel |
|---|---|
| Espresso range | 40 steps |
| Filter range | 20 steps |
| Grind speed | ≈ 1.5 g/s |
| Retention | ≈ 1 g |
| Hopper | 227 g |
The burr geometry and the adjustment ring. The original Encore is an excellent filter grinder that technically reaches espresso and cannot fine-tune there. The ESP redistributes the range so 40 of its 60 steps sit in the espresso band, which is the difference between adjusting a shot and guessing at it.
Only if you single-dose — weighing in exactly what you want to brew. Then yesterday's gram comes out first and today's stays behind. A puff from a bellows or a firm tap on the chute clears most of it. If you fill the hopper and grind on demand, retention is irrelevant.
A good hand grinder at this price out-grinds it on pure consistency. It also asks for a minute of effort per dose. Buy the hand grinder if you make one or two coffees and enjoy the ritual; buy this if you make four before anyone in the house is properly awake.
8.7/ 10
The point where an espresso setup stops being frustrating.
Anyone pairing a grinder with a Gaggia Classic, a Dedica upgrade, or a Barista Express they have outgrown.
Same category, nearest prices. Only the specifications every one of them states are shown — a half-empty column compares nothing.
| Model | Price | Burr type | Retention |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baratza Encore ESP | 200 $ | 40 mm conical, hardened steel | ≈ 1 g |
| Kingrinder K6 | 110 $ | 48 mm stainless steel | Very low |
| TIMEMORE Chestnut C3 ESP Pro | 80 $ | 38 mm stainless steel, ESP profile | Near zero |
| Comandante C40 MK4 Nitro Blade | 340 $ | 39 mm nitrogen-hardened steel | Near zero |
A reference exists on these Amazon stores: France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, United States. Listed is not the same as in stock — availability changes daily.
Details checked on August 8, 2026.
Specifications: manufacturer sheet and Amazon product page. Prices and availability: Keepa. No product on this site has been physically tested.
39 mm nitrogen-hardened burr · hand · filter & espresso
The hand grinder others are measured against, and priced accordingly. Grinds better than electric grinders at twice the money, and asks for your arm every single morning.
Best for: One or two exceptional cups a day, travel, and anyone who values the object.
≈ $340 / £270 / 290 €
55 mm flat burr · stepless · near-zero retention
Stepless adjustment, 55 mm flat burrs and almost nothing left in the chute — the three things that separate a serious espresso grinder from a good one. It is quiet enough to use at six in the morning without an argument.
Best for: A Gaggia Classic, Lelit or Rancilio owner who has stopped blaming their technique.
≈ $450 / £380 / 400 €
64 mm flat burr · filter only · single dose
64 mm flat burrs, near-zero retention and a footprint the size of a mug, built for filter and honest about not doing espresso. For pour-over it is the clearest grind you can buy at this price.
Best for: V60, Chemex, AeroPress and batch brewing, where clarity is the whole point.
≈ $345 / £275 / 300 €
