Grinder
Baratza Encore ESP review for home espresso
Buy this before you 'upgrade' a machine that is already better than the grind.
Sep 16, 2026 · 5 min
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Verdict
Buy this before you 'upgrade' a machine that is already better than the grind.
- Burrs
- 40 mm conical, espresso-focused
- Adjustment
- Stepped (finer espresso range)
- Dose
- On-demand, small hopper
- Retention
- Moderate — purge a gram
- Footprint
- Counter-friendly
Who it’s for. First espresso grinders. If the machine is a Bambino or Classic, start here.
Who it’s not for. Single-dosing obsessives or anyone already chasing grind-by-weight workflows.
What it is
Baratza’s espresso-focused Encore: conical burrs with a finer step range, a small hopper, and a motor you can get parts for. It is the first-grinder default on our shortlists.
In the cup
Good enough to make a Bambino or Classic taste like you bought the machine on purpose. Not a single-dose flat. If you are already chasing 0.1-step changes on light roasts, look at the DF64.
Workflow
Stepped. Purge a little. Do not treat the hopper like a month of storage. Baratza’s service story is the unsexy reason we keep recommending it.
Get gear picks
Occasional shortlists when we update tiers — no daily noise.