Baratza Encore Electric Burr Coffee Grinder

Product Information

With most hand grinders, you adjust the size of the grind by turning a knob inside the grinder that is connected to the top or bottom of the burr set. But there are other features and factors to consider, like how easy the machine is to use and how long it lasts. This compact grinder is easy to use and has a wider range than most budget grinders, but it’s a bit less consistent than our top picks and less repairable. It might not sound like much, but given that the average serving of coffee is 10 grams, the C2 Max might give you three cups at a time, instead of two and a half.

The Baratza Encore uses a combination of gear and electronic speed reduction to control the rotation of the burr between 405 to 495 RPM. The Encore also fell in the medium range for noise: It wasn’t significantly quieter or louder than most other grinders we’ve tested, but it did have a more pleasant sound, as opposed to a high whine or an ugly chug. To find the right grind setting on each machine for a taste test, and to test for grind-size consistency, we used the Kruve coffee sifter and guide. Since the grinder works at a rather low RPM (only 550) and mostly handles grinds in the coarse to medium-range, you shouldn’t worry about lifespan. Some timers are analog, and some are digital, measuring by the tenth of a second, for even greater accuracy.The efficient DC motor keeps your beans cool, even during extended grind times, while a combination of electric and gear speed reducers slow the burr to 450 RPM, ensuring a smooth bean feed and reducing noise, heat and static buildup.

These tablets are made of grain composites and can leave some dusty residue, which may not fully dissipate on the first one or two grinds after use. Alejandra Matos, a former deputy audience director with Wirecutter, also had many issues with her chute and grinder clogging after using darker-roasted, oily beans. In a video, Baratza suggests cleaning your grinder about once a month if you’re grinding oily beans, noting that you can go longer if your beans are a lighter roast. But with a stepless grinder, if you change the grind setting at all (for example, if you like to switch between coffee-brewing methods), it’s not easy to repeat the optimal settings for your daily brews.

The Encore’s range is more than sufficient for the average home coffee drinker and the budding enthusiast. Equally important, the Counter Culture team taught us that no professional tool was as accurate as a trained palate when it comes to determining over- and under-extraction. The Encore ESP includes a 54mm anti-static dosing cup (with a 58mm adapter for larger portafilters) that allows for clean, evenly distributed portafilters that are ready to tamp. For those who have an ongoing problem with static cling, prevailing wisdom says to wait a few minutes before removing the grounds chamber from the grinder, allowing the dust to settle, as it were. A good grinder should be simple to operate, maintain, and clean, and it should last for years, with proper maintenance.

Please bear in mind that not all manufacturers provide correct imagery and we may put a similar or alternative image to the actual product for illustration purposes only. Other Baratza Encore reviews often note this issue, and trust us, this doesn’t mean we don’t highly recommend the Baratza Encore. As we mentioned previously, barista Kyle Ramage says that you’re better off getting your coffee pre-ground with an excellent burr grinder than using a blade grinder or even a cheaper burr grinder every day. So when it comes to burr grinder vs blade, always choose burr—regardless if electric or manual—if you actually want to make a good cup of coffee.

It’s so practical to have it just sitting on the counter already filled with beans as opposed to scooping it out each morning.

With dots, you just have to take note of your selected settings—how many dots past zero is the setting you want. One thing I think it’s necessary for any Baratza Encore grinder review to cover is that the grinder does have one significant downside: the amount of bean debris it produces, especially when used without sufficient care (read: often for me) is notable. Our continued strongest misgiving about this grinder is the quantity of chaff or debris that it leaves behind. So if you’re looking for a great all-round home grinder to take your coffee-making experience to the next level, look no further – The Baratza Encore has everything you need.None has been easy and reliable for me that I can not-mention this topic in this Baratza Encore review. Bigger beans don’t feed through the hopper as well as regular-sized beans, which could result in some loose beans left over. We began our tests with a visual evaluation of grounds from each machine to check a grinder’s range and to look at grind shape and consistency. Grind Adjustment: Turn the hopper and with 40 settings you can quickly adjust from fine for espresso to coarse for French Press. Since then, coffee has taken me on countless adventures: From ancient coffee ceremonies in Ethiopia to the volcanos of Sumatra.