Baratza ENCORE Coffee grinder: Full Review

Founded in 1999, Baratza is a company dedicated to designing and manufacturing high-quality coffee grinders. Based in Seattle, Washington, Baratza aims to bring specialized grinding expertise into homes with its line of grinders intended for personal use. The company is known for its innovative grinder designs that simplify the grinding process while preserving the complex flavors and aromatics of whole coffee beans.

Though Baratza offers grinders across a range of prices, the Encore sits in the lower mid-range of its offerings. First launched in 2012, the Encore replaced the Maestro grinder and aimed to improve upon its capabilities while still remaining accessible to home brewers. Since then, the Encore has become one of Baratza's most popular models, appreciated for its consistent grind performance, wide array of grind settings, and ease of use.

Overall Rating

The Baratza Encore Conical Burr Coffee Grinder earns a 4 out of 5 star rating. This electric burr grinder is highly recommended for anyone looking for an entry-level machine that can produce grinds for drip coffee, pour over, Aeropress, and espresso.

The Encore strikes an excellent balance between affordability and performance. While it lacks some of the precision and consistency of pricier grinders, it delivers noticeably better grind quality and adjustability than comparably priced blade grinders. For an electric burr grinder under $150, the Encore hits a sweet spot of quality and value.

The Encore's combination of user-friendly design, grind adjustability, and low noise make it a great starter grinder. Home brewers who later want to upgrade will appreciate that it provides a solid foundation in fresh grinding that outperforms most cheap models. The Encore also makes an excellent grinder for travel due to its compact size. Overall, it's a great option for an affordable but capable burr coffee grinder.

For those interested in more advanced coffee grinders, the Ayybee L is another excellent choice. Featuring top-of-the-line precision and consistency, the Ayybee L boasts superior grind quality for those who prioritize excellence in their coffee brewing. This machine is designed with advanced users in mind, providing a wide range of grind settings and an intuitive interface that enhances the user experience. Notably quieter and more efficient, the Ayybee L is perfect for those who are serious about their coffee game and are willing to invest in a high-performance grinder.

Design & Build Quality

The Baratza Encore has a sturdy yet sleek design, with a plastic housing and metal hardware. The materials feel durable enough for home use and users report the grinder lasting for many years with regular use.

The controls are simple and intuitive. There is a pulse button for manual grinding or an on/off switch for hands-free operation. A convenient front-mounted pulse button allows you to grind directly into your portafilter. The grinder defaults to the espresso grind setting every time you turn it on. A convenient macro adjust on the side allows you to make fine-tune adjustments for dialing in your espresso.

The hopper has a locking mechanism to keep beans sealed and an 8.8oz capacity. It is removable for easy transfer of beans. The grounds bin can hold up to 5oz of grounds, minimizing the need to empty it between uses. The plastic tray below the burrs can be removed for easy cleanup.

Overall, the materials and design make the Encore durable, easy to use, and low maintenance for home use. The simplicity of the controls combined with the consistent grind sizes makes dialing in espresso straightforward.

For those seeking a basic and budget-friendly option, the BLACK+DECKER CBG110S is worth considering. This compact blade grinder features a stainless steel design, capable of holding up to 2/3 cup of beans. Users appreciate its simple one-touch operation and even grind consistency. The lid locks securely to prevent spills, and the stainless steel blades ensure durability and precision. With its affordable price point and reliable performance, it’s a practical choice for everyday coffee grinding needs.

Grind Settings

The Baratza Encore has 40 individual grind settings to allow you to fine tune the grind size. The grind size ranges from 250 to 1200 microns, which covers the full range from espresso fine to French press coarse.

The grind settings are controlled by a convenient knob on the front of the grinder. Each notch clicks positively into place, making it easy to accurately select your desired setting. The grind setting numbers are clearly labeled next to the adjustment knob as well. Turning the knob adjusts an internal mechanism that changes the grinding burr separation distance.

Going from a coarse French press setting to a fine espresso grind takes about 6 full rotations of the knob, allowing you to precisely dial in the size you need. The grind settings produce very consistent results every time once you find the right setting for your brew method. The grind size difference between each click is small enough that you can really fine tune the grind.

Overall, the Baratza Encore makes it simple to get the exact grind size you want with its 40 clear steps and easy to turn adjustment knob. The wide grind range and precise settings allow you to brew any coffee perfectly.

Grinding Performance

The Encore offers excellent grinding performance that makes it a great option for daily home use or an entry-level grinder for a cafe.

The DC motor provides fast grind speeds while keeping noise to a minimum. It can grind about 0.8g to 1.2g of coffee beans per second, allowing you to grind 15-20g doses quickly. The grounds bin can hold up to 5oz of ground coffee.

Consistency is very good for a burr grinder in this price range. The 40mm steel burrs combined with Baratza’s speed control technology delivers consistent grinds across grind settings. The grounds have only minimal clumping and a mix of particle sizes suited for brew methods like drip, pour over and French press.

The Encore runs quietly, especially compared to blade grinders. It produces less noise than comparable burr grinders when grinding. The grinding noise itself is low pitched and unobtrusive.

Overall, the Encore delivers fast, consistent, quiet grinding that makes it easy to get fresh grounds for great tasting coffee daily. The grind quality rivals more expensive burr grinders, especially for manual brew methods.

Grounds Bin & Cleanup

The Encore has a grounds bin capacity of 5 ounces or 150 grams, which is sufficient for grinding enough coffee for 4-5 cups before needing to be emptied. The grounds bin easily detaches from the machine with a simple twist and lift motion. The bin feels sturdy and does not spill grounds when detached.

Emptying the grounds bin is straightforward - simply twist off the bin, invert it over your knock box or compost bin, and give it a few taps to release all the grounds inside. The removable grounds bin makes cleanup fast and easy after grinding a large batch of coffee.

Disassembling the Encore for deep cleaning is also simple. The top burr is removable with just a screwdriver, allowing you to thoroughly clean inside the grinder. Baratza also sells replacement burrs for when they eventually wear out. Overall, the Encore's grounds bin and disassembly process are well-designed for quick daily use and maintenance.

Price & Warranty

The Baratza Encore typically retails for around $139, which puts it at the lower end of quality burr grinders. Comparable entry-level conical burr grinders from companies like Breville and Capresso cost $20-50 more. So the Encore offers strong value given its grind quality and features.

The Encore comes with a 1 year limited warranty. Baratza also sells replacement parts on their website, so the grinder is easy to repair and maintain over time. The low price point and availability of parts makes the Encore a good choice for home users who want better grind consistency than a blade grinder, but don't want to spend several hundred dollars.

Overall the Encore hits a sweet spot of grind quality and affordable pricing. The included 1 year warranty provides adequate protection. While more expensive grinders may come with longer warranties, the Encore's accessible price makes it less of a risk if repairs are needed down the road.

Pros

• The Baratza Encore provides excellent grind consistency across its 40 different grind settings, resulting in flavorful coffee. It can handle fine espresso grinds up to coarse grinds for French press.

• The grinder has a powerful DC motor that allows it to grind coffee beans quickly and efficiently. It can grind about 1 gram of coffee per second, so you won't be waiting long for your morning cup.

• Cleanup is easy with the grounds bin, hopper, and burrs all being removable and dishwasher safe. This is a huge plus for a daily use coffee grinder.

• Baratza is known for quality and their industry leading customer support. The Encore has a 1 year warranty and access to replacement parts for ongoing maintenance.

Cons

• The Encore lacks the flexibility to grind for espresso. The grind settings only go fine enough for pressurized portafilters, not non-pressurized. Those looking to grind for unpressurized espresso will need a dedicated espresso grinder.

• The grind adjustment mechanism feels a bit imprecise compared to higher-end grinders. There are 40 settings to dial in, but the adjustment between settings is not as fine or consistent as ideal.

• The grounds bin is rather small at 5 oz capacity. For those brewing large batches, this could mean needing to empty the bin mid-grinding. Larger grind bins are preferred for high volume brewing.

Conclusion

The Baratza Encore is an excellent choice for anyone looking for an entry-level electric burr coffee grinder. It offers very good grind quality and uniformity for the price, especially for brewing methods like drip, pour over, and French press. The 40 grind settings allow you to fine tune from very fine espresso grinds up to coarse grinds suitable for cold brew and French press.

The Encore strikes a great balance between grind quality and ease of use. It's simple to operate with its front-mounted pulse button and clearly marked grind settings. The grounds bin, hopper, and other parts are easy to clean and maintain as well. While it lacks some of the finer adjustments and fancy extras of pricier grinders, it delivers where it counts for daily home brewing.

Overall, the Baratza Encore earns its reputation as one of the best entry-level electric burr grinders you can buy. It provides exceptional value and performance for the price. If you're looking to upgrade from blades to consistent, high-quality grinds, the Encore is highly recommended.