Best overall
1Zpresso
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8.5Great
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Great for beginners
Baratza
Encore ESP
An easy $200 all-rounder with a true espresso range; clumpy and retentive at espresso fineness, but very beginner-friendly.
7.9
Good
Coffee Reviews score
See the breakdown →
Community
—/10
- Type
- Electric conical burr grinder
- Burrs
- 40 mm conical steel (M2)
- Grind settings
- 40 steps: 1–20 espresso micro-steps, 21–40 filter macro-steps
- Typical price
- $199.95
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Last reviewed October 17, 2026 by the Coffee Reviews editors · How we score
An easy $200 all-rounder with a true espresso range; clumpy and retentive at espresso fineness, but very beginner-friendly.
The Encore ESP keeps the classic Encore body but adds a two-stage collar: settings 1–20 are fine steps for espresso and 21–40 cover AeroPress through French press, ground by 40 mm M2 conical steel burrs. It ships with a dosing cup for 54 mm portafilters plus a 58 mm adapter ring. Reviewers rate it an easy, capable first grinder for espresso and filter, with clumping and retention as the main trade-offs.
Best for
- A first electric grinder for entry-level espresso
- Households that want one grinder for espresso and pour-over
- Buyers who value easy repairs and spare parts
What we like
- Dedicated 20-step espresso range plus 20 filter steps covers espresso to French press
- Turn-the-hopper adjustment with numbered settings; reviewers report almost no learning curve
- Dosing cup for 54 mm portafilters with a 58 mm adapter ring in the box
- Quick-release cone burr and Baratza's parts and repair support
Watch-outs
- Clumpy output at espresso settings; a WDT tool helps
- Retains roughly 1–3 g at espresso settings, so it is not a natural single-doser
- No timer: dosing is by hand with the switch or pulse button
- Large jumps between clicks in the filter range
How it scored
The breakdown.
7.9Good
Gear score out of 10, weighted across five factors.
- Performance30%7.4
Grinds genuinely fine for espresso and very well for pour-over, but CoffeeGeek and Tom's Guide both flag clumpy, less uniform espresso output than pricier grinders.
- Build & reliability20%8.2
Plastic housing and a 1-year warranty, offset by M2 steel burrs, a quick-release burr and Baratza's parts and repair support (CoffeeGeek scored service/warranty 10/10).
- Ease of use15%8.4
Turn-the-hopper adjustment with visible numbers and an included dosing cup make it a near-zero learning curve, though retention and the lack of a timer add steps.
- Value20%7.8
$199.95 is fair for a grinder that covers espresso to French press, but CoffeeGeek lists 'not competitive at $200' as a con, and reviewers rate the same-priced Fellow Opus 2 the stronger buy.
- Community love15%8.4
A default first-grinder recommendation (Lance Hedrick titled his review 'Baratza Back On Top'), with enthusiasts noting its grind-quality ceiling.
Creator video reviews
Watch it in action.
2 positive
Independent creators, verified with YouTube and TikTok. We don’t pay for reviews and creators don’t pay us.
What people are saying
From the forums.
Verbatim from Reddit, forums and long-term owner write-ups — linked so you can read the full thread.
“The Encore ESP is a worthy upgrade over the original Encore, entirely due to how it grinds for espresso and the new innovative collar. We just wish it had a mechanical or digital timer, and had less grinds retention.”
“As for the clumping, I am sad to say the Encore ESP remains one of the more clumpy output grinders I’ve tested, at least at the espresso range.”
“For newcomers to espresso or specialty coffee brewing, there’s no doubt in my mind that the Baratza Encore ESP will be the ideal purchase. It’s so easy to use, there’s little to no learning curve, and it does grind good coffee.”
“A decent amount of coffee gets stuck in the chute, so I’d recommend cleaning this after every single use.”
Specifications
By the numbers.
- Model
- ZCG495
- Burrs
- 40 mm conical steel (M2)
- Grind settings
- 40 steps: 1–20 espresso micro-steps, 21–40 filter macro-steps
- Burr speed
- 550 RPM
- Grind speed
- 1.3 g/sec (setting 10) to 2.2 g/sec (setting 30)
- Bean hopper
- 300 g (10.6 oz)
- Grounds bin
- 120 g (4.2 oz)
- Dosing
- Manual on/off switch and front pulse button; dosing cup fits 54 mm portafilters, 58 mm adapter ring included
- Burr mount
- Quick-release cone burr
- Power
- 100–120 VAC, 50/60 Hz, 70 W
- Origin
- Designed in Seattle, WA; assembled in Taiwan
- Dimensions
- 13 × 15 × 34 cm (W × D × H)
- Power
- 70 W
- Warranty
- 1-year manufacturer warranty
- Brews
- Espresso, AeroPress, Pour-over, Drip machine, French press, Cold brew
- Typical price
- $199.95 for 1 grinder (black or white, 120 V) (checked October 2026)
Community
Member tasting notes & discussion.
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Discussion
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FAQ
Good questions.
Can the Encore ESP really grind for espresso?
Yes. Settings 1–20 are a dedicated espresso range with small steps between clicks, and Baratza's manual suggests setting 15 as a starting point for an 18 g dose of medium roast. CoffeeGeek measured about a 20-micron change per click in that range but found the output clumpy.
Is it good for pour-over?
Settings 21–40 cover AeroPress through French press; the manual suggests 25 for a Hario V60 and 30 for Chemex. CoffeeGeek found it performs very well for pour-over, though each filter-range click is a larger jump than on the original Encore.
Does it fit 58 mm portafilters?
The included dosing cup fits 54 mm portafilters, and a 58 mm adapter ring is in the box. You grind into the cup, place the portafilter upside-down on top, and flip both to dose.
How is it different from the original Encore?
The ESP uses the 40 mm M2 conical burr and a two-stage adjustment collar with fine espresso steps, and adds the portafilter dosing cup. The original Encore lacks the espresso-tuned steps.
Sources (9)
- baratza.com/en-us/product/encoretm-esp-zcg495
- assets.breville.com/ZCG495/manual-encoreesp-v1-0-en-010923.pdf
- coffeegeek.com/reviews/fullreview/baratza-encore-esp-grinder/
- tomsguide.com/home/home-appliances/baratza-encore-esp-review
- amazon.com/dp/B0BW272XCV
- beanscenemag.com.au/breville-group-acquires-baratza-for-84-million
- dailycoffeenews.com/2020/10/02/breville-acquires-us-grinder-maker-baratza-for-60-million
- coffeechronicler.com/fellow-opus-2-review/
- 9barbenchmark.com/grinders/fellow-opus-2-review
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