How likely you would be griding your own coffee if you would know that there is no added benefit over preground coffee?
None, right?
But thanks God we haven’t waisted all these years of grinding for nothing since benefits are obvious and can be felt instantly.
But would you grind if the grinding process would be very complex and time-consuming?
Chances are you wouldn’t be grinding at all and that is with high probability.
The modern world is at such a high pace that spending too much time on one part of coffee preparation would seem completely unacceptable. That only true coffee enthusiasts would keep the grinding sacred.
So why another Baratza Encore Conical Burr Coffee Grinder Review?
Because it deserves this of its qualities for consumers: By being affordable, simple to use, on par with the world moving so quickly, and it covers you from A to Z or from Turkish/Espresso grind to Cold Brew/French Press.
Table of Contents
What Baratza Encore Conical Burr Coffee Grinder Brings To The Table?
- 40 mm stainless steel conical burr
- 40 grind settings for a wide range of brewing methods
- User-friendly pulse button and on/off dial switch
- Easy to clean
- Bean hopper capacity of 8 oz (227 g)
- Grounds chamber capacity of 5 oz (142 g)
- Weighs 6.83 lbs (109 oz)
- Hard plastic body construction
- Has a powerful motor
- Has excellent customer service
Baratza Encore coffee grinder is an entry-level product of the company. Some people find the product expensive for an entry-level category, but we think Encore is fairly priced for its versatility and functionality.
In the following section, you will find a more detailed review of the Baratza Encore to help you know if it’s the right grinder you want for your daily brewing satisfaction.
Going Deeper
Baratza Encore is popular for expensive high-end coffee burr grinder products, and it’s unusual for the brand to offer a product under $200 like the Baratza Encore coffee grinder. It is why many coffee lovers who cannot afford Baratza want to experience having one through the Encore model.
Is the Encore grinder worth the review of many coffee enthusiasts like us? Read on, and let’s find out.
Stainless Steel Burrs
The Baratza Encore uses a 40 mm cone-shaped stainless steel burrs, which produces a consistent grind size perfect enough for espresso and to French press brewing methods. The burrs are manufactured in Europe to ensure durability and sharpness that lasts for years.
Consistent grind size is very important to coffee enthusiasts to match their brewing methods. The flavor extraction is maximized if the ground is consistent, resulting in a richer coffee taste and captivating aroma perfect for any brewing methods like espresso, AeroPress, French, and drip coffee.
Powerful Motor
One of the most neglected factors in choosing coffee grinders is the motor. A good burr is useless with a weak motor as it will affect the quality of the grind.
Baratza Encore is equipped with a powerful DC motor that drives the burr with less effort. The high torque motor is designed to turn slowly for quiet and cooler operation, thus allowing lengthy grinding operations, and when it gets hot due to prolonged operation, the thermal cut-off circuitry resets to prevent damage.
Grind Adjustment
The Baratza Encore is a versatile burr grinder for having a 40-selection grind adjustment for a wide range of coffee brewing methods you want. The Encore can grind anything from espresso, Hario V60, Aeropress, French press, Chemex, and other automatic brewers.
Setting the grind is as simple as turning the hopper to the desired ground texture, where the lower numbers represent finer grind and the higher numbers for a coarser texture. Based on a series of tests and experiences, the Encore can produce ground size anywhere from 250 to 1200 microns.
Below are the suggested settings for the type of brew you might want with your Encore.
- Espresso – 8
- Aeropress – 12
- Hario V60 – 15
- Automatic Brewer – 18
- Chemex – 20
- French Press – 28
User-friendly
The Baratza Encore is a very simple grinder to use with its user-friendly design. The dial-type on/off switch and the pulse button in the front makes grinding a piece of cake.
Easy Clean-up
Another feature of the Baratza Encore is it’s easy to clean. Unlike other coffee grinders that require tools to remove other parts, the Encore requires no tools to take the burrs for cleaning.
Warranty and Customer Support
Warranty is often overlooked when choosing a product, and most people don’t realize that it’s an indicator of the durability and fine craftsmanship of a brand. The Baratza Encore is backed with a 1-year limited warranty and additionally, the company is known for world-class customer service and support.
How To Set Up Baratza Encore?
So you got your grinder, what is the next step? Watch this video from Baratza
Baratza Encore Grinder Alternatives
As mentioned earlier, we’re here to help you find the burr grinder that your heart desires. It is difficult to decide if you only get to see a single product, and being true to our words, we picked 3 more grinders for you to compare.
If you feel you want to see more products other than the Baratza Encore, then we’re delighted to help you more. Let’s see how the following products appeal to you.
Capresso Infinity 565.04 Grinder
Capresso Metal Infinity Burr Grinder – $119.99
Retail Price: $149.99
You Save: $30.00
from: 1st in Coffee
Capresso Infinity has almost the same price as the Baratza Encore and is also equipped with a commercial-grade, hard steel cone-shaped burrs. This grinder has only 16 grind settings but is capable of grinding very fine grounds perfect for brewing Turkish coffee.
The Infinity is also featured with a timer setting so you don’t have to keep on pressing the grind button during operation. You can simply set the timer and do something else like preparing the cups or the coffee maker for later brewing.
- Commercial-grade cone-shaped burrs
- 16 grind selector settings
- Heavy-duty zinc die-cast body construction
- Hopper capacity of 8.8 oz (194 g)
- Grounds Bin capacity of 4 oz (113 g)
- Easy to clean
- Has a built-in timer that can be set from 5 to 60 seconds
De’Longhi KG521 Dedica Grinder
De’Longhi KG521 is a bit expensive than the Baratza Encore but is also a nice alternative for its nice stainless steel finish body and the LCD screen control panel. If you love espresso, then this can be a great choice because of its feature where you can grind directly to a portafilter.
Another good feature of this grinder is the grounds bin, which can also function as an air-tight container. So, if you want to keep some fresh grounds for later use, this one is good to consider.
- Stainless steel cone-shaped burr grinder
- 18 grind selector settings
- Three adjustable grind strengths (light, moderate, strong)
- LCD screen control panel
- Grind directly to the portafilter using the included the adapter
- Bean hopper capacity of 12 oz (350 g)
- Stainless steel body construction
- Grounds bin doubles as an air-tight container
OXO Brew Grinder
The OXO Brew uses a 40 mm cone-shaped burrs made of stainless steel, a standard for creating consistent grounds for better coffee flavor extraction. It has 15 grind settings to let you choose a variety of brewing methods you want from espresso to French press.
The OXO Brew also has a built-in timer so you can set how much ground you produce, the longer the time setting the more grounds you get. Additionally, the large hopper and grounds container can accommodate more than enough to serve 12 cups of freshly brewed joe.
- 40 mm stainless steel cone-shaped burrs
- 15 grind selector settings
- Large capacity hopper of 12 oz (340 g)
- Grounds container can hold 3.88 oz (110 g)
- Has one-touch timer that retains the last setting
- Stainless steel body construction
For more details see our review of OXO Brew Conical Burr Coffee Grinder.
Who Are Baratza?
Baratza started in the year 1999 by Kyle Anderson and Kyra Kennedy, coining the name from an Arabic and Swahili word meaning, a place where locals come together to drink coffee. From then on, Baratza developed state-of-the-art coffee grinders and continued to make innovations to be the best in the industry.
The company has three goals and maintained to keep them up until now, in which their top goal is to support the Specialty Coffee Community. The second goal is continuous product development and innovations, making their grinders the finest in the industry.
Lastly, the company’s goal of providing excellent customer service is still faithfully practiced. Any queries or product defects are professionally dealt with, giving prompt answers and guidance to customers, and that includes honoring product warranties.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How to Clean the Encore Coffee Grinder?
The Encore is designed for easy cleanup, and we prepared a short guide for you.
- Remove the Bean Hopper – Before removing the hopper, please empty any remaining coffee beans and press the pulse button to grind any remnants through the grinder. Turn the hopper counterclockwise then pull it up.
- Remove the Ring Burr – Look for the black silicone gasket and pull it off. Turn the grind adjustment fully counterclockwise. Hold the lifting tabs to pull the ring blade out of the grinder.
- Wash the removable parts – Wash with warm soapy water all the removable parts such as the hopper and the grounds bin. Rinse thoroughly and dry. Clean the burrs with a soft brush.
- Replace the parts – Replace the parts in the exact reverse order, and ensure the burrs seat properly by wiggling and pushing it down.
How often should I Clean my Baratza Encore?
It is recommended to clean the Encore at least once a month following the easy cleanup steps. It is also recommended to use cleaning tablets once every 4 – 5 months, and please never use rice to clean your Baratza grinder.
Is Baratza Encore Good for Espresso?
Yes, the Encore is good for espresso brew as it can produce between 250 to 1200 microns of ground coffee, and espresso is best made with grind size between 250 and 500 microns.
How do You Calibrate the Baratza Encore?
Generally, your grinder doesn’t need recalibration, but in case you need to do so, please follow the steps carefully below.
The tools you need is a flat head screwdriver and a #0 Phillips screwdriver.
- Remove the on/off dial knob by pulling it away from the body.
- Place the flat head screwdriver in the casing gap and gently push inside.
- Pull up gently to undo the clips holding the case from the frame.
- Do the same steps to the other side until all four clips are undone.
- Pull up the case in a vertical position.
- Find the black ring and rotate it clockwise until you see three small windows in the white ring, where you’ll find a small Phillips screw.
- With the grinder facing you, the 3 small windows are located on the right side of the unit.
- The left window is for a coarse setting and the right for a fine setting.
- If you need to calibrate the fine setting, remove the screw and place it in the fine setting (you should see two screw holes for each window).
- Turn the black ring fully counterclockwise to align the bean hopper easily later.
- Replace the silicone dust skirt and the plastic casing until all clips snap on to their places.
- Replace the on/off dial knob.
- Replace the hopper and line it with the 40 setting marker.
- Try your newly calibrated Encore.
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We hope you get all the information that you need from our Encore review. If there is anything you need to ask or something is not clear, please don’t hesitate to use the comments box.
We, at Barbearista, are always willing to help. Happy grinding!
Your trustworthy friend,
Barbearista