Baratza Encore Review

Choosing the right coffee grinder is the most important decision you’ll make on your craft coffee journey. The size, freshness, and quality of a grind affect how your coffee will taste.

The Encore is the perfect grinder for you if you’re new to home-brewing. It’s a basic model and doesn’t have the convenience functions that you’ll find in higher-priced grinders, but it doesn’t compromise on quality like some cheaper options.

If you’re experienced and you want a more versatile grinder with extra features, the Breville Smart Grinder Pro with a digital timer and dose control is a good option.

The Encore doesn’t have an anti-static function so the bin can get sticky with grounds and can be difficult to clean. If this is a deal-breaker, check out the Bodum Bistro which has a borosilicate grounds bin that is specially designed to combat static cling.

If your budget doesn’t stretch to the Encore, the Capresso Infinity Conical Burr Grinder is a good alternative. It has similar consistency but is around half the price.

Features and Benefits of the Baratza Encore

Design And Durability

The durability of the design is the real highlight of this grinder.

It has 40 mm conical stainless steel burrs which are extremely resilient and rotate at 550RPM. This is on the slow side, but the advantage is that the grinder doesn’t get too hot and it keeps the noise to a minimum. It also extends the overall lifespan.

The recently revamped gearbox is so quiet you can chat easily while your beans are being ground. The gears are made of 15% glass-filled thermoplastic which significantly increases their durability. They are designed to stop quickly without jamming so there’s less risk of internal damage.

Most parts of the Encore are made of high-quality plastic, with the exception of the heavy metal ballast which stabilizes it. The ballast makes the machine heavier than expected, but it’s not over the top and is otherwise neat and compact.

Baratza intentionally designed the machine to easily fit under most kitchen cabinets without compromising on power. It measures 13.3 inches tall by 5.5 inches wide.

The sleek exterior is made of plastic but doesn’t look cheap. It wouldn’t look out of place in an artisan coffee shop, so you can rest assured that your friends will be impressed!

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Ease Of Use

As long as you use average-sized coffee beans, the Encore is a breeze to use. The hopper has 40 size-adjustment settings in graduated positions along the base, allowing you to switch easily from Pour Over to French Press or anywhere in between.

Larger beans don’t feed as well through the hopper and may get stuck, leaving you with leftover, unground beans.

The Encore doesn’t have all the bells and whistles you’d expect to find on a more expensive grinder, but it doesn’t need them. Once you know the number of beans you need for your preferred coffee style, you can simply switch the machine on and wait for your perfect brew.

A 2-way on/off switch is on the side while the pulse grinding button is on the front. To adjust your grind size, you simply twist the hopper to your choice of the 40 settings.

The catch bin collects the loose grounds, but some users have found that static causes the grounds to stick inside, meaning it’s messier to clean than some of its competitors.

Special Features

The Encore is a basic model, but it has some tricks up its sleeve.

The thermal overload cutout ensures that the motor doesn’t overheat with excessive use, which is essential if you’re making multiple coffees quickly.

We also previously mentioned the anti-jam feature which is unusual to find in an entry-level grinder. 

Another surprise is the conical burr grinder calibration system which is more commonly found in commercial grinders. Although it’s fairly basic, we loved that we could adjust the calibration ourselves and control the range of each grind.

Perhaps the best feature is the easy-to-remove burrs. You can do this with no tools so cleaning the machine is straightforward.

In terms of accessories which you can buy at extra cost, Baratza offers a hopper extender that adds an additional 9 oz. capacity to the existing 8 oz hopper.

Social Proof

There’s nothing like a peer review to help you make the choice, so we’ve scoured the internet for user reviews and found some generally positive comments.

What stood out was the number of positive reviews about customer service. If anything went wrong with their Encores, users unanimously applauded Baratza for their swift and satisfactory resolution of the problem. Many users also commented on the superior grind quality and consistency.

Some users mentioned frustration with persistent clogging. Those who contacted Baratza support found they resolved the problem with instructions.

Our takeaway is that this is a grinder where you’ll want to read and follow the instructions carefully to get the best experience.

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