Baratza built the Encore ESP electric burr grinder around one idea: spend half of the dial on espresso. Of its 40 settings, the first 20 move the grind in small steps for dialing in a shot, and the last 20 cover filter coffee up to cold brew. It carries 40 mm conical steel burrs, a 300 g bean hopper and a 1-year warranty, and Baratza sells it for $199.95 on its US store.
What is the Baratza Encore ESP?
It is the espresso-capable version of the Encore, the entry grinder in the Baratza line, which now sits under the Breville USA group. Baratza describes it as optimized for precision, with grind resolution aimed at brewing "creamy, syrupy shots of espresso". Underneath that wording is a plain electric grinder with a bean hopper on top, a grind adjustment ring, a pulse button and an on/off switch. You turn the hopper to line its indicator up with a number between 1 and 40, and the grinder runs when you flip the switch or hold the pulse button.
The espresso kit is what separates it from a standard filter grinder. An espresso dosing cup and a dosing cup base come with it, plus a 58 mm adapter ring, so grounds can be tipped into either a 54 mm or a 58 mm portafilter. For filter coffee, a grounds bin with a maximum fill line takes its place.
Baratza Encore ESP specs
| Burrs | 40 mm conical steel (M2), quick-release mount |
|---|---|
| Settings | 40, with 1 to 20 for espresso and 21 to 40 for filter coffee |
| Bean hopper | 300 g (10.6 oz) |
| Grounds bin | 120 g (4.2 oz) |
| Motor | 70 W, 100-120 V, 550 RPM burr speed with no load |
| Speed to grind | 1.3 g/sec at setting 10 to 2.2 g/sec at setting 30 |
| Dosing | Manual, with a pulse button |
| Size | 13 x 15 x 34 cm |
| Made in | Taiwan, engineered in Seattle, WA |
| Warranty | 1 year, manufacturer |
Baratza does not publish a retention figure, a noise level or a body material for this model, so none are claimed here. The manual does mention a weighted base, a removable ring burr and plastic parts around the grind chamber, but it gives no weight for the base.
How the Baratza Encore ESP grind adjustment works
The adjustment is stepped, not stepless, and Baratza splits it into two ranges on purpose. In its manual, settings 1 to 20 are the espresso range, where each setting only changes the grind size by small amounts. Settings 21 to 40 are the filter coffee range, where each click makes a relatively larger change. That lets a 40-click ring reach from the finest espresso to the coarsest cold brew without needing a hundred stops.
The manual lists suggested starting settings for common methods: 15 for espresso, 22 for AeroPress, 25 for Hario V60, 28 for an automatic brewer, 30 for Chemex and 32 for French press. It adds that the espresso number assumes a medium roast and an 18 g dose, and that darker roasts or larger doses need a higher number. Those are starting points the maker gives, not results anyone here measured.
Two operating rules are worth knowing before you buy. The grinder has to be running or completely empty when you change the setting, which protects the burrs, and it will not start unless the hopper is installed. The burrs must never be washed in water, because the manual warns they will rust, and the hopper, lid and grounds bin are hand-wash only.
Baratza Encore ESP vs Baratza Encore ZCG485BLK
The closest comparison is the plain Baratza Encore ZCG485BLK. Both are electric grinders with 40 mm conical steel burrs, a 300 g hopper, a 70 W motor, a 1-year warranty and Taiwan assembly, as the maker pages show. Both are published with 40 settings. The ESP is the one with the espresso range split out and the dosing cup and 58 mm adapter ring in the box, and it costs $199.95 against $149.95 for the standard model on the maker prices we have.
If you only brew filter coffee, nothing on the spec sheet suggests the ESP gives you more. If a portafilter is in your future, the extra $50 buys a ring that was designed to give you fine steps where espresso needs them.
Baratza Encore ESP vs Baratza Virtuoso+
The Baratza Virtuoso+ is the step up, listed at $249.95. It shares the 40 mm conical steel burrs and the 300 g hopper, but adds a timer with 0.1-second resolution, where the ESP is manual dosing with a pulse button. That timer is the real difference: it lets you repeat a dose by time instead of by eye or by switching off at the right moment. On the published specs the ESP gives you a finer espresso range, and the Virtuoso+ gives you a timer. If you grind for espresso with a scale and are happy to stop the motor yourself, the ESP is the cheaper route. If you want to press a button and walk away, the timer matters more.
Baratza Encore ESP vs Fellow Opus 2
The Fellow Opus 2 Conical Burr Grinder is the rival most buyers weigh against the Encore ESP. It runs from espresso to cold brew on one stepless dial with 48 mm conical burrs, loads beans by the dose rather than from a hopper, and carries a 2-year warranty. The Encore ESP keeps a 300 g hopper and numbered steps that are easy to return to.
Is the Baratza Encore ESP worth it?
For a first espresso grinder at this tier, the case is the dial. Many entry electric grinders offer a single sweep of settings with the same step size from end to end, so the fine end is crowded. Giving the first 20 settings to espresso is a design choice that favors people who actually pull shots, and Baratza backs it with a parts and repair program that its own pages list under Warranty and Repairs. The warranty itself is 1 year, which is short next to the 5 years some brewers carry, so the repair route is part of the value.
What you give up is also on the sheet. There is no timer, no built-in scale, no single-dose hopper and no published retention figure. The hopper holds 300 g, which suits keeping a bag of beans loaded but means beans sit in the grinder between uses. If you buy light roasts in small bags and weigh every dose, a single-dose grinder from the grinders category may suit you better.
Who should buy the Baratza Encore ESP (and who should not)
It suits the household that owns, or is about to buy, a machine with a 54 mm or 58 mm portafilter and also brews filter coffee a few mornings a week, so one grinder has to do both jobs. It also suits a buyer who prefers a brand that sells replacement parts and publishes its own repair program.
It is a poor fit if you grind only for a French press or pour over, because the standard Encore covers that for less. It is also a poor fit if you want a timer, a built-in scale or a stepless dial for chasing a recipe, or if you grind one dose at a time and want almost nothing left behind in the chute.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the Baratza Encore ESP grind fine enough for espresso?
Baratza designs it for espresso and states that settings 1 to 20 are the espresso range. It ships with a dosing cup and a 58 mm adapter ring for portafilters. How a given shot tastes depends on your machine and beans, which nobody here has tested.
How many grind settings does it have?
Forty, in stepped clicks. The first 20 make small changes for espresso, and the last 20 make larger changes for filter coffee, French press and cold brew.
Does it fit a 54 mm portafilter as well as a 58 mm one?
Yes. The manual says the dosing cup and 58 mm adapter ring transfer coffee into either size. For a 54 mm portafilter you remove the adapter ring before dosing.
Does the Baratza Encore ESP have a timer or scale?
No. Baratza lists dosing as manual. You start it with the switch or hold the pulse button, and it stops when you release or switch off. There is no built-in scale.
Can I put the hopper or grounds bin in the dishwasher?
No. The manual says to hand wash the hopper, hopper lid and grounds bin, and tells you never to wash the burrs with water or they will rust.
What warranty does it have and where is it made?
The warranty is 1 year from the manufacturer. Baratza lists assembly in Taiwan and engineering in Seattle, Washington.
