Baratza Encore vs Encore ESP: Which to Buy | Bean & Burr

Baratza took the most-recommended first grinder and split it in two. The standard Encore covers gravity brewing — drip, pour-over, press — with legendary simplicity. The Encore ESP keeps that identity and rebuilds the adjustment system so the bottom of the range takes micro-steps through the espresso zone, where the standard model lurches. Add the 54/58mm dosing cup in the box and the ESP is what it says on the label: the Encore for espresso people.

The engineering difference is easy to picture. Espresso lives inside a razor-thin band of fineness — a single step too coarse gushes, one too fine chokes (why grind rules espresso). The standard Encore steps straight across that band; the ESP subdivides it, which is the entire difference between "technically reaches fine" and "can actually dial ina shot."

For gravity brewing the two are effectively the same grinder, and the standard Encore's lower price wins. So the comparison collapses to one question about your future, not your present: if there is anyrealistic chance an espresso machine enters your kitchen in the next few years, the ESP's modest premium is the cheapest espresso insurance you can buy — the alternative is replacing the grinder entirely.

The short answer

Quick picks

#	Product	Best for	Score	Price
01	Baratza Encore ESP The grinder to buy first. It does espresso AND filter, and Baratza will sell you every part.	The best all-round first grinder	8.4	$199.95Amazon
02	Baratza Encore The filter-coffee workhorse that's been the default recommendation for over a decade.	Filter, French press, and pour-over	7.6	$149.95Amazon

#ad · Live prices from the Amazon Product API, as of Jul 26, 2026. Where we have no verified live price, we show none — we would rather leave a gap than print a number that has rotted.

In detail

The picks, in full

The best all-round first grinder

Baratza Encore ESP

Conical burrEspresso + filter range40mm burrsFully rebuildable

8.4/10

The grinder to buy first. It does espresso AND filter, and Baratza will sell you every part.

Grind consistency: 8
Grind range: 9
Ease of use: 8
Build quality: 8
Value: 9

Pros

Unlike the plain Encore, the ESP has the fine range to actually grind for espresso — one grinder covers both worlds
Baratza's whole model is repairability: every part is sold individually, so this grinder is a decade-long purchase
Consistent enough to make the machine, not the grinder, your limiting factor at this price

Cons

Not a single-dose grinder — a little retention means a few stale grams between beans
For espresso-only use, dedicated espresso grinders offer finer adjustment (at a higher price)

Don't buy this if…

…you will only ever make filter coffee. Then you don't need the espresso range — the cheaper plain Encore does the filter job just as well.

$199.95View on Amazon

Price as of Jul 26, 2026. Prices change — Amazon's is the one that counts.

#ad · we may earn a commission from this link to Baratza Encore ESP

Filter, French press, and pour-over

Baratza Encore

Conical burr40 grind settingsFilter-range focusRebuildable

7.6/10

The filter-coffee workhorse that's been the default recommendation for over a decade.

Grind consistency: 8
Grind range: 6
Ease of use: 8
Build quality: 7
Value: 9

Pros

The long-standing answer to 'my first burr grinder' for drip and press — consistent where blade grinders are chaos
Same Baratza repairability: parts on the shelf, not landfill
Simpler and cheaper than the ESP if you never touch espresso

Cons

Doesn't grind fine enough for good espresso — that's what the ESP version is for
Basic looks and a plastic body that feels its price

Don't buy this if…

…there's any chance you'll get into espresso. The plain Encore can't grind fine enough for it — spend a little more on the Encore ESP and keep the option open.

$149.95View on Amazon

Price as of Jul 26, 2026. Prices change — Amazon's is the one that counts.

#ad · we may earn a commission from this link to Baratza Encore

The buying rule

Definitely-never espresso: standard Encore. Same brewing results where you live, money saved, nothing missed.

Espresso now or maybe ever: Encore ESP. It pairs naturally with the machines in our budget picks and the Gaggia path, and it still does everything the standard model does for filter coffee.

Already espresso-only? Also the ESP — though at that point compare it against the dedicated field in best grinders for espresso, where it competes on value rather than walking away with the category.

How we picked

We do not run a testing lab

We compiled published manufacturer specifications, computed what each option costs to run where relevant, and cross-referenced aggregated owner reviews, then scored each product against a published rubric. The scores are judgments from documented research — they are not measurements we took, because we do not have a lab and we are not going to pretend we do. Where a number came from a manufacturer or a standard, we name it in Sources.

Questions

Frequently asked

Is the Encore ESP worse at drip and pour-over than the regular Encore?

No — the coarse half of its range brews filter coffee just like the standard model. The redesign concentrates extra resolution at the fine end without giving anything up at the coarse end. The ESP is a superset, which is exactly why the buying rule tilts toward it on any espresso doubt.

Can the Encore ESP really dial in espresso?

Yes — that's its reason to exist, and within its price class it does the job properly: the micro-steps land usable settings between gush and choke on typical espresso roasts. It's still an entry grinder (single-dosing retention and workflow are basic), but the shots are real. See where it ranks in the espresso field.

What does the ESP's dosing cup actually do?

It bridges the grinder to your machine: grind into the cup, then tip cleanly into a 54mm or 58mm portafilter without the snowstorm. Small thing, daily payoff — and it signals the whole design intent: the ESP assumes a portafilter is in your life.

Keep reading

Receipts

Sources

We do not run a testing lab, and we do not pretend to. Where a measured number came from a manufacturer spec sheet or a published standard, we name it and link it. Where we could not verify something, we say so on the page rather than quietly leaving it out. Read our full method.