Baratza Encore Electric Burr Coffee Grinder

Product Information

Even the best burr grinders will produce some fines and boulders, but good grinders will yield a lot fewer of them, and the ones at the right size will be more consistently shaped, too.

Boulders brew too slowly and thus not long enough, giving you the weak, or even sour, flavors of under-extracted coffee. It works well for average home volumes as grind consistency doesn’t quite match the Virtuoso’s output.

While some claim that the Baratza Encore can grind fine enough for espresso, it really shines in manual brewing methods. The Baratza Encore uses a combination of gear and electronic speed reduction to control the rotation of the burr between 405 to 495 RPM.

If you love to experiment or feel there's more flavour to be had, I'd recommend getting one of these for sure. That said, I still have the fines to use if I want to and will be experimenting with adding them later in the brew process to see if I can recover the depth without over extraction. Storability/Portability: Baratza designed the Encore to fit comfortably under most kitchen cabinets. Manual grinders are also great for travel, as a backup if you don’t have electricity, or if you are trying to be extra quiet in the morning.With a manual hand grinder, features are also minimal: You can grind only about 18 to 35 grams at a time.

When debating between the Baratza Encore and Virtuoso+, consider this: Will an entry-level performer suit your brew, or do you need more? For the rest you, let me tell you this: Not only is the Encore the perfect beginner grinder – it also very likely that you won't ever need to upgrade ever again. A final benefit (that I kind of expected because I’m a nerd, but you might not) is that you’ll see reference to Baratza’s Encore coffee grinder all over the coffee world. Since then, coffee has taken me on countless adventures: From ancient coffee ceremonies in Ethiopia to the volcanos of Sumatra. There’s a central front pulse button in the center of the device while the power and grind setting are on the top and the side.Fifty quid does seem a lot for a small piece of plastic with a little metal sieve, however, it does it's job very well and if it improves my brew then it's actually a cheaper upgrade than just about anything else. To find the right grind setting on each machine for a taste test, and to test for grind-size consistency, we used the Kruve coffee sifter and guide. The reason that it is not a good idea to go much more coarse than that is that at the coarsest settings the particle size consistency does degenerate. This included grinding several hundred grams of dark and medium roasted coffee at various settings on each machine, and a visual test of grounds at various grind sizes to look at grind shape and consistency. No matter how you choose to make your coffee, even the best beans won’t be as delicious if they aren’t ground consistently.