Baratza - Encore

I'm just getting started as well - only been using my Encore for about 13 years now. 

Save up for a baratza encore esp. Mine is the old baratza encore. Had it for 3 years now and it still makes good coffee. Cheap na lang ngayon parang 14k ata. Bought it from amazon for 8k php back then, bnew.

I bought a Baratza Encore about 3 years ago and have been happy with the range and consisting of grind size for French press to Aeropress.

A bonus of the Encore and Baratza grinders in general: you can get parts and fix them. I've replaced almost everything on my Virtuoso

This is the best grinder for 99.999% of people

It’s also super easy to fix. I’m not a savant of diy electronics repair, but I was able to fix my encore (6ish years into owning it) when it stopped working. I was grinding super fine for espresso and left it running too long. It got compacted in the chute and clogged it. It took about 20 minutes to find a video and execute the cleaning. It was interesting to see the inside of the machine, and you can tell they use quality components. It was also nice to realize that I could very easily fix any part that were to break, but there aren’t all that many parts that could go wrong to begin with.

I’m going to try to answer your post directly here based on my opinions and experiences, but feel free to ask anything else. 1. 1zpresso X series unless you don’t mind a larger size. Then the K series is better. J is supposed to be better for espresso grind - you can dial in finer grind sizes. Q series can fit inside some of the aeropress models. It is small and uses a different adjustment and grinder that I did not prefer. So the K is the splurge or Cadillac. 1zpresso have great service, are widespread if you need new parts, and they are one of the many grinders entered in the Aeromatic app. For an electric grinder, Baratza Encore is reasonable (conical burr). I believe the splurge is the Fellow Ode gen 2. Cadillac is Fellow Ode g2 with upgraded SSP burr set. (Flat burr). Whatever you use to grind. The RDT method (a couple ml spray of water on the beans before you grind) does make your grind produce less static and helps with consistency- in my own experience. 2. For more available coffee recommendations, I like Stumptown Hairbender, or Blue Bottle stuff, Intelligencia whatever. All good, not great. For less accessible top notch: Stovetop Tilly in Grand Rapids MI, Brooklyn Roasting Company Tokyo blend, Anthology Coffee Detroit is very Fancy, CoffeeShop in San Francisco - their Columbia coffee. Dark Matter Chicago Unicorn Blood, Dark Matter Funk 17 (aeropress shot tasted like black cherry and dark chocolate. My head exploded.) Hope this helps. Always happy to chat coffee! Happy Holidays!

The Aeromatic app is very well designed. The encore is a decent grinder, and quite loud. I think the 1zpresso X or K series are much better, but they are hand powered.

I used timemore C2 for a year and later moved to Baratza encore since I was brewing 6-8 cups a day Now when I’m back to brewing 2 cups - I prefer the manual grinder

1) Baratza Encore is always the answer 2) Electric 3) Whatever you can get that freshest and local typically - I have “me” beans (local) and beans for company (Caribou medium roast)

Baratza encore seems like the next logical step for you. Then upgrade to the M2 burr.

Yep. For the price it’s great. And their company motto “don’t dump it, fix it!” Is very BIFL.

You don’t need to hold the bottom on the Baratza. It’s an on/off switch. The encore is an excellent option.

This part! Disgusting Kuerig coffee is what led me to researching and finding out about AP in the first place. Even cheap grocery store coffee tastes 100X better. Of course, 1 Baratza Encore and much better beans later, coffee is the highlight of my day…lol!

Could you expound on why that is, because I’ve been wondering? I only discovered the AP about 6 months ago and am obsessed. I got a Baratza Encore for Christmas which I love. However, my favorite coffee so far is a Lavazza (Opera Intenso) that doesn’t come in whole beans but is still absolutely amazing.

I started with a Bodum burr grinder. Worked well for my needs. Luckily i stumbled across an Encore on facebook marketplace for $60. Clean, well maintained. The guy I bought it off of chatted about coffee for almost an hour when I picked it up. Dude was meticulous. Didn’t keep beans in the hopper, weighed and ground daily. Cleaned monthly Check out marketplace. I’m certain you can find a great grinder significantly cheaper than new. Run a couple cups of rice through it to clean it, brush out as much as you can. The first grind after cleaning is sacrificial Edit-werds r hard

I had one of those and upgraded to a Baratza encore years ago. I'd get the newer encore esp now. I have the fellow ode gen 2 now and would not recommend it for your needs.

ESP is more towards espresso > Aeropress > Pourover, the regular encore is more Aeropress > Pourover > chemex > French Press.

I can't comment--I've never had an Opus. I have had a Baratza Encore (still do), which is in the same ballpark and it had too many fines for my liking for pour-over/filter brews. Additionally, for everything I've read/watched regarding the Opus, the reviews have never left me feeling like I'm missing out on anything.

Just upgraded from an encore to an ode 2!!! Do it

If you are using a pressurized basket then almost any grinder makes something that tastes half decent. If you want to move away from a pressurized basket (which you should) but want to stay under 100 on the grinder, look for any reputable grinder on FB market place used for cheap. I got a Baratza Encore not ESP model for $60 and with some adjustments I can make great espresso with a medium to dark roast bean.

I agree with you besides the fact that I got it for $60 and with adjustments the last 3-5 ticks can make espresso for dark to medium roast. I wouldnt be buying a brand new one for espresso, i would even consider buying something other than the esp for espresso if there are options. Used something is better than someone never getting into a hobby just because they cant get the best of the best though.

a hand grinder will make great coffee at a lower price if you’re interested, can’t beat the kingrinder P1/2 for like 30$ if you’ve never ground your own beans. moving up the K6 can be found for ~100$. after that you probably wanna look at 1zpresso lineup. electric grinder you could get a baratza encore for a true budget option, then the df54 for the most bang for your buck. after that you’ll see diminishing returns and prices really increase, the rabbit hole is deep, but start small.

Baratza Encore if you don't really need to grind for espresso (or simply don't want to buy some crap that will break just after warranty period instead of working for decades).

I bought the Barraza encore and I’m on my second one. They only lasted me six months and now the second one is broken so I wouldn’t suggest that one.

I have a niche, a bartza encore, a zepresso jmax, an ek43. The niche does just fine

Baratza encore if doing cold brews/ pour overs/ aeropress. You can get them for cheap on carousel. The good thing about baratza is that if something spoils, you can buy a spare part to fix it. It bought it to replace my bodum which died.

Capresso burr grinder for the best buy, baratza encore for best overall. Picked up my capresso for around 80 or 90.

I have a baratza encore. I get my whole beans from HomeGoods. They carry various varieties of 12oz whole bean bags for around $7.99. I usually get BKG bags from them and try other unique roasters when they have em (https://bkgcoffee.com). Normally the roast date is not on the package but I never had an issue with freshness they taste great. I feel it’s a good compromise for non grocery store coffee and not paying $12-$16 for same size bags at small local coffee shops.

yeah can't rec the encore enough. is it cheaper than $150 anywhere? [that's what i'm seeing it for on amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084HNY3BG/?tag=bestcatreivew-20)

Original Encore is not suitable for espresso. Only the more expensive ESP version is. K6 will be **much** better than any electric at your price range, including the Dose Control. If you don't mind a bit of a workout, go for it!

Ok if you have the Cuisinart grinder, basically anything is an upgrade. Which is good! * The Oxo burr grinder is an entirely ok starter grinder.  * The Fellow Ode is excellent. * The Baratza Encore is very well regarded. 

At your price point, probably the Encore. There are some other interesting grinders if you don't mind spending a bit more. Grind quality wise, hand grinders will be the best value..especially at your price point...but your partner coming from a blade grinder, basically anything will be a step up.

As an Encore user (standard, not the ESP), I’m seconding this. I don’t have experience with hand grinders myself beyond a super basic one, but I’ve been making some upgrades to my gear lately that have put me off of the Encore a bit for my uses. I run a healthy blend of AeroPress, MokaPot, V60, Switch, and the occasional French Press brew, but in all of those cases I’m brewing for myself like OP. I’m not really thrilled with the dispenser on the Encore, although that’s with the stock bin and hopper. It’s kind of hard to dose out from the tall rectangular bin, and I get a lot of chafe and whatnot falling around it when I remove it. If OP buys the Encore and immediately gets some accessories, that drives up the cost. The hopper also seems to rattle a bit more at finer grind settings, and it is a big hopper that can be awkward to clean. Again, Baratza makes a dedicated dosing cup to swap it out with, but that adds cost. I think it’s more ideal for larger brew methods and was designed with that in mind. This isn’t meant to be a dig on the Encore overall. I’ve been using mine for 2 years now, and I only noticed these headaches more recently as I really began trying to nail my Moka Pot brew down and got the V60 and Switch. It’s been reliable and has helped me figure out what I want. If OP has that same experience with a cheaper but equally good hand grinder, that’s a win. I would never get rid of mine for a hand grinder, but it’s taught me a lot as I think about my next grinder (looking at a potential espresso setup). Mild tangent, and I’m tacking this on the end deliberately, but if OP is someone who might want to show friends some coffee, the hand grinder may have a use there. I had some really nice specialty coffee recently that I would’ve loved to swing by a friend’s place after work, grind, and brew with them, but I felt constrained by being tethered to pre-grinding at home. OP already has a third of a mobile setup with the AeroPress and Moka Pot; hand grinding might synergize well with that. Again, I’ve never really owned a dedicated hangrinder, so take this as some reflections from someone who wonders if that path would have been better for me and be better for OP

Thank you. This was a nice opportunity to do a “my first grinder retrospective”, especially since I’m currently eyeing a proper espresso setup and want to identify where I can be better

The very reliable, tried & true Baratza Encore

I agree. I have the Encore and it's pretty slow and the ground coffee collection hopper would need to be emptied a few times for a 2lb batch. It's not suitable for large batches, it's more of a 1 grind per drink or 1 grind per day type machine.

I’ve had my Baratza Encore grinder since 2023 and been using it everyday since. Do I need to replace the burrs?

If you just want one, get a decent coffee burr that can do fine & coarse. Might cost more but you won’t hate your first latte or espresso. If I had to pick: Baratza Encore or Breville Smart Grinder Pro.

I have the Oxo grinder and it works great, but I wish I dropped more $ for the Encore because it’s repairable so it will probably last longer (part of the reason why I bought a moccamaster in the first place). As far as I understand, the grinder bits will wear out down the road. Trying to move away from disposable cheap appliances to ones that are repairable where I can.

I was a hard-core French Press user for many years and got a Baratza Encore. I now use an AeroPress but using it in a French Press style. The Encore continues to serve me very well and would recommend as a good "bang for the buck" option.

I jumped from a cheap $40 grinder to the Encore. It went against my nature to buy such an "expensive" appliance just for coffee. Totally worth it.

That's not true, they go plenty fine enough. Yours is either broken (burr holder tabs) or not calibrated to the fine side of the spectrum. a 10 on the adjustment wheel usually chokes most espresso machines when calibrated to the fine side.

The Baratza Encore is a conical burr grinder that does everything from press, to drip, to espresso at a reasonable price.

I bought a Baratza Encore grinder because I read many reviews and recommendations that said it’s a good grinder for the price (around US$150). I’ve had it for about two years. I like it. I am not a hardcore fanatic about making coffee. I buy good beans. I use my Baratza. I use my Moka Pot. I like the results.

I had a Baratza Encore and recently upgraded to a Fellow Ode Gen2. Ode has great consistency and works great for my AeroPress around the 2.5 mark (1-10, 1 smallest). On course grind for cold brew the Ode has gotten jammed a few times, so I break out my old Encore for chunky grind duties.

It sounds like you have two pretty different use cases. For your husband a standard baratza encore would work well. An encore is also decent for pourover, but adding a second nice hand grinder is probably the best way to do things. To get a nice electric that rivals nice hand grinders you would need to increase your budget a good amount.

I had a ton of success with the baratza encore, but it is probably better suited for espresso and not pour overs. After upgrading to the sculptor 78s, I realized the encore produced a ton of fines even at the coarse settings I used for pour overs.

Nope! But with the encore there is no space between the grinder output and the container. You’d have to add that extra filtering step on your own. TBH I just got used to the fines — some small differences with brew time due to clogged paper and small difference in taste. I guess I have a high tolerance for those variables.

I had to replace them once with the stock burrs because the holder broke. I think it took maybe 4-5 years before that happened. TBH I didn’t think I had a fines problem until I got the sculptor, and even now I’m not 100% sure it’s a big deal. It could be that my wife started drinking espresso and so switching between two grind sizes daily was what produced the fines. Overall I highly recommend the encore (and hear great things about the encore ESP).

I should also add .. I’m not sure “a ton of fines” is accurate. It definitely produced less uniform grinds than, say, the sculptor (visually obvious, not just suspicion). It also had poor retention so I had to add a bellow.

So I’m gonna go sideways here for a second. Honestly just get a grinder that can do large quantities. Manual burr grinders are a pain and overkill. If you’re going to be brewing larger batches, then definitely get an electric grinder. That being said I don’t believe you need grinder more than $50 at all. The Oxo may serve you best and they are dozens on FB marketplace (at least in my location.) You just need something that will grind coarse. My recommendation for a quality brew is consistency. Get the same bean every time while learning. Local coffee shops that roast their own beans would be a good bet. I personally get dark roast with chocolate and hazelnut notes. Measure. Measure. Measure. You will be working with ratios and be consistent. I like 200 grams of coffee to 64 oz of water. When serving it’s 50/50 coffee to water with a bit of milk. So I would literally write what you do down so you can replicate it. Lastly it’s important to note that cold brew tastes better after being in the fridge 24 hours after brewing. Even better after 48 hours. Getting good at ratios and replicating your craft is what will make a great brew. Once you get that down and are able to splurge a bit more with a grinder.. you will then be able to mess around with different coarseness. For now, cheaper grinder and the coarsest setting. Anyone pushing an encore for only cold brew is nuts. I got an encore esp recently because I still want to brew cold brew in large batches AND grind for espresso. That being said if FB marketplace Gods bless you then get one lol

(1) Scale with a tare function.  Get one that doesn't turn off too fast. (2) Infrared thermometer. Tells you when your pan or griddle is hot enough and when it's too hot.  Will also tell you if your HVAC is blowing hot or cold air and how hot your sidewalk is. (3) Slotted spatula  The Baratza Encore is our coffee grinder. One downside is that I'm always cleaning up the little bit of ground coffee that escaped.

When I worked in an office I used to use a manual coffee grinder. While fun at first I hope to never, ever have to grind by hand again. I found it became tedious to do so. I’d vote electric. As others said the Encore is a great choice for middle of the road and quality to price ratio. And speaking of ratios, pick one and stick with it (I ended up using the suggested 55g to 1 L of water), with whatever grinder you get brew a pot too bitter (fine grounds) on purpose, then do one too sour (too coarse) so you have those tastes in mind. Now keep dialing finer until you start to taste too much bitter for your liking. You now have the starting point for future bags of coffee. Maybe a bit finer for light coffee, a bit coarser for dark. Or just set it no forget it.

To add a bit of context to what others have said (more expensive grinders provide a more even grind, are higher quality for durability or fix ability) the reason the consistent grind is important is extraction of the coffee from the rounds. One wouldn’t get the same result if the grind size changes every time you brew. But it is a bit more in that in that lesser grinders produce more solvable fines in the grounds. These fines actually dissolve and end up in your coffee giving it more of an off flavor than if they were not in there. I’d actually suggest a good grinder is just as or even more important than a good coffee maker. The Encore you reference is good for the price, not doubt. I used one for years.

Hand grinder.. $60 or baratza encore @ $100 used / refurbed. Difference in either of these vs pre ground is night and day.

I did espresso with a Gaggia Classic and original encore for a year plus and it was adequate, but the ESP is better suited..

Honestly? Baratza encore is easily your best choice that’s not a hand grinder

They’re great! I’ve had quite a few grinders, currently use a Timemore 064s w/ SSP Lab Sweet burrs. But if I ever had to restart my setup on a budget the encore would easily be my choice and I’d be perfectly happy.

I have the Baratza Encore as well. I use the same grinder position (22) for both French Press and cold brew. I use position 19 for my Aeropress. Very happy with the Encore.

I own a Baratza Encore (electric) grinder for everyday use and also a genetic manual grinder. The two grinders take relatively the same amount of time for my 21g dose. They both have pros and cons. The electric is great for making multiple cups of coffee at a time. Being hands free it saves time for other coffee making tasks. It is also loud and significantly larger. The manual grinder limits you in terms of bean capacity, but for one cup and travel it is great. It is small and quiet. Personally, I own both because I go camping and on roadtrips in my RV where space is limited and I do not want to take my electric grinder. The added bonus with my manual grinder is that it grinds finer than my electric, so it doubles as my espresso grinder. After having an electric grinder for years, I very quickly fell in love with my inexpensive manual grinder, but only if I am making one cup of coffee.

New Baratza Encore. Tons of positive reviews. The best at that price point.

I got a Normcore V2 for $77, which is not a very popular option but I'm happy with it so far. It got some good comments on ytb about its quality in the price range. But recently I switched to a second-handed Baratza Encore for $100 and I couldn't be more happy with it, because it's electric and I got to make multiple cups of coffee without sore arms.

Opus actually does very well for filter, especially if this is going to be your first electric grinder. Hard to beat the cost. I’m sure you wouldn’t be able to tell much of a difference unless you’re really into coffee. The Baratza encore is also good for filter (not the esp version).

The Encore is a decent machine for medium to large grind sizes, but isn't very good for Espresso.

I think so if you plan to stick to Mokapot and French press a baratza encore should be good enough unless you want the grinder to be espresso capable … even G5 is good along with being espresso capable… let me know if you want some discount on the G5 , you can use my link to get a 10% off

Encore is a great entry machine. And has a great range for going course with cold brew and almost fine enough for great espresso. You can’t go wrong with these options but like others have said, make sure you really plan to use it and enjoy the workflow before dropping $200. But if you’re committed to the game, welcome!

First - encore and virtuoso have the same motor (I’m 90% sure) so noise won’t be better. What do you mean by “fussy”? the ode is quieter and faster - I think the speed is really the thing that you’ll appreciate. I hear (ha) the Eureka Silenzio is very quiet. Lots of good grinders out there, take a look at r/pourover if you want more ideas

In my experience the encore needs way more cleaning than the ode lol. Not sure what you mean by “suitable for an office”, though. They’re both good grinders. Don’t stress yourself financially - the ode is nice and I really like the coffee it produced but it is not literally twice as good as the encore.

Baratza Encore. Want to do more espresso (while still on the cheap)? Baratza Encore ESP. That's the most budget I would go. There's some hand grinder options but I'll let someone else talk about that.

Atom 75 for espresso and encore plus for filter

My Niche will grind 50 grams in one go, 40 with room. That’s not enough for 3 cups for you? What’s your recipe. Someone else here recommended the Encore. Good grinder for drip but louder and with more static. Not a lateral move

I had a Baratza Encore that held up to heavy-duty use for years before the motor gave out. I replaced it with a Virtuoso five years ago and gave the old one away to someone who might repair it. About a week later, the electrical tinkerer reached out and said that she fixed it for something like $50 including expedited shipping and would I like it back? I had already settled on the upgrade so was happy to give it away, but even more impressed by Baratza that they could get out a replacement motor within a few days including shipping so cheaply for the new owner!

I've been happy with my baratza encore esp. It's great for easily switching between my aero press and Bambino plus.

Am I the only one that doesn't like Baratza grinders? My Fellow opus is much faster and quieter and easier to clean. I've had an encore and a virtuoso and wouldn't go back to that brand.

Great suggestions for other categories already posted, but the answer to your two specific requests would be one of the Baratza coffee grinders (Encore, Virtuoso, etc. depending on how fancy you're feeling), and stone mortar+pestle for spices. Electric grinders for spices are faster, but produce very fine dust that's nearly impossible to clean. So everything you grind will eventually emerge with a hint of cumin.

I have a Baratza Encore and am very happy with the grind. The biggest shout out for Sage/Baratza is customer service. They replaced my first grinder after almost 12 months of use after it developed a fault. No questions asked and a new grinder delivered. Such excellent service means a lot in my book.

Bambino + used baratza encore and you replace the burr with the M2 burr

Baratza encore for pour overs and aeropress. Mazzer philos for espresso. Its not necessary to have two as long as you are fine fiddling with grind size regularly. I wouldn't have two if I had bought the mazzer first, but I had the baratza for a decade and I know exactly what settings for what coffees I like. Edit: i dont have a separate decaf grinder because I dont really care if 1g is mixed in from retention when I switch beans. But i only drink decaf espresso like once per week.

Depending on how particular your tastes are, I would just make cold brew and then have a 50/50 cold brew & milk. Cold brew requires a mason jar and a good filter. Then just microwave if u want hot. 100% serious. Aeropress is fantastic, but won't give u the latte texture or taste. Moka is a good option also and you will get more of a latte texture. With your $100 you can buy a baratza encore grinder, and one of the above things and you'll be happy. However, none of these will give u the same satisfaction as a well pulled espresso. But that requires a slightly higher budget for an entry level machine.

The burr grinder makes a big difference. Baratza Encore it up! That's the price to performance grinder I would recommend. I have the Wilfa Svart, turns out I needed a voltage transformer for it in the US so I'd just recommend the Encore instead if you also live in 120v land. p.s. the hopper size means nothing - weigh your beans and throw the amount you weighed into the hopper and grind. Don't keep beans in the hopper. That's something I learned over time.

I’ve owned the Baratza Encore, Fellow Ode and now the 078. They clearly to me are bottom, mid and top in that order. The 078 is wildly good. 

Yes, get a Baratza Encore

It’s the only burr grinder I’ve owned and still going after 10 years. It’s loud and messy, but it’s like an old friend at this point.

I was going with the encore, but ended up with the ode g2. Thing is an absolute beast

It's likely not the burrs.  I just went through a similar issue. It's most likely the Burr Ring Holder.  It's the white plastic ring that fits around your burr.  There should be 3 small tabs that stick out, if you don't see them look for signs they have broken off.  When these break, the burr doesn't keep its position during grinding and causes a ridiculously course grind.  It's a $5 part and worth ordering two to replace later. I don't ever mess with the grind settings but if you do it's recommended to do it while empty, or VERY slowly while grinding.  That will help the longevity of the part, but it's truly a wear item since those tabs are constantly working to hold the burr in place.  Encore - ZCG485/ZCG484 this is the part number for the Encore. 

Baratza Encore for the win. My Baratza/Moccamaster combo is incredible. Set the grind at level 18.

Yes, it is that much better in the long run. You mention that you cycle through 4-5 bags of beans but has any of them ever "wowed" you or stood out with some clean and standout flavors? It's really hard to achieve with a blade grinder because with the uneven grind size, the fines have more surface area and will over-extract leading to bitter notes, the boulders have less surface area and will under-extract, getting sour notes. This will lead to a muddled cup. So all beans kinda just taste the same. I would highly recommend getting a burr grinder as it will just augment every single cup of coffee that you brew moving forward. It's like a value modifier that is applied to all your beans that increases its taste. If you buy lets say low quality dark roast beans then I would say it is less of an issue (getting a burr grinder that is) and that there aren't that many tasting notes you can extract from those to begin with. As for grinder selection, if you don't mind some manual labor, I would recommend something like a Timemore C3. I have one of these and it works great for me. I downgraded from a Rancilio Rocky as it was too much (and too loud) for my needs. If you want an electric one, the tried and tested Baratza Encore works great for most people.

Really the best option (with nothing else coming close IMO) is the Encore, as others have commented. I’d stay away from the Opus, personally. The Ode Gen 2 is probably the best you’re going to get at that price point, but it’s quite a bit more than you’d like to spend so I wouldn’t recommend it. It’s also really best for filter brews, you’re not going to be able to grind fine enough for espresso. Save yourself the hassle, get the Encore. A lot of my barista friends have it and swear by it. You’ll absolutely love it as it’s a huge step up from what you’re using and their customer support is excellent.

I’ve owned the Encore for about 5 years now it’s a great grinder. Great entry level grinder, I would start there. Eventually i desired more from my beans so i went with the kingrinder and the grind consistency difference is substantial.

Best coffee grinder depends on the intended usage. Some say it could be the Weber SG1 but most would say it's a bit retro. More seriously, there's nothing wrong with Baratza. For beginners a Baratza Encore is affordable and does a great job for filter coffee. Next step up for filter is Fellow Ode gen2. I run a Baratza daily for some years without issue. I recommended the Encore to two family members and they are very happy with their grinder.

I just grabbed a used Baratza Encore on Ebay for less than $60. Since the parts are replaceable, I figured used was not a bad option.

Why not? I picked up my 2nd Encore for $40 used for the office

Yes, like others have said I too have multiple grinders for different purposes. Breville Smart Grinder Pro for drip coffee (this was a gift) Baratza Encore for Espresso Hario hand grinder. I usually use this when I want to make coffee early in the morning and don't want to make too much noise. I'll eventually upgrade the Baratza, but I'm getting pretty good results at the moment and feel no reason to change.

If you’re drinking dark roasts the grinder isn’t as critical (still important) but a Baratza Encore or for an upgrade over that a Moccamaster KM5 would be more than sufficient. If it were me, I’d go with the Moccamaster KM5 since it’s 30% off on Amazon right now, it has flat burrs vs conical (nor uniform and you’d notice a meaningful improvement if you start drinking medium roast) and it would match your Moccamaster

For consistency and grind quality, a burr grinder is superior to a blade grinder. No question. There are two types of burr grinders: conical and flat. Flat burrs generally produce the most consistent results, but conical burrs are many steps above a blade grinder. I have a Fellow Ode Gen 2 and Baratza Encore. The Ode is superior in all regards except price. However it is not 3-4x better. The Encore served me well for ten years and is a very capable grinder. It prepared me for the precision and clean workflow of the Ode.

Baratza has superb customer service and reasonably price replacement parts. Working with Baratz has been professional and pleasant, and is a huge selling point for the company. The Greater Goods brand is good (I have one of its coffee scales), but Baratza is and outstanding value and performer, and when coupled with their customer service, the low risk choice in my opinion.

Ode2 and Baratza Encores are the buy once for AP/PO. I’ve had my Encore for years pushing AP or doing the occasional PO. I also have a Eureka for espresso and 1z JX Pro, but once you go electric, it’s a luxury. I only take the manual when travelling or at our cottage.

I would go with the origami over the v60 because it is more versatile and faster flowing. The grinder you choose will probably, aside from water, be your most important purchase. I have a Commadante C40 that I got on sale awhile ago, but you certainly don’t have to go that route. I can’t speak to the Opus but have heard good things. I also have a Baratza Encore from way back when I first started my pour over journey and it still produces good cups, especially with the Chemex or French Press, but it isn’t good for espresso. Hope you find a setup you’ll enjoy!

Baratza is AWESOME! I dropped off my Encore—which always ground perfect espresso for my La Pavoni—they fixed it and mailed it back to me FOR FREE! I didn’t even need to pay postage. When I upgraded to my Sette I sent them my old grinder to refurbish and sell because they are so great.

In that price range, I love my Baratza Encore for filter coffee.

I use that method. Let the coffee steep in a little pitcher, then pour through a fine mesh tea strainer. It's the same coffee as a French press, but without the expensive French press. And the pitcher and strainer are all you need, and they're durable and easily replaced. For the pitcher I use a stainless steel frothing pitcher, because it has Lori thermal mass so it doesn't stick much great from the water. For grinding the coffee, you could buy a decent grinder. People like the Baratza Encore. There are also hand grinders like the Timemore. I wouldn't use a mortar and pestle. It would get pretty oily over time, and you couldn't use it for anything else. And it would be hard to get a consistent grind.

When mine quit I was stunned to find they not only have spare parts but detailed instructions on how to make repairs.

encore conical burrs make silky dark roast coffee, if that's what they like I suggest encore. I have Ode Gen 2 also, but it's more $$ than the encore.

Baratza is great. They sell spare parts and it’s fairly easy to service. I’ve had my encore for about 5 years and upgraded to the M2 burrs and it is fantastic.

Are you currently making pourover coffee? I know this sounds like a dumb question, but I've seen plenty of people who buy expensive equipment and end up not liking the actual process of making coffee. So if you are already and looking to up your game, then I would say the Ode Gen 2 is worth it as someone who used an Encore for years (10+) and has recently upgraded in the past year. However, if you aren't already doing pourovers and just trying to see if you like it, I would recommend getting a dripper and a cheaper (but still good quality) hand grinder and see if you like the workflow. Can you imagine doing this every morning to make coffee? Can you imagine investing the time to perfect your technique? You may or may not. To each their own. But before you buy expensive equipment, maybe that's a good starting place. Just my two cents.

The ESP is the Encore with upgraded burr, and also a fine adjustment system. It's primarily designed for Espresso but it's still an improvement on the base Encore for pour over. Alternatively you can buy the base Encore and then later upgrade the burr to get mostly the same result (I've just done exactly that).

Yes, it's great - exactly what I was going to suggest.

What grinder outperforms the Encore at its price point?

The DF54 notorious for uneven burr gaps and manufacturing quality problems? The Baratza is reliable and Baratza stands behind their products with great parts availability and repair manuals available online. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone at that price point. 

KINGrinder K6 can be had for $100, and is fantastic for espresso as well as drip. It can be your travel grinder if you upgrade later. My first decent burr grinder was the Baratza Encore. I used it 7 years before passing it on to my son in law. It was night and day better than preground and blade grinder. I used it with a Chemex, French press, and Aeropress. $150 for Baratza.

As someone who graduated from an Encore to the Fellow Ode 2 I suggest saving until you can afford the Ode 2. While the Encore is a very solid grinder, the fines produced can be tricky to deal with in a pour over. I cannot imagine the Oxo will be on par with the Encore in terms of fines and grind uniformity. So if you’re talking $300 already, spend $400 on the Ode 2 which makes significantly better cups than the Encore. The Ode 2 has much higher clarity than the Encore. But I should also specify that I enjoy more clarity and brightness, I drink light to very light roast coffee. If you are into medium to dark roasts and like a thicker, chocolate like cup then the Encore will work a treat.

I started with a hand burr grinder, and then stepped up to an affordable electrical burr grinder. I will never go back to a hand grinder.. although when I started taking coffee more seriously, I couldn't really justify the expense of the electric. Now a decade later I've settled on two electric burr grinders. One for light and medium roast (ode 2 w/ssp) and to me what is a more forgiving baratza encore for darker roasts.. Buy what you can afford, you'll eventually upgrade!

It was a hario hand grinder.. Yea,a few people who have asked me about my setup have seemed aghast at idea of spending that much on a grinder. The encore was my daily for years until I decided I wanted something nicer for light and medium roasted coffee. The encore now is primarily used for dark roasts only.

This is excellent advice. I would add, that as a student, you probably want something that is easy to stow away or take with you and will not make much noise. I have a Baratza Encore and am looking for a handgrinder for these reasons.

Yep - I now have a K6 and a Baratza Encore. I should have just spent less than those two combined and gotten a Baratza Encore ESP instead.

It’s a good basic grinder (I have one) but it’s near useless for espresso. 

Love the Barataza. Don't love replacing the burr casing as often as I have to. Probably need to do a better job of turning the size adjustment slower- I drink espresso and wife drinks pour over, so it gets adjusted multiple times a day.

For $150 budget it's gonna be the Baratza Encore. Capresso Infinity is darn good for the money too. It's what I used before uograding to the Ode 2.

Baratza Encore is the only answer.

I've had no issues at all. The ESP is specifically for espresso, so go with the regular one if you are not solely grinding for espresso. As for issues, all grinders break, but Baratza has a particularly robust parts and maintenance program, plus the aftermarket.

The Baratza is more reliable, easy to fix, and has a ton of replaceable parts. Fellow stuff looks nice, that's it.

Unfortunately when it comes to coffee grinders, price matters. Getting a quality one that will stand up to several uses is going to cost quite a bit of money. We have a Baratza coffee grinder and it was *expensive*, but it does its job well and has not failed us after several years of use. We got the Baratza Encore. Warning, the price may shock you. But paying more for a product that will last is better than continually replacing shitty products that break repeatedly. As far as coffee machines go, we just use a drip coffee maker. We have had cheap ones in the past but we finally splurged for a Ninja machine and it's worked for several years now as well without issue. It also boils water for tea, saving us counter space and sparing us from having to purchase an electric kettle.

Performance aside, aesthetically Encore is just not there. Also the sound and the "ratliness" it has in the plastics.. not a fan

I have three - Baratza Encore for everything but espresso, Eureka Mignon Zero for espresso, and an OXO grinder as a backup (was in regular use before getting the Encore.)

I have used the Baratza Encore with my Moccamaster for several years, and have found this combination produces exceptional coffee. Highly recommend the Encore for this use case. It may be advisable to consider the Encore ESP at a nominally higher cost, as the ESP can also grind for espresso. Have not heard much of the performance of the recently released ESP Pro (looks nice, but has a digital interface, and I find myself going low tech for consumer items when possible, as I find low tech can last longer is less prone to break due to greater simplicity.)

Yes, the Encore is loud, and the Ode is significantly quieter.

I’m going to assume you are talking electric grinders as opposed to manual hand grinders. In case you aren’t aware, there is a whole world of hand grinders out there, and you can get a hand grinder that will equal or exceed the quality of coffee from an electric grinder, for less money. But with a MoccaMaster, brewing full pots, hand grinding could get tedious. Do y’all drink light, medium, or dark roast? Dark roast, I’d probably recommend a conical burr grinder. Light to medium roast, probably a flat burr grinder. But there are exceptions - There are some conical burr grinders out there that do very well with light to medium roast beans. Encore is a basic (but good quality) conical burr grinder, with a couple of advantages - Excellent customer service, and also with thousands of these out there, it’s very easy to research grind settings. It’s about $150 on Amazon. You would not need the ESP version if not brewing espresso. Fellow Ode is also a good option. It has 64mm flat burrs, and the Gen 2 is on sale for $320 right now through either Fellow or Amazon. I’ve owned the Gen 1 version for a couple of years and just recently installed Gen 2 burrs in it. The fact that it uses 64mm burrs is a big plus - If y’all get real serious about coffee and/or decide to get into manual brewing like pourover and/or Aeropress, etc., there are many different aftermarket 64mm burr sets available. Another compelling (but unconventional) recommendation would be one of the rechargeable offerings from Femobook. These are remarkable grinders, essentially, rechargeable, electrified versions of 1Zpresso grinders like the ZP6. One charge lasts a long, long time. Like, weeks, at least. And then you don’t have to deal with a cord. The lack of clutter on the counter and ability to just put it easily in the cabinet when not in use, or travel with it easily, is attractive. These grinders have really captured my imagination lately, especially the A4Z version. Might be worth a look - they’re cool. The reviews I’ve read here have been just raving about how good they are. There are so many grinders out there! I’m sure other people would have good recommendations as well.

Baratza Encore is a great choice at that price point, it is easy to use and there's good US support. If you want to try different burrs and go down that rabbit hole, consider the shardor 64 on Amazon. But if you just want a simple, good grinder then Baratza ftw.

I think an Encore is great for French press. More expensive grinders often give you more clarity, which isn’t really going to come through on a French press. So, Encore would be a great choice and miles better than any blade grinder. The only reason that I would see if there’s any good deals on a Fellow Opus would be that Baratzas are on the louder side of the grinder spectrum.

The Encore is still decent for pour over, a lot of people use it and I think it’s 98% of people’s first ‘good’ grinder. If you’re seriously thinking about getting into pour over, then I’d consider getting a Fellow Ode 2 as it’s a good step up from the Encore and you’d notice the difference in clarity. It’s more expensive but the value is definitely there. And I think a kettle is the last thing to get. Definitely nice to have, a goose neck makes pouring easier, and temp control is pretty much a must (IMO), but I think Hoffmann has said you can use a regular spouted kettle for pour over.

Overall, flat burrs create less fines thank conical, and the Ode 2 creates less fines than the Encore. I still get some ‘sludge’ in my French press, I think it’s unavoidable, but the Ode 2 will create less than the Encore.

That was my first grinder. I had it for years and then noticed the particle sizes being more inconsistent/big. I've read bad reviews about Baratza parts support being unresponsive and I could never find the grinder piece I wanted in stock. I gave up and went to Fellow Opus.

My first grinder was the Baratza Encore. Like others have said, weight the beans first and you can clearly see and hear when those beans have finished grinding. Leaving a hopper full of beans is not a great idea if you want to keep them fresh.

LI5: more costly grinders make better flavored coffee because they process the beans more evenly and with less heat. Heat during grinding is bad. LI20: lowest end blade grinders are like a blender. They produce particles of all different sizes. They chop rather than grind. Burr grinders grind the beans between two sharp steel burrs. Cheaper ones have lower quality burrs that are less consistent and heat up more. Heat is bad. More expensive burr grinders have sharper burrs, higher quality steel and ceramic that last longer and are adjustable and replaceable. A Baratza Encore can last decades. Finally, the highest end grinders like the Vario on up, will grind fine enough for espresso, which is not what Moccamaster makes but if you wanted to move into that, you would need one.

While, yes, the comments are saying "burr grinders are better," I don't agree that "any burr is better than any blade." Some cheaper burr grinders ("false burr" grinders) are really glorified blade grinders when it comes to results, and don't really improve on the grinding process at all. I have a friend who has an old Cuisinart false burr grinder that doesn't beat when I had a blade grinder. His coffees are very unbalanced with lots of sour notes poking through. I'd be careful thinking that just because it has burrs that it'll do fine. I shared a Baratza Encore with my ex, and when I broke up with her, I left the grinder for her. I borrowed a blade grinder from a friend until work started coming back (we broke up at the end of Covid) and I could afford to get an Encore ESP. It was totally worth the wait, and the coffee I make now is better than I made with the original Encore. If your budget is only $50, I'd say hold on to that money and save some more. You can get the Encore for $150, and maybe find a good price for one used or on sale. Personally, if I were to go for a used product, I would never spend more than 50% of the original price; I have no clue why current markets think used electronics should be 80+% when you could just get it new and have the warranty. I got my ESP from some company in Oregon (?) called Roastmasters for a great sale price. Anyway, don't get a $50 burr grinder. You'll be happy you waited. I know there are some hand grinders like Timemore and Kingrinder and 1Zpresso, but I don't know much about their pricing. Just don't go with something like a Cuisinart, Chefman, Gourmia, etc. They won't really offer any improvement on your Oxo. You'll likely taste your first cup, think there was minimal improvement, and feel like you wasted your money, and you might then feel like the better grinders are just market hype. Until you can afford a decent grinder, [James Hoffmann made a video on how to maximize results from a blade grinder.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3y7d-5KWHCU) This is a fun thing to practice until you can afford a respectable grinder.

>I've considered the Baratza Encore, but there are a lot of recent reviews online that are very unhappy with Baratza's service in the last year or so. Was an Encore user, was *very* happy. It's easily the best grinder under $200: grind size is very consistent, few fines compared to other grinders at its price range, and brews excellent coffee. It's a little noisy, but you're already awake! The ESP is also more than just an Encore that makes espresso grinds, too. The M2 burr is a step up, and some people even buy the burrs alone to upgrade their basic Encore. I lost the Encore in a breakup, so I decided to get the ESP. I just started venturing into espresso, so I'm glad I have it. And the cool thing is that I am starting to make better tasting shots than all but the absolute best local third wave shops. And I'm using a simple DeLonghi machine I got on eBay for $30 (and had to do some maintenance and upgrade some parts, but still). I think there's tons of people who think the grinder will fix all their coffee problems, and then stick their grounds into a Mr. Coffee machine and get disappointed. If you're checking out James Hoffmann and Lance Hedrick regularly, you'll start really figuring out this whole coffee thing and how you can get great cups of coffee with halfway decent equipment.

hi, i've been using a baratza encore for, i dunno, five years now and the noise is really getting to me although i sort of appreciate how no-nonsense the grinder is. i'm considering a fellow ode just because everyone says they're extremely quiet but they look a bit fussy to me. is the baratza virtuoso more on-par with the ode in terms of noise, or is there some other solid less-loud grinder i should be considering? i'm open to any suggestions! most of the time i'm grinding 50g of beans for a chemex or 22 for a kalita.

I can't speak for either, but they are major brands, and I assume work as well as you can expect for the price. Cuisinart *($50)*. OXO *($75)*. Cold brew grind size is far more forgiving than other methods, but you will want a burr grinder. I recently upgraded and no longer use my Encore. The burrs may need to be aligned. It's old but has plenty of life. I would have to look it over, and you would have to figure out how to get it to you. If you want it *(free)* send me a chat.

I started with the Hario Skerton hand grinder or whatever it’s called…. Upgraded to the Encore. The biggest downside of that for me was the noise. Eventually an ill family member was getting into coffee and me and my wife decided to donate the Encore to him to make the rest of his time more enjoyable by having tools to really enjoy a cup. That’s when I upgraded to the Ode 2 and so far have zero complaints. I’m just using the standard burrs but that’s fine with me.

Not sure I understand the comment completely - but just want to note that a Baratza Encore is not good for light roast pour over. I had a Virtuoso+ (which is basically a better Encore) and it was terrible for light roast.

Encore is still good, Encore ESP is much better - it has the M2 burrs, and can grind for espresso. For more money, and filter only, Fellow Ode 2 is the best you can get at that price point. If you're thinking about a hand grinder, the 2 most obvious options are Kingrinder K6 or 1zPresso K-Ultra. They are both superior to the Encore in grind quality, and actually similar to one another. Kingrinder if you want to save some money, 1zPresso if you want better quality in construction (and a magnetic catch cup, that is really nice to have). They're both meant for filter, but can do a pretty good job grinding for espresso.

The Encore is a good grinder at its price point, but the K6 may even be better. I enjoyed grinding by hand for a long time and still do when traveling, but the grind quality of my Philos is just too good ;) My advice is to spend once as much as you can, not to go easy now and upgrade soonish. E.g. when going electric maybe go for the DF54 or (second hand) DF64g2, if you can afford it. When going for hand operated and you enjoy light roast, the 1zpresso ZP6 can’t be beaten (for med-dark K6 is great, especially for its price).

The Encore is anything but quiet...

"sort of" is doing some heavy lifting there, it's really freaking loud

All the popular options already mentioned. I used the Oxo for about a year. Nice enough grind but the timer didn’t deliver the same quantity of grounds each day. I ruled out the KM5 because I didn’t want to stand there with my finger on the button while it worked. Baratza Encore has an on-off switch on the side but still feeds from a hopper — not a big problem mind you, but accuracy would require some weighing. Fellow Ode 2 is set up to grind enough beans for one pot, so I have to weigh before I grind. And the Ode 2 shuts off automatically when the beans are gone. So I picked the Ode 2. Still in its first week, but it’s quiet and delivers some really nice grind for the MM. Your choice will depend on your own workflow. But any of Baratza, Fellow, or Moccamaster will deliver a great grind.

Under $150? Baratza Encore at $149.95! Oxo Conical Burr grinder is okay at about $75 today on Prime Day sale. I use the Oxo, but I have a Fellow Ode 2 in bound.

Go with the baratza encore. It's been at the top in reviews for many years.

A burr grinder compared to a blade is like drinking coffee in HD. I grind enough for 1 cup at a time in my Baratza Encore. It has a big hopper, but you don’t store beans there.

Love my silenzio, not as quiet as I was expecting but hey we’re pulverizing beans and a good deal quieter than the encore I upgraded from

Baratza encore or encore ESP. Great grinder, great customer service and very easy access to parts

If you can get the encore then you are set. Anything else suggested won’t be as good if there are other options

Encore. No other grinder would come close to the quality. So yeah, you might be able to find one in the same price range. but only to have a crap experience.

Yup. I was trying to decide between the Oxo and the Baratza Encore. Went with the slightly more expensive Baratza and it’s the best choice. Just make sure you dont overfill the coffee grounds or it backs up into the grinder and is a pain to clean the first time.

Baratza Encore for me and my MM.

A good decade and a half ago maybe even longer at this point I bought a Baratza Encore and it's starting to get a little old and tired. Curious how the current iterations of those perform, should I just replace it with a new one or are there better options in that price range? I've also consider a hand grinder so I can make coffee without waking up the whole house and I'm not sure where to even start with those since I've only ever had the Skereton back in the day. I'm mostly brewing with a v60 for reference. I've been saying for years that I'm going to get a manual espresso maker but I have yet to actually so I'm prioritizing drip coffee performance over espresso.

I have a kingrinder k6 and a baratza encore and I choose the hand grind most mornings because it tastes better. My wife pretty much always chooses the automatic grinder

I’ve got three grinders. Two Mahlkonig grinders, x54 for espresso and a Guatemala Lab for drip. Also, have a bodum bistro that I use as my travel grinder. Technically have an encore as well but it lives at the family cabin.

1- that all depends on what coffee you use, we've had decent cups from preground when I've been waiting for my new beans to arrive. We have an encore there are better grinders but this is probably the best value for money imo. 2 - Absolutely bean and taste dependant I like strong coffee so probably use more than this, my wife on the other hand would probably be happy just threatening it with a picture of coffee it's so weak 🤦‍♂️ 3- we get 4 good sized mugs out of it think Starbucks size 4- experiment with grind size and amounts to see what works for you and keep notes. Enjoy its simple and consistent and it's that consistency that makes it great imo because its then so easy to dial in.

The quality of the grind produced by these little blade grinders is definitely lacking. I’m surprised the motors last as long as they do. I don’t think buying a new one off the shelf today would have the longevity of ops. That said, for the budget conscious (unfortunately still not “cheap”) the baratza encore is a nice grinder for the price with replaceable parts meant to last a life time. There are also fantastic hand grinders from e.g. 1zpresso, Comandante, and others at all kinds of price points that are definitely bifl.

I have been using a Baratza Encore since January of 2019 and it has not missed a beat. It works well with the Moccamaster, Chemex and French press. The only part I have replaced is the gasket between the bean hopper and the upper burr set. Part was readily available from Baratza and easily installed.

Yeah I agree - I think a lot of coffee gadgets/techniques have diminishing value, but getting the right/consistent grind seems to be pretty important to avoid under/over-extraction. I was happy when I made the investment into the Encore grinder years ago (I currently brew with Technivorm, aero press, or chemex depending on the situation). TBH I can still make a cup that I’m happy with one of those shitty blade grinders, but it’s noticeably worse than the burr-ground coffee. Theres no technique or gadget that’s going to make good coffee out of over-roasted beans though.

The Baratza Encore is a great option if you need low maintenance and simple use. I’m not sure that an upgrade to the ESP model is worth it in this case but I could be wrong.

Yeah for real, I bought that because of the positive reviews here.

I invested in a good grinder and haven't looked back (baratza encore ). It was well worth the money. In terms of beans - whole beans are a little more resilient. I'll buy several pounds at a time and keep them in storage, like double bagged in the freezer and then when I'm ready to use one , move it into a proper canister.

I wouldn’t even entertain manual grinding. Every coffee person I know, thought oh hand grind, I’m more in touch with the process, etc. They romanticize the process. Within 6 months to year they buy electric grinder. Do you really want to do manual labor in the first hour after you wake? If you’re trying to dial in, like espresso, count on 4-6 grinding cycles. If you’re trying to are ok with pre grinding beans at Costco, you’ll be elated with a Baratza Encore or something in that range.

I have the Encore and it will grind to any size you need. Granted, I do use mine for near-espresso grind, but it can handle any other size.

People can be very dramatic lol. The Baratza encore in my mind is the baseline for good. Baratza is a good company that makes good grinders. There are better ones but get ready to pay for them lol I also like how easy they are to service and that they sell all their parts online. For under $200 unless you find a really good used grinder I think Baratza or an opus are going to be your best bet personally.

Yeah, id call the one you're a regular at and ask. If you want to start grinding fresh regularly, investing in an electric grinder with a hopper would hold your beans and easily grind fresh every day. Baratza is a good company and has a few options that aren't insanely priced. Expect to drop about $100-180 new. Encores are common and can usually be found for cheaper used too. If you want an occasional whole bean I'd consider a hand grinder. They're easy to use and small so you can store it. Expect to spend $40-$100 for a good one.

Get the best grinder you can afford. There's no substitute for freshness in coffee grounds, no matter what the bag says! I have an Etzinger etz-i, but if you're unwilling to spend £200 on a hand grinder, there are plenty of other choices! James Hoffmann did a review on the [KinGrinder P1](https://youtu.be/EPbVUR6Y83k?si=LdQ82LSeqs3EpFdm), which only costs £30ish. It's reviewed well, it might be a good starting point if you're on a budget. Stepping up, you could look at other offerings from KinGrinder, Timemore or 1Zpresso, they're the big names for budget grinders. Check the reviews, but it's my understanding that you can't go too badly wrong with their offerings. If you want to go electric, look at a Sage, Baratza Encore or Sette, Fellow Ode or Opus, or Wilfa Svart for good starting points, they can all be had second hand for not a lot, but I do see the odd Fellows going for £150 or so new. There are bargains to be had here and there! I kind of gloss over electric grinders not because they're no good, but because the money you spend is put to better use if the manufacturer doesn't need to pay for electric motors. Grinding as coarsely as a moka pot needs isn't too onerous, and the money just goes into making a decent grinder. Electric grinders start at well over £100 for anything worth looking at, so unless you're grinding for 4 espressos every morning, you'll get much more bang for your buck grinding by hand. I do make 4 espressos every morning though, for which I have a DF54. Worth a look for an espresso-capable grinder you can grow into, and you want a nice kitchen gadget. (Who doesn't?) Another wise investment is a jeweller's scale, or drug scale, depending on your upbringing. It doesn't need to be anything expensive or fancy, as long as it measures to 0.1g. Use it to measure out your beans before grinding them, and weigh the water into the base, so if you find a recipe you like, you can repeat it. A standard kitchen scale is no good for the coffee world if it only measures to the nearest gram. If you're weighing out 500g of flour, you'll end up between 499.5g and 500.5g. Pretty negligible in a loaf of bread. When you're working with 20g of coffee, you'll taste the difference between a 19.5g and 20.5g cup. Amazon is the place to look, they're a tenner well spent. Finally, when you make the leap, hand or electric, get yourself a burr grinder. If it costs three eighths of bugger all and has a little spinning blade at the bottom, don't waste your money on it. Blade grinders are near-universally regarded as crap by the coffee world because the "grounds" they produce are so horrendously inconsistent. You want a nice uniform(-ish) particle size, which blade grinders just aren't capable of by their design. You'll have coffee particles ranging in size from half a bean to icing sugar in the same batch. Unusable for making anything you'd want to drink. Also, avoid grinders with ceramic burrs like the Hario Skerton. They aren't as awful as blade grinders, but they don't produce good grounds either. Ceramic burrs are the very cheapest you can get, which shows how much thought and effort went into the rest of the grinder, and the quality of coffee it'll produce. You get what you pay for.

DF64 for espresso, Baratza Encore for filter at home, Timemore C2 for filter at the office.

Since you mentioned Baratza - I've got the Encore model. It is very slow and loud but grinds the coffee perfecty. I'm sorry I have no other recommendation.

My guess would be 10 mins, maybe even more. If you're looking for speed, don't buy this model.

What grind level do you use for the Moccamaster? We have a 20 year old 1.25 l model. Temp and time are still in spec. Just replaced the basket. Encore burr holder broke, so just bought an Ode V2 to try while fully rebuilding the Encore (6 years, it's a beast). So, what grind level? Started at 8, now up to 10.33 and it takes like 6:30 - 7:00 for the water to stop flowing and start dripping. I can go to 11, but that seems extreme. Though, if the V2 is highly engineered and there is no need to grind above 11, then I get it.

Baratza Encore is the standard recommendation for a really solid entry level burr grinder. You can get the Oxo burr grinder or Capresso Infinity for a bit less and they're ok but generally regarded as a step down.

I had a Baratza encore and now an Ode Gen2. I get great results with both. I just finished a bag of Maracaturra from Torque roasters and it was spectacular. I'll be thinking about this one for a while. I'm also not chasing extreme clarity or funk, so there's that.

Same. I have the Baratza Encore ... weigh out my beans and then put them into the (single dose) hopper.

But breville uses from baratza encore the burrs. why not also use them for filter? I can/t understand this

Burr grinders will give you the most uniform and customizable grind, but they are more expensive. If you’re going to be taking full advantage of the KBGT then I would go for something electric; manually grinding that amount of beans might get annoying. As others have said, the baratza encore is a good choice. The NYT (I think?) and Americas Test Kitchen name it their best-rated burr grinder, which is why I went with it. I’m happy with it.

I upgraded from an Encore to n Ode 2 and I would never go back. It’s great!

I always rec the Baratza Encore as the affordable standard. Loads better than the built in Breville or mostly anything else in its price range.

You don't need a manual for durability. Get a Baratza Encore. I've had mine going on 10 years. Just replaced the burrs. The thing that makes Baratza unique is that they sell replacement parts for all their grinders. They are built very well, but if something does break, you can buy an OEM part and easily fix it.

Yes, but I should have done it sooner. Baratza says to replace them every 5-7 years or 500lbs of coffee. Mine was taking longer and longer to finish a grind over the last few years, but I really didn't pay it any mind. I didn't notice how bad it had gotten until I put the new burr set in.

I caught the KM5 on sale around $240. It’s a good grinder but not a great grinder. I would be disappointed paying full price. The Good: I love the design and build quality. Looks hella good next to my Moccamaster brewer. Plus it’s hard to beat a 5 year warranty. It has great power and a nice consistent grind. The hopper lid can be flipped and used as a bellows of sorts to clear out stray/sticky grounds. It’s beautifully simple with a single switch and stepless adjustment knob. Some people complain about the switch being push and hold but I don’t mind that a bit. It’s quieter than my old KitchenAid blade grinder and that makes everyone in my house happy. I will still use a hand grinder when my partner and child are sleeping. The Bad: Static is a real problem with the KM5 but can be mitigated with RDT spray bottle. That’s easy enough for me. The hopper bottom is rather shallow leading to stray beans and kick back needing to be pushed back through 100% of the timing using it as a single dose grinder. Perhaps it wouldn’t be such an issue for someone who fills the hopper full of beans. I am also an avid AeroPress brewer so it’s common for me to grind ~15g doses. The KM5 is terrible for this. At times I’ll lose 0.7g and no matter what I do, I can’t seem to shake it loose. Generally the next time I grind beans will be a larger dose (26-40g) where I will push through the left over grinds and end up with more than what I put into the hopper. This only happens when grinding smaller doses so I don’t use it for that. That’s a big disappointment for me. All in all it’s a good grinder and it works for me. I’m happy to own it but after a month of use I’m not sure I would recommend it at full price. I don’t have experience with the Encore, Opus, or Bistro so I can’t say how they compare. The Encore seems to be a solid choice for a good and reliable grinder at a decent price. Just my two cents. Hope this helps in your decision!

I'm not as extreme as some others on here with regard to cycling equipment/upgraditis but I went Baratza Encore--> 1Zpresso-->getting ready to buy Fiorenzato All Ground Sense. While those first two combined were <$300, I wish I had just bought once, cried once.

My Baratza, ordered from Baratza, ground unevenly (dust, ground coffee, and biggish pieces) with a loud cracking noise at regular intervals (not just the usual burr grinding sound) from the git-go, and broke irreparably within a year -- as I drink coffee only two or three times a month, that would be more like a few weeks for most users. The on/off switch doesn't have a timer and if you fill the top -- if you put in more than a few tablespoons, actually-- and turn your back for a moment it will clog. As I put up with it for about a year, having no other option for grinding coffee, service was nonexistent. The years old Baratza this was supposed to be a replacement for had a timed switch (the same switch from the outside, and the little glitch of turning on until YOU turn it off wasn't mentioned in any review or Baratza's description), ground delightfully evenly at all settings, and never clogged despite my ex-husband -- the main coffee drinker-- never cleaning it and me only cleaning it (running rice or cleaning grains through it) when I thought of it, which wasn't often. I guess the gist is, be sure of what you're getting if you get a Baratza.

Baratza is the answer. I've had mine for over 20 years. I recently contacted the company to buy the little rubber feet that deteriorated on the bottom and they sent me the feet, some extra other parts, stickers and postcards. Years ago I contacted them to buy a few other normal wear and tear parts and they sent those free too. Buddy at work has one, they've sent him new circuit boards and gearboxes for free. Outstanding product and customer service you just don't find anymore.

Baratza is great.

Get a used grinder on marketplace for sure. Oxo and Breville are the bare minimum, but if you see a sub-$50 Baratza, that’s even better. If you don’t want to then start buying more beans, just resell it yourself when you finish the bag. Anything lower-end than those and I wouldn’t bother. Blade grinders ruin beans, as do super cheap “burr” grinders like Cuisinart and Shardor. As far as storage, if you brew coffee daily, I’d just keep them in a resealable container (with a “burp” valve if possible; old bags from previous coffee purchases should work) in a cool and dry place.

I got the Sage Barista Pro with the Baratza-Grinder and love it.

☝️this, I have 2 Mazzer Minis for regular and decaf espresso, and a baratza mainly for French Press and cold brew

I use a Comandante hand grinder with a Hario electric attachment to make pour over. I have a Baratza that rarely gets used.

I 2nd that. I got the one with the scale used on eBay. It's been great. Baratzas are great too. Better reliability and fix ability. But they are also a lot noisier.

We've had an OE Lido3 for years, and it's an excellent manual burr grinder. Have a Barazta that was just too damn loud, particularly first thing in the am. It's been collecting dust since the Lido3 showed up. But the Lido is $$$.

I recommend a Baratza coffee grinder. They are a quality product and the company sells replacement parts and stands behind their products.

Couple things to keep in mind: * Never underestimate the difference a good quality grinder will make, a cheaper machine with a good grinder will almost always beat an expensive machine with a bad grinder. Baratza makes excellent affordable machines, start with them. * Like with most products, the more complex it is, the more points of potential failure it will have. This is why I avoid all-in-one machines and fully automatic machines. Keep the grinder and the espresso machine separate, it will save your dad headaches down the road— and if he really gets into it, will give him the option to upgrade components independently * Espresso machine market is changing. Good home espresso is becoming increasingly within reach. You can get good value with some of the newer brands like Casabrews— but it'd still TBD how reliable these machines are, time will tell.

Agree. Barritza ($150?) plus Aeropress ($60?) work great together for me.

baratza is really bad, idk why people keep recommending it for espresso. K4 is also good and cheaper than K6. And lastly, even timemore C3 is a good option if you want something cheap and decent.

>it's really not that much time or effort to grind the beans by hand It actually is tiresome. Secondly, people in general want their coffee asap and grinding manually for 2 minutes in the morning is not that ... entertaining, let's say. And I would know as I've used one on and off for a year because baratza's bad qc.

I got a home grinder initially so that my coffee wouldn’t go stale as fast.  Whole beans last longer than preground.  Part of the bonus was, hopefully, that I could buy a larger bag for cheaper and still get good coffee for less money per cup. Then I got better at dialing in my grind size and getting the smoothest flavor I could, so now rather than spending ten dollars per kilo of commodity-grade coffee, I’m happy spending twenty per 300g of specialty coffee. 🤣 For the same money, you’ll get much better grind quality in a hand grinder than you would for electric.  Get a Timemore or 1ZPresso and it’ll rival electric grinders costing double or triple as much.  It’ll take a bit longer, but with the modern class of hand grinders, you’re only looking at maybe 45 seconds for a 3-cup pot without working very hard (which is much better than multiple minutes in a Hario Skerton). In electric grinders, the bare minimum I’d recommend would be an Oxo or a Baratza.  But I’d rather step up to, say, the DF54, Eureka Mignon series, Urbanic, and some others.

Side bar, but I would actually get the grinder first (I love my Bartaza). I got both at once and I found myself drawn to grinding the beans fresh for a French press makes wonderful coffee, to the point I hardly use my espresso machine anymore. You can use a grinder with any coffee method to make better coffee pretty quickly. Plus, using pre ground coffee for an espresso machine is .....not advised.

I got the Specialita and I believe - from my multiple reviews - the DF54 is up there is due to it's pricing. I've had the Baratza but the level up from previous to current one is not comparable. Eureka is just solid!

Baratza makes repairable grinders that will improve the taste of the coffee as well by having a more uniform grind.

+1 for this analysis!! Like yes a Ferrari is a great car but if you’re frequently going to national parks, camping, gravel roads, and/or need some carrying capacity, then a Ferrari will be a nightmare. I'd get a combo of the Baratza and K6; the former will get through volume when you need it, and the latter will be a fun way to treat yourself when you have more time or want a slightly more fun cup.

For your needs you could look into the Fellow Opus or a Baratza. ETA: top end of your budget but the Niche

If it's volume you want go for the Baratza or Baratza ESP (this will future proof it if you decide to drive into espresso) That has a hopper that you can load with a bag of coffee. You just press go and stop it when you've ground the amount you want. It can act as a single dose grinder too, you just weigh out the amount and grind that.

Exact same situation as me. I just ordered the baratza as it seemed to have the best overall reviews for the $

Why wouldn’t Baratza be a good pick?  People clamored over the Fellow Ode but they botched the launch hard and had to offer replacement burrs.  I’ve never heard of Baratza doing anything like that. 

No complaints from my Baratza.

K6 is best bang for buck. Baratza is the same for electric

I have the kingrinder and the baratza, go for the second. My coffee tastes so much better and it's way easier to operate.