Baratza Encore ESP review: the cheapest grinder that actually holds an espresso grind

The standard Baratza Encore at $149.95 uses the same 40 mm conical burr, but its 40 steps are calibrated across the filter and press range, not down into the fine, powdery consistency espresso requires. Turning it as fine as it goes does not produce an espresso grind, it produces the coarse end of what a burr designed for drip coffee can manage, and the particle distribution at that setting is inconsistent enough to channel badly under pressure. The Encore ESP uses the same body and motor but a different burr calibration and step range specifically tuned into the espresso zone, which is the entire difference between the two grinders and the entire reason the ESP exists as a separate product rather than a setting on the regular Encore.

Espresso is measured by weight, not volume: a typical 1:2 ratio takes an 18 gram dose and yields 36 grams of liquid espresso in 25 to 32 seconds, and the espresso ratio calculator works that yield out for any dose you set. Dialing in the Encore ESP means grinding a dose, weighing it on a scale such as the Timemore Basic 2.0, pulling the shot, and adjusting the grind dial finer if the shot runs too fast for its weight or coarser if it runs too slow. This is a manual, iterative process, and it is the same process every espresso grinder from this price up through a commercial unit requires. Owner reviews repeatedly mention that the Encore ESP holds a setting well once dialed in, meaning you do not have to redo this process every single day, only when the beans or the roast changes.

The Encore ESP works with either. Paired with the Breville Barista Express, it is a genuine upgrade over that machine's built in grinder for anyone who wants a wider or more precise adjustment range, though it does mean dosing manually into the portafilter rather than through the built in doser. Paired with a grinderless machine like the Gaggia Classic Evo Pro, which ships with no grinder at all, the Encore ESP is close to a requirement rather than an option: the Encore vs Encore ESP comparison covers the exact difference in more depth. Either way, the manual states the burr is field replaceable, which matters over a multi year ownership span since burrs dull with use.

The DF64 II at $399.00 uses a 64 mm flat burr rather than a 40 mm conical, single dose rather than a hopper, and a stepless adjustment rather than 40 discrete steps. A flat burr generally produces a narrower particle distribution than a conical burr at the same price tier, which shows up as a cleaner, less muddy shot, and stepless adjustment lets you land between two of the Encore ESP's fixed steps if neither one is quite right. That is a real improvement, and it costs twice the Encore ESP's price for it. For a first espresso grinder, or a household where the machine itself is still the bigger limiting factor, the Encore ESP delivers most of the practical benefit at half the cost.

If espresso is not the goal and you only ever brew filter coffee or a French press, buy the standard Baratza Encore instead and save $50.00, since the ESP's espresso range is wasted weight on a grinder that will never see a portafilter. If you have already outgrown the Encore ESP's fixed steps and want single dose, stepless control, the MiiCoffee DF54 at $229.00 is the next step up before jumping all the way to the DF64 II. The Encore ESP itself is the right buy for anyone assembling their first real espresso setup who does not yet know whether they will stay obsessed with it.