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There are so many coffee grinders on the market that promise to offer the right grind for espresso, but they do not do that. I was a victim of a salesman’s lies, and I ended up with a grinder that couldn’t offer the right grind for espresso. I tried to modify it to offer a better grind, but it wouldn’t offer the grind I wanted.
I later sold the grinder for less than half the original price. I saw the Baratza Encore burr grinder in a friend’s house, and I tried it. The engineers at Baratza understand so much about coffee, and you can see it on the Encore. It delivers just the right grind with several grind options to meet all my needs. Although I was skeptical of buying a coffee grinder that costs less than $200, the Encore changed my mind.
Baratza Encore is a beginner grinder and an entry level grinder with 40 grinder settings options. This makes it easy for you to produce the perfect grind. It grinds uniformly, allowing you to create the perfect cup of coffee. With a grind range between 250 to 1200 microns, the grinder allows you more than one brewing method.
The Baratza works great for the following brewing methods:
The Encore is an automatic grinder, and this makes it easy to use. You only need to turn it on by pressing the on/off button on its side and adjusting the grind setting. Rotate the hopper until it gets to the grind setting of your desire. You do not need to be an experienced brewer to adjust the grind settings on this burr grinder and it’s considered to be an entry level grinder.
The Encore stands at 13.3 inches tall and is 5.5 inches wide with a depth of 6.3 inches. It is a compact grinder, but it is heavier than it looks. Its extra weight and strong plastic construction make it durable.
Its profile is similar to that of many powered coffee grinders. It sports a transparent bean hopper that funnels the coffee beans to the conical burrs. The burrs have a heavy stainless steel build. These burrs have sharp edges and grooves that make them effective at grinding the beans. After grinding, the grounds fall onto the plastic collection bin in the hopper below.
To adjust the grind size, you need to rotate the bean hopper right or left. This increases or reduces the gap between the burrs and consequently the size of the grind. With this Baratza grinder, you have 40 coarseness settings. At the base of the bean hopper, there are calibration system options to show the level of adjustment.
With 40 coarseness settings, you can adjust grind size to fine coffee for espresso or coarse one for French Press. This is more flexible than other coffee grinders in its price range offer.
The steel burrs in the Baratza Encore are 40mm thick and in a conical shape. These burrs rotate at up to 550 RPM. This is not the fastest in the industry, but it ensures that heat doesn’t build up and the beans remain cool. Grinding cool beans retains their flavors.
Its high torque gearbox features a thermal overload protection that cuts off power if the motor overheats. However, the unit doesn’t often overheat. Unless you prepare 10 or more brews at a time, the grinder stays cool. This burr grinder has a powerful high torque dc motor which is a nice option considering the price.
The gears inside the unit feature 15 percent thermoplastic glass that ensures they operate quietly, are shock-resistant, and they last long. Its 8 oz hopper offers enough capacity to grind enough coffee for you. Further, the collection bin holds 5 oz, which is standard for coffee grinders.
It has a plastic case that is thick and sturdy to enhance its durability. Overall, you can expect this Baratza burr grinder to serve you for a long time.
With 40 grind coarseness settings, you can customize the ground based on the brewing method you need to use. Rotate the hopper as you check the marked settings at its base. You can produce superfine grinds to very coarse grinds, depending on the kind of coffee you need to brew. This burr grinder is very popular for manual brewing methods such as French Press or Chemix.
This Baratza grinder excels in grinding consistency, ensuring that your coffee is smooth. The grounds can be fine enough for espresso, but I recommend you use a pressurized portafilter to get impressive results. The coarse ground may not be as consistent as the espresso ground, but consistency doesn’t matter much when making cold brews.
With a grind range of between 250 to 1200 microns, you will hit the sweet spot with ease.
The Baratza Encore retails at below $150. It is an exceptional grinder at this price point. Baratza stripped the Encore of complex and advanced features to make it easy to use and make it efficient in grinding. If you are a pro brewer looking for an all-rounder, you might feel that the Encore falls short, but that is not the case for beginners and people who need to try out different brewing methods especially manual brewing.
There are no major special features as Baratza wanted to create a functional, yet affordable coffee grinder. The features that make this grinder stand out include:
Pre-ground coffee doesn’t taste so good. If you need the perfect cup of coffee, you need to freshly grind your coffee beans and consistent grinds are important. The Encore Grinder is an inexpensive grinder that gives you superfine or highly coarse coffee. It is an ideal option when you need espresso.
If you are shopping for a coffee grinder on a budget, and you do not need advanced features, the Encore burr grinder will meet your needs succinctly. But how do you pick the right coffee grinder?
When buying a coffee grinder, you need to decide whether to get a blade or a burr grinder. Blade grinders have blades that slice coffee beans. These are inexpensive, making them ideal for beginners, but their grinds are uneven.
Burr grinders feature burrs – one bar is still at the bottom of the hopper and the other attaches to a motor and rotates to grind coffee. Burr grinders produce consistent grinds and offer you better control. However, these grinders can use more energy and some of them are large and heavy.
• Burr Type: The burrs are either flat or conical. Flat burrs are inexpensive, but you may need to replace them often. Conical burrs are highly precise as you can adjust them by small degrees. They are also long lasting.
• Burr Material: Burrs feature a steel or ceramic construction. Steel is a good thermal conductor that heats up and cools faster. Ceramic takes longer to heat up, but it also takes longer to cool once it heats up.
Other factors to consider when shopping for a coffee grinder include:
If you are not looking for an all-rounder coffee grinder, the Baratza Encore is an ideal choice. At its price range, it offers enough features and stellar performance, and it is a burr grinder. A great entry level grinder for most of your needs.
Rotate the hopper left or right to match the coarseness you want as indicated on the calibration system at the base of the hopper.
It produces super fine ground coffee for espresso. However, I recommend you use a pressurized portafilter if you need the best cup of espresso.
You should clean it every 4 to 6 weeks. If you grind very dark coffee beans, you need to clean it more often.
The coffee grinder can last you for ten years if you grind a pound of beans every week. If you replace the steel burrs with ceramic burrs, the grinder will last even longer. Clean it as it should and avoid banging it for it to last longer.
You need freshly ground coffee to brew the sweetest cup of espresso or any other brew. So many inexpensive coffee grinders do not offer the fine and consistent ground you need for your espresso. However, Baratza Encore coffee grinder is inexpensive and offers the coarseness or fineness you need to find a sweet spot for your coffee.
You will find it easy to use and its grind is consistently smooth at the low end of the settings. With 40 settings, there is a grind for every type of brew you need. Click here to check out the Encore.
