Gear Dossier · Grinders · No 01 of 8

BaratzaEncore ESP.

The verdict in one line: One burr set covers our espresso guide's fine window and sits inside the coarser macro range our moka pot guide needs, with one honest gap: bring your own scale.

40mm
conical steel burrs
1 to 20
micro steps, espresso range
21 to 40
macro steps, filter and beyond
6/7
recipe checks
Baratza Encore ESP coffee grinder in white, dosing cup in the grounds bin
Encore ESPImage: Baratza

The fit meter

Not a score. A count.

Every requirement below comes straight out of our own brew guides. Each segment is one requirement; hover or focus any segment to see the exact check it stands for. Lit means the published spec meets the recipe. We do not light what we cannot cite.

Espresso grind: fine, dials into a 25 to 35 second shotMoka grind: medium fine, loose in the funnel, never chokingConsistent particle size, no channeling at fine settingsBurr access for cleaning between fine and coarse jobsDose by weight, 18 to 19g in for espressoGrounds bin holds a full single dose without overflowGrinds a single dose quickly enough for a normal shot workflow

6 of 7 checks pass · every unlit segment is stated, not hidden

Every check, shown working

The recipe interrogates the spec.

Requirement, from our guide
Our number
Manufacturer spec
Fit
Espresso grind: fine, dials into a 25 to 35 second shot
Fine, 1:2 ratio, 18 to 19g in
Micro steps 1 to 20 are a dedicated high resolution espresso range, per Baratza's own product pagebaratza.com
Moka grind: medium fine, loose in the funnel, never choking
Medium fine, about 1:15
Macro steps 21 to 40 pick up where the espresso range ends, described by Baratza as suited to filter, French press or cold brew. Moka pot is not named directly, but medium fine sits inside that coarser rangebaratza.com
Consistent particle size, no channeling at fine settings
Even bed, level tamp
40mm conical steel burrs, M2 cutbaratza.com
Burr access for cleaning between fine and coarse jobs
Cleaned between guides
Quick release burr mountbaratza.com
Dose by weight, 18 to 19g in for espresso
18 to 19g in, weighed
Dosing feature listed as Manual: no built in scale. Our espresso guide already calls for a 0.1g digital scale regardless, so this changes nothing about the kit you needbaratza.com
Grounds bin holds a full single dose without overflow
18 to 19g single dose
120g (4.2oz) grounds bin capacity, per Baratza's published specbaratza.com
Grinds a single dose quickly enough for a normal shot workflow
18 to 19g dose
Baratza's published rate runs 1.3g per second at setting 10 up to 2.2g per second at setting 30. At those rates an 18 to 19g dose takes roughly 8 to 15 seconds, a figure calculated from Baratza's own numbers rather than a manufacturer claimbaratza.com

Plain speech

Buy it, or don't.

For you if

  • You brew with our espresso or moka pot guide and want one grinder that covers both grind windows
  • You already own a scale and want a burr grinder with a genuine espresso fine range
  • You want quick release burrs you can access for cleaning without extra tools

Not for you if

  • You want a grinder with a built in scale or dose by weight feature
  • You mostly brew French press or cold brew, where the coarse end matters most: our guide's coarse and medium coarse settings sit well inside the macro range, so a plain Encore covers it without the ESP's espresso tuned micro steps
  • You expect stepless micro adjustment for competition level dialing in

Where to buy

Encore ESP · Baratza

Fits the grind windows in 2 of our brew guides.

Buy at 1st in Coffee→Also on Amazon

Transparency: the buttons above are affiliate links; if you buy through them we may earn a commission at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Fit notes come from manufacturer specifications read against our brew guides, not hands-on trials.

Questions, answered plainly

FAQ.

FAQ

Does the Encore ESP work for methods beyond espresso and moka pot?

Baratza’s own product copy splits the dial into two ranges: settings 1 to 20 for espresso, and settings 21 to 40 for filter, French press or cold brew. That second range covers the coarser end of our brew guide lineup too, though this dossier only checks it against the two methods it is built for here.

Do I still need a separate scale?

Yes. The Encore ESP’s dosing feature is listed as Manual: there is no built in scale. Our own espresso guide already calls for a digital scale with 0.1g resolution regardless of which grinder you use, since dose and yield are both weighed, so pairing this grinder with a scale is not an extra cost created by the grinder, it is the baseline the recipe already requires.

Why is the moka pot check a pass instead of a fail?

Baratza’s product page does not name moka pot by name inside its macro range description, only filter, French press and cold brew. Our moka pot guide calls for a medium fine grind, which sits at the finer end of that macro range (steps 21 to 40) rather than outside it. We are stating that reasoning plainly rather than hiding it: it is a directional read of a published range, not a manufacturer claim written for moka pot specifically.

What would make this grinder a better fit?

A built in scale would close the one fail on this page. Stepless adjustment would suit anyone chasing sub second shot time changes, though the 40 numbered steps across both ranges already give finer control than most single stepped grinders on the market.

Sources & data