Baratza Encore ESP: A Two-Range Grinder and Who It Suits
The Baratza Encore ESP is the grinder to look at if you pull espresso and also brew filter coffee. Baratza splits the dial: settings 1 to 20 move in small steps for espresso, and 21 to 40 move in large steps for filter. It has 40 mm conical burrs and a dosing cup for 54 and 58 mm baskets.
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Buy the Encore ESP if you brew espresso and filter on one grinder, because half the dial is set aside for fine espresso steps. It also suits anyone starting with a 54 or 58 mm machine. Skip it if you only want espresso and like grinding straight into the portafilter, or if you change beans for every shot.
On this page
Most grinders spread one scale across every brew method and leave you to find the espresso part. The Encore ESP draws the line for you, and that's the whole reason to buy it.
A note on our evidence. We read two Baratza sheets, both as copies on third-party servers. Baratza's own site gave us only a country selection page. We haven't used this grinder ourselves, and how we compare explains why.
Who it suits, and who it doesn't
- You brew espresso in the morning and filter or immersion later
- You want small grind steps at the espresso end without working out where they start
- You own a 54 or 58 mm machine and like the idea of a dosing cup
- You want to clean the burrs without tools, per Baratza
- You change beans for every shot: a hopper grinder isn't built around that, so see our single-dose page
- You want the portafilter held under the chute for you
- You want one published retention figure: Baratza's sheet gives none
Technical data
The two sheets agree on the core values and disagree on sizes. We would lean on the newer one, though we can't confirm which matches the grinder shipping today. Nothing below is a measurement of ours.
| Value | Sheet of March 2023 | Sheet of April 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Settings | 40: 1 to 20 for espresso, 21 to 40 for filter | The same |
| Burrs | 40 mm conical M2, hardened alloy steel | The same |
| Grind speed | 1.5 to 2.4 g per second | The same |
| Dosing cup | 24 g, fits 54 mm, adapter for 58 mm | The same |
| Power | 70 W at 100 to 120 V | The same |
| Bean hopper | 10 oz (300 g) | 230 g |
| Grounds bin | 120 g | 142 g |
| Weight | 6 lb (2.5 kg) | 7 lb (3.1 kg) |
| Size, length / height / depth | 13 / 34 / 15 cm | 12 / 35 / 16 cm |
| Price class | Mid-range, our classification |
The black Encore ESP* and the white one* are separate listings of the same grinder. Compare the model number on the day: ZCG495BLK and ZCG495WHT.
Baratza Encore ESP
A grinder with 40 settings: 1 to 20 are micro-steps for espresso, 21 to 40 macro-steps for filter, per Baratza's sheets.
Why here: Half the dial is reserved for fine espresso steps, and the other half does filter, so one grinder covers both.
Best for: Buyers who make both espresso and filter coffee
- Settings 1 to 20 are micro-steps for espresso, 21 to 40 macro-steps for filter (Baratza)
- 40 mm conical M2 burrs (Baratza)
- 54 mm dosing cup with a 58 mm adapter (Baratza)
- We read Baratza's sheets as copies on retailers' servers, and they differ on hopper size
- Type
- Electric, hopper
- Burrs
- 40 mm conical M2 (Baratza)
- Grind settings
- 40, split 1 to 20 and 21 to 40 (Baratza)
- Fits
- 54 mm dosing cup, 58 mm adapter (Baratza)
- Price class
- Mid-range
Daily use, from the sheets
You set the grind by twisting the hopper with one hand. Grinding starts from a front-mounted pulse button or a side switch. Baratza has you grind into the anti-static dosing cup, which sits on a tray at a set distance from the chute. Then you pour the grounds into the basket.
The hopper, burr holder and cone burr all come off without tools, so a cleaning stop doesn't mean taking the grinder apart. Baratza also says the machine is meant to grind one dose at a time for home use, and a thermal cutout protects the motor from long runs.
Where to start on the dial
The sheets give no starting number, so pick something inside 1 to 20, pull a shot and weigh it. Breville's dial-in guide says the darker the roast, the finer the setting, which tells you which way to lean. Sour means go finer as a first step. If you are already very fine and it stays sour, go coarser. Our grind size page has the rest.
How it compares to the Smart Grinder Pro
The usual alternative is our first-grinder pick, the Breville Smart Grinder Pro. Here's the difference from the two makers' documents:
| Encore ESP | Smart Grinder Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Settings | 40, with 1 to 20 for espresso | 60, with 1 to 30 for espresso, start at 12, per Breville's manual |
| Burrs | 40 mm conical, hardened alloy steel | Stainless steel conical, size not stated |
| Getting grounds into the basket | Dosing cup, 54 mm with a 58 mm adapter | Cradles for 50 to 54 mm and 58 mm |
| Size | 13 / 34 / 15 cm, length / height / depth | 8.5 x 6.3 x 15.3 in, width / depth / height |
Choose the Encore ESP for the split scale, especially if filter coffee matters to you. Choose the Smart Grinder Pro* if you want to grind straight into the portafilter. Beside a 54 mm Breville Bambino both are easy matches.
Add-ons
Baratza lists two hopper accessories. A single dose hopper holds 60 g, and an extender adds capacity on top of the standard hopper. The sheets disagree on how much (275 g in the newer one, 250 g in the older). If single dosing is your main goal, compare a dedicated single-dose grinder first.
What others report
Serious Eats, in a copy dated May 2, 2023, calls it a solid partner for a lower-cost machine and notes it handles fine espresso and coarser drip grinds. We have no summary of buyer reviews that we could vouch for, so we leave that out.
Alternatives
- Want the widest choice of grinders? Our espresso grinder guide sorts them by what you brew.
- Want the lowest price class? Budget espresso grinders start with what you give up.
- Want no separate grinder at all? The machines with a built-in grinder keep everything in one body. For the whole path, start at our guide to semi-automatic machines.
Asked at the bar
Is the Baratza Encore ESP good for espresso?
It is built for it on paper. Baratza's sheet sets aside settings 1 to 20 as small steps for espresso, and Serious Eats calls it a solid option to pair with a lower-cost machine. We don't run our own grinder tests, so we can't give you a measured verdict on the grind itself.
What is the difference between settings 1 to 20 and 21 to 40?
Step size. Baratza calls 1 to 20 micro-steps, for fine changes while you dial in espresso. It calls 21 to 40 macro-steps, which raise the grind size quickly for filter and immersion brewing. So one click near the bottom of the dial does much less than one click near the top.
Will the Encore ESP dosing cup fit my portafilter?
Baratza says the included cup fits 54 mm baskets, and 58 mm baskets with the included adapter. Its sheet doesn't mention 51 mm or other sizes. Measure your basket before you count on pouring directly from the cup, and read your machine's manual for its size.
What is the hopper capacity of the Encore ESP?
It depends on which Baratza sheet you read. The March 2023 sheet says 10 oz (300 g), and the April 2022 sheet says 230 g. Both are copies on third-party servers, and we could not reach a spec page on Baratza's own site. Either way, it holds far more than one dose.
Where this comes from
- Baratza: Encore ESP product sheet, version 2.2, March 2023 (copy on a third-party server)
- Baratza: Encore ESP point of sale sheet, version 2.1, April 2022 (copy on a third-party server)
- Breville: BCG820 Smart Grinder Pro product page
- Breville: how to dial in espresso
- Serious Eats roundup, read through a Yahoo copy dated May 2, 2023
Next round
- Espresso grindersWhat makes a grinder suitable for espresso: burrs, small steps and clean dosing. One clear pick, the alternatives sorted by routine, and honest notes on the data.
Best espresso grindersThe best burr grinder for espresso, compared by burrs, steps and retention from makers' pages: our pick, who should take what, and which numbers go unpublished.- Budget espresso grindersBudget espresso grinders for a non-pressurized basket: why step size decides, what makers publish, and our pick when the cheapest have only listing data.
- Smart Grinder ProBreville Smart Grinder Pro BCG820: 60 settings, where espresso sits on the dial, how the timed dose works, burr care, and who should buy a different grinder.
Espresso grind sizeHow fine to grind for espresso: start near fine table salt, then let the shot decide. Why no setting transfers, where finer stops working, and what coarser can do.
semiautomaticespressomachine.com Editorial Team
Espresso gear & shot craft
We are the editorial team at semiautomaticespressomachine.com. We read maker spec sheets, manuals, standards and published research on espresso and turn them into plain-English buying advice, with sources on every page. We do not run lab tests, and we say so openly.
- Spec sheets & standards read
- Sources on every page
- No lab tests – stated openly
- Publisher details in the imprint