New grinder?

[jdp93]

I hope everyone in B&B land is staying healthy. I am thinking about getting a new burr grinder, and I am leaning towards a Baratza Encore, but I haven't made up my mind. I have been using a Hario mini mill hand grinder for years, but it is getting a little long in the tooth, and frankly, I am getting tired of hand grinding several times a day.

My brew methods are mostly Aeropress and French Press. The Encore gets great reviews for these methods, but here is the thing - I am thinking about getting into the world of home espressos. I don't have a machine currently, but I would be getting something like the Breville Bambino (or something else <$500). I have seen mixed reviews on the Encore's ability to grind for espresso. Some say it is fine for a "cheap" espresso machine like the Breville, and others say it is not suitable for espresso grinds at all.

What say the experts here? Thanks in advance!

 

[Mick]

Espresso=consistency in every stage.

An encore will fail for espresso.

Have no fear, if you will still be brewing press, etc, you are going to need multiple grinders and the encore is a respectable entry level grinder.

You won't be disappointed with yours.

I have owned multiples in the past. Infact I have a "pre" encore (maestro+) in my closet as a spare right now.

An old Baratza pic with the maestro plus I still own (front left)

Current grinder lineup

 

[JeremySeattle]

I hope everyone in B&B land is staying healthy. I am thinking about getting a new burr grinder, and I am leaning towards a Baratza Encore, but I haven't made up my mind. I have been using a Hario mini mill hand grinder for years, but it is getting a little long in the tooth, and frankly, I am getting tired of hand grinding several times a day.

My brew methods are mostly Aeropress and French Press. The Encore gets great reviews for these methods, but here is the thing - I am thinking about getting into the world of home espressos. I don't have a machine currently, but I would be getting something like the Breville Bambino (or something else <$500). I have seen mixed reviews on the Encore's ability to grind for espresso. Some say it is fine for a "cheap" espresso machine like the Breville, and others say it is not suitable for espresso grinds at all.

What say the experts here? Thanks in advance!

I love my Encore for Aeropress and V60.

When you are ready to get into espresso we can help you get a nice, old, Mazzer for a few hundred bucks that will crank out espresso shots forever.

-j

 

[StillShaving]

You could consider getting the Encore now and later on get a nicer hand grinder once you take the plunge on espresso. YMMV but given that you are already experienced with hand grinding, I think you will find that using a higher end model such as one from Orphan Espresso to be easier to grind with and be relatively budget friendly. Whatever grinder you chose, unless it is super easy to adjust you probably will not want to use it for espresso and other methods.

 

[linty1]

Hello, I was looking for a grinder for espresso as well and looked around, emailed etc and yes, the feedback I got too was that the Encore wasn't well suited for espresso. If you wanted to stay hand grinding, the Feld47 (knock), Rok grinder, and Commandante 40 were frequently brought up. I ended up going with a Niche Zero as a bit of a do-all, for an electric (stepless single dose, nice burr set), but thats just what I chose, seems to get good reviews and was what I was looking for.

 

[Mick]

Hello, I was looking for a grinder for espresso as well and looked around, emailed etc and yes, the feedback I got too was that the Encore wasn't well suited for espresso.

Yes and no......

It depends on the espresso machine.

Encore is fine for a pressure basket/portafilter machine which will work fine with Folgers

A high preasure machine (commercial or pro-sumer) needs a fine, consistent grind and tamp. Encore will not do this.

There is no such beast as a one size fits all grinder. Sure a super jolly will do a coarse grind but it might take weeks to dial it back in for decent espresso.

 

[rockviper]

I've had the Baratza Encore for a few years and love it. My wife doesn't like espresso, so I use a medium grind for our french press. When I want some moka pot, I grind finer and enjoy my stronger cuppa joe.

 

[jdp93]

Thanks for your thoughts everyone. I ended up getting the Baratza Encore. When I take the plunge on an espresso machine, I’ll be back to bug you guys for your input on a grinder.


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