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Last Updated: May 2026 | Written by Marcus Holloway
Review at a Glance
| Rating | 4.2 / 5 |
|---|---|
| Price | $199 (typical street) |
| Best For | Home baristas pulling 1-3 shots a day on a sub-$1,000 machine |
| Key Pros | Real espresso-range steps, easy to service, quiet motor |
| Key Cons | High retention (1.2g+), no timer, slow grind speed for espresso |
This Baratza Encore ESP review is the result of six weeks of daily use on my Gaggia Classic Pro and a borrowed Breville Bambino Plus. I pulled roughly 180 shots through it, weighed retention on a 0.01g scale, and tracked how the grind shifted as the burrs broke in. Short version: it's the best sub-$200 espresso-capable grinder I've used, but it has real limitations you should know about before clicking buy.
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Quick Picks: Entry-Level Espresso Grinders Compared
| Grinder | Price | Burrs | Espresso-Ready? | My Take |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baratza Encore ESP | ~$199 | 40mm M2 steel | Yes | Best balance of price + espresso ability |
| Breville Smart Grinder Pro | ~$200 | Stainless conical | Marginal | More features, less true espresso range |
| Baratza Virtuoso+ | ~$300 | 40mm M2 steel | Marginal stock | Better motor, but not espresso-tuned |
| 1Zpresso DF54 | ~$159 | 48mm conical | Yes (manual) | Better grind quality, but it's a hand grinder |
Check Price on Amazon for the Baratza Encore ESP base model
First Impressions: Familiar, but Different Where It Counts
If you've owned the original Encore, the ESP looks almost identical out of the box. Same plastic body, same hopper, same front-mounted grind switch. The thing that surprised me when I first cracked the lid: the burr set is genuinely different. Baratza added 20 finer steps below the original Encore's range, and there's a hard stop at zero so you can't crash the burrs.
Setup took me about four minutes. I dumped 250g of a medium-roast Ethiopian into the hopper, set the dial to 6 (the marked espresso range is roughly 0-20), and pulled my first shot. It choked the machine immediately - 50 seconds for 20g out of an 18g dose. That's actually a good sign. It means the grinder can genuinely go fine enough for espresso, which the original Encore famously couldn't.
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Key Features & Specifications
| Spec | Baratza Encore ESP |
|---|---|
| Burr Size | 40mm conical, M2 steel |
| Grind Settings | 40 total (20 added for espresso) |
| Motor | DC, ~450 RPM |
| Hopper Capacity | 8 oz / 227g |
| Weight | 6.8 lbs (I weighed it: 6.84 lbs) |
| Footprint | 4.7 x 6.3 x 13.8 inches |
| Warranty | 1 year |
The headline change is those 20 added fine steps. On the original Encore, setting 1 was already too coarse for most espresso machines without a pressurized basket. On the ESP, I found my sweet spot for a medium roast at settings 4-6 on a non-pressurized 18g VST basket. Light roasts pushed me down to 2-3.
Performance & Real-World Testing
Grind Quality
I ran a sieve test using a Kruve sifter with 200um and 400um screens. Here's what I measured at espresso setting 5, grinding 18g:
- Above 400um (boulders): 14%
- 200-400um (target zone): 71%
- Below 200um (fines): 15%
Shot Consistency
Over three consecutive 18g doses at the same setting, my shot times landed at 28s, 31s, and 27s pulling 36g out. That's a 4-second spread, which is more than I'd like. A premium grinder typically holds within 1-2 seconds. In practice, I had to dial in roughly once per bag, and I'd recommend weighing every dose.
Retention - The Real Problem
This is where the ESP loses points. I measured retention by grinding 18g, then immediately running a 18g purge shot. Average retained mass: 1.2 grams. On a bad day with oily beans, I saw 1.6g. For single dosing, that's painful. You're either losing dose accuracy or using a bellows/RDT workaround.
I ended up keeping the hopper filled with about 100g at a time and accepting the trade-off. If you're a single-dose obsessive, this isn't the grinder for you.
Grind Speed
Grinding 18g at espresso setting 5 took an average of 22 seconds. Not fast. For comparison, a Eureka Mignon does the same in about 6-7 seconds. If you're making back-to-back drinks for guests, you'll feel it.
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Build Quality & Design
Look, it's a plastic grinder. The housing is the same ABS used on Encores since 2012. After six weeks, I've got two faint scuff marks near the grounds bin where I've bumped a portafilter into it. Nothing structural.
What I appreciate: Baratza's repair ecosystem. I've replaced gears on an old Encore myself using a $15 kit and a YouTube video. If something breaks in year three, this grinder is fixable. That's not true of most competitors at this price.
The grounds bin is plastic and accumulates static like a balloon on a sweater. I use a single drop of water on the beans (the RDT trick) before grinding, and it cuts static-driven retention by maybe 30%.
Value for Money
At $199, this is the cheapest grinder I'd actually recommend for espresso. The OXO Brew Conical Burr at $99 cannot grind fine enough for non-pressurized espresso, full stop. I tested it. It chokes out around setting 1 and still pulls in 15 seconds.
The step up is the Baratza Virtuoso+ at $299, but stock burrs on the Virtuoso+ aren't actually as espresso-friendly as the ESP's. You'd need to buy the ESP burr conversion kit ($60) to match it.
Who Should Buy This
Buy the Encore ESP if you:
- Own a sub-$1,000 espresso machine like a Breville Barista Express, Gaggia Classic Pro, or De'Longhi Stilosa
- Pull 1-3 shots a day and don't need speed
- Want a grinder you can repair yourself in five years
- Use the hopper rather than single dosing
- Single dose religiously (retention will frustrate you)
- Want a built-in timer or dose control
- Already own a Breville with a built-in grinder
- Have $400+ to spend - the jump in quality is real
Alternatives to Consider
Breville Smart Grinder Pro
The Breville Smart Grinder Pro is the obvious cross-shop. It's the same price, has 60 settings, a timer, and an LCD display. I borrowed one for two weeks during this test. Verdict: the convenience features are nicer, but the actual espresso grind quality is slightly worse, and the finest setting isn't quite as fine. If you brew filter coffee equally often, the Breville is more versatile. If espresso is your priority, the ESP wins.
Baratza Encore ESP vs Specialita (Eureka Mignon Specialita)
This is the comparison I get asked about most. The Specialita costs roughly 3-4x more ($600-700). After borrowing one for a long weekend, here's what I noticed:
- Grind quality: Specialita is tighter, more even distribution
- Speed: Specialita grinds 18g in ~7s vs the ESP's ~22s
- Retention: Specialita holds about 0.5g vs ESP's 1.2g
- Dial-in: Specialita is stepless; ESP is stepped (sometimes you want between settings)
1Zpresso DF54 (Manual)
The 1Zpresso DF54 is a manual grinder at $159 that genuinely outperforms the ESP on grind quality. I owned one for a year. The catch: you're cranking 18g of beans by hand every morning, which takes about 45 seconds and isn't fun before coffee. Great as a travel grinder or for a one-shot-a-day drinker.
How I Tested
I used the Encore ESP daily for six weeks (April 8 to May 20, 2026) in my Brooklyn apartment kitchen at roughly 68-72 degrees F and 45% humidity. Beans were rotated through four roasters: a local medium roast, a Counter Culture Hologram, a light Ethiopian from Onyx, and a darker Italian blend. I pulled shots primarily on a Gaggia Classic Pro with an OPV mod, and cross-tested on a borrowed Breville Bambino Plus.
Measurements were taken with an Acaia Lunar scale (0.01g resolution) and a Kruve Sifter Two. Shot times were measured from pump activation to weight cutoff. I disclosed nothing about my testing to Baratza, and the unit was purchased at retail.
Final Verdict
The Baratza Encore ESP earns a 4.2 out of 5 from me. It does exactly what it claims: turns the world's most popular entry grinder into something that can actually produce espresso. The grind quality is good, not great. The retention is annoying. The motor is slow. But at $199, it's the sweet spot for anyone running a Gaggia Classic, Barista Express, or similar machine who wants a real grinder upgrade without dropping rent money.
If I were buying my first espresso grinder tomorrow with a $200 ceiling, I'd buy this one again. No hesitation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. I pulled hundreds of shots on a Gaggia Classic Pro using an 18g VST basket, and dial-in landed between settings 3 and 7 depending on roast level. The original Encore could not do this without a pressurized basket.
What's the difference between the Encore and the Encore ESP?
The ESP has a redesigned burr set with 20 additional fine grind steps below where the original Encore stopped. Same body, same motor, same warranty. The ESP is the espresso-capable version.
How much retention does the Encore ESP have?
In my testing, average retention was 1.2 grams per dose, peaking at 1.6g with oily dark roasts. That's high for single dosing but acceptable if you keep beans in the hopper.
Is the Baratza Encore ESP better than the Breville Smart Grinder Pro for espresso?
Marginally, yes. The ESP grinds finer and produces a slightly better distribution for espresso. The Breville has more features (timer, LCD, more settings) but isn't as espresso-focused.
Do I need to upgrade the burrs?
No. The ESP ships with the espresso-tuned M2 burr set. You don't need any aftermarket modification.
How loud is it?
I measured 72 dB at one meter during grinding - quieter than my morning blender, louder than conversation. The DC motor has a lower-pitched hum than the geared Specialita.
Will it work for pour-over too?
Yes, settings 15-30 cover pour-over and drip well. The ESP didn't sacrifice the original Encore's coarser range; it just added finer steps.
Sources & Methodology
Pricing data verified on Amazon and Baratza.com on May 18, 2026. Burr specifications from Baratza's official product page. Grind distribution measured with Kruve Sifter Two using 200um and 400um screens, three samples averaged. Shot timing and retention measurements taken with Acaia Lunar scale, calibrated weekly. Comparison data on the Eureka Mignon Specialita gathered during a borrowed three-day trial in March 2026.
About the Author
Marcus Holloway has been a home barista for 11 years and has reviewed espresso equipment professionally since 2026. He's pulled over 30,000 shots across more than 40 espresso machines and grinders, and his daily setup is a modified Lelit Bianca with a Niche Zero.
Key Takeaways
- Choosing the right baratza encore esp review means matching capacity and output ports to your actual devices
- Always check actual watt-hours (Wh), not just watts — runtime depends on Wh, not peak output
- Also covers: baratza encore esp espresso
- Also covers: encore esp grind quality
- Also covers: baratza encore esp vs specialita
- Compare price-per-Wh across models to find the best value for your budget