A purpose-built espresso grinder at an honest price. The Encore ESP delivers consistent particle size, dials in quickly, and handles daily home use without drama. The most straightforward sub-$200 answer for dedicated espresso grinding.
The Encore ESP was built for one job: grinding espresso at home without a learning curve. Baratza recalibrated the grind range specifically for espresso — the entire 40-step dial sits in a finer window than the original Encore, which was tuned for drip and filter.
This is the right grinder if you own a semi-automatic espresso machine — a Breville Barista Express, a De'Longhi Dedica, a Gaggia Classic — and you want a standalone grinder that produces extraction-ready grounds reliably without fiddling between shots.
It is not the right choice if your primary brewing method is pour-over or filter. For that workflow, the Fellow Ode Gen 2 is purpose-built differently — see the full comparison.
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Burr type | 40mm conical steel |
| Grind settings | 40 stepped |
| Motor | DC · 450 RPM |
| Hopper capacity | 230g (~8oz) |
| Grind retention | ~0.5g |
| Weight | 3.3 lbs (1.5kg) |
| Dimensions | 6.2" H × 4.7" W × 6.2" D |
| Warranty | 1 year |
| Current price | ~$180 |
At espresso settings — roughly steps 5–12 on the Encore ESP dial — particle distribution is consistent enough to pull repeatable shots without adjusting between uses. The conical burr design produces a slight bimodal particle distribution, typical at this price point, which works well for espresso extraction and is generally preferred over a flatter distribution for darker roasts.
Where the Encore ESP stands out is repeatability. Once a grind setting is dialed in for a specific bean, it holds reliably. The stepped adjustment is precise enough that moving one notch makes a measurable difference in extraction time — which is exactly what espresso dialing-in requires.
Practical note on the 40-step range: Steps 1–5 cover Turkish to ultra-fine espresso. Steps 30–40 are coarse drip and cold brew range. For most home espresso machines, you'll settle between steps 5 and 15. The resolution in that window is enough to dial in meaningfully, without being so fine-grained that small accidental moves ruin extraction.
| Feature | Baratza Encore ESP | Fellow Ode Gen 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ~$180 | ~$365 |
| Burr type | 40mm conical | 64mm flat |
| Grind settings | 40 stepped | 31 micro-adjust |
| Primary use | Espresso + drip | Filter (espresso capable) |
| Dosing style | Hopper-fed | Single-dose |
| Noise level | Moderate | Lower |
| Warranty | 1 year | 2 years |
The Ode Gen 2 costs twice as much and is designed for filter brewing first. If espresso is your primary method, the Encore ESP is the more purposeful — and significantly more affordable — choice. Full head-to-head: Baratza Encore ESP vs Fellow Ode Gen 2 →
Current pricing and availability on Amazon.
Check Price on Amazon →The Encore ESP covers a wide range of home brewing equipment:
Not ideal for: Turkish coffee (requires finer than step 1 on most setups), cold brew optimized for coarse extraction, or single-dose workflows where the hopper design causes retention and cross-contamination between different beans.
The Baratza Encore ESP is available on Amazon with standard shipping. Check current stock and pricing below.
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