Baratza Encore ESP Review: A New Budget Standard for Home Espresso

For over a decade, the

has served as the entry point for millions of home brewers. It was the safe, reliable choice for filter coffee, even if its capabilities hit a wall when attempting modern espresso. The

Baratza Encore ESP

changes that dynamic entirely. At $199,

Baratza

isn't just updating a classic; they are attempting to solve the most difficult hurdle in consumer coffee: providing true espresso adjustability at a price point that doesn't alienate beginners.

Innovative Dual-Thread Dialing

The most significant achievement of the ESP is its unique adjustment collar. Traditionally, budget grinders force a compromise. You either get wide steps that make dialing in espresso impossible or hundreds of tiny clicks that make moving from espresso to French press a tedious chore.

engineered a brilliant workaround. The first 20 clicks are dedicated to espresso, featuring a fine thread that moves the burrs by only 18.8 microns vertically per click. This provides a granular 9-micron burr gap adjustment, which is significantly more precise than even premium hand grinders like the

Comandante C40

. Once you pass click 20, the threading changes dramatically. The pitch steepens, allowing for macro jumps of 90 microns per click. This dual-action system means you can find your espresso sweet spot in seconds and then swing over to a coarse cold brew setting with a single turn.

Internal Upgrades and Burr Performance

While the exterior remains the familiar plastic shell, the internals received a necessary overhaul. The ESP utilizes

burrs, which are a massive step up from the original Encore’s M3 burr set. The new geometry favors slicing over crushing, which significantly reduces the production of "fines"—those tiny dust-like particles that cause bitterness and muddy your cup.

Testing with ultra-light roasts revealed a robust motor that refuses to stall. Even during cold starts on espresso settings, the 550 RPM motor chewed through dense beans without hesitation. However, there are trade-offs. The grinder remains loud, echoing the shrill, industrial drone of its predecessor. Internal retention also remains a factor; a deep clean revealed about 0.4g of coffee trapped within the burr chamber, an amount that is acceptable for the price but prevents it from being a true zero-retention single-doser.

Head-to-Head: Encore ESP vs. Fellow Opus

The most direct competitor to the ESP is the

. In side-by-side taste tests, the ESP consistently produced a more balanced, well-rounded cup. While the

Fellow

often showcased sharper acidity, it frequently accompanied that punch with a lingering astringency. The ESP provided a better body and a cleaner finish, particularly in espresso shots where it managed to highlight sweetness—like graham cracker and strawberry—without the waxy texture found in the

Fellow Opus

.

From a usability standpoint, the ESP wins decisively. The

requires internal ring adjustments and a complex app or chart to calculate shifts, whereas the ESP’s linear-to-exponential dial is intuitive. However, the

Fellow Opus

wins on aesthetics and provides a more pleasant, lower-pitched sound during operation.

Final Verdict

The

is the new recommendation for anyone starting their coffee journey. If you only brew filter coffee, a high-end hand grinder like the

1Zpresso ZP6

still offers superior clarity. But for the hybrid brewer who wants one machine to handle everything from a morning latte to a weekend pour-over, the ESP is unmatched. It’s loud, it’s plasticky, and it’s messy—but it produces the best-tasting coffee in its class while offering a masterclass in functional design.