ENCORE ESP - Baratza's Entry Level Legend Upgraded
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- Опубликовано: 10 июл 2024
- The humble Baratza Encore was my very first home coffee grinder, and as I progressed in my coffee career its blend of affordability and performance kept it at the top of my recommendation list for budding home baristas or casual brewers. But that brings me to the topic of this video, the newest addition to Baratza's lineup, the brand new Encore ESP.
↓CHAPTERS↓
[0:00] INTRO
[1:21] NOTABLE FEATURES
[2:34] WORKFLOW & PERFORMANCE
[4:49] QUIRKS & DOWNSIDES
[6:45] FINAL THOUGHTS
↓LEARN MORE↓
- Baratza: baratza.com/grinder/encore-esp/
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#baratza #encoreesp #espressogrinder #sprometheus
Next we need a shootout between this, the older Sette 270 and the new Fellow Opus.
Well I just got the Opus. I’m sure I’ll make some references to this grinder in that review as well since they are essentially the same price with the same adjustments, released at the same time.
thanks SPRO...you never give me a headache
Really excited about this grinder.
This new ~$200 price point for all around grinders is going to be really good for the community all around.
The SD40, the Fellow Opus, and the Encore ESP are all great options (well maybe not the opus but the other two are great).
Hahaha well said. I bought an Opus, it arrived last night. I’ll be late to the party because Fellow doesn’t really have a line of communication with me, I don’t think they like my critical takes.
@@Sprometheus do you have an sd40?
@@Sprometheus get that vid out soon plz, wanted to upgrade from my old encore for my flair
@@chad.breece From what I am seeing, the Opus may not stand up to the ESP.
Worth noting that it's a really simple mod to make an Encore stepless.
I upgraded my ancient one a while ago with the M2 burr set and swapped to the single-dose hopper which allowed you to 'bellows out' the very last fraction of a gram. I honestly wasn't expecting to notice a huge difference but in fact the added sweetness and clarity really surprised me, very enjoyable indeed and well worth it. How much of that was because the burrs were new is debatable but the old set certainly seemed to still be in reasonable shape as they came out.
Shout out to stars at Coffeehit for the best customer service I've ever enjoyed during the upgrade 👌
I still use my Baratza Virtuoso daily, for over 5 years, still going strong! It's great for making some wonderful cold brew coffee and aeropress coffee. I'm thinking of replacing the burr set, tech support was wonderful to sell me the parts, and I like their published guides, but honestly haven't noticed a need for it yet. Major bonus points for support and repairability of their products. Replaced the hopper and the rubber feet, but otherwise this grinder keeps on grinding, it's built like a tank. For a coffee novice like me, this was well worth the investment when starting out. If I were starting out now, the Encore ESP would be at the top of my list for consideration.
Thank you my friend.
Of course! Thanks for stopping by!
Wow! I wish this was around a few years ago. So cool
As somebody who owns a standard model encore I am excited that a lot of the upgrades on this grinder are possible through just buying replacement parts and upgrading them yourself.
So spending less than $100 can get me most of the way there and make use of a grinder I already have.
Nice review!
I sported an Encore and a Gaggia Classic combination for several years before making the jump to the more expensive stuff. I’d preformed the espresso mod/adjustment on the grinder and that provided a fine enough grind to choke the Classic if I wasn’t careful. I loved that grinder for getting me into coffee!!
Hi, what you suggest for gaggia classic instead this grinder. tnx
I have been using a cheaper brim until I finally got this few months ago along with getting a second hand dedica. Really REALLY changed my entire coffee perspective having a solid grinder
The real beauty of the Baratza Encore is it is rebuildable. After 8 years of constant daily use mine needed some new parts Those parts are readily available and there are plenty of youtube videos on how to rebuild this baby. I did it and so can you.
Nice review :)
I have an Encore and a Sette 270. Honestly, if I had gotten this newer Encore, maybe I wouldn't have upgraded or added another grinder for a long time. This new seems like it will definitely be my recommendation when people ask me where to start. That said, happy with my Sette, but the value here seems really excellent.
This was my first espresso grinder, and it is really capable! The single-dose hopper is a must, and the cover for the hopper doubles as a bellows. Near zero retention if you use it properly. I recently upgraded to the Eureka Mignon Zero, which is another level of awesome, but I am still keeping my Baratza Encore ESP!
I was really excited when i first heard about this grinder last year. I'm glad to see it delivered!
I wonder if Baratza just made their Virtuoso irrelevant and more expensive?
On my third motor and second set of burrs (moved to the M2) in my old Encore workhorse. Obviously, only used for pourover and simple immersion but still produces a very drinkable cup. Like others, I was concerned about the sale to Breville but it seems like the company hasn't forgotten those just starting their coffee adventure. Some of us are rocking the third-hand Silvia paired with a hand-grinder and a decent electric might fill a need (as my spouse would not understand why I simply must have a La Marzocco and a Weber).
That’s awesome. And yeah it’s a workhorse, and I’m sure in your time with it you’ve maybe had a conversation with their customer service, which has been one of the biggest benefits of Baratza for long time. In the end, if it works well, and it tastes good, there’s no need to upgrade. But I fully understand the urge, and often give in to it.
i like your shoutout to s e hinton’s the outsiders spro!
Agree with your comments on the flavour profile of the encore. Was hoping this new version would be better for dialing in espresso
Yeah I mean they only have so many points at their disposal with 20 clicks. But it’s a massive upgrade from the standard Encore which couldn’t even get you a proper shot.
i use baratza sette, its easy to take apart and repair by myself. 5 year of daily use, the sette still going strong without issue
Delighted with my ESP. The lack of a hopper gate doesn't bother me because I only single dose from scales. The rattling ("hopping") hopper is definitely not a plus point but so long as it isn't slowly damaging anything it's a minor negative. Retention isn't great but a few taps usually clear most of the stubborn grinds. Five second intervals is plenty good enough for me at the moment. I'm not nearly refined enough in my tastes to notice the difference between a single notch or even two. Highly recommended.
Defintiely odd that the hopper didn't include a gate especially since the Sette has one (maybe they're compatible?). Also what a crazy time we're in to see a La Marzoco and an Encore being used together haha
Nope, the compatible ones are :Encore, Virtuoso+, Vario/W, Vario+/W+ and Forte and now Encore ESP. That's the list from the single dose cap.
This seems like a very solid grinder... I have watched alot of grinder vids and there are very very expensive grinders that fo the same thing . I'm getting one of these and spending money on other gear. This seems like a no brainer
I got a hand grinder in 2019 because it was best I could afford, but it was $200 then. If this had been an option for the same price - wow. Now I would get it for wedding present or house warming fir special ones.
Just thought I'd give my experience - I've had an ESP about 1 month. Most important, it produces good espresso - which is the bottom line at $199. I do use a Cafelat Robot, so kind of compensate automatically for small issues with grind consistency / sizing - don't know if those would pop in a prosumer machine. Probably can't judge consistency yet, because I doubt the burrs have fully "seated". There are three irritating aspects: noise level, hopper bouncing around to extent lid can pop off, and bits of grounds that don't quite aim well into the single-dose cup. All that said - to deliver a decent grinder at $199, there have to be some compromises. I think anyone requiring this price point should be pretty pleased with the ESP.
btw - I also tried my old Encore with the stepless mod (which is easy to do) but has problems of non-repeatability and grind-size slippage because of vibration during grinding. Without a method to lock down the grinding adjustment - not really a great idea imo.
Still use my Encore daily for manual brews - I found that RDT sprays greatly reduced the chaff issue and the mess it made on my counter
I wanna see some reviews for the new zerno grinder. Got one last week and love it.
I use my encore daily. I have one hand holding down the hopper lid and one hand holding the grounds bin so they don't slide or pop-off during grinding lol.
Crossland CC1 in the background? Haven't heard much on those for years. Great review. Any idea how many microns between the espresso clicks and the regular filter clicks? Could the washers under the inner burr help bridge the gap between espresso clicks? Albeit an annoying solution once you swap roasts if you need to remove them.
Indeed it is a CC1. I had never heard of it until recently, so expect to see more on that one soon.
I didn’t measure the micron difference, as I don’t have a reliable way to do that. It may be a good question for Baratza though.
It did come with two washers to help dial in the grinder if need be, but like you said, I didn’t get into that as it was working out of the box as an all around grinder. But theoretically you could decrease the gap if you used them.
@@Sprometheus Ooo, I was gonna comment on that as well. I still have one from when I bought one secondhand before I upgraded.
There is a new entry level champ in town
It would be great to compare entry level Dual Boiler espresso machines like the Profitec Pro 300 with high end Dual Boilers like the Profitec 600 for people getting into the espresso game.
A little bit of water in the beans to remove static fixes the chaff problem!
I feel like this would be the best grinder for me considering if I ever get an espresso machine, I'm only really gonna be looking at the Breville Bambino Plus, or the Flair Neo
Do you recommend RDT for the chaff problem?
RDT comnletely eliminates the chaff problem for me on my old Virtuoso (used to be a big problem)
I saw some others reviewing this with a single does hopper. Any idea if that's something separate or if it comes with that as well as the larger hopper?
It comes with this one, but the single dose they sell does fit. It just has to be bought separately.
Do you think it’s a worthwhile upgrade over the barista express internal grinder? Would granularity between settings be better?
I have an original Encore that I use for drip and pour over. Really like it, but the static is awful. How is it with the new one?
I have a virtuoso + and have been really wondering where this grinder stands in comparison with many others. Would love to know vs this grinder and others within a few hundred dollars.
Whis is a can of worms, but for pour over / aeropress (no espresso) do I upgrade burrs, leave as is or replace altogether.
If looking for a complex topic to embark on, I'd be hooked on your results!
Love the vids! Always a bit confused though when you say grinders have zero retention because weight in equals weight out. Surely part of the ground coffee out could still simply be old grounds which were sitting in the grinding chamber and being pushed out by new grounds?
Well, zero retention is a marketing gimmick really. No grinder is zero, but on a most scales if you see no change that’s as close as you can get. And sure, some old grinds may come out from previous batches, but that’s not something I’d consider bad as you aren’t going to taste .01 grams of left over grinds in your fresh batch.
@@Sprometheus Agree on the marketing around "zero", but my point is slightly different. I don't think the difference on your scale measures retention. There could hypothetically be 17g of old ground coffee sitting in the grinder getting pushed out by a new 17g dose every time. On your scale you'd see equal in and out, but your retention is actually 17g. The opposite of this is what I think most people think of when they hear "zero retention", i.e. that there are no old grounds left in the grinder.
You"re correct. When testing for retention it must be on a cleaned grinder. Otherwise could be 1g of stale coffee coming through...
Now it makes sense why they've been blowing out the regular Encore on discount for a couple months now.
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Love Is Important
Question, how does this grinder perform with a dark roast bean? Because of the oils on the bean, the grinder may get clogged? Any info?
Suggestions for an all-purpose grinder one or two levels above this one? Thanks
Bialetti says to use medium-fine grind in the moka pot, what number(s) on the dial is/are medium-fine? I hope it's not hard to figure that out.
"I know what you're thinking" 😀
I do. 🤔💭
I feel so old, I'm still using a (well maintained) Solis Meastro plus from baratza, the encore predecessor. Maybe it's time to upgrade to at least the previous decade lol
We have been waiting for this for months -- and despite the issues noted, hope it is a good upgrade for us after our old grinder died. Also gives us the option of getting into Espresso.
Would you say this is a significant improvement over a dose control pro ? UK prices are really low right now on this, so its tempting.
Cost aside, how does the ESP compare to the lagom mini in your experience? Seems like ESP wins outright in terms of repeatability and switching between brew methods (vs the mini's now numberless dial 🙄), but is there a significant difference in quality of coffee in the cup?
I mean, sure the ESP is more straightforward to adjust, but the ability to have stepless adjustments gives you a much broader ability to dial in your brews on the Lagom Mini, but it’s up to the consumer to decide if that’s worth $200+ extra.
My first grinder from 2017 😂
My biggest question I haven't been able to answer is: Am I better off sticking with the built in grinder on the Breville Barista Express or buying this grinder? It would be fun to have a new piece of kit, especially if it improves my espresso, but I have an old Encore that is doing just fine 😂
Thanks for the content!
Hey man, you seem to have 2 capable grinders. Maybe focus on the quality of your coffee and the technique instead of changing gear. Hope it helps :)
@urielchami4556 I mostly use coffee roasted within a week or two or use and it usually a single origin. I will say that I rotate coffees pretty frequently so dialing in a specific roast is hard and borderline pointless before moving on to the next lol
Thanks a lot for such a good video! I have a Delonghi Dedica EC685 and now, I have a doubt. I don't know what to buy. My principal option was the Graef CM-800, but I have seen the Baratza Encore ESP and it's a great option. What do you think? If anyone can recommend another grinder in that range of price, I would really appreciate!
Had my Virtuoso for probably 5-6 years with it still going strong. Was wondering if this could replace it with better adjustability for espresso. I’m guessing they’re going to see how well this does to potentially replace the Encore completely and maybe the Virtuoso+
How does the clarity compare to the Varia VS3 seeing they’re both conical but with different geometries/RPMs?
I would say clarity on the VS3 is higher, the burr geometry is sharper all around, and the 160RPM creates less fines than the the 550 on the Encore. But it’s $100 difference is rather steep.
@@Sprometheus $100 difference is pretty steep. For someone getting into home brewing that can def be a deal breaker; for me, that’s the hard choice of “upgrading” for possible marginal gains or just making a swap to the ESP. 🤷🏻♂️
I still have my Virtuoso but now a days its in the covers. I did enjoy the cups it produced. Either I grew out of it or got I got caught up in the hype of the Niche when I upgraded.
When one of my friends get into coffee I always recommend the Encore at that price it's a no brainer.
Baratza customer support has been great and I have easy been able to service my own machine. Mainly replacing the upper burr holder.
In ten years time I'm sure James Hoffmann will do a classics of coffee featuring the Encore.
Where can I get the beautiful cups you use?
I currently have an ode gen 2 for non espresso beverages. Do you think this would be a good addition for purely espresso? I am really not seeing the justification for something like a VS3 or higher.
With a solid filter grinder like the Ode 2 I’d recommend getting a more capable, espresso specific grinder. VS3 is good, but not great, but if you want a conical it’s one of the better options. If you want flat the DF64 is a solid one.
@@Sprometheus Thanks man!
I actually ended up getting the Encore ESP to try out with my Lelit Bianca V3 and found the experience pretty inconsistent which makes sense for a grinder in this price range.
The lightly roasted beans I am using are quite unforgiving and found dialing in difficult as you can go from sour to bitter in a second with the grinds it puts out. Also the clumps made puck prep a pain in the butt.
I ended up getting a DF64P with titanium burrs so hopefully this will give me a better experience.
Thanks for your vids, you’re the best!
Would you still recommend this if the budget was higher around $400? Or would a Vario VS3, DF64, Eureka Mignon, or Sette 270 all perform better? Which would you recommend?
When you double the price you enter whole new territory. All of those will get you more in terms of speed, workflow, adjustability, and build materials.
@@Sprometheus Do any of those 4 stand out as the obvious choice?
@@jonjrodriguez I have a Sette 30 at home (which is a 270 with a different adjustment ring) and ist REALLY loud so if noise is a concern the Sette is not for you. Otherwise I quite like it and especially the design
what cups are you using in this video?
Please can we see a grinder comparison between the Lelit PL043MMI,Baratza Encore ESP and Fellow Opus?
Aside from the burr upgrade, are there any other upgrades that would make a standard encore perform more like this one?
You could make the standard Encore stepless by getting rid of the clicking mechanism, but that'll make the hopper vibrate to the point where the settings would drift
You can add the preciso adjustment collar.
Would this grinder be a real upgrade from my Quickmill 3035 grinder? Would be a shame to spend money and not getting a better result.
You have to change the shower screen in the Lelit bianca , because you use in GS3 IMS shower screen , must be the same in Lelit bianca to make your comparison fair
That black espresso machine in the back. Can't decide if it's hideous or beautiful, but nothing in-between.
Haha the Crossland CC1. It’s like a blend of the Gaggia Classic and Rancilio Silvia
I’m torn how I feel about the comparison between the opus and the esp. Definitely seems like a tough choice to make if anyone is in the market for these affordable grinders.
Bad thing about the opus is they implemented the micro adjustment system very poorly, and it has a ton of retention.. Ascetically looks great, but has some issues with function.
Is that a Crossland machine in the background?
Not for me ... I brew filter coffee almost exclusively, and after 3 years, am only just starting to outgrow my Encore. When I replace it, the next grinder will be a definite upgrade. Im starting my research now.
The Encore ESP does seem like a great "first real grinder" for those moving up from no grinder, a blade bean chomper, or a cheap burr grinder from a kitchen appliance company.
Not a conical guy, but curious how this compares to the niche. Its difficult to find a $200 espresso capable grinder.
I like conicals for espresso, like those traditional textural shots. But I will say the Niche is on a different plane of grinding. For one it’s stepless so it gives much broader control, but I think the Mazzer burrs are better for all around brewing than the ones in the Encore and produce a decent amount of clarity.
You have seen the single hopper?
What is that black machine in the background 🧐
That’s the Crossland CC1
Baratza esp=Win Win
I have an old cusinart with similar functionality. Although I upgraded to a 700 grinder... can't really taste the difference. Maybe too much hype over this. New one is fancier, quieter and consistent but when I make espresso...blind tests cant tell which is which...
This seems like maybe they should have shipped with their single dose hopper standard
so.......they brought back the preciso?
So it's a direct competitor to the Opus, right? To me the Opus seems the more attractive option but I guess if you're filling hoppers like a neanderthal then this one is the way to go?
This one is single dose capable, and they make a single dose hopper. So I’d say it’s more of a direct competitor than it may seem. But I just got the Opus last night, so time will tell.
Man, I have a soft spot for Baratza but its like a childhood toy, Ive grown up and moved on to bigger and better things.
Yeah I went from encore to niche
I get that. It’s definitely not for the hardcore enthusiast that’s for sure, and they know that. They call it a “passport to specialty coffee at home” so they know it’s for budding home baristas and casual folks. My brother in law and my girlfriend like theirs, both were recommended by me.
@@Sprometheus yeah it’s definitely something I recommend for coffee nerds starting out or the coffee drinker that wants to up their game a bit. It’s a solid grinder, kinda becoming legendary just for being what it is for so long.
I’m looking for the best grinder possible in the 200 euros range and for over 6 months now I think I’ll still upgrade from a hand grinder to a better hand grinder.
This or j max?
Depends on if I feel like I want a morning workout or not. Most mornings this.
A welcomed upgrade but they've completely missed the mark in the pricing. This is Eureka Mignon territory for not much more. My Crono was less than this before they changed the burrs.
I don’t know about that. It seems like a pretty competitive price point with the Opus coming right on its heels at $195 with one more stepped adjustment. Also, considering the standard Encore is $170 and the burr upgrade is $35 retail, it doesn’t seem like a huge differential for more adjustability. Lastly, the reason why a lot of many take the plunge with a Baratza is because of their robust presence in the US, with lots of positive reviews, parts availability and customer service. So I don’t know many casual or new home brewers who find themselves getting a Eureka as it’s more of a specialized brand with far less awareness and availability, like on Amazon for instance.
@@Sprometheus Appreciate where you're coming from but I disagree. any enthusiast looking for excellent value for money will want the best representation of that. Most home consumers will find marginal gains thereafter. I wouldn't call it niche brand. Eureka parts are readily available within the UK and to share a conical grinder is comparable to the mignon range is completely off the mark.
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I prefer Valorant child game.
O cemu pricas, pa to je idalno! Da recimo 36g imas malo sporije recimo 32 sekunde i onda za jedan korak krupnije meljes kafu dobijes 28-29. Za dva dobijes 25-26… pa sta bi ti hteo??? Ne razumem?! Zasto se postavljaju kao lose stvari nesto sto pod jedan nije za najveci broj korisnika uopste lose, barem ne na nacin na koji si ti opisao jer razliku od 2-3 sekunde ne moze da provali najveci broj korisnika. A pogotovo ne onaj kao sto si rekao na pocetku, za koga je uopste ovaj mlin i namenjen. A pod dva, za ovu cenu ne mozes ni da ocekujes bolje. Pa comandante koga svi hvalite ima vecu razliku ako se dobro secam, tipa 25mikrona, dok je kod ovog valjda 18
5:29
You need to edit this again, sorry 😐
I could, but I seems like the point comes across just fine. Or you could try making your own videos every week and see if a minor issue or two slips through from time to time.
@@Sprometheus that's fine for me, i suggest mention it
I fail to see how espresso is considered an "upgrade"? It was invented by a cheapskate Italian businessman to shorten the breaks of his employees. It's vile. Treat yourself to a proper cup of coffee and take the time to enjoy.
Hi, are the coffee hoppers compatible ?
WILL YOU PRESENT IS THE BLACK ESPRESSO MACHINE IN THE BACK?
I will, it’s in the process.
@@Sprometheus Great! Best regards from Germany!