Encore ESP Coffee Grinder ZCG495BLK, Black

First, know this is a basic model espresso and coffee grinder that doesn't have any unnecessary features. It grinds beans well and is easy to adjust in a wide range of very fine to very coarse. It's made so that all the parts can be replaced to support years of use. But you'll need a good coffee scale and some patience to dial in good espresso. It's stylish enough to not look bad on the counter, but nothing fancy. The retention isn't too bad. There's a fair amount of spraying of grounds around the side from static, but you can easily mitigate this with a couple drops of water to reduce static. The hopper works fine for single dose espresso, though you may want to buy the single-dose specific attachment. It's loud but not horribly so. After a few weeks of use, I'm very pleased with the grinder.

I didn't realize how bad my Cuisinart Automatic Burr grinder was until using this for the first time. The second I picked this up I could tell it was built like a brick compared to the Cuisinart. The only part that really feels cheap is the plastic coffee holder that sits above the machine. The grinding of the coffee is what really sets it apart. The Baratza ESP is not only much quieter than the Cuisinart but it's much more controlled when grinding. The Cuisinart starts up and sounds like a high pitched airplane, sending grounds flying into the ground housing while the Baratza sounds like I actually can hear the coffee being ground. It also gently drops the coffee in a controlled manor which is great as I can hold my espresso portafilter directly under the spout and manually hold the on button for several seconds to fill it. After coming from the automatic grinder I thought the manual only option would end up being my biggest annoyance but I actually enjoy watching the coffee being ground into the canister. Just flip the lever and it grinds fast enough to where you really don't want to go anywhere while it's on. The grind quality is also on point. The issue with the Cuisinart was that the motor would get to such high RPMs that it killed the grind quality. Some of the coffee would come out ground to the desired size while some of it would be ground to fine dust which would collect near the top lid. I have ground coffee for both French press and espresso and the grind quality of the Baratza appears to be extremely consistent. No more extremely fine grounds when set to a coarse setting :) Overall, the Baratza ESP is an amazing grinder setting the bar much higher than my previous grinder. My last grinder ran about everyday for 6 years before failing so I'm hoping for at least 10 with this.

I did a LOT of research before purchasing the Encore ESP grinder. I guess I am now officially down the coffee rabbit hole. So why did I end up with the Encore ESP? 1) Baratza reputation which is excellent throughout the coffee lover's community 2) Customer service. I couldn't find a negative comment regarding Baratza customer service. (See video for more info regarding my customer service experience) 3) Capabilities. Able to grind all the way from espresso to cold brew 4) Price. For someone just beginning to expand their coffee experience beyond buying pre- ground coffee I didn't want to spend too much up front. However, I wanted something durable and capable of grinding a wide range of quality ground sizes. 5) Longevity. I wanted the grinder to last! Everything I read about Baratza grinders was they last and last. And if they break, Baratza actually WANTS to help get the grinder fixed! Pro's: 1) Easy to use 2) Easy to clean. No tools needed. Easy to remove ring burr and clean inside. 3) Compact but easily capable of grinding anywhere from a single dose of grounds to a 12 cup coffee maker's load of grounds. 4) Wide range of grind sizes. And, based on reviews by people who know a lot more than I do about coffee grinding, grind sizes are very consistent. 5) Fresh ground coffee smell. Could be the best smell in the world. 6) Customer service, customer service, customer service! Con's: 1) I wish I could have afforded to buy the Barazta Forte BG. Well, maybe someday. Post purchase suggestions: 1) Watch my video! Make sure you check your quick release knob. If you have the old version contact Baratza and they will send you the new style for free. Why? The original quick release knob has a tendency to work its way loose during grinding. This may cause your grind sizes to be very inconsistent. 2) If you don't own a coffee scale yet, get one! Trust me, you really shouldn't be grinding coffee and not own a scale. You can but I'll bet you will want one. 3) Get yourself an Atomizer Sprayer. Spraying your beans before grinding will all but eliminate static. It takes very little water so don't go overboard. 4) Regret not buying the Encore ESP a long time ago. That's about it, I hope you found something helpful in this review. I truly believe you won't regret your purchase. There's nothing about this grinder that shouldn't last for years to come. And if by chance you need to replace the burrs or something else wears out, Baratza offers all of the parts on their online store. You can pretty much rrebuild this ground from the frame up. Most importantly, enjoy the smell of fresh ground coffee, better tasting coffee and the experience of grinding your own beans!

A well built burr grinder with a wide range of settings from espresso (and finer) to french press and cold brew. The chute will occasionally spill some grounds when grinding oilier beans, but retention is minimal and it's very easy to clean from the top and bottom ends. Some small caveats: the first time I removed the hopper, the top seal came with it, and then came off on my counter... which led to a big mess when grinding when I re-inserted the hopper. Once that was replaced, all was good! Also, lining up the hopper to re-insert after removal is a bit finicky but nothing you can't get used to. Finally, I'm using an add-on "single-dose" hopper for ~ everything now since it's large enough for both truly single-dose (1 shot) use and making a 1L French Press, so the big hopper the grinder came with is mostly a counter decoration. The ground coffee is still a bit staticy, but that is a minor point as it generally ends up where it needs to (with the caveat of oily beans above). Overall I'd give this a solid 4.5/5.

What I like 1)The Baratza Encore ESP produces a very uniformly consistent grind so I gave it 5 stars cause really that's what you are buying it for. 2) It has a little brush to clean out the coffee grounds which is useful. 3) It comes with a dosing cup which fits a 54 and 58 mm portafilter and if you hold it at the top of output none of the coffee will be lost (it would be nice if there was an insert to hold the dosing cup at the right height but it doesn't take long to grind 18-19 gms of beans). What I don't like: 1) the On/Off knob is easy to pull off, 2) the plastic lid on the top of the bean hopper falls off easily when moving the unit. My daughter has the Encore (not ESP) and has been using it multiple times everyday (4 cappuccino drinkers and coffee drinkers in the family) for over a year and she says the grind is just as consistent as the beginning. I'm hoping I get the same results over time.

Overall, this is a great grinder for the $200 price point! It is awesome to see companies get closer to the budget range for well built espresso grinders. The 20 steps of small adjustments for espresso are great, and the ability to jump into coarse grinds for filter coffee is also nice to have. It definitely isn't amazing at any particular thing, but it does a good job across the board for those looking to get into grinding their own beans! The Good & Notable Upgrades Getting this grinder over the original is worth the $50. - Super easy adjustments - The first 20 steps are very small and are meant for dialing in espresso. Once you hit step 21, the thread changes and each step becomes larger which allows for a lot of options between 21-40. Twisting the bean hopper to change grind size is super great. - Single-dose cup - The included single dose cup as well as the full bin is a nice touch. - Easy cleaning - This version allows the entire burr set to be removed for cleaning, which is a major improvement over the original where the bottom burr could only be removed if you tore most of the grinder apart. This will definitely help with longevity. The Bad I've got two main complaints about this grinder: - Noise - True to the Baratza name, this grinder is very loud. Those who live with you will definitely know you're making coffee. - Retention - This grinder has a notable amount of retention on the first grind, I measured ~0.7g of the bean I was using. This isn't a huge issue on its own, but I've found it can end up causing grounds to fall out and make a mess. I've gotten used to rocking the unit back and forth a couple times which helps, but I still seem to end up with grounds on the bottom quite often. I've found that the 3rd party single dose hopper with the bellow (~$40) almost completely solves for this issue.

I did a lot of research on this grinder before buying it, did all the setup instructions to a T per the instructions that came with the grinder, and it broke down after just the second hopper full of coffee beans. So naturally I tried to fix it. I went through all the FAQs I could find, watched videos on how to clean and disassemble the grinder, and yeah none of that fixed it. I even broke some of the housing in disassembly, which surprised me as these have a reputation of being an appliance designed for consumers like us to do our own maintenance on them. All of this took half a day. The next morning, I reached out to Amazon for assistance, but because I was doing a lot of traveling for work the past month or so, I didn’t have need to use it until just past the 30 day warranty period post date of purchase. Amazon directed me to Baratza. So, I tried to reach out to Baratza for assistance, but their support center is on PST time and I’m EST—and so no one picked up and there was no voicemail. I was done at this point. The appliance is in the trash. Its too easy to just buy ground coffee from here on, grinders aren’t worth all of this. Recommendation: Don’t buy this product. You might get unlucky and get a dud like I did. If it is a dud, it’s not designed well, and any marketing on ease of maintenance is an illusion so abandon that idea you can easily service this appliance. I’ll probably never buy anything from Baratza again. I just like things that work.

Did a lot of research, and this rates highly with everyone. It grinds beans very well for any kind of coffee. Negatives that really aren't: I was worried that I would hate that it doesn't stop on its own, or that it clumps. Both are true, but neither bothers me. It grinds a little slowly, but that gives you time to do other things. The clumping is real, but not that big of deal. (Must use WDT) It does retain some coffee. I ordered a silicone bellows with the grinder. (It works, but you have to use it while the grinder is running). It’s also a little loud, but that ensures you won’t forget to turn it off. Positives: It's well built and substantial. You can just tell it's quality, and is likely to work for a long time. Reviews say good customer service and easy to get parts. 2) It's very quick and easy to adjust, and works well for espresso and regular drip. (Only adjust with no beans in it, or when it's running). This is my first real espresso grinder, and I LOVE it. Bottom Line: If you want to spend a lot, you can get a quieter grinder, or one that shuts off at various points, or has no retention, or all of that perhaps. But you will likely spend a LOT more, and probably won’t have distinguishably-better espresso/coffee. If you want a workhorse that grinds beautifully for every occasion, for a great price, look no further.