The dial isn't even: settings 1 to 20 are small steps meant for espresso, and 21 to 40 are bigger steps for filter. That's why espresso takes half the dial.
Settings by brew method
| Method | Setting (dial) | As the source puts it | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Espresso | 10 to 18 | Espresso range 1 to 20, suggested 15 for a medium roast | assets.breville.com Maker |
| Moka pot | 12 to 24 | Moka pot 12 to 24 | honestcoffeeguide.com Reviewer |
| AeroPress | 22 | AeroPress 22 | assets.breville.com Maker |
| Pour-over / V60 | 25 to 30 | Hario V60 25, automatic brewer 28, Chemex 30 | assets.breville.com Maker |
| French press | 32 | French press 32 | assets.breville.com Maker |
| Cold brew | 33 to 40 | Cold brew 27 to 40 | honestcoffeeguide.com Reviewer |
These are starting points. Beans, roast, water and your own taste all move them, so start in the middle of the range and adjust one step at a time.
Notchbook is a free app that remembers the setting that worked on your Baratza Encore ESP for each coffee and brew method, and keeps a journal of every brew. Get it free on Google Play. The iPhone app is coming soon. More about Notchbook.
About the Baratza Encore ESP
- Type
- Electric grinder
- Burrs
- Conical, 40 mm
- Adjustment
- Stepped (dual-pitch numbered dial)
Dialling in from here
- Sour, thin or fast? Grind finer. Why coffee tastes sour
- Bitter, dry or slow? Grind coarser. Why coffee tastes bitter
- Espresso: how to dial in. Filter: pour-over grind size.
Compare with other grinders in the grind size chart.
What reviewers found
A $199 conical grinder with a dial that changes pitch, with fine steps for espresso from 1 to 20 and big steps for filter above 20. Lance Hedrick has recommended it as a budget all-rounder since 2023.
Specs
| Burr | M2-style steel conical made by Etzinger, with fairly shallow grooves. Lance Hedrick compares the geometry to the ZP6 0:00 |
| Adjustment | 40 numbered steps. Steps 1 to 20 are the espresso zone, at about 18.8 µm of vertical burr travel per step (about 9 µm of gap). From 20 to 21 the pitch jumps to about 90 µm per step for filter, AeroPress, moka, cold brew and French press 0:00 |
| Microns per step | About 18.8 µm 0:00 or about 18 µm 3:09 in the espresso zone. One buying guide says about 8 µm 6:37 |
| Burr size | 40 mm, according to Bluebird Coffee Roastery 3:38 |
| Motor | 550 rpm, with enough torque that it doesn't stall even from a cold start 3:03 |
Where sources disagree
The creators don't all give the same figure here, so every value is listed with the person who gave it.
| Field | Value | By | Source | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microns per step | 18.8 | Hedrick | 0:00 | |
| Microns per step | about 18 | Hedrick | 3:09 | |
| Microns per step | 8 | Hedrick | 6:37 | |
| Microns per step | 19 | Rowsell | 8:33 | Espresso range. It isn't clear which numbers he meant |
| Microns per step | just over 18 | Bluebird | 3:38 | Steps 1 to 20 |
| Microns per step | summary | Lance Hedrick (in two videos), Kyle Rowsell and Bluebird Coffee Roastery all give about 18 to 19 µm per step in the espresso zone. One Lance Hedrick video gives about 8 µm. The higher figures may only differ by rounding. |
Starting settings
These are the settings each creator gave, measured from their own grinder's zero. Use them as a starting point.
| Method | Setting | Context | Confidence | By | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Espresso | 1 to 20 | The fine-pitch espresso zone of the dial | stated | Hedrick | 0:00 |
| Pour-over | 21 to 40 | The coarse-pitch zone for filter and other coarser methods | stated | Hedrick | 0:00 |
| Espresso | fine half of the dial (about 20 settings), no exact number | 18 g dose, about 16 s to grind when single dosing | approx | DGC | 3:35 |
| Pour-over | coarse half of the dial (about 20 settings), no exact number | Filter grinds at around 2 g per second | approx | DGC | 3:35 |
| Espresso | lower middle of the 1 to 20 espresso zone | Light roast. The very finest settings choked their machine, and there was no need to up-dose | approx | Bluebird | 4:41 |
Cup profile
- Balanced and rounded, with less astringency than the Fellow Opus. Espresso showed chocolate, candy-like red fruit and graham cracker, and filter could be pushed further before turning astringent 0:00.
- Filter is close to the Opus 3:09. At filter grind, a blind tasting against a Fellow Ode with SSP burrs was close 13:49.
- 2026: decent, with fainter acidity and less floral than a high-end flat. Better suited to darker roasts and body 18:26.
Strengths
- Fine control for espresso and big steps for filter 0:00.
- The new burrs slice the beans instead of mashing them, a big step up from the old Encore 7:40.
- About 0.4 g retention, which Lance Hedrick considers normal 5:35.
- Baratza support 3:09.
Weaknesses
- Loud, with a plastic burr carrier, static and a mediocre catch cup 0:00.
Verdict
2023: Lance Hedrick's pick over the Opus at the same price 0:00, his recommendation for beginners 3:09 and his budget espresso pick 6:37. 2024: grade A 15:10. 2026: a decent cup, and nowhere near a $3,000 gap from the best 18:26.
James Hoffmann's take
- In his 2024 test of espresso grinders under £250 he called it incredible value at about £160, with nice texture, sweetness and good clarity for a conical. The espresso clicks move the burrs much less than the filter clicks, and each one changes the shot by roughly 4 to 5 s. Noise is the main thing holding it back 0:32.
- In 2025, fresh grounds from the Baratza ESP beat day-old grounds from a high-end grinder, and filter drinkers in a public tasting preferred it 5:37 14:19.
Daddy Got Coffee's take
- In 2023 he recommended it wholeheartedly as a first grinder. There are about 20 fine steps for espresso and 20 coarse ones for filter, and the cup leans towards body and complexity over clarity. It has static, clumping and 2.5 to 3 g retention, and the included shims let it go finer 0:00 8:17. Dialling in espresso is easier than on the Opus 1:55.
Kyle Rowsell's take
- In 2023 it came second in his blind espresso test behind the Lagom Mini, clean and sweet with good texture, and strong for filter too. It's better than the old Encore all round, with the M2 burr, metal internals, an easy espresso range and a seal for 54 and 58 mm portafilters. It's still noisy, and you have to go back to zero to open it. At $199 it's his pick for daily espresso 8:33.
The Coffee Chronicler's take
- In 2024 he found balanced, cone-style espresso with fair body. Out of the box it couldn't go fine enough for a blend in a precision basket. The bundled shims fix that, but you get more clumps, heat and retention (1.1 g in total plus some exchange, so purge between methods). He compares it to a tuned scooter next to the DF54's motorbike 13:44.
Bluebird Coffee Roastery's take
- They used it at home for a week in 2023. Steps 1 to 20 move just over 18 µm each for espresso, and 21 to 40 take much bigger jumps for AeroPress, pour-over and batch. It has 40 mm steel conical burrs and runs at about 550 rpm.
- The single-dose cup fits a 58 mm portafilter, the burrs are easy to get to, and an optional small hopper helps with single dosing.
- The cup is good for the price, but less clear, sweet and extractable than more expensive grinders. It's loud and very static (a spritz of water on the beans fixes most of it), the lid is loose, and it has a plain on and off switch with no timer.
- It costs about US$200 (R4,700 locally), and they doubt a grinder at three times the price does much better for espresso 1:34 3:38 6:41.
Sources
- Lance Hedrick: NEW BARATZA ENCORE ESP REVIEW: Baratza Back On Top (2023-02-17)
- Kyle Rowsell: Best Budget Espresso Grinder Showdown // OPUS vs ENCORE ESP Review (2023-02-21)
- Lance Hedrick: BUDGET ALL-AROUND GRINDERS: Overview (2023-03-04)
- Lance Hedrick: THE GREAT BURR BATTLE: Demythologizing the Conical vs Flat Debate (2023-05-02)
- Bluebird Coffee Roastery: REVIEW: Baratza Encore ESP // Your Next Home Espresso Grinder? (2023-05-19)
- Lance Hedrick: ULTIMATE GUIDE TO BUYING A COFFEE GRINDER (2023-08-21)
- Daddy Got Coffee: You can STOP looking for espresso grinders: The Baratza Encore ESP (2023-11-08)
- Daddy Got Coffee: Watch before you buy… Fellow Opus vs Baratza Encore ESP Coffee Grinder (2023-11-22)
- The Coffee Chronicler: Baratza Encore ESP vs DF54: Best grinders around $200? (2024-07-25)
- Lance Hedrick: Grinder Tier List (2024-09-10)
- James Hoffmann: The Best Espresso Grinder Under £250 (2024-11-18)
- James Hoffmann: $50 Coffee Grinder Vs Pre-ground From A $3,500 Grinder (2025-08-22)
- Lance Hedrick: The Coffee Grinder Guide Every Beginner Needs (2026-02-04)
Summarised in our own words from the creators' videos, with every point linked to the moment it comes from. Notchbook isn't affiliated with or endorsed by any of these creators, so please watch the originals for full context. Sources