Baratza Encore Coffee Grinder ZCG485BLK, Black
$149.95
Price: $149.95
(as of Jul 22, 2024 21:59:43 UTC – Details)
Product Description
Encore
Recommended by coffee experts as THE go-to entry level grinder for brewing coffee at home.
Entry-Level All-purpose
This tried and true grinder has been on the market since 2012 and is our most widely used grinder. Its grind consistency and reliability make it a great little workhorse for your home espresso, drip or French Press coffee setup.
Easy, Intuitive control
Straightforward and easy to use, with a motor that is activated by an on/off toggle switch on the side for continuous grind OR a convenient pulse button on the front for a quick grind burst.
40 steps of grind adjustment
Featuring 40 individual grind settings, you can go from fine to coarse for all the popular brew methods such as espresso, Aeropress, Hario V60, Chemex, French Press, and automatic brewers. Its 40mm hardened steel burrs produce the quality grind that is going to make a key difference to the taste in your cup.
Small but Mighty Grinder
With its small footprint, the Encore fits nicely under most kitchen cabinets. The hopper can hold 8 ounces of whole beans, and the clear grounds bin has a fill line to indicate when emptying is needed. The quality engineering and build will give excellent grinding performance. Baratza grinders are designed to be serviceable; parts and support are available to provide years of use and environmental sustainability.
Entry-Level All-purpose
Easy, Intuitive control.
40 steps of grind adjustment
Small but Mighty Grinder.
Don’t Dump it, Fix it!
Most small, consumer appliances are designed to wear out, or stop being useful in a very short time. These appliances are difficult and expensive to repair, so consumers are trained to dump and replace which has big environmental implications.
In contrast, we’ve purposefully designed Baratza grinders to be maintained like commercial grinders and maximize their value. With regular cleaning, maintenance, repair, and even rebuilds our grinders can give an excellent, accurate grind for many years.
Specialty Coffee Association Award Winning Grinders – Baratza grinders are preferred by coffee professionals and backed by Baratza’s world class support.
Go-To Entry Level Grinder – Baratza’s best-selling grinder, with its small footprint, is THE choice for brewing coffee at home. Available in White or Black.
User Friendly – A convenient, front-mounted pulse button, plus a simple ON/OFF switch make it easy to grind fresh coffee.
40 Grind Settings – Engineered with 40mm commercial-grade conical burrs that help you explore the extensive range of brew methods (espresso, Aeropress, Hario V60, Chemex, French Press, and automatic brewers).
Warranty and Quality Parts – Hardened alloy steel burrs manufactured in Liechtenstein, Europe, plus a powerful DC motor. This combination creates a consistent grind and durability to ensure the longevity users have come to expect from the Baratza brand. The Encore is backed by Baratza’s world class support and a 1 year warranty. 2020 Update has exact same trusted functionality with a sleek new exterior.
Customers say
Customers like the adjustability of the electric food mill grinder. For example, they say it’s highly adjustable, produces even grinds at different sizes, and is easy to assemble. That said, some complain about the clogging and quality.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Ronald Epstein –
My first Baratza!
This was a step-down purchase for me. For the past 10 or more years I have owned a Rancilio Rocky grinder which costs about 3x more than the Baratza Encore. And in hindsight, it was a stupidly expensive purchase as I never made Expresso or specialty coffees. I just wanted one of the best grinders and at the time I had the financial means to splurge.Now that I am retired, I am a lot more conservative with my spending. That expensive Rancilio grinder finally died and it was time to look for a replacement. The idea here was to find the best bang-for-the-buckgrinder at a price point of under $200. I spent days doing research and found that Barista Encore was constantly rated as the best in class for what I wanted to spend. I placed my order on Amazon and then spent time watching setup videos on YouTube.I had a bit of a rough start. When I unpacked my brand-new Encore I was shocked to find that the gasket included looked nothing like the one I had seen in countless videos and setup guides. Even the included instruction book showed a completely different gasket than the one I received. I panicked. I thought that Baratza made a manufacturing mistake. I placed a phone call to customer service and found that their phones were shut down due to overwhelming demand. So, I fired off an email thinking it would be days before I got a response. Within 15 minutes, a customer service representative emailed me back saying that the company had recently updated their gasket for this model and was unable to include new documentation for it in recent shipments.So, let me just stop here and say that I was extremely impressed by the customer service response. When they were overwhelmed on the phones, they at least had someone watching email inquiries and making certain responses went out within minutes of being contacted.So, let me start with the gasket. For me, after watching all the setup videos, it was the one aspect of putting this Encore together that I was concerned about. The old gasket was cumbersome to align. It was a very smart thing for Barasta to upgrade the gasket. Now, it’s considerably smaller, and you can simply plop it into the burr grinder without any difficulty. There are new videos online explaining how to do it, but I can save you time by saying you need to insert the thick end of the gasket into the grinder before installing the hopper.So, to address the most common questions…1. Is it noisy? Yeah, somewhat, but I’m used to it. It’s less noisy than the industrial Rancilio Rocky it replaced. And, I can’t fathom any coffee grinder that is not going to make a considerable amount of noise.2. Does it leave grinds everywhere? Yes, it does leave traces of grinds in the holder and along the lip of the ground coffee bin. Is it a big deal? No. It’s the nature of these grinders. I have a small handheld vacuum to deal with it. A cheap coffee brush is another way to take care of the cleanup. It’s minor, to say the least.There is a great accessory you can buy on Amazon for under $14 that will eliminate trace grounds. Look for AIEVE Upgrade Single Dose Hopper. It’s a must-buy accessory for your Encore.3. Is it difficult to clean? Not that I can see. The burr grinder is very easy to remove. There is an included brush for cleaning. Every few months I am going to throw in some cleaning tabs and grind it through. I also don’t recommend using this grinder for flavored or shiny beans. They tend to leave a lot of gunky residues. If I want flavored coffee, I buy it already ground.4. Is the power cord too thick? I only bring this question up as it’s one of those things I read complaints about in review after review. No, it’s not. It’s the same as my Rancilio Rocky which is considerably thicker than what you would find on a toaster or electric can opener, which is to be expected.5. Is the build quality cheap? While there is a lot more plastic here than I would want to see, from the online videos I have watched, experts believe that the Encore is made of solid materials and built to last for many years. In fact, if you go through a pound of coffee a week, and clean as recommended, the estimated life of this device is 10 years before you need to start replacing anything.From the research I have done, apparently what makes Barasta grinders so popular is that all their parts are serviceable. They are supposed to be very easy to clean and maintain. The company has a library of diagrams that help you navigate their machines.My first grind and cup of coffee were memorable.With some research, I found the perfect grind setting for my Technivorm Moccamaster. That coffee maker requires a more coarse grind so I set my Encore at “20” and poured my beans into the hopper. It is suggested to have the hopper running when you pour your beans in so you are not grinding from a dead stop (which is not good for the blade). I found the resulting grind to be very uniform in appearance.The coffee the grind produced was spectacular. I think I had been using the wrong setting on the Rancilio Rocky for years, grinding my beans slightly more finely (which you want to do with drip coffee makers). This more coarse grind setting produced a more flavorful cup of coffee. I was delighted.The Encore is for most enthusiasts who aren’t looking for Expresso grinds. It’s the best entry-level conical grinder for anyone that doesn’t want something cheap or wants to spend a fortune on a device like this. And to say “entry-level” isn’t even fair. There are coffee shops that use these grinders, from what I understand. This brand has been a staple in the coffee community for decades. It has a reputation for being the best in its class.So, I promise to keep using this every day and if it doesn’t live up to my expectations, I will update this review regularly and keep everyone aware. For the moment, I am delighted to own this product. If my first cup of coffee is any indication of where things are going, I think we are going to make beautiful java together.
J. Ard –
Finally, a does-it-all grinder for a reasonable price
*** Final Update***I have now been using this grinder for close to 2 years. I have also purchased a Vario-W in order to grind by weight as I thought that would help with my consistency while making espresso; however, I will be honest, I now use the Vario for Drip and Press and use the Encore exclusively for espresso. I’m sure the Vario would work just as well (probably better) but I have found the right setting, tamp pressure, etc that makes the coffee I like using the Encore, so why mess with a good thing? I mention that for the benifit of those thinking this might not be a good espresso grinder. While I am aware that there are other pro-sumer models available, this one has been great. It does not have a large range of usable settings for espresso, but with varying tamp pressure, you should be able to get what you are looking for. A quick story about Baratza’s customer support: a few months ago I noticed that my grind was suddenly too course and my shots were flowing way to fast. Since the grinder was well outside of its one-year warrany, I took it apart and found that the insides had been severely damaged. I had just moved form Washington State to Alabama and I am sure the damage was due to the poor packing and handling my goods received from our movers. (A story for another day). Anyway, as I mentioned somewhere below in one of my earlier reviews, Baratza sells pieces to replace your grinder should you need them. I needed a new ring assembly that holds the actual grinder teeth in place (consisting of several pieces) and even a new internal housing to remount the motor as some of the mounts had been broken (probably from the movers throwing my things). I was surprised to see everyting I needed was actually available to the consumer on their website – no annoying calls to convince someone to sell me those pieces. While I was at it, I decided I would also replace some other pieces that I figured wouldn’t hurt – all in all I was looking at around $30 to rebuild my grinder like new. I was pretty excited about the prices. I emailed Baratza and told them my story and asked if they had any guides or schematics to help me in the rebuild. Within a day, I recieved a reply from Baratza and they told me I shouldn’t have such an extensive failure with my unit in such a short time of owning it and they told me they had canceled my order and were shipping me a NEW grinder – and to please return the broken one in the box along with a prepaid shipping label they provided!!! I wrote back and explained that my grinder was no longer under warranty and the damages were due to mishandling: not a manufacturing defect – I thought someone had misunderstood me. They wrote back and said they were sorry my grinder was broken by the movers and they were happy to replace it! I couldn’t believe it – they sent me another grinder with no payment from me and simply trusted me to return the broken one. When I got the new grinder I noticed the grind settings were different from the earlier one – I had read they tuend it up for better espresso performance and they did – before I was unable to “choke” my Quickmill Silvano – now if I use a setting below 6, it chokes up. I find settings 6-8 work the best for espresso, 18-24 for drip/pour-over and 30-35 for French Press. Of course, that is all highly subjective and your mileage may vary, but if you are new to the Encore, perhaps that will give you a “ballpark” to work with. Anyway, since that day about 5 months ago, I’ve continued using my Encore and am very pleased with it. I highly recommend it for its performance, simplicity (sometimes simple is better) and the customer support the Baratza team provided.*** 1 Year Update***I have been using this grinder multiple times per day for a year now and so far I have NO problems to report. It still grinds just as well as it did on day one, the burrs are still sharp and I still love this grinder. I have no doubt I made the right purchase and I am glad I didn’t opt for the “fancy” lcd models with the automated grind features; to me all those extra bells & whistles = more that could break. If I were to upgrade, it would be for a unit in another “class”; perhaps the Vario, but that is several $100 more and I don’t see any reason to do so at this time. I will add that there is a 1 star review on this site that complains about larger beans not feeding through the hopper. Initially, I thought it sounded silly; however, not long ago, I roasted a batch of beans much darker than usual (VERY VERY dark roast), resulting in the beans being about 1 1/2 times their usual size. While grinding, I noticed that about 4 beans got lodged between the hopper and burrs. I tapped the side of the unit a few times and the final beans fed through the hopper. I had this happen two or three times. So, I suppose if you habitually use a bean that is much larger than your typical coffee bean, you might have an issue. Just search through the 1 star reviews for more details (at the time of this update, there was only one 1 star review).Summary: fantastic grinder for an excellent price makes this a best buy in my book and I highly recommend it to anyone who is a serious coffee drinker.***Update***I’ve been using this grinder daily for almost 4 months, grinding enough for about 12 cups each day (maybe more on weekends). I usually use it early morning, afternoon and evening. I grind mainly for drip and espresso, occasionally for French press or pour-over. I still have no complaints with this grinder: I believe I made the right choice between this and fancier LCD options. I’ve ground for a 12 cup pot on numerous occasions when company comes over, and it never overheats or bogs or slows down- I don’t think it notices if you’re grinding for 1 cup or 12! Everything is solid and the burrs are still sharp as ever. Once a month I disassemble it to give it a good cleaning. It doesn’t seem to retain much grinds in the chamber. My only gripe is the static build up after grinding can make a mess when you pull out the grind chamber: there are enough grinds clinging to the exit chute to scatter on the counter if you’re not careful (to be fair, this is a common problem plaguing all burr grinders). But really I don’t even notice that anymore, after a couple weeks you develop your own routine on how to deal with it and it ceases being an issue. I tend to grind, prep the coffee pot/filter to give the static time to discharge, then I give it a solid knock or two on the side and front before taking out the chute (thankfully this is a VERY solid grinder). It might sound tedious, but I actually had to sit here and think about it because it’s simply second nature now and I don’t even notice doing it. The only time I notice the problem is when someone else uses the grinder who isn’t aware of the “technique”.Another great feature is that baratza sells every piece imaginable should you ever have a problem in the future: right down to a new motor or exterior knobs! All the pieces seemed priced appropriately. So while this may not be important to some, I like knowing that should the need arise, my equipment is completely serviceable. So I guess when the day comes that I need new burrs, I won’t be shopping for another grinder, but paying a small sum for a new set of burrs. I didn’t find that option on many of the other units I shopped around for. Ultimately, I still completely recommend this grinder and would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone who wants quality, affordability and versatility all rolled into a single package!***Original Review***I’ve been looking for a grinder that I could use with my current espresso machine (pressurized portafilter), drip coffee pot, and french press and would also allow me to grow into a more expensive espresso machine (i.e. the Rancilio Silvia or Quickmill Silvano). I was looking at the Rocky grinder, the Baratza Vario and Virtuoso Preciso, the Breville Smart Grinder, et al. Then I came along the Encore which I believe is new for 2012. I read several “professional” reviews and even saw some video reviews where the Encore was able to “choke” the Silvia at around grind setting “6”. If you aren’t aware, the Maestro and Maestro Plus (which the Encore replaces) weren’t able to grind fine enough to choke the Silvia straight from the factory. Although this grinder isn’t “stepless” (you have a larger variance from one “click” to the next when adjusting the grind setting, you still get 40 settings which are plenty for any home grinder. With a little tamping technique, this grinder will work fine for any espresso machine – not my opinion – the “pros” opinion. I am currently using it with my pressurized espresso machine, my drip pot and the occasional pour over and french press. It works great for them all! While it doesn’t perform as well (or so I’ve read) as the Preciso or other high-end grinders, the fact that you can even begin to compare them speaks volumes for Baratza. I believe that currently there is NO other grinder on the market that can stand next to this one in terms of quality & versatility within the price range. Maybe the Breville Smart Grinder, but it still costs 50% more, I don’t like the LCD display and I’ve heard (no practical experience) from several sources that Breville customer service is not quite up to par. If any of you out there care, the Baratza Maestro and Maestro Plus were already popular grinders and Baratza completely over-hauled it and produced the Encore – it offers WAY more at the same price. I’m sorry if this sounds like I’m selling the Baratza name, but this is the first of their products I’ve owned – I’m just impressed they did this with the Encore. So often a company produces a 2nd iteration of a product with lesser features or cheaper quality parts. Check it out for yourself, the innards are improved for better durability along with the burrs for a more consistent and fine grind! WOW…who does that?!Oh, and the first time I used it my wife was in the other room (separated by an open doorway) and she was shocked to find I had used it without her hearing it! Maybe when I close the door and begin my 5am grinding I won’t wake the kids!The only con (which I’ve heard is not an uncommon problem with this type of grinder) is that when I remove the grind container and IF I accidentally knock the grinder, leftover grinds can fall from the chute onto the counter. I have a Dustbuster within arms reach of the grinder so it’s no big deal, but if I didn’t, it might aggravate me.I’m so glad I bought this and not one of the other many many brands I researched for months. I completely recommend it.
Bigsnit –
This is a great grinder for the price. It’s easy to set up and use, and much quieter than i expected. Sits perfectly on the counter, not too tall, and easy to clean. Came highly recommended from a friend who’s been using his for many years with nothing but praise for it’s robustness, ease of cleaning, and grind quality. First test was with a single origin coffee from Thailand with an Aeropress. Perfect grind for the Aeropress at setting 12 as suggested in the literature. Easy 5 stars
And –
Este molino vale MUCHÃSIMO la pena si te gusta de verdad el café, muele lo suficientemente fino para cafeteras espresso y lo suficientemente grueso para otras como cold brew y prensa francesa. Es muy preciso y no deja sedimentos del corte. Al principio me negaba a comprarlo, pase por comprar antes el molino de cuchillas y luego uno de muelas de cerámica, con los que no me fue mal, pero existe una gigantesca diferencia de calidad. NO TE ARREPENTIRAS DE COMPRARLO, si tienes duda, no las tengas, es una inversión magnÃfica.
Erick –
El producto viene bien protegido por parte de Baratza. Ha cumplido sus expectativas en cafés filtrados y de inmersión. El molido es completamente homogéneo. Es de buen tamaño y antiderrapante. Respecto al ruido, la verdad que no es tan molesto como algunos rewiews comentan. Falta checar lo de la limpieza que se le debe hacer cada cierto tiempo, pues sà retiene algo de café en cada molienda. Hasta ahorita, muy buen producto!!!
Johan –
Jag ger produkten 5/5 stjärnor men 4,5 kanske är mer korrekt. Det enda negativa är att den är lite âsvÃ¥râ/krÃ¥nglig att rengöra gällande att ta isär alla delar och sen fÃ¥ dem pÃ¥ plats. Men det i sig är ju inget stort problem. Den ger exakt vad den ska, bra malning till Filter/French Press. Det maler dock inte helt perfekt för Espresso. DÃ¥ rekommenderar jag Baratza Encore Esp (Esp = Espresso). Den ska funka för Espresso + Filter/F.P. Jag är helnöjd med denna kvarnen. Mitt syfte var att köpa en kvar som maler bra för French Press/Filter (dÃ¥ jag redan har en kvarn för Espressomalning) vilket denna gör med bravur.
Chubasenla J. –
Our old grinder (non-Baratza) broke down after about seven years of use. Ordered this grinder since we had heard a lot about the brand. Setting up was not that much of a big deal. What followed next was a very unpleasant surprise. We process and roast of our coffees and use a grinder for cupping. Tried grinding a fresh lot of medium roast. To begin with the far end of the coarse grind ended up being way too coarse even for French Press. So, to begin with, there appears to be a lot of grind settings but about 5-10 steps on the coarse side is unusable.Had to dial down the coarseness and went ahead with the grind. On pouring out the ground coffee, we found two small white plastic pieces with the coffee. Taking off the hopper, we found that out of the four small plastic stubs at the bottom, two had broken off.