Baratza Encore ESP Coffee Grinder ZCG495BLK, Black

Very well made (motor is strong) and is my daily work horse. Love it! Don’t worry about noise as the level is really not loud. Yes. It makes a grinding noise but no more that one would expect from the sound of coffee beans being crushed for 10 seconds! Easy to adjust the expresso and grinding settings and is smaller and prettier than I expected on my countertop. Definitely a no nonsense tool for its purpose. The plastic top jiggles a tiny bit but maybe designed to do so to make sure all beans go down into the grinder. Get this dedicated grinder (which is specifically designed for grinding fine for expresso but can also handle regular grinding with ease) rather than a lesser-quality grinder that is built in to an expresso machine.

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 UpgradesGetting 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 BadI'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.

The media could not be loaded. The Baratza Encore ESP Coffee Grinder is a fantastic pick for anyone looking to up their coffee game without breaking the bank. With 40 grind settings, it can handle everything from espresso to French press like a pro. The conical burrs deliver a consistent grind that keeps your coffee flavorful, and its sleek black design fits nicely into any kitchen setup (even mine that's super cramped!). It's easy to use and great for espresso lovers, though the grind adjustment could be more intuitive. The only negative aspect I have for this grinder is the noise - but overall, it’s a solid, reliable grinder for its price. ☕️Pros:✅ 40 grind settings for all brewing styles✅ Consistent, flavorful grinds✅ Compact, sleek design✅ Affordable and durableCons:❌ Kinda loud (~85 db)❌ Some static in the grounds container

It is a little noisy. It does have some static. But there is a great variety of grind size options and I pulled great shots every time. Espresso taste is consistent with a good grind quality. It is easy to use. Design is good except noise & static. Sometimes it makes a little bit of mess.

Having researched several grinders in detail, watched online videos comparing different models, I decided to purchase this one. It works exceptionally well. It's true that much of its body is more "plasticky" overall than we're used to, i.e., it's not as solid to the touch as our previous burr grinder (which combined metal & plastic in the casing, and had been and still is about one-fourth of the price of this one and lasted twenty years!). Still, the Baratza ESP is very stable & handsome on the counter and, more importantly, much, much quieter, so I can grind coffee without worrying about waking the house.. My sense is that it produces a better grind, too, than our old one, but at a certain point, these kind of determinations start becoming pretty subjective. We use it for stovetop moka pot (expresso), not for an expresso machine, and thus probably don't really need the dozens of different grind settings. But bought this one because the burr mechanism can be disassembled if it gets clogged up without dismantling almost the entire machine, which apparently is not the case with the earlier (non-ESP) model.