Baratza Encore ESP electric burr grinder

The Baratza Encore ESP is an upgrade to the Baratza Encore, making it ESPresso capable.

Baratza

Baratza started as a company that specialised in catering to the home Bartisa. When the company that made the grinder they sold was bought by a large coffee company with a mermaid as a logo, Baratza started making their own grinders. Their first mainstream product was the Encore, which is now considered the reference for entry-level grinders. Founded in 1999, Baratza is now owned by Breville and operates as its own entity within the group.

Baratza Encore ESP

The original Baratza Encore was a huge success. However, it lacked the ability to grind coffee beans for espresso. The design and burrs were reworked to create two levels of adjustment. The first level is from 1-20 for micro measurements suitable for espresso. The second level is from 21-40 for coarser grinds. A typical pour-over requires a grind between 20 and 30, while coarser grinds require a setting between 31-40, suitable for plunger or cold brew.

Features

• On-off Switch – Encore ESP features an updated on-off switch.
• Burrs – manufactured in Europe, the Encore ESP’s 40mm conical M2 steel burrs produce consistent and precise grinds required for espresso and all brew methods.
• Quick-Release Burr and Cleaning – Encore ESP’s cone burr is easily removable with no additional tools, making cleaning and maintenance very easy.
• Calibration – An innovative burr calibration system ensures that each grinder comes ready to grind for most home espresso machine portafilter baskets. If necessary, the grinders can be user-calibrated.
• Minimal Grounds Left in Grinder – to maximize freshness, the Encore ESP minimizes the ground coffee left in the grinder.
• Dosing Cup and Adapter – 54mm dosing cup (and included 58mm adapter ring) make it easy to transfer grounds directly into a portafilter for less mess and an even distribution that’s ready to tamp! Fits most home espresso machine portafilter baskets.
• Speed Control – with unique speed control, the Encore ESP uses a combination of gear and electronic speed reduction to control the rotation of the burr to 550 RPM. This slow speed reduces heat, noise, and static generation in the grinder. It also ensures that the beans feed smoothly into the burrs.
• Gearbox – the Encore ESP utilizes a simple and efficient direct drive gear reduction transmission to move power from the DC motor to the rotating cone burr. A thermal overload cutout protects the motor from overheating due to excessive use.
• Motor – A powerful, high torque DC motor effortlessly drives the burrs. This motor turns slowly resulting in cool, quieter operation, and permits long grinding duty cycles. The circuitry is equipped with an automatically resetting, thermal cutoff switch.

Specifications

In The Box:

• Encore ESP grinder with attached SA cord.
• Dosing cup with adapter for 54 and 58 mm portafitlers, with rubber holder.
• Coffee Bean hopper.
• Grinds hopper if you want to use that instead of the dosing cup.
• Burr cleaning brush.
• Quick Guide.

Review by Lance Hedrick

Sources:

• Wikipedia.
• Baratza Website.
• YouTube (above)