“I was looking to replace my old burr coffee grinder and landed on this even though it was a bit more expensive. After a month [of] owning it, I’m very satisfied with my purchase. The grind is very consistent, and its 40 settings make it possible to find your particular grind. What impressed me the most was the lack of static electricity in its plastic bin. My previous burr grinder was such that I needed to leave it after the grind or risk a small explosion of coffee. Yes, it takes a little longer to grind, and there is no auto shut-off, but I don’t mind standing there for a minute to smell the aroma. I opted for the baffle which helps to blow the remaining particles into the bin. If you’re like me, not someone who needs to spend top dollar on your daily grind, you would be happy with this device. Buy it!! You won’t be sorry. I’m not.” —Amazon customer
″I’ve been grinding beans for 15 years. Started out with a blade-type coffee/spice grinder. I moved on quickly to a couple of flat-blade burr grinders (like the $40 Krupps) and used them for years. They were a pain in the a$$. I was just lazy and complacent, I guess. I finally bit the bullet and moved up to a conical burr grinder with this Baratza Encore. This thing is unbeatable in this price range. My nephew, who owns several coffee shops, told me that when the Capresso that he uses at his house breaks, he gets this Baratza Encore.
“The biggest joy: Virtually no static! The static with the old hi-revving burr grinders was unbearable. When I would remove the cup, the grinds would literally fly out. With this Baratza, just give the thing a couple of bumps with the heel of your hand to get all of the grinds out of the throat before you remove the cup. When you remove the cup, there’s no dust, no grinds falling out anywhere, and NO STATIC.
Secondly, the uniformity of grind is superb. No extreme variations in size and no dust or powder. Just beautifully uniform grounds. I’ve only used it between the number 15 and 18 settings for pour-overs and an automatic drip coffee maker―the two settings recommended by Baratza.
“Next, I gave it 3 stars for noise level. While it generates a fair amount of noise, show me a coffee grinder that’s whisper-quiet. They make noise, get used to it.
“It has a DC motor which has more constant torque and rpm than AC motors and it utilizes a gear reduction. The manufacturer’s specs state that it operates at a cool, comfortable 550 rpm. I’m sure my old flat-blade burr grinders were screaming at 1000 rpm or faster ― probably contributing to the ‘fines’ and the extreme static.
I cleaned it once after a week and it really wasn’t dirty ― no accumulated dust or funk. Amazing! Worth noting is that if you grind extremely dark-roasted beans, they’re oily and could lead to more frequent cleaning being necessary.” —James L. (This review was edited for length. Read the full review here.)
“OMG I love this coffee grinder so much. I previously owned two conical grinders, a Mr. Coffee, and a Cuisinart. What can I say, I’m frugal, thrifty, well OK, cheap. I figured for a basically simple gadget, an inexpensive grinder should do fine. I’m not such a coffee snob that I can taste the difference between coffee made with one grinder or another. Consistency of grind isn’t important, I thought. I’m here to tell you: the money you ‘saved’ on cheap grinders will be so much better spent on the Baratza Encore instead. The Mr. Coffee grinder cost what, $40 bucks? It didn’t last long, not even a year. Enough said. The Cuisinart cost $100, and it ran, but it was a pain in the ass to use.
“I finally had some extra cash and went for this lovely Baratza. Wow, just wow. I’ve used it for a month, and there’s still no static buildup in the receptacle. It’s very easy to use. Works exactly as expected,and grinds the coffee perfectly. The $50 difference between the Baratza and the Cuisinart is money well spent. You won’t regret it, I promise. If you’re looking for a conical burr grinder, this is the one!” —P. Albee (This review was edited for length. Read the full review here.)
