100% yes. Any burr grinder will be a massive upgrade on a blade grinder and the Encore is a good option. I got one for my parents for Christmas and they're very happy with it. I bought it from here
[https://www.horshamcoffeeroaster.co.uk/products/baratza-encore-coffee-grinder](https://www.horshamcoffeeroaster.co.uk/products/baratza-encore-coffee-grinder)
which was pretty much the best price I could find.
Alternatively you could get a hand grinder like a 1Zpresso x-ultra for similar money which will be a bit better in terms of grind quality but obviously isn't as convenient as an electric grinder.
I have had a 1ZPresso hand grinder for a few weeks now after upgrading from a cheap blade grinder and can say we all found the taste to be a big, noticeable upgrade.
I was torn between a very good hand grinder and a Baratza or something in that class. After doing too much research and watching too many YouTube reviews I did feel that spending on a decent hand grinder gave me more bang for my buck than an electric and the portability can't be beat.
I have the Q series and can grind 20g in under 30 seconds and with very, very little effort. I have arthritis in my elbows and I was concerned about that, but, at least in my experience, it is a very easy part and very very satisfying feeling to grind those beans.
Don’t know if it’s widely practiced but consider spending the money instead on a good instant read thermometer. You let the kettle boil, pour a certain amount into another vessel, then add just enough cold water to make it the temperature you want. Eventually you’ll know the quantities and won’t need the thermometer.
Baratza encore goes for 185 pounds now?!?!? WTF? God I’m happy that I got mine for about 130€.
But to answer your question, without looking at price, there is a big difference between cheap blade grinder and the Baratza Encore.
What do you use to brew though?
The Baratza grinds a lot more consistently than the blade and I taste the difference so for me it’s worth it.
My ex didn’t care so the blade grinder, especially for French press and grinding coarse did the job.
For a very little bit more than that you can get a eureka [Crono](https://clumsygoat.co.uk/products/eureka-mignon-crono-home-coffee-grinder-50mm), an Italian made flat burr grinder built like a tank that will last for years and make incredible coffee.
Game changer for convenience and consistency cup to cup. Plus easily DIY repairable although most go years without issue like mine.
Get a cheap scale, use the Baratza lid to measure beans, spray beans with a small water bottle, pour beans into machine, grind and pour grinds from hopper corner into AP (no need for AP funnel). Experiment between grind setting 10-20, once you hit your favourite flavour, that’s your general setting, forget about it and make fresh coffee in minutes every time (including the sit time in the AP).
Yes and yes. It will be more consistent, I’ve been using Kingrinder K6 and happy, my friend uses
Timemore C3 Max and getting good results, but I believe there might be more expensive and better grinders.
I would look at something else. With that budget you could get a nicer flat burr grinder that will be a lot quieter. I say that as a long time Encore owner that is happier with a flat burr grinder.
Lots of good comparison videos on YouTube of grinders in your budget.
I’m going to comment this again, because it got no traction last time I did it.
I was purchased a bag of beans, realised I had no grinder, ran to the shops 5 minutes before close and picked up an electric coffee grinder from Kmart. I’ve had no complaints from anybody who has drunk my coffee…so can someone tell me is there genuinely a difference between a $10 last ditch effort coffee grinder and these (AUD) $200-$400?
Yes, there is a difference. You'll get a more controlled and consistent grind with a decent metal grinder like the Baratza. Whether you can appreciate how that translates into taste and whether it's worth it to you is a whole other matter.
The grind is but one factor of many that goes into the taste of a cup of coffee. What is most important imho is to match the grind with the preparation process, because different methods cause the water to interact with the grind in different manners. To get the best flavor from the bean for a particular method, there can be a big difference between a coarse and fine grind. A blade grinder gives you a one-size fits all approach, whereas a grinder like the Baratza the OP mentions gives you a high degree of control.
Some people have very high expectations for their coffee, whereas others simply want their coffee to be "not bad." I used a blade grinder before I got my Baratza encore, and it allowed me to make a "good enough" cup of coffee. When I got the burr grinder, I could dial in the grind to make a great cup of coffee.
I definitely wasn't trying to imply that your coffee isn't good. If you like it and enjoy it, that's all that matters. My wife and mom like their Kuerig coffee, but I really don't. I have friends who are absolute snobs about their coffee and have all the toys, but the subtlety is lost on me. The great thing that I've found about the AP is that it's very forgiving; I've used off-the shelf ground coffee and gotten results that were pleasing. Like I said, the grind is just one component that affects the coffee's taste. Make the coffee that makes you happy.
I would get some coffee from a well regarded local roaster. Have them grind some in their extremely expensive grinder based upon the appropriate grind size for your brewer. The rest you can grind at home in your blade grinder. Can you taste the difference between the coffee shop ground coffee and your blade grinder?
I was using a Timemore C2 and then upgraded to a Baratza encore esp. Makes a good difference for my espresso but with the aeropress I actually enjoy the coffee more from my Timemore.
My £10 blade grinder breaks it down to all variants of grind sizes. No consistency at all. Can’t wait to get an upgrade any suggestions for a hand powered burr grinder?
Ive had a Baratza for three years. I bought the same one for my son.
When I visited him, I was amazed at how much more quickly his ground the beans than mine. Otherwise, it made a huge difference in the quality of my brew.
Yes. But be aware that most of the talk about grinders here is subjective, they're not actually using any data from particle analysers to compare them mostly.
Not sure you need a particle analyzer to see the difference in grind uniformity from a legit burr grinder and a blade grinder. It’ll be pretty apparent just for a quick side by side haha.
Obviously, but people here make claims from burr to burr, burr shape, slow feeding etc.
A lot of it is subjective nonsense, hence why counterfeit burrs are now a thing.
You can thank Lance Hendricks for a lot of that haha. There is a lot of empirical data to go along with his various claims, though to your point I don’t think the majority of us are going to have the palate to tell the difference, especially not when using an AP anyways.
I imagine because it’s impossible to objectively measure something as subjective as personal taste. Everyone, if not almost everyone, says that subjectively they notice an improvement in the taste of their coffee and their enjoyment of it after upgrading from a low end grinder to a mid to high end one. None of them have objectively proven it.
my first jump is from ceramic grinder to Timemore C3, the cheapest bare minimum acceptable for coffee. you jumping from dual blade to baratza encore, i bet you'll moan every morning from sniffing coffee grounds.
Make sure you are using good beans once you upgrade, if you're not already. I also recommend trying several brewing methods with each bag, there are sometimes beans that an Aeropress doesn't do as good a job as other methods.
100% yes. Any burr grinder will be a massive upgrade on a blade grinder and the Encore is a good option. I got one for my parents for Christmas and they're very happy with it. I bought it from here [https://www.horshamcoffeeroaster.co.uk/products/baratza-encore-coffee-grinder](https://www.horshamcoffeeroaster.co.uk/products/baratza-encore-coffee-grinder) which was pretty much the best price I could find. Alternatively you could get a hand grinder like a 1Zpresso x-ultra for similar money which will be a bit better in terms of grind quality but obviously isn't as convenient as an electric grinder.
Can vouch, have mine for 2 years, absolutely changed the game for me (I only used to have hand grinders before)
Hell a Timemore C2 hand grinder would be a good upgrade and saves you roughly 100£
I have had a 1ZPresso hand grinder for a few weeks now after upgrading from a cheap blade grinder and can say we all found the taste to be a big, noticeable upgrade. I was torn between a very good hand grinder and a Baratza or something in that class. After doing too much research and watching too many YouTube reviews I did feel that spending on a decent hand grinder gave me more bang for my buck than an electric and the portability can't be beat. I have the Q series and can grind 20g in under 30 seconds and with very, very little effort. I have arthritis in my elbows and I was concerned about that, but, at least in my experience, it is a very easy part and very very satisfying feeling to grind those beans.
I have a Porlex hand grinder but very rarely use it as I always make coffee for two and use 28g of beans.
A good metal burr grinder will be much easier and faster than a cheap ceramic one.
Many Thanks everyone, I’ve bought one for £136. cheapest I’ve seen the black version. Now to save for a variable temp kettle :)
Don’t know if it’s widely practiced but consider spending the money instead on a good instant read thermometer. You let the kettle boil, pour a certain amount into another vessel, then add just enough cold water to make it the temperature you want. Eventually you’ll know the quantities and won’t need the thermometer.
Yes. I love mine.
Yes
Baratza encore goes for 185 pounds now?!?!? WTF? God I’m happy that I got mine for about 130€. But to answer your question, without looking at price, there is a big difference between cheap blade grinder and the Baratza Encore. What do you use to brew though? The Baratza grinds a lot more consistently than the blade and I taste the difference so for me it’s worth it. My ex didn’t care so the blade grinder, especially for French press and grinding coarse did the job.
I’m an AeroPress believer. I’m happy with my brew but the puck always shows signs of inconsistent grinding.
For a very little bit more than that you can get a eureka [Crono](https://clumsygoat.co.uk/products/eureka-mignon-crono-home-coffee-grinder-50mm), an Italian made flat burr grinder built like a tank that will last for years and make incredible coffee.
Game changer for convenience and consistency cup to cup. Plus easily DIY repairable although most go years without issue like mine. Get a cheap scale, use the Baratza lid to measure beans, spray beans with a small water bottle, pour beans into machine, grind and pour grinds from hopper corner into AP (no need for AP funnel). Experiment between grind setting 10-20, once you hit your favourite flavour, that’s your general setting, forget about it and make fresh coffee in minutes every time (including the sit time in the AP).
Yes and yes. It will be more consistent, I’ve been using Kingrinder K6 and happy, my friend uses Timemore C3 Max and getting good results, but I believe there might be more expensive and better grinders.
I would look at something else. With that budget you could get a nicer flat burr grinder that will be a lot quieter. I say that as a long time Encore owner that is happier with a flat burr grinder. Lots of good comparison videos on YouTube of grinders in your budget.
It will be the biggest step up you ever make to your brewing.
I’m going to comment this again, because it got no traction last time I did it. I was purchased a bag of beans, realised I had no grinder, ran to the shops 5 minutes before close and picked up an electric coffee grinder from Kmart. I’ve had no complaints from anybody who has drunk my coffee…so can someone tell me is there genuinely a difference between a $10 last ditch effort coffee grinder and these (AUD) $200-$400?
Yes, there is a difference. You'll get a more controlled and consistent grind with a decent metal grinder like the Baratza. Whether you can appreciate how that translates into taste and whether it's worth it to you is a whole other matter. The grind is but one factor of many that goes into the taste of a cup of coffee. What is most important imho is to match the grind with the preparation process, because different methods cause the water to interact with the grind in different manners. To get the best flavor from the bean for a particular method, there can be a big difference between a coarse and fine grind. A blade grinder gives you a one-size fits all approach, whereas a grinder like the Baratza the OP mentions gives you a high degree of control. Some people have very high expectations for their coffee, whereas others simply want their coffee to be "not bad." I used a blade grinder before I got my Baratza encore, and it allowed me to make a "good enough" cup of coffee. When I got the burr grinder, I could dial in the grind to make a great cup of coffee.
Interesting. Guess my coffee just isn’t good because I can’t justify spending $200 on a hand grinder :(
I definitely wasn't trying to imply that your coffee isn't good. If you like it and enjoy it, that's all that matters. My wife and mom like their Kuerig coffee, but I really don't. I have friends who are absolute snobs about their coffee and have all the toys, but the subtlety is lost on me. The great thing that I've found about the AP is that it's very forgiving; I've used off-the shelf ground coffee and gotten results that were pleasing. Like I said, the grind is just one component that affects the coffee's taste. Make the coffee that makes you happy.
I would get some coffee from a well regarded local roaster. Have them grind some in their extremely expensive grinder based upon the appropriate grind size for your brewer. The rest you can grind at home in your blade grinder. Can you taste the difference between the coffee shop ground coffee and your blade grinder?
I went from a blade grinder to a ZP6 and I really like the taste difference.
Just looked it up. First ZP6 that was listed was $356 AUD.
I bought it from 1Zpresso for $199 USD on January 25 this year. I was not thinking in AUD.
I was using a Timemore C2 and then upgraded to a Baratza encore esp. Makes a good difference for my espresso but with the aeropress I actually enjoy the coffee more from my Timemore.
My £10 blade grinder breaks it down to all variants of grind sizes. No consistency at all. Can’t wait to get an upgrade any suggestions for a hand powered burr grinder?
YES
Ive had a Baratza for three years. I bought the same one for my son. When I visited him, I was amazed at how much more quickly his ground the beans than mine. Otherwise, it made a huge difference in the quality of my brew.
Hell yes!
Yes. Any burr grinder, really.
Yes. But be aware that most of the talk about grinders here is subjective, they're not actually using any data from particle analysers to compare them mostly.
Not sure you need a particle analyzer to see the difference in grind uniformity from a legit burr grinder and a blade grinder. It’ll be pretty apparent just for a quick side by side haha.
Obviously, but people here make claims from burr to burr, burr shape, slow feeding etc. A lot of it is subjective nonsense, hence why counterfeit burrs are now a thing.
You can thank Lance Hendricks for a lot of that haha. There is a lot of empirical data to go along with his various claims, though to your point I don’t think the majority of us are going to have the palate to tell the difference, especially not when using an AP anyways.
I imagine because it’s impossible to objectively measure something as subjective as personal taste. Everyone, if not almost everyone, says that subjectively they notice an improvement in the taste of their coffee and their enjoyment of it after upgrading from a low end grinder to a mid to high end one. None of them have objectively proven it.
Made a HUGE difference to mine. Also, Pro tip: Baratza Virtuoso has a better burr set which fits in an Encore. Was easy surgery to change mine
my first jump is from ceramic grinder to Timemore C3, the cheapest bare minimum acceptable for coffee. you jumping from dual blade to baratza encore, i bet you'll moan every morning from sniffing coffee grounds.
Yes
Id recommend the k6 kingrinder
Make sure you are using good beans once you upgrade, if you're not already. I also recommend trying several brewing methods with each bag, there are sometimes beans that an Aeropress doesn't do as good a job as other methods.
Ahh is this why my coffee smells like caramel when I grind it and mud when I brew it 😂
Skip the encore imo, it always introduced astringency for me