Baratza Encore ESP First Impressions

Assalaamu ‘alaykum!

Peace be upon you all! First thing’s first—I’d like to thank Baratza for sending me a unit of the all new Encore ESP. Disclaimer: I’m not under any agreement to share anything at all; the grinder was a gift from Baratza and any content I create in relation to the grinder is completely up to my discretion and my own opinion.

I’ve only used the Encore ESP for about 2 weeks, but I wanted to quickly share my initial thoughts and as well as an unboxing video that includes the setup of the machine and my first time using it.

Click here to purchase the Baratza Encore ESP!

The Encore ESP is advertised as being refined for espresso and coarser grind sizes for, say, pourovers and french press. It can do it all! What I’m most excited about, though, is the advertised low retention. Many of you know I struggle with retention in my Breville Barista Pro’s built-in grinder and have to bang on the hopper to get all the grinds out. I’m so happy to report that is not the case with the Encore ESP! The very first time you use it, there will be some retention because the burrs aren’t seasoned and…well, it’s brand new. But after just one or two uses, I am experiencing no retention. I don’t wake everyone up now from banging on the hopper, BUT…like most Baratza grinders, the Encore ESP is loud. It’s louder than my Breville’s built-in grinder, and I’ll cover that and all my comparisons when I do a full review. One last point I want to mention is that I can indeed taste a difference in the espresso made from the Encore ESP. A positive, delicious difference.

I will be coming out with a more detailed review soon in which I’ll compare the Baratza Encore ESP to the Breville Barista Pro’s built-in grinder. But if you want a more detailed look into my journey thus far with the Encore ESP, join my Patreon! I’ll be sharing an exclusive video of my initial thoughts and comparisons there.

For now, I hope you enjoy the unboxing of the Baratza Encore ESP, and my first time using it!