baratza 485 encore coffee grinder review

While it’s important to clean the burrs periodically to get rid of coffee oils and keep them performing optimally, getting the ring burr back in is quite difficult at first and takes a few goes to get everything back in the right place. The burrs need cleaning with a brush and from time-to-time with cleaning tablets. The grounds bin, hopper, and the hopper lid just need rinsing in some hot soapy water. Easy Cleanup: Once you’ve finished grinding, cleaning the unit is a breeze.This is especially important if you dispense directly into the portafilter basket as you can pull a consistent espresso shot every time. This means, among other things, that you get a smooth bean feed and reduced static, giving you a consistent grind and quantity each time. Impressive Engine: The Encore benefits from an internal burr calibration system and, not to get too technical, but it also has a reduced burr rotation speed control of 450 RPM.The big question is, though: are the grinds consistent? Overall, I’d have to say ‘yes’. It probably goes without saying, but the Encore can also accommodate all the other main home brewing methods, including: However, you really need to play around until you find the right settings for your particular beans and personal taste – the Encore certainly gives you plenty of scopes to hit your magic grind number, whichever method you favor! Supported Brewing Methods If like me, you like your coffee on the strong side, I would definitely dial it down a couple of settings from the recommended, especially for French press – 25 or 26 produces a brew with a real kick! You’ll want to set it at around 14 for pour-over, in the 18-26 range for drip and up to about 29-40 for French press. But what about those of us attached to our beloved French press and drip methods?Īgain, Baratza offers up its own suggestions for grind settings for the different brew methods. While an improvement on the Maestro Plus, the operation is still quite noisy – there are certainly quieter models on the market.įor many home brewers, having the ability to grind good espresso will be enough to sell the Encore. Speed-wise, it takes around 15 seconds to grind enough coffee for a double shot of espresso. The fine grind is one of the key reasons to consider this grinder over others.Īs you might have guessed by now, if you like to experiment with your coffee brewing, the Encore certainly gives you the opportunity to play around. At the lowest settings, you get the ultra-fine powdery texture needed to brew Turkish coffee. In fact, this highlights just how fine the Encore can grind. Any finer and you risk clogging up your espresso coffee makers. For espresso grinding, Baratza recommends setting the grinder anywhere up to 14, but I’d say number 5 works well. Overall, the Encore has 40 grind settings.

To change the grind size, you simply turn the hopper to the left for a finer grind and right for a coarser grind. If you love fresh ground coffee as much as I do (as you should), then pay attention.

This offers the coffee drinker the options to grind continuously or intermittently. Other visible features are the basic on-off switch (which boasts a useful clockwise or counterclockwise operation), and the pulse grind button. The unit also features a weighted base, which feels sturdy and well-made (as you’d expect from Baratza). Even most style-conscious would be proud to have this sitting on their kitchen counter!Īt 8oz, the hopper is certainly large enough to accommodate most brewers’ everyday needs. For the most part, the Encore delivers in all of these areas.įrom the moment you take it out the box, it’s clear that Baratza has gone to great lengths to keep the design clean, simple and stylish. The Encore is pitched firmly at home brewers (from novice to the more advanced) who want a grinder that offers versatility, reliability, and simplicity. a hopper extender that takes the capacity from 8oz to a maximum of 17oz.an accessory that turns the Encore into a ‘grind by weight’ grinder.There are also two optional adds-ons for the Encore that can be purchased separately: 5oz ground coffee bin with the option to dispense directly into a portafilter basket.Grind setting indicator and adjustment scale.The Encore comes with the following built-in features: Baratza Encore Conical Burr Coffee Grinder with BinĪround $130-$140 ( check here for latest price).Baratza Griner Alternatives to Consider?.

Baratza 485 encore coffee grinder review