For espresso at home, buy the Baratza Encore ESP at about $200, or the Niche Zero at about $629 if you want single dosing and stepless adjustment. For drip and pour over only, the plain Baratza Encore at $150 is enough. If one grinder has to do both in a house that brews several ways, the Breville Smart Grinder Pro is the compromise that works.
If you only upgrade one thing, make it the grinder. A consistent burr grind unlocks more flavour than almost any machine change, because uneven grounds extract unevenly.
Which grinder depends on what you brew, and the honest answer splits in two. Espresso needs very small adjustments at the fine end: the plain Encore moves about 90 microns per click, and the Encore ESP rescales its first twenty steps to about 20, which is the whole difference between a shot you can dial in and one you cannot. Conical burrs that build a forgiving espresso puck also make the fines that blunt a pour over, so the best filter grinder and the best espresso grinder are rarely the same machine at the same money.
One grinder to watch rather than buy yet: the Fellow Opus 2 ships this month at $199.95 with 48 mm conical burrs and a stepless dial, the same money as the Encore ESP. On paper it beats it. Our first look scores it provisionally, because the first Opus also read well and then disappointed owners on static and retention, and we will move it into this list only once owners report back.
- 17.6/10
GrinderBudget · approx $150Baratza Encore
The filter pick, and the cheapest. Consistent for the price and famously repairable with off-the-shelf parts. Not an espresso grinder, and it does not pretend to be.
- 27.7/10
GrinderBudget · approx $200Baratza Encore ESP
The espresso pick on a budget, and our highest value score. The same grinder as the Encore with the first twenty steps rescaled to about 20 microns per click, which is the whole reason it can dial in a shot.
- 37.3/10
GrinderBudget · approx $200Breville Smart Grinder Pro
The one-grinder-for-everything pick. 60 settings from espresso to press, a dosing timer and both portafilter cradles in the box, for about $200. You trade precision at the fine end and you will deal with static.
- 48.1/10
GrinderPremium · approx $629Niche Zero
The espresso pick, at roughly three times the price. Single dosing with almost no retention, stepless adjustment and 63 mm conical burrs. Buy it for espresso and the workflow, not for V60 clarity.
FAQ
Common questions
- What is the best espresso grinder for home?
- On a budget, the Baratza Encore ESP at about $200: its first twenty steps move the burrs about 20 microns per click, small enough to dial in a shot, and Baratza sells every replacement part. With more to spend, the Niche Zero at about $629 adds single dosing with almost no retention, stepless adjustment and 63 mm conical burrs. Both make better espresso than a more expensive machine paired with a weak grinder.
- Can you use a regular coffee grinder for espresso?
- Only if it adjusts finely enough. A blade grinder cannot make espresso at all, and a filter burr grinder such as the original Baratza Encore moves about 90 microns per click, so the setting a shot needs usually falls between two steps. That is why Baratza sells the Encore ESP, the same grinder with the espresso end of the collar rescaled to about 20 microns per click.
- Is the Breville Smart Grinder Pro good for espresso?
- It works, but it is not the precise choice. Its 60 steps are too far apart at the fine end, so dialling in often lands between settings, and static means most owners add a WDT tool and a cleanup routine. It earns its place in a house that brews espresso and filter, because the steps cover everything from a shot to a French press and it ships with cradles for 50 to 54 mm and 58 mm portafilters.
- Do you need a stepless grinder for espresso?
- No, as long as the steps are small. The Baratza Encore ESP is stepped, and its roughly 20 micron espresso steps are fine enough for home espresso. Stepless adjustment, as on the Niche Zero, lets you set any point between two clicks, which matters most when you change beans often or chase small changes in shot time.
- Conical or flat burrs for espresso?
- For home espresso, conical burrs are the easier choice. They build a forgiving, full-bodied puck that resists channelling, which is why the Niche Zero and the Encore ESP both use them. Flat burrs give more clarity and are the better buy if filter coffee is your main brew, but the same conical burrs that suit espresso make fines that mute a pour over.
- Is the Fellow Opus 2 better than the Baratza Encore ESP?
- On paper, yes: both cost $199.95, and the Opus 2 has larger 48 mm conical burrs, a stepless dial and a single-dose design. In practice nobody knows yet. It ships from October 2026, every figure is Fellow's own, and the first Opus fell short on exactly the static and retention the Opus 2 claims to fix. Until owners report back, the Encore ESP is the proven buy.
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