Baratza Encore ESP vs Breville Smart Grinder Pro
Compare features and trade-offs. Catalog scores are editorial assessments, not customer review averages or proof of hands-on testing.
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Facts and prices checked
Encore ESP for espresso dial-in, Smart Grinder Pro for timed dosing
We rank the Baratza Encore ESP ahead of the Breville Smart Grinder Pro. Both list at $199.95, so the choice comes down to design. The Encore ESP puts high-resolution micro-steps on settings 1-20 for espresso and larger macro-steps on settings 21-40 for filter coffee, uses 40 mm conical M2 burrs, and lets you remove the hopper, burr holder, and cone burr without tools. The Smart Grinder Pro is the better pick if you want repeatable timed doses: Breville's Dosing iQ programs grind time in 0.2-second increments, and an LCD shows the setting, time, and number of shots or cups across 60 settings.
Key differences
| Baratza Encore ESP | Breville Smart Grinder Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Grind settings | 40 settings: micro-steps on 1-20 for espresso, macro-steps on 21-40 for filter | 60 settings from espresso to French press |
| Burrs | 40 mm conical M2 burrs made in Liechtenstein | Stainless steel conical burrs |
| Dosing | Front pulse button or on/off switch; no timer | Dosing iQ with grind time programmable in 0.2-second increments, plus shots and cups modes |
| Display | None; grind size set by twisting the hopper | LCD showing grind setting, grind time, and number of shots or cups |
| Grinding into a portafilter | Includes a 54 mm anti-static dosing cup with a 58 mm adapter | Includes portafilter cradles for 50-54 mm and 58 mm portafilters |
| Cleaning access | Hopper, burr holder, and cone burr come out without tools | Upper burr lifts out for brushing per Breville's cleaning guide |
| Price | $199.95 list | $199.95 list at Breville |
Which one for your seat and trip
Dialing in espresso on a new machine
Pick: Baratza Encore ESP
Its espresso range uses micro-steps on settings 1-20, giving finer control where espresso needs it.
Busy mornings with the same drink every day
Pick: Breville Smart Grinder Pro
Dosing iQ lets you save a grind time in 0.2-second increments and repeat it at the touch of a button.
Household that brews espresso and drip
Pick: Baratza Encore ESP
Baratza splits the dial into an espresso range and a separate filter range, so switching methods is a quick turn of the hopper.
Grinding directly into the portafilter
Pick: Breville Smart Grinder Pro
It includes cradles that hold 50-54 mm and 58 mm portafilters under the outlet.
Choose Baratza Encore ESP if…
- espresso is your main drink and you want small, closely spaced steps for dialing in shots.
- you want to grind straight into a dosing cup that fits 54 mm baskets, or 58 mm baskets with the included adapter.
- you want a simple grinder whose burr and hopper come apart without tools for cleaning.
Choose Breville Smart Grinder Pro if…
- you want to program a grind time and get the same dose every morning without weighing.
- you like a screen that shows your grind setting, grind time, and number of shots or cups.
- you want to grind directly into a portafilter held in a cradle for 50-54 mm or 58 mm baskets.