Best Grinders under $250? DF54 vs Baratza Encore ESP

[@kitcraft9516]

As someone who has owned an ESP about since it came out, I have to say that it has served me well, but it is imperfect. I have to tighten the thumbscrew that holds the burr down after about every two 340 gram bags of coffee. Also, coffee does build up in the grinder after about a week and will come out at random when preparing for a shot. I have found that using the single dose hopper as a bellows keeps this cleaned out. Also, a small thing but the plastic lever you use to turn it on works its way out of place a few times a month and has to be reseated. Other notes: Mine didn't grind fine enough for some coffees out of the box but after a few bags of coffee I found that it started grinding finer and finer. Also, if you find that your shots seem to be getting faster for no reason, check the thumbscrew as it may need tightened down. As I alluded to before. The espresso quality is fine and overall, I can't complain. I went from hand grinding (various grinders from timemore, 1zpresso and Kingrinder) and honestly, my limited palate can't tell the difference unless I am pulling side by side shots and blind I'd still have a hard time guessing. That may well not be true for others, but it is for me. And it is just so much less of a hassle to use to pull three shots back-to-back. I will say that this pairs well with the numerous budget machines out there from De'Longhi or a Bambino(Plus). I wouldn't buy it to replace a built-in but maybe to supplement if you have more than one coffee that you like to consume on the regular. Me, I am considering the DF54 as I like the way it is built, think it would have improved workflow for me and it just looks better. That said, from a practicality standpoint I might be better off with something that is hopper fed and timed dosing. I normally pull 3 shots in a row. Anyway, I don't think either is a bad choice for the person they appeal to. Just thought I'd share my experience. As always, thank you for the informative video.

[@Adam-ul2he]

I have had the DF54 for almost two months of daily use and I love it. Yes I have had a two clogs but they were really my fault - one was just too much coffee at once without cleaning anything or using bellows, one was trying to discharge directly into my french press at a bad angle. Yes I have had some static chaff spray on occasion - again really my fault for using older dry beans and/or not cleaning out the chute. A little maintenance goes a long way with it but now that I keep up with that it is working like a champ! I use vastly different grind settings each time and get a great result every time.

[@coffeechronicler]

That's good to hear! Clogging shouldn't be a concern with a regular use. A bit of RDT also goes a long way for any chaff issue.

[@ilkzode1822]

Remove the static prongs. They are worthless. By removing the second declumper amd cutting open the other so the exit chute is wide open, coffee grinda out faster and cleaner. No more brushing. 3 spritz of rdt keeps everything tidy on top

[@joelcleare]

Wisdom to my younger self… get the 1zpresso Z-ultra hand grinder instead of the Encore.

[@Jahloveipraise]

Yea dude for real, I feel that. Too bad too many of us don’t listen and go through a progressive gear acquisition phase lol Fomo is real tho and it’s frustrating lol

[@berkayersoy]

Z ultra ?

[@marcusannegarn8497]

I absolutely don't recommend hand grinding for espresso though! It's extremely tedious. Great choice for filter though

[@JartoKuhira]

@@berkayersoyThey probably meant the K-Ultra which also costs $250.

[@milanjurich1526]

I bought a ZP6 as I only do filter, but awesome

[@gregc8567]

I had a baratza years ago and after the plastic motor mount cracked (as in the body/frame itself) I went to a Breville/Sage Smart grinder Pro and I found it superior in almost every way, the baratza was more noisey and very messy if you considered that both provided good grind quality etc. I now have a DF54 and thus far I am liking it and it is just more solidly built. Time will tell if this means longevity...Thanks for your insights on these models.

[@coffeechronicler]

Sorry to hear. Hope the new DF will last for a long time!

[@coffeedrops_Franck]

I have had the EXACT same experience, 3 baratzas, all broke down many times for diff reasons. Traded all for a Breville and NEVER had and issue. 5 years so far.

[@timhanley4396]

I’ve had the Encore esp for 6 months it’s a very good grinder I use it for espresso and drip.I agree with your review it’s loud and I wish it didn’t have as much retention and plastic .But for around 199 US dollars I couldn’t pass it up in the future I’ll upgrade

[@ilkzode1822]

Df54 is an amazing value but with a few caveats. I took the metal prongs out and hot glued the small prong holes and the prongs itself. No discharge electrical problems. idc what the manufacturer says those prongs always builds fines on it. Their purpose is worthless. I also removed one of the declunpers and cut out the other one. Instead of that weird 3 sided slot square i cut it out as a full opening. Grinds come out faster and no needed for BS brushing up the chute. Df54 dosing cup sucks so def use a different one. Also stock burrs have good clarity. If you slow feed the beans you get much less fines. No need to pay for the higher priced df64 and 100s more for ssp burrs. We dont see folks being humble and honest with themselves. We truly dont need to spend so much on the gear. You can gain alot without being persuaded by the lastest toys Df54 at $200 is a steal

[@SuperMatrix59]

Dude the inside of your grinder is put together with spit

[@tgross472]

Would love to see the Turin SK40 added to the comparisons.

[@naordaniel]

Great comparison, I have the DF54 for 2 months now, mainly for Espresso and I'm in love with the flavor profile, size and ease of use and cleaning.

[@SeanGordon-ym4yf]

I agree 💯 The Encore ESP offered incredible value when it was released. The DF54 is honestly unbelievable for the price.

[@egsasami]

Aside from review on grinders, I like the fact that you are using Hario's immersion drippers for brewing, which is a nice move forward as all other drip (pour over) methods are outdated in my opinion.

[@XeonX__ASMR__METAL-experiments]

GUYS! Just buy : 1zpresso Z-ultra for everything OR Timemore S3 for the best Filter Coffee OR 1zpresso J-ultra for the best Espresso 30 sec - 1 min of hand grinding in relatively silence... it's not fast enough for you ? This hand grinders also do the better job than any auto-grinder < 500$

[@gerlern]

I'm brewing pour over for 2-3 people, 2-3 times a day, so it's nice to be able to grind 48g at once.

[@reguluscaius4636]

Have C40, 1Z Z, but sometimes I just want a quick coffee so I use my electric grinder. For espresso dialing in with manual is just pain, even worse you have to pull multiple shot

[@dakotastedman2211]

What is a Z-Ultra? I’m only seeing K Ultra and X Ultra

[@0whitestone]

I bought a Mugen after watching your video discussing them,, and wow, it's really nice! I love my Mugen

[@JohnPauloSalamat]

Great comparison! Good job! I feel that interesting and valid points were brought up for both grinders. If you were to compare the tasting notes for espresso that you get from the DF54 vs the 1zpresso j-ultra. Which would you prefer? Thank you!

[@coffeechronicler]

Thanks, that's great to hear! J Ultra is both more textured and layered, which I prefer to the more neutral and clean representation of the DF54.

[@JohnPauloSalamat]

@@coffeechronicler Thank you so much for the reply. I really do appreciate the videos that you put out. They have been helpful for me, and I feel to others like me as well learning about coffee and coffee related gear. Keep up the good work.

[@wenderis]

Who here started their journey with an Encore and a Porlex?

[@malygosmozart]

Still dont get the meaning of having a grinder with big hopper for home use: does'nt coffee need to be away from light?

[@333pro333]

I have a 1zpresso JX Pro now, but I'm considering the DF54 for ease of use. Would that be a downgrade in quality?

[@coffeechronicler]

IMO DF54 is a step forward for both filter and espresso

[@DH-bf9xb]

Df54 serms good for espresso but people, me included, are reporting clogging at courser grind sizes. Everyone says to just clean the chute all the time but this being sold as a zero retention grinder. Clogging is retention. So if it clogs and needs cleaning it's not zero retention. And when it clogs and the ionizer dorsnt work, the amount of static is insane.

[@ilkzode1822]

Remove the prongs. They are physically collecting fines and building up a wall of coffee that clogs the chute. 2-3 rdt spray help. Also use onely 1 chute and clip it out so the whole exit chute is open. Grinds faster and no clogs

[@DH-bf9xb]

@@ilkzode1822 Thanks but I refuse to fix something I just bought. This is why coffee equipment companies know they can beta test on consumers.

[@ilkzode1822]

@@DH-bf9xb well for 200-230 it really is a bargain. Most ppl dont mod pr go om etsy for 3rd party hacks. I used what was available to me and some logic.all DF grinders have flawed declumpers. Absolutely nonreason why they needed 2 of them stacked on top of one another. Secondly prongs are a gimmick. So buy the grinder and complete 2 very easy hacks and wwwwaahhh-lahhh , better grinder. Most companies have retarded R&D workers. Gaggia for example. Used a teflon coating for their boiler. Youre telling me gaggia never knew about the flaking issue? They sure as hell did. But it cost so much in productiom, they shipped it out to whole latte love anyways. But smart consumers mad enough complaints gaggia had a recall. Old fart companies dont care about pride. Its the greedy dollar

[@reguluscaius4636]

I got a Eureka Chrono, the new one has the same burr as the Filtro, very little fines, tho the adjustment is bit annoying. This looks like a good buy too

[@coffeechronicler]

That grinder has some quirks, but it's extremely consistent. And much better construction than the Encore.

[@reguluscaius4636]

@@coffeechronicler Your old review helped me buy it, yours is the only detailed review I can find. Very happy with it, the dial is painful but I use it with Moccamaster so once dialed in it’s gonna stay there most of the time

[@handerwesten]

great quality video and review! Thanks!

[@unknownentity222]

I kind of wish you did a sound test with coffee being ground.

[@coffeechronicler]

That's exactly what I did :) They are not that noisy when the motor is just running empty.

[@floydald]

I have the wilfa from ladara , l don’t see it mentioned anywhere.

[@rhythmgtr5]

What grind setting do you use on the DF54 for V60 / Pour over?

[@coffeechronicler]

Around setting 70. My zero point is not quite the true zero. It's probably more around minus 5-7.

[@sunflowerdeath]

Damn, I want them both! 😂😂

[@coffeechronicler]

Sometimes I recommend grinders that go well as a pair, but that's not really the case here. Just stick with one of them :)

[@peddaeck3526]

Video came out just 30 minutes after my DF54 arrived 😂

[@coffeechronicler]

Congrats on the new grinder!

[@Hawk-tq8tc]

Wise choice!

[@peddaeck3526]

Thanks! I‘m really looking forward to making the first espresso

[@wild-radio7373]

😅😂🤌

[@davidjones9706]

Well done

[@mccrispy]

It's annoying that this should be titled "best ELECTRIC grinder under $250". It's very frustrating that "grinder" seems synonymous with "electronic grinder". (I appreciate that you have done a number of hand grinders, but compare a $250 hand grinder to either of these electric grinders and what do you get?)

[@SergioGonzalezMartin]

The Encore ESP keeps suffering creep during months. You have to put washers and more washers and it doesn't reach a steady state. It also leakes ground coffee on the walls. Too much plastic for a grinder. Not recomended at all.

[@coffeechronicler]

Thought it might just be my unit, since I didn't see this mentioned in most other reviews. But time will tell...

[@duelago]

Plastic junk. Never a Baratza again