Coffee is something to be enjoyed not just for a caffeine shot to the system, but its tastes as well. Many people have come to discover gourmet, micro-roasted coffee. Like wine, coffee takes on the characteristics of its “Terroir” just like wine does. To get the best tasting coffee, you want to use high quality coffee, freshly roasted, filtered water and finally, grind right before brewing.
Burr Grinder
There are several types of grinders you can use. Most people start out with a simple stick grinder. And while this is better than buying pre-ground coffee from the grocery store. The problem with a stick grinder is you get a very inconsistent grind. You get large pieces and you get small pieces. To get the maximum extraction, you want a very consistent grind. This is where a burr grinder comes in.
A burr grinder, or in this case, a conical burr grinder is what professional coffee companies use. You have two gears that stick together and give you a very consistent grind. From the machines at Starbucks to the little espresso machine in Italy, a burr grinder is what they use to get a consistent grind. You will pay more for a burr grinder than a stick grinder but in my opinion, it’s much better.
Baratza Encore Burr Grinder
In the video below, we will go over the Baratza Encore Burr Grinder. This is the burr grinder I chose when I was ready to upgrade. It is not overly expensive and I would definitely buy it again.
If you use an automatic brew, stove top espresso or a french press, this is a great pick up for you. You get a good quality grind with 40 steps between the finest espresso to the coarsest grind for french press. If you are only running an espresso machine, this might not be the best since it has no holder for your portafilter.
You can buy the machine below:
- AWARD WINNING GRINDERS - Baratza grinders are preferred by Speciality Coffee professionals.
- GO-TO ENTRY LEVEL GRINDER - Baratzas best selling grinder, with its small footprint it is THE choice for those brewing coffee at home.
- STRAIGHTFORWARD - A convenient, front-mounted pulse button plus a simple ON/OFF switch makes it easy to grind on demand.
- 40 GRIND SETTINGS - plus an advanced burr set to help you explore the extensive range of brew methods (espresso, manual brewing, drip brewers)
- QUALITY PARTS - Built with the quality parts the industry has come to expect, including burrs manufactured in Europe, the Encore is backed by Baratzas world class support.
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If you are mainly doing espresso, then I would step up to the next in line from Baratza that has a place to put your porta-filter. This is the machine I recommend if you are mainly doing espresso.
