The Encore is lauded by coffee experts as THE go-to entry level grinder for those brewing coffee at home. Conical burrs grinders are exceptional at producing consistent grinds from very fine to very coarse as well as being durable and will remain sharp for many years. ounces (50 grams) more than the C2’s, which isn’t ideal if you also intended to use this as a portable grinder. We love the Baratza Encore’s straightforward controls, which make your daily brew experience simple. Dry environments produce more static, and lighter roasts produce more chaff than darker, oily ones do.

In our tests we looked for machines that had easily removable parts—particularly around the burr set—to allow for regular cleaning and, if necessary, replacement.It’s been doing it for so long that lots of informational writing about coffee cites its grinder settings. The C2 is made of a thick, sturdy aluminum alloy metal, rather than the glass or plastic of many other low-cost manual machines, and it includes a one-year warranty.

The OXO Brew’s canister sits snugly below the exit chute, neatly catching all of the grounds, and the shape makes it super-easy to pour fresh-ground coffee into your filter. You wipe the particles away with the barely damp side then use the dry side to fully remove the moisture. Although it’s nice not to have to take that extra step, it’s also not a huge inconvenience to do so, and many people who invest in a daily coffee routine are already doing this. From the Baratza Encore to the Baratza Sette series, you will be making the best coffee with the right gear. To find the right grind setting on each machine for a taste test, and to test for grind-size consistency, we used the Kruve coffee sifter and guide.Like the electric models in this guide, the C2 is not designed for espresso making, and because it is much smaller than an electric grinder, it can make only enough grounds for a cup or two of coffee at a time.

There is also a slightly larger size of the C2—the C2 Max—that is an inch taller than the C2 and holds about 5 grams more beans. In testing, we found we still prefer using the C2 and just refilling it if needed, because it was easier to hold. With that in mind, for this guide we wanted to recommend a good-quality manual grinder that a) cost less than our electric grinder budget pick, b) was small enough to carry in a purse or backpack, and c) was also comfortable enough, and good enough, to use as your everyday grinder for various brew methods.But with a stepless grinder, if you change the grind setting at all (for example, if you like to switch between coffee-brewing methods), it’s not easy to repeat the optimal settings for your daily brews.