The original Encore is a workhorse for pour-over and drip, with owners logging eight-year runs and easy repairs when parts finally wear out. The ESP variant chasing espresso grinds fine enough on paper but ships with a plastic burr holder that cracks predictably and an undersized rubber seal that lets grounds leak into the body, turning routine cleaning into archaeology. If you brew filter coffee and value long-term repairability, the original is a safe bet. If you need espresso, the ESP's fragile internals make it a gamble you'll likely lose within two years.
This grinder delivers solid burr quality at a budget price for pour-over and drip, but it's fundamentally unsafe for long-term use. Grounds migrate into the motor housing over months, creating a fire hazard that multiple owners have independently documented, and the extreme retention means stale coffee mixes with every fresh batch. If you're brewing coarse methods and never touching espresso, it works fine short-term, but the safety issue and inability to grind fine enough for espresso make it a poor investment for anyone who might expand their coffee setup or keep a grinder for years.