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 $4,000-$6,000 flat-burr grinder pulls flavors from beans that mid-tier machines leave behind, delivering micron-level precision and clarity that can genuinely transform a filter brew. The catch is operational friction: it occasionally stalls mid-grind on certain coffees, blows its own fuse if you press buttons at the wrong moment, and demands more cleaning ritual than a $300 grinder that delivers 90% of the cup quality with none of the fuss. If you're chasing that last 10% of clarity in filter coffee and the price feels like an investment rather than an expense, this is your endgame. If you just want great coffee without the ceremony, spend the difference on better beans and skip the quirks.