Baratza Encore vs Bodum Bistro Burr Grinder
The crowd’s default against the challenger.
About CA$93 apart — the split below is what the gap buys.
Baratza
Community defaultUS$119–175 · CA$195–200
A decade-plus institution for good reason: 40mm conical burrs, wide availability of replacement parts, and a price point that clears the way for a better espresso machine. Accept that it is…
Full record & live prices →
Bodum
CA$80–130 · US$65–90
This is a cheap, honest upgrade from blade grinding for people brewing French press, drip, or Aeropress at home. Do not buy it expecting real espresso results — the grind is not fine or cons…
Full record & live prices →The split
Where they actually differ
Encore
Bistro Burr Grinder
The price
Bistro Burr Grinder costs less, decisively
CA$195–200· CA$80–130
Built to last
Encore leads, decisively
Value per dollar
Encore leads, decisively
Reliability record
Encore leads, clearly
Brew range
Encore leads, clearly
Retention
Encore leads, narrowly
~0.5 g· ~1.5 g
weakerstronger
Their burrs share a character — this choice will not change the shape of your cup.
The counter’s vote
Looks barely figure in either machine’s record — the counter can sit this one out.
Encore: Appliance-neutral industrial look; kitchen-approval talk minimal; bought for function, not counter presence.
Where they tie: espresso duty · quiet operation — don’t let a spec sheet invent a difference.
So — which one?
Take the Encore if —
- You are buying once
- Every dollar has to earn its place
- It has to just work, every day
- You brew more ways than one
Take the Bistro Burr Grinder if —
- The difference stays in your pocket — or goes into beans
The Encore at ~88% more buys real things: built to last and value per dollar. If those aren't your mornings, the Bistro Burr Grinder does the job and keeps the difference in your pocket.
Known weak points
Encore
motor burn-out under heavy daily use reported in multi-year ownership; upper burr wear over 5+ years of espresso grinding documented on Home-Barista
Bistro Burr Grinder
Burr alignment degradation over time; grind consistency loss after extended use; coarse setting grinds fall apart into fines.
For the row-by-row readers
The whole sheet, side by side
Matching rows fade back — the ink is where they differ.
Encore
Bistro Burr Grinder
Class
Entry espresso-capable
Entry espresso-capable
Burrs
conical
35mm conical
Drive
Electric
Electric
Clarity lean
Syrup & body
Syrup & body
Espresso suitability
2/5
1.5/5
Brew versatility
4/5
3/5
Retention
~0.5 g
~1.5 g
Single dosing
No
No
Hopper
227 g
220 g
Workflow demand
2/5
1/5
Maintenance
1/5
2/5
Noise
2/5
2/5
Build longevity
4/5
2/5
Dimensions
12 × 16 × 35 cm
—
Adjustment
—
Stepped (coarse)
Wrong match-up? Change one side → — any two on file compare.
Still torn?
This page weighs them against each other. The finder weighs them against your mornings.
Two minutes of questions — milk, noise, budget, space — scored across everything on file. It’s honest when the answer is neither of these.
Take the two-minute finder →