Baratza Encore vs Porlex Tall II
The crowd’s default against the challenger.
About CA$113 apart — and the gap buys nothing the data can taste.
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 →
Porlex
CA$71–99 · US$65–80
This is the travel grinder people actually keep for a decade: stainless everything, ceramic burrs that will not rust, and it slides inside an Aeropress. Accept that it is a filter-first grin…
Full record & live prices →The split
Where they actually differ
On 5 of 6 measures these two tie. The single row below is the entire argument.
Encore
Tall II
The price
Tall II costs less, decisively
CA$195–200· CA$71–99
Quiet operation
Tall II leads, clearly
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.
Tall II: Minimalist industrial look with modest positive regard in unboxing discussion; not a kitchen statement piece, but compact form cited as a portable plus.
Only the Tall II: a single-dose workflow.
Only the Tall II: hand-cranked silence.
Where they tie: espresso duty · brew range · reliability record · built to last · value per dollar — don’t let a spec sheet invent a difference.
On the counter
The size difference, to scale
So — which one?
Take the Encore if —
Hard case to make: the Tall II leads everywhere the data separates them. This one is a deal-day purchase, not a first choice.
Take the Tall II if —
- The difference stays in your pocket — or goes into beans
- There are sleepers to protect
- You weigh every dose anyway
- The cranking can be part of the ritual
The measured differences here are small; the price gap is not. Take the Tall II and put the difference into fresh, roast-dated beans — they move the cup more than this split will.
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
Tall II
No documented mechanical failures; primary complaint is grind consistency at espresso fineness and manual labour intensity at scale.
For the row-by-row readers
The whole sheet, side by side
Matching rows fade back — the ink is where they differ.
Encore
Tall II
Class
Entry espresso-capable
Hand grinder
Burrs
conical
38mm conical
Drive
Electric
Hand-cranked
Clarity lean
Syrup & body
Syrup & body
Espresso suitability
2/5
2/5
Brew versatility
4/5
3.5/5
Retention
~0.5 g
—
Single dosing
No
Yes
Hopper
227 g
44 g
Workflow demand
2/5
4/5
Maintenance
1/5
1/5
Noise
2/5
0.5/5
Build longevity
4/5
4.5/5
Dimensions
12 × 16 × 35 cm
4.7 × 4.7 × 18 cm
Adjustment
—
Stepped (micro)
One owner each
“Have been using it since arrival every day without issue.”
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 →