Baratza Encore vs Timemore Chestnut S3
The crowd’s default against the challenger.
About CA$29 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 →
Timemore
CA$159–179 · US$99–159
This is a filter-and-French-press grinder wearing an espresso grinder's marketing copy. Buy it for V60 and AeroPress clarity and a genuinely premium hand-feel, but if espresso is your main e…
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
Chestnut S3
Quiet operation
Chestnut S3 leads, clearly
The price
Chestnut S3 costs less, clearly
CA$195–200· CA$159–179
weakerstronger
The Chestnut S3 leans the balanced middle; the Encore leans syrup and body. Pick the cup, not the machine.
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.
Chestnut S3: Wood and aluminum design appeals to pour-over aesthetics; neutral on-counter presence without polarization in purchase talk.
Only the Chestnut S3: a single-dose workflow.
Only the Chestnut S3: 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.
So — which one?
Take the Encore if —
- Syrupy, traditional cups are the goal
Take the Chestnut S3 if —
- Bright, separated cups are the goal
- There are sleepers to protect
- The difference stays in your pocket — or goes into beans
- You weigh every dose anyway
The measured differences here are small; the price gap is not. Take the Chestnut S3 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
Chestnut S3
Adjustment ring looseness during grinding (cosmetic, functional workaround via tightening); retention variability common to conical designs in this price bracket.
For the row-by-row readers
The whole sheet, side by side
Matching rows fade back — the ink is where they differ.
Encore
Chestnut S3
Class
Entry espresso-capable
Hand grinder
Burrs
conical
42mm conical
Drive
Electric
Hand-cranked
Clarity lean
Syrup & body
Balanced
Espresso suitability
2/5
1.5/5
Brew versatility
4/5
4/5
Retention
~0.5 g
—
Single dosing
No
Yes
Hopper
227 g
30 g
Workflow demand
2/5
4/5
Maintenance
1/5
1.5/5
Noise
2/5
0.5/5
Build longevity
4/5
4.5/5
Dimensions
12 × 16 × 35 cm
—
Adjustment
—
Stepped (micro)
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 →