Baratza Encore & Encore ESP Grind Settings: Source Guide

Which Encore setting should you start with?

This is a manufacturer-document reference for owners of those models, not a purchase recommendation or a hands-on grinder review. Coffee Methods has not measured either grinder's particle distribution, calibration or cup quality. We checked the linked sources on 26 October 2026. The manual versions below identify the evidence; they do not establish the revision of every grinder sold today.

Read the correct model's column

The values are suggested starting settings, not ranges inferred from a generic grind chart. No cold-brew, moka or Turkish setting has been invented to fill a blank.

Sources: Encore operations manual (opens in a new tab), “Adjusting the grind size,” p. 6; Encore ESP operations manual (opens in a new tab), “Recommended initial grind settings,” p. 5. The ESP manual's espresso example assumes a medium roast and an 18 g dose; it is not a guaranteed setting for your basket or beans.

Why do the V60 numbers disagree?

The separate Baratza V60 guide (opens in a new tab), “Starting Grind Settings” and the recipe immediately below, uses Encore 23 and Encore ESP 25 for its own 20 g / 320 g, 98 °C recipe. Keep that reference separate from the older manual table. Do not average the numbers, interpolate a conversion or silently replace one source with the other.

If you use Coffee Methods' V60 recipe, its 15 g / 240 g, 94 °C and 170-second starting schedule is a different editorial recipe. Its descriptive “medium-fine” label does not calibrate a Baratza dial. Choose a documented starting reference, keep your recipe consistent, then compare flow and taste.

Dial positions are not a universal size scale

The Encore manual describes lower numbers as finer and higher numbers as coarser. The ESP manual separates its 1–20 espresso range from 21–40 filter settings, with different step sizes. A change of two dial numbers is therefore not a universal change in microns or a recipe conversion.

Keep Encore, Encore ESP and Encore ESP Pro separate. This page does not supply ESP Pro settings. After a burr replacement, modification or recalibration, do not assume the same setting represents the old result. Follow the documentation for your actual assembly.

Make a useful comparison

Use the general grind chart to understand method terms, then record a baseline you can repeat:

1. Write down the exact model, the manual or recipe reference you chose, and the dial setting. Do not combine columns.
2. Keep coffee, filter, dose, water and pouring sequence fixed. Record the actual brew time and whether flow changed.
3. Note taste separately. A sharp, thin cup or a dry cup is a clue, not a measured extraction result; roast and uneven flow can also contribute.
4. Compare one small setting change, keeping other inputs fixed. Repeat before deciding whether it helped.

The V60 calculator can hold dose, water and pour targets steady. It does not calculate grinder clicks. Save the chosen setting and observation in the private journal, or use the troubleshooter to consider alternative causes.

Adjustment and maintenance limits

Follow the exact model's adjustment instructions. The Encore manual p. 6 and ESP manual p. 6 require the grinder to be running or completely empty of beans when changing the setting; the Encore manual additionally cautions that partly ground beans may remain. Do not force a blocked adjustment. Both manuals require unplugging before cleaning or disassembly. This page is not a servicing or recalibration procedure.

Common questions

Can I use an Encore number on the ESP? No direct conversion is established here. Use the matching model and source column, then compare your own recipe.

Is 15 or 23 the correct Encore V60 setting? They are different published starting references: the versioned manual and a separate recipe. State which one you used rather than presenting either as a universal answer.

Where are the cold-brew and moka ranges? The cited manual table does not supply them. We have left them out rather than deriving numbers from another grinder or a rough texture analogy.

Does this prove which grinder is better? No. It compares documented settings and their limits, not tested performance, value or suitability for purchase.

Read how we check guidance for the difference between source verification and physical testing. There are no affiliate links or manufacturer sponsorship claims on this page.