Picked up this grinder yesterday. I bought it for espresso, for which the recommended setting is around "2" to "6." Right out of the box, it will not grind below around "10." The motor comes on and doesn't sound any different below 10 than when it is above 10 (coarser). However, below 10, the beans just don't seem to be feeding, and barely any grounds (if at all) emerge.

I have heard that Baratza has good customer support, but this is brand new just out of the box and I don't think I should be experiencing any issues with it. I am just about to return/exchange it, but if anyone has any quick tips I'd be interested to hear them. Thanks.

Why don't you try the finest possible grind setting (grind has to come out though) and ignore their numbers for a try ?

E-mail sent to Baratza. Since it's new I want to nip this in the bud, if there's anything to fix, adjust, or replace. I will wait to hear back and use a coarser setting for drip coffee the next few days to get me by.

If you really want to nip this in the bud, get a different grinder for espresso.

Which one, that won't cost $600?

Check youtube for some diagnostic videos while you wait to hear from Baratza. Good company they'll take care of you. You either got a defective unit or did something inadvertently to mess it up (for example, like adjusting the grind size with beans in the hopper without having the burrs running).
I've owned an Encore and I really like it but it is not an espresso grinder unless you plan to use it with a pressurized portafilter or a mokka pot. Once it works keep it for brews and you'll be happy until you taste buds evolve and demand something better (like a Lido or Vario+steel burrs).

Entry level espresso grinders with adequate adjustment are Baratza Preciso (~299 new, less refurb) or Lelit pl53 (279 new with free ship, ~175 used if you can find one). I think that's it for under 300 unless you get some lucky scores on ebay or craigslist.

Thanks - that info is helpful, but also raises new questions. I had to Google "portafilter" to determine that yes, I do have a pressurized portafilter. I just have a $350 Breville machine for home use. I'm not a pro barista (obviously) and I'm not planning to run a shop or anything like that. Will it make that much difference whether I use a $150 Encore or a $300 Precisio to grind for use in my home espresso machine?

Barbara is an excellent company and will stand behind their product. However if price is an issue id consider returning it and either getting the preciso or even a Breville Smart grinder. These can be easily found refurbished for $150. The Encore just isn't meant for espresso...

You would also be Better off getting a regular portafilter and losing the pressured portafilter. You will learn to make better espresso. Being a member of this forum is a great start. Your taste buds will appreciate a better grinder. FYI the Smart is considered very budget and some people have also had issues with it for espresso but i believe the newer models have been corrected. If in doubt pay a bit more and buy a new one with a good return policy to try it out. Many members also sell quality commercial grinders used here that might suit your needs as well. These may be used but they are usually bullet proof designs.

iploya wrote:Thanks - that info is helpful, but also raises new questions. I had to Google "portafilter" to determine that yes, I do have a pressurized portafilter. I just have a $350 Breville machine for home use. I'm not a pro barista (obviously) and I'm not planning to run a shop or anything like that. Will it make that much difference whether I use a $150 Encore or a $300 Precisio to grind for use in my home espresso machine?

Your encore will probably be fine for a pressurized portafilter machine. Its also a fairly ok brew grinder. I have one that I keep at work.

In a pressurized portafilter, the filter rather than the grinds controls the flow rate, which makes grind less critical. The downside to this is that the quality of the resulting drink is much lower. Many would argue that it isn't even really espresso. The unfortunate reality is that the level of espresso we aspire to on this site is an expensive proposition. But we all have to start somewhere. I had that sort of setup many years ago, a lot of us on this site probably did. If you want to make a drink that tastes decent with milk and sugar, you will be able to achieve that. If that's all you want you may be happy. If you aspire to more you will need to upgrade both machine and grinder. But as I said, we all have to start somewhere.