Laynie Hasan.

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Coffee Comparisons · Reviewed September 15, 2026

Baratza Encore vs OXO Conical Burr Grinder: Controls, Settings and Daily Workflow

Both use conical burrs for home coffee, but the Encore favors manual start and parts access while the OXO centers a remembered timed dose.

Best for

Home coffee drinkers choosing an electric burr grinder for drip, pour-over, AeroPress, cold brew or French press routines.

Probably not for

A quiet appliance, commercial volume, or buyers who need fine step control for a demanding unpressurized espresso basket.

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Baratza Encore Conical Burr Grinder, ZCG485BLK

The black Encore listing corresponds to Baratza model ZCG485. The grinder uses 40-millimeter conical steel burrs and 40 numbered grind settings adjusted by rotating the hopper. Control is manual: a side switch runs the grinder and a front pulse button supports short additions. Baratza positions the Encore around filter coffee and publishes replacement parts and repair support. That serviceable design appeals to owners who expect to maintain a grinder, but it does not provide an automatic timed-dose dial.

Pros

  • Forty numbered steps and manual pulse control make adjustments easy to record and repeat.
  • Official parts and repair support make burr and component maintenance visible before purchase.

Cons

  • No remembered timed dose, so the user must stop grinding or pre-weigh beans.
  • Classic Encore adjustments are broader than a grinder designed specifically for fine espresso dialing.

Who it’s for: Choose it for manual dosing, documented filter-brew positioning and a visible replacement-parts ecosystem. Skip it if one-touch timed grinding is central to the routine.

Check Baratza Encore Conical Burr Grinder, ZCG485BLK on Amazon

OXO Brew Conical Burr Coffee Grinder, 8722600B

OXO model 8722600B uses stainless steel conical burrs, 15 primary grind settings plus intermediate micro-adjustments and a dial that selects grinding time. The one-touch control remembers the last time setting, which is convenient when the same brewer and dose repeat each morning. Its removable UV-tinted hopper holds up to 12 ounces and uses a trap door intended to reduce spills during removal. The stainless grounds container is designed to reduce static, though no grounds bin eliminates every stray particle.

Pros

  • Remembered timer supports a repeatable push-button routine once the dose is dialed in.
  • Twelve-ounce removable hopper with a trap door simplifies bean changes compared with an open hopper.

Cons

  • Fifteen labeled settings plus micro positions are not as directly numbered as the Encore 40-step ring.
  • A stored time is not a stored coffee weight because bean density and hopper conditions can change output.

Who it’s for: Choose it if a remembered timer and removable hopper suit the daily workflow. Skip it if you prefer weighing every dose before manual grinding or want Baratza parts support.

Check OXO Brew Conical Burr Coffee Grinder, 8722600B on Amazon

Forty steps and fifteen plus micro-settings are not directly comparable

Baratza numbers 40 discrete positions. OXO labels 15 primary positions and allows intermediate micro-adjustments. A larger printed count does not reveal burr alignment, particle distribution or how much each click changes. Without a controlled test, the honest comparison is how each control communicates settings, not which produces objectively more uniform grounds.

Both are easier to use when you write down a starting point for each brewer. Change one or two positions at a time, keep water and coffee amounts steady and taste before moving again. The correct setting varies with the bean, roast age, dose and brewing method.

Timed dosing and manual dosing encourage different habits

OXO remembers the last timer selection, so a full hopper can feed a similar morning routine with one press. That saves steps, but a motor run time does not guarantee the same gram weight across beans. If recipe precision matters, weigh the grounds periodically and adjust the time.

Encore users can pre-weigh whole beans and let the hopper empty, run the side switch while watching the grounds bin or use the front pulse button for a small addition. Pre-weighing avoids keeping beans in a hopper and works well for switching coffees, but it adds a scale and a repeated step.

Do not buy either solely for the word espresso

OXO describes a range from fine to coarse, while Baratza centers the classic Encore on filter brewing. That does not make either the automatic answer for every espresso machine. Unpressurized baskets often need very small, repeatable changes to control shot time, and a general-purpose stepped grinder may not provide enough adjustment between two positions.

For pressurized-basket espresso, moka pot, AeroPress, drip, pour-over and immersion brewing, the usable range can be broader. Match the grinder to the most demanding brewer you actually own. If traditional unpressurized espresso is the priority, compare grinders designed around espresso adjustment rather than forcing a general-purpose model into that role.

Choose around maintenance and morning behavior

Pick the Encore when manual dosing, clear numbered steps and manufacturer parts support matter. Pick the OXO when a remembered timer, larger published hopper and spill-control features fit the routine. Clean only as the manuals direct, unplug first and never put the powered base or burr mechanism in water.

Confirm the exact model and color at checkout. Similar Encore ESP and OXO grinder variants have different controls and should not be treated as these exact products. The related digital kitchen scale comparison can help with weighed coffee doses, and the full Offers page has more kitchen guides.

Official sources and further reading

Sources reviewed on September 15, 2026. Prices, availability and terms can change; recheck before buying.

Related reading

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