The Coffee Grinder That Turned Me Into a Snob
“The Baratza is a legitimately great grinder, but it turned me into a coffee snob who lectures people about burr vs. blade. The JavaPresse is $30, uses the same burr mechanism, and grinds quietly. The tradeoff is arm effort, which I could use after sitting at a desk all day anyway.”
Baratza Encore ESP Conical Burr Coffee Grinder
6,543 reviews
Pros
- +Conical burr grinder — consistent particle size
- +40 grind settings from espresso to French press
- +The gold standard of entry-level burr grinders
- +Genuinely makes better coffee than blade grinders
Cons
- -$170 to grind beans you bought for $12
- -Now you're the person who talks about 'grind consistency'
- -It's a gateway drug to the $600 grinder
- -You'll start judging other people's coffee
JavaPresse Manual Burr Coffee Grinder
33,876 reviews
Pros
- +Conical burr — same grind principle as the Baratza
- +18 grind settings cover most methods
- +Completely silent — no 6 AM motor waking the house
- +Portable — bring it to the office, travel, anywhere
- +Thirty bucks. The Baratza is 5.6 of these.
Cons
- -You're hand-grinding for 2-3 minutes per cup
- -Your arm gets tired if you're making coffee for guests
- -Only grinds enough for 1-2 cups at a time
- -You look like a hipster in a Portland coffee shop
The Story
It started innocently. I read an article about how blade grinders create inconsistent particle sizes that lead to over-extraction and under-extraction in the same cup. Before that article, I was perfectly happy with my $15 blade grinder. After that article, I needed a burr grinder immediately.
The Baratza Encore is what every coffee subreddit recommends. 'Entry-level burr grinder' they call it. Entry-level. It costs $170. The exit-level is apparently $2,500. I do not want to know what a $2,500 grinder does differently.
The Baratza is excellent. My coffee genuinely tastes better. The grind consistency is noticeable. I can dial in the perfect setting for my pour-over. But here's what happened: I became insufferable. I started saying things like 'Oh, you use a blade grinder?' with a tone that implied I'd just witnessed a crime. I started bringing my own beans to people's houses. I started explaining extraction ratios at dinner parties.
The JavaPresse manual grinder is $30 and uses the same conical burr mechanism. It's hand-powered, so it's silent — a genuine advantage at 6 AM when your family is sleeping. It makes the same consistently-ground coffee. The only cost is 2-3 minutes of arm effort, which honestly is the only exercise I get some mornings.
Do I still use the Baratza? Yes. Do I wish I'd started with the JavaPresse and saved $140? Also yes. Would I have eventually bought the Baratza anyway because I'm addicted to upgrading things? Absolutely yes.
The Lesson
Start with the $30 manual grinder. If you're still grinding your own beans after a month, then consider the electric upgrade. Most people go back to pre-ground within two weeks.
Affiliate Disclosure: Links on this page go to Amazon and include an affiliate tag. If you buy something, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This is an honest comparison of products I've actually used. Product details, prices, ratings, and review counts are approximate and may be outdated. This page was created with AI assistance. Not professional product advice — just one guy's experience.
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Glen's Musings — AI, investing, and building things. Occasional. Free.
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