Links to Amazon.com are plain product links. We may earn a commission in the future if we join affiliate programs; this never decides what we recommend.

Buying guide

Burr Grinders for Home Espresso and Brewing: What to Check Before You Buy

By iPickOne editorial team · Published · Reviewed

Short answer

Check the dosing method first: the Baratza Encore ESP is manual with a dosing cup, the Virtuoso+ doses by a 0.1-second timer and the Breville Smart Grinder Pro by programmable time with “cups” and “shots” modes. Then check settings: Breville states 60; Baratza lists grinding speed from setting 10 to 30 without a count. All three use conical steel burrs and a 1-year warranty.

Coffee grinder with a bean hopper full of roasted beans
Photo by Charlotte May on Pexels. Typical product type, not a specific model.

Who should pick what

Side-by-side comparison

Three home burr grinders on the same manufacturer-page fields
CriterionBaratza Encore ESPBaratza Virtuoso+Breville Smart Grinder Pro
Burrs40 mm conical steel burrs (M2); 550 RPM40 mm conical steel burrs (M2); 550 RPMStainless steel conical burrs
Grind settingsCount not stated; grinding speed is listed from setting 10 to setting 30Count not stated; grinding speed is listed from setting 10 to setting 3060 grind settings, from espresso to French press
Bean hopper300 g (10.6 oz) bean hopper300 g (10.6 oz) bean hopper18 oz bean hopper
Grounds bin120 g (4.2 oz) grounds bin120 g (4.2 oz) grounds binGrounds container with lid (capacity not stated)
DosingManual; included dosing cupTimer, 0.1-second resolutionDosing iQ: grind time programmable in 0.2-second steps; “cups” or “shots” mode
Power70 W70 W165 W
Warranty1 Year Manufacturer Warranty1 Year Manufacturer Warranty1 Year Limited Warranty
Size13 x 15 x 34 cm13 x 15 x 34 cm8.5 x 6.3 x 15.3 in; 6.39 lb

Figures are from the Baratza US and Breville US product pages, read 2026-11-06. “Not stated” means the text we read has no labeled figure; we print no prices. Sources for every figure are listed under “Sources” below.

How we compared: key criteria

  1. BurrsAll three use conical steel burrs. Baratza lists 40 mm conical burrs (M2) turning at 550 RPM for the Encore ESP and Virtuoso+; Breville lists stainless steel conical burrs without a size.
  2. Grind settingsBreville states 60 settings from espresso to French press. Baratza’s pages give a grinding speed from setting 10 to setting 30 (1.3 to 2.2 g/sec on the Encore ESP, 1.3 to 2.4 g/sec on the Virtuoso+) but no settings count, so we do not state one.
  3. DosingDosing is how you get the same amount of coffee each time. The Encore ESP is manual with an included dosing cup, the Virtuoso+ uses a timer with 0.1-second resolution and the Smart Grinder Pro adjusts grind time in 0.2-second steps with “cups” and “shots” modes.
  4. Hopper and binThe Baratza pair hold 300 g (10.6 oz) of beans and 120 g (4.2 oz) of grounds. Breville states an 18 oz hopper and a grounds container with lid; its capacity is not stated.
  5. Size and warrantyThe Baratza pair are 13 x 15 x 34 cm; the Smart Grinder Pro is 8.5 x 6.3 x 15.3 in and 6.39 lb. All three carry a 1-year warranty on their pages.

Our picks

Espresso-range grinder, hand-dosed

Baratza Encore ESP (ZCG495)

  • 40mm burrs
  • 300g hopper

Why we'd pick it: 40 mm conical steel burrs, a 300 g hopper, a 120 g grounds bin and an included dosing cup, with speeds listed across settings 10 to 30.

Skip it if… you want automatic dosing: the Encore ESP is manual.

View on Amazon — Baratza Encore ESP (ZCG495) on Amazon.com

Timer-dosed Baratza

Baratza Virtuoso+ (ZCG587)

  • 40mm burrs
  • 300g hopper

Why we'd pick it: 0.1-second timer dosing with the same 40 mm burrs, 300 g hopper and 120 g bin as the Encore ESP.

Skip it if… you want a stated settings count: Baratza’s page gives only a grinding speed range, not a count.

View on Amazon — Baratza Virtuoso+ (ZCG587) on Amazon.com

Most settings, programmable dose

Breville Smart Grinder Pro (BCG820)

  • 60settings
  • 18oz hopper

Why we'd pick it: 60 grind settings, Dosing iQ with 0.2-second steps, “cups” and “shots” modes, an 18 oz hopper and an LCD.

Skip it if… you want a stated grounds-bin size: its page does not give one; we also could not confirm its Amazon listing.

Amazon link not live yet — exact product page for Breville Smart Grinder Pro (BCG820) is not verified

Downsides and when not to buy

  • The pages give specifications, not grind consistency, noise or how long burrs last.
  • Settings are not comparable across brands: Breville’s 60 and Baratza’s speed range are different measures.
  • We did not include hand grinders or premium grinders; we found no manufacturer US page we could read for them.

When the pricier option isn't worth it

Timed or programmable dosing isn’t worth paying for if you weigh your beans on a scale; the manual Encore ESP covers that.

Who should skip this product type

Skip a grinder at this level if you only buy pre-ground coffee; the benefit comes from grinding just before brewing.

Extra costs, installation and compatibility

Ongoing costs
Burrs wear and the grounds bin needs emptying; none of the pages we read gives a burr replacement interval or figure. We print no prices.
Installation and space
The Baratza pair stand 34 cm tall and the Breville 15.3 in; measure the gap under your wall cabinets against the stated height.
Compatibility
The Smart Grinder Pro includes portafilter cradles for 50–54 mm and 58 mm portafilters, so it grinds straight into an espresso machine such as the 54 mm Breville models. The Baratza pages we read list no portafilter fitting.

View on Amazon

Breville

Breville Smart Grinder Pro (BCG820)

  • 60settings
  • 18oz hopper

Programmable grinder with 60 settings and timed dosing.

We could not confirm an Amazon.com listing title for this exact model, so there is no Amazon button.

Amazon link not live yet — exact product page for Breville Smart Grinder Pro (BCG820) is not verified

Links to Amazon.com are plain product links. We may earn a commission in the future if we join affiliate programs; this never decides what we recommend. Prices and availability change, so we don't print them — check the current details on Amazon. See our Affiliate Disclosure.

Research method, sources and review date

Research-based comparison: we compare manufacturer specifications, user manuals and published guidance, and note where a figure is a manufacturer claim. We do not test products in a lab. Figures come from the Baratza US and Breville US product pages as read on 2026-11-06. How we compare · Editorial policy

Sources

Last reviewed · Next scheduled review . Spotted an error? Tell us.

Update log

  • — Rebuilt (IPK-BUILD-5) around models confirmed to exist on Amazon.com. Figures come from ENERGY STAR certified-product data and, where we could read one, the manufacturer page; where a source does not state a figure we say so. Models not found on Amazon.com were removed from the picks.
See our picks