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Baratza Encore Grind Settings
Let's get into the grind settings and how you can make the best use out of your Baratza Encore grinder.
Published January 24, 2022
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Shruti Gupta
Coffee experts@Era of We
If you're a coffee enthusiast like me, you know buying fresh coffee beans is always something we prefer. Whether it's a light or medium roast, I personally like buying whole coffee beans in batches as they're cheaper and I can store and grind them whenever I want. But the one issue we all face is having the perfect grind.
Some days you might like coffee made by a French press, some days, you might like to use your fancy espresso machine, but on most days, I just like to make a cold brew. Now all of these may require different grind sizes, and some brewing machines come with grinders, but most don't.
So, what do you do? Do you just compromise and grind a different batch every single time and end up wasting coffee? No, you get your hands on the perfect grinder, which can grind up to 40 grind sizes. That's right, it actually exists, and you should get your hands on it. Let me introduce you to the Baratza Encore grinder.
Keep in mind that it does not come cheap, but it has every grind setting you may require. Whether it's an extra coarse grind or an extra-fine grind or anything in between, the Baratza encore has it all.
Specifics of the grind size
To be specific, one can grind coffee in the range of 250 to 1200 microns, and a micron is 1/1000 of a millimeter. So, most grind sizes will fall between this range. Different coffee machines and drinks require different grind sizes. To make things easier, the Baratza Encore has labeled its grind settings from 1 to 40 rather than in microns to avoid any confusion.
Grind Settings
1.Between 1-3 (extra fine)
This is the finest grind size and is as small as 250 microns. It's ideal for Turkish coffee. There is a final grind size as well, but this will do the trick.
2. Between 4 to 9 (fine)
This grind size is between 200 to 400 microns and is perfect for your morning or evening espressos. This grind setting will be a little more coarse than Turkish coffee to ensure the water passes through espresso easily and extracts as much flavor as possible.
3.Between 4 to 16 (fine-medium)
Perfect if you have a Moka pot or a stovetop espresso maker since those need finely ground coffee, but not too fine. Maybe choose 10 as the midpoint to experiment with your brew. The finer the grind, the stronger the flavor.
4.Between 4 to 23 (fine-medium)
So, it gets a little tricky to choose your perfect grind size if you have an AeroPress. It really depends on how long you want to brew your coffee. If you want to brew your coffee longer, you would need a coarse grind because shorter brews need to extract as much flavor as possible in a short period and hence need finer grains.
Anything between two to three minutes needs a medium grind, but less than a minute would always need a fine grind.
5.Between 11 to 29 (medium)
Since pour-over methods require a little more time to brew, you need a medium-fine grind with enough surface area to keep the water in contact with the coffee for longer. Pour-overs still vary when it comes to beans, so if in case you find that your brew is not strong enough for you, make a finer grind.
6.Between 17 to 23 (medium)
This setting is for the drip coffee makers and the refillable K cups. Anything between 17 to 23 can be adjusted for a medium grind accordingly.
7.Between 24 to 29 (medium-coarse)
If you have a Chemex, you must know that the filters slow down the rate of extraction to quite a bit. Hence, medium-coarse grounds are perfect as the coffee will brew for longer but still won't come out way too strong.
8.Between 31 to 36 (coarse)
This grind setting is ideal for coarse grinds that are perfect for French press, cupping, and percolators. Similar in size to sea salt grains, the hot water remains in direct contact with the coffee through the whole process hence a large surface area keeps the brew from becoming too potent.
9.Between 37 to 40 (extra coarse)
The coarsest grind setting, this is for cold brews and cowboy coffee. As these brews can take a lot of time to make, some even up to 12 hours, hence the extra course grind keeps the brew just perfectly flavored.
As you can see, the Baratza Encore will be the grinder for any machine or any coffee bean that you may prefer. It also enables one to try out other coffee brewing methods as the grind size is not an issue. Its sleek look and grind settings are bound to impress you, so take it for a spin! You can learn more about it here.
About the author
Shruti Gupta
I like coffee and I like writing, reading, and traveling, all with a cup of coffee in my hand. My recommendation? Brew some coffee (nutty flavors preferred), make it strong, add a little cinnamon and brown sugar, and a touch of soy milk, you've got happiness in a cup! Best served chilled :)
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