Baratza Encore vs OXO Brew Conical Burr Grinder: Which to Buy?
Short answer: The OXO Brew for most drip drinkers: it's simpler to use day to day, owners rate it higher, and the warranty is twice as long. Pick the Baratza Encore if a clean, even pour-over grind matters more than convenience.
Baratza Encore
4.1★ · 16,657 ratings
- You brew pour-over and care about a tidy, even grind
- You want 40 plain steps instead of a timer
- You'd rather have a smaller 5 oz hopper and a narrower footprint
OXO Brew Burr Grinder
4.3★ · 23,498 ratings
- You want one button that repeats the same dose every morning
- You want 2 years of warranty instead of 1
- Owner scores matter to you: 4.3 stars vs 4.1, and 77% of noise mentions positive
Search for a first burr grinder and two names come up again and again. The Baratza Encore is the company’s own best seller, sold as its entry-level grinder. The OXO Brew is the #1 burr grinder on Amazon. Both use 40 mm conical steel burrs and both are built for drip, pour-over and French press. So which one belongs on your counter?
The deciding difference
How you like to grind. The OXO runs on a timer dial. Set it once and you press one button every morning; it stops on its own and remembers your setting. The Encore is an on/off switch plus a pulse button. You grind until it’s done, and you weigh your beans if you want repeatable doses.
That sounds minor. It isn’t, if you’re making coffee half-asleep at 6 a.m.
Side by side
| Baratza Encore | OXO Brew | |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon rating | 4.1★ (16,657) | 4.3★ (23,498) |
| Burrs | 40 mm conical | 40 mm conical |
| Settings | 40 | 15 + micro-steps |
| Dosing | Switch and pulse button | Timer |
| Hopper | 5 oz | 12 oz |
| Warranty | 1 year | 2 years |
| TechGearLab overall | 65 | 54 |
Where they differ
Grind and mess. The lab favors the Encore. TechGearLab scored their consistency close (6.1 vs 5.9) but rated the Encore much cleaner, 8.0 against 4.4, and called the OXO messy and noisy. Owners back up the OXO mess complaint: 644 of its 906 cleaning-performance mentions are negative.
Noise. Here owners and the lab split. TechGearLab measured the OXO as louder. Yet 77% of the 1,985 OXO owners who mention noise call it fine, while only 477 of the Encore’s 1,203 noise mentions are positive. Expectations probably play a part.
Clogging. This one is all Encore. 457 of 523 clogging mentions on its listing are complaints, a topic that isn’t among the OXO’s most-discussed issues.
What owners say
Both grinders please people on grind quality: 77% positive for the Encore across 2,718 mentions, 84% for the OXO across 4,137. Both have a durability problem too. 79% of Encore durability mentions are negative, against 75% for the OXO, and 13% of the Encore’s ratings are one star versus 10% for the OXO.
Neither is a lifetime purchase on the evidence. The OXO’s longer warranty is worth more than it looks.
Our pick: the OXO for a hands-off morning routine. The Encore if you brew pour-over by weight and want the cleaner grind.
Where they differ
| Spec | Baratza Encore | OXO Brew Burr Grinder |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon rating | 4.1★ (16,657) | 4.3★ (23,498) |
| Burrs | 40 mm hardened steel conical | 40 mm stainless steel conical |
| Grind settings | 40 | 15 numbered (43 positions with micro-steps) |
| Controls | On/off switch plus front pulse button | — |
| Hopper | 5 oz | 12 oz, UV-tinted |
| Power | 70 W DC motor | 100 W |
| Weight | 5.6 lb | 4.5 lb |
| Size | 5.9 × 5.1 × 13.4 in | 7.5 × 5.3 × 12.9 in |
| Warranty | 1 year | 2 years |
| Dosing | — | One-touch timer, remembers last setting |
| Price | Check price | Check price |
What owners say about the Baratza Encore
Topics mentioned most in Amazon reviews, split into positive and negative mentions. Snapshot taken October 28, 2026.
Owners rate the grind highly (77% of 2,718 grind-quality mentions are positive) and like how easy it is to change settings. It's louder than many expect, clogs for some, and 79% of durability mentions are negative. 13% of ratings are one star, the highest share in this group.
What owners say about the OXO Brew Burr Grinder
Topics mentioned most in Amazon reviews, split into positive and negative mentions. Snapshot taken October 28, 2026.
Grind quality is the draw: 84% of the 4,137 owners who mention it are happy, and three in four call it quiet. Cleanup and lifespan are the catch. Most cleaning-performance mentions are complaints, and 75% of durability mentions describe a unit that failed early.
Watch: hands-on video reviews
Independent reviews by YouTube creators who used these products. We don't make these videos and aren't paid by their creators.
FAQ
Can either grinder make espresso?
Neither is a good espresso grinder. Seattle Coffee Gear positions the classic Encore for drip, pour-over and press and points espresso drinkers to the Encore ESP. For espresso, look at the Breville Smart Grinder Pro instead.
Which one is quieter?
It depends who you ask. TechGearLab scored the Encore quieter (6.0 vs 4.0). Amazon owners lean the other way: 77% of OXO noise mentions are positive, against 40% for the Encore.
Do both have static problems?
Some. TechGearLab saw fine grounds cling to the Encore's bin, and owners complain about OXO cleanup, with 644 of 906 cleaning-performance mentions negative. Tapping the bin before opening it helps with both.
Are the burrs the same size?
Yes, both use 40 mm conical steel burrs. The Encore's are hardened alloy steel made in Liechtenstein, per Baratza's listing.
Ready to buy?
- Baratza Encore4.1★ · 16,657 ratingsCheck price on Amazon
- Our pickOXO Brew Burr Grinder4.3★ · 23,498 ratingsCheck price on Amazon
Prices and stock change often, so the button shows today’s price on Amazon.com.
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How we put this together
We compared manufacturer specs and Amazon listing details, read the patterns in Amazon owner reviews (we refresh this snapshot regularly), and scored each product with our published rubric. We have not tested these units hands-on. When we do, the page will say so. Prices change constantly, so we link to the live price instead of quoting one.
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