Espresso grinders

Should Your Espresso Grinder Be Manual or Electric?

Published · By the Espresso Shortlist editors · Prices and specs as of that date, from the pages under Sources

Summary

Either kind can grind for espresso. The two compared here, the 1Zpresso J-Ultra and the Baratza Encore ESP, both cost about $199, so price won't decide it. The J-Ultra adjusts in very fine steps and packs into a case, but you turn the crank for every dose. The Encore ESP grinds at the press of a button, which starts to matter once you make more than a drink or two in a row.

Two grinders at the same price

1Zpresso J-UltraBaratza Encore ESP
Price$199.00$199.95
PowerHand crank, folds for travelMotor
Burrs48 mm, made for espresso40 mm conical
Adjustment8 microns per click, 100 clicks per turn40 settings, 1 to 20 for espresso
Grinds intoCatch cup holding 35 to 40 gDosing cup that fits 54 mm baskets, with an adapter ring for 58 mm

What the numbers mean at the grinder

The J-Ultra's steps are small and measured. One click moves the burr 0.008 mm, so a full turn of the dial is 0.8 mm. You can make very small changes when a shot runs too fast or too slow, and count clicks to get back to a setting. The Encore ESP handles the same need differently, giving half of its 40 settings to espresso so that each step inside that range is small, and saving the other half for filter coffee.

The capacity figure says something about routine too. The J-Ultra's catch cup holds 35 to 40 g, enough for one or two doses, and every gram in it came from turning the handle. On a morning with one 18 g shot, that is one round of grinding. On a morning with four cappuccinos, it is four.

Where each one lives

The J-Ultra comes with a folding crank, a carrying case, a cleaning brush, and a blower, and it needs no outlet, so it can travel or go into a cupboard between uses. The Encore ESP stays on the counter and plugged in, and it also covers the filter side of the house, from AeroPress to French press, on the same dial.

Shopping for one? Shop espresso grinders →

Sources

  1. 1Zpresso — J-Ultra
  2. 1Zpresso — J-Ultra product page
  3. 1Zpresso — J-Ultra User Manual
  4. Baratza — Encore™ ESP
  5. Baratza — Encore ESP Operations Manual (v1.0, January 2023)

We have not tested these products. Specs, prices, stock and terms are as published on these pages on the date above and can change; check the manufacturer or retailer before you buy.

More espresso grinders guides

Espresso grindersWhat Kind of Coffee Grinder Do You Need for Espresso?You need a burr grinder that its maker designed to reach espresso fineness and that can change the grind in very small steps inside that range. The…Read the guide →Espresso grindersDo Conical and Flat Burrs Make a Real Difference for Espresso?Less than the debate suggests. Both conical and flat burrs are used in grinders built for espresso, and two grinders with the same burr shape can…Read the guide →Espresso grindersWhat Is a Single-Dose Espresso Grinder, and What Does Zero Retention Mean?A single-dose grinder is built to be loaded with the beans for one drink at a time and ground empty, instead of holding a stock of beans in a hopper…Read the guide →Espresso grindersHow Do the Fellow Opus 2, Encore ESP, DF54, DF64 Gen 2 and Eureka Mignon Differ?They split first by how beans go in. The Encore ESP and the three Eureka Mignon models grind from a hopper, while the Opus 2, DF54, and DF64 Gen 2 are…Read the guide →Espresso grindersIs the OXO Brew Conical Burr Grinder Fine Enough for Espresso?OXO says so. Of its 15 grind settings, OXO's own guide assigns 1 through 5 to espresso, and the product page describes the range as running from fine…Read the guide →Espresso grindersWhat Does Each Extra $100 Buy in an Espresso Grinder?Baratza's current US lineup lays the steps out clearly. At $199.95 the Encore ESP gives you stepped adjustment with its finer half reserved for…Read the guide →Espresso grindersHow Do the 1Zpresso J-Ultra, KINGrinder K6 and Timemore C3 ESP Pro Compare for Espresso?The three differ most in how finely each click moves the burr. The J-Ultra moves 8 microns per click, the K6 16, and the C3 ESP Pro 23. Turn each dial…Read the guide →Espresso grindersCan the Burr Grinder You Use for Drip Coffee Also Grind for Espresso?Sometimes, and the box usually won't tell you. SHARDOR sells a 48-setting grinder that goes "from the finest espresso to the coarsest french press…Read the guide →Espresso grindersHow Do Breville's Smart Grinder Pro and Dose Control Pro Differ for Espresso?Both have 60 grind settings and stainless steel conical burrs, but the Smart Grinder Pro gives espresso half of that dial, settings 1 to 30, while the…Read the guide →Espresso grindersCan the Fellow Ode Gen 2 Grind for Espresso?No, and Fellow says so directly: "Ode is not intended for espresso." Its help center explains that the Ode's 64 mm flat burrs and motor "are geared…Read the guide →

All espresso grinders guides · All guides and search