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188 results for “baratzz”
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https://github.com/google-research/tuning_playbook
New initiative from Google research with the goal of formalizing the process of hyperparameter tuning in DL. Seems to be trending pretty hard (about 1.5k github stars in the last 8 hours alone).
I've been playing around with keras-tuner recently and have definitely felt the need for something similar to this to refer to for numerous decisions. Interesting to see where this goes. -
OK. That's unsatisfying.
I have to try one more thing before I give up on this –Neuroimagers!!
How much do you care about how your data is managed (i.e., how the raw DICOM, NIfTI, etc. files are organized and distributed)?
Please boost for reach 🙏 🧠 💽
#neuroimaging #data #dicom #nifti #bids #rdm #neuroscience #research -
Just in case someone out here finds it useful, here's a link to my #ML for #Neuroscience exercise booklet (made with #JupyterBook ):
https://zvibaratz.github.io/ml_for_neuro/chapters/chapter_01/exercise_01.html
It's probably my last year TAing the class, and I haven't updated it in a while, but there are a couple of (hopefully) useful tutorials in there; particularly exercises V and VI, plagiarized (I mean adapted) from bits of the ISLR and an incredible workshop given by @[email protected] on #NeuroHackademy 2020 (see https://github.com/neurohackademy/nh2020-curriculum/tree/master/tu-machine-learning-yarkoni).
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Just in case someone out here finds it useful, here's a link to my #ML for #Neuroscience exercise booklet (made with #JupyterBook ):
https://zvibaratz.github.io/ml_for_neuro/chapters/chapter_01/exercise_01.html
It's probably my last year TAing the class, and I haven't updated it in a while, but there are a couple of (hopefully) useful tutorials in there; particularly exercises V and VI, plagiarized (I mean adapted) from bits of the ISLR and an incredible workshop given by @talyarkoni on #NeuroHackademy 2020 (see https://github.com/neurohackademy/nh2020-curriculum/tree/master/tu-machine-learning-yarkoni).
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Just in case someone out here finds it useful, here's a link to my #ML for #Neuroscience exercise booklet (made with #JupyterBook ):
https://zvibaratz.github.io/ml_for_neuro/chapters/chapter_01/exercise_01.html
It's probably my last year TAing the class, and I haven't updated it in a while, but there are a couple of (hopefully) useful tutorials in there; particularly exercises V and VI, plagiarized (I mean adapted) from bits of the ISLR and an incredible workshop given by @talyarkoni on #NeuroHackademy 2020 (see https://github.com/neurohackademy/nh2020-curriculum/tree/master/tu-machine-learning-yarkoni).
-
Just in case someone out here finds it useful, here's a link to my #ML for #Neuroscience exercise booklet (made with #JupyterBook ):
https://zvibaratz.github.io/ml_for_neuro/chapters/chapter_01/exercise_01.html
It's probably my last year TAing the class, and I haven't updated it in a while, but there are a couple of (hopefully) useful tutorials in there; particularly exercises V and VI, plagiarized (I mean adapted) from bits of the ISLR and an incredible workshop given by @talyarkoni on #NeuroHackademy 2020 (see https://github.com/neurohackademy/nh2020-curriculum/tree/master/tu-machine-learning-yarkoni).
-
Just in case someone out here finds it useful, here's a link to my #ML for #Neuroscience exercise booklet (made with #JupyterBook ):
https://zvibaratz.github.io/ml_for_neuro/chapters/chapter_01/exercise_01.html
It's probably my last year TAing the class, and I haven't updated it in a while, but there are a couple of (hopefully) useful tutorials in there; particularly exercises V and VI, plagiarized (I mean adapted) from bits of the ISLR and an incredible workshop given by @talyarkoni on #NeuroHackademy 2020 (see https://github.com/neurohackademy/nh2020-curriculum/tree/master/tu-machine-learning-yarkoni).
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OK. That's unsatisfying.
I have to try one more thing before I give up on this –Neuroimagers!!
How much do you care about how your data is managed (i.e., how the raw DICOM, NIfTI, etc. files are organized and distributed)?
Please boost for reach 🙏 🧠 💽
#neuroimaging #data #dicom #nifti #bids #rdm #neuroscience #research -
OK. That's unsatisfying.
I have to try one more thing before I give up on this –Neuroimagers!!
How much do you care about how your data is managed (i.e., how the raw DICOM, NIfTI, etc. files are organized and distributed)?
Please boost for reach 🙏 🧠 💽
#neuroimaging #data #dicom #nifti #bids #rdm #neuroscience #research -
OK. That's unsatisfying.
I have to try one more thing before I give up on this –Neuroimagers!!
How much do you care about how your data is managed (i.e., how the raw DICOM, NIfTI, etc. files are organized and distributed)?
Please boost for reach 🙏 🧠 💽
#neuroimaging #data #dicom #nifti #bids #rdm #neuroscience #research -
OK. That's unsatisfying.
I have to try one more thing before I give up on this –Neuroimagers!!
How much do you care about how your data is managed (i.e., how the raw DICOM, NIfTI, etc. files are organized and distributed)?
Please boost for reach 🙏 🧠 💽
#neuroimaging #data #dicom #nifti #bids #rdm #neuroscience #research -
https://github.com/google-research/tuning_playbook
New initiative from Google research with the goal of formalizing the process of hyperparameter tuning in DL. Seems to be trending pretty hard (about 1.5k github stars in the last 8 hours alone).
I've been playing around with keras-tuner recently and have definitely felt the need for something similar to this to refer to for numerous decisions. Interesting to see where this goes. -
https://github.com/google-research/tuning_playbook
New initiative from Google research with the goal of formalizing the process of hyperparameter tuning in DL. Seems to be trending pretty hard (about 1.5k github stars in the last 8 hours alone).
I've been playing around with keras-tuner recently and have definitely felt the need for something similar to this to refer to for numerous decisions. Interesting to see where this goes. -
Baratza Encore ESP Pro Grinder
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ArticleOut of the Box
I won’t go into a lot of details about what’s new on this grinder, except to reference those new features, because we covered that in our initial post on the Encore ESP Pro. I will highlight and clarify some elements and assumptions based on the initial hands on use. If you do want a concise breakdown on what is new in this grinder, check that article out.
The Encore ESP Pro (or EEP for short) still adheres to Baratza’s “big beautiful brown box” philosophy of having sustainable and environmentally friendly packaging, right down to the compostable bags to protect the grinder from scuffs during shipping, but this time around they’ve also done a lot more printing on the box. It is packed securely and compactly, and when I first unboxed it, I thought perhaps they forgot to include the dosing cup and its little shelf, but nope, there it was, inside the larger grinds bin.
The front of the Encore ESP Pro box. Note, since Breville has taken over, they’ve added more graphics to the box compared to a few years ago.
Side of the box talks about the Etzinger M2 Burrs. We will too, below.
Other side is mainly branding.
The back of the box has some details about the grinder. Again, this is getting a bit away from Baratza’s “beautiful brown box” with the added ink.
Baratza has long figured out how to securely pack their grinders, and the Encore ESP Pro is no different
Inside the inner box is the main on demand hopper, in its own cardboard cocoon.
Once the top cardboard forms are removed, the main grinder body reveals itself
All removed from the boxes, the grinder and hopper are wrapped in compostible bags.
A first peak at the grinder itself. It looks quite good!
Baratza’s an industry leader in ethical, environmentally friendly packaging. They even use compostable bags to protect ther machines in transit.
The grinds bin, which looks identical to the older Encore and Virtuoso Plus models. Has extra goodies inside.
The single dose cup and its silicone base. Note the silicone ring around the top – remove that to fit the cup into 54mm portafilters.Setting up the grinder is mostly painless, though I did have a brief head-scratching moment that led to a quick call to Baratza support. I couldn’t figure out how to properly attach the bean hopper to the sleek, mostly metal single dose collar and grind adjustment dial. I checked the quick start guide and manual, but didn’t find anything about how to assemble the bean hopper. I noticed tiny “dedents” on the hopper and a subtle ridge inside the collar; it looked like they should snap together. I pressed hard. Nothing. Pressed harder. Felt plastic groaning. I had mild panic and visions of broken plastic.
Turns out, I was doing it all wrong.
Those dedents are part of a clever new system: they recess into the hopper body when you close the internal “trap door” for the beans, and stick out again when you open the bean flow vanes.The hopper, inspired by Breville’s Smart Grinder Pro hopper, but more minimalist, has a rotating handle inside. Turn one way and vanes shut the bean chute; turn the other and they open. The action also recesses and exposes the little dedents. The trick? Close the vanes, insert the hopper in the single dose bean collar hopper,, then open them. Voilà: hopper locked in place.
With that mystery solved, I set about my first use and exploration of the grinder.
These are the little small profile dedents that extend out, or retract, to lock the bean hopper into place on the single dose metal hopper.
Here, the dedents are retracted, making them flush with the rest of the collar.Materials and Build Quality
Let’s just get this out of the way: everything about the Encore ESP Pro (or EEP, for those who appreciate a good acronym) feels like it belongs in the premium league. Starting with the single dose hopper and grind adjustment collar, the construction is mostly metal where your hands interact, with plastic used only where it makes sense.
The hopper slots into a largely metal burr carrier and adjustment mechanism. There are no clicks when turning it either. This is a stepless grinder, so smooth rotation is the action you’ll feel. The metal is a sharp, nearly matte black, with bold white lines and bean size icons that are easy to read. It also rotates a full 270 degrees, a big jump from the 180 degrees on the regular Encore ESP.
Now for the side panels. I could have sworn they were metal. They even sound like it when you tap them. But surprise: they’re plastic. That said, they’re coated in some mystery finish that feels cool, textured, and convincingly metallic. Bonus points: they resist smudgy fingerprints. Actually, the whole grinder does. Even the front display somehow stays relatively clean despite daily use.
The metal parts of the grinder are mostly in the grinds chamber, motor mount, skeleton, and what I call the “shoulders” of the unit. That’s the section that wraps from the top, around the display, and down the front where the control dial lives. It feels like plastic at first touch, but it’s a coated metal wrap.
Front view of the Encore ESP Pro, in single dose setup.
Glad to see the company has gone with minimal branding. This panel is mostly plastic, but feels like metal.
The back, mostly plastic, has no branding. Note the cord placement.
Again, no branding, nice matte black, has a similar silhouette to the Encore ESP.
This is very well made, and is mostly metal. I do have slight concerns about the anti-popcorning bit in the middle impeding the flow from coffee beans from the full on demand hopper, given beans have to pass through that bigger hopper’s vanes first, before getting to the anti-popcorn plate.
Here’s a first peak at another innovation in the grinder: the Feed Control disk, which regulates and slows down the feed to the burrs.
Installing the single dose hopper: line it up with the marked tick line on the grinder body.
Attaching the single dose hopper is straightforward: line up the marker with the line on the grinder body, insert, and rotate to lock into place.
A Breville influence here: Baratza never used to put display stickers on their grinders to show you what the display would look like. That’s a Breville thing.
The single dose cap can also be used as a bean cup on your scale to measure out your single doses. I kind of wish it had an incorporated bellows design.The on demand bean hopper has been redesigned too, and is different from the bean hoppers Baratza has been using for over a decade. The EEP full bean hopper has a lower profile, and likely holds less than the older Encore models (I will measure that). But it has a slick new bean stop system that keeps your coffee from making a break for it when you remove the hopper. A lot of the engineering behind it been borrowed from the now 15 year old design of the Smart Grinder Pro hopper, but it is much more refined, more low-profile, with a lot less plastic and moving parts. It’s small things like this that show someone was thinking and evolving a product line.
The grinds bin seems to be the same one from the previous Encore and Virtuoso models. I’ll do a side-by-side check to be sure, but it looks and feels identical. No surprises there. Ditto with the single dose grinds catch and the little silicone base it slots into.
That front control dial, though, is a highlight. It has a good weight to it and turns with a satisfying dampened feel. It’s tactile and gives off a vibe that says, “I’m not like those cheap plastic knobs on budget machines.” Of all the control points Baratza has put out over the years, this one feels the most high-end. Etched into the dial are directional indicators on the front.
The on demand, full bean load hopper is designed to lock into the single dose metal hopper.
The vanes, open on the hopper. I did have concerns that these would have feed issues with the single dose hopper’s anti-popcorn device right below these.
The vanes closed on the new hopper design from Baratza
The hopper’s handle is used to open or close the hopper vanes, and lock the hopper into place on the single dose mini hopper.
The single touch control dial has a nice dampened feel to it, pushes confidently, and has etched directional indicators
Not talked a lot about in this First Look – this is the flow control dial. It’s meant to regulate the flow of beans into the burrs better.You also get a solid accessory lineup: the single dose grinds catcher, the bigger bin, the single dose hopper, and the larger bean hopper. Swapping them out is easy and intuitive. The grinds cup works with both 58 mm and 54 mm portafilters. Just pull out a silicone ring to accommodate the smaller ones.
Now the display. In a word, it is slick. When not in use, it stays completely blacked out. Fire it up and it lights up bright enough to read in a dark kitchen at 6 a.m. without blinding you. Yet it’s still easily readable in a fully lit, mid day kitchen. There are three little icons that pop up depending on what the grinder’s doing. Timer mode shows a clock. Grind setting mode brings up a container with a pyramid of dots. If you’re in the espresso range, it displays “ESP” with an underscore, on the right.
The numbers will show either a countdown or count-up timer, the grind setting, or “END” when it finishes a timed grind. It switches automatically depending on what’s happening. One small quirk: if you’re adjusting the grind while the EEP is running, the display only shows the timer, not the grind setting. It’s not the end of the world, just something to note.
Here, the grinder is in auto-off mode, at 50.5 on the grind dial setting. Note no “ESP” graphic or timer graphic.
Here, the grinder is in timer mode (long press to switch), but in standby still shows the grinder setting, and not the programmed time.
This mode is auto off mode, in the espresso grinding range (below 40), showing the ESP graphic.
Here, the grinder is displaying ESP grind range, timer mode, and I just turned the dial to set the time for 11.5 seconds grinding time. It will revert back to showing the grind setting after a few seconds.
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Except for the initial confusion over how to properly attach the on demand bean hopper, I found using the Encore ESP Pro to be quite intuitive. There’s something about a single touch point for most of the grinder’s smart controls that works very well on this grinder. Even without reading the manual, I knew that a long press on that main dial would switch the grinder’s two main modes, as an example.
Encore ESP Pro’s Modes
The EEP has two modes: timed and auto stop. Long press the dial to toggle between them. In auto stop, you just press once to start and again to stop. It also works as a manual mode for folks using a full hopper. The maximum grinding time is 60 seconds, even in manual mode.
In auto stop, the timer counts up. In timer mode, it counts down. You only get one timer setting, so changing from 10 to 45 seconds means spinning the dampened control dial quite a bit. Not exactly cutting-edge tech, but nothing a little patience can’t handle.
The Encore ESP Pro, set up for single dose mode, on the bar, paired up with a Breville Infuser. Grind time for a 17.5g dose is about 9 seconds.Grind Settings and Espresso Range
I was surprised to find out that the Encore ESP Pro’s espresso range of grind settings is 1 to 40 on the grinder’s 60 steps (actually 120 steps, because there’s a half step displayed digitally, like 10.5). I thought it would be evenly split, with 1-30 for espresso, and 31-60 for other brew methods (similar to the Encore ESP). But nope: that little ESP indicator stays on until you hit 40.5.
That’s a pretty wide range of adjustment choices, though Baratza claims each setting in the espresso range is a 2.5 micron adjustment finer or coarser and your finest turning control on the stepless adjustment. The non espresso range results in much larger micron jumps between “clicks”.
I do have to note that the initial unit Bartaza sent me had a calibration and alignment issue: the grinder could only produce an acceptable espresso grind for our test machines (Breville Dual Boiler, Breville Infuser) at 38.5 on the grind adjustment setting. Anything below that would “choke” or stall the shot pulls. This left well over 75 different grind settings unusable in most circumstances.
Baratza immediately sent a replacement unit, and here’s what I’ve determined after initially seasoning the machine with about 4 pounds of coffee.
Putting the Encore ESP Pro through some early test paces.Dialing in Espresso
On our replacement unit, the initial sweet spot for our test espresso blend (Social Coffee’s amazing People’s Daily Blend) was 26.5 for our 2.5:1 target range of espresso: 18.5g in, 45g out, within 35 seconds (which includes the Dual Boiler’s 10 second preinfusion stage). This was with fresh, 6 day old coffee. Because the adjustment ranges are very small on the EEP, 15 day old coffee would be down around 23.5 for the same shot target range.
We had the chance to use some of Coffee Kev’s fantastic Coffee Works Chocolate Brownie Blend, which has some robusta and is roasted a tad darker than People’s Daily, and its dial in spot started around 24.5 for the same targets and volumes.
Early on, it was clear that the M2 burrs were doing their job well for espresso, and there’s a nice wide range of adjustment play one can have in hyper-dialing in an espresso blend. I find the M2 burrs do an excellent job in presenting just the right amount of fines you want in an espresso grind, one that brings on board complexity and nuances with just about any espresso blend or single origin roasted for espresso.
Evaluating the shots of espresso made with the Encore ESP Pro. We love these Kruve Propel cups for sensory evaluation.Dialing in Brew Coffee
When testing the Encore ESP Pro for brew methods, of course I had to figure out a good starting point for my grind settings. And yeah, there’s a lot of chatter online about this. Reddit, Discord, early YouTube reviews… the usual suspects. Everyone seems to have a different number. Some are up in the 50s for a V60 brew, others hanging out in the low 40s. Typical early-days chaos.
Baratza actually gave me some solid info on exactly how the grind adjustment works outside of the espresso range. Based on their guidance, I started at 47.5 for pour over. Using an Ethiopian from Social Coffee that was hitting on all cylinders as my morning cuppa, I hit the expected particle range, around 750 microns, but there were a lot of fines in my grind sample testing.
To be frank, this is where the Etzinger M2 burrs start to show their design age. I’ve been lucky to use better conical designs lately, like the Lagom Mini with its Moonshine burrs, so I could really see the difference. Once you get coarser, the M2s just aren’t in the same league if you’re chasing cup clarity.
The M2s are still decent for brew. Better than a lot of what’s out there. But this burr set was designed over ten years ago, and burr geometry and engineering philosophy has moved forward since then. Of course, RPMs play a big part too. The faster you spin, the more fines you get with conicals, and I believe the Encore ESP Pro spins faster than previous Encore models.
Right now, Moonshine burrs are my gold standard, followed by the 1Zpresso X-Ultra and J-Ultra. Those burrs are tuned for clarity at low RPMs. M2s? Still solid for espresso and AeroPress, but never great at Chemex or French press. Early tests on the ESP Pro confirm that.
For instance, producing a 750 micron mid point grind for V60, brews would take about 30-45 seconds longer to drain out than with a similar micron mid point produced by the Lagom Mini and its Moonshine burrs. The spent coffee bed in the V60 was more visibly muddy with the Baratza as well. More to come about this in the full review. In the meantime, here are some photos of the process, and my apologies for the unappealing nature of them.
For this round, I was using the fantastic Kirimahiga Kenyan from Matchstick Coffee.
Soupy, slow draw down in the Kalita Wave filters in an Origami filter holder.
Evidenced by the scale, the drawdown time was slow with the grinder set to roughly 750um, 47.5 on the dial.
The finished bed of coffee, very muddy.I’m happy with the grind noise of the Encore ESP Pro. Not only that, but the motor sounds better too. It always sounded like the Encore ESP and Virtuoso+ struggled in the motor department when grinding (the motors in both weren’t actually struggling, it had to do with how the grinder was geared); the EEP sounds more smooth and consistent. It’s also quieter than those other two grinders; more so in single dose mode, but also with the on demand hopper in place (as long as you have the lid on).
The built in plasma coil does the job. I’ve seen others report some static issues, but I think they were confusing chaff flying around with actual grinds static (there is not a single grinder on the planet that can prevent chaff flyout). Both with the single dosing cup, and the bin, static is at a minimum, and I have tested a variety of coffees in a variety of conditions (hot, humid, hot, sun exposed, cool morning, late evening) to see how static is handled.
The grinder does side-load the coffee a bit (always to the right side), so if you don’t have the single dose cup perfectly lined up (or don’t use the included silicone base plate under the cup), some grinds can miss the cup. The output is fluffy, generally uncompacted, and the best I’ve seen from any Encore or Virtuoso grinder.
Because this is a plasma coil anti-static grinder, you should not do a RDT (Ross Droplet Technique) on your beans fed into this grinder. Doing so will gum up the anti-static coil inside, rendering it inert. It will also clog up the grinder. This rule holds true for any grinder with a plasma or ionizer system.
The EEP is pleasingly fast in its output, faster than the Encore ESP, and even faster than the Virtuoso Plus. As of publication date, I haven’t completed my timer tests for grind ranges on the grinder, but the speed is good, and an improvement over the older grinders.
Putting the Encore through a battery of tests.Conclusion
There was a time when the words “Baratza” and “Encore” (and going even further back, “Maestro”) meant one thing: an entry-level, capable grinder you could snag for under $150. And that’s still true; as long as Baratza keeps selling the original Encore, or you find a used one online. Given how repairable and easy to maintain they are, buying second-hand isn’t exactly a gamble.
Now we have an Encore that costs $300; entry-level doesn’t quite fit anymore. It’s a bit like calling a craft beer just a refreshing, cold drink. This grinder is squarely in premium territory, loaded with advanced features. It’s the spiritual successor to the Virtuoso line, only it’s been dragged into the present with upgrades like an ionizer, an excellent auto-off function, and enough UI and UX polish to make tech companies jealous.
The build quality? Outstanding. The attention to touch points and user feel is better than anything I’ve seen at this price point. The display nails it: subtle, legible, and clean. It wouldn’t feel out of place on a gadget designed by a certain turtleneck-wearing design perfectionist from Cupertino.
That said, the one part that’s starting to show its age is the burrset. Baratza’s been using the M2 conical burrs from Etzinger for over a decade now, and they’re fine. Great for espresso, solid for pour over. But compared to the moonshine conies in the Lagom Mini or Mini 2, the M2s are outclassed. They struggle with coarser grinds and don’t handle Chemex or French press as gracefully.
Honestly, with everything else modernized, it’d be nice to see Baratza nudge Etzinger toward developing a next-generation M2. This new Encore ESP Pro deserves it. Is this a deal breaker? Heck no. In fact, given Baratza’s history of after sales service and upgradability, I wouldn’t be surprised to see down the road a new iteration of the Etzinger burrs that will not only be backwards compatible with the Encore ESP Pro and ESP, but also sold without much markup. Both of which add years of serviceability to this grinder.
With all that said, everything you’re reading here is just a slightly learned opinion, borne of a few weeks’ use of the Encore ESP Pro grinder after a break in period. This grinder will continue to occupy a prime spot on our test bench, and a full review with scores will be out later this year. Stay tuned, but if you have any questions now, feel free to ask them in the comments below.
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#baratza #conicalBurr #eep #encoreEspPro #firstLook #grinder
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Another vid of the new Encore ESP Pro grinder from Baratza, showing how it works on the espresso side of things.
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Another vid of the new Encore ESP Pro grinder from Baratza, showing how it works on the espresso side of things.
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Another vid of the new Encore ESP Pro grinder from Baratza, showing how it works on the espresso side of things.
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Another vid of the new Encore ESP Pro grinder from Baratza, showing how it works on the espresso side of things.
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Another vid of the new Encore ESP Pro grinder from Baratza, showing how it works on the espresso side of things.
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We're one of the first people outside of Baratza themselves to have our hands on the brand spankin' new Encore ESP Pro grinder. Today was setup day, unboxing, studio shots, in situ photographs, and I shot a few short videos showing how the grinder's auto off system worked.
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We're one of the first people outside of Baratza themselves to have our hands on the brand spankin' new Encore ESP Pro grinder. Today was setup day, unboxing, studio shots, in situ photographs, and I shot a few short videos showing how the grinder's auto off system worked.
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We're one of the first people outside of Baratza themselves to have our hands on the brand spankin' new Encore ESP Pro grinder. Today was setup day, unboxing, studio shots, in situ photographs, and I shot a few short videos showing how the grinder's auto off system worked.
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We're one of the first people outside of Baratza themselves to have our hands on the brand spankin' new Encore ESP Pro grinder. Today was setup day, unboxing, studio shots, in situ photographs, and I shot a few short videos showing how the grinder's auto off system worked.
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We're one of the first people outside of Baratza themselves to have our hands on the brand spankin' new Encore ESP Pro grinder. Today was setup day, unboxing, studio shots, in situ photographs, and I shot a few short videos showing how the grinder's auto off system worked.
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Baratza Introduces the Encore ESP Pro Grinder
Baratza has just introduced their latest consumer grinder, the Encore ESP Pro, marking a big shift in their lineup. With this release, Baratza is sunsetting the Virtuoso series, streamlining their offerings into four main families: Encore, Vario, Sette, and Forte. More importantly, the Encore ESP Pro brings a wave of high-end features that reflect where consumer expectations for grinders are heading in 2025. When released, the Encore ESP Pro will have a retail price of $300USD ($299.95).
In many ways, the Encore ESP Pro replaces the Virtuoso and Virtuoso+ models by blending their legacy into the Encore line, becoming an upgrade choice compared to the Encore ESP grinder. But it goes further than that. This isn’t just an upgrade; it’s a leap forward. The ESP Pro includes a suite of pro-level features like auto-stop grinding, a built-in ionizer to reduce static, an impressively fine 2.2-micron adjustment system for espresso, a digital timer accurate to one-tenth of a second, and a lit grinds chamber. It also offers a straightforward way to switch between single dosing and full hopper use.
Originally, we were scheduled to receive an early production model at the start of April, but shipping delays pushed that back. Normally, I prefer to write about gear after hands-on use. Still, given Baratza’s impact on the home grinder market and the innovation packed into this release, it’s worth highlighting now. We will be getting one of the first units in North America in early May and I will have a quick hands on followup article at that time.
If you happen to be at the SCA Expo in Houston April 25-27 2025, you can see this grinder in person at Baratza’s booth, #615, where they will have several units in demonstration, as well as the folks behind the grinder available to answer questions.
Set up for espresso use, with the single dose hopper and grinds cup that will fit 54mm and 58mm portafilters.What’s Notable about the Baratza Encore ESP Pro
It’s tough to pick just one standout feature from Baratza’s new Encore ESP Pro, because this grinder packs in several impressive upgrades. Some folks will immediately zero in on the ultra-fine 2.2 micron adjustment steps, which offer a new level of control for dialing in espresso. Others might appreciate the auto-off feature that’s perfect for single dosing. For me, the edge might go to Baratza’s first-ever use of an ionizer for static reduction.
Ionizer for Static Reduction
Baratza has spent decades refining how their grinders handle static. They’ve used special plastics, coatings, and material pairings and even polish treatments to minimize clumping and static cling from coffee. Over time, these efforts helped Baratza develop some of the lowest static-producing grinders on the home market, at least when compared to others without an ionizer.
With the Encore ESP Pro, they’ve taken that additional step by adding a built-in ionizer, using a plasma generator design of their own. This system builds on everything they’ve learned and adds an active layer of static control. According to the engineers I spoke with, the results have been impressive, with minimal static in most conditions. I’ll be putting that claim to the test as soon as our review unit arrives.
The grinds coming out of the Encore ESP Pro are static-free thanks to the built in ionizer.Timer and Auto-Off Features
The Encore ESP Pro offers two distinct modes for grinding: a digital timer-based mode and an auto-off mode specifically geared toward single dosing. Timed grinding uses a digital 1/10th second grind timer, and a pretty cool looking display unlike anything seen on a Baratza grinder before. It gives you solid control and repeatability for your grind times. The auto-off mode is particularly interesting. When single dosing, the grinder senses resistance in the burr chamber, and once that resistance disappears – meaning the beans are fully ground – it shuts off automatically.
Auto-off isn’t a new concept in consumer grinders. The Wilfa Uniform includes a similar feature, as does the Option-O Lagom Mini 2. In my experience, the Wilfa’s execution feels a little inconsistent, and I haven’t had a chance to try the Mini 2’s version yet. We’re curious to see how well Baratza’s system performs in comparison.
Though not confirmed, I believe the auto-off feature is enabled automatically when you switch out the bean hopper for the single dose hopper.
The timer / grind size display and the control and barista lights on the Encore ESP Pro.Ultra-Precise Espresso Adjustments
Baratza has also upgraded the grind adjustment system in the ESP Pro. While it is based on the Encore ESP’s two-stage grind adjustment design, the Pro version steps it up with beefier metal components and even finer granularity. With 2.2 microns per click in the espresso range, this grinder is shaping up to be one of the most precise options for home espresso enthusiasts.
The system splits into two grind zones: the fine end for espresso, and the coarser range for brewing methods like Aeropress, manual pour over, drip, siphon, and French press. One detail we’re eager to clarify is whether the micron jump per click remains consistent across the non-espresso range, or increases as you move coarser. That’s something we’ll test thoroughly once we get hands-on.
And how could I forget this: this is no longer just a “mechanical” grind adjustment for the grind settings: it is digitally represented on the front display. Rotate the hopper to adjust your grind (like all Encore and Virtuoso grinders before), but this time, the display changes from it’s timed display to showing you the grind setting. That is seriously cool.
The mini hopper in place, it is still manually rotated to pick your grind setting, but the digital display shows the actual grind setting number.Other Sought After Features and Additional Thoughts
The Baratza Encore ESP Pro doesn’t just build on the foundation of the original Encore ESP. It takes many of the most loved features from across Baratza’s grinder lineup and rolls them into one well-thought-out machine. The result is a grinder that feels far more refined and complete, especially for home espresso enthusiasts who want flexibility without giving up quality.
Like the Encore ESP, the Pro version includes both a dosing cup and a grinds bin. That alone makes it versatile, whether you’re grinding for espresso or something more coarse. But Baratza goes a step further by including both a standard hopper (likely around 12 ounces in capacity) and a dedicated single dose hopper with a matching lid, right in the box. That’s a welcome change for users who want to switch between workflow styles without needing to buy extra accessories.
Similar to the Virtuoso+, the ESP Pro has an integrated “barista light” that illuminates the grinds bin or dosing cup when the grinder is active. It’s a small touch, but one that improves usability, especially in lower light or early morning coffee routines. My only concern is if the colour of that light is excessively “cold” or not. I prefer these kinds of barista lights to be more natural colour, in the 3500-5000k range. This is something else we’ll test and note in our hands on.
Display and Controls
The display on the ESP Pro is pretty cool. It’s simple and clean, with a white LED screen embedded flush into a black fascia plate. Functionally, the display does more than just show a timer. It tracks grind settings from 0 to 60 in 0.5 increments, giving users 120 possible settings. It also visually indicates when you’re in the espresso range, clearly marking the transition between espresso grinding and other brew methods.
All controls are managed through a single front-mounted dial that both rotates and clicks, maintaining a clean aesthetic and minimizing clutter. Very “apple” like.
The display is simple and intuitive, and has indicators for different modes and grinding ranges.Build Quality and Materials
One of the bigger physical upgrades over the Encore ESP is the outer body. While the original is mostly plastic, the ESP Pro uses anodized metal for large portions of its outer housing. This should add a noticeable bump in durability and give the grinder a more premium feel. For users looking for a machine that looks at home in a more upscale kitchen setup, this change matters.
The outer body of the Encore ESP Pro is a combination of anodized black metal and plastics.Burr Set and Performance
The Encore ESP Pro uses Baratza’s M2 burr set, developed by Etzinger. These 40mm conical burrs are highly regarded for espresso, to which I can personally attest. While they perform admirably in the espresso range, they do show some limitations once you move into the coarser end of the grind spectrum. In my experience, brews like Chemex or French press benefit from burrs designed with more clarity and uniformity in mind.
Compared to high-end burrs like the Moonshine conicals from Option-O, the M2s hold their own in espresso output but fall behind for filter brews. Still, for the price and the target audience, they are a solid choice. I would like to see Baratza work with Etzinger to improve the burrs further outside their already excellent espresso and Aeropress performance.
Design and Longevity
At launch, the grinder is only available in black. Baratza may expand the color options in the future. The white Encore ESP looks fantastic, so it would be great to see that styling carried over to the Pro model.
Baratza’s long-standing commitment to repairability is another big plus. Their “don’t dump it, fix it” ethos carries over to the ESP Pro. Users can expect access to affordable replacement parts and support materials, like repair videos and walkthroughs. This approach ensures the grinder can remain in service for many years, even decades, with basic upkeep.
Industry Perspective and Availability
In the official launch announcement, Phil McKnight, Breville’s President of Global Specialty Coffee, had this to say:
“I’m so excited about the launch of the game changing Baratza Encore ESP Pro grinder that offers precision, versatility and performance never seen at this price point. A stepless grind adjustment with an amazing resolution of 2.2 microns per degree of mechanism rotation in the espresso range makes dialing in any recipe foolproof. Thoughtful features of the ESP Pro like Anti-Static, Auto-Off when single dosing, a hopper with bean shut-off and flow control disk coupled with the included accessories like a dosing cup for espresso and a single dose hopper are what our consumers are looking for and Baratza’s here to provide,”
I don’t know what the flow control disk is yet, but I am looking forward to finding out. We’re expecting to get a test unit soon, and once we do, we’ll follow up with more hands-on insights and direct feedback from Baratza’s team.
The Baratza Encore ESP Pro is expected to be available in early summer at a retail price of $300 USD ($299.95). North America will be the first region to receive stock, with global availability to follow.
#615 #baratza #coffeeGrinder #encoreEspPro #encoreGrinder #grinder
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Hoy Baratz ha publicado un artículo en el que menciona los 6 ejes que marcarán el futuro de las bibliotecas.
#retos #oportunidades #bibliotecas
https://www.comunidadbaratz.com/blog/el-futuro-de-las-bibliotecas-pasa-por-reimaginar-espacios-y-empoderar-comunidades/ -
Article J-Ultra GrinderGallery J-Ultra Grinder J-Ultra Parts Breakdown Another closeup of the burr Grinder and Blow Bulb Top Lid 1zpresso J-Ultra X-Ultra Ti-Coated Burr The Grinder and Brush 1zpresso Box One Piece The Shape Agressive Burrs Opening the Case Travel Case 1zpresso K-Ultra J-Ultra Spindle Top Burr Stack and Parts Parts, Sideways ID Tag The Grinder and its Parts 1zpresso Handle Folded Testing Stage More Branding! A Whole Lotta Magnets Burr in Place Dial and Textures J-Ultra Grinder Two Rotations The Main Grip Grinder at Zero Point Whereto Buy Manufacturer Website Buy from Amazon (US) Buy here to support CoffeeGeek! Buy from Amazon (CA) Buy here to support CoffeeGeek! coffeegeek advertisers make this website possible.
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The J-Ultra grinder from 1zpresso comes in the same box that the other Ultra series grinders come in. The only way to tell what grinder is inside is by looking at the small white label on the side.
Because these grinders ship with a protective travel case, packaging is minimal, and the only environmentally unfriendly part in the box is a square of polystyrene to keep the shape of the travel case intact, in case some 500 pound weight is placed against the outer box.
The travel case is quite nice, with a good zipper, a nice small size, and the 1zpresso logo emblazoned on one side. Opening it up reveals the grinder, all assembled. There is also a blower to blow out stray grinds when you clean the grinder.
In the back of the case you’ll find a cleaning brush, a silicone ring you can optionally attach to the main body of the grinder for extra grip, and card with a scan code. Scan that and you’ll be taken to the product page and manual for the grinder.
The box the J-Ultra comes in is identical in almost every way to the other Ultra grinders from the company. The white label ID tag on the box is the only way to tell what's inside. The 1zpresso travel case. They have stopped using the tube shaped one, and gone for this mini briefcase style When you first open the case, there's one block of polystyrene to deal with, then the rest is all grinder stuff. The J-Ultra is already all assembled and calibrated in the case. Everything the J-Ultra comes with: brush, blow bulb, silicone spare grip collar, and a card.At 684 grams, the 1zpresso J-Ultra is a substantial piece of metal, though still lighter than previous J series grinders. Indeed, other than the semi opaque plastic lid, silicone grip and foot, and the wood handle, it is all metal construction top to bottom.
Holding it in your hand gives the utmost confidence in the device. This isn’t some janky basic plastic manual grinder. The grip area is a slightly smaller diameter than the grind adjustment ring or the bottom catch cup area, giving your hand a natural place to grip and hold the device. When extended, the handle is a good length and the wood grip feel like the perfect size and shape for the task.
The body of the grinder is all curves, and curves with intent. Because the catch cup is held on with magnets, some grinders with this feature had the rare tendency to be knocked off by your gripping hand if you were going to town cranking the handle and grinding at speed. This wasn’t a good thing: ground coffee would fly everywhere. The J-Ultra’s shape is designed to minimize this error because of the bulge and curve of the body about 1.5cm above where the catch cup attaches.
The J-Ultra, with the handle extended. It has a very good overall reach and wide turning circumference.Same goes with the adjustment dial: on some manual grinders with external adjustment rings, users have reported accidentally adjusting the grind size while grinding because their hands would slip and the top external grind selection rings would rotate. On the J-Ultra, this is not an issue: again, the bulge and larger diameter of the adjustment ring area naturally stays separate from your gripping hand as you operate the grinder.
Top to Bottom, Externally
Right up top is the lid and handle assembly. The J-Ultra, like all of 1zpresso’s top grinders features the folding handle design they were forced to come up with after Commandante’s threatened lawsuits. On one hand, I’m not a fan of it because it can be tricky to operate and it’s not the ideal solution for travel or storage, but on the other hand, it does make the grinder more compact when not in use, and makes it less prone to toppling over because of the heavy one sided weight of the grinder when the handle is extended.
As for the range and “feel” of the handle when extended, it’s nearly perfect. The big bulbous wood handle fits perfectly in most hands, and gives you a good operating area for using the grinder. The handle’s rotation circumference aids in good grinding speed and countering the resistance crunching down beans will give to shorter handles.
The main lid that closes off the bean hopper is the only plastic on the device: this is actually a good thing because it helps keep the weight down a bit, and honestly, this part never needs to be metal on any manual grinder. It just needs to fit well on the central spindle shaft connection, and the 1zpresso one does this very well. Of course, the actual metal handle connects to a metal spindle connector.
The handle folded, the grinder has a tighter center of gravity and is less prone to tipping over. The dial is very easy to read and adjust. Clicks feel solid and authoratative. The grip is... grippy. The grinder, with handle in the folded down position. The wood handle is big and well formed for most hands. The top lid is the only plastic on the grinder, which is fine. The mounting point for the spindle is all metal.Speaking of the spindle and shaft: 1zpresso is one of only two manual grinder makers who currently recommend their grinders are compatible with electric drills. In fact, the shaft connector is the same size as the bit holder in most electric and cordless drills. They can claim this because their spindle shafts are thicker metal than most other manual grinder makers’ designs on the market currently.
So basically when the Jim Hoffmanns of the world recommend using an electric drill to power your manual grinder, you really shouldn’t, unless you own a 1zpresso manual grinder (or 3Bomber’s Blade R3, or certain KINGrinders).
Moving down from the lid, we have 1zpresso’s unique (and frankly: amazing) external grind selection dial. It actually works a bit opposite from their other grinders: Rotating it clockwise both lowers the dial into the grinder body more, and make the grind coarser. On their X-Ultra and K-Ultra clockwise rotation also makes the grind coarser, but the dial itself doesn’t move up or down.
The adjustment dial is easy to grip, and features 100 very reassuring and confident clicks per full rotation. The adjustment dial can be rotated a total of five times, giving you 500 (!!!!) total click settings. At the fine end, it stops rotating when the burrs are locked together (and the grinder is factory calibrated to be indicating 0 at this lock point). The collar will also stop rotating after 5 clockwise rotations at the top end, or 500th click.
There are numbers 0 through 9 embossed on the grind dial, with an embossed dot between each. Between each number are ten click settings (the dot indicates the 5th click in each range). They are easy to read in most lighting conditions. The grind selection indicator on the grinder body is five rows of dots, shaped like a pyramid, with the lowest row having 5 dots, and the top row having one dot.
I have a lot to say about this grind selection dial and how it works (including an absolutely ingenious feature 1zpresso built into it) which will come later on in this First Look.
The top of the spindle; very strong and thick, and will fit standard drill bit holders. The grind dial is easy to read and very study.Below the grind selection dial is the grip area for the grinder. If you only rely on photographs of this grinder, you might think this area is wrapped with fabric, showcasing the 1zpresso logo. It’s actually textured silicone, and very grippy. This keeps your hand very secure when operating the grinder.
Moving down the grinder, the narrow diameter of the grip area bulges out to a wider diameter for the lower body. There is a hash ring around the body and just below that, the catch cup is attached, via 12 rare-earth magnets.
This design is the result of 1zpresso’s long term experience designing these grinders and getting user feedback. In previous versions of their magnetic catch-cup grinders, the grip area was the same diameter as the catch cup. Because there was little separation between the grip area, sometimes users would accidentally dislodge the magnetic catch cups while operating the grinder, sending ground coffee flying everywhere.
With this new design, your hand stays more secure in the grip area, and is much less prone to accidentally knocking the catch cup off. 1zpresso also beefed up (upgraded as they say!) the magnets to stronger versions.
The main grip is made from textured silicone. On its own, it gives a good no-slip area to hold the grinder. If you still find it slipping, put the included silicone ring on this area. The grip, and curves keep your hand steady while operating the grinder. A lot of magnets built into the catch cup; the X-Ultra has more than previous models. The overall shape and design of the grinder helps give a confident grip and assurance in use.The catch cup can be removed either a) through brute force, pulling it straight down, or b) much easier by just twisting it slightly then pulling it down. The magnets line up with counter-magnets built into the main body of the grinder, so twisting the catch cup misaligned them, taking away their magnet effect.
The catch cup’s capacity is just under 40 grams of ground coffee. The J-Ultra’s hopper can hold about 38.5g of coffee in my testing, which is in line with 1zpresso’s claim of 35-40g capacity.
Right at the bottom of the grinder is a silicone footpad, with the 1zpresso logo on it. I mention this because the addition of this kind of material gives long term benefits from a manual grinder. It makes it less prone to slide around and topple over on your counter or table, and long term, will prevent possible damage to wood table tops and the like. It also just makes less noise when you put the grinder back on your table or countertop.
The bottom silicone pad, an upgrade from just leaving this area as metal.Overall, the 1zpresso J-Ultra is just… a work of engineering art. Curves in the right places. Finished edges. Graceful lines. Fit and finish is honestly the best in the industry. This grinder looks and feels like a precision instrument. It is very reassuring and inspires confidence in its use.
Unlike the X-Ultra, the J-Ultra only comes in one colour choice: it’s a bit hard to describe, but it’s like a midnight blue-purple colour that almost seems like a midnight grey in some light, more purple in other light, and more midnight blue in different light. 1zpresso themselves call it “iron grey”.
What’s Inside
A lot of engineering, that’s what. The entire gear design for the grind selection is brilliant and unique to the J-Ultra (the K and X Ultras are different). The grind dial actually moves up and down on the J-Ultra when adjusting the dial, which also leads to one of the grinder’s killer features, detailed more below.
The spindle is held in place by three bearing rings and three connection points, two of them a solid range of metal. Way back in the bad old days of manual grinders, spindles would wobble as you operated the grinder, causing very uneven grinds. The spindle arm in the J-Ultra stays absolutely straight through the full 360 degree rotation of the grind handle.
The grind selection click dial built into the top of the grinder is very solid and gives reassuring clicks for each individual grind setting. If you want to do just one click (8 microns!) adjustment, you can, with confidence. The grinder can be taken apart entirely without tools, and this starts at the top. Rotate the grind selection a full rotation from zero, then push up on the bottom burr, and you can unscrew the top lock nut, by hand, to disconnect the spindle from the grind selection mechanism. Slide the spindle down through the body, and the spindle with attached inner burr will pop out.
The J-Ultra, completely disassembled. The burr stack, with the three attaching nuts / bearings. The Ti-coated burr has a unique cutting pattern in 1zpresso's lineup. A super close up shows additional groves in the sloping surfaces. The burr in place show an all black area at the bottom of the grinder's insides. The outer burr, hard mounted into a section of the grinder shows pretty agressive teeth patterns. Another closeup of the burr, note the details in the design. A side view of the main three parts of the grinder. Unlike previous generations, the "stack" of the burr in the J-Ultra is permanently attached - you can remove the washer and spring, but the burr is hard mounted on the spindle.For the J-Ultra, 1zpresso ditched their mounting bottom plate for the burr. It is now directly attached to the spindle (on previous models, only the bottom plate was attached, and the burr mounted on it via a steel nub). You can remove the burr from the spindle, but there is absolutely no reason to do so, unless you need to replace the burrs.
The burrs themselves are a custom 48mm heptagonal (7 bladed) design, titanium coated. These burrs are different from the ones in 1zpresso’s other Ultra series grinders. They are specifically tuned for better output in the espresso and finer range, but still do an excellent job for drip coffee, and a good job for press pot grinding.
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After putting about 2.5kg of old coffee through the J-Ultra to season it, (thank God it is drill compatible!), I started actually using the grinder for its primary use: espresso output. Using 1zpresso’s guide, which says espresso starts at 100 clicks (one full rotation of the dial off zero), I set it to 110 clicks 1+1) and loaded up 18.5g to pull in our lab machine, a Breville Dual Boiler.
The first shots ran very tight, so an adjustment 10 clicks (keeping in mind that’s 80 microns of vertical burr travel, but only about 40-50um actual grind size difference), tried again. This time too fast. I took off 4 clicks (32 microns vertical, about 18um particle size), and as they say in Australia, bob’s your uncle: I had a nearly perfect (visually, and time based) shot of espresso, delivering out 45g of liquor in 35 seconds (including the 10 second preinfusion). This is based on our long standing espresso testing regimen.
Taste? It was a postcard perfect representation of what Social Coffee’s People’s Daily blend can deliver. This was looking very promising.
I happen to be a closet Turkish Coffee fan, and have an automatic Turkish coffee maker. I noted that 1zpresso gleefully claim their grinder can do the powder grind needed for Turkish, so I set that up next. 7.1 on the dial, or 71 clicks off zero.
It took some time, and the grinder was pretty hard to crank at times but we got there, and I got powder. Almost talcum powder levels of coffee grounds. And it brewed a lovely, foamy cup of turkish coffee. This is significant, because even though it was a difficult and long grind session, a) it was easier than other turkish-capable grinders I have, and b) I felt I could go even finer.
Third, pour over testing. Comparing to other products’ output would come later on, I just wanted to see how the cup tasted using the J-Ultra and brewing in a Hario Mugen / Switch hack device. To get there, 1zpresso recommends 2.7 on the click dial – that is, 2 full rotations, then go to 7. 270 clicks off zero! But because the selection dial and markings are so well made, rotating it and getting there was easy. The little pyramid indicator (more on that below) also helps keep track of how many full rotations you’ve done on the grinder.
Absolutely no complaints about the pour over quality from this grinder. In fact, it was one of the better cups I’d had in a few weeks. And fast… this grinder is very fast for a manual grinder. Visually, I didn’t see a lot of excessive fines either, either in my hand, on a white table, or in the filter.
The J-Ultra delivers. Especially for espresso.
The Killer Feature
For many, the killer feature of the 1zpresso J-Ultra is the grind selection dial and the micron adjustment size: just 8 microns in vertical movement in the burr set (which translates to about 5 microns or smaller in actual grind change) per click. And each click feels very precise.
That’s not my fave killer feature though, no matter how amazing it is. No, mine is the innovative way 1zpresso shows how many rotations you’ve made on the grind selection dial! Because the dial moves up and down on the body as you adjust the grind, for each full 360 rotation of the dial, a set of dots is displayed at the adjustment marker. When the grinder is “zeroed” out, meaning the burrs are fully locked, the dial reads “zero” at the marker point, and the marker is a pyramid of five rows of dots: 5 dots at the bottom, 4, then 3, then 2, then finally 1 dot at the top. When you do a full rotation coarser, the first single dot row is hidden by the grind dial, showing 2 dots, indicating the grinder is on its second 360 rotation. Keep going coarser, and then the 3 dot line is the first visible one. And so on.
It’s brilliant, because this grinder has so many clicks to get from an espresso grind to pour over grind (about 140 total clicks between those two!), this little indicator really helps you know exactly where the grinder is in its range of 500 (!!!!!) total clicks.
At zero, or locked, the pyramid indicates all five rows, with 1 dot at the top. At one full rotation, the pyramid shows that you are on the second rotation. After 2 rotations, the 3 dot row is shown, indicating you are on your third rotation with 3 full rotations, the indicator shows 4 dots. After rotating the dial 4 times, the last row with 5 dots shows.Speaking of clicks: the dial has embossed numbers from 0 to 9 on it, with a mid dot between each number. Going one full number on the dial is 10 clicks in the grind setting. This means one full 360 degree rotation on the dial is 100 clicks. The dial can be rotated 5 total times (it has a lock out at the coarse end). Given that each click is 8 microns of burr movement vertically, this grinder has an effective range of 0 microns to 4,000 microns, in 500 steps.
Keep in mind, this is vertical movement. The actual grind particle size varies across this range because of the overall shape and curve of the burrs: in the turkish to espresso range, it could be 3 microns change in particle size per click, expanding to around 6 microns by the time you get to press pot. Based on some initial evaluation, the effective grinding particle size of this grinder is 150 microns to about 1800 microns.
1zpresso recommends starting at 7.5 (or about 75 clicks off zero) for turkish style powder (I did this at 7.1). Espresso range starts at 1 full rotation (0, or 100 clicks) through 140 (1rotation+4). Aeropress starts at 2 full rotations (200 clicks), pour over at 2rotations+5, (250 clicks), Chemex / no-bypass brewers at 3rotations+5 (350 clicks), and press pot at 4 full rotations.
That may seem like a lot of clicks – 400 to get to press pot? – but in reality, it’s very easy to do, and the pyramid dot indicators help you know how many rotations you’ve done.
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For this First Look, this section is going to be very brief. I put the grinder up against its siblings, the K-Ultra and X-Ultra, and also tested the output next to the Lagom Mini, Turin SK40 and Baratza Encore ESP.
Against the 1zpresso K-Ultra and X-Ultra
The J-Ultra is very close in size and shape to 1zpresso’s K-Ultra; they are even the same colour externally. Two main elements of each grinder is quite different: the K=Ultra’s grind selection system is different engineering and has a bigger micron gap between clicks; and second, the burr group in the K-Ultra is a different design and composition when compared to that inside the J-Ultra.
K-Ultra on the left, J-Ultra on the right. Note the K's different grind dial, and the black handle.The K-Ultra is 1zpresso’s “brew primary” grinder, meaning it s designed for optimal pour over, drip, and Aeropress coffee brewing. It is very capable as an espresso grinder, but you don’t have the fine dial in adjustment ability that the J-Ultra provides.
For the First Look, I organized 3 side by side blind taste tests of espresso shots using our standard formula of 18.5g in, 45g out in 35 seconds on our lab machine, the Breville Dual Boiler. After calibrating the grinders as best I could, three samples were brewed and tasted, and in all three cases, the J-Ultra presented the better shot. It was a close sampling, and in two cases, I had to drink the entire shots to come up with my determination.
On pour over tests, the K-Ultra produces a slightly cleaner, more balanced shot with a slightly faster flow through time, telling me that the J-Ultra, for a V60 style grind, produces slightly more fines.
The X-Ultra… this is 1zpresso’s “all purpose” grinder, equally capable on espresso as it is on pour over. The X-Ultra has a much finer micron adjustment range between its clicks, which provides the grinder better dial in ability. The burrs look similar to the K-Ultra burrs, but I’ve been told they are a slightly different geometry and pattern. Taste wise, the X-Ultra is very, very close to the J-Ultra on espresso. I didn’t do the formal 3 shot blind taste test I did with the K-Ultra, but some informal side by side tasting, and I struggled to find a difference between the X and J models.
I will say the X-Ultra, with its more-slim body and weight is actually my favourite of the three models to use. It seems to just work better in my hands.
The X-Ultra on the left. It turns a bit easier, and I like the feel better, but that is personal preference.Against the Lagom Mini
I didn’t think I’d find another conical burr grinder that produced better espresso and pour over results than the Lagom Mini. That grinder is absolutely amazing.
But guess what: the J-Ultra edged it out on espresso taste. It was so close, I had to do 3 different taste tests, and the J-Ultra won 2 of the 3. It’s also faster to grind for espresso: I could do 18.5g in the J-Ultra in about 45 seconds or less; the Lagom Mini’s electric motor takes almost 60 seconds.
On pour over, the Lagom Mini remains the champ, at least compared to the J-Ultra. Cups are more expressive, more rounded, more things to discover. Again, the taste difference is pretty slight, but on three blind tests, the Mini won all 3, one almost a tie though.
Testing the J-Ultra against the Lagom Mini and Timemore C3 ESP Pro.Baratza Encore ESP
When I get into the full review process, this one is going to be the most interesting lineup: the J-Ultra and Encore ESP are the same retail price, but offer very different packages to the end user.
In a very brief side by side test of both grinders, the J-Ultra is the “ultimate” in terms of dial in ability. As lauded as the Encore ESP’s espresso-side grind adjustment system is, it cannot match the calibrated magic that the J-Ultra offers. I found on the Encore ESP going one click difference on the grind selection resulted in no real changes some times, and other times, a very big jump in shot times. This tells me the collar doesn’t always move with each single click, but will jump a big jump in selection at other times.
Look, on its own, the Encore ESP’s adjustment system is fantastic. But when you put it up against the precision tool that the J-Ultra is, you see issues.
On taste, I also have to give the nod to the J-Ultra’s shots. As mentioned way earlier in this First Look, I had a postcard perfect example of what our test coffee – Social Coffee’s People’s Daily Blend – has to offer, with the J-Ultra. I didn’t get to that level of shot perfection with the Encore ESP.
When it comes to pour over grinds, I found the grinders were a lot closer in taste quality, but again, the J-Ultra offers way way tighter grind dial in ability, which also gives it the edge. It’s also pretty fast hand grinding 21g for pour over: around 30 seconds. It won’t match the 10-ish seconds of the Encore ESP (not to mention the Encore does the work for you), but it is noticeably fast.
Turin SK40
We didn’t do any real tests against the Turin SK40 and the J-Ultra for this First Look, but plan to compare them in our Full Review.
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Given that I had one of the best shot pulls ever from our test-standard espresso blend, Social Coffee’s People’s Daily, and dial in was extremely easy, those two factors alone really speak volumes for how fantastic 1zpresso’s J-Ultra manual grinder really is.
I don’t want our First Looks to draw too many conclusions; for that reason we don’t score products in these articles or give final ratings. But it’s hard not to, with the J-Ultra.
Everything about the grinder screams quality, engineering perfection and precision. I struggle to find anything I don’t like about the grinder. The least favourite thing is the handle design; I don’t like how difficult it is to fold down to its storage position, and don’t like how it has a click-lock half way through the process (why did they design it that way?) But the handle and crank arm itself function excellent under operation and make the grinder very easy to use.
All the materials, all the construction, the ways the 1zpresso J-Ultra go together are best in class. As an espresso grinder, I don’t think this has an equal in the market. I was also amazed at its Turkish coffee grinding ability. As a brew grinder, it is more than capable, being beat by a few models (including it’s sibling, the K-Ultra) but not by any large measure most home baristas would notice.
$200 may seem a lot for a manual grinder. Considering the Commandantes and other ultra-premium grinders are $100 to $150 more, and the grinder I have that is closest in terms of output – the Lagom Mini – is double the price (and slower on output), $200 is a pretty decent price.
Sometimes when I do a First Look, I have a gut feeling my Full Review might change some of my opinion; in the case of the 1zpresso J-Ultra, I’m confident my opinion of this grinder will only get better.
This grinder is the complete package with a special focus on espresso. The case, the accessories, the build quality, the materials, everything are best of class. If you want one of the best espresso grinders on the market today, this is the model for you.
If you are interested in this grinder, please consider buying it via our affiliate link with Amazon. The small income we make from these sales keeps our website going.
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Calibration achieved - moved the screw towards the center to make the grinder a little better at coarse grinding (cold brew, French press) while still being good enough for a moka pot. Without an espresso machine I don't need a finer grind anyway.
Sorry about the coffee dust, I did this after a test grind.
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Burrs have been changed back to the original ones (which are better for coarser grinds than the Preciso burrs), cleaned the copious amounts of coffee dust inside the grinder and changed the gear, which got damaged when something got jammed - lost a few teeth in the process. Will be grinding coffee after I come back home.
Edit: stayed longer than expected at home, so I had time for a test grind - looks good, but I will need to adjust the calibration screw.
