Comparison
Baratza Encore ESP vs Turin DF54
Two espresso grinders at about the same price. One holds your beans in a hopper; the other grinds one weighed dose at a time.
Our pick
Editor’s pick
Baratza Encore ESP
9.2/10
Buy this one if you want to fill the hopper and just grind. Twenty small espresso steps on a numbered dial, twenty more for filter, and Baratza parts for years.
Around $200
The alternative
Turin DF54
8.6/10
Buy this one if you weigh every dose and want all of it in the basket. 54mm flat burrs, a stepless dial and retention under 0.1 g, per the listing.
Around $230
Key differences at a glance
| Baratza Encore ESP | Turin DF54 | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | ||
| What it is | Hopper grinder: beans in the top, numbered dial | Single-dose grinder: weigh each dose, stepless dial |
| Price | ||
| Price | Around $200 | Around $230 |
| Burrs | ||
| Burrs | 40mm conical, steel | 54mm flat, stainless steel |
| Adjustment | ||
| Adjustment | 40 numbered steps: 20 small for espresso, 20 for filter | Stepless dial |
| Switching to filter and back | ||
| Switching to filter and back | Turn to a number | Find the spot again by taste |
| Beans | ||
| Beans | Hopper | One dose at a time, about 20 g |
| Retention | ||
| Retention | Not stated; some stays in the chute | Under 0.1 g, per the listing |
| Grinds into | ||
| Grinds into | Its grounds bin | A 58mm dosing cup, or the portafilter on its rest |
| Parts and service | ||
| Parts and service | Quick-release burr; Baratza sells parts for years | Sold on Amazon as the MiiCoffee DF54 |
The DF54 wins the retention row and the Encore ESP the rows about living with it. Burrs and dial are differences, not wins.
Where the Encore ESP excels
- Shots that are easy to dial in. Half of its 40 numbered settings are small steps in the fine range, so a shot that runs fast is one click from right.
- Espresso and filter from one grinder. Settings 21 to 40 cover pour over and French press, and getting back to your espresso setting is a turn to a number.
- Built to be repaired. The burr sits on a quick-release mount and Baratza sells replacement parts for years, so a worn part is a fix, not a new grinder.
Around $200
Where the DF54 excels
- Switch beans between shots. The listing puts retention under 0.1 g, with an ionizer against static and a bellows to blow the chute clear, so nothing from the last bag ends up in the next shot.
- A setting between any two points. The stepless dial stops anywhere, so when a shot runs a second fast you move it a hair instead of a whole step.
- Café-style flat burrs. Its 54mm stainless flat burrs, uncommon at this price, grind into a 58mm dosing cup that sits on the portafilter rest and tips into any basket size.
Around $230
Want more choices?
The Baratza Sette 30 for speed, the Breville Smart Grinder Pro for the same dose at a button, and the 1Zpresso K-Ultra by hand.
Common questions
Which is better, the Baratza Encore ESP or the Turin DF54?
For most people, the Baratza Encore ESP: its 20 small espresso steps make a shot easy to dial in, its other 20 settings cover filter coffee, and beans sit in a hopper ready to grind. The Turin DF54 is better if you weigh every dose and want it all in the basket: its listing puts retention under 0.1 g, and it has 54mm flat burrs and a stepless dial.
What's the difference between the DF54 and the Encore ESP?
How you use them. The Baratza Encore ESP is a hopper grinder with 40mm conical burrs and 40 numbered steps, 20 of them small ones for espresso. The Turin DF54 is a single-dose grinder with 54mm flat burrs, a stepless dial and a 58mm dosing cup: you weigh each dose, and the listing says less than 0.1 g stays behind.
Is the Encore ESP or the DF54 better for pour over too?
The Encore ESP. Settings 21 to 40 are for filter brewing, so switching from espresso to pour over and back is a turn to a number. The DF54 can grind for filter, but its stepless dial has no numbers, so you find the espresso setting again by taste.
Does the DF54 or the Encore ESP work with a Breville Bambino?
Both grind fine enough for its 54mm portafilter. The DF54 grinds into a 58mm dosing cup you tip into the basket; the Encore ESP grinds into its bin, which you spoon or tip from. Our Bambino accessories guide pairs the Bambino with the Encore ESP.
Neither one?
For every espresso grinder we cover, see the best coffee grinders for espresso. To pick a machine to go with it, see the best espresso machine and grinder combos.