OXO Brew Conical Burr Coffee Grinder vs Baratza Encore: Which Should You Buy?

A grinder whine cuts through a quiet house. That sound is one reason the Oxo Brew conical burr coffee grinder vs baratza encore choice is closer than the $40 price gap suggests. Both are 40mm conical burr grinders aimed at filter coffee. They split on parts support, dial control, and static.

My take: the Baratza Encore wins for most home brewers who plan to keep a grinder for years. The OXO wins on price, static, and day-one convenience. I went through both manuals, the spec sheets, and a lot of owner threads.

I review each grinder first. Then I compare them across five topics. Last, I pick a winner.

OXO Brew Conical Burr Coffee Grinder

The OXO is the cheaper, roomier grinder here. It suits drip and French press brewers who want a one-button routine. It lists at about $110, roughly $40 under the Encore.

It uses 40mm stainless steel conical burrs and a DC motor. A conical burr crushes beans between a cone and a ring. It gives its most even particles at medium and coarse settings, which is why filter coffee is where the OXO does its best work.

The dial has a useful twist. The 15 main settings have micro-settings between them, so you can nudge the grind without jumping a full step. Retailers count roughly 42 to 43 positions in all. The middle of the range, where drip lives, benefits most.

Pros	Cons
Trap-door hopper lifts off with beans inside, and its UV-blocking tint protects a full 12 oz bag	Listed at 14.8 inches tall, so check your cabinet clearance
One-touch start repeats your last timer setting	The timer counts seconds, so dose weight shifts with bean and roast
Upper burr lifts out for cleaning without tools	Oily dark roasts tend to stick in the grounds chute
Grounds container holds about 110 g, enough for a big pot	A minority of owner reviews report early timer or motor failures

What Daily Use Looks Like

The routine is short: fill the hopper, set the ring, twist the timer, press once. A new bag starts with a test grind. Weigh the result, adjust the time, and reuse that time for the rest of the bag.

The settings are numbered, not labeled by brew method. Owners tend to keep a note of the number that suits each brewer. Under a low cabinet, the practical move is to lift the hopper off and fill it somewhere else. For cleaning, OXO says to hand wash the hopper and keep water away from the burrs.

A common scenario: an owner lifts out the upper burr to brush off oily buildup. Stray beans stay around the lower burr, and the burr does not lock back in. The next batch comes out uneven. OXO’s own steps fix it. Clear the beans first. Align the indents with the tabs and turn the burr clockwise until it clicks. Then pull the handle straight up. If the burr stays put, it is seated.

Best for:

• Drip and French press brewers who want a timer and a price near $110
• Anyone who keeps a full bag in the hopper and swaps beans often

Avoid if: you plan to pull espresso, or you want to repair the grinder yourself after the warranty ends.For a closer look at our grind consistency tests and long-term experience, read our in-depth OXO Brew Conical Burr Grinder review. 

Baratza Encore

The Encore is the grinder most others at this price get measured against. It suits daily filter brewers who want one machine for years. It lists at about $150.

Its 40mm steel conical burrs are made in Europe, and a standard M3 cone burr sits inside. A geared DC motor holds burr speed to 550 RPM with no load. That slow rotation is meant to limit heat. Like the OXO, the Encore does its best work at medium and coarse settings.

The adjustment works differently here. The hopper itself is the dial, and you twist it to one of 40 notched steps. Those steps cover 250 to 1,200 microns. Baratza also builds in a burr calibration system so each unit can reach its full range.

Pros	Cons
Clear grounds bin has a fill line to judge a dose by eye	No timer, so you watch the bin or use a scale
On/off switch plus a front pulse button for hand dosing	Beans spill if you lift the hopper off while it is full
Slim footprint at 4.7 inches wide and 13.8 inches tall	Adjusting is meant to happen while the motor runs, or beans can jam between the burrs

What Daily Use Looks Like

The routine is hopper, number, switch. The steps are notched, so returning to a favorite after changing brewers takes seconds. A fresh bag of a different roast often needs a step or two of adjustment, and the notched dial makes that quick to test.

Many owners weigh a dose, pour it in, and flip the switch until the burrs spin empty. Others stop by eye at the fill line. People who rotate between brewers keep a short list of their numbers. Deep cleaning needs no tools, because the ring burr lifts out after the hopper comes off.

A common scenario: a morning brew suddenly drains too fast. Big chunks sit among fine powder at any dial setting. A worn or cracked plastic ring burr holder is a common cause. Lift out the ring burr and look at the holder. If it is cracked, order a new holder and seat the burr in it. The holder is a cheap wear part, and that is how Baratza intends it to be serviced.

Best for:

• Daily filter brewers who want finer dial steps and plan to keep one grinder for years
• Buyers who like weighing doses and would rather replace a part than a machine

Avoid if: you want a timer, or you need a full-bag hopper.

Detailed Comparison

The oxo brew conical burr coffee grinder vs baratza encore gap shows up in daily annoyances more than in the cup. Dial control and parts support favor the Encore. Static and day-one convenience favor the OXO.

Grind Consistency and Dial Control

Both grinders do their best work at medium and coarse settings. Neither is built for unpressurized espresso baskets. Retailers that stock the OXO say so plainly, and Baratza points the Encore at pressurized baskets and slow brewing.

The Encore gives you more steps to land on. Forty steps over 250 to 1,200 microns means each click is a small change. The OXO’s micro-settings close part of that gap in the middle of the range. Its fine end is limited, so dialing in anything near espresso is a struggle.

For drip, owners who compare the two often find the cup hard to tell apart. The Encore pulls ahead in small corrections, such as a moka pot or a pour-over recipe.

Feature	OXO	Encore
Main settings	15, plus micro-settings	40
Published range	Fine to coarse, no micron figure	250–1,200 microns
Adjustment control	Outer ring	The hopper itself

Retention and Static

Retention is the coffee left inside after a grind. Baratza says the Encore is designed to minimize it, and OXO publishes no figure. Owners who compare the two tend to say the OXO holds back more. Treat that as a direction, not a measurement, because neither maker publishes a number.

Static is where the OXO has a clear edge. Its stainless steel container gives charged fines less to cling to. The Encore’s clear plastic bin tends to clump and scatter grounds in dry air. The OXO is not immune, since some owners still see mess. It just needs less daily effort.

If you swap beans often, expect old grounds in the next dose from either machine. If static bothers you, the OXO saves you a habit.

Feature	OXO	Encore
Grounds container	Stainless steel	Clear plastic
Retention claim	No figure published	Baratza says it minimizes grounds left behind

Noise

Owners describe the Encore as the louder of the two. The OXO runs quieter overall. One retailer calls its sound a little high-pitched, and a high pitch can carry in a quiet house. So quieter is not the same as unobtrusive.

Decibel readings vary too much between reviewers to trust. If you grind early while others sleep, the OXO is the safer bet. Neither grinder is silent.

Feature	OXO	Encore
Motor	DC	DC with gear reduction
Owner-reported sound	Quieter, higher-pitched	Louder

Dosing and Fit

The OXO doses by timer. Set it once and press. The Encore has no timer, so you watch the fill line or use a scale. Timers drift when bean density or roast changes, which is why many Encore owners weigh doses.

The OXO’s hopper holds a full 12 oz bag. The Encore’s holds 8 oz. The Encore is the shorter and slimmer machine, which helps in a tight coffee corner.

Feature	OXO	Encore
Dosing	Timer dial up to 30 seconds, one-touch start	On/off switch or pulse
Hopper capacity	12 oz	8 oz
Grounds container	About 110 g	142 g (5 oz)
Height	14.8 inches (listed)	13.8 inches

Price, Warranty, and Parts

At regular retail, the OXO lists at about $110 and the Encore at about $150. Both go on sale, so check before you buy. OXO’s two-year limited warranty beats Baratza’s one-year U.S. warranty.

The gap flips after the warranty. Baratza sells burr sets, burr holders, gaskets, and other parts for the Encore. OXO appears to offer only a replacement upper burr. The Encore’s plastic holder does wear out, so repair is part of owning it.

Feature	OXO	Encore
Regular retail price (U.S.)	About $110	About $150
Warranty	2-year limited	1-year limited
Replacement parts	Upper burr	Burrs, holder, gasket, and more

Overall Winner

In the oxo brew conical burr coffee grinder vs baratza encore matchup, the Encore wins overall for most home users. Its finer dial steps and repairable design justify the extra $40.

The OXO is better for budget buyers who want a timer, less static, and a quieter motor. The main trade-off is long-term support against day-one convenience.

FAQ

Can either grinder handle French press and cold brew?
Yes. OXO lists both among its intended uses. The Encore’s range tops out at 1,200 microns, which covers a coarse French press grind. Pick on budget for coarse brewing. The real difference shows up in the middle of the range.

Should I look at the Baratza Encore ESP instead?
If espresso is your goal, yes. The ESP splits its 40 settings into a fine range for espresso and a coarser range for filter. It lists at about $200 in the U.S. The standard Encore is built for filter and slow-brew methods.

Can either grinder dose by weight?
Not on its own. Baratza sells the Esatto accessory, which turns the Encore into a grind-by-weight unit. OXO makes a separate model with a built-in scale. The standard OXO is timer-only.

How do I cut down static?
Add a light mist to the beans before grinding. Stir them with a wet spoon handle or give them one small spritz. It works on both grinders. The Encore’s plastic bin usually needs it more.

How often should I clean the burrs?
Brush out loose chaff often. Run a deeper clean about once a month, or sooner with oily dark roasts. Use grinder cleaning tablets or a dry brush, and keep water off the burrs.

Conclusion

Whichever you buy, keep a scale and a brush nearby. A scale takes the guesswork out of timer or switch dosing. A brush keeps old grounds from drifting into fresh ones. Write down your settings once you find them.