Encore ESP

Enjoy your new bambino! Yes, for that budget point I’d go for Baratza Encore ESP/ Pro or a DF54. Great grinders. The OXO should definitely be returned because it’s not really capable of doing what you need it for :) Have fun

I’m using a Breville Bambino with a Baratza Encore ESP....yeah simple setup, but it works well.

Isn't the answer right there: "WDT them away." Not at all uncommon--e.g. I've found that the Baratza Encore ESP can be the same, with my dark-roast beans. Interestingly, using the same burrs, the Baratza Encore ESP Pro produces non-clumpy, fluffy grounds, seemingly as the result of the grinder's inc

That's absolutely not true, you can get a used baratza encore esp for like 100. Even the regular encore can grind fine enough for espresso, the increments are just too big. I had the same machine as OP, i just pulled the plastic insert out of the stock portafilter and put a non pressurised basket in

Baratza Encore ESP and a Breville Bambino. This is a solid, user friendly setup with some ways to upgrade (improved brew basket) and Baratza has long been the industry standard for your use case (you're ready to move into specialty coffee, but not ready to commit to spending your life savings). I wo

As a regular bambino user, i also though about getting the plus when searching for a machine, but ultimately got the regular bambino. The extras of the plus, while nice, can easily be mitigated with experience (except the solenoid valve but it's not worth 230 euros more imo). You're better off getti

I just did a ton of research as a beginner and I went with the Breville Bambino Plus ($400) and the Baratza Encore ESP ($200). I’m having a blast and making some of the best coffee I’ve ever had. Another option is indeed the Barista Express. I didn’t go with this one because I wanted a better grinde

It depends on her personality and what she likes to do. There are some coffee machines in your price range where you can tinker with every detail (Gaggia Classic Pro E24 would be a good one for that) or even levers like the Flair 58 if she drinks mainly black coffee. But if she just wants to make co

Baratza is an excellent company, breville is not a better company but ironically has bought them out. If you are going to be brewing dark roast an esp is fine. The cheap baratzas arent great for handling dense beans that come with light roasts to grind down into espresso. I have both a barratza vari

I paired my Bambino with Baratza Encore ESP grinder for my setup. It easily make really great cafe-quality espresso.