Virtuoso+

If $500 is your budget, then Ode 2. I have the baratza virtuoso+ and it gets the job done just fine, got it for $200. Prefer the look of the Ode 2 I’ll admit.

Look to your left on the shelf, pre-ground coffee! "but I like freshly ground coffee. Not really fresh like that day ground, just ya know quasi fresh/stale with an accurate grind" Virtuoso™+ | Baratza (US) I will never ever regret buying this coffee grinder.

When my encore got to be over twelve years old, I sent it to baratza and had it rebuilt…new motor, circuit board etc. I also had them upgrade the burr to the m2 burr. This is the burr used in the virtuoso +. While I was waiting, I got a virtuoso +, because I can’t wait that long for a cup of coffee😄

Friend, I had this machine (plus version ) it's nice latte machine - with espresso grade grinder you can absolutelly choke it with no problem. If you can not make it 30 second - it's grinder issue. Grind is only thing that caps your lower pressure in this class of machine. It has OPV for upper limit

For brewed coffee you won't do better than the Baratza Virtuoso+. It's cheaper and superior than most brew grinders. Actually, you could upgrade the Encore to the M2 burrs and turn it into an almost-virtuoso.

Get a Baratza Virtuoso+. It's an investment but a significant step up from the Encore and totally worth it. What kind of drip matters, too. I have an Origami for that and am quite happy.

I was in the same shoes as you several years ago. I have the moccamaster, and I bought a Baratza Virtuoso+ - it's been great for darker-roast type coffees, which was what I focused on back then. Baratza customer care is terrific. I then got into espresso, and bought the Encore ESP with single-dose h

The Virtuoso+ will probably be the only grinder to last as long as your MM. They are ugly and built like tanks, but you can basically rebuild the entire machine, ship of Theseus style, using parts from the Baratza site. The Ode2 is pretty though…

I have the Ode 2 and a Baratza Virtuoso+. If I only drank medium and light roast, I would have the Ode 2 on the counter. Because we also like dark roast and I never met a dark roast the Ode 2 did not clog on while grinding, my Ode 2 is in the basement and the Virtuoso+ is on the counter. Eventually

I'd avoid a Fellow. For less money, you can get a Baratza Virtuoso+, which is much easier to clean and better engineered. Plus, Baratza provides excellent service, while Fellow's is terrible. (I've had both.)