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Coffee · head to head

Encore ESP vs Opus

Reddit's answer is the Baratza Encore ESP. Buy only if you value repairability and see fixing a plastic burr holder as part of the ownership deal. The Opus is a Stay Away — don’t buy it — get the DF54 instead.

Baratza Encore ESP
Baratza · Coffee

Encore ESP

Risky Buy$199.95
66% of 1,343 owners recommend
~1 in 4 failure rate — ~1 in 4 long-term owner reports describe a failure, most involving the burr holder or burr ring assembly, typically between 3 and 25 months of use. That is the highest failure rate of the 6 coffee grinders we track — well above the category baseline of 5%. Warranty outcomes are split: roughly half of reported cases were resolved under warranty, but a meaningful share landed outside it.

Buy only if you value repairability and see fixing a plastic burr holder as part of the ownership deal.

+ Parts are cheap and widely available; owners report grinding for years after replacing the plastic burr holder.

− Durability is a recurring concern; the plastic burr holder is the single most-cited failure component.

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Fellow · Coffee

Opus

Stay Away—
37% of 578 owners recommend
~1 in 4 failure rate — ~1 in 4 long-term reports describe a failure, making this the highest failure rate of the 7 coffee grinders we track — far above the 6% category baseline. The grinder mechanism and motor are the most-cited components. Onset typically falls between 2 and 19 months of ownership. With 24 resolved cases versus 17 unresolved, warranty outcomes lean resolved but a meaningful share lands outside coverage.

Don’t buy it — get the DF54 instead

+ Zero-retention design is the single most cited praise — owners love not wasting grounds between doses.

− Retention is also the most-repeated complaint — the design works inconsistently for many owners.

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Questions people keep asking

Which is better, the Encore ESP or the Opus?

Reddit's answer is the Baratza Encore ESP. Buy only if you value repairability and see fixing a plastic burr holder as part of the ownership deal. The Opus is a Stay Away — don’t buy it — get the DF54 instead.

Is the Baratza Encore ESP worth it?

Reddit's verdict is Risky Buy. Buy only if you value repairability and see fixing a plastic burr holder as part of the ownership deal. A repairable entry-level grinder with a real failure pattern — good if you're willing to wrench on it, not if you want it to just work.

Is the Fellow Opus worth it?

Reddit's verdict is Stay Away. Don’t buy it — get the DF54 instead. Stylish grinder, but ~1 in 4 long-term reports describe a failure and only 37% of owners would buy it again — well below the 71% category average.