The short answer
Buy the Baratza Encore for most drip machines - it is built for exactly this range and can be repaired for years. Buy the Virtuoso+ for timed, repeatable doses, the OXO for value, or the Fellow Opus if espresso may come later.
What a drip machine needs from a grinder
- 1A medium, consistent grind. Evenness matters more than fine adjustment.
- 2Easy repeat dosing. A timer or a scale, so every pot tastes the same.
- 3Low static and mess. You will grind every day.
- 4Burrs, not a blade. Blades make dust and chunks - see burr vs blade.
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
Quick picks
The answer first. Tap any row to jump to the full reasoning for that pick.
1. Top pick
Baratza Encore
Entry tier · The standard entry burr grinder for filter brewing.
The reference answer for drip: 40 steps, low burr speed, parts for years.
The Encore's 40 mm conical burrs, 40 stepped settings and 250 to 1200 micron range cover drip comfortably - it is the site's reference grinder for drip, pour-over and French press.
Low burr speed, roughly 450 to 550 rpm, keeps static and heat down.
Parts are sold individually for years, so it can be repaired rather than replaced.
Dosing is manual: run it until you have enough, or weigh beans before grinding.
Specification
- Burrs
- 40 mm conical, made in Europe
- Settings
- 40 stepped
- Grind range
- 250-1200 microns
- Burr speed
- Roughly 450-550 rpm to limit heat and static
What it does well
- The reference answer for pour-over, drip and French press
- Fully serviceable, with parts sold individually for years
- Low burr speed keeps static and heat down
Where it gives ground
- Bottom of its range is too coarse for espresso - that is the ESP model job
- Stepped settings only
- Plastic body and a loud motor
Skip it if
Skip it if you want repeatable doses without a scale. The Virtuoso+ adds a timer.
2. For repeatable doses
Baratza Virtuoso+
Mid tier · The Encore chassis upgraded with a metal body and a digital dosing timer.
The Encore chassis with a metal body and a digital timer.
The Virtuoso+ uses 40 mm conical burrs across 40 steps from 200 to 1200 microns, with a 40-second digital timer adjustable to 0.1 s.
A timer means the same dose every morning without a scale in the loop, which suits a drip routine.
It has a metal body and runs noticeably quieter than the Encore.
Timed dosing is not weight dosing - as beans age the dose drifts, so check it against a scale now and then.
Specification
- Burrs
- 40 mm conical
- Settings
- 40 stepped, 200-1200 microns
- Timer
- 40-second digital, adjustable to 0.1 s
- Burr speed
- 550 rpm
What it does well
- Repeatable dosing without a scale in the loop
- Metal body and a noticeably quieter run than the Encore
- Grind range starts finer than the standard Encore
Where it gives ground
- Built for filter brewing, not espresso
- Timed dosing is not weight dosing - beans age and the dose drifts
- Same 40 mm burr set as grinders costing much less
Skip it if
Skip it if you weigh every dose anyway. The Encore grinds the same way for less.
3. Best value
OXO Brew Conical Burr Grinder
Entry tier · A 40 mm conical burr grinder with a timer and a UV-blocking hopper.
A timer and a UV-blocking hopper at an entry price.
The OXO has 40 mm stainless conical burrs, 15 main settings plus 29 micro-adjustments, and a one-touch timer that remembers your last setting.
Its 12 oz UV-blocking hopper protects beans from light.
Real 40 mm burrs at this price are the point; blade grinders still dominate the bracket.
Static makes grounds cling to the bin.
Specification
- Burrs
- 40 mm stainless steel conical
- Settings
- 15 main settings plus 29 micro-adjustments
- Hopper
- Up to 12 oz, UV-blocking
- Dosing
- One-touch timer, remembers the last setting
What it does well
- Real 40 mm burrs at a price where blade grinders still dominate
- The micro-adjustments give far finer control than 15 settings suggests
- UV-blocking hopper is a genuinely thoughtful detail at this price
Where it gives ground
- Espresso is at the very edge of its range rather than inside it
- Timed dosing drifts as beans age
- Static means grounds cling to the bin
Skip it if
Skip it if long-term repairability matters. See Encore vs OXO.
4. If espresso might come later
Fellow Opus
Mid tier · An all-purpose conical grinder that does reach espresso-fine, unlike the Ode.
An all-purpose conical grinder that also reaches espresso-fine.
The Opus has 40 mm six-blade conical burrs, 41 settings plus a micro-adjustment ring, and a listed range from cold brew coarse to under 200 microns.
That range covers drip with room at the fine end, which filter-only grinders do not have.
Very low burr speed, 350 rpm, keeps heat and static down, and it loads up to 110 g for single dosing.
Its espresso resolution is workable rather than precise.
Specification
- Burrs
- 40 mm six-blade conical
- Settings
- 41 plus a micro-adjustment ring
- Burr speed
- 350 rpm, 6 Nm torque
- Capacity
- 110 g, single-dose loading
- Grind range
- Cold brew coarse to under 200 microns
What it does well
- Actually reaches espresso range, which most all-rounders at this level do not
- Very low burr speed keeps heat and static down
- Single-dose workflow with a magnetic catch cup
Where it gives ground
- Espresso resolution is workable, not precise
- Timed grinding in fixed presses rather than continuous control
- Conical burrs at this size trade clarity for body in filter
Skip it if
Skip it if espresso is not in your plans. The Encore or Virtuoso+ is the simpler drip grinder.
5. Skip this - if you only brew drip
Baratza Encore ESP
Entry tier · The Encore re-geared for espresso: the same 40 mm burrs on a dual-resolution collar.
An espresso-first grinder that shares a name with the Encore.
The Encore ESP is here because it shares a name and a body with the Encore.
Its dual-resolution collar spends steps 1 to 20 on espresso at 20 microns per click, and steps 21 to 40 on filter at 90 microns per click.
For a drip-only household, half of what it is built around is espresso resolution you will not use.
If espresso is coming, it is a strong buy - see Encore vs Encore ESP.
Specification
- Burrs
- 40 mm M2 steel conical (Etzinger)
- Settings
- 40 stepped, dual resolution
- Espresso range
- Steps 1-20, 20 microns per click
- Filter range
- Steps 21-40, 90 microns per click
- Burr speed
- 550 rpm
What it does well
- 20 microns per click in the espresso range is real dialing resolution
- Redesigned burr housing makes cleaning and shimming easy
- Shims included in the box
Where it gives ground
- Still a stepped grinder - you cannot land between clicks
- Retention is normal-for-the-class, not low
- Same plastic body and noise as the Encore
Skip it if
Skip it for drip alone. Buy it if espresso is in your plans.
Pair it with a machine that brews hot enough
A better grinder only shows in the cup if the machine reaches brewing temperature. See drip coffee makers for the machines that do.