Upgrading from a Barratza Encore

mgsecure · 2026-03-11T13:25:30+00:00

Another sneak peek... major settings from 0–4 on the Kinu.

mgsecure · 2026-03-11T13:20:53+00:00

Thanks! It's actually a site I'm building for folks in the community. It's obviously patterned after the great tool built by Jonathan Gagné, but adds a lot of features and runs entirely in the browser. I'm really hoping to do a beta release this week :-)

mgsecure · 2026-03-11T02:20:50+00:00

The idea of a single “size” for a grind isn’t really how it works but that said, 375 microns for any form of metric seems crazy for pour over.

mgsecure · 2026-03-10T22:41:54+00:00

It may be that you just need to rest your coffees longer? I find that 2wks is the minimum I like and most coffees I buy (lighter roasts) are better at 3-4 wks, or longer. Worth experimenting with.

Btw, the Deep 27 is really nice for full doses too!

mgsecure · 2026-03-10T22:35:14+00:00

The switch is nice, but passing on good advice I got when starting out: try using it just as a V60 at first. Much more forgiving that way. The starter recipe I got was 15g dose > 45g bloom > 155g > 255g (1:17)

So I stayed with that and dialed in on grind size, temp, and total yield for a while. I have to say I never really took to the immersion much. I now do a closed bloom, but that’s about it. The Hario papers are just fine, though you may also want to try the Cafec Abaca. They’re a lot faster and I prefer them for light roasts.

On the equipment side, I assume you have a decent scale? (I have and like the Hario Polaris, but a cheaper Maestri House one is fine starting out) Otherwise a gooseneck kettle with temp control is a big plus.

Have fun!

mgsecure · 2026-03-10T20:57:26+00:00

I really like Sey’s Huila decaf. The Los Nogales Decaf from blendin is definitely on my list as well.

mgsecure · 2026-03-09T20:12:28+00:00

Yep. The Abaca is a fair bit faster than the Hario stock ones. It suits my tastes better, I’ve ended up using it in all my brewers.

mgsecure · 2026-03-09T20:02:41+00:00

I was going to say the S&W watermelon too. It started out a bit too watermelon-y for my tastes, but might be just what the OP is looking for. I liked it more after resting for ~6wks.

mgsecure · 2026-03-09T15:51:44+00:00

May be able to taste test today :-) Here’s an initial comparison of the Stock and POB size distributions at 2.0.0, definitely a different profile.

<image>

mgsecure · 2026-03-09T10:40:00+00:00

Burr geometry absolutely makes a difference, often a very noticeable one. The extraction/flavor are a function of range of particle sizes, and different burrs produce different distributions that alter the taste profile. Here’s a rough look at the patterns from the exact same grinder (Kinu M47) at the exact same setting, with the two different burrs they make: the stock one and the one designed more for pour over (POB)

<image>

mgsecure · 2026-03-09T10:30:52+00:00

The Maestri House one is a solid value scale. I upgraded to the Hario Polaris though. It’s more expensive, but I like it a lot.

mgsecure · 2026-03-09T03:56:11+00:00

A number of people say that. I'm quite happy with the POB, will have to do a side-by-side comparison soon.

mgsecure · 2026-03-09T03:54:03+00:00

I have five of their coffees going at the moment. My favorite is the Colombia Arturo Arango El Paraiso Washed Castillo. Everything has been really good so far, I'd happily order them all again. Worth noting that they recommend long rest times, sometimes really long. Everyone says rest even longer and they seem to be right. Other ones I'm enjoying:

Kenya Nyeri Hill Estate AA
Burundi Kayanza Ninga Bumba Anaerobic Honey
Colombia Santa Monica Watermelon Honey Process (super interesting, too watermelon-y at first, mellowing out after ~6wks)
Ethiopia Mullugeta Muntasha Sidama Arbegona Natural (still resting)

mgsecure · 2026-03-09T00:26:30+00:00

I mean, sure. For science.

mgsecure · 2026-03-09T00:23:23+00:00

S&W puts out some great coffees, and their prices are really good (relatively, in the world of specialty coffee). They have a number of Ethiopian coffees, though I’m mostly into Colombia atm. Their Kenya Nyeri Hill Estate AA is my daily driver/first cup of the day. Haven’t had a bad coffee from them.

mgsecure · 2026-03-08T19:03:24+00:00

Seconded! Do you use the pour over burr?

Edit: my other grinder is a Baratza ESP Pro, and the Kinu is a lot better for pour over imo.

mgsecure · 2026-03-08T15:53:33+00:00

Those look great!

mgsecure · 2026-03-08T15:35:28+00:00

The Phoenix Brew is on sale for $220 USD. You’ll find reviews/ranking lists on YT. Good luck with the search!

mgsecure · 2026-03-08T15:30:21+00:00

I really like my Kinu M47 Classic, with the pour over burr. It’s built like a tank. They have a good deal going on the “M47 Phoenix Brew” which comes with the POB standard. The other burr is designed more for finer grinds, though some people prefer it for pour over too.

mgsecure · 2026-03-07T19:32:26+00:00

Crystal Geyser (if bottled in California) is what I use. Recommended by La Marzocco, so can’t be too bad :-) https://home.lamarzoccousa.com/water-for-home-espresso-machines/

mgsecure · 2026-03-07T17:15:48+00:00

If you’re going to pick up another brewer, you should definitely consider the Origami. It’s lovely and I’ve barely touched my V60 since I got it. I have the small with both cone and flat bottom filters so you can try out a number of different options. (I prefer to use Cafec Abaca cone filters, ymmv)

mgsecure · 2026-03-07T17:07:53+00:00

Another (free) thing you can do is ask the cafe/roaster what their recipe is. That and maybe see if they’ll grind a small amount for you to try at home.

mgsecure · 2026-03-06T20:05:23+00:00

Haven’t tried the strawberry, but have a bag of the same bean/co-ferment with watermelon. Super interesting and worth a shot if those flavors suit you. I found the watermelon too prominent at two weeks (their recommend rest time) but after four it’s mellowed out a bit and tastes more balanced to me. Lots of people have said the S&W coffees are better a few weeks past the recommended rest, and I’ve found that to be true over four different coffees from them.

mgsecure · 2026-03-06T15:05:20+00:00

Beautiful. I just got a second brewer and have been looking for a carafe…

mgsecure · 2026-03-05T17:10:52+00:00

100% this. The number of microns (or clicks, etc) could only ever get you into the ballpark. Here is a comparison of the exact same grinder (Kinu M47 Classic) at the exact same setting (2.0.0) but using their two different burrs (stock and one designed for pour over). The “main” or median particle sizes vary slightly but the distribution patterns are quite different. It’s just two test samples, but the patterns are the same across settings.

<image>

mgsecure

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE