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The short answer: for most people the Baratza Encore is the best grinder for pour over, because it hits the medium grind range pour over lives in without wrecking your budget. It runs $149.95 with 40mm conical burrs and 40 grind steps. If you want cleaner cups and single dosing, step up to the Fellow Ode Gen 2 at $399.95. If you brew one cup and travel, the manual 1Zpresso Q2 at $99 does the same job by hand.
What actually matters for a pour over grinder
Pour over is forgiving compared to espresso, so you do not need a $1,000 grinder. What you need is consistent particle size in the medium range and enough steps to dial a brew that is either too fast or too bitter. A cheap blade grinder cannot do this. It chops beans into a mix of dust and boulders, the dust over-extracts and turns bitter, the boulders sit there doing nothing, and no amount of technique fixes it. A burr grinder crushes to a set gap, so the grounds land in a tighter band and your bed drains evenly.
Two burr shapes show up here. Conical burrs, like the Encore and Q2, are cheaper to build and forgiving across brew methods. Flat burrs, like the 64mm set in the Ode Gen 2, tend to produce a narrower particle spread, which shows up as more clarity in the cup. For pour over specifically, either shape works. Spend the difference only if you are chasing the last bit of separation between tasting notes.
The three grinders compared
| Grinder | Type | Burrs | Grind steps | Price (MSRP) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baratza Encore | Electric | 40mm conical | 40 steps | $149.95 | Best all-round value |
| Fellow Ode Gen 2 | Electric, single dose | 64mm flat | 11 settings / 31 total steps | $399.95 | Cup clarity, no hopper stale beans |
| 1Zpresso Q2 | Manual | 38mm conical | 30 clicks per rotation | $99 | One-cup brewers and travel |
Specs and prices verified July 2026 against the Baratza, Fellow, and 1Zpresso product pages. Street prices move, so treat these as the reference point.
Why the Encore is the default pick
The Encore has been the standard entry grinder for years for a reason. Forty steps is plenty for pour over, the conical burrs give you a repeatable medium grind, and Baratza sells replacement parts if a gear strips down the line. At $149.95 it is the cheapest thing worth buying that will not hold your brewing back. If your V60 or Kalita is draining too fast and tasting sour, you go coarser one or two steps. Too slow and bitter, you go finer. That range is where the Encore lives comfortably.
The catch is the hopper. Beans sit up top and go stale if you do not grind through them quickly. If you brew one or two cups a day, that is not a real problem. If you want to grind exactly what you brew, the Ode Gen 2 is built as a single doser, which is part of what you pay the extra $250 for.
When to spend up or down
Spend up to the Ode Gen 2 if you brew filter coffee only and want the flattest, cleanest cup a home grinder gives you. The 64mm flat burrs and 31 total steps are aimed squarely at drip, pour over, and immersion. Fellow does not recommend it for espresso, so if you think you might buy an espresso machine later, it is the wrong grinder to invest in now.
Spend down to the Q2 if you brew a single cup, want something to throw in a bag, or just do not want a motor on your counter. It grinds 15 to 20 grams at a time, weighs about 465g, and the numbered dial makes it easy to return to your setting. The trade is elbow grease. A pour over dose takes roughly half a minute of cranking. For one cup that is fine. For a full carafe every morning it gets old.
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Shop current prices: Baratza Encore, Fellow Ode Gen 2, and 1Zpresso Q2 on Amazon.
Related reading
FAQ
Do I need a burr grinder for pour over? Yes, if you care how it tastes. A blade grinder produces uneven grounds that over-extract the fines and under-extract the chunks, which reads as bitter and sour at the same time. A burr grinder crushes to a set size so the bed drains evenly.
Is the Baratza Encore good enough for pour over? Yes. Its 40 grind steps and 40mm conical burrs cover the medium range pour over needs, and at $149.95 it is the cheapest grinder worth buying for the job.
Are flat burrs better than conical for pour over? Flat burrs like the Ode Gen 2's 64mm set tend to give a narrower particle spread and more cup clarity, but conical burrs like the Encore's make excellent pour over too. The difference is small next to grinder quality overall.