Phil McKnight, President of Global Specialty Coffee At Breville shows us the Encore ESP Pro.
Season 14, Episode 6 at SCA Houston 2025.
Editor’s note: Prefer the audio only or want to watch the podcast on Spotify? Click here! Or on Apple Podcasts!
Guest: Phil McKnight, Breville Group/Baratza
Based: Seattle, WA
Online: www.baratza.com • @baratza • www.breville.com
The Coffee People Podcast traveled to the Specialty Coffee Association Expo in Houston, TX, to interview coffee pros at the Roastar, Inc. booth on the convention floor. Over the course of two days, we recorded six episodes of Season 14. The sixth episode features a short with Phil McKnight at Breville Group, showcasing the new Baratza Encore ESP Pro.
I should note two important things before I go further:
I own an Encore, am a bit of a homer for Baratza, and used their grinders extensively in my (brief) career as a barista.
I am not sponsored by Baratza, nor (currently) receiving any sort of benefit for saying any nice (or not nice) things about them.
It’s always pleasant when people spend some time with the Coffee People podcast and, by extension, me. I come into contact with a wide range of people in the coffee industry. Most of them are quite lovely. A small percentage…not so much.*
Phil was in the lovely category. Despite being the President of a major industry company, it was clear he was excited and passionate about sharing this new product, particularly about the improved user experience and quality based on feedback from actual customers.
It’s one of the things I love about attending larger coffee events. The creators, producers, users, and vendors are all mingling. A podcaster like myself has the opportunity to chat with the President of a big company. A coffee shop owner from Paducah (why is it always Paducah) gets to rub elbows with farmers who produce the beans they sell. Being on the floor, being willing to step into the chaos and fray, creates a leveling of industry status. We’re all here to push coffee forward.
There has been some rumbling at recent conventions about the outsize role and impact that these events and their stakeholders have in the industry, particularly in relation to uplifting some individuals and not others. I’m not dismissing that, but I also see great value in creating a physical space for all corners of an industry to connect.
SCA Expo 2026, or what will be called the World of Coffee, is in San Diego. It is where I’ve spent the last decade of my life. If you follow us online, you know that this podcast is moving into the Pacific Northwest slowly over the next few months, but I’ll be back to engage, at least one more time, with humans like Phil, whose enthusiasm for coffee inspires and makes me appreciate the connections I’ve had the opportunity to make.
*I’m looking at you, fellow bathroom user who sidled up in the bathroom at the convention center during the recent Portland Coffeefest event to complain to me about tampons being accessible in the building. Were you even using the bathroom? I’m busy here, guy!
ENCORE™ ESP PRO
As a reminder we are not sponsored by Baratza or Breville Group.
From Baratza.com:
Take Control of Your Daily Grind.
Say hello to the Encore ESP Pro — the newest addition to our best-selling Encore™ series, built for coffee lovers who believe the grind really matters. With its stepless grind adjustment system, you’re not stuck choosing between clicks. You’re free to dial in the perfect grind with near-infinite precision—from fine-tuned espresso to breezy pour-over and everything in between.
No limits. No guesswork. Just smooth, intuitive control that transforms your daily grind into a daily craft.
And it doesn’t stop there. The integrated flow-control disk takes consistency up a notch, while Anti-Static Technology keeps your counter cleaner. Add Auto-Stop Grinding for hassle-free single dosing and a 0.1-second precision timer for repeatable perfection—because your coffee routine deserves accuracy as much as artistry.
Encore ESP Pro. Your daily grind just leveled up.
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SPONSORED BY
The Coffee People Podcast's presenting sponsor is Roastar, Inc. They are a premier coffee packaging company utilizing digital printing. Roastar enables small-to-gigantic coffee businesses tell a big story. Learn more at https://bit.ly/4gIsHff.
One way they help support small businesses is by offering deals on coffee bags. Our Yeah, No…Yeah Coffee collaboration with Relative Coffee is packaged in a gusseted bag, and it is super badass.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
Editor’s note: Alvin Kim is no longer with Baratza. He’s taken his talents to South Beach…I mean to the marketing team at the Specialty Coffee Association.
OTHER BRANDS WE USE & HAVE PARTNERED WITH*
Please use these links. You’ll be getting a great gear AND supporting Roast! West Coast. The links below enable us to generate some affiliate revenue. As always, we don’t partner with brands we don’t use, coffee we don’t drink, or strongly recommend.
