The Sage Smart Grinder Pro or Breville Smart Grinder Pro, by Heston Blumenthal, is an entry-level coffee grinder that’s great for home baristas and beginners.
Our Sage coffee grinder review will provide a complete overview of the machine, including how to set it up, its best features, and detailed specifications.
Sage Smart Grinder Pro Review In a Nutshell
Our Sage Smart Grinder Pro review found that this machine is a great all-rounder due to its 60 grind settings. It can also produce ground coffee for multiple coffee types.
Whether you’re using a French press or an espresso machine with this grinder, you can achieve perfect results by picking the right grind size.
The machine comes with two different sizes of portafilter holders, an essential for making a great espresso. Both are magnetic and are easily fixed to the grinder pro.
Cleaning the Smart Grinder Pro is also a simple exercise. The drip tray and coffee hopper are both removable, enabling ease of access.
The machine also comes with a conical burr cleaning brush, which you can use to ensure the conical burr is cleaned to a high standard.
Let’s get into the Sage Smart Grinder Pro BCG820BSS review.
Specifications
Our Sage Smart Grinder Pro review found that the machine’s specifications outperformed those of its competitors.
Below is a list of what to expect from your coffee machine.
| Capacity (Bean Hopper) | 450 g |
| Accessories | Small (50-54 mm) portafilter cradle Large (58 mm) portafilter cradle Airtight container for storing grinds Cleaning brush for the conical burr |
| Construction Material | Stainless steel |
| Grinding mechanism | Conical Burr Grinder |
| Operation | Hands-free, directly into a container or portafilter |
| Grind Settings | 60 |
| Voltage | 220 V to 240 V |
| Power | 165 W |
| Dimensions (Width by Depth by Height) | 21.5 cm x 16 cm x 38.9 cm |
| Warranty | Two-year warranty (repair, replace, or refund) |
Sage Smart Grinder Features
The Smart Grinder Pro has smart technology features that make the machine effective but simple to use for both beginner and advanced home baristas.
Once you’ve found your favourite brand of coffee beans to use with the machine, you’re good to go!
LCD Display
The clear LCD screen is simple to use and shows the grind time, setting and the number of shots or cups selected.
The shots setting is for espresso, and you use cups for all other coffee types. The intuitive settings are easy to control using the button and dials below the LCD display.
60 Grind Settings
There are many grind settings to choose from to ensure that you find the perfect setting for you.
The grind settings sit on a scale, ranging from espresso, percolator, filter to plunger.
Changing between settings is quick and seamless using the grind adjustment dial on the side of the machine.
Hands-Free Grinding
The Sage Smart Grinder Pro lets you grind directly into a receptacle. Whether you use a filter basket, a portafilter, or an airtight container, the options are endless.
You can use the machine straight away, and the portafilter and airtight container come as accessories with the machine.
Smart Controls
The smart controls include a precise digital time which allows users to alter the grind time in 0.2 second increments. This gives you total control over the grind process.
Once you’ve found the perfect formula for your coffee, you can save it on the device.
To save your formula, press the PROGRAM button. The machine will beep twice and save your desired setting.
Issues to Consider
As with everything in life, this machine isn’t perfect. Below, we’ll discuss potential problems to consider before buying the Smart Grinder Pro.
Coffee Grounds Can Be Clumpy
During our review, we found that some of the coffee grounds produced by the Smart grinder were clumpy in texture, which isn’t ideal when making espresso.
To break up the clumps, it’s best to tap the portafilter whilst the machine is grinding.
The Burrs Degrade Quickly
Over time, as you use the machine, the burrs on the conical grinder may begin to wear down.
With the Smart Grinder Pro, you can remove the bean hopper and gain access to the burrs to replace them.
We recommend changing the machine’s burrs every six months to maintain a consistently high-quality grind.
Difficulties With Cleaning and Descaling
All the cleaning tools you need for this machine are included in the box when you buy it.
The detachable drip tray and bean hopper give you ease of access, which makes cleaning the Smart Grinder Pro easy.
However, whole coffee beans can get stuck between the bean hopper and the burrs. These beans are difficult to remove and can cause a blockage when you’re grinding.
You also need to descale the machine to ensure that the machine performs optimally at all times. Our descaling guide will help you ensure that your machine is descaled correctly.
Setting Up the Sage Smart Grinder Pro
Assembling the Sage Smart Grinder Pro is a simple process and takes around 10 minutes on average. Here’s how to do it.
1- Set Up the Bean Hopper
- Fit the bean hopper on the top of the machine. The tabs on the base of the hopper will align with the machine and slot into position.
- Turn the bean hopper dial 90 degrees to lock it into position.
- Fill the hopper with fresh coffee beans and secure the lid on the hopper before the first use.
2- Select the Grind Size
- Use the grind size dial on the side of the machine to select the appropriate grind size for the type of coffee you’re making.
- As you turn the dial, the machine’s LCD screen will tell you whether you’re in the range of espresso, percolator, filter or plunger.
- Choose higher numbers for a coarse grind and lower numbers for a fine one.
How you use the Sage Smart Grinder Pro depends on the type of coffee you want to make. Please find the steps for espresso and filter coffee below.
How to Grind for Espresso Coffee
Here’s how to grind coffee for espresso using the Sage Smart Grinder Pro:
- Set the machine to one of the grind sizes in the Espresso range (1-30) by using the grind size dial. We suggest starting at a grind size of 12.
- The LCD screen displays the grind setting, and you can watch it to help finetune your choices.
- Insert the appropriate portafilter cradle into the machine by pushing it underneath the grind outlet.
- Insert the portafilter into the cradle.
- Select the desired amount of ground coffee by using the SHOTS/CUPS button on the machine.
Note: Once you insert the cradle, you can’t select more than two shots.
- Twist the Grind Amount dial to adjust the grind time. The grinding time will automatically adjust when you select a grind amount.
- Press the START button to begin grinding your espresso coffee into the portafilter.
Our guide to the elements of a good espresso will help you to make and enjoy the perfect espresso.
How to Grind Into a Coffee Filter
You can follow these steps to fill the coffee filter for your machine:
- Remove the portafilter cradle by pulling it towards yourself.
- Place the coffee filter with the lid open directly underneath the grind outlet.
- Select the desired amount of coffee using the SHOTS/CUPS button on the machine.
- Press the START button to begin grinding the coffee into the coffee filter.
Sage Smart Grinder Pro BCG820BSS vs Dose Control
Sage makes a wide range of excellent coffee grinders. The Sage Smart Grinder Pro is one up on the Dose Control.
This section of our review will compare the similarities and differences between the two machines and whether the price difference of the Smart Grinder Pro is worth it?
Similarities
While there are plenty of differences between the Smart Grinder Pro and the Dose Control Pro, they share the following attributes:
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- Both machines have 60 grind settings.
- Both machines take a portafilter holder and will grind directly into your portafilter.
- Both incorporate tools for hands-free operation – press the button to start the grind and again to end it.
Differences
There are several significant differences between the two devices, which we’ll discuss below:
Smart Technology Features
The Smart Grinder Pro has smart features that the Dose Control doesn’t, which add to the simplicity of using the machine, making it perfect for beginners.
The Grinder Pro’s smart technology features won’t drastically change the quality of the coffee grinds.
These include an LCD display and pre-programmed grind settings. The Dose Control is more simplistic and doesn’t guide the user on which settings to select for which coffee type.
Different Power Levels and Prices
The Smart Grinder has a power capacity of 165 Watts, compared to the Dose Control’s 130 Watts. A greater power capacity produces the right size of coffee ground at a higher speed.
The Dose Control is typically around £40 cheaper than the Sage Smart Pro Grinder.
Different Bean Hopper Capacities
The Smart Grinder Pro has a bean hopper capacity of 540g. The Dose Control has a capacity of 340g.
The larger capacity means that you can grind more coffee beans at once in the Smart Grinder, making the machine more convenient for users.
All in all, we think that the Sage Smart Grinder is the clear winner.
Despite a price difference of only £40, the Smart Grinder Pro has many additional features, like the LCD display and pre-programmed settings.
These additions help the user to produce the perfect coffee with minimal effort and expertise – ideal if you’re a beginner home barista.
The Dose Control is capable of producing the same quality grind, but it will take longer to learn how to produce the same quality grind.
In the end, it comes down to your personal preference of whether you prefer smarter technology features over a more basic machine with the same purpose.
Is the Sage Smart Coffee Grinder Worth it?
The Sage Smart Grinder is an excellent machine that boasts incredible value for its price. It’s a great machine for entry-level home baristas due to its user-friendly smart features.
The machine makes grinding for various coffee types easy, thanks to the 60 different grind sizes.
The smart technology features and high performance of the Sage smart grinder outweigh any potential flaws.
With a low price, many grind settings, fantastic power usage, and an LCD screen that gives instructions, this machine is a welcome addition to most homes.
If the Smart Grinder Pro doesn’t tickle your fancy, check out our reviews on the Sage Barista Express, Swan Retro Coffee Machine and the Sage Dual Boiler.
Do you have experience with this device? Let us know what you think in the comments.
