Review: Breville/Sage Smart Grinder Pro Espresso Grinder
An espresso worthy burr grinder bursting with intuitive features
Overview:
The Sage Smart Grinder Pro is an affordable burr coffee grinder capable of grinding fine enough for espresso. It has an LED screen which lets you select different grind settings suitable for french press, pour over, espresso and more. It’s grind quality is hard to beat at this price from an electric grinder with it’s 40mm stainless steel conical burrs.
Con’s
Can take a while to grind
Grind quality isn’t as consistent compared to higher end alternatives
Not built for large amounts of daily use
Pro’s
Very user friendly
LED screen is a nice feature
Can grind fine enough for espresso (60 grind settings)
Great grind consistency
Low price is great for beginners
Useful Timer, Cup Quantity and Start/Pause buttons
Comes with portafilter attachment
Ease of Use
One of they key things that makes the Smart Grinder Pro great, is how easy it is to use. The digital screen gives you a rough guide for different grind sizes for brewing styles and automatically adjusts the grind time when you select your cup quantity. The bean hopper lets you easily remove the beans without making a mess and cleaning the machine is very straightforward.
Grind Quality
With a wide range of grind settings, the Smart Grinder Pro will easily grind fine enough for espresso and course enough for most brewing styles. The electric grinder produces a good consistency, not amazing, but good enough for beginner home coffee enthusiasts. Here are a few pictures to demonstrate the consistency and quality of the grind:
Design
Sage supply this grinder in either a brushed stainless steel or black truffle finish. It has a compact size of 15.2 x 21.6 x 39.2 cm which doesn’t take up too much space on your counter top. It has a 450g bean hopper capacity which a good size. One of my favourite features is the magnetic connections which makes removing the tray and portafilter holder really easy. Overall, it’s a very nice looking grinder with a compact size and modern look.
Value for Money
Being in the sub £200/$250 range makes this grinder a great entry level choice. It’s grind quality won’t quite match up to more expensive grinders such as the Baratza Sette 270, however at this price it’s hard to beat. This is one of the cheapest electric grinders available one the market which is capable of producing espresso quality grinds.
Build Quality
With stainless steel burrs and stainless steel housing, this grinder does come across as being fairly robust. However, some of the plastic parts do feel slightly flimsy so I would always advise using it with care. There have been some complaints about the power of the motor leading to some technical issues. This is common in entry level grinders so you may want something a little more powerful if you will be grinding for more than 6 drinks a day. With that being said, Sage/Breville do offer good customer support and their machines come with a 2 year repair garuantee.
Summary
If you are looking for an entry level burr coffee grinder for brewing at home then this is a really great choice. It’s very user friendly and has a nice looking design which makes it a great addition to your kitchen. If you only brew a small number of drinks a day and want a grinder that’s easy to use and can grind fine enough for espresso then I would highly recommend the Sage Smart Grinder Pro. If you are planning to grind for large numbers of drinks everyday I would suggest something a little more powerful. Overall, this is a very affordable machine with a lot of nice features and a good grind quality.