Breville Smart Grinder Pro Coffee Bean Grinder, Brushed Stainless Steel, BCG820BSS, 2.3

Personally when I set out to buy a proper espresso burr grinder, cost was an important factor. For something which sole purpose is to just grind coffee beans, it’s a bit painful to see just how expensive the espresso grinder market is and how limited the options are, and as a newbie, I can’t really gauge the true value of something that costs $500+ more than this. Even this grinder I wouldn’t define it as cheap, despite it being one of the cheapest options. If that’s the boat you’re in, definitely put this grinder in your list of considerations.

Keep in mind I haven’t used one of the more expensive grinders yet so I can’t quite know for sure what I’m missing in terms of extraction and flavor etc. What I was after were the cost, ease-of-use, consistency, and flavor, and this grinder does just that with a nice fine and fluffy grind that can produce espresso that I think even a coffee enthusiast can appreciate.

Great grinder! Id suggest looking online on youtube for regular cleaning processes to extend lifespan. A couple things to note though. (1) Will overheat if using extensively. I grind half a bag of beans to not overwork the motor and extend lifespan. If it does overheat, its not broken, just let it cool. (2) If you do clean it regularly, you will notice a felt washer that has a lifespan, I have replaced it once so far (you can find these replacements online to order, and some other people have other solutions.. like 3d printing, etc), this piece is required however for operation. (3) Dont lose parts if you take it apart to clean, Ive read online people having issues missing parts. (4) What do I clean? I dont open up the actual motor and etc, but some people online do. What I clean is the grinder assembly. Easy to open up and take all those pieces out to wash/dry and then you have the entire cavity (path of beans to wipe/brush and what I like… air canister to clean out). This will keep from leftover grind getting stuck, getting old and jamming or changing the flavour of your grind coming out. Almost 3 years now no issues, I will update if something happens.

Fácil de utilizar, silencioso, molienda uniforme y adecuada

Admittedly I’m somewhat of a coffee “novice” – though I’ve been drinking coffee for almost 4 decades – my coffee making experience has been limited to mainly automatic drip or “pods” – honestly, I’ve not been too interested in good coffee or as in a hobby until very recently. My wife wanted an espresso maker and shortly afterwards down the rabbit hole I went. Our first purchase was a Breville Barista Express espresso machine which has a built-in grinder and works well enough for the task but may not produce grounds coarse enough for other coffee making methods (pour over, french press, drip, etc.) so rather than just live with the inexpensive blade grinder we already had I looked into a grinder that would give us that level of control and flexibility. After watching hours of reviews online my conclusion was that if I wanted to spend about four hundred dollars (grinder plus, a good set of burrs, and shipping on top) I could get a better grinder for espresso than the built-in with the Barista Express but my non-pressurized shots with the built-in grinder are pretty decent if I don’t mind saying so. Which lead me to finding a grinder that my family can use for different coarse settings (easily) and doesn’t require complicated re-adjustment to get to another brew method. The “easily” is the main thing – so in my opinion a “stepped” grinder is a good choice and one that’s not specifically designed for espresso. I’ve only used the grinder a couple of times for espresso where I was trying different beans and wanted to leave the built-in grinder un changed.
Some notes and observations:
– the burr set appears to be the same as the stock built-in one from the Barista Express – Breville’s web site seems to confirm this though only the upper/outer burr is available for purchase (when it is available).
– I’ve not had to adjust the upper/outer burr itself – some people have reported that the factory setting is 4 and others say 6 – I’m an engineer so I’ve been tempted to tinker with it but I’ve been making far too good coffee to change things unless I have to.
– there is a bit more “loss” with the stand alone grinder than with the built-in one – what I’m seeing is about .2 – .3 grams with the Smart Grinder Pro and maybe a tenth of a gram with the built-in grinder although I’m almost always grinding coarser with the Smart Grinder Pro – perhaps there’s more being held back due to that. Most coffee I make with the Smart Grinder Pro isn’t weighed it’s volume measured so I typically grind a little more than I need so “retention” isn’t an issue.
– the Smart Grinder Pro is a little larger than what I’d thought when I’ve seen it in pictures and on video. absolutely not a deal breaker but if you’re really tight on counter space you may want to measure things out or plan to re-arrange things.
– there WILL BE grounds flying about – I’ve gotten in the habit of placing a towel under the grinder to catch the larger grounds that try to “escape” that makes cleanup a bit easier – you may not have this issue if you’re grinding for espresso but for press, pour over, or drip they tend to jump out of the grinder’s cup.
– the display is easy to read and clear to understand – my eyesight isn’t the best in the morning before I’ve had a cup – you can easily tell what the grind number is and where it falls on the “scale”
– cups/shots and grind time is somewhat redundant – I think a lot of reviewers have called that out – it’s not really an issue to start/stop/pause the grind process this feature is probably the only real “gimmicky” one – I suppose that the time or cups/shots would vary depending on grind size but as long as it has completely ground your beans and you’ve stopped the machine well then there you go.
– this comes with a nice cup for your grounds, two portafilter adapters (54 and 58 mm).
– the coarse / fine grind setting adjustment knob isn’t the nicest use “experience” – the knob does feel a bit “plasticy” and “cheap” – I really don’t expect a milled solid piece of stainless or anodized aluminum at this price point but I wonder how well this will hold up to years of use.
– the price is a bit “high” for a conical bur grinder however – lots of ones at half the price (around $100) seem not to last as long, are more complicated to adjust or return to a setting that you can remember for the brewing method or has features such as the portafilter adapters. The ability to glance down and see that the grind number is in the range of the brewing method I’m doing is worth the extra money.

The bottom line (for me at least) was that this grinder has gotten very good reviews by established “coffee folk” for good grinder for people starting out their coffee journey. Is this the G.O.A.T. grinder – I don’t think so. Is it even the most consistent one – I don’t believe so either – spending about $50-80 more for a flat vertical burr grinder along with a better set of burrs would likely give you better grounds but for someone who wants to grind some beans that’s either not “into it” or who is just getting started I think this one makes a lot of sense. This likely will not be my last grinder – I’m certain as I become more skilled and discerning I’ll want something “better” will I get rid of this one (give it to a friend / relative or donate it) probably not – there will be times where I want to grind a bag or three of beans for a large gathering and I’ll dig the Breville Smart Grinder Pro out for that job – until then I’ll be making 8 cups at a time with my Mr. Coffee and enjoy trying pour overs, french press and other methods.