Review: Breville Smart Grinder Pro Coffee & Espresso Grinder
By Coffee Expert
Aysia M
8 photos
The Curated Take
4.8/5
The Breville Smart Grinder Pro Coffee & Espresso Grinder is a versatile, user-friendly coffee grinder suitable for novice and experienced coffee enthusiasts. It excels in precision, offering consistent and customizable grind sizes for various brewing methods, from espresso to French press. With excellent speed and dose consistency, it streamlines the coffee-making process. The grinder's durability ensures long-lasting performance, while its relatively quiet operation makes it suitable for early morning use. Despite having conical burrs, it delivers impressive consistency. This grinder offers excellent value for those seeking quality coffee without needing a high-end grinder.
Ideal for
- Makes coffee and espresso
- Quick, efficient, and consistent results
Not ideal for
- Conical instead of flat burrs
Speed
It's a very fast grinder, depending on how much coffee is grinding. For example, I primarily grind enough coffee for between 4-7 cups; this takes between 10-20 seconds to complete....Read more
Dose Consistency
I have dyscalculia and struggle to figure out the proper ratios of tablespoons of coffee grounds to cups of coffee I want to make. The programmed dosing measurements save me...Read more
Durability
The Smart Grinder Pro has a very stable base. It does not rock around when it is grinding. This grinder contains conical burrs that do not wear down as quickly...Read more
Consistency
I have had this grinder for over a year and have not noticed any consistency changes. I use it every morning for my coffee, and it grinds and measures what...Read more
Grind Consistency
The grind consistency is stable and holds to whatever I set it to. The only inconsistency is when the weather changes. This inconsistency occurs with any high-end grinder as they...Read more
Noise Level
The first thing I do in the morning is get my coffee going as soon as I wake up. I live with a couple of roommates, and occasionally, I'm up...Read more
Ease of Use
The Smart Grinder Pro is very intuitive and comes with an instruction manual that is simple and easy to follow. Most anyone can use this grinder. There is a dial...Read more
Precision
The more precise a grinder is, the more sensitive it is to weather changes and humidity levels. My last grinder was around $60, and it never needed adjustment due to...Read more
Versatility
In addition to being a coffee technician, I also used to be a barista. I've come to enjoy various coffee drinks, depending on the day. I love that I do...Read more
Noisiness Rating
As mentioned above, I no longer wake my roommates when I make coffee in the morning. I also have a dog with very sensitive ears. For example, getting ice from...Read more
Curated Experts are not sponsored by brands. Their reviews are based on their honest experiences testing products.
Aysia M
About the espresso equipment
- Model: Breville Smart Grinder Pro Coffee & Espresso Grinder
Test conditions
- When I bought this: Around March 2022
- Days tested: I've used it almost daily for about a year and a half.
- Where I’ve used it: Home
- How many times I've used it: 452
Expert Reviews of the Breville Smart Grinder Pro Coffee & Espresso Grinder
Aysia M My partner and I went with the Breville Smart Grinder Pro Coffee & Espresso Grinder and have been thoroughly impressed by it. The versatility of the grinder is something I have not seen before, as most grinders are designed for either coffee or espresso, not both. I love how I can set exactly how many cups of coffee I'm making (or shots of espresso), and it portions out precisely what I need. Over the years as an espresso technician, I learned how difficult it was for baristas to portion out the correct amount of coffee grounds for the coffee they needed to brew. However, this grinder takes all that inconsistency out of the equation, allowing coffee drinkers the best results every time. My only con for this grinder is that it has conical burrs compared to flat burrs. The average user would not notice a difference in taste or texture, but as a technician, I always prefer the grind consistency of flat burrs. The conical burrs that my Breville machines contain have been surprisingly consistent compared to others. I think Breville has done a great job.
Product Specs
| Housing material | Stainless Steel, Plastic |
| Grinding method | Conical Burr |
| Burr diameter (mm) | 40 |
| Bean hopper capacity (oz) | 12 |
| Depth (in) | 8.5 |
| Height (in) | 15.25 |
Review Ratings
Speed
5/5
Aysia M gave 5 of 5 stars. It's a very fast grinder, depending on how much coffee is grinding. For example, I primarily grind enough coffee for between 4-7 cups; this takes between 10-20 seconds to complete. While my coffee grinds, I empty the mesh filter basket on my coffee machine from the day before. In the time it takes me to empty, rinse, and set up for filling, the grinder is complete.
Dose Consistency
5/5
Aysia M gave 5 of 5 stars. I have dyscalculia and struggle to figure out the proper ratios of tablespoons of coffee grounds to cups of coffee I want to make. The programmed dosing measurements save me a lot of time and provide the ideal amount of coffee for the amount I am brewing.
Durability
5/5
Aysia M gave 5 of 5 stars. The Smart Grinder Pro has a very stable base. It does not rock around when it is grinding. This grinder contains conical burrs that do not wear down as quickly as other burrs can. The hopper locks into place, so there is no risk of it falling out and cracking. The Breville Smart Grinder Pro should last long when cared for properly.
Consistency
5/5
Aysia M gave 5 of 5 stars. I have had this grinder for over a year and have not noticed any consistency changes. I use it every morning for my coffee, and it grinds and measures what I need like it did when I bought it. It does not take longer to grind or change the measurements or the size of the grounds unless I purposely adjust the settings.
Grind Consistency
4/5
Aysia M gave 4 of 5 stars. The grind consistency is stable and holds to whatever I set it to. The only inconsistency is when the weather changes. This inconsistency occurs with any high-end grinder as they are more sensitive. The metal burrs contract, expand, or adjust when there are extreme temperature changes. Humidity levels also change burrs. This is a normal phenomenon for good grinders; poor-quality grinders are less sensitive.
Noise Level
5/5
Aysia M gave 5 of 5 stars. The first thing I do in the morning is get my coffee going as soon as I wake up. I live with a couple of roommates, and occasionally, I'm up before they are. My last grinder used to wake them up, so I would have to wait for them to get out of bed before making coffee. Now, with the Smart Grinder Pro, I can make my coffee without interrupting my roommates' sleep schedules. It has been great.
Ease of Use
5/5
Aysia M gave 5 of 5 stars. The Smart Grinder Pro is very intuitive and comes with an instruction manual that is simple and easy to follow. Most anyone can use this grinder. There is a dial on the side to set the size of the coffee grounds. From there, it is a push of two buttons. I just set the first button to the number of coffee cups to grind for and then press "start."
Precision
4/5
Aysia M gave 4 of 5 stars. The more precise a grinder is, the more sensitive it is to weather changes and humidity levels. My last grinder was around $60, and it never needed adjustment due to weather, but I needed it to be more precise. The Smart Grinder Pro is the ideal precision balance for a home-use grinder with output near cafe-level grinding capabilities. The precision is on point.
Versatility
5/5
Aysia M gave 5 of 5 stars. In addition to being a coffee technician, I also used to be a barista. I've come to enjoy various coffee drinks, depending on the day. I love that I do not need a commercial-level grinder to make an espresso (super fine grind), a French press (very large grind), or a drip coffee (average grind size). The versatility of the Smart Grinder Pro has been a huge money saver as I only need one grinder for multiple drinks. I can make any coffee drink I like.
Noisiness Rating
5/5
Aysia M gave 5 of 5 stars. As mentioned above, I no longer wake my roommates when I make coffee in the morning. I also have a dog with very sensitive ears. For example, getting ice from my fridge hurts her ears. This grinder does not bother her; she honestly could not care less when I grind my coffee beans.
FAQs
What do you love about this product?
Aysia M What I love about this product is that it is very user-friendly and an all-in-one grinder. I have used a few different grinders both at home and as an espresso technician. My experience with the Breville Smart Grinder Pro has been excellent. Setting the burrs is simple. I only need to adjust my grind when there are extreme weather changes (around 90°F down to below 60°F). I love that the grind is always consistent, and I can adjust it easily for espresso or a French press and back. It has never clogged up on me, and the countertop footprint is great for my tiny kitchen. For home use, the Breville Smart Grinder Pro is ideal for all my needs; I won't need to upgrade again.
What was your favorite moment with this gear?
Aysia M My favorite moment with the Breville Smart Grinder Pro was when I made my first pot of coffee after upgrading from a cheaper grinder. The flavor of that first batch of coffee was on point due to the ideal measurement and grind consistency.
Why did you choose this product?
Aysia M I chose this product because my last grinder was getting old and needed new burrs. Rather than buying new burrs for the old grinder, I decided it was time to upgrade. I researched a good home grinder that wouldn't break the bank but would also accommodate various forms of coffee (espresso, French press, cold brew, drip coffee, etc.). I'm so glad I decided to try this grinder out. I will never need to upgrade again (this was my third and final coffee grinder purchase).
What is the value for the money versus other options?
Aysia M The Breville Smart Grinder Pro's cost falls right between a low-end grinder and a high-end grinder. My previous coffee grinder cost about $60, which was all I could afford at the time, and it got me by. I don't need cafe-level grinding capabilities, just the ability to make espresso, drip coffee, cold brew, and French press. This grinder does it all with beautiful consistency. The cost was worth it to me, and I'll never need to upgrade again. The only step up from here would be a $600-$1,200 grinder that is way above what I need to accomplish at home.
