The Breville Smart Grinder Pro is a conical burr coffee grinder, model BCG820. It suits anyone who grinds for more than one brew method. Breville lists 60 grind settings, from the finest espresso to the coarsest French press grind Breville.
Smart Grinder Pro at a glance
60,espresso to French press
Grind settings
18oz
Bean hopper
0.2seconds
Grind time steps
Stainless steel conical
Burrs
These numbers come from Breville's US page for the BCG820 and from the Smart Grinder Pro instruction book Brevillemanual.
Grind settings
60, espresso to French press
Bean hopper
18 oz
Grind time steps
0.2 seconds
Burrs
Stainless steel conical
Upper burr
Removable and adjustable
Screen
Backlit LCD for setting, time and shots or cups
Dose control
Precision Digital Time, programmable
Grinds into
Portafilter, grinds container, filter basket, paper filter
Measurements (WxDxH)
8.5 x 6.3 x 15.3 in
Weight
6.39 lb (2.9 kg)
Power
165 W
Voltage
110 to 120 V
Warranty
1 year limited
How tall is the Breville Smart Grinder Pro?
Breville lists the body at 8.5 by 6.3 by 15.3 inches, so it stands 15.3 inches tall Breville. That is about 39 cm, by our maths (15.3 x 2.54). You lift the hopper lid from the top, so check the gap under your wall cabinet.
How many beans does the hopper hold?
Breville's spec sheet lists an 18 oz coffee bean capacity Breville. The manual's components page describes it as a 1 lb bean hopper with a locking system for easy removal and bean transfer manual. The lid has an airtight seal to maximize bean freshness.
Is the Breville Smart Grinder Pro a burr grinder?
Yes, Breville lists hardened stainless steel conical burrs manual. The manual says they maximize particle size for full flavor potential. The upper burr is removable and adjustable, so the grind range can be extended.
Smart Grinder Pro or Dose Control Pro?
Breville's grinder page asks buyers to choose between these two, and says the Smart Grinder Pro adds Dosing iQ technology Breville. Breville now marks the Dose Control Pro as discontinued on its product page Breville.
Two portafilter cradles, grinds container, cleaning brush
Two portafilter cradles, the Adjustable Razor
Who the Smart Grinder Pro is for
Good fit if
You brew espresso and filter coffee.
You want a repeatable dose.
You read settings off a screen.
You grind into a portafilter.
You keep a pound of beans ready.
Pick another model if
→You want the grinder inside the espresso machine: pick the Barista Express Breville.
→You want to load one dose at a time: pick the Fellow Opus 2, with a 100 g load bin Fellow.
→You want a 40 mm burr and a quick release mount: pick the Baratza Encore ESP Baratza.
Good to know before you buy
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Breville lists the grinder at 110 to 120 volts and 165 watts. The rating plate in the manual reads 120 V, 60 Hz, 165 W. Buy the version made for your country's sockets Brevillemanual.
!
The manual says to run the grinder for 2 minutes at a time at most. Let it cool for at least 2 minutes after each use, and 10 to 15 minutes after long use. A thermal safety shut off protects the motor manual.
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The machine is designed for whole roasted coffee beans. The manual says to avoid unroasted green and under-roasted beans, because they are dense and can damage burr grinders. Use beans 5 to 20 days after the roasted on date manual.
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No grinder part goes in the dishwasher. The manual asks you to wash the hopper, lid, grinds container and lid in warm soapy water by hand. It also says to skip alkaline and abrasive cleaners, steel wool and scouring pads manual.
!
The box holds two portafilter cradles, a grinds container and a burr brush. Breville lists a 50 to 54 mm cradle, a 58 mm cradle, a grinds container with lid and sealing cap, and a conical burr cleaning brush. A tamper and a dosing razor are not in this box Breville.
Note
Breville puts the warranty at 1 year limited, and sells grinder parts such as hoppers, drip trays and upper burr kits Brevilleparts.
How the Smart Grinder Pro compares
Smart Grinder Pro vs Baratza Encore ESP
The Smart Grinder Pro holds more beans and times the dose on a screen, at 18 oz and 0.2 second steps. Baratza lists the Encore ESP with 40 mm conical steel burrs, a 300 g hopper and manual dosing Baratza.
The Smart Grinder Pro keeps a full hopper of beans above the burrs and programs a dose by time. Fellow now lists the Opus 2, built around a 100 g single dose load bin and a stepless side dial Fellow.
Is the Breville Smart Grinder Pro good for espresso?
Yes, Breville builds espresso into the grinder's range and its hardware. The coffee chart in the manual gives settings 1 to 30 as the fine espresso range manual. Two portafilter cradles come in the box, for 50 to 54 mm and 58 mm baskets Breville.
A portafilter activation switch starts the grind when you push the handle. With a cradle fitted, the manual puts the maximum at 2 shots manual.
What grind setting should I use for espresso?
The manual recommends grind size setting 12 as a starting point, then moving coarser or finer to adjust the flow manual. Breville says to use single wall filter baskets with fresh beans, and the finer 1 to 30 settings. With dual wall filters, the manual says to start at setting 30 and move finer if needed.
What setting goes with each brew method?
The coffee chart splits the 60 settings by method. It lists 1 up to 5 shots on espresso, and 1 up to 12 cups on the other three manual:
Settings 31 to 45, medium: percolators with a coarse screen filter, drip coffee with a gold tone filter.
Settings 46 to 54, medium coarse: percolators with a fine screen filter, drip coffee with a paper filter, non pump steam espresso.
Settings 55 to 60, coarse: French press.
Tip
For French press the manual gives a recipe: grind size 58, water at 200 F, and 4 minutes before you press manual.
How the dose and the screen work
The backlit LCD displays the grind setting, the grind size, the number of shots or cups, and the current grind time manual. A digital timer controls the dose for every coffee type.
Turning the GRIND AMOUNT dial to the right adds 0.2 of a second of grind time per click, and turning it left takes 0.2 of a second away. Holding PROGRAM stores that time against the shot count on screen, and the grinder beeps twice. Breville calls this Precision Digital Time Brevillemanual.
The manual notes that a custom amount is stored for that brew method alone, so your other shots and cups settings stay as they were.
Does it stop by itself?
Yes, the grinder stops automatically once the preset amount is dispensed manual. Press and hold START | PAUSE | CANCEL, or hold the portafilter switch, to grind by hand for as long as you want instead. Pressing the button once during a grind pauses it for 10 seconds.
How do I turn it off?
The grinder powers down to standby after 5 minutes without use, and any button on the control panel wakes it manual. The manual asks you to unplug it when it is not in use, and before cleaning.
How to set up and use it
Read the safety pages first. These steps come from the before first use, assembly and functions pages manual.
Remove and discard all packing materials and promotional labels.
Wash the hopper, cradles, grinds container, lid and brush in warm soapy water, then dry them.
Wipe the outside with a soft damp cloth and dry it.
Stand the grinder on a flat level surface and plug it into a 120 V outlet.
Line up the tabs on the base of the bean hopper and drop the hopper into place.
Turn the hopper dial 90 degrees to lock it. The screen shows PLEASE LOCK HOPPER until it is locked.
Fill the hopper with fresh beans and fit the lid.
Slide in the right portafilter cradle, then put your portafilter in it. Or slide the grinds container or a coffee filter under the grind outlet.
Press SHOTS | CUPS until the amount you want shows on screen.
Turn the Grind Size dial to the setting for your brew method.
Turn the GRIND AMOUNT dial to set the grind time.
Press START | PAUSE | CANCEL, or push the portafilter handle, to start.
Hold PROGRAM to save that time for the shot count on screen.
Tip
Run the grinder for 2 seconds before each use to purge old coffee, and store beans in an airtight container rather than in the hopper manual.
Care and quick fixes from the manual
How to clean the burrs
Empty the beans from the hopper, then grind out any beans left in the machine.
Unplug the power cord.
Unlock the hopper, hold it over an airtight container and turn the dial to release the beans.
Align the hopper back into position and run the grinder until it is empty.
Remove the hopper, then remove the upper burr.
Clean the upper burr and the lower burr with the cleaning brush.
Clean the grind outlet with the brush.
Push the upper burr firmly into position and lock it.
Align the hopper into position and lock it manual.
The manual says regular cleaning helps the burrs grind consistently, which matters most for espresso.
How to make the grind finer or coarser than the dial allows
Follow steps 1 to 5 above to empty the beans and remove the upper burr.
Remove the wire handle from both sides of the burr.
Note the default setting, which is 6.
Move the adjustable top burr 1 number coarser or finer.
Line the number up with the opening.
Insert the wire handle on both sides of the burr.
Push the upper burr firmly into position and lock it.
Align and lock the hopper, then check your extraction manual.
Breville says some coffees need a wider grind range, and recommends one adjustment at a time.
If the grinder will not start
Plug the power cord into the outlet, and press START | PAUSE | CANCEL or the portafilter switch to activate it manual. If the grinder has overheated, unplug it and leave it 20 minutes to cool. If the screen reads PLEASE LOCK HOPPER, lock the hopper into position.
If the motor runs but no coffee comes out
Fill the hopper with fresh beans, then check for a blockage manual. Remove the hopper, inspect the hopper and burrs, then rebuild it and try again. Clean the burrs and the chute if coffee has built up.
If the motor makes a loud racket
A foreign item or a blocked chute is the cause the manual lists manual. Remove the hopper, inspect the burrs and take out any foreign body. Check the hopper for foreign objects before every use.
If the hopper will not lock
Coffee beans sitting on the locking device are the usual cause manual. Remove the hopper, clear the beans from the top of the burrs, then lock the hopper again. Moisture can clog the grinder too, so dry the burrs fully first.
If the grind size dial feels tight
Run the grinder with START | PAUSE | CANCEL while you turn the Grind Size dial manual. That releases grounds caught between the burrs.
How to reset the dose to default
Press and hold the SHOTS | CUPS button until you hear a long beep manual. That returns the grind amount and time to the factory settings.
Smart Grinder Pro FAQ
How much is the Breville Smart Grinder Pro?
See today's price with the link above.
Why does my portafilter look overfilled?
The manual says it is normal for the correct amount of coffee to look overfilled manual. Untamped coffee is about three times the volume of tamped coffee.
Can I get replacement burrs?
Breville's parts page lists components for the Smart Grinder Pro, including upper burr kits, bean hoppers, hopper lids, drip trays and grinds containers parts.
Does it reduce static?
Breville lists an anti-static feature that minimizes static of beans before dispensing manual. The manual also recommends keeping the lid on the grinds container, to stop grounds escaping.
Where can I find the Smart Grinder Pro manual?
Breville posts the Smart Grinder Pro instruction book as a PDF manual. Breville's product page also links the instruction manual and the product hub Breville.
Can I use it in a cafe?
The manual lists this appliance for household use manual. It also says to keep it indoors, and out of moving vehicles and boats.
The verdict
4/4 PASS
No. 023 · Breville Smart Grinder Pro
Fresh, even grounds for every brew method.
The Smart Grinder Pro suits a kitchen where one grinder has to serve espresso in the morning and a French press at the weekend. Breville puts 60 settings on the dial, and sets the dose by time in 0.2 second steps that you can program per shot count. The 18 oz hopper, two portafilter cradles and adjustable upper burr cover most home brewing.
4/4 PASS
