Coffee & Espresso review
Breville Smart Grinder Pro Review: Excellent Fine, Argued Over Coarse
Two sources say it is unsuitable for French press. A third tested setting 58 and found a consistent chunky grind. For espresso, all three agree it is very good.
By Paulo GerchonPublished 2 min read
Illustration, not a photo — we don’t have a licensed image of this product yet.
Breville
Breville Smart Grinder Pro
Good · researched from 3 sources
For espresso and pour-over this is the best-value grinder we have found evidence for, and one lab ranked it top of sixteen. The coarse end is where the sources fall out, so if French press is your main method, look elsewhere.
- Buy if
- Espresso, where all three sources rate the uniformity highly · Pour-over and filter, where TechGearLab measured 83 percent in range · Anyone who wants a grinder that does not shriek
- Skip if
- French press and cold brew, on two of three sources · Single-dosing, given one to two grams of retention · Anyone who wants to dose by weight rather than time
We don’t list prices, because Amazon’s change hourly.
Where it is unambiguously good
TechGearLab ranked this first of sixteen grinders and gave it their Editors' Choice, with an overall score of 85 out of 100.
Their pour-over test put about 83 percent of grinds inside the desired size range, with extraction times landing between 2:46 and 2:59 against a three minute target, and only a one gram variation in output weight across repeated grinds.
Coffeeness, testing espresso, found grounds extremely uniform between settings 9 and 11 with minimal clumping, and dosing accurate enough to add two grams per second reliably.
For espresso and filter, three sources and one lab test all point the same way.
Where they fall out
Coffeeness: not suitable for French press or cold brew.
TechGearLab: top-notch in every category except the coarsest grinds, where it produces noticeably more fines than other grinders, risking over-extraction.
Coffee Xplore: setting 58 for French press produced a consistent chunky grind that reduced sediment.
Two against one, and the dissenting source is the one that ran the longest test. The most likely truth is that it is usable at coarse settings and beaten there by grinders at the same price, which is exactly the pattern you would expect from conical burrs optimised for the fine end.
If your daily brew is a French press, this is not the grinder for you. If it is an occasional weekend thing, it will do.
The two things nobody mentions before you buy
Retention. Coffee Xplore measured one to two grams staying in the chute and burr chamber, which means the first grams you grind each morning are yesterday's coffee. Irrelevant if you grind for a full pot; disqualifying if you single-dose.
Static. Their 28-day test made this the main daily complaint, with grounds clinging to the plastic bin, worse with dark roasts. Their fix is the Ross Droplet Technique, misting the beans with a little water before grinding, which cut it by around 95 percent.
Coffeeness had less trouble, having ground into the portafilter cradles rather than the bin, which suggests the plastic container is most of the problem.
Sixty settings and a hidden sixty more
The dial gives 60 positions. Inside, the upper burr can be repositioned across 10 micro-adjustments, which multiplies the range and is the answer to Coffee Xplore's complaint that the step between espresso settings 7 and 8 is too large.
It doses by time rather than weight, so consistent output depends on consistent bean density and a consistent hopper level. TechGearLab's one gram variation suggests it manages that well; a scale is still a sensible companion purchase and Coffeeness lists it as a cost.
Quiet, for a grinder
Coffeeness measured 70 to 80 dB and describes a muted purr rather than the high-pitched shriek most burr grinders make. TechGearLab scored noise 8.0.
On a machine used at six in the morning in a house with other people asleep, that is worth more than a couple of percentage points of particle distribution.
How it scored
The overall 8.3 is the weighted average of these five criteria — we never adjust it by hand.
Grind consistency
TechGearLab scored consistency 7.8 and got about 83 percent of pour-over grinds in the desired range. Coffeeness found espresso grounds extremely uniform between settings 9 and 11.
Value
TechGearLab ranked it first of sixteen grinders and gave it their Editors' Choice. Coffeeness calls it excellent value and says it would satisfy a demanding home barista.
Build quality
Stainless steel conical burrs in a body that mixes steel with plastic. Coffee Xplore raises durability concerns about the plastic internal components.
Ease of use
TechGearLab scored ease of use 9.4, with 60 settings plus micro-adjustment and only a one gram variation in output across repeated tests.
Noise
TechGearLab scored noise 8.0. Coffeeness measured 70 to 80 dB and describes a muted purring rather than the shriek most grinders produce.
Pros and cons
What we liked
- TechGearLab ranked it first of sixteen grinders tested
- Coffeeness found espresso grounds extremely uniform with minimal clumping
- TechGearLab measured only one gram of variation in output across repeated grinds
- 60 settings plus 10 micro-adjustments through a movable upper burr
- Coffeeness measured 70 to 80 dB, quieter than comparable grinders
- Portafilter cradles that Coffeeness found produced minimal static and no spillage
What we didn’t
- TechGearLab found it produces noticeably more fines at coarse settings
- Coffeeness says it is not suitable for French press or cold brew
- Coffee Xplore measured one to two grams of coffee retained in the chute and burrs
- Coffee Xplore found static a daily problem, particularly with dark roasts
- It doses by time rather than by weight, so a scale is a separate purchase
- Coffee Xplore raises durability concerns about the plastic internals
Specifications
| Burrs | Stainless steel conical, 40 mm per Coffee Xplore |
|---|---|
| Settings | 60 main settings plus 10 micro-adjustments via the upper burr |
| Dosing | By time, not weight |
| Repeatability | About one gram of variation per TechGearLab |
| Retention | One to two grams in the chute and burr chamber per Coffee Xplore |
| Noise | 70 to 80 dB per Coffeeness |
| Hopper | 18 oz per Coffee Xplore |
| Power | 165 W per Coffee Xplore |
| Weight | 2.72 kg per TechGearLab |
| Dimensions | 31.8 x 21.6 x 41.4 cm per TechGearLab |
How we researched this
We have not had this unit on the bench. This review synthesises the manufacturer’s published specifications, independent measurements and owner reports listed below. Every figure on this page comes from one of those sources rather than our own measurement.
3
sources reviewed
TechGearLab tested it against fifteen other grinders and supplies the category scores, the pour-over consistency percentage, the dose repeatability, the ranking and the finding about fines at coarse settings. Coffee Xplore ran a 28-day test and supplies the burr size, the settings count, the measured retention, the static findings and the durability concern. Coffeeness supplies the espresso uniformity assessment, the measured noise range and the portafilter cradle observation. The three disagree about coarse grinding, with two calling it unsuitable for French press and one finding it consistent, and both positions are reported.
What we read
Common questions
Is the Breville Smart Grinder Pro good for French press?
How good is it for espresso?
Does it hold onto old coffee?
How bad is the static?
How loud is it?
The bottom line on the Breville Smart Grinder Pro
For espresso and pour-over this is the best-value grinder we have found evidence for, and one lab ranked it top of sixteen. The coarse end is where the sources fall out, so if French press is your main method, look elsewhere.
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