I've had a Breville BCG820BSS coffee grinder for about 3 years now-and it's suddenly jamming up and getting stuck. Google tells me that this is a common problem. I can't repair it because Breville does not sell a spare part, so I need a new one, unless someone can tell me how to fix it. :/
I don't want to buy another grinder for $270 that will only last for 3 yrs, so can anyone suggest a grinder please? I have a breville dual boiler and usually drink coffee with milk. TIA.
Coffee grinder recommendations-replacement for Breville smart grinder pro
ladybug1 on 26/10/2020 - 22:10
Comments
Is stepless always better than stepped?
I wouldn't go that far, I'm sure there are poor quality stepless grinders. The advantage of stepped is that you can easily recall the exact setting, and it's less likely to drift with use. The advantage of stepless is that you can fine tune the grind with much greater precision than stepped. The Sette 270 has both a stepped adjustment ring for course settings, and a separate stepless adjustment ring for fine settings. The stepless ring is also marked to help with setting recall.
Are you sure the beans are ok. Under roasted beans are hard and can jam a grinder.
I've had my smart grinder Pro for about 3 years and had not one hiccup. My maintenance schedule is very low.
When they can be had on sale for $180, they are a steal.
There's a Breville seconds in Melbourne if you give them another go.
I was in almost the exact same situation ladybug1 (Breville Dual Boiler with a dead Smart grinder pro) and ended up buying a Eureka Mignon Specialita after reading reviews online and watching comparison videos against the Sette 270.
In the end the volume of the Sette 270 (it's much louder than the smart grinder) and lack of stock was what pushed me over to the Eureka. I'm really happy I got it though and don't regret the extra price for a second. Noticeably better grinds, very high quality construction, slightly smaller than the breville and its extremely quiet. The grinds are much fluffier and there's almost no clumping so I'm getting much better quality coffee from my dual boiler.
Only downside is the price. The Eureka Mignon Specialita is around $880:
https://www.kbean.com.au/coffee-grinders/eureka-mignon-speci…
If out of your budget range I recommend the Eureka Mignon Silenzio, same quality grinds but without the fancy LCD screen and with slightly smaller burrs for $660:
https://www.kbean.com.au/coffee-grinders/eureka-mignon-silen…
I was tossing between the Fiorenzato F4E and the Eureka. Settled on the Eureka Silenzio. It is super compact, churns consistently fluffy grinds and has next to nil ground retention. However, if money wasn't a concern and usually do single dosing then splurge to get the Niche Zero.
How do you find adjusting the grind? It looks like a very small wheel to turn, do you find it difficult to make fine adjustments?
How often do you have to adjust the grind size?
Not really, the wheel has enough resistance to it and it is a steeples adjustment. So fine adjustments are painless to make. If i was nitpicking i would say the markers could be designed to have more markings on it.
I only ever need to adjust the grind size if i changed the coffee beans roast type or a brand, and even then it usually only requires a minor adjustment, ends up usually taking 2-3 iterations when switching to a new brand/type.Thanks for that, so you don't do other types of coffee like plunger, pour over, etc?
If you live in a major city, try gumtree/ebay for a used commercial grinder. They're larger and heavier but generally bulletproof with precise adjustable grind size and much lower price. It can be hit and miss when it comes to the sharpness of the burrs but because they're designed with greater usage in mind, I've had one commercial grinder for more than 10 years now and it's still perfect.
2nd hand mazzer. Mine is 14 yrs old ive had it for 8 yrs. not a single hiccup. $600 and worth the same still.
The Baratza Sette is a very popular next step up from the Smart Grinder, and a good match for the dual boiler. There are 3 models:
The downside? You'll have to wait to get one, almost everywhere is backordered.
https://baratza.com/grinder/sette-270/