Breville BCG820DBL1BUS1 Coffee grinder: Full Review

The Breville BCG820BSSXL Smart Grinder Pro is an electric burr coffee grinder designed for home use. It features 60 precise grind settings, giving you maximum control over the grind size and allowing you to fine-tune it for espresso, filter, and French Press brew methods.

With a brushed stainless steel housing, the Smart Grinder Pro looks great on your kitchen counter while taking up minimal space. It has a backlit LCD display that clearly shows what grind setting you have selected. The hopper holds up to 1⁄2 lb of beans, minimizing how often you need to refill it.

Overall, the Smart Grinder Pro aims to bring commercial-grade grinding technology to the home kitchen. In this review, we’ll take an in-depth look at its features and performance to see if it lives up to the hype.

Design & Build Quality

The Breville BCG820BSSXL1BUS1 has an attractive stainless steel housing that looks great on any countertop. The materials used feel very durable and solid.

The bean hopper, grounds container, and portafilter holder are also made of stainless steel, giving the grinder an overall premium feel. The hopper holds over 1/2 pound of beans.

While the grinder is mostly made of metal, it does have some plastic components. The top burr is plastic, which helps minimize heating but may impact long-term durability compared to an all-metal grind mechanism. The control knob and container lids are also plastic.

Aesthetically, the Breville has a modern, minimalist look. It's relatively compact at around 12 inches tall but still substantial enough to feel like a quality appliance. The stainless steel exterior looks sleek and fits into both contemporary and more traditional kitchen decors.

Overall, the build quality is very good for the price point. The mostly metal construction gives the impression of a solid, durable machine that can handle daily use for years to come. The modern styling also makes it an attractive addition to your countertop.

In comparison, the Aromaster CG204 offers a different appeal with its plastic construction, which makes it lightweight and easy to handle. Despite being more affordable, it delivers consistent grinding performance for most brewing methods. Its compact design makes it a great choice for smaller kitchens, and it features a user-friendly interface that allows for quick adjustments. While it may not have the premium feel of the Breville, the Aromaster CG204 remains a reliable option for coffee lovers looking for value.

Grind Settings

The Breville Smart Grinder Pro offers stepped grind size adjustability with 60 precise grind settings to choose from. The settings range from the finest espresso grind to an extra coarse grind for French press brewing.

Adjusting the grind size is straightforward - simply turn the hopper to the desired numeric setting. The hopper features clear markers and clicks into place at each setting, making it easy to switch back and forth between grind sizes. Lower numbered settings produce finer grinds while higher numbers result in coarser grinds.

The stepped mechanism provides consistent grinds every time once you dial in the right setting. The wide range caters to various brew methods - from espresso and moka pot to drip, pour over and French press. You can precisely dial in the size needed for optimal flavor extraction.

The grind settings are clearly marked and easy to adjust, providing a broad spectrum of grind sizes for different brew methods. The stepped mechanism also ensures grind consistency.

In addition to the Breville, the KitchenAid KCG8433 is another excellent choice for home coffee enthusiasts. It offers precision grinding with 15 finely adjustable settings, allowing you to tailor your grind to suit a variety of brewing methods. The sleek design complements any kitchen, while its easy-to-use interface ensures a hassle-free experience. With the KCG8433, you can achieve optimal extraction and flavor in every cup.

Grinding Performance

The Breville Smart Grinder Pro is a rapid, high-performing grinder perfect for daily use. It takes only a few seconds to grind enough beans for a shot of espresso. The grind speed is impressively fast thanks to the powerful 450 watt motor.

Despite the speed, the grinder still produces very consistent grinds. The precision conical burrs made from hardened steel generate a uniform particle size ideal for espresso. The burrs have 250 grade steps, allowing you to fine-tune the grind size with precise adjustments. This consistency allows you to pull flavorful espresso shots.

The grinder operates quietly, especially compared to many other electric models. The grinding noise is muted and unobtrusive. You can have a conversation or listen to music while grinding without the noise being overbearing. This makes the Smart Grinder suitable for home kitchen use.

Overall, the grinding performance is fast, consistent, and quiet - exactly what you need in a daily-use coffee grinder. The rapid grind speed saves you time in the morning. The precision burrs give consistent, adjustable grinds perfect for espresso. And the quiet operation won't disturb others.

Features

The Breville BCG820BSSXL has several useful features that make it a versatile coffee grinder:

• Built-in grind size dial with 60 settings: The grinder has a smooth adjusting grind size dial with 60 individual grind settings, from ultrafine for espresso to coarse for French press. This wide range allows you to precisely dial in the perfect grind for any brew method.

• Dosing IQ feature: This intelligent dosing system delivers the right amount of coffee, on demand, within 0.2 grams of the target weight. The dose can be adjusted from 2.2 to 6 cups. This eliminates waste and creates consistent cups every time.

• Precision electronic timer: Allows you to program grind times in 0.2 second increments, for complete control over dose and grind size. Great for repeatable precision.

• 160z sealed bean hopper: Keeps beans fresh by minimizing air exposure and preventing moisture. The locking system ensures a tight seal.

• Removable grounds bin: Holds up to 7.5oz of grounds and has an easy-release button for no-mess disposal. Minimizes counter clutter.

• Folding foot: Allows the grinder to stand upright or lie flat for storage. Great for tight spaces or easy packing while traveling.

• 2 year warranty: Provides peace of mind that the grinder is backed by Breville for quality and durability.

Ease of Use

The Breville Smart Grinder Pro is designed to be very easy and intuitive to use. The controls consist of a backlit LCD display and a simple dial on the side to adjust grind settings.

• The display clearly shows what setting you have selected and has buttons to adjust the number of shots, cups or manual grinding time. This makes dialing in the right grind size for espresso or batch brewing very straightforward.

• Cleaning the Smart Grinder Pro is also simple. The grounds container, portafilter cradle and upper burr are all removable and dishwasher safe. The hopper lid flips open for easy access to the burrs for cleaning with a brush.

• Overall, the grinder is very user-friendly. The menus are easy to navigate, it comes with detailed instructions, and the operations like grinding, adjusting settings, cleaning are all designed to be simple and hassle-free for the user. This makes the Smart Grinder Pro accessible even for beginners.

Value for Money

The Breville BCG820DCBXL Smart Grinder Pro typically retails for around $199 which puts it at the higher end of electric burr coffee grinders. However, when you consider the build quality, features, and performance it offers, it represents decent value.

The Breville Smart Grinder Pro is comparable to other premium coffee grinders like the Baratza Encore ($199) and OXO Brew Conical Burr grinder ($99) in price. The Baratza Encore is a similarly featured grinder though some may prefer the Breville for its minimal, sleek design and LCD display. The OXO model is less expensive but also offers less in terms of grind settings, build, and consistency.

Overall, while not cheap, the Breville Smart Grinder Pro delivers commercial-grade grinding you can consistently rely on and is reasonably priced for the quality. The impressive durability and reliability ensure years of daily use to recoup the initial investment. Considering the expertise Breville packs into this grinder, it offers good value for hobbyists and coffee enthusiasts seeking high-end grinding performance.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• High-powered 1800 watt direct drive motor provides fast grinding, even for large batches of coffee
• 60 precise grind settings to customize from ultrafine espresso to coarse French Press
• Automatic hands-free dosing directly into portafilter with preset single & double shots
• Heavy-duty all-metal construction with commercial quality conical burrs for precision grinding
• Durable stainless steel exterior with die-cast metal hopper and grounds bin
• Low noise operation and minimal static buildup during grinding
• Easy to use controls and settings with LCD display for grind time and shots
• Compact footprint takes up minimal counter space

Cons

• More expensive than comparable electric grinders
• No portafilter holder or grounds tray included
• Beans can jam if feed rate is too fast
• Grounds bin could be larger for high volume use
• No automatic shutoff feature for safety

Verdict

The Breville BCG820BSSXL Smart Grinder Pro is an excellent choice for both coffee enthusiasts and casual users looking for a high-performance burr grinder.

With 60 precise grind settings, dose control for accurate portions, and electronic timers for hands-free operation, the Breville makes it easy to achieve a consistent grind for various brew methods. The heavy-duty construction with stainless steel conical burrs can handle daily use with less wear over time.

While the $199 price tag is on the higher end, the features, versatility, and quality of the Breville justify the investment for those who are serious about their daily coffee. The grind consistency and dose accuracy delivers noticeably better flavor compared to blade grinders.

For those seeking the best grind at an affordable price, the Breville Smart Grinder Pro is hard to beat. Its combination of precision, automation, durability, and simplicity checks all the boxes for an exceptional home burr coffee grinder.

Alternatives

Other grinders to consider:

• Baratza Encore Conical Burr Coffee Grinder - The Baratza Encore is a very popular entry-level electric grinder known for consistent grinds and ease of use. It has 40 grind settings and a convenient pulse button for grinding directly into a portafilter. The Encore is less expensive than the Breville Smart Grinder Pro but also not quite as versatile.

• OXO Brew Conical Burr Coffee Grinder - The OXO Brew is a great mid-range electric grinder option made by a reputable kitchenware brand. It has 15 settings from fine to coarse, stainless steel conical burrs, and low noise operation. The OXO is easy to use with dedicated micro settings and direct portafilter grinding.

• 1Zpresso JX Manual Coffee Grinder - For those who want maximum control and consistency, the 1Zpresso JX is one of the best manual coffee grinders available. It has a durable aluminum body, 48 click settings, and exceptional grind uniformity rivaling electric grinders. The JX offers premium performance and portability in a manual hand grinder.

• Baratza Sette 30 Conical Burr Grinder - The Baratza Sette 30 is a high-end espresso-focused grinder known for its speed and ability to grind directly into a portafilter. It has 30 macro and 9 micro grind settings specifically calibrated for espresso. The Sette 30 produces incredibly consistent and fine espresso grinds perfect for home brewing.