Reading time 5 minutes: This is a short blog, you can find the more detailed version here on our Swiss website.
A good grinder for getting started in the world of espresso. There is a lot to suggest that we have found it with the Sage Smart Grinder Pro. With this test we are responding to many inquiries that have reached us by email. Our community is looking for an affordable entry-level grinder that is easy to use and provides the joy of fresh, properly ground espresso. We already tested the Sage Smart Grinder Pro in April 2020 and included it in our large espresso grinder comparison in 2022.
And the Smart Grinder Pro was convincing in both tests. For us it is and remains one of the most interesting mills to get started with.
What criteria are important to assess the quality of an espresso grinder?
- Does the grinder grind espresso fine? This is important so that enough resistance can be built up for the water and the desired throughput time of approx. 25 seconds is achieved.
- Is the ground material homogeneous? Ideally, the majority of the ground material is in the set range with a few outliers upwards or downwards. Too many outliers make the espresso too bitter or too sour.
- Easy to use: Can the grinding level be adjusted easily and as smoothly as possible?
- Consistency: Does the machine give consistent grinding results or is every grinding process a game of chance?
- Dead space: How much ground coffee remains in the machine after grinding? Too much and the next espresso tastes stale after just a few minutes.
- Warming up with regular use? If the grinding disks heat up, this can affect the taste.
- Does the grinder grind espresso fine? This is important so that enough resistance can be built up for the water and the desired throughput time of approx. 25 seconds is achieved.
Espresso-fine!
The machine does this without any problems. An espresso can be brewed within 25 or 30 seconds. The grinding degree is adjusted using a wheel that is attached to the front of the mill. The digital display shows the grinding level and what it is suitable for (filter, espresso, etc.). This is very clear and well solved.
What's a bit irritating, however, is that the clicks you feel from the wheel don't interact directly with the display. So it happens that we adjust three levels on the wheel, but only move forward two levels on the display. So you shouldn't rely too much on the large display. However, since coffee, as a natural product, is never exactly the same, it is normal that the grinder also needs to be readjusted from time to time.
The thing about the consistency of the espresso grinder
We made 40 espresso shots in a row. Yes, 40 pieces. And the consistency of the machine was impressive. We have set the target amount to 18 grams, which is achieved with the Sage Smart Grinder Pro over the course of a meal. For us it was 16 seconds. In these 40 purchases, the amount of coffee deviated from the target value by a maximum of 0.4 grams. That is really good!
How does the espresso taste and how consistently did it run?
Thanks to the easy-to-adjust grinding level, we were able to quickly and reliably set a good throughput time for our espresso. The espressos tasted balanced and delicious. Strangely enough, the lead time changed from purchase to purchase. If we started with 29 seconds, the tenth reference only ran much faster at 22 seconds. The ground material also warmed up noticeably over the rapid exposure. In the grinder's defense: it is a home barista machine and not a catering machine. It's rare that you drink 30 or more espressos one after the other in your home. If the throughput time is too short, you should simply readjust the mill briefly.
We are pleased with the particle distribution of the Sage Smart Grinder Pro. The main peak of the ground material is high and narrow in our diagram. This means that the vast majority of the ground material ejected is the same size, namely the size you set it to be. Only a small proportion is larger or smaller. This way you can be sure that the majority of your coffee puck in the portafilter is extracted at the right level and does not become too sour (under-extracted) or bitter (over-extracted). You can taste it in the cup too!
Operating the Sage Smart Espresso Grinder Pro
As described above, the machine is easy and easy to adjust. The side wheel and the feedback on the display give you the feeling of knowing exactly what the mill is doing. Compared to its smaller sister, the Sage Dose Control, it turns out that the display is a very helpful tool, especially for beginners, that you can rely on when finding the right grind level.
The default setting for the Sage as delivered is good. The vast majority of espresso beans can be ground well with it. However, it can happen that particularly light roasts fall outside the mill's adjustable range. Then it is necessary to roughly preset the grinding level. To do this, you have to preset the grinding disks from above. We'll show you this in our own video.
Dead space is the ground coffee residue in the grinder
After each grind, a little ground coffee remains in your grinder. It sits in the shaft, in small screw openings or cracks. Since ground coffee loses its aroma very quickly, this so-called dead space has a negative effect on your espresso. So the smaller this dead space is, the better it is. Our test also includes determining this dead space as accurately as possible by dismantling the machine and weighing every little grain.
According to our measurements, the Sage Smart Grinder Pro has a dead space of 2.7 grams of coffee. A grinder like the Niche Zero has almost zero grams, but a Graef CM800 has up to 8 grams of coffee powder in the dead space. Since the Smart Grinder Pro is more in the Graef league in terms of price, you can see that the size of the dead space is acceptable. Nevertheless, if the grinder has been left without grinding for more than 15 minutes, we recommend grinding a few grams of coffee and not using it before starting a new batch.
Nature and conclusion of the Sage Smart Grinder Pro
With its 22 cm width, 38 cm height and 15 cm depth, the mill fits pretty much anywhere. The housing is made of a combination of stainless steel and plastic and is of high quality. Everything feels pleasant to the touch and appears solid. We have not yet tested a better grinder in the price segment in which the Sage Smart Grinder Pro is located. So we can recommend it for beginners.
Finally, it should be said that we do not sell Sage products in our shop and are not paid by Sage for our test reports. We give our honest and as unbiased opinion as possible. If we say the grinder is good, it's because we tested it that way.
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