Sage Smart Grinder Pro – Best entry-level espresso grinder?

Which espresso grinder is best suited for beginners? There's a lot to be said for the Sage Smart Grinder Pro earning exactly that title.

The question about very good entry-level grinders has been on our minds for some time now, especially since we receive emails and comments with exactly this question every day. That's why over the years we've deliberately tested entry-level grinders in this price range. The Sage Smart Grinder Pro has now completed two tests with us: In April 2020, I was able to examine the grinder with vice-barista champion Felix Hohlmann, and in 2022 it was part of our large espresso grinder comparison of 24 Kaffeemacher for home use.

In both test runs, the Sage Smart Grinder Pro impressed us. For us, it was one of the most interesting espresso grinders for getting started in the world of coffee.

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What criteria are important for assessing the quality of an espresso grinder?

• Does the grinder grind espresso-fine? Can the grind setting be adjusted fine enough that sufficient resistance builds up in the portafilter so the espresso doesn't run through too quickly. (Guide: how to adjust espresso.)
• Is the ground coffee homogeneous? Most of the ground coffee should match the target size and not clump. Many smaller or larger particles lead to increased acidity or bitterness in the taste.
• Is operation simple? Can the grind setting be adjusted in steps or continuously, and is it easy to readjust the internal grinding mechanism?
• How consistently does the grinder work? Does it dispense the desired amount of coffee consistently over multiple shots, or does it vary from shot to shot?
• Retention: How much coffee remains in the grinding mechanism after grinding and is thus "old" coffee in the next grind?
• Heating from regular use: Do the grinding discs and thus also the coffee heat up noticeably through use? This can lead to taste changes.

These criteria also form the basis of our test protocol for espresso grinders.

Espresso-fine!

The grind setting of the espresso grinder can easily be adjusted fine enough so that a good espresso can be brewed in 25 or 30 seconds. The grind setting adjustment is made via the dial on the right side of the grinder. The digital display indicates which grind setting is currently set. This helps with orientation.

Somewhat confusing is that when turning the grind adjustment dial, stepwise adjustments of a gear wheel are felt that don't always correspond with the digital display. For example, if you adjust three steps of the gear wheel, the digital display sometimes only jumps two steps further. As a consequence, you shouldn't completely rely on the grind display, which in our view isn't really possible anyway. Coffee is a natural product that changes due to external influences. For example, if the humidity in the room increases, the coffee powder clumps more, and the grinder should be adjusted slightly.

Working with an espresso grinder in this sense is never a closed process. Slight corrections are simply made from shot to shot.

The matter of grinder consistency

We performed 40 espresso shots in succession. The grinder's consistency was remarkable. We had set the grinder to a target amount of 18 grams. With the Sage Smart Grinder Pro, this setting is made via the grinding time. On a programmable button we set a grinding time of 16 seconds, determined through trial and weighing. 16 seconds is relatively long compared to professional grinders, but comparable to other grinders up to 500 euros. Commercial grinders grind an amount of about 18 grams in 3 to 6 seconds.

Over 40 shots, the result varied by a maximum of 0.4 grams. This value is very good and actually comparable to professional espresso grinders. In this case, it speaks in favor of the household grinder, because we've long wondered why commercial grinders aren't more precise.

The large variations in some grinders are one reason why at barista championships, participants weigh each individual shot with a scale.

How did the espresso taste, and how consistently did it run?

By adjusting the grind setting, we quickly achieved a good espresso. It was balanced and met all expectations we have for our Dreispitz Espresso. Notably, after several consecutive shots, the extraction time became increasingly shorter. Where we had extraction times of 29 seconds with the first shots, the tenth espresso only ran for 22 seconds. The repeated shots also led to significant heating of the ground coffee.

It should be noted with reservation that the grinder is not designed for such continuous use. This should be kept in mind when using it. By slight adjustment, the grind and thus the extraction can be kept constant. However, too-frequent grinding in a short time should still be avoided: overly heated coffee tastes noticeably different, and the grinder's longevity would suffer as well.

Our data collected in 2021/22 also shows the Sage Smart Grinder Pro, like its smaller sibling, the Sage Dose Control, with a good, narrow main peak. The more particles in this range, the more accurately the desired grind size is hit: The Sage Smart Grinder Pro was among the better grinders in the field of 24 tested espresso grinders. To explain x50, fine fraction and peak width, we have a separate knowledge article on particle distribution.

The fine peak was on the higher side for the Sage Smart Grinder Pro. In terms of taste, this manifested itself in the texture and a certain bitterness, which however did not dominate the coffee in our tastings.

Operating the Sage Smart Grinder Pro

Operating the grinder is straightforward. The side dial turns smoothly, and the digital display gives an idea of which grind setting you're at. The programmable grinding time is consistent, and eight programming options are possible. That's more than most people need, but it doesn't get in the way.

For comparison, we also have the Sage Dose Control. It looks structurally identical but omits the digital display. Our impression: Especially for beginners, the display is a practical helpful tool.

Like with the Sage Barista Pro and Sage Express espresso machines, you can fine-tune the grind setting if the base setting is too fine or too coarse. Because we receive many questions about these two devices, we've put together a separate FAQ page.

All grinders have a base grind setting. This works for most coffees, but light or dark roasted coffees can fall outside the range. Then the base adjustment of the grinding mechanism can be changed as shown in the following video.

Retention: ground coffee residue in the grinder

After each grind, some coffee powder remains in almost every grinder, in small crevices, screw openings, between the grinding discs. The more coffee powder remains in such cavities, the more it affects the next espresso extraction. The more regularly a grinder is used, the less of a problem it is, and the longer ground coffee sits in the grinder, the more it influences taste and extraction on the next shot.

With the Sage Smart Grinder Pro, we weighed approximately 2.7 grams of coffee in the retention. To do this, we took apart the grinding mechanism and swept everything together. Compared to the Niche Zero, which has only 0.47 grams of retention, that's a lot. Compared to the Graef CM800 with its measured 8 grams of retention, it's a manageable value. The Graef is the actual competitor to the Sage Smart Grinder Pro in terms of price, and the Sage wins this comparison.

We would still always recommend: Once the grinder sits for longer than 15 minutes, simply grind out a few grams. This ensures that the next espresso is not brewed with old coffee.

Build quality

A correction to our video: There we mention that there is no portafilter holder on the grinder. That's not correct. There are actually two, so the portafilter can be set down while the grinder grinds into it. This works with portafilters of 50 to 58 millimeter diameter.

The grinder is very compact with a width of 22 cm, height of 38 cm and depth of 15 cm. The housing is made of stainless steel and plastic.