# New member, thinking of sage smart pro



## Whitehackle (Apr 24, 2019)

I am new to this, and first though about buying a cheap grinder, but was told that I wouldn't be able to grind for espresso, so saved some money there.

I have been looking at mazzer super jolly grinders, but think I would be better with somthing smaller. So do you think that the sage smart pro would be good for me??? I know that the mazzer would be better, but Im thinking the sage will be a bit easier for me to learn with?

Thanks


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## firvulag (Jan 29, 2019)

Whitehackle said:


> I am new to this, and first though about buying a cheap grinder, but was told that I wouldn't be able to grind for espresso, so saved some money there.
> 
> I have been looking at mazzer super jolly grinders, but think I would be better with somthing smaller. So do you think that the sage smart pro would be good for me??? I know that the mazzer would be better, but Im thinking the sage will be a bit easier for me to learn with?
> 
> Thanks


You mention a smaller grinder almost like something that fits in a Niche

https://www.nichecoffee.co.uk/


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## Whitehackle (Apr 24, 2019)

I can not afford a niche


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## Iris (Oct 29, 2018)

I have a sage smart pro grinder, I accept its limitations that's its not going to be as good an expensive grinder in that smaller burrs it wont bring just as many flavour profiles from the beans, as you get what you pay for. However I must say I more than happy with the grinder, I have never had a bean I couldn't dial in with the sage grinder and always managed to get the taste notes out the bean that was described in the bean description. I like the fact its stepped its easy to use, a stepless grinder seems like hassle to me, the sage grinder is a great all rounder I can use to make a pretty decent espresso but also adjust it quickly and easily for making French press, pour over etc, and then quickly and easily back to espresso. Means its a good all rounder, good for most coffee methods so only one grinder needed for everything, great easy user friendly grinder.

The only thing is long term its not going to last as long as say a used mazzer or something along those lines, But I was happy enough when I got the sage grinder for £150 from Lakeland with 3 years warranty, don't care after the 3 years I would buy another if it stopped working and couldn't be fixed.

Just find the best price you can for and if then get Lakeland to pricematch it and by from them as they offer 3 year warranty more than most.

Lastly if you can afford a better grinder then great get it, it will be a better long term investment, however if your budget only stretches to a Sage then buy it as its honestly a decent grinder.


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## pgarrish (May 20, 2017)

Is the Sage voucher still available? That's a cheap way to get an SGP


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## matttan90 (Apr 11, 2019)

Iris said:


> I have a sage smart pro grinder, I accept its limitations that's its not going to be as good an expensive grinder in that smaller burrs it wont bring just as many flavour profiles from the beans, as you get what you pay for. However I must say I more than happy with the grinder, I have never had a bean I couldn't dial in with the sage grinder and always managed to get the taste notes out the bean that was described in the bean description. I like the fact its stepped its easy to use, a stepless grinder seems like hassle to me, the sage grinder is a great all rounder I can use to make a pretty decent espresso but also adjust it quickly and easily for making French press, pour over etc, and then quickly and easily back to espresso. Means its a good all rounder, good for most coffee methods so only one grinder needed for everything, great easy user friendly grinder.
> 
> The only thing is long term its not going to last as long as say a used mazzer or something along those lines, But I was happy enough when I got the sage grinder for £150 from Lakeland with 3 years warranty, don't care after the 3 years I would buy another if it stopped working and couldn't be fixed.
> 
> ...


I would like to echo this (great little grinder), though I don't have experience with other grinders to compare.. Just want to add:

- I found it hard swapping grind sizes between drinks because of some retention on the grinder meaning i'd get (a little of the old grind size) + (most of the new grind size) at each dose. Purging a little by sacrificing some beans helped me with this.


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## Jony (Sep 8, 2017)

I would be looking at a Mazzer bar far the better option. You will have to get past it's size and looks but it will last and produces good coffee.


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## Iris (Oct 29, 2018)

pgarrish said:


> Is the Sage voucher still available? That's a cheap way to get an SGP


no think that offer ended, plus the discount code was for coffee machines only, the grinder wasn't included in the offer.


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## pgarrish (May 20, 2017)

Iris said:


> no think that offer ended, plus the discount code was for coffee machines only, the grinder wasn't included in the offer.


but apart from that?


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## Iris (Oct 29, 2018)

pgarrish said:


> but apart from that?


yes would have been good if the voucher had of worked, think John Lewis is cheapest atm


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## pgarrish (May 20, 2017)

https://coffeeforums.co.uk/showthread.php?49874-SAGE-Smart-Grinder-Pro


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

Jony said:


> I would be looking at a Mazzer bar far the better option. You will have to get past it's size and looks but it will last and produces good coffee.


I would completely agree with this and to clarify he means a used Mazzer which can probably be had for around £150 ish


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## Nicknak (Aug 10, 2018)

DavecUK said:


> I would completely agree with this and to clarify he means a used Mazzer which can probably be had for around £150 ish


Did you ever fancy doing a review on one of these


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## Jollybean (May 19, 2013)

Super Jolly is the way to go if you want a better long term investment but if put off by the size my daughter's boyfriend bought a SGP which he is very happy with and he does make great tasting coffee with his Classic.


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## Whitehackle (Apr 24, 2019)

I dont know what to do now. I will have to think about it


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## ajohn (Sep 23, 2017)

The other aspect about an SGP against things people get up to with various commercial grinders is convenience. The aspect that doesn't get mentioned much. Search here on rubber lens hoods and clean sweep mods or buy an electronic commercial grinder. Good luck in the price range mentioned. If you buy one with a doser search again for octopus funnels 0r on ebay to see what those are for modification to replace a doser with. Various funnels can be used for the same thing. Depends on what can be found.

When you have a super jolly the next suggestion is big burrs and then probably a Niche or maybe even an EK43. All bound to make better coffee. If only life was that simple.

When any grinder is bought new there will be a loss when it's sold used. Niche currently would offer the lowest loss. Buy used and loss is dramatically reduced in fact some one may sell it for what they paid for it. Bought new the SGP probably looses more this way. Reckon on 100 to 120 or so when sold. On here probably made worse by the comments about them. I had some from people who have never even used one. Some from people who had an earlier model that could have problems.

Things do change when a grinder is changed the main one can be taste of the coffee that they *CAN* produce. The can depends one work flow, how much coffee is used, the ratio grams in to grams out and shot time. When some one say grinder A gives better results than grinder B it may just mean stronger. Like Iris I never had any problem achieving the taste notes a bean should have. In one case it took a rather dramatic change to what I usually do. Same is true of other grinders I have used on the same bean but I haven't achieved the same level of perfection with them yet.







Probably because I stumbled on the correct recipe via the SGP by accident and decided to taste it.

There is a lot of scope in the taste any grinder can produce. On Sage I would say I tended to use somewhat higher ratios than I did on flat also less coffee but some of that would be down to the machine I was using at the time. Niche needed slightly less coffee than flat and produced a stronger drink. Crema taste went more or less back to what it was via a Sage grinder. Flat gave it a slightly earthy taste so I stirred it away. Niche also produced more fines initially giving the drink more of an edge to it. That has mellowed with use.

So in your thought processes think about hassle with use. Many weigh beans in on commercial and modify them in various ways. For weighing in grinders with a funnel are a better option as all grinds can be brushed out. May not be so simple when they have a spout. Grinders with a doser get a clean sweep mod but some sweep better than others. Talking commercial and electronic I doubt if you will find even a poorly regarded on for the cost of a new SGP. Life - well one interesting thing on that is when I started with espresso both of the Sage burs could be bought. Not the inner one any more as far as I am aware.







I wonder why. How many kg before that needs replacing pass. The web suggests that people have used the earlier versions for circa a couple of years before anything needed replacing and the problem part has been updated.







Given peoples drive for better coffee I doubt if people keep them long enough to find out. People buy them used. I remember one person moving on because the motor speed varied as beans were being ground - well that's what the type of motor they are fitted with does.

Big flat. Not tried yet but I have a project one to work on and will have the time at some point to do that. I know from other ones that there is no way I would use it as it comes. SGP - just buy it and use it and if everything else you do is ok you will make good coffee.







Then at some point you will wonder about moving on - most do. However you will have gained experience the important thing what ever you buy.

John

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