# Sage Smartgrinder Pro



## NewboyUK (Jul 14, 2018)

Just wondering if anyone uses these and whats the general feeling on them?


----------



## facboy (Dec 13, 2019)

i think search is your friend, really. there are loads of posts about it.


----------



## lake_m (Feb 4, 2017)

I've not had a good experience and got rid fairly quickly. Others have fared better. If darker roasts are your thing then you should be OK. Consistency and inability to grind fine without major channelling seems to be the big issue.


----------



## Stox (Jul 19, 2020)

I've had one for 3 months to go with my Gaggia Classic - both bought brand new. This is my first setup so I cannot compare it with anything else.

- seems to be built well for the price and should last fairly well on a light domestic duty of around 0.5-1Kg of beans/week.

- I have found a lot of the features and supplied accessories are of limited use: I would have been just as happy with the cheaper Dose Control Pro but decided to go with the SGP anyway on the basis that I would probably get the extra money back when I want to sell it and upgrade.

- If you *always* use the same beans and doses then the timer functions and portafilter cradle might be useful, but I change beans every 250 or 500g and setting it all up is just too much faff.

- I found the included grind bean to be fairly useless - a lot of coffee misses the hole in the top so it gets messy, and it's hard to get ground coffee out of the bin without also making a mess. Instead, I use a dosing cup sitting on a small digital scale under the spout and find I can dose accurately with minimal wastage.

- I haven't noticed any consistency or channeling issues: I think this is all about careful distribution and tamping.

- I tend to grind a variety of lighter high-altitude roasts and have found it will go fine enough to choke a Gaggia Classic, without altering the factory calibrated setting, with anything I throw at it.

- It's very easy to take off the top burr carrier for cleaning, but the included cleaning brush just chases debris around the grind chamber. You could invert the whole machine to shake everything out. My solution was to purchase a cheap £10 Chinese USB powered micro-vacuum cleaner specifically for coffee cleaning purposes. I attach a suitable length of 12mm silicone rubber tube to it that I can shove up the outlet to suck out anything trapped in there and it works very well.

I think if they had gone for a 'less is more' approach with a simple mechanical scale for the grind setting, dispensed with the fancy LCD display and electronics, and then spent the savings on improved mechanicals and reducing the grind retention (which is not that excessive) they would have a 'budget Niche' with a decent sized hopper that would be a winner.


----------



## 24774 (Mar 8, 2020)

Stox said:


> £10 Chinese USB powered micro-vacuum cleaner specifically for coffee cleaning purposes


 Have you got a link for that please? Wouldn't mind checking that out.


----------



## TomHughes (Dec 16, 2019)

lake_m said:


> I've not had a good experience and got rid fairly quickly. Others have fared better. If darker roasts are your thing then you should be OK. Consistency and inability to grind fine without major channelling seems to be the big issue.


 This, the sage grinder is certainly not terrible and not bad for the price really. 
But it has tiny burrs and a weak motor, so if you are grinding fairly easy to grind beans (i.e. darker, softer beans i.e. something like a brazilian) 
But put anything hard, high grown or light roasted in it and it will produce a horribly inconsistent grind that will border on unusable.

The extra load it requires to grind a hard bean versus a dark roasted soft bean is huge, I found this out recently switching to a hand grinder. 
The difference in effort required is remarkable. 
My wife could happily grind the Brazilian bean but couldn't even turn the handle with a high grown Guatemalan.

So as others have said it depends what you are after.

Personally I would save my money and get a decent hand grinder like the JX Pro


----------



## Stox (Jul 19, 2020)

CocoLoco said:


> Have you got a link for that please? Wouldn't mind checking that out.


 This is what is in my purchase history, but you'll find lots of almost identical versions elsewhere and on Amazon.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Micro-Vacuum-Cleaner-Mini-USB-Attachment-Tool-Kit-Computer-Desk-Keyboard-Car/293596097323?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

It's not particularly strong in terms of suction, and not very well built - as you would expect - but it does the job.


----------



## Stox (Jul 19, 2020)

TomHughes said:


> But put anything hard, high grown or light roasted in it and it will produce a horribly inconsistent grind that will border on unusable


 How high and/or light?

My SGP has crunched through beans like these and they've been my most successful shots to date:

https://assemblycoffee.co.uk/products/rwanda-bumbogo




https://thecoffeeroasters.co.uk/products/horsham-coffee-roaster-rwanda-liza-washing-station-thin-natural




It's a brand new grinder so I couldn't comment on whether it will still do this after a year or two.


----------



## 24774 (Mar 8, 2020)

Stox said:


> This is what is in my purchase history, but you'll find lots of almost identical versions elsewhere and on Amazon.
> 
> https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Micro-Vacuum-Cleaner-Mini-USB-Attachment-Tool-Kit-Computer-Desk-Keyboard-Car/293596097323?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
> 
> It's not particularly strong in terms of suction, and not very well built - as you would expect - but it does the job.


 Thanks for that. It would just be for coffee grounds around the prep surface and grinder like you're using it for so I'll go ahead. Do you remember the brand name on the item/box, is it 'Honk' by any chance? Only ask as that's the main one on Amazon, looks exactly the same just more expensive.


----------



## Stox (Jul 19, 2020)

CocoLoco said:


> Thanks for that. It would just be for coffee grounds around the prep surface and grinder like you're using it for so I'll go ahead. Do you remember the brand name on the item/box, is it 'Honk' by any chance? Only ask as that's the main one on Amazon, looks exactly the same just more expensive.


 The box was unbranded as far as I recall. Make sure you check the small print and get exactly what you want because there are versions with a rechargeable internal battery. You'll need a reasonably beefy USB mains charger/adapter to drive the one I've linked; when I tried it with a portable USB battery pack it (the battery pack) wouldn't play.


----------



## Bicky (Oct 24, 2019)

Had mine two years and it's never skipped a beat (I never use super light roast though). I have no regrets for the price I paid for it, and it being my first grinder. I think the alternatives at this price point are a hand grinder, used commercial, or entry level mignon (for a bit more money)? Each have different pros and cons I would say.

I've considered upgrading a couple of times, but in the end I've never felt compelled enough to do so. I recently bought a 1Zpresso JX Pro and while I haven't done any side by side cupping or anything like that, I think I'd be hard pushed to say one is better than the other in terms of 'in the cup' quality. I guess everyone's expectations (or skill at tasting?) are different.


----------



## Stox (Jul 19, 2020)

TomHughes said:


> This, the sage grinder is certainly not terrible and not bad for the price really.
> But it has tiny burrs and a weak motor, so if you are grinding fairly easy to grind beans (i.e. darker, softer beans i.e. something like a brazilian)
> But put anything hard, high grown or light roasted in it and it will produce a horribly inconsistent grind that will border on unusable.
> 
> ...


 Do you have a link or other pointer towards a 'high grown Guatemalan'? I would be very interested in buying a bag to see what happens.


----------



## TomHughes (Dec 16, 2019)

Stox said:


> Do you have a link or other pointer towards a 'high grown Guatemalan'? I would be very interested in buying a bag to see what happens.


 I tend to roast the Black Cat one, but he's out of stock.
This is what I used to roast.
https://www.coffeecompass.co.uk/collections/central-america/products/guatemala-finca-bourbon-100-bourbon-500g


----------



## dutchy101 (Jun 12, 2020)

I've had one for 3 months and I really like it. It's my first grinder in a beginner's set up (paired with a Bambino Plus) and it seems to do a great job for what I use it for. I only drink cappuccinos and dark roasts - I am yet to try light roasts so can't comment on how well it performs there. From a footprint and aesthetic perspective it's perfect for my kitchen so very happy with my purchase overall. £199 from Lakeland with a 3 year guarantee.


----------

