# Sage smart grinder pro



## Alex W (Jan 22, 2021)

Hi all

I'm new to the forum, having lurked for some time. I've recently purchased a gaggia selecta deluxe (it has the chassis of classic but internal parts I believe of a slightly lesser machine) for a very reasonable used priced. I previously about 5 years ago had a gaggia cubika which I never rated but this seems to be steps ahead (it may be that at the time I worked at costa and was used to their machine but haven't touched a commercial machine in at least 5 years). Thanks to one of the members I've already upgraded the steam wand and given a good descale.

I have a cuisinart grinder which I've never really rated for my filter and have tried it with my espresso machine and the grind is extremely inconsistent and poor meaning this will need to be the first upgrade.

There is a lot of discussion about the SGP on the forum but I can't find chatter about my specific query.

The SGP suits my needs because, amongst my new espresso machine, I regularly use a V60, aero press, french press and bialetti (variety being the spice of life..) and the SGP seems to be the most adept at easily switching between uses.

some people seem to rate the espresso grind and others not so much. Given my variety of applications and limited space on the countertop, I don't think i can justify several grinders for specific applications. Would the SGP suit and if not, what are the alternatives (I can easily find dedicated espresso grinders but none with such a wide range for multiple applications).

looking forward to some advice!

Alex


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## Rob1 (Apr 9, 2015)

It's a false economy to buy cheap. Based on the experience of other users you'll see the shortcomings of the SGP quite quickly. I can't say anything about it specifically but I can say, avoid cheap small conical burr grinders with poor alignment and poor burr mounting. I'm not sure the Iberital MC2 was bad because it was plastic and the burrs would move under stress, or if it was all down to the motor, probably a mix of the two. I've also had a delonghi grinder that was a similar story to the MC2 only somehow much worse. I've had hand grinders with 'floating' burrs that didn't have bearings directly above or below the burrs and compared to grinders with double or triple bearings (a bearing above and below the burrs at least, one at the top where you crank if there's a third) there is absolutely no comparison even though the burr sets are the same size. With that in mind I'd always advise a good hand grinder like a Lido or 1zpresso JX/JX-Pro (which many currently have on the forum), there are plenty of other good hand grinders around too. The reason I'd advise them is they hold their value very well and will provide a very good grind quality for all your brew methods; should you wish to upgrade or switch to a motorised grinder in the future reselling won't be difficult and you won't lose nearly as much as with a motorised grinder.

This kickstarter looks very promising for a hand grinder that's also designed to be motorised.

https://www.coffeeforums.co.uk/index.php?app=core&module=system&controller=embed&url=https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/goat-mug/arco-2-in-1-coffee-grinder?ref=5lnilp%26gclid=CjwKCAiA9bmABhBbEiwASb35V22ILhEhX_gTkpp8zSoe1_WHrNxPbv4r9J4u56d-QbyEIVQjODMGNRoCjZkQAvD_BwE

RE Machine, looking through this thread might be useful to you. Had a quick glance and there doesn't seem to be much to do.

https://www.coffeeforums.co.uk/topic/50834-lockdown-project-gaggia-selecta-deluxe-conversion-to-gaggia-classic/?do=embed

.


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## Stox (Jul 19, 2020)

I've got a SGP that I used for a month or two before I found something far better suited to my habits in the For Sale section of this forum - I need to post it onto ebay at some point.

It did the job, and my one was able to grind high-altitude light roasts fine enough to choke a Gaggia Classic without needing to change the default calibration.

It has lots of features and bells/whistles that I really didn't use, it's not very easy to clean, using the supplied grinds bin is a static nightmare, and I suspect something would wear out or break shortly after the warranty period expired. You should assume that the £200 you spend on one of these grinders will last you a couple of years of light domestic use (2-3 cups of coffee/day tops), after which you will need to replace it.


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## DarkShadow (Jan 14, 2021)

I spent months researching the very same topic. I ended up getting the SGP against what I had researched as I got it fairly priced. Honestly? It's a decent bit of kit for the price and a good introduction to the world of grinding. Best of all; it holds it's resale value.

Those that slate it, there's a few reviewers that are in the 5year club on the original set up. So go figure. Whatever you're getting without jumping to the bigger machines are fairly similar in this price bracket. I wouldn't lose sleep over it.


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## Rob1 (Apr 9, 2015)

DarkShadow said:


> Those that slate it, there's a few reviewers that are in the 5year club on the original set up.


 What's the 5 year club?


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## DarkShadow (Jan 14, 2021)

In owning the SGP: https://coffeeblog.co.uk/sage-smart-grinder-pro-review-3/


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## SiW (Jan 25, 2021)

Alex W said:


> Hi all
> 
> I'm new to the forum, having lurked for some time. I've recently purchased a gaggia selecta deluxe (it has the chassis of classic but internal parts I believe of a slightly lesser machine) for a very reasonable used priced. I previously about 5 years ago had a gaggia cubika which I never rated but this seems to be steps ahead (it may be that at the time I worked at costa and was used to their machine but haven't touched a commercial machine in at least 5 years). Thanks to one of the members I've already upgraded the steam wand and given a good descale.
> 
> ...


 I am in the same boat. I am looking of buying either SGP or Eureka Mignon SPECIALITA' to carry out my needs.

*My requirements*



Mainly for expresso - switching between decaf and light roasted beans - 2-4 shots per day


On occasion, filter and french press - once a week or less


I am aware of Eureka PERFETTO however not keen on their 3/4 turn covering expresso to french press. Would rather to opt for SPECIALITA', which has 2 full turns for precision


Cons with SGP, I have read a few comments stating that there is a lack of tuning e.g. going from setting 11.6 to 11.7 (from burr adjustment) resulting too much change when pulling a shot.

Cons with Mignon, lack of ability to switch back to your old setting (for espresso for example after having a filter coffee).

Would like to point out that I don't mind having a somewhat decent shot after changing the setting from French press for example (when i say a somehow decent shot - i mean my coffee machine takes approx. 25-35 seconds to complete the shot). Then it would take about 3-4 further tunings to perfect it.


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## Rob1 (Apr 9, 2015)

Hmmm...I read that review. It's written by someone with little to no experience of other grinders to compare it to, so it seems anyway. I think it is probably the best thing in the price point without going for a hand grinder or second hand. Going for a second hand Mignon or something though won't be suitable for switching between multiple brew methods.

The thing that stood out to me as odd is the fact he used it for years without cleaning it yet apparently never experienced any issues with the taste of the coffee that made him question things...He just kept saying how great it was. I can taste the difference when I give my grinder a proper clean after a month or two, I can't imagine going a year or two without experiencing issues. The differences between beans become less distinct and there's an odd metallic tainted/rancid/dirty taste when things get really bad.



> I'm just as impressed with the grinder now as I was when I first started using it, and I've used it with various different manual brewers, and also with my Gaggia Classic, and now with my La Pavoni Europiccola. If this broke tomorrow (I hope it doesn't&#8230 I would happily go out and replace it with another of the same model. There is nothing lacking, there's no downside to this machine, it's just brilliant!
> 
> ...............
> 
> When I did my Barista training recently, I was made aware just how important it is to keep your grinder clean, and to regularly take the burs off and properly clean everything. Up until this point I don't think I'd actually ever cleaned the grinder properly other than giving it a quick brush.


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## Rob1 (Apr 9, 2015)

SiW said:


> I am in the same boat. I am looking of buying either SGP or Eureka Mignon SPECIALITA' to carry out my needs.
> 
> *My requirements*
> 
> ...


 Welcome to the forum. There's no x in espresso :exit:

RE Cons with Mignon and adjustment mechanism. I'm not sure the labels on the dial mean much. They might have changed things from their old Mk2 but it's infinitely adjustable from full open to fully closed and the labels on the dial just indicated which way to turn for coarser and finer. If it's true they have a limited turning then the Specialita will have a finer resolution and be easier to dial in. The issues with changing grind size relate to the need to really single dose it if switching regularly which means it won't deliver the best grind quality it can. Going fine to coarse can be done without the motor running, but going coarse to fine should and can only be done with the motor running....there's no reason you can't get back to the same espresso setting through if you precisely turn the adjustment mechanism e.g. two full turns coarser and then two full turns finer + a 3g purge or so should see you back at your same setting, it's just harder because adjustment on the Mignons is very fine.


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## SiW (Jan 25, 2021)

Rob1 said:


> Welcome to the forum. There's no x in espresso :exit:
> 
> RE Cons with Mignon and adjustment mechanism. I'm not sure the labels on the dial mean much. They might have changed things from their old Mk2 but it's infinitely adjustable from full open to fully closed and the labels on the dial just indicated which way to turn for coarser and finer. If it's true they have a limited turning then the Specialita will have a finer resolution and be easier to dial in. The issues with changing grind size relate to the need to really single dose it if switching regularly which means it won't deliver the best grind quality it can. Going fine to coarse can be done without the motor running, but going coarse to fine should and can only be done with the motor running....there's no reason you can't get back to the same espresso setting through if you precisely turn the adjustment mechanism e.g. two full turns coarser and then two full turns finer + a 3g purge or so should see you back at your same setting, it's just harder because adjustment on the Mignons is very fine.


 Thanks for pointing that out  🙈

https://www.eureka.co.it/public/files/catalogo/20/Mignon - User Manual.pdf on page 20, the knob seems to have numbers indicated along with a line pointer. So can imagine this enables the estimation of your previous set-up, and this will only get better after 2-3 fine tunings.

https://www.bellabarista.co.uk/pdf/compact-grinder-1-closerlook.pdf confirms (page 7) that Mignon SPECIALITA' has approx. 2 full turns


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## Aaronsheehan (Jan 25, 2021)

Was considering this grinder too.


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## Bladevane (Aug 14, 2019)

Personal choice I know but I have 2 SGPs. One for my fully ferritic coffee during the day and the other for my decaf in the evening. Both work well and produce repeatable results. Easy to adjust both for time and fineness. My only complaint is that the coffee can spill over the basket so I have designed and 3D printed 2 partial funnels. 1 goes inside the basket and the other sits on the outside. (In case you are wondering I only use 1 at a time!). Both do the job they were designed for and allow automatic switch on of the grinders whilst eliminating coffee spillage.


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## SiW (Jan 25, 2021)

Ended up ordering a Sage Smart Pro Grinder from John Lewis two days ago despite looking to get an Eureka Mignon.

Arrived today and tested with Decaf beans (Waitrose No.1 Peru Decaffeinated). Tuned the grinder to setting 1.1 (including the burr setting), but the shot (18g to 36g) came through less than 10 seconds unfortunately. Sending the grinder back tomorrow so will have to cough up for Eureka Mignon.


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## earthflattener (Jul 27, 2015)

SiW said:


> Ended up ordering a Sage Smart Pro Grinder from John Lewis two days ago despite looking to get an Eureka Mignon.
> 
> Arrived today and tested with Decaf beans (Waitrose No.1 Peru Decaffeinated). Tuned the grinder to setting 1.1 (including the burr setting), but the shot (18g to 36g) came through less than 10 seconds unfortunately. Sending the grinder back tomorrow so will have to cough up for Eureka Mignon.


 It's not the greatest grinder in the world, but it's not the worst and it does grind coffee for many, many setups. There is clearly something very wrong, but are you sure it is the grinder, rather than settings or the beans themselves being completely dried out?


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## SiW (Jan 25, 2021)

earthflattener said:


> It's not the greatest grinder in the world, but it's not the worst and it does grind coffee for many, many setups. There is clearly something very wrong, but are you sure it is the grinder, rather than settings or the beans themselves being completely dried out?


 I bought the beans about two weeks ago but again it's a supermarket brand's beans so it's probably has been dried out for SPG's liking.

However I have thought this out and my conclusions are that I do not want to limit myself to certain decaf beans to suit SGP in future. Additionally, SGP will wear out eventually so it only gonna get worsened as the time rolls. So i think Mignon is a better investment even though it costs nearly two times for new one.


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## dutchy101 (Jun 12, 2020)

I have the SGP - it's my first grinder and whilst I gather it's not the best grinder out there - it's been great for my needs. I am yet to go below grind setting 9 in 6 months of owning the grinder and I haven't adjusted the burrs (making cappuccinos)

To be fair I'm not sure using a supermarket coffee bean is really a true reflection on the performance of a grinder.

Maybe get some fresh beans from a roaster where you know the roast date and give it a go before you send it back. When you bought the beans is irrelevant - the roast date is what you need to know here. Not sure you're giving it a fair chance to be honest


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## earthflattener (Jul 27, 2015)

SiW said:


> I bought the beans about two weeks ago but again it's a supermarket brand's beans so it's probably has been dried out for SPG's liking.
> 
> However I have thought this out and my conclusions are that I do not want to limit myself to certain decaf beans to suit SGP in future. Additionally, SGP will wear out eventually so it only gonna get worsened as the time rolls. So i think Mignon is a better investment even though it costs nearly two times for new one.


 You can have the best grinder in the world, but rubbish in gives rubbish out. I'm not trying to put you off getting a mignon, but if the beans are the issue (and that is the most likely candidate), you will get the same result at twice the cost or five times the cost. I'd agree with dutchy101. It might be worth getting a pack of freshly roast coffee and trying with those. In the end supermarket beans won't cut it, whatever the grinder, so you will have to get used to buying fresh anyhow. If you don't actually mind spending double the price, then go with the mignon, though you won't get double the quality. Or consider a second hand grinder from here or a good quality hand grinder for about the same price.


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## SiW (Jan 25, 2021)

earthflattener said:


> You can have the best grinder in the world, but rubbish in gives rubbish out. I'm not trying to put you off getting a mignon, but if the beans are the issue (and that is the most likely candidate), you will get the same result at twice the cost or five times the cost. I'd agree with dutchy101. It might be worth getting a pack of freshly roast coffee and trying with those. In the end supermarket beans won't cut it, whatever the grinder, so you will have to get used to buying fresh anyhow. If you don't actually mind spending double the price, then go with the mignon, though you won't get double the quality. Or consider a second hand grinder from here or a good quality hand grinder for about the same price.


You both have convinced me to hold off the mignon option. Will try out my local decaf beans tomorrow .

Giving the hand grinder option a miss as too much faff.


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## Waitforme (Dec 13, 2020)

SiW said:


> Thanks for pointing that out  🙈
> 
> https://www.eureka.co.it/public/files/catalogo/20/Mignon - User Manual.pdf on page 20, the knob seems to have numbers indicated along with a line pointer. So can imagine this enables the estimation of your previous set-up, and this will only get better after 2-3 fine tunings.
> 
> https://www.bellabarista.co.uk/pdf/compact-grinder-1-closerlook.pdf confirms (page 7) that Mignon SPECIALITA' has approx. 2 full turns


 The Eureka Specialita isn't 2 full turns, not sure how many it is but it's lots !
That's not a Specialita in that test.


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## Nonsmoker (Jan 17, 2021)

I was having this dilemma SGP vs Mignon and I then looked at the Mignon crono which I ordered and so pleased I did does the job wonderful lovely little grinder. There's a notch on the front to reference and numbers on the nob just got to remember how many times around to get to where you want. And less money than the SGP!


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## SiW (Jan 25, 2021)

Nonsmoker said:


> I was having this dilemma SGP vs Mignon and I then looked at the Mignon crono which I ordered and so pleased I did does the job wonderful lovely little grinder. There's a notch on the front to reference and numbers on the nob just got to remember how many times around to get to where you want. And less money than the SGP!


How many turns if you need to go from espresso to French press for example? Glad you are pleased with your purchase.


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## SiW (Jan 25, 2021)

Waitforme said:


> The Eureka Specialita isn't 2 full turns, not sure how many it is but it's lots !
> That's not a Specialita in that test.


 1.5 turns for espresso to filter according to Clive's video below (from 2.35) so 2 full turns sound about right.


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## SiW (Jan 25, 2021)

dutchy101 said:


> I have the SGP - it's my first grinder and whilst I gather it's not the best grinder out there - it's been great for my needs. I am yet to go below grind setting 9 in 6 months of owning the grinder and I haven't adjusted the burrs (making cappuccinos)
> 
> To be fair I'm not sure using a supermarket coffee bean is really a true reflection on the performance of a grinder.
> 
> Maybe get some fresh beans from a roaster where you know the roast date and give it a go before you send it back. When you bought the beans is irrelevant - the roast date is what you need to know here. Not sure you're giving it a fair chance to be honest





earthflattener said:


> You can have the best grinder in the world, but rubbish in gives rubbish out. I'm not trying to put you off getting a mignon, but if the beans are the issue (and that is the most likely candidate), you will get the same result at twice the cost or five times the cost. I'd agree with dutchy101. It might be worth getting a pack of freshly roast coffee and trying with those. In the end supermarket beans won't cut it, whatever the grinder, so you will have to get used to buying fresh anyhow. If you don't actually mind spending double the price, then go with the mignon, though you won't get double the quality. Or consider a second hand grinder from here or a good quality hand grinder for about the same price.


 Good news, as you both pointed out. Have just tried the locally roasted decaf beans. It worked with 6.6 burr setting utilising 19g coffee yielding 40g shot in 36 seconds. Keeping the Sage Smart Grinder Pro. Thanks again for helping out.


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## dutchy101 (Jun 12, 2020)

Cool - glad it helped.


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## Alex W (Jan 22, 2021)

Being a newbie I hadn't realised so many people had replied!

Thanks all for comments. The replies were mixed so I decided that, given the used price for SGPs was soo strong (circa £130 against £170 cost at John Lewis with discount) I would take the risk and if needs be suffer from upgradeitis in due course.

Picked up yesterday so have had a good amount of play on it, with some 20 or so shots pulled through to test and a few cafetieres and one bialetti to test versatility.

I will post full thoughts later but initial comments are:

- it is so easy to use. I really Think as an entry level grinder it is superb. dialling in only took a few shots and whilst you lack the stepless adjustments on other models, I really think you'd struggle to notice at an entry level.

- It goes from espresso to other grind types extremely easy. Note that the first 3-4g will come out as previous grind though so I grind for a few seconds first, throw away and then continue for next brew type. Not sure anyway around this but expect this to be the trade off for versatility. 
- build quality seems excellent but there is a lot of electronic wizardry going on. John Lewis give a 2 year warranty as does sage so either way, I think you're covered but I wouldn't expect this product to be sitting on my counter for 10 years like my gaggia, however for the price I think that is entirely acceptable

I will revert on any queries but v pleased so far!


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## lapismetal (Nov 17, 2020)

Hi there, hope the original poster doesn't mind me asking a question regarding the Sage smart grinder here- it's a recent post and didn't want to start a whole new thread on it.

I also own a Gaggia Classic and am looking for a grinder for it. These forums are very helpful but also overwhelming with all the information. Reading this thread I finally decided I would purchase the Sage smart grinder (even though reviews on this seem conflicting!) and then when I went to the description of it on amazon saw that the filter size that fits it is 50-54mm or 58mm. Now, my filter is 58.5mm, can anyone tell me if this means it won't fit? Obviously don't want to buy one if it won't fit by 1/2 a mm.

Honestly I thought choosing the coffee machine was hard, but actually finding the grinder the hardest part!

If anyone can help with my question it would be very appreciated-thanks,

Lisa


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## SiW (Jan 25, 2021)

lapismetal said:


> Hi there, hope the original poster doesn't mind me asking a question regarding the Sage smart grinder here- it's a recent post and didn't want to start a whole new thread on it.
> I also own a Gaggia Classic and am looking for a grinder for it. These forums are very helpful but also overwhelming with all the information. Reading this thread I finally decided I would purchase the Sage smart grinder (even though reviews on this seem conflicting!) and then when I went to the description of it on amazon saw that the filter size that fits it is 50-54mm or 58mm. Now, my filter is 58.5mm, can anyone tell me if this means it won't fit? Obviously don't want to buy one if it won't fit by 1/2 a mm.
> Honestly I thought choosing the coffee machine was hard, but actually finding the grinder the hardest part!
> If anyone can help with my question it would be very appreciated-thanks,
> Lisa


The 58mm portafilter holder for SGP is made out of plastic and it's quite flexible so I think it will be able to take a 58.5mm portafilter


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## lapismetal (Nov 17, 2020)

Okay that's good to know thank you 😊


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## Alex W (Jan 22, 2021)

Yes it fits absolutely fine - let me know if you want a picture with it in.


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## Alex W (Jan 22, 2021)

I should also say that when I bought it it didn't mention that there was a small button behind the portafilter holder that when you press, it starts grinding. Great idea!


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## dutchy101 (Jun 12, 2020)

It also pauses the grind if you press whilst grinding if you want to take the portafilter off to settle the grinds.

Push the button again to restart (but you only get 10 seconds before it resets)


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## lapismetal (Nov 17, 2020)

Thanks both- yeah I saw that button feature behind is pretty smart. This actually makes my decision harder 😂 Torn between the Sage and Mignon Crono. What I like about the Crono is the larger plastic funnel that the ground beans can fall into. When I thought about grinders I never imagined I would grind it straight into the portafilter, but that I would do it more in batches every few days- although the idea to do it straight into the portafilter seems like it would still be a fairly quick process.

It's good to have it narrowed down to only two at least!


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## Alex W (Jan 22, 2021)

Thanks Dutchy - I hadn't realised!

lapis - you will want to grind on demand for espresso each time rather than doing batches. ground coffee goes stale very quickly


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