# Sage Smart Grinder



## Slee

So... after much deliberation and thanks to CoffeeChap I've got myself a Sage Smart Grinder.

I was after a mignon but couldn't find one second hand.

I will have a go with this one and maybe in the future get the mignon.

Compared to my last grinder which was a shimmed cuisine art, I'm in heaven









Still dialling it in but first one out i saw the creme and had to taste it. Already better but with the beans I'm using which are 2 weeks old I'm on the finest grind setting.

Will get some fresh beans asap and see how i go with them, I'm sure i can go back a few notches.


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## Glenn

Is your Sage Smart Grinder pre-shimmed?

If not, then shimming will help you go finer still


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## Callum

Supposedly the newer smart grinders come pre shimmed.

Mine was not and found myself always grinding on minimum.

Id give Sage a call and ask them to send you out a shim kit. Even if you dont use it, its handy to have.


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## Slee

I believe mine is shimmed, so hopefully when i get some more beans it should be ok


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## RossT

What machine are you using it with? I'm thinking of moving from classic to the sage dual boiler and like the idea of having a matching grinder (as it's to go into my new kitchen) sitting beside it.

Be interesting to see what you think of the grinder itself. For the money it looks packed with features and well thought out.


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## paul whu

Pardon my ignorance but what is shimming?


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## coffeechap

adding a very thin washer to back the burrs come closer togather and thus grind finer


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## Southpaw

paul whu said:


> Pardon my ignorance but what is shimming?


It sounds like the sort of thing you wouldn't want look up on urban dictionary.


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## Daren

Southpaw said:


> It sounds like the sort of thing you wouldn't want look up on urban dictionary.


Urban has his own unique dictionary - best not ask him for his definition


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## Charliej

RossT said:


> What machine are you using it with? I'm thinking of moving from classic to the sage dual boiler and like the idea of having a matching grinder (as it's to go into my new kitchen) sitting beside it.
> 
> Be interesting to see what you think of the grinder itself. For the money it looks packed with features and well thought out.


Don't go there I speak from first hand experience,buying and running a Sage Smart Grinder with a Sage DB will do the machine no favours at all, it simply isn't a decent match for the machine even though they share the same look.The better your grinder the better the coffee you will make. The Sage Smart Grinder is ok if you only have a £200 budget and are one of those people who must buy everything brand new, IF it is bought as "My First Grinder", sure it's easy to use and packed with features that make it easy to use, but the grind quality isn't that much better than an MC2.


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## RossT

Noted, the more I look at things the more the smart.grinder seems a poor match for a db, starting to look towards a mazzer super or mini second hand instead now. Thanks


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## Burnzy

Nice one, the sage smart grinders are a decent entry grinder.. Have to agree with charlie though, it does a great job with a classic, but a sage db would require something more sexy...


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## Charliej

Burnzy said:


> Nice one, the sage smart grinders are a decent entry grinder.. Have to agree with charlie though, it does a great job with a classic, but a sage db would require something more sexy...


Mythos works really well with a Sage DB and the brushed SS finish even matches the Sage


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## Guest

Looking at MrBoots post about the Sage Oracle....

Is Sage another Breville?????

Chip in my 13 cents


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## Guest

coffeechap said:


> adding a very thin washer to back the burrs come closer togather and thus grind finer


Hmmm....

Shimming is great though.....

But really considering the burr speeds grinding on that washer....

Will it blend?

Or will it melt?


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## Mrboots2u

RayTCoffeePro said:


> Looking at MrBoots post about the Sage Oracle....
> 
> Is Sage another Breville?????
> 
> Chip in my 13 cents


Sage are the brand name Breville goods use in the auk


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## Guest

Mrboots2u said:


> Sage are the brand name Breville goods use in the auk


Thanks.....









I never knew Sage was Breville......


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## Charliej

RayTCoffeePro said:


> Thanks.....
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I never knew Sage was Breville......


Breville are an Australian company, the toasters and kettles etc. sold here in the UK are using the name under a licensing agreement and other than the name are nothing to do with Breville Australia so when they started to sell some of their espresso machines and other up-market kitchen stuff they had to find a new name to use in the UK and EU.


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## Guest

Thanks too CharlieJ

Now i know why they had another name


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## Slee

I've been playing with the grinder with some new beans and although my first grinder was nothing to compare with i can say that i am able to see and taste the difference in the coffee i am making. I am glad i got this grinder but it does make me want to get the mignon









However, my wallet won't let me yet so ill be enjoying the sage for now.

Having the on demand grinding is so much better than what i had to do before.

I have found as the Sage is stepped I've sometimes hit a point where id like it to be stepless but usually a firmer tamp sorts it out.

The size and look of it are great and being able to take the hopper off is very useful.


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## HotLatte

If you get the smart grinder brand new, how would you know if it's already shimmed or not?

Can anyone advise me on how to get the kit please?


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## Dylan

The first indicator is that it won't go fine enough for some beans, or that you have it on its very lowest setting to get an espresso grind. The shim is fitted below the bottom burr on the shaft, so if you dismantle it you will be able to see this.

After an initial release period, all new Smart grinders come pre-shimmed, so if you bought it recently its unlikely to not have a shim. It is obviously possible there are still a few 'new' ones from the inital batch floating around out there.


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## HotLatte

Cheers D_Evans,

Will check it out tomorrow.


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## MrShades

If you've not bought it yet - then make sure you buy the "Pro" (BCG820) - which has more grind settings, timed dosing and doesn't require any shims as the upper burr carrier is adjustable.

... Oh, and it's the same price: £199.95


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## HotLatte

Arrived yesterday and thankfully it's the Pro one.

Thanks MrShades!


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## Callum

My smart grinder has died tonight after just a few months use.

On way back to Amazon Monday so looking for something else.


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## Daren

There appears to be a bit of a trend starting with Sage machines....


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## Callum

Daren said:


> There appears to be a bit of a trend starting with Sage machines....


Any recommendations on a replacement.

Around £300 budget, preferably compact like the sage.


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## jeebsy

New? Second hand?

Regardless there's not much that small. Mignon maybe, or a Vario, but jury is out on their build quality


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## Callum

Preferably new, although would consider second hand if spares are readily available.

Home use, espresso only with 1-2 doubles daily.

Have been looking at the mazzer mini electronic. It's £250 over my initial budget but do you think it would be a worthy upgrade over the mignon?


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## jeebsy

Not 250 worth of upgrade


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## Callum

Thanks for the advice.

Ordered up a Mignon, looks ideal for me.


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## DarrenH

Hi all, merry christmas! My sage grinder was halfway through grinding and suddenly starting a loud whirring noise! I've emptied it out, cleaned it and still it gives this loud whining noises and nothing is getting ground. It's like the motor is no longer connected or something. Anyone come across this? Any suggestions?


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## Daren

DarrenH said:


> Hi all, merry christmas! My sage grinder was halfway through grinding and suddenly starting a loud whirring noise! I've emptied it out, cleaned it and still it gives this loud whining noises and nothing is getting ground. It's like the motor is no longer connected or something. Anyone come across this? Any suggestions?


If it's still in its warrantee period (I suspect it will be) take it back and ask for a replacement. Doesn't sound good to me.


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## DarrenH

Yeah, fair enough. Had hoped someone would say "Oh, that's so-and-so" but back it goes then, it's still under warranty


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## Dylan

Keep the cash, add a bit more, buy a Mug in


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## bwatson87

DarrenH said:


> Hi all, merry christmas! My sage grinder was halfway through grinding and suddenly starting a loud whirring noise! I've emptied it out, cleaned it and still it gives this loud whining noises and nothing is getting ground. It's like the motor is no longer connected or something. Anyone come across this? Any suggestions?


I've had this happen with two smart grinders, the official answer seems to be that a stone or something has got stuck in the mechanism, I'm not convinced, think they're just very badly made. Straight warranty replacement. Is your grinder the new one with the burr calibration screw?


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## DarrenH

It was bought in Jan '14 so not sure if it has the burr calibration screw, I believe not. Indeed that's the answer I got too - something stuck! But they're taking it back to be replaced. I wonder if I can change up whilst am at it.


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## DarrenH

Managed to get it replaced, Sage were fantastic and they quite nicely gave me the newer 'Pro' version (removing the need for shim kits) :-D


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## Pompeyexile

You'd think if the 'stone getting stuck' thing is as commn as it seems they would re-visit the drawing board and try and eliminate that problem. Or am I being too simplistic and tech thicky?


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## Mrboots2u

Pompeyexile said:


> You'd think if the 'stone getting stuck' thing is as commn as it seems they would re-visit the drawing board and try and eliminate that problem. Or am I being too simplistic and tech thicky?


How would a grinder know the difference between a stone and coffee bean


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## Pompeyexile

Hmm Watson I hadn't really thought that through before hitting the keyboard had I? Told you I was thick.

Must admit never come across a stone in me beans....yet.


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## Drewster

Mrboots2u said:


> How would a grinder know the difference between a stone and coffee bean


I would have thought that:

One would smash the burrs to ****

One wouldn't

I would also have thought that anything "tough" enough to jam-up the grinder ending up in the grinder would be pretty rare. The jam-up actually sounds a bit like "shred the gears/cogs enough to prevent the burrs turning" which I would have thought even rarer... Coffee grinders are designed to grind coffee beans after all - so presumably it should be "foreign matter" that causes the jam/shred.

But in answer the grinder wouldn't "know".... being an inanimate object not sentient!


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## Mrboots2u

Pompeyexile said:


> Hmm Watson I hadn't really thought that through before hitting the keyboard had I? Told you I was thick.
> 
> Must admit never come across a stone in me beans....yet.


Sorry didn't mean to intimate thickness on your part....

I havent come across a stone yet , i dread the day ( burrs for my grinder are £400 plus to buy )

I dont think there is an effective way for a grinder to discern what its grinding ( was the friendly , honest friendly point i was trying to make )


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## jeebsy

DO the stones actually end up getting ground? Or stalling the mixer?


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## Pompeyexile

Mr B absolutely no offence taken, I really didn't think before tapping away so that is being thick.


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## Pólespresso

I am also wondering what this shimming is?


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## Dylan

A shim is a small spacer you add to the shaft of the burrs which brings them closer together thus changing the 'zero' point.


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