Anyone Here Using this Coffee Grinder?


 
Jay D in Jersey said:
That's why the LED screen or touch screen feature seems more of a gimmick than a functional part of the design. A knob or dial would have worked just fine on a device like a coffee grinder.
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Yeah, I am sure you're right. But, I did not buy it for the LED screen. I bought it for good price and good performance vs price based on overwhelming majority of feedback. I know a lot of that is fake, but I tend to pay more attention to the 3 and 4 star ratings feeling I am getting more honest feedback than only looking at 1 star and 5 star (either rants or raves) only. I have always found truths lie somewhere in the middle.
In any case I am enjoying an AWFULLY good cup o' joe this morning again.
 
LMichaels said:
Yeah, I am sure you're right. But, I did not buy it for the LED screen. I bought it for good price and good performance vs price based on overwhelming majority of feedback. I know a lot of that is fake, but I tend to pay more attention to the 3 and 4 star ratings feeling I am getting more honest feedback than only looking at 1 star and 5 star (either rants or raves) only. I have always found truths lie somewhere in the middle.
In any case I am enjoying an AWFULLY good cup o' joe this morning again.
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I get it. It's been my experience with major appliances especially ranges and washers and dryers that the LED stuff and motherboards are the first to fail.
What counts is the good coffee!
 
Jay D in Jersey said:
I get it. It's been my experience with major appliances especially ranges and washers and dryers that the LED stuff and motherboards are the first to fail.
What counts is the good coffee!
Click to expand...
Yep, I got this setup "dialed in". On the Breville, I am using "My Brew" with following, Brew temp, 198, (and since it has PID, and a pump things are pretty well controlled there), Bloom Time 40 seconds. I noticed it starts bloom time, as soon as water begins pumping. So it runs bloom time concurrently as soon as the heating phase is over. So there is a time with pump shut off of only about 15 seconds. But it works for me, Flow Rate = slow. Using our municipal supplied deep well water, but run through a carbon block filter than another activated charcoal inline "finishing" filter, so have water hardness set on 4 (max is 5 but I don't think ours is that high being at about 25-28 grains hardness), and cone filter since I don't regularly make over 8 cups (40 oz).
So now all dialed in but then who knows when I change beans to SF Bay French Roast what it will need for all the brewer settings and the grinder settings.
We shall see in a few days when I am finished with the Sumatran coffee. :D At least now I am not frustrated with a coffee maker that refuses to wet the whole bed of grounds. Here the Breville does a good job whether on cone filter or basket filter.
 
LMichaels said:
Yep, I got this setup "dialed in". On the Breville, I am using "My Brew" with following, Brew temp, 198, (and since it has PID, and a pump things are pretty well controlled there), Bloom Time 40 seconds. I noticed it starts bloom time, as soon as water begins pumping. So it runs bloom time concurrently as soon as the heating phase is over. So there is a time with pump shut off of only about 15 seconds. But it works for me, Flow Rate = slow. Using our municipal supplied deep well water, but run through a carbon block filter than another activated charcoal inline "finishing" filter, so have water hardness set on 4 (max is 5 but I don't think ours is that high being at about 25-28 grains hardness), and cone filter since I don't regularly make over 8 cups (40 oz).
So now all dialed in but then who knows when I change beans to SF Bay French Roast what it will need for all the brewer settings and the grinder settings.
We shall see in a few days when I am finished with the Sumatran coffee. :D At least now I am not frustrated with a coffee maker that refuses to wet the whole bed of grounds. Here the Breville does a good job whether on cone filter or basket filter.
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I've had the SF Bay French roast before. I found it to be good, not great but a good everyday bean. I've got a bag of Starbucks French Roast on deck...and a SF Bay French roast too as well as a Kirkland Colombian Supremo. Have a bag of Mayorga Cubano roast waiting at the beach house which is likely where New Years will be spent. I like it down there because they fo the fireworks on the beach at 1730hrs. and I can sleep when the ball drops!
 
Jay D in Jersey said:
I've had the SF Bay French roast before. I found it to be good, not great but a good everyday bean. I've got a bag of Starbucks French Roast on deck...and a SF Bay French roast too as well as a Kirkland Colombian Supremo. Have a bag of Mayorga Cubano roast waiting at the beach house which is likely where New Years will be spent. I like it down there because they fo the fireworks on the beach at 1730hrs. and I can sleep when the ball drops!
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I am hoping by using a fresh bag soon, dialing in the grinder and the brew settings of the coffee maker it will be better than what I finished up recently. I had given a bag to son in law to try in his fancy schmancy multi thousands of $$$ grinder and espresso setup. Well they did not like it. And that is OK but instead of storing it in airtight containers months later he gives it back in the original bag with the top just folded over. All the gloss and aroma was gone from the beans and honestly it was not good drinking no matter how I ground it or brewed it in the Moccamaster. It was always insipid and sour. And quite honestly I should have just thrown it away.
So, I will give it another go. Properly stored, properly ground and hopefully "dialed in" on the grinder and the Breville brewer to make a nice cup.
But I gotta say this brew I am making now is outta this world good. Mellow, smooth, rich, stands up to a little heavy cream well and a few drops of Agave nectar. Just a nice smooth cup of Joe.
If the SF Bay will dial in close to this good I will be a happy boy.
Oh and the aroma while it's brewing? Nothing short of amazing! Sadly the way Costco works, I will likely never find this Sumatran blend again
 
LMichaels said:
I am hoping by using a fresh bag soon, dialing in the grinder and the brew settings of the coffee maker it will be better than what I finished up recently. I had given a bag to son in law to try in his fancy schmancy multi thousands of $$$ grinder and espresso setup. Well they did not like it. And that is OK but instead of storing it in airtight containers months later he gives it back in the original bag with the top just folded over. All the gloss and aroma was gone from the beans and honestly it was not good drinking no matter how I ground it or brewed it in the Moccamaster. It was always insipid and sour. And quite honestly I should have just thrown it away.
So, I will give it another go. Properly stored, properly ground and hopefully "dialed in" on the grinder and the Breville brewer to make a nice cup.
But I gotta say this brew I am making now is outta this world good. Mellow, smooth, rich, stands up to a little heavy cream well and a few drops of Agave nectar. Just a nice smooth cup of Joe.
If the SF Bay will dial in close to this good I will be a happy boy.
Oh and the aroma while it's brewing? Nothing short of amazing! Sadly the way Costco works, I will likely never find this Sumatran blend again
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That Costco Sumatra shows up in the local Costco 1-2 times/year. It's good. I'm thinking of trying the Starbucks FR next...or the SF Bay FR...tough decisions!
 
LMichaels said:
They did not even ask me to send the original ones back either. Though quite honestly I did return them prior to receiving their email to simply keep them. So I actually had sent both back. Therein lies the issue communicating a world away is time/date difference. Plus things get lost in translation.
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Well, got their response, and their only reco was to watch this video on YT:


which of course is worthless.

Here are a few photos of the crap job this POS does. This is at the coarsest setting, it grinds to talcum powder consistency. Totally clogs the internal and what eventually gets push through the chute into the bin is almost unusable for an automatic drop coffee maker. Total garbage.
 

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Yeah, that is pretty sad. Quite honestly even though it took a while for them to communicate, they were very responsive. Honestly they kind of shocked me how responsive they were. Especially given how inexpensive the products are. And honestly except for the slight "imprecision" of the smaller grinder re changes in grind settings, the larger one is honestly very precise with a wide range from coarse to fine. And crisp clean "clicks" between small adjustments. IDK if this us partly you're comparing a flat burr to conical burr unit (mine). But, all I can say is that Breville had better be pretty miraculous for their hype and cost to make sense to me.
Really the larger Shardor is only giving a couple things. First, they claim it to be very low/no static. Yeah, not in my experience. But, my little "spritzer" I simply spritz my dose once, stir the beans with the handle of a spoon or such, spritz once more stir once more and static not an issue. Now in fairness even at it's worst compared to running that older KitchenAid flat burr grinder it's nothing. That thing, I could soak the beans in water and I still had to clean the counter, vacuum and wash the floor and everything after grinding. It threw fines and dust all over the kitchen. And the noise...................don't even get me started there. I have been next to large Pratt & Whitney jet engines running that were quieter :D
The other thing it does that I cannot fathom why is outta the blue throw an E2 code (which is "overheat". It's very obvious the motor is not being stressed when it happens. It's just some weird random thing it does.
Bottom line I honestly cannot complain about either one. Especially at the price point they were at. Maybe order the one they call "Upgraded Conical Burr Anti Static Grinder" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BVTP8HWP/?tag=tvwb-20
I honestly cannot complain about it. I just wanted to try a more "premium" machine with the Breville
 
I've been using the new gasket designed for several of the Baratza grinders, mine included. I am somewhat amazed and pleased that the grind process is unchanged but there is absolutely zero chaff. I checked again today, after 4 more days of use...Zero chaff, when there used to be at least a tablespoon plus after 2-3 batches ground. I no longer have to vacuum out the grind chamber every week. If I choose to get another grinder, it's likely to be another Baratza.
 
well the Breville arrived today. Seller shipped it via an EBay only shipping product called "FedEx Smart Post". Which is a hook up of FedEx and USPS. Well when the seller shipped it the tracking number showed delay after delay but not with which service. Finally today USPS (but showing up as "FedEx Delivery Vehicle") dropped it on my front step. Took it out, damaged beyond repair. Bean hopper smashed, bottom housing of machine smashed, noted the box. Giant greasy boot print on it and 2 holes one huge right where the bean hopper would have been. Box obviously then retaped over the hole. Giggles and grins tried running the unit. Something must've been knocked out of line. As the noises that come up from it plus the burning smells from the motor, and the burrs grind into each other. All very very sad. Thankfully the seller issued a full refund. I am going to try and help her recoup the loss taking the box and damaged item to my USPS office. See what they have to say
 

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LMichaels said:
well the Breville arrived today. Seller shipped it via an EBay only shipping product called "FedEx Smart Post". Which is a hook up of FedEx and USPS. Well when the seller shipped it the tracking number showed delay after delay but not with which service. Finally today USPS (but showing up as "FedEx Delivery Vehicle") dropped it on my front step. Took it out, damaged beyond repair. Bean hopper smashed, bottom housing of machine smashed, noted the box. Giant greasy boot print on it and 2 holes one huge right where the bean hopper would have been. Box obviously then retaped over the hole. Giggles and grins tried running the unit. Something must've been knocked out of line. As the noises that come up from it plus the burning smells from the motor, and the burrs grind into each other. All very very sad. Thankfully the seller issued a full refund. I am going to try and help her recoup the loss taking the box and damaged item to my USPS office. See what they have to say
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The cynic in me says that the USPS will promptly tell you & the seller that it was not properly packaged.
 
So, the second Breville Smart Grinder Pro, I ordered arrived yesterday. I bought it from Habitat For Humanity. Nice folks I try to support. Anyway, beautiful shape. Like brand new. So my take after making my first pot of jo.
First? It's quite fast but does not seem as powerful as that Shardor (the larger one) I have been using. Second, WAY more static cling than the Shardor.
Third, I set it right at "Drip" grind on the nose. Assuming since it is a Breville same as the brewer It's a good starting point.
Well, conclusion is same coffee, same brewer settings, same amounts of water and coffee as well. And this AM's was the best that brewer ever made. So now begs the question. Can I live with the static. I did BTW as I always do hit the beans with 2 "spritzes" of water from my little spray mist bottle. Maybe I need to put 3 or 4? I will try more tomorrow AM. Overall I am fairly pleased with it. Would I be as pleased had I paid the $200+ they cost new? Definitely not. But, since I only gave $69 for it................yeah fairly pleased. But NOT pleased enough comparing it to the $65 brand new Shardor Precision Grinder.
 
LMichaels said:
So, the second Breville Smart Grinder Pro, I ordered arrived yesterday. I bought it from Habitat For Humanity. Nice folks I try to support. Anyway, beautiful shape. Like brand new. So my take after making my first pot of jo.
First? It's quite fast but does not seem as powerful as that Shardor (the larger one) I have been using. Second, WAY more static cling than the Shardor.
Third, I set it right at "Drip" grind on the nose. Assuming since it is a Breville same as the brewer It's a good starting point.
Well, conclusion is same coffee, same brewer settings, same amounts of water and coffee as well. And this AM's was the best that brewer ever made. So now begs the question. Can I live with the static. I did BTW as I always do hit the beans with 2 "spritzes" of water from my little spray mist bottle. Maybe I need to put 3 or 4? I will try more tomorrow AM. Overall I am fairly pleased with it. Would I be as pleased had I paid the $200+ they cost new? Definitely not. But, since I only gave $69 for it................yeah fairly pleased. But NOT pleased enough comparing it to the $65 brand new Shardor Precision Grinder.
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Do you stir the beans in the hopper after you spray them? If not, stir them a bit with a spoon and see if that helps. I get almost zero static stirring the beans with a wet spoon...that's at about 45% household humidity.
 
Jay D in Jersey said:
Do you stir the beans in the hopper after you spray them? If not, stir them a bit with a spoon and see if that helps. I get almost zero static stirring the beans with a wet spoon...that's at about 45% household humidity.
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I spray them in the container I weigh them in. Then stir them with the handle of a plastic spoon I keep handy. My tiny little pocket size atomizer does not put out much water, so tomorrow I will try again but with 3 or 4 spritzes (maybe 5)) for 69 grams of beans. Not sure of my current indoor humidity, because even though I have the humidifier set to 43% it's not there. Because I have "window protect" built into the thermostat on my system. So yeah I tell the system I want this. But, it measures weather conditions, current outdoor temps, humidity and and even knows the forecast. It then adjusts everything accordingly (fan speed, burner output, when to turn humidifier on to keep windows from becoming water falls or forming condensation where you don't want it. So, given the arctic blast we're having mine might be currently only 20%-25%.
It's like my pellet grills (for lazy folks like me) :D
 
LMichaels said:
I spray them in the container I weigh them in. Then stir them with the handle of a plastic spoon I keep handy. My tiny little pocket size atomizer does not put out much water, so tomorrow I will try again but with 3 or 4 spritzes (maybe 5)) for 69 grams of beans. Not sure of my current indoor humidity, because even though I have the humidifier set to 43% it's not there. Because I have "window protect" built into the thermostat on my system. So yeah I tell the system I want this. But, it measures weather conditions, current outdoor temps, humidity and and even knows the forecast. It then adjusts everything accordingly (fan speed, burner output, when to turn humidifier on to keep windows from becoming water falls or forming condensation where you don't want it. So, given the arctic blast we're having mine might be currently only 20%-25%.
It's like my pellet grills (for lazy folks like me) :D
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Try using a metal spoon. I'm not sure about the science there but it might make a difference.
 
Interesting. Our Breville had started to develop static issues when it also started to exhibit the gear train issue. Among other things, I'd cleaned it out with 100psi compressed air. That was several months ago, and even with the dry winter air, the static problems have not returned since I blew it out.
 
Well I guess it's hard to call it a static "problem" as it still does not come close to the static my old KA flat burr grinder would make. That thing spewed grounds all over the counter. In this case they were simply sticking to the container a bit, but more than the "anti-static" Shardor. It's a nice grinder. As quite honestly the brewer made the best pot of coffee I have ever had come out of it. Not sure why. Looking at the grounds with naked eye I don't see any difference. Even the bed of spent grounds looked better. With the Shardor there always seems to be a bit of a "crater". With this one the bed of grounds was perfectly wetted with no crater. So, IDK.
 
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