Breville BCG800 Smart Grinder

[Yash]

Re: Breville BCG800 Smart Grinder

The Breville sounds like a great grinder.  But after reading this thread I get an overwhelming sense that something is wrong.... Best explained using math:

K3T  >  Breville
K3T  =  Vario
Vario = Breville

Ive read several comparison tests between the Vario and K3T (and similar) grinders concluding that they are on par in terms of grind quality.  Assuming these tests were repuatable then only 2 of the 3 statements above can be true.

Have any comprehensive comparison tests been done between the Vario and Breville?

[Rusty]

Re: Breville BCG800 Smart Grinder

K3T > Breville
K3T = Vario
Vario = Breville

The discrepency can be explained by the vagaries of human judgment

Subjective statements are all we can give give when it comes to taste :

[cuppacoffee]

Re: Breville BCG800 Smart Grinder

The Breville sounds like a great grinder.  But after reading this thread I get an overwhelming sense that something is wrong.... Best explained using math:

K3T  >  Breville
K3T  =  Vario
Vario = Breville

Ive read several comparison tests between the Vario and K3T (and similar) grinders concluding that they are on par in terms of grind quality.  Assuming these tests were repuatable then only 2 of the 3 statements above can be true.

Have any comprehensive comparison tests been done between the Vario and Breville?

I dont think so. I see you have a Vario. Send it down, well do the tests here against a Breville, Ill send it back to you and report the findings.

[Pascopete]

Re: Breville BCG800 Smart Grinder

Been away for over a week.  I was waiting for my shims to come in.  Now installed and I am about 3 ckicks below finest for brew times of about 15 seconds with my Gaggia Espresso.  I have only a 7 gram single shot filter, so it doesnt take long.  I am getting mostly black coffee with only a head of crema.  New to this but I think my old Capresso Infinity was doing just about the same job as the Breville except it doesnt have the fancy dial settings.  I was hoping for more crema.

[Dennis]

Re: Breville BCG800 Smart Grinder

I was hoping for more crema.

Grinders dont produce crema. Coffee produces crema. The fresher the coffee the more crema is produced - albeit too fresh and it will dissipate quickly.

Thats a fast pour. What coffee do you use? How old is it?

[TC]

Re: Breville BCG800 Smart Grinder

Been away for over a week.  I was waiting for my shims to come in.  Now installed and I am about 3 ckicks below finest for brew times of about 15 seconds with my Gaggia Espresso.  I have only a 7 gram single shot filter, so it doesnt take long.  I am getting mostly black coffee with only a head of crema.  New to this but I think my old Capresso Infinity was doing just about the same job as the Breville except it doesnt have the fancy dial settings.  I was hoping for more crema.

Id be looking along the lines of too little coffee, too fast a shot and potentially stale coffee. I have no problems getting great crema.

[richard_m_h]

Re: Breville BCG800 Smart Grinder

the tolerances seem a bit all over the place with the Breville. Mine came with no shims installed and I put the thick shim and one of the smaller ones, which I figure is the 1.4 they recommend, and am grinding near the middle for espresso with my current beans. (finer with others) the seattle lot
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8piBChRggPM
needed more shims than 1.4. so I suggest you whack another one in. or grind finer with what youve got.

[Kokopop]

Re: Breville BCG800 Smart Grinder

not sure if it has been answered already but will new smart grinders purchased from the site sponsors come with the shim kit?

[Firepower]

Re: Breville BCG800 Smart Grinder

only the earlier ones needed the shim kit, breville has since changed the original shims so the later ones come from factory for correct grinding of espresso. Mine is also grinding in the middle of espresso range and need no shims.

[Blue_House]

Re: Breville BCG800 Smart Grinder

I love this thread.  A lengthy & erudite discussion of an espresso grinder that, as delivered, didnt actually grind for espresso.  I have lived in blissful ignorance with my K3T.  It just does it.

[skanker08]

Re: Breville BCG800 Smart Grinder

I love this thread.  A lengthy & erudite discussion of an espresso grinder that, as delivered, didnt actually grind for espresso.  I have lived in blissful ignorance with my K3T.  It just does it.

At less than 1/2 the price of the K3T people are finding great value in this grinder - Not everyone may have the budget, or may value the features of the Breville over more expensive grinders. A small manufacturer supplied fix is obviously not a deal breaker for many.

[cuppacoffee]

Re: Breville BCG800 Smart Grinder

I love this thread.  A lengthy & erudite discussion of an espresso grinder that, as delivered, didnt actually grind for espresso.  I have lived in blissful ignorance with my K3T.  It just does it.

Well, youll really love what I am about to say next....

You are lucky you didnt buy a Macap M4, because as delivered, it usually grinds finer than Turkish, and in an endeavour to adjust the grind to espresso, most people turn the wrong way!

Have you stopped laughing yet?

Yes, the K3T is great value for money, as are the Macap and Smart Grinder.

[dr.a.j.pickering]

Re: Breville BCG800 Smart Grinder

I love this thread.

I love this site [smiley=wink.gif]

[Yash]

Re: Breville BCG800 Smart Grinder

The discrepency can be explained by the vagaries of human judgment 

Subjective statements are all we can give give when it comes to taste 

Rusty I definately agree with you about human judgement and taste meaning that one size doesnt fit all... But ... How do we know a Mazzer mini is better than a Sunbeam 480?

I dont think so.  I see you have a Vario.  Send it down, well do the tests here against a Breville, Ill send it back to you and report the findings.

Ha ha nice one. I would actually be happy to if I had a spare grinder.  Just for the sake of (coffee) science.  Because until a serious comparison is done, I reckon its unreliable to judge them.  Especially since both grinders are quite new and have yet to earn their stripes.

[Pascopete]

Re: Breville BCG800 Smart Grinder

Well, today I tried a fresh roast and put in a measure of coffee.  The portafilter only filled less than half and no more coffee would come out.  The grinder was laboring and beans were in the hopper.  I dumped them out and took it apart only to find the slots packed with oily fines that I had to use a turkey skewer to scrape out, the brush wouldnt touch them.  I never could find the path to the exit port and I scraped out every bit I saw.  Reassembled and added more fresh beans and set the grind to the middle of esspresso.   Nothing came out and the grinder was laboring.  Then I took out the fixed teeth and reassembled and turned it on.  The noise of rattling and scrapping was horrible.  So much for my new Breville.