Breville BCG800 Smart Grinder

[WiredArabica]

I have read most of this thread and could not find an answer.. How does the smart grinder measure out the dose amount is it done by time? It produces the same amount over and am interested in how..
I love how I can place the group head in the holder and push the button and walk away

Yes it's based on time, which is modified based on where in the range the grind setting is and whether the portafilter holder is in place or not.
Thus, the amount it dispenses will depend on the grind fineness, but once set it'll remain fairly constant for a few shots at least. The main plus with this grinder is the very low grounds retention.

[DavidW1960]

I believe it's time - haven't heard of quantity grinders

[water_dragon]

Can anyone explain how the smart grinder measures the dose ie how much to grind?? I know you set the settings but is it Time or quantity?

You adjust the dose by setting 1 cup 2 cup etc and you have a + or - setting in 5% increments and different coffee will require changes, also the older the coffee the finer the grind. A lot of variables but it does not take much tweaking to get it right

[squire1]

Yes it's based on time, which is modified based on where in the range the grind setting is and whether the portafilter holder is in place or not.
Thus, the amount it dispenses will depend on the grind fineness, but once set it'll remain fairly constant for a few shots at least. The main plus with this grinder is the very low grounds retention.

Yes that is a big plus as I used to have to shake my old sunbeam each time to get the last half a shot out of it . Thanks for the reply

[squire1]

yes is is time . I didn't see there is a thread under grinders for the smart grinder. Thanks for the replies. I am finding the dose to be very consistent. Am very happy.

[JonnyJ]

I just got a smart grinder for $189!!!! haven't tried it out yet but i can't wait!!!

[DuaneDibbley]

After working out that I shouldn't spend $650 on a Compak grinder when my motorbike needs new suspension I bought a Smart Grinder which is due to be delivered from Appliances Online tomorrow. It'll replace my Hario hand mill which is giving me the shits.

Hopefully I get recent stock which won't require shimming to work with the Silvia V3!

[early_morning_]

so i've brought my new smart grinder in to the office and put it to work as my filter grinder until i've finished repairing/servicing my spare espresso machine (an older gaggia). somewhat surprised and a little disappointed by the large variance in particle size i'm experience. i'm using it for my vietnamese phin, dosing about 12g to 120mL of water. I've tuned the grind size down to a point where the extractions seem good in terms of time and taste, but there is a ridiculous amount of solids passed to the cup. as i grind to a larger particle size to find a point where the solids are all but eliminated i suffer a severely under extracted cup or a massively over dosed cup (neither are desirable).

I understand that the phin is hardly the most elegant or technically precise brewing tool, but it's still very capable of producing delicious brew when paired with my gino rossi rr45 at home which produces a very consistent particle size.

I just wanted to confirm that this seemingly large variance in particle is a general shortcoming and down to the machine but was not typically noticed when brewing espresso, rather than anything that i may have missed - assembly, burrs, shims, etc?

any thought or comments from experienced users?

[DuaneDibbley]

Breville BCG800 Smart Grinder

Mine arrived today with no shims in the box. Is that normal? I was under the impression they came with them.

[WiredArabica]

Mine arrived today with no shims in the box. Is that normal? I was under the impression they came with them.

Well, you might find them under the lower burr , they don't come loose in the box.

Seriously though, does it grind sufficiently fine? If it does there's no problem (and if it's a later build, this is the most likely scenario) otherwise call Breville and ask for a shim kit.

[DuaneDibbley]

Breville BCG800 Smart Grinder

Well, you might find them under the lower burr , they don't come loose in the box.

Seriously though, does it grind sufficiently fine? If it does there's no problem (and if it's a later build, this is the most likely scenario) otherwise call Breville and ask for a shim kit.

I'm not sure yet. The bean hopper is still drying from its first wash. Hopefully it won't need it as you say

[WiredArabica]

I'm not sure yet. The bean hopper is still drying from its first wash. Hopefully it won't need it as you say

Ahh. Yeah that can take a while. Frustrating isn't it? Get shiny new grinder home - instructions say give everything a wash, then you have to wait a couple of hours for everything to dry before you get to play with it. I recommend a fan to speed the process...

[DuaneDibbley]

Breville BCG800 Smart Grinder

Ahh. Yeah that can take a while. Frustrating isn't it? Get shiny new grinder home - instructions say give everything a wash, then you have to wait a couple of hours for everything to dry before you get to play with it. I recommend a fan to speed the process...

Yeah, I might just do that. Or even in the bathroom with the heat lamps. That my not be a great idea being plastic and all, though.

Where is a rough spot to start? I'm thinking of setting it 3 from finest and seeing how that runs as a first trial.

[WiredArabica]

Where is a rough spot to start? I'm thinking of setting it 3 from finest and seeing how that runs as a first trial.

They're all different, so pretty much just pick somewhere & see what happens. It's good practice to keep the grinder running while adjusting, particularly if you're going finer.

[brokenvase]

Breville BCG800 Smart Grinder

I'm worried (

Recently I have been doubting the dose settings a lot. Today was another example. First shot was perfect. I knew the settings and bean as I've used it quite a lot. Immediately second shot with exactly the same settings came overdosed. Out by a whole 2-3g I reckon. I didn't touch a thing! Can't be that the same beans in the same hopper with a distance of time within 4 mins have that much humidity or age difference in it. Needless to say the coffee was burnt. Third try was the same. I had to manually swipe some of the grind off. I've used this often enough to gauge how much dose should be in the PF. But this means I can't trust my not-so-smart grinder!

Are there factors I'm missing? Has anyone had this before? Is it the grinder or have I not considered something?