MachineBreville
Breville
Bambino
Best for small kitchens under $500Counter space is the binding constraint.
ThermoJet$280–$350
Coffee grinderBreville
BrevilleCoffee grinder
Breville Smart Grinder Pro
Best for fast mornings under $500
You want the grinder to keep up with you.
Sixty settings, a timer adjustable in fifth-of-a-second steps and cradles for both 54mm and 58mm portafilters. A capable all-rounder that reaches espresso rather than a dedicated espresso grinder.
Best forOne grinder for espresso and filter
Not ideal forLight-roast espresso
$200–$250
reference range · reviewed Aug 2026 · not a live price
- Burr type
- Conical
- Adjustment
- Stepped
- Dosing
- Hopper
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Compared from manufacturer specifications and technical documentation · independent, no paid placement · how we work
In short
The Breville Smart Grinder Pro is a grinder with conical burrs and stepped adjustment, typically $200–$250. It suits one grinder for espresso and filter and pairing with a bambino or bambino plus. It is the wrong choice for light-roast espresso and single-dosing.
How it fits
Preinfuse ratings, not measurements. Each one is produced by published rules from the specifications below — open any row to see which facts moved it.
What it does well
- Sixty settings across the whole range, with an LCD showing setting, time and dose count.
- Grind time adjustable in 0.2-second increments, which is finer dose control than most timed grinders.
- Cradles for 50–54mm and 58mm portafilters, so it doses directly whatever machine you own.
- Handles filter and French press as well as espresso, which matters if it is your only grinder.
Where it gives ground
- Sixty settings spread across espresso through French press means fewer espresso positions than a dedicated espresso grinder.
- Stepped adjustment, so the setting you want can fall between clicks.
- Hopper-fed, with the usual purging when switching beans.
- 15.3 inches tall — check the cabinet above.
Buy it for
- One grinder for espresso and filter
- Pairing with a Bambino or Bambino Plus
- Buyers who want a legible interface
Look elsewhere if
- Light-roast espresso
- Single-dosing
- Machines above about $1,000
Decided?
Pair it with a machine below, or let the setup builder do the split.
Check availability on Amazon
Price and availability may change on Amazon. The range above is our own research reference, not a live price.
Preinfuse is not yet enrolled in any affiliate programme, so this link earns nothing today. What changes when it does.
Living with it
Beans in the hopper, choose shots or cups, set the grind and press. The portafilter sits in a cradle while it doses.
Where people go next: DF54, Baratza Sette 270.
Before you buy
If you only make espresso, the Encore ESP puts more of its range where you need it for similar money.
If you also make pour-over every day, this is the more useful of the two.
Specifications
Every value carries a source marker. Values marked as Preinfuse derivations are our normalisation, not the manufacturer's wording.
Identity1
- Operation
- Electric
Hand grinders deliver burr quality far above their price because you supply the motor. The cost is roughly a minute of effort per shot, every shot.
Mains-powered grinder.
Burrs2
- Burr type
- Conical
- Burr material
- Stainless steel
Flat burrs tend to produce a narrower particle distribution, which many people read as clarity and separation. Conical burrs are cheaper to make, run cooler and are often described as producing a heavier, more forgiving cup. Burr quality and alignment matter more than shape.
Hardened steel is the norm and holds an edge for years of home use. Ceramic stays sharp longer but is more brittle; coatings mainly extend life.
Adjustment4
- Adjustment
- Stepped
- Grind settings
- 60
- Espresso capable
- Yes
- Also grinds for filter
- Yes
Espresso is sensitive to very small grind changes. Stepless adjustment lets you land between two settings, which is the difference between a shot that runs in 25 seconds and one that runs in 40. Stepped grinders with fine enough steps are perfectly workable.
The number of discrete positions available. On a stepped grinder this is the practical limit of your precision.
Whether the grinder actually reaches, and can be adjusted usefully within, the espresso range. Many well-regarded filter grinders cannot, and a grinder that only just reaches espresso leaves you no room to dial in.
Matters if this is your only grinder and you also make pour-over or French press.
Dosing & workflow2
- Dosing
- Hopper
- Grinds by weight
- No
Single-dosing means weighing beans per shot: fresher, easy to switch coffees, more steps. A hopper is faster in the morning but leaves beans sitting in the open and makes changing beans a chore.
Hopper-fed with timed dosing; Breville does not document a single-dose mode.
Built-in scale doses to a target weight rather than a time. Removes the most common source of shot-to-shot variance without adding a separate scale.
Practicalities3
- Height
- 15.3"
Height with the hopper fitted — the figure that decides whether it fits under a wall cabinet.
Ownership1
- Parts & serviceability
- Good — Breville catalogues burrs and hoppers for this model
Whether burrs and wear parts can be replaced, which decides the grinder's real lifespan.
Classified from Breville's published parts listings.
Machines this grinder suits
Machines where this grinder is the sensible partner rather than an expensive mismatch.
MachineBreville
Breville
Bambino Plus
Best for hands-off milk drinks under $500You want microfoam without learning to steam.
ThermoJet$420–$500
MachineDe'Longhi
Compared with the obvious alternatives
Why this, not the Encore ESP?
The Smart Grinder Pro is ahead on control over the shot, and the Encore ESP does not lead it on anything we rate. The reason to prefer the Encore ESP is price or availability, not capability.
Sources
Every specification above carries the document it came from. Checked 2026-08-30. If something here is wrong, tell us and we will fix it.
Sources and specifications (2)
- the Smart Grinder Pro — product page
Relied on for: Conical stainless steel burrs, 60 grind settings, dose timing increments, portafilter cradles, dimensions
- Preinfuse normalisation method
Relied on for: Classification of machine and grinder architecture into one shared vocabulary, and unit conversions, derived from the manufacturer documentation cited elsewhere on the same product.