Crafted out of glossy stainless steel that matches the manufacturer’s top of the line espresso makers, the BCG820 is one good looking grinder. At the very top of the unit sits a detachable, one pound, airtight bean hopper which can be sealed shut with a hook. The air tight packing ensures that the freshness of the beans is not compromised, even when there is a need for long term storage. The handy digital interface is not only fantastic looking but very practical as it displays all the pertinent information like grind volume, number of shots and coarseness. The controls are very straightforward to operate.
Features
The grinder is equipped with stainless steel conical burrs that measures the normal 44mm. A modifiable dial is situated to the right of the grinder which tunes the settings from fine to coarse grinds and is capable of handling 60 settings. The settings are divided into four main headings: percolator, press, drip and espresso. A majority of the options are in the area where they are needed the most, namely in the drip and espresso category.
If however you are a true perfectionist and want absolute control, then go a step further. Remove the lower burr and you will hit the jackpot with an additional 10 micro adjustments. Each of the original sixty is supplemented with these ten additional micro settings making a total of 600 options. By varying the original sixty settings you gain supreme control over your brew. The best tasting brew starts with the right grind size, and this grinder makes sure you have plenty of fine tuning options.
When the tuning is changed from fine to coarse, the LCD display also switches accordingly from showing number of shots to number of cups. It also calibrates the grind time for each shot or cup as the case may be. If the number of shots are doubled, the time is doubled automatically. There is no need to keep track of time manually, and this is where the smartness of the grinder shines. The grind time can be adjusted to 2 tenths of a second and the LED will display the countdown.
A catch container is a nice little addition that keeps things tidy. It is especially very handy when grinding for a drip brew machine or the French press as well as catching overspills. It detaches easily for cleaning. The Breville BCG820 comes with two porta holders in lieu of the doser. There is the large 58mm and a smaller for 50 – 54mm which is great for those who love their espressos. There are two ways to start grinding, either using the Start/Pause button or it can be started when the portafilter glides into its designated position. The pause function allows the grinding process to be stopped mid grind so the portafilter can be given a shake down if needed.
Price
While the $194.22 price tag is certainly a little steep, this is undoubtedly one of the best grinders you can find. This machine gives you a superior level of control over your coffee grounds and is a good solutions for any professional baristas, or anyone who takes their coffee very seriously! Not to mention it has a very sleek and attractive finish which will be right at home in any modern, chic, kitchen. With over sixty levels of grind, you’ll be sure to get the perfect grain size for your recipe. The more budget conscious on the other hand would do well to keep looking. You can find cheaper alternatives that are good enough on a budget.
Conclusion
A vast majority of the people who purchased this grinder found it to be very efficient, easy to use and all in all a good product. The most loved feature was the quiet operation of the grinder. However, a few people did mention the fact that using oily beans (darker roasts) too frequently tended to clog up the unit. It should be kept in mind that oily roasts, due to their very nature, tend to clog all machines and it is not an issue with this particular grinder. Additionally certain parts, like the grind chute are hard to access when cleaning. One thing a few reviewers mentioned that would have further enhanced user experience is a save grind option for the different brewing methods.
