Sage smart grinder pro: Is the ‘Ferrari of coffee grinders’ worth its price tag?

If you’re going to take your coffee seriously, that means you have to apply dedication to every part of the process.

You can have the fanciest coffee machine in the land, but if what you’re putting in it isn’t that great, your cup of coffee won’t be either. And so, to your coffee grinder.

Yes, you can use any old grinder. You can even buy pre-ground coffee. But if you want to start taking things seriously, it’s time to invest in a decent grinder that will give you the exact grounds you need for what you want to drink.

There’s a wide range of grinders out there, from small blade grinders to bigger, state-of-the-art electrical models that will offer you an array of choices to suit every single coffee fan’s taste and preference.

Up there with these is the Sage smart grinder pro. With 60 settings and a hi-tech digital display, its intuitive settings essentially hold your hand through the grinding process, allowing you to find just the right coarseness and grind time to make that perfect cup of coffee.

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We put the Sage smart grinder pro through hours of testing, analysing everything from ease of use and performance in creating the perfect grind to its design, how much space it took up and how easy it was to clean. Plus, of course, whether it’s worth the price tag.

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Rating: 9/10

The Sage smart grinder pro feels like the Ferrari of coffee grinders, boasting all the bells and whistles that make you feel like you may have “made it” in the world of home coffee grinding, yet still with the safety net of being guided through the process if you’re not quite at barista-level yet.

It may look complicated but the display is pretty self-explanatory, almost talking you through the process as you choose between “cups” or “shots”, giving you guidance depending on what coffee you’re making, whether its French press your grinding for or an espresso. You can play around with the settings to adjust the coarseness to your preference, as well as the grind time to make sure you aren’t wasting those valuable grounds.

Read more: 7 best milk frothers to make a proper coffee at home

Once you’ve found the perfect formula for you, the Sage saves them so everything is set up just as you need. It even kicks into action just from pushing your portafilter into its cradle, so you don’t even have to push a button.

You can grind directly into your machine’s portafilter, into the container that comes with it or into anything else, so you can use it straight away or sort your grounds out for later, knowing they’ll still be fresh.

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It’s also fairly easy to keep clean, with a removable tray that you can clean any spilled grounds or coffee dregs from your portafilter. It also comes with a handy brush for sweeping any missed bits out of the moving parts.

If you want people to know how seriously you take your coffee, the Sage smart grinder pro will definitely give that impression. It’s got something of a space-age appearance, with its blue LCD display contrasting with the machine colour of either black stainless steel, brushed stainless steel or “black truffle”. It’s pretty clear and easy to read too, showing you the grind setting, grind time and number of shots or cups you’ve selected.

It comes off as pretty funky, but isn’t a small piece of kit, so you’ll have to accept that it will take up a bit of space on your kitchen countertop and might not be as easy to hide away in a cupboard as some other grinders are.

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That said, it’s not an unattractive kitchen gadget, and if you value your coffee quality then it’s worth allocating a bit of space to the machine that’s going to make the magic. It feels sturdy and robust and you get the feeling it will stand up to the test of regular use in the hands of a coffee fanatic.

When it comes to the actual grind, the Sage allows you to focus on precision, adjusting and programming the grind time to within 0.2 second increments. Overkill for some – absolutely vital for others.

The dials to adjust grind amount and program, as well as grind size, are smooth and easy to use, while the buttons to start or pause, and to adjust shots and cups are responsive and self-explanatory. The grind is consistent and efficient and in terms of noise, the Sage isn’t too disruptive, so you won’t find it too offensive first thing in the morning.

With a price tag upwards of £200, the Sage smart grinder pro isn’t necessarily an entry-level machine. But if you’re looking to take your coffee more seriously and want to invest in it then this could be the one for you. It looks great, and feels like a serious bit of kit, yet is also easy to use and self-explanatory, with its digital display making it abundantly clear what you need to do to get the exact grind you want.

The quality that comes with its cost is clear to see, and you can expect your Sage smart grinder pro to stand up to the job of daily use by someone who loves their coffee. It’s easy to clean, looks good, isn’t too over-sized and, most importantly, grinds your coffee beans to the exact specification you want, time and time again. A worthwhile investment if you’re planning on taking your coffee seriously every step of the way.