If you’re like me, your morning hinges on that first cup of coffee to get you going. So what happens when you wake up and find that your coffee grinder isn’t working?
Once you’ve finished despairing at the cruel fate that delays your caffeine hit, what can you do to fix it?
The Breville Smart Grinder Pro is a reliable, well-built coffee grinder, but like any machine, it occasionally runs into trouble and stops working. The good news is that most problems with this machine are easily resolved.
To help you through that urgent situation when a misbehaving machine stands between you and your brew, I’ve compiled the most common issues with the Breville Smart Grinder Pro and how to fix them.
Preventative care for your grinder
Often, the Smart Grinder Pro stops working because it needs cleaning. If it’s been a while since you cleaned the machine, old coffee grounds will build up like plaque on the inner workings of the machine and jam things up.
This clogging might block the beans from passing through the burrs, or cause the motor to strain and overheat, triggering the machine to shut down altogether.
Regular cleaning and maintenance will go a long way towards avoiding problems with your Smart Grinder Pro. After you’ve ground your coffee beans, brush out the discharge chute to clear any coffee grinds clinging by static electricity to the inner walls of your grinder.
Take off the hopper and clean the burrs every couple of weeks to avoid clogging up the machine and straining its motor.
My Breville Smart Grinder Pro won’t grind coffee
If your Smart Grinder Pro is grinding slowly or not grinding at all, a few issues might be causing the problem. You might have to put your detective hat on to figure out why your grinder has bogged down.
Unplug the grinder before you start poking around to investigate what’s wrong. The last thing you want is for the grinder to start working again while you have your fingers in there!
Is the hopper attached correctly?
The first thing to check is that your hopper is attached correctly. The Smart Grinder Pro won’t grind if the hopper isn’t locked into place. Check that the dial inside the hopper is turned to the lock position.
Check for blockages
The most likely reason your grinder isn’t grinding is that it’s clogged up or jammed. First, check that the hopper’s chute isn’t blocked — sometimes, a stuck coffee bean or two can get wedged there and prevent the rest of the beans from flowing from the hopper into the grinding chamber.
Otherwise, you may find that fine coffee grinds have built up and compacted around the burrs, preventing them from spinning, or that they’ve clogged up the grind outlet.
If so, it’s time for a good cleaning. Remove the upper burr and scrub it, the bottom burr, and the grind outlet.
Mechanical problems
If you’ve thoroughly cleaned it to clear any clogging and your grinder still isn’t putting out the normal volume of grinds, there may be a mechanical issue, such as a failing clutch.
Like all Breville products, your Smart Grinder Pro comes with at least a one-year warranty that covers manufacturing defects.
If you have a defective machine and you’re still within your warranty period, you can contact Breville and arrange to have them ship you a replacement grinder.
My Breville Smart Grinder Pro is making a loud noise
Check for foreign objects
If your grinder is making a loud ratcheting or clacking noise, a foreign object may be jammed inside.
Sometimes a small pebble will sneak its way into your beans and lodge itself in your grinder. That racket sound is the slipper clutch limiting the torque to protect the gears from damage when something is too hard to grind.
Clean the burrs
Unplug the grinder, remove the hopper, and see if anything is blocking the burrs or in the grind chute.
If there’s no obvious blockage, it may be that old ground coffee has set like concrete beneath the burrs. Disassemble the burrs and clean them.
Loosen the grind setting
If you’ve cleaned out the burrs and it’s still making a loud noise, the problem may also be that the grind is set too tightly.
Try adjusting the grind size to a coarse grind setting. This will widen the gap between the burrs and allow any beans stuck there to pass through.
My Breville Smart Grinder Pro’s start button is not working
If your grinder doesn’t start when you press the “start” button, there are several possible causes.
First, check that it’s plugged in—I always experience a sense of relief and embarrassment when this is the issue!
Lock the hopper
The Smart Grinder Pro won’t start if the bean hopper isn’t attached correctly.
If this is the case, there should be a message on the display screen that says, “Please lock hopper.” Go ahead and make sure the hopper is situated correctly, then turn the dial in the hopper to lock it into place.
Cool down the grinder
Another reason the grinder won’t start may be that it’s overheated. The grinder has a thermal safety shut-off switch that prevents it from running when it’s overheated.
Try unplugging it and letting it cool down for 20 minutes.
Wrapping up
Hopefully, this troubleshooting guide has helped you fix any problems you’ve encountered with your Smart Grinder Pro.
The machine is designed to be easy to use and maintain. The most common issues are generally solved by a bit of cleaning and maintenance.
With proper care and regular upkeep, you should have few problems with the Smart Grinder Pro, and you’ll enjoy coffee from it for years to come.
Happy Caffeinating!
