The Dose control pro is Sage’s slightly lower cost grinder, aimed at the slightly more frugal coffee lover who’s not overly fussed about the ultra user friendliness that the LCD interface brings to the Smart Grinder Pro.
Features and Benefits
• 60 grind settings encompassing most brew methods from espresso to cafetiere
• 40mm Etzinger conical steel burrs
• Manual timed dosing in 1 second increments
• Grinds container + portafilter cradles (51 - 58mm)
• Locking quick-release hopper allows easy bean switching.
• Small footprint: 16cm wide, 20cm deep, 34cm tall (approx)
The Dose Control pro is Sage’s slightly less flashy and slightly lower cost electric burr grinder.
It performs more or less the same, and the majority of the differences are actually quite minor. It has the same burrs, the same number of grind settings & the same grinding range.
The only technical difference which I’d say is theoretically anything other than a minor reduction in frills, is the lower motor power, but I’m not actually convinced that this makes any real difference.
The motor power on the Dose Control Pro is 130 Watts, vs 165 Watts with the Smart Grinder Pro.
I’ve heard the opinion from some people that the Smart grinder pro is underpowered for certain beans (light roasts), and on that basis some may think that the DCP having less motor power than the SGP isn’t going to be a great thing.
From what I can gather, however, the issue with the Smart Grinder Pro where light roasts are concerned, isn’t a lack of motor power, it’s a deliberate safety feature.
These grinders have a clutch which kicks in if they try to grind over a certain level of torque, so this is what is happening when the grinder starts making a clicking sound instead of grinding, it’s preventing serious damage.
The fact is that dealing with light roasts calls for much higher level grinders. You may well find other grinders at this price point that don’t have such a safety feature, whether they’ll have robust enough componentry to deal with light roasts without causing internal damage is another matter.
I think if you’re on a budget, and you’re either wanting an all-rounder grinder for multiple brew methods, or you’re just looking for the lowest cost route to being able to grind for espresso with standard baskets, the Dose control pro is one of the best options at this price.