Last Updated on February 17, 2023 by Marie Cooper
Here, we are looking at the Smeg 50’s Retro burr coffee grinder which promises and delivers a lot. One of its top selling points is its looks – this is an absolutely beautiful machine and if you care about aesthetics, then this product is perfect for you. It’s available in 5 different colors – black, pastel blue, cream, pastel green, and red.
However, Smeg didn’t just focus on aesthetics while designing and making this grinder. It was built with high-quality materials to ensure that it performs as excellently as you’d expect a product like this to perform.
Benefits of the Smeg 50’s Retro
A lot of features have been crammed into this burr grinder. First off, if you love espresso and wish to grind beans for espresso, you can grind directly into the filter holder of your espresso machine rather than into the grounds container.
Its stainless steel burrs means you’ll be using those burrs for a long time with no problems, and you’ll get consistent grounds each time you fire up the machine. The burrs are so good you get flavorful cups of coffee with your grounds every time, with no change in flavor or taste. They’re also removable, so cleaning should be a breeze.
This grinder will set you back a couple hundred dollars, so it isn’t cheap, and, as such, you’d expect it to have a high-quality construction. This model delivers in that regard with its die-cast aluminium construction.
At the end of the day, what matters the most to coffee lovers is the quality of the grounds, not aesthetics or materials, and this one gives you your money’s worth each time you use it. You can pick from 30 levels of grind sizes ranging from fine to coarse using the front lever so you can produce the perfect grounds for espresso, French Press, American coffee, Moka, and more.
The bean hopper can hold up to 350 grams of beans while the grounds container can hold up to 130 grams of coffee. Both are made of BPA-free plastic. A cleaning brush is one of the accessories included in this product’s package, which will come in handy when you inevitably have to clean it.
Static electricity is a big issue with coffee grinders but the Smeg 50’s Retro has an anti-static system built into it that prevents static buildup. It’s also relatively quiet and leaves no mess during and after grinding.
Using the machine is super easy – just turn the knob to the number of cups you want (you can choose from 1 to 12 cups), use the lever to select your grind size, and then hit the start button. There is a manual mode too that lets you grind the amount of beans you want without having to select any number of cups. You just start the machine and stop it when you have the amount of grounds you want.
Drawbacks of the Smeg 50’s Retro
It’s hard to notice flaws or disadvantages in such a beautiful and expensive piece of machinery, unless you get a defective unit which you should be able to return for a replacement. That said, one thing that some people might consider a flaw is the absence of a screen. This is especially true for those who love fancy features.
Others who prefer simplicity may even consider this a benefit since the absence of a screen means the control panel is simpler and easier to use.
Another potential flaw is the fact that this grinder won’t run continuously for more than 90 seconds. It has to stop and cool for a little while before it can be used again. Not a big deal but can be annoying if you’re grinding a lot of beans. It’s also expensive (costs around $300) and that can be a barrier for some, but you get what you pay for.
Verdict
Smeg covered all the bases with this product. They made a beautiful burr grinder that is pleasing to look at, enhances the look of any kitchen, relatively quiet, leaves no mess, and offers top-notch performance, durability, and excellent build quality. Seriously, if you can afford it, just buy it. If you can’t, you can check out other great but cheaper alternatives here.
Making great-tasting cups of coffee starts with quality beans. After that, the quality of your grinder comes next. The Smeg 50’s Retro helps you maintain the aroma and flavor of your beans all the way to your first sip.
Smeg 50’s Retro Buyer Reviews
Buyer 1 — “Phenomenal Coffee Grinder”
This 5-star review was published by Michael who had to buy another grinder to replace their previous one. Michael calls it an excellent product, which speaks volumes about the kind of experience they’ve had with this machine. Their previous machine was made by Capresso and it served them for 4 years, and it saw a lot of use during that time (Michael used it every single day).
However, they started to notice a smell from its motor that signalled to them that the grinder was nearing the end of its life, which necessitated the purchase of a new machine. In the short span of time they’ve used it, they’ve already noticed a number of benefits the Smeg 50’s Retro has over their previous Capresso.
It’s less noisy, grinds more consistently, and looks better. Other things Michael likes about this product is its simple controls (apparently, they prefer simple physical buttons and the absence of a screen). Michael believes the reason why this Smeg machine looks better and grinds more consistently than his former one is its metal body which gives it a premium look and more solidity.
They also think grinders that are made of metal are less noisy than their plastic counterparts. One other thing they mentioned is the BPA-free polymer material the grounds container and hopper are made of. We all know how important it is to avoid the toxic chemical known as BPA and the health risks it poses. Thanks to Smeg, you’ll be drinking BPA-free coffee.
Buyer 2 — “I Love This Coffee Grinder”
A lot of people begin their search for a new product by searching for the best ones to buy on a search engine and reading lots of reviews, and Christina did the same thing when they were looking for a new burr grinder. They read a lot of reviews and came across a good number of products from different brands, but they had already found this Smeg grinder before they began their research.
After considering their options, Christina went with this one. They already loved its appearance and really wanted to buy it, but probably decided to do a bit of research to see if it’d come up among the list of recommended products on websites that have published reviews of the best burr grinders. A lot of people do that — they check online to validate their choices, and there’s nothing wrong with that if you’re not sure about your decision.
Christina describes this machine as a “well-made burr grinder”. They’ve used it to produce very fine and coarse grounds and it has produced consistent results every time. This is a high-end machine and will cost you hundreds of dollars, so consistent results is one of the benefits it absolutely must offer given its price.
Another thing it must have is the ability to produce perfect grounds for all types of coffee, be it drip, cold brew, pour-over or espresso. A lot of cheaper products have this capability, so that’s something you should expect this machine to do well, and it does it well.
The consistent grounds, perfectly sized hopper, and the beautiful retro look are the main reasons why Christina chose this machine over the others. Christina has also used and owned high-end coffee grinders in the past, so this isn’t their first one.
Buyer 3 — “Wow”
Wow — that’s how this review from a coffee lover began. This buyer happens to be someone that loves coffee so much they look forward to it first thing in the morning and also drink it at night before sleeping. Seeing as they’re a coffee freak, it wasn’t surprising to see them mention a few high-end coffee makers and grinders they’ve used and currently own.
One of the features buyers love the most about this Smeg grinder is its beautiful appearance, and this buyer calls it a “beautiful machine” in their review. They go ahead to mention some of the other features they love, like how quiet it is compared to their previous machines, how easy it is to operate, and the smoothness and ease with which it grinds. Even the problem that leaves a lot of people dissatisfied with their grinder — static electricity and the mess it causes — is absent when you grind your beans with this machine.
This buyer is so impressed with this grinder that they call it the absolute best grinder anyone can get today for home use and recommend it outright. Like the other buyers above, this one has no complaint about this product. Their review can be summarized as “100% satisfied!”.
