Breville The Grind Control Coffee Maker

Breville The Grind Control Coffee Maker Review

Brand: Breville
Released: June 2015
Updated: 3 months ago
4.2
Overall review score
101
Review evidence points
27
Scored features
11
Expert reviews

Bottom Line

Choose it for fresh-ground drip coffee, strong customization, and hot carafe coffee. Skip it if you want low-maintenance cleanup, flawless pouring, or a cheaper machine.

Best for

Best for coffee drinkers who want fresh-ground drip coffee without using a separate grinder, especially households that brew full carafes but still want single-cup flexibility.

Not for

Not for buyers who want a low-maintenance, inexpensive, or ultra-simple coffee maker, or anyone who will be frustrated by chute cleaning and an awkward thermal carafe.

Verdict

Breville The Grind Control stands out because reviewers consistently connect its built-in burr grinder, strength settings, and programmable brewing with fresher, stronger drip coffee. It can handle a full carafe or a single cup, and the thermal carafe often keeps coffee hot for hours. The tradeoff is complexity: several reviewers mention calibration, regular descaling, grinder-chute cleaning, and messy grounds. Carafe handling is also divisive, with some praising the pour while others complain about dripping or awkward angles. The machine is best understood as a convenient all-in-one fresh-bean brewer that rewards upkeep rather than a simple, maintenance-light drip machine.

Feature Scorecards

Summary

27 reviewed features
  • Very positive 4.5-5.0
    7 (26%)
  • Positive 3.5-4.4
    14 (52%)
  • Neutral 2.5-3.4
    5 (19%)
  • Negative 1.5-2.4
    1 (4%)

Pros

  • 4.6
    11 reviews strong consensus
    Overall user experience: 4.6, 11 reviews, strong consensus
    Overall user experience is strongly positive once the machine is dialed in, with reviewers calling it convenient, satisfying, easy to use, and a very nice coffee maker.
  • 4.4
    11 reviews strong consensus
    Grinder, hopper and dosing system: 4.4, 11 reviews, strong consensus
    The grinder and hopper system are central strengths, praised for burr quality, customization, efficiency, and grind consistency, but several reviews warn about chute cleaning or beans getting stuck.
  • 4.5
    7 reviews strong consensus
    Espresso and beverage quality: 4.5, 7 reviews, strong consensus
    Beverage quality is a major strength, with reviewers repeatedly describing the coffee as rich, robust, strong, tasty, or better than expected, though one single-cup test was muddy.
  • 4.5
    6 reviews strong consensus
    Design, ergonomics and footprint: 4.5, 6 reviews, strong consensus
    Design and ergonomics are usually praised for stainless styling, readable displays, user-friendly controls, and manageable under-cabinet height, despite some smudging and bulk.
  • 4.4
    6 reviews strong consensus
    Brewing performance and consistency: 4.4, 6 reviews, strong consensus
    Brewing performance is mostly praised for strong, hot, flavorful coffee, though one review needed calibration before reaching the best batch.
  • 4.7
    4 reviews strong consensus
    Automation and sensors: 4.7, 4 reviews, strong consensus
    Reviewers like the programmable auto-start, countdown/timer information, and morning automation that grinds and brews fresh coffee.

Cons

  • 2.6
    4 reviews strong consensus
    Design flaws: 2.6, 4 reviews, strong consensus
    Common design flaws center on the carafe lip, grinder chute clogging risk, oily-bean clogging, and messy maintenance.
  • 2.0
    1 review
    Environmental packaging sustainability: 2.0, 1 review
    Packaging sustainability receives one negative mention because the product arrived with styrofoam and lots of plastic.
  • 2.5
    1 review
    Accessories: 2.5, 1 review
    Accessories receive little direct evaluation; one reviewer specifically downplays the included cleaning brush as small.
  • 2.8
    2 reviews limited evidence
    Warranty and Customer support: 2.8, 2 reviews, limited evidence
    Warranty sentiment is modest to negative because the one-year warranty is considered standard and short for a potentially failure-prone appliance.
  • 3.0
    4 reviews moderate consensus
    Mess-free used-puck disposal: 3.0, 4 reviews, moderate consensus
    Mess control is mixed to negative: some uses avoid overflow, but several reviewers report loose grounds, stuck chute residue, or messy cleanup.
  • 3.4
    5 reviews strong consensus
    Water system, maintenance and descaling: 3.4, 5 reviews, strong consensus
    Water and maintenance evidence is mixed: filling can be easy, but regular descaling and chute cleaning are repeated requirements.

Compared With Category Average

Compared with other Coffee Machines, this product is above average in Shipping policy, Accuracy of marketing claims, Grinder, hopper and dosing system, near average in Overall user experience, Assembly and Setup, below average in Environmental packaging sustainability, Accessories, Mess-free used-puck disposal.

Comparison summary

27 compared features
  • Above average 0.4+ pts higher
    9 (33%)
  • Same as average within 0.3 pts
    13 (48%)
  • Below average 0.4+ pts lower
    5 (19%)

Largest category differences

Attribute This product Category average Difference
Environmental packaging sustainability 2.0 3.4 -1.4
Accessories 2.5 3.6 -1.1
Shipping policy 5.0 3.9 +1.1
Accuracy of marketing claims 4.3 3.2 +1.1
Grinder, hopper and dosing system 4.4 3.7 +0.7
Mess-free used-puck disposal 3.0 3.8 -0.9
Warranty and Customer support 2.8 3.6 -0.8
Capacity 4.6 3.9 +0.7

Consider This Instead

If you want better Build quality and durability

Choose OXO Brew 9 Cup Coffee Maker. It scores 4.7 vs 3.7 for Build quality and durability, with a 4.2 overall score.

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Compared in Reviews

Products reviewers directly compared with this model, grouped into quick takeaways.

  • Better: overall rating and brew modes The review says Breville's Precision Brewer rated slightly higher and offers more brew modes.

Capresso Team Pro Plus

  • Cheaper: price The Capresso Team Pro Plus is named as a more affordable stainless-carafe competitor.

Cuisinart DGB-800

  • Cheaper: price The Cuisinart DGB-800 is presented as a much cheaper grind-and-brew alternative.

FAQ

Does it make strong coffee?

Yes. Multiple reviewers praised the coffee as strong, rich, robust, hot, or flavorful once the grind and strength settings were dialed in.

Is the built-in grinder good?

Reviewers generally liked the burr grinder for consistency, freshness, and customization. The main caveat is that the chute needs regular cleaning and can clog, especially with oily beans.

Can it brew a single cup?

Yes. Reviewers used it for single cups and travel mugs, and one review liked the removable drip tray for taller mugs. One reviewer preferred carafe mode because single-cup brewing tasted slightly muddy.

Does the thermal carafe keep coffee hot?

Yes. Reviewers repeatedly praised the carafe for keeping coffee hot for hours, including lab-style temperature checks. Pouring from the carafe is the bigger complaint.

Is it easy to clean?

It is not maintenance-free. Reviews mention regular descaling, rinsing parts, clearing the grinder chute, and dealing with messy grounds, though some owners felt the upkeep kept performance strong.

Is it worth the price?

Reviewer opinion is mixed but generally favorable. Several reviews say the all-in-one grinder and coffee quality justify the cost, while others warn that the price feels risky if long-term grinder problems appear.

Sample Expert Reviews We Analyzed

These are a few of the reviews included in our analysis.

Video Reviews

Article Reviews

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