Unsafe and Breville could care less…

If I could give zero stars I would as the company is terrible. I used this coffee pot for about 2 years. It’s a lot to keep clean but that’s ok. It does not brew as hot as I would like, but that’s not a deal killer either . The issue I had was finding a broken piece of plastic and metal spring in my brewed coffee . I was told I could send it to be “serviced “ at my expense as I was outside the warranty. The fact they can’t stand by their product even with a potentially dangerous problem is terrible. I believe the part of from the inside of the carafe lid as when I shake it I hear plastic moving around but of course I can’t see inside anything. I reported it to the product safety commission today. If you use this check your coffee cup for machine parts regularly!

+1 more

Doesn't Last Long

We bought the Grind Control in Dec 2022. It worked great for the first year and we were diligent about cleaning it weekly. Then, we started having issues with the grinder not working. After taking it apart and cleaning it more frequently, it finally just stopped grinding all together, about 6 months ago, no matter what we did. Now we just use ground coffee in it, which defeats the purpose of wanting freshly ground coffee beans at home. Shouldn't an expensive grind and brew machine, that is regularly maintained, last longer than a year? Very disappointed in this product.

Not a good purchase

I have had this machine for over a year now. For the past 3 months I find that I have to clean the bean chute every few days. It constantly clogs. Breville help only recites the cleaning methods I already follow. I have switched to a light roast which works slightly better, but I prefer dark roast. We have other issues with this pot such as the basket not locking in unless you press hard (basket swings out when grinding and coffee gets all over). I like the stainless pot, but sometimes we forget to empty it before brewing and it overflows. Overall, I wish I never spent this much money on a coffee pot.

Solid, great coffee, great customer support

Writing a review/preview. After 6 years (and based on usage, probably north of 2,500 pots of coffee) I’m probably in need of a new machine. Seems the reservoir may be leaking. After looking at all the other machines on the market now, it’s simple: I’m going to get another GC. The complaints about the carafe are little puzzling to me. In my experience the carafe keeps the coffee quite warm for 3-4 hours, at least. And when I’m down to the last 2 ozs, I’m brewing more coffee, not tilting it upside down like a desert canteen in a spaghetti western.

Good, and could be great if...

I was concerned after reading previous reviews, but I have generally been very happy with this machine. It makes a good cup of coffee for someone who just wants coffee. Perhaps if I were a connoisseur I would need something fancier, but this definitely does the trick.

12 years of use

I have had the GC for over 12 years though the machine can be temperamental, it worked well for me following learned lessons.

Does not grind, sprays coffee grounds mid-brew

The machine either has a horrible design or mine is a lemon. Constant problems with it since I bought it in January. It won't grind, or the grind basket pops open mid-brew, spraying coffee everywhere. This is despite constantly cleaning the chute -- even though that doesn't always open -- descaling, wiping down the parts and generally treating it like a needy infant. The messes maks for some very fun mornings. I would not purchase this machine again. I am asking the company for a complete refurbish or replacement machine.

Constant issues outweigh convenience

I, probably like you, spent the extra cash and settled for this Breville since it was one of very few options that had automatic grinding and brewing. And hey, it’s a nicer brand so it will perform at high quality, right? Unfortunately as 1000+ reviews have stated, not so.

Love it so far - just be prepared to attend to it each day unlike a single K-Cup system!

We're really loving the new Breville Grind Control. We were prepared for the extra attention this would need over our previous maker, a Keurig Single Cup system. If you want a simple (and wasteful) way to make coffee, without the fresh ground and brewed taste, then stick with the K-Cups. But, if you want an extremely better tasting cup of coffee then you won't be disappointed with the Breville. Just get into a routine of cleaning (carafe, filter, etc.) and refilling (water and beans) and you'll love this! If you just want to quickly "make a cup of coffee" then this might not be for you. It just took a couple of days, and I was used to the process and after just 5 minutes I am able complete for today and setup (using the auto start function) for the next day for me and my wife! So glad we went with the Breville grind Control!

Very Disappointing

I purchased a Breville Grind Control Coffee Maker in June. The grinds were malfunctioning by creating too much grinds, nearly double the amount and inconsistent in the size of the grind. Then when trying to clean out the hopper again to see if helps the hopper got stuck. I worked through Breville customer service and they were NOT helpful. They had me Break the hopper to remove it and are sending a new one. However, the solution they recommended for the grinding issues was to purchase a scale and measure and calibrate the machine with every new bag of coffee beans. This is a ridiculous solution and if this is what is required for this machine it should be sold with a scale and instructions on calibration being required. This is disappointing from Breville. I thought I was upgrading, but this has bee a huge disappointment.

Disappointing from Breville

I have had this product for approximately two months and I'm very disappointed. After about 5 weeks I started noticing the the grounds were inconsistent and making way too much, near double the amount it should. I did the reset on the machine, and cleaned it out the hopper, but that didn't work it was still overproducing. I went check the hopper and do a clean out again when the Hopper got stuck. I called WS and they referred me to Breville. After some very challenging communication with Breville, they had me break the hopper to remove it. The grinder seemed in good condition, so they are sending me a new hopper. She said the solution to the overproduction of grinds was to use the calibration mode on the machine which requires weighing and measuring beans every time you have a new bag of coffee beans. This is RIDICULOUS! If this is required the purchase or inclusion of a scale needs to be recommended and it was not! Now I'm getting the run around from both Breville and WS. This was a $400 coffee maker purchase! This is unacceptable and disappointing in a company such as Breville.

Love the coffee. But issues with machine

I bought this machine in March 2023. Worked great. I followed all maintenance procedures. Recently the machine is a pain. Chute has to be cleaned every second day. and now the LCD screen will not dim. And more importantly I fill the machine to my 12 cup limit. I press the start button there is a few beeps that sound off and nothing happens. After pressing numerous times and hitting reset. The machine then works. As I say makes great coffee but now a real pain.

Major Design Flaws

Nearly all of my kitchen appliances are Breville and I was very excited to come across this coffee maker when I was in the market for a new one. However there are serious design flaws that I wish I'd known before purchasing. I would NOT recommend this unit.

15+ years old and still working!

I have had a Breville Grind Control coffee maker for about 15 years or more. I have had a few minor issues with it but otherwise it’s been great! The first coffee maker I bought had a problem with the internal clock. It would lose time. I wanted it to have my coffee ready in the morning just as I was leaving for work. But waiting for it to make my morning coffee was making me late to work. I was constantly having to reset the clock. I contacted Breville and they sent me a new replacement coffee machine. The replacement machine had the same problem, so they offered to switch it out for a glass carafe machine instead of the metal carafe machine. I was fine with that because I don’t use the carafe at all. I always use a 16oz coffee mug instead. Over many years of use the rubber gasket for the filter basket tore so I ordered a new basket. The new basket gasket seems to stick to the silver disk when it rotates and then coffee grounds spill out because it doesn’t make a good seal. I simply smear a very light coating of cornstarch on the gasket before I put it in the coffee maker and problem solved. The only other issue I have is that if I fill the water reservoir all the way up to the top then the first cup of coffee it makes is short for some reason. I contacted Breville to see if they had a solution. They said I can ship it back to them and they would recondition it for me. Unfortunately I would be without a coffee maker in the meantime. That really isn’t a workable solution for me. Being without a coffee machine during the repair process is not going to work out well for my coffee needs. So I just try to remember to not fill the reservoir all the way to the top and I’m okay. Otherwise this has been a great coffee machine for me and I highly recommend it for other people who like to use whole beans.

My Second Grind Control Machine - Keeps Breaking

Great coffee machine at first, but it broke down less than 6 months with moderate use. This was my second purchase of "the Grind Control" machine since the first one broke down with the same issue as my second one. The pre-set or desired cups of coffee feature has gone AWOL and renders this machine useless. Whatever amount of water and coffee beans you pour in it will grind all of the beans and output the water, so if you have this machine will the entire tank of water and coffee beans full and set it to make 3 cups of coffee it will run the machine for the entire 12 cups that you aren't asking for. I now have to eyeball how much coffee beans I pour and water to roughly make what I'm asking for which is not okay. Frustrating that I haven't submitted a claim for my first machine a while ago, and the same issue has happened to my second machine, and I now have two of the same machine's that don't work. :(

Overall like it

We’ve had this model for about 5 years. The grinder does get clogged periodically and it’s difficult (and messy) to remedy but we have figured out that we cannot fill the area that holds the beans completely and that has helped. In the last few months, we’ve had water leak around the pot as the coffee is made. Not sure what’s happening but thinking it may need a new filter holder… as the seal on the back that connects to the main machine seems loose. But I cannot see where to buy a new one. Other parts are available but I am not seeing this. Help 😊

Overall very pleased...with one exception

I purchased my Breville Grind Control in February 2024 and after five continuous months of use I'm compelled to write a review. I'm a 61yo retired tech executive who just wants a good cup of coffee in the morning. I'm not a coffee snob but I do have high expectations for my morning cup. Additionally I want to enjoy the experience of making it and trying different brands and roasts. Overall I'm pleased with this coffee maker with the exception of one defect I’ll get to later. Here's my thoughts:

Great coffee requires tlc

I bought this afternoon reading several reviews. if you are more on the lazy side and don't want daily cleaning, this is NOT the machine for you. we have used it daily for nearly 2 years now. every day, after it brews, I use a brush to wipe the grinds off the opening of the disk from the coffee chute. daily rinse and wipe the filter holder. we clean the hopper about once a month when the descale prompts to be done. we bought paper filters because the mesh basket works in a pinch but it's a messy clean up every day.

The Cup | Carafe control knob stopped working after 14 months

We owned the previous version of this Breville coffee maker and used it well over ten years, and loved it. There were maintenance issues...but it always kept working.

Great (if you like regular cleaning!!!)

This is a neat machine, but buyer beware: you need to have decent mechanical skills to own this coffee maker. Our original unit broke after a part failed. That one & the replacement do NOT work as advertised regarding cleaning. There is a disc which is supposed to rotate open when one unlocks the hopper but neither did. So, I have to unscrew a nut, remove it, the tiny washer & the metal disc in order to access the chute to clean the grounds. This needs to happen at least once a week! We brew a pot daily, so nothing excessive. Also whenever it's time to compost the spent grounds, there is a ton of residual grounds still inside the filter basket's intake valve so that all goes down your sink drain, which is problematic for some home's pipes. Aside from all of that it works well to program, fine tune, grind & brew your coffee before you wake up. Carafe keeps hot for over 4 hours.