Breville ESP8XL Cafe Roma Stainless Espresso Maker

I have been making espresso for many years. The only reason I was in the market for a new machine, was due to my old one being warn out.
I was totally disappointed. The machine always leaves water in the drip tray due to the way the water tank works. The espresso was always watery no matter what I did or how fine the grind of coffee. The frother make great froth if thats all you want. I myself prefer some milk. The froth jug is way to small. If you use a larger froth jug it takes to long to heat.
I would never recommend this machine.

This review is based on a latte a day for about a month now.

-Customer service was great: one part got jammed during shipment (despite how extraordinarily well the manufacturer had it packed inside the box!). I called and a person answered the phone right away who helped me figure out the problem.

-Thus far, the espresso comes out hot with a great crema, and my milk is also nice and hot (from 120-160 Fahrenheit depending on how you want it) and well-frothed (meaning microfoam(!) not seafoam). With the frother it's essential to keep the full rubber head (meaning the fat part) submerged in the milk to get it hot (including the intake air vents on the side).

Bottom line: I am very impressed that this quality comes at such a great price.

I received the machine and was very pleased with the way it looks and its construction. I did have problems with the two cup filter but called the company and got straight into customer service. They sent a replacement filter within a few days no hassle! Great Value and Outstanding customer service!

All I can say is WOW! My teenage daughters and I love espresso & designer lattes, This machine made it a BREEZE for us to give up all the overpriced designer cafes in our area. My brother is a coffee snob and spent literally thousands on a fully automated Capresso machine. You could buy a couple dozen of these Breville machines for the price of his.. and you know what? It's a few seconds more work but the coffee is JUST AS GOOD!

One of my daughters is visually impaired and she can work the machine and clean it with no problems.

Assembly was easy, cleanup is easy, and making three different beverages in seconds is a breeze, too. We have three completely different tastes so we've managed quite a few different drinks. I make sugar free soy lattes using Soy Slender and sugar free DaVinci flavors. We've frothed skim, 2%, whole and soy milks of every type. Even heavy whipping cream and half & half froth perfectly.

The only issue we had was that one time we tamped the espresso a little too firmly and nothing would come out. If you tamp lightly, you'll have no problem at all and the crema is absolutely superb!

As for the reviewer that said their espresso was watery, if you use a fine ground espresso, that definately won't be a problem. The two-serving filter makes a great double shot, but if you try to make more than that, I can see how you could end up with something watery. The drip tray does need emptying once in a while, but that's the same with every espresso maker I've ever used.

I DEFINATELY recommend this machine!!

I find this to be an excellent espresso machine. I moved up from a Delongi machine I had for the last 6 years to this one and find it was well worth the money. It not only does a great job on espresso and frothing milk, but it is designed so that refilling with water and clean up is very easy. Excellent value for the price.

Rob's Bottom Line: Yuck!

I'm a novice barista, but I have been to many different cafes so I hope I know what a good espresso should taste like. :)

I made several espressos with the Breville, with different grinds, packing methods. Overall, the Breville produced a very inferior espresso. Basically, it was very bitter/sour AND weak. I couldn't enjoy the espresso at all. I believe the bitter taste is from the machine not producing enough pressure or not getting hot enough. I don't know the exact technical reason.

I really wanted to like this machine. It is beautiful, nice sturdy components, very stylish. I tried finer grinds, firmer packing and so on. It was just a bad espresso.

Just recently I bought a Krups machine. I used the same beans, grind, water, etc. as I did on the Breville. The new machine was about $100 more but the taste was FAR superior. I also tried a much cheaper Delonghi machine which was nice, (priced under $100). The espresso was decent, for the price, but the machine did not produce lattes, so I decided not to keep it.

When I first got the machine, I was assured that it had been researched and was the best value for your money. Removeable water tank, espresso cups, warming tray, stainless steel design, 15 bar pump, etc. It seemed like a great deal.

At first it worked half decent, a little getting used to how the machine operates and we should be fine. But it wasn't. I had noticed that espresso was coming out particularly slowly. I tried tamping less and less but I was barely tamping at all and still less and less flow. I made myself a mocha and the chocolate couldn't cover the bitterness that was due to the over-extraction. I tried to tamp even less, and run it again but nothing came out. I emptied the filter and tried it empty. Nothing. We were using Starbucks pre-ground espresso grind coffee... It evidently clogged the filter. We tried to unclog the filter by running it empty a few times... then prgressed to trying to clean it manually. We cleaned out all the grounds that were acessable and tried to reverse the flow to dislodge any grounds that were stuck. No luck. We are unable to use the machine to make espresso now. They should at least warn you that too fine a grind will make the filters garbage. You figure Starbucks should know how to grind espresso...

The steamer is very flakey. It can work well, but because the machine is not steam powered, it has to make steam as it goes, when it works it's only just satisfactory. It's slow, due to the fact is has to make steam on the fly, but when it doesn't work, it's a disaster: It spits water out. Not cool. It's not a cheap machine, and that kind of operation is unacceptable.

I am packing up this machine and returning it.

I've owned 2 Capresso machines in the past, so this review is colored by my experience with Capresso machines. The first cup of espresso was wonderful...though not very hot. The steamer is a JOKE. It takes a very long time to froth a little milk and get it good and hot. The Capresso machines had much more powerful steamers. On this thing, it just kind of dribbles out.
After the first cup, I really had to fool around with the grind and tamping to get any espresso to come out at all, which was never a problem on the other machines. And the warming tray...what a joke. At this point, I'm getting better at using the machine and it's making decent espresso and cappucino. But next time, I'd pay a little more money and go with a Capresso.

I'm very happy with this. it makes a nice cup of esspresso. It definitly has its tricks to get a good cup, mostly involving timing the heating cycles, but after just a couple tries you'll get it. definitly need to pre-warm the thing and even then not incredibly hot. the steam wand works fine. Didn't work well with PODs, stick to the regular grounds. Oh yeah, and the stainless steel houseing looks great! Great value for the price.

I've owned several machines over the last ten years, from the $49.00 'wait for the steam', a $4000 Venezia VAE-22, an 'all-in-one' $1000.00 Starbuck machine along with my current (broken) Starbuck Barista. None of the machines I've owned come close to the Cafe Roma ESP8XL for quality and design. From the water feed systems removable, cleanable, replaceable, easy to access water tank to the three tang filter holder, precision and functionality was first for the designers. The frothing system, the drip tray, the simple controls are all top notch and the cup warming plate is over the top! The pop-up button that shows you the level of the water in the drip tray is a really nice feature. By adding the stainless demitasse cups and saucers Breville created the best machine on the earth. For those that have problems with getting the grounds out of the filter I found a stainless steel Knockout tray with 49mm Tamper that matches the machine and is easy to clean. The first espresso I made was perfect, it took several cups in our stores Venezia VAE-22 to get everything right. Some of the other reviewers seem to have issues with the 'taste', part of learning how each machine functions is the issue. The filter on the ESP8XL is one of the easiest to maintain I've ever used and one of the reasons for the perfect Espresso.

Let me say this up front. You can make very good espresso with this machine. That being said you must become an espresso expert to get that good shot. Use the proper grind size, tamp pressure, time your brew time and you may get a good result. I don't think that the single serving filter is good because the surface area of the filter is smaller and cannot get a decent tamp going. (you'll understand when you see it) Just use the two cup serving filter and a very fine grind. I don't think that this machine heats the water to 200 degrees, but if you run the machine and wait for the heater to come on you can get it hot enough. The steamer wand works good, but needs some heating up. I just took off the rubber thing and use the bare nozzle. Don't get me wrong, this machine is good and much better than steam powered machines. Just expect to practice, and don't expect a "god shot" on you first or even tenth try.

So glad I went for the best! Cost a bit more than the other brands, but what you get is a first class machine, short of buying a commercial model. Friend of mine had a Krupps Expresso Maker, which after a few expresso's got me hooked on expresso's, but it was a piece of junk compared to this Breville. The Breville is a heavy/solid machine which I like, and the stainless steel design makes it an eye appealing counter addition. Its use is straight foward, simple, and efficient. After a few tries, I have it down pat. The steamer/frother does its job wonderfully, although it would be nice to have the tube a little bit longer to reach further into the cup. Frothing and steaming required a few attempts with milk flying all over until I got it right. So if you don't want to make the same mistake...if you steam the milk..only steam the milk!! Don't steam and then add the froth attachment to then froth...or you will end up with milk splattering all over. Use the froth attachment from the beginning of the procedure if you want both steamed milk and the froth.
Normal clean up is a cinch, as the stainless steel is so easy to clean, and the whole expresso experience makes the little bit of clean up required after making an expresso or two well worth it. Breville has its' act together on this machine!

I'm no expert on espresso but I do not drink coffee, latte's or Cappuccino, just espresso. I get great shots with adequate crema (I'm still experimenting with the grind). I like to pull about three ounces out of a double dose and ocassionally will treat myself to a dollop of whipped cream from my iSi charger.

The Cafe Roma is solid and heavy ... almost as though it were machined out of a solid stainless ingot. Features are minimalist but all I need. As with any thermoblock machine, it is important to let the tank water reach room temperature before use ... cold water in will not achieve the proper temperature for a great shot.

My only complaint, picky picky, is the water left on top of the puck on extraction of the portafilter. I just turn the portafilter over in the sink and let it drain a bit before knocking the puck out. If this machine were stolen from my kitchen, I would buy another one without hesitation. It replaced an old Krups Espresso Nova which leaks from the group due to a damaged teflon gasket. The expresso is at least an order of magnitute superior to the Krups (which I have relegated to my office until I can buy another Cafe Roma).

UPDATE: My favorite beans, ground at 6 in a Gaggia MDF produce a gorgeous, thick, multi-hued crema that tastes as good as it looks. What's not to like?

I rarely write reviews but when researching a product I count on them heavily, especially consumer opinions. One thing that upsets me, and wastes people time, is a reviewer who lets his displeasure over a particular aspect of a product color his whole review. One of the reviews here stated that this machine leaked which it may have and does not necessarily mean that every one of these units will leak. If it does take it back and get another one. Then he goes on to complain about how dreadful the machine handles pods. Guess what folks the machine does not work with pods nor is it suppose to. I have had one of these machines for a year now and it does not leak, and I did my research before I purchased it. No where in the manufactures documentation does it claim or even mention pods. The fact is that if a particular machine uses pods they advertise it heavily as a selling point. In addition machines that use pods require a specific filter to use pods. Don't let a 2 Star verdict on this machine scare you away. This is a wonderful entry level machine that makes great Lattes, Cappuccinos, and Espressos and at price that won't make you pass out. This is an all metal housing, not one of those plastic type Mr. Coffee machines. Read the other reviews here and I believe you will get an accurate picture of just how good this unit is.

Great espresso machine once you know how to use it.

We alway start the process with only water... and then we add the holder. Doing like this the coffea is super creamy and taste very good.

If not, no cream and seems regular coffee (pouah)

so 1 less star because this extra step
but very good quality

The reason I said I was surprised is that I really did not think I would be as pleased as I have been with this machine. I had to play around with the grind and the amount of coffe, but I am pulling a very nice espresso with minimal effort.

The suggested amount of coffee is too small, once you figure that out the product is wonderful.

I am very pleased.

I didn't even use it when I discovered that the porta filter is made of aluminum. The hot concentrated acidic coffee exiting the so called "stainless" machine would be badly leached by contacting the aluminum in the porta filter. Drink at your own tastebud and health risk (alzheimer's etc)! Someone at Breville (aka accountant/bean counter type) is not in touch with the health concious public. A few more dollars put into a stainless portafilter or at least a chrome plated brass one would not have hurt the spreadsheet profit that much!

I tried it for a week before I took it back to the store.

Coffee was not hot enough for my taste, and was watery. And the consistensy of the grind is muddy, clean-up for the next shot is messy.

Someone said it is not supposed to use pods...but they sell it with a filter for pods...????

It makes a nice crema though, and warms the milk well. But it was not a good reason to keep it. It's a mess to use it.

Btw, it was supposed to be my third expresso machine.

Before purchasing the machine I had done a bit of research. The professional reviews and customer reviews I read placed this machine at the top considering the price tag. The coffee that came out was fine, but although it heated the milk, it made little froth. I also noticed that it took at least half an hour for the machine to get really hot. In fact, it got so hot that if you touched it you would burn. My third time using it, I tried to get froth by heating the milk for over 20 minutes. It didn't work. The machine stopped working. The pump just went dead. I tried to shut off the machine and turn it on and nothing. I waited about fifteen minutes and turned it on and the pump worked, but now no froth came out at all. Of course, I had cleaned the attachment well. I used a needle to clean it again. I even took it apart and replaced it. Nothing. I'm returning it. It could be that this particular unit was defective, but I'll try for a more expensive brand.

This is the second espresso machine I have owned, the first one was a professional one in my restaurant and made perfect coffee quickly!

This machine for a home espresso machine lacks nothing in it's ability to produce a great espresso other than the time required to do so. The crema it produces is thick and the steamer produces a reasonable, constant flow of steam making it possible to make perfect foam with your milk. The water storage allows space for more than enough water to make several cups and steam a large amount of milk. The drip tray is large enough to collect a good amount of dripage and the design is sleek and compact. The only thing I think that Breville could do to improve on this unit would be to include a timer to turn the machine on so that I can have espresso in the morning before I leave for work!


A previous reviewer complained of an aluminum portafilter. Where did you get this information? I purchased this machine after being told directly, by a Breville rep, that the portafilter was stainless. None of the internal elements were aluminum, in fact. I've been extremely satisfied with this machine - it's sturdy, well made, and pours a fine cup of espresso.

My advice for shoppers is to call Breville directly before assuming the portafilter is aluminum based on one review.

I was tossing up between this and the Sunbeam Cafe Crema. After reading all the reviews here and on other sites about the Breville I decided to stick with the product that seemed to get the all round thumbs up. I am impressed by this machine. Sick of dodgy cappaccino's at the cafe's near me I can proudly say I'm making better than most of the shop purchased coffee's I've been getting lately. I have used this machine only to make cappaccino as that is all I drink.

I read good coffee accounts to 50% barista technique so Google how to poor a good espresso - plenty of sites out there. It does take a bit of mucking around trying to get the grind right. If you dont have your own burl grinder, find a store that sells beans and will grind them on the spot. A fine grind will clog the filter and the coffee will not come through. Buy in small quantities to start with, ask for a medium or medium to fine grind and go from there. Tweak with how hard you tamp.

As for foaming! I find I get bubbles of air if I leave the black attachment on. I'm having much better thick glossy results with the attachment OFF. I keep the tip just on the surface of the milk until the milk doubles in size. Should take about 10-15 seconds. Then plunge the wand into the milk and swirl around until the desired temperature is reached. I bought a cheap coffee frothing thermometer which is very handy. Result is nice thick glossy foam. I have only tried with skim milk.

I think given this is a low end machine, the results are impressive. For the average home user that enjoys a nice coffee it's great. I have been so fed up with the watered rubbish I have been getting in cafe's lately and so pleased I can finally make something decent myself! It does take practice though and perserverence.

Easy to keep clean, the brushed stainless is fine with a wipe. My drip tray full indicator doesn't work but I really cant be bothered returning it just for this. It's easy to just pull out and rinse under the sink and pop back in. I think someone mentioned it was a pain to clean up. I find it so easy! For the most part I just rinse and wipe with paper towel then once a day or so when I'm doing the dishes I wash and dry properly.

My wife and I spend way too much at Starbucks! So, we decided to buy are own machine. We selected this one for the price and the good reviews that were left on this site. It works well and fast!! I have nothing bad to say about it. I would highly recommend it to all!!!

I used my unit daily for 2 weeks and a seal failed. Customer service was great, sent me a new seal but even with my biggest screwdriver the screw holding the seal in place could not come out.

But from my disassembly it looks like my seal was installed upside down! Another call and they shipped me a new ESP8XL.

The first thing I checked was the seal and again it looks like it is installed upside down and would fail again.

I returned this unit and will continue shopping for a new unit.

-> Breville had good people on the customer service line but they didn't know how to get the retaining screw out and couldn't find out the details about the seal upside down or not.

--> Even worse was that since I had disassembled mine, there were rusting parts inside that you would never see unless you took it apart.

Frankly the unit may have suffered some cost reductions in production and that seal issue is trouble.

Bob

I bought this machine a couple months ago (March 06) and have been very pleased with my purchase. Both the espresso and the steamed milk come out hot, creamy, and delicious. The brushed metal design makes it an elegant addition to my kitchen and I love the durable feel. The machine warms up quickly, usually it is ready to go before I am done grinding the coffee, tampening the dossier, pouring the milk, and arranging the espresso cups underneath. If I fill the filter with grinds, then the depleted grinds fall into the trash like brick. This is nice because I want to perserve my plumbing by not washing grinds down the sink.

As I was learning how to use my grinder (seperate machine) I used a grind of coffee that was too fine (a floury consistency) and clogged my double-shot filter. At first I sent an email to their service center (askus at brevilleUSA) and never received a reply. A couple days later I called Breville (866 BREVILLE) and was surprised when a technician immediately answered the phone. If you need service I recommend calling them and make sure you have your questions and complaints prepared because you may not have time to mull them over as you wait on hold. He instructed me to soak the filter in a water/vinegar solution overnight, which fixed the problem, but then a few days later a new double-shot filter arrived in the mail. I presume the new part was in response to my email. It would have been nice if they communicated better through email but my problem was resolved twice over, with no cost to me, even though it was my fault.

My only complaint about the machine is that sometimes the steamer spits water for a second or two before producing steam. This happens if I make the espresso before making the steamed milk and start the steamed milk immediately after the heating light goes off. Waiting an extra minute solves the problem, but it is easier just to keep a towel nearby to catch the extra water.

I make a coffee a day and my roommates do the same. It gets a lot of use and so far it has performed above and beyond the call of duty.

Bought this for my wife. So far it works and she uses it every day. At first she thought she wouldn't use, but changed her mind. She likes it. I like the idea that it's all stainless steel and not plastic like most of them out there.

Fast, foams milk great, great job on the coffee. Excellent product. 100% satisfied.

This the best espresso machine I have owned - I have tried Krups and deLonghi machines and this beats them by a long stretch. Have used it almost every day for 8 months and it is flawless - a real workhorse. i served a latte to a friend who worked at Starbucks and he was amazed and sorry he recommended a much more expensive one to his girlfriend's parents. I have given these as gifts to my kids as well and they are delighted. Get yourself an ISI cream whipper and your mornng mocha is complete and sooo much cheaper than "the bucks"

It arrived just in time to make expresso for my PHd son-in-law cappacino nut and was a terrific hit for everyone. It does everything that they claim for it and the flavor we get is better than you can buy at any coffee shop. A single spout dispenser would not give me the double shot of heaven first thing in the morning. The stainless steel shot cups are great when heated on the warming plate.

I spent a lot of time reviewing various espresso machines and finally decided on the Breville. My husband uses his machine everyday so we wanted something that was more metal than plastic and that could brew a good hot cup. Unfortunately, the espresso turned out runny and not very hot. We tried several different grinds with no improvement. We are going back to our original Krups model--it's cheap looking, but it works well.

I've been using this machine for only one month, but I have been very satisfied. The Cafe Roma seems to be well made and easy to use. It makes excellent espresso with a nice crema and the steamer makes frothing simple. I don't believe you can find a better espresso maker for less than twice the price of this one.

This is the best espresso machine I've ever had, bar none. It's had the best crema on my espresso this side of Italy. And beautiful too. The pump (most important part) is made in Italy. All S/S. Parts are well made -sturdy. Even the coffee measure is well designed, a pleasure to use. Highly recommend it to any espresso lover. Comes with beautiful S/S cups which do not burn your fingers.
It's so much better than the Pavoni I had for 10 years...which died finally. Pavoni never was terrific and very quirky.
The only small problem with the Breville: you really can never see the water level through the clear window, and there is some steam buildup residue on that window. Called Breville and they had no clue. But it doesn't seem to affect the results.


The Breville Cafe Roma is an excellent addition to our kitchen. Makes fantastic espresso based drinks, is easy to use and looks good, too. I recommend this product.

So far I love this machine. I bought it at Bed Bath and Beyond. The only reason I didn't buy here was I had a coupon for 20% off so I picked up the machine for $200 without having to pay shipping! Although in fairness Amazon offers free shipping.

This unit was sitting beside a much higher priced unit $329 made by Delognhi or something like that. I liked the other machine but I could only see a few minor differences. The major difference the frothing arm on this machine will not move. Can be a plus. I don't mind. The other machine's was somewhat moveable. The other machine had an adjustable pressure arm for the steamer. I like this feature but I felt it was for those that care about froth much more than I. The only other thing that made me think should I get the higher priced machine was it came with a can of 18 Lilly coffee pods. Sold at the store for $9.99.

After about 20 minutes worth of deliberating I finally bought this unit. My first run was flawless. I made a great espresso with ample crema. I think turned on the steam for some frothed milk. Added some hazelnut syrup and I had my favorite latte right at home. Some pointers. Use the single filter NOT the pod filter. Gives more flow. Also, make sure water tank is pushed all the way down on first use. I made that mistake. Very loud noise told me something was wrong.

Only draw backs:

Machine was louder than I expected.
Double shot head on the dispense wand.(I would like to have them include a single shot head.)

Great value. Shop around. I saw this on popular acution site for $175 plus shipping.



I had a very old machine (a Salton), then tried a couple other briels and finally found this machine. It works excellent. I drink mostly lattes and have no problems with the brewing or the frothing. The machine is a beauty and the drinks taste better than the coffee houses I just visited in Paris. The controls are simple too and the new models do take the pods.

I bought mine mine two weeks ago in South Africa for the equivalent of $192. I have several small espresso machines, having been weaned on espresso. What a great machine. The pump is powerful and it heats both the water and the cups very well.

I am very impressed the metalic finish as it seems durable and should keep it's look for a long time. I think the bottom of the drip tray, which is plastic, could have been made of metal as well for the sake of durability.

However, I could well be accused of nit-picking as nobody else has complained.

I just purchased this machine about 2 weeks ago. My fiance who is Italian was skeptical because he's had the best espresso around the world. I did my research on Amazon before I made the purchase. I reviewed the comments and made comparisons. I wanted something reliable and inexpensive.When I got it, my fiance liked the sleek stainless steel design, but the real proof was in the first cup. It's been 2 weeks and about 3 dozen espresso's later and he loves it!

The espresso was thick and my fiance loves watching the sugar stay on top while it slowly disppears into the espresso. (a sign of a truly great espresso) I've had a few cappuccinos myself and it reminded me of the cafe in ROME ITaly that was so nice spend mornings at.

If you don't like the product, it's probably because you probably don't have enough experience in making espresso. Give it a few tries and become familiar with your machine and watch everyone envy it..

It's by far the best purchase I've made all year !!

I bought mine several months ago and use it exclusively for espresso. That I would give it 4 stars. As for customer service, all they have voice mail telling you they will call you back but they never do. For that I give them one star.

I first would like to say that if you are the occasional esspresso drinker, then this machine is to costly to use every once in a while go with a cheaper brand. Now for the rest of you that are die hard esspresso drinkers this is the machine for you.

I moved from AK to NY a few months ago, while I lived in AK (ALASKA) there were coffe shops on every corner, to say the least I was addicted to mochas, and moving to NY they are few and far between. I was going into withdrawl. After doing some research I found this great machine. I wanted to use it for a while before writing a review about it. I love this machine. This machine is fast and the esspresso is great. I am a fan of regular esspresso as well and it comes out at a consistanly high quality, the Crema is perfect, however I found if you are using the single shot it doesn't come out that great so always use the double shot. The machine heats up quickly and everything is provided for you, two cups, two saucers, a pitcher and a frothing attachment. I can see that this machine will pay for itself withing no time. I have owned cheaper models in the past and you can really tell the difference in the quality of the esspresso. I have not used the pod attachment so I can't comment on that. If you buy the machine in my opinion you wont be disappointed.

I spent a lot of time shopping around and I didn't want to spend the money on a machine this expensive. However, after a lot of research, I realized that they cost so much for a reason. I'm very happy with my purchase and I'm glad I didn't make the mistake of starting with a cheaper unit.



The espresso maker does a marvelous job for the price. The machine heats quickly and the coffee has a nice "crema" on top -- just what you would expect from an Italian espresso bar!
Sometimes the machine, however, does not push all the water through the coffee container, which makes replacing or refilling it rather messy. This could be due to the grinding grade, we tinkered with that, but not much has changed.

I must admit, I had never really experienced true espresso until I fired up my Breville a few months ago, and neither had my wife or my 10-year-old daughter, who positively hated coffee! After having spent five years with a steam-operated coffee scorcher, I really expected the Breville to be just a bit better quality than what I was accustomed. Needless to say, I was very surprised. I now know why the coffee drinks I snare at all my local coffee shops taste so good -- they're using real espresso machines!
My wife and I can't drink regular coffee anymore, as it's much too thin and has a scorched, watery flavor. We love to find unusual coffee bean flavors and tremendously enjoy exploring the world of coffee beans and all the flavors.
As for the Breville, it works wonderfully, time after time. Every cup is the same, thick and rich, with a beautiful caramel-colored crema, thick enough to flow a dollop of sugar. Experiment with the tamps, a hard tamp gives you a longer shot, whereas a soft tamp gives you less crema. Do the same with the grinds and discover the beauty of coffee, your own way and at your own pace. Have patience and enjoy the journey! We are, thanks to our Breville!

I was completely new to the espresso world when I bought the Breville ESP8XL Cafe Roma. A friend of mine turned me on to espresso, but his machine was too expensive for my budget, so I sought out a cheaper machine that would produce a quality espresso. The Cafe Roma fit the bill. I've had the machine for about a month now, and after finally finding the proper grind and tamping pressure, I've been pulling shot after shot of great espresso. I have it paired with a Rancilio Rocky grinder, and with a grind setting of 10 and with approx. 30 to 35 lbs of tamping pressure, the espressos are perfect. The puck knocks out of the portafilter like a brick making clean-up easy. I had a problem early on with watery pucks, but after I got my grind setting and tamp pressure right, the watery puck problem has been eliminated. Stainless steel housing is phenomenal, and looks great on my kitchen counter. The key to a good hot espresso with the Cafe Roma is to pull a blank shot before loading the portafilter with coffee. Although the instructions that come with the Cafe Roma suggest a "light tamp," it takes a good 30 to 35 lbs of tamp pressure to get a good shot, and the plastic tamp that comes with the machine is junk and just won't ever get the tamp right. Spend more money and invest in a good solid stainless steel tamper. The only real complaints I have are that the frothing wand is too short to accommodate a larger froth pitcher, and there is no variable steam control. Other than that, the machine is great. It is a great buy for the money and pulls a great espresso with a thick rich crema. For the novice, be patient and take the time to experiment with the grind, tamp, and type of coffee beans, and you won't be disappointed.

This machine makes good coffee when it works. The espresso cups keep clogging & the pump stops working. Works better with pods. The company replaced it for me 3 times. Each version lasted exactly 2 months. I'm trowing the 3rd version away today & I'm buying another brand. For all it's worth, it looks good on the counter top. LOL

i did a lot of research before i bought this machine. i've had two different brands of espresso machines, and this one far surpassed my expectations. first, it's easy to use. second, it can use espresso coffee grounds or ESE pods. the pods are super easy to use and the machine comes with a clearly labeled pod cup. the espresso has a beautiful crema, the espresso is hot and delicious. the frother for capuccino is movable and heats the milk and froths at the same time. it is very easy to clean also. the machine is quite pleasing to the eye and i dont mind having it on my counter, as it fits in nicely with the other stainless appliances. i called customer service prior to using it because i had a question about the frother. the call was taken on the second ring and the rep was knowledgable and friendly even offering advice on the first use. i would highly recommend this espresso maker for anyone interested in making a great espresso or cappucino.

I just got this machine and it makes great espresso quickly and is not fussy about the grind. My only complaint is that it takes too long (for me) to steam the milk (3 minutes to get 170 degrees) My steamer tube did not come with the frother (new design I guess) and the milk sticks to it like CEMENT. This is even if I clean it immediately. I am returning it.

Seems to make a good cup of espresso but to be honest I wouldn't know the absolute difference between pretty good and somewhat good. I recently had a piece snap on it and the entire unit had to be replaced. Breville is pretty good, fair and responsive with customer service.

If I had it to do over again, I would probably spend a little more money as I now use the espresso maker everyday.

Overall the material of this machine is elegant! It's solid & tough with its metal surface.
I've compared this one with "Barista"(you can see that in Starbucks), Barista is about $350 something, but you can tell the material is not as solid as Breville one.

But Barista one has a volume control to adjust the steam level, Breville one doesn't.
That's the only part I think Breville should have...

But I still like Breville a lot, for home use, love its design...

I received the Cafe Roma as a gift, and I adore it. I had been eyeballing it for a while, but was unsure and unable to spend the money on it. Now that I know how good it is, I would buy it again if I had to. It's definitely worth it.
I use a Cuisinart burr grinder on the finest setting, and it's perfect. Even on the first try, the espresso was perfect, with a rich crema on top. With a little previous experience, I have no idea how anyone could make a bad drink with this, as long as they have good beans, a good grind, and tamp it down pretty hard.
I always fill the machine with filtered water (can't have good coffee without good water!), turn it on, and then start grinding and getting ready, that way it's already heated up by the time I'm ready to use it. If you leave the cute little metal cups on top, they will get a little warm, but not super hot, unless the machine has been on for a while. You want them at least a little warm, lest they make your nice fresh espresso cold. You can rinse them in hot water first, or just do a little burst of steam into them. They never get too hot to handle, but then again, since I don't drink straight espresso, I haven't touched my lips to the hot metal cup.
I've gone through about three (steam) espresso machines over the years, one of which was a Krups, and the other two were cheapies ($40 or less). None of them ever produced much (if any) of a crema. This one does, and it's amazing. When I went to Italy, I wondered how they did it. Now I know! It makes a huge difference. the espresso is smooth and flavorful, not bitter or scorched. Best of all, THE RESULTS ARE CONSISTENT, not hit or miss like the other machines I've used. I used to hate how when I used the same beans, the same grind, the same tamping pressure, the same everything, it would come out with different results. Only on the rare occasion would it come out very good.
I am experimenting with different beans and different roasts. The flavors are much different, more distinct and complex in the Breville than they were with the other crappy machines.
It comes with a double shot filter, a single shot filter, and a pod filter. I have never used a pod, but might experiment with those, too. The single shot filter is useless to me, since I always use at least two shots in my drinks.
My machine is slightly different than the one pictured and described in the owner's manual. Maybe they updated it a bit? First of all, it has a nifty little finger loop on the steam spout, and the steamer moves. It didn't come with the frothing attachment, but I've found that I like the way it steams and froths my milk and cream just fine without it, although it does take an extra minute. If you're a novice, you might need some practice before you get it right. I always steam after I'm done making the espresso, and I have never had the problem with water dripping out of the steam spout.
Second, my little grind holder doesn't have the plastic piece that holds onto your inserted filter when you're trying to dump it, which sucks when you're trying to dump hot grounds because you want to make another one immediately after the first. It isn't toooo bad, since the filters fit in so snugly that they're actually difficult to remove.
I have a few other minor problems with this machine.
The little frothing pitcher it comes with is just about the right size for me, but what bugs me is that the steamer spout is a bit close to the machine, so the frothing mug is a little over the drip tray. When you froth it to the top, the distance between the drip tray and the bottom of the steam spout isn't high enough, so you have to tip the frothing mug to get it out, and some of your milk and foam spills. If it were maybe 1/8" taller, this wouldn't happen. It's not a big deal, I just don't froth it all the way to the top, but I hate having to tilt it to get it out. It might be a problem if you like to have more milk and foam than I do, and want to use a larger frothing mug.
Rather than the grounds coming out in a hard puck, they are muddy, which means you have to rinse them down the drain instead of just knocking them out. This could be due to me not tamping hard enough. I just read today that you should tamp and then twist, to make sure that the water doesn't just drip straight through.
The little drip tray is easy to remove and clean, but is not seated very sturdily, and it vibrates when making your espresso. If you don't keep an eye on the cups, they might vibrate out of the stream of espresso. That's more annoying and ridiculous than anything.
The other thing that kinda bugs me is that with my crappy old steam machines, you had a glass carafe that would fill up with a lot of espresso, so even if you put two shots per cup, you could make at least two cups immediately after it brewed. It was handy when you were making it for a lot of people. With the breville, it only makes two shots. I'm not sure if you are supposed to make 4 shots before changing the grounds or not, but when I do, the second pair seems watery. I only do that if I have people (like my mom) that like their drinks weak. If it's for anyone in my house, I change the grounds after every double shot, or I mix one shot of the first pair with one from the second.
It's a bit more of a pain, and it uses more beans than the steam machines with the big glass carafe, but the quality of the espresso is sooooo much better that it's worth it. It's just a minor annoyance.
It's also difficult to see the water level, but it doesn't matter. I love that you can pull out the water container to fill it up. If you fill it until it's full, you only need to refill after every other pair of shots.

All in all, it's not a perfect machine. It has some minor imperfections that are really inconsequential, if a tad annoying, but the main thing is that it makes GREAT espresso and espresso based drinks for half the price of other high quality machines, which is why I'm still giving it 5 stars, even though it might deserve 4 for the annoyances. I figure that every machine has its own imperfections, and these really aren't that bad.
A true connoiseur might want to go with a machine that's $500 and up. For someone that enjoys a morning coffee, or a good cappuccino on a chilly, overcast winter's day while sitting home reading a book, definitely spend the $250. It may seem like a lot, especially if you're not a really avid espresso drinker, but it's worth it for a good cup. Not only will it save you the money you spend at a coffee shop, you can make it exactly how you like it, and you don't have to leave the house if you don't want to, or waste time waiting in line at a coffee shop. It's built like a rock, and will last you for years. It's worth the investment. I say go for it!

I highly recommend this machine. I think maybe next year for Christmas, we'll get one for my mother-in-law.



I purchased this as a christmas present for someone and was fortunate enough to have a try. It makes very luscious espresso.

However after searching the box for the "froth enhancer" - (shown as the little black attackment to the steamer end of the machine) - we called the manufacturer, and before even talking to an associate, their pre-recorded massage stated that if calling about the froth enhancer, it's an additional piece that can be purchased separately.

Well, it shows it all over the box and the manual, and never says one way or another whether it's an additional piece or an add on, which is a little misleading.

Otherwise it's a great espresso maker for the price, Amazon was able to have it delivered before the expected delivery date, and at a great price.

I found it easy to use, easy to clean, easy to look at. Plus it makes perfectly acceptable cappuccinos. I am in no way an expert, but my cappuccinos taste just like I want them to, plus they look great with all that crema. I use Medaglia D'oro espresso, I tried a sample pack of pods with the pod attachment but I didn't like them as much. Didn't foam up enough.

The unit is well built with excellent controls. Cleaning ease is eimpressive compared to any other coffee machine I've used. The double spout output does not work well for filling 2 cups in double shot mode - the nozzles are too close together and don't flow equally. Not a huge issue as the double shot can be put into a single cup and divided later. Coffee quality is excellent with this machine - it would be nice it the cofee station was taller to accommodate larger cups. Overall a good design and careful manufacturing.

I've been using this machine for several months now and love it. I make three to five double lattes per day so it's gotten a good workout. The espresso is very rich with a nice crema on top. Be warned that you'll be tempted to start drinking espresso shots with dessert so you'd better stock up on some decaf espresso beans if caffine keeps you awake!

Only a couple minor drawbacks prevented me from rating this a 5 star. As has been mentioned in other reviews, it does take 30 seconds or so for the steam to build up and until then the steam wand emits a stream of water. I simply put a shot glass under the wand until it starts steaming so it doesn't dilute the milk. The only other drawback is that the water resevoir window is worthless. I can't see the water level unless I shine a flashlight directly onto the window. This is not much of a problem however since it'll make four double lattes on one tank anyway and it's easy to remember to refill the tank.

My last machine was a $100 Krups machine that I used for years and thought it was fine, but I've found out I was missing on a lot of flavor.

I went with what I figured would be a middle of the road type machine because I wanted to enjoy coffee shop style drinks at home. It's easy to use and I'm very happy with it. Tends to be a bit of a pain to clean, but I'm kinda messy.

I know about coffee, espresso, steam machines, pump machines and all. This machine makes almost perfect espressos. This is due not to the quality of the machine but to the double wall filters that come with it. That being said, people who are thinking of buying this unit have to know that the same filters that produce the great crema they love will get clogged after 2 or three uses, and cleaning them will require a lot of work (unclogging the tiny holes with a pin, soaking the filters overnight in vinegar and/or running a lot of pressurizedboiling water through the empty filter), wasting a lot of unused coffee, and worst of all...wasting a lot of time to do all this (which hardly anyone has these days). I guess this problem would be solved if the pump was strong enough to push through the clogged filter, but that is not the case. When the pressurized water builds up, instead of going through the filter and coffee, it will go backwards and down to the reservoir in the bottom of the machine (picture trying fo inflate a balloon with a hole in it.) wasting tons of water in the process. Also, do not think that you can clean the filter after each use.....you cannot, because as I said earlier, the filter has two walls, the first one with a lot of tiny holes and the second one with a very small one. Whatever gets trapped within the two walls will likely stay, clogging the tiny holes and rendering the machine useless. Nothing will come out of the machine even with an empty filter!!!!!!!

In the end, the price seems good and the machine looks great but, and this is a huge BUT... you will end up drinking the most expensive cups of coffe (about $25/cup, not including all the wasted coffee, water and time) in your life after the machine stops producing coffee after 10 cups.

I read all the reviews here before buying, but since I really wanted this handsome machine, I ignored all the bad ones. Something most consumers do...they want something so bad their brain will soak up on all the good opinions and filter out the bad and dismiss them as "exceptions" Well, the exceptions are too many and the reason is always the same. Clogged filter...clogged machine....no coffee...big frustration.

I will try to return the machine and if I can't, I guess I will be another disatisfied customer whose only option is to write reviews like this.


Makes a great cut of Expresso. The only thing I have found, that after making the expresso and froth, then cleaning out the machine, the knob is
hard to turn. Maybe the heat from the machine has expanded the stainless steel casing. Other than that, we love the machine. Would not be without it.

We have had 2 Breville ESP8Xl machines and neither has lasted a month. I just returned the second machine and will not reorder another. The coffee is excellent but the seal did not hold for longer than 3 weeks on either machine. Very disappointed and leary of buying another on line.

I just got mine hours ago after reading plenty of reviews for this machine. I'm replacing a much cheaper coffee/espresso unit.

It is definately aesthetically pleasing and comes with everything you need including two stainless steel mugs with plates, two different sized filters and a filter cleaning tool which was unexpected. That was great! Its funny to note where the time was put in on Breville's side. Everything is matching except for the really cheap injection molded scoop/tamp combo. I wish every part of the machine and accessories were unified.

One of the things that I miss about my old machine is the audible process it made. I typically make my drinks at night and not in the morning. It was great to hear the gurgling of the water heating up and the pitter patter of the espresso dripping into the measured container. I felt like there was more trial and error in it, so you had more room for variety.

This machine is great for someone who wants their drink immediatly. It heated up the water almost instantly, and then as soon as you turn it on it pours out the espresso and you turn it off once the mugs are almost full. Also it is noisy when it forces out the liquid. The traditional sounds of a cafe are lost by loud electronic pumps. The same pump noise is present when frothing milk. Another small disappoitment was that the switches are either on or off, there is no adjusting. So for somone who likes a good consistant espresso very quickly its a good bet.

After the instantanious procedure, I felt a little unsatisfied that the process was lost for a quick drink. Having the ability to learn how make the perfect espresso yourself is the rewarding part of owning these machines.

I think I'm going to return it, not sure which one is next.

Really like this espresso maker. Had another (Krups XP2070 Programmable) that was pretty insane to use, but this machine does it right. Haven't had any problems with it at all... though, as I think someone else has said, it would be nice if there were more room for the dispensing mug. Would be nice if I could just use a regular coffee mug, instead of the little stainless steel mugs that are included. But that aside, highly recommend this machine. Not only very cool looking, but works without any expected, before known knowledge of how to make a good espresso (or latte).

My wife and I got this espresso machine 2 years ago and still swear by it every morning. The froth wand gets clogged if you don't clean it religously after each use but I suppose that can be expected with any espresso machine. I've never had a problem with filters as mentioned on some of the reviews below and I would highly recommend this to anyone. Also, the compact size is great for small kitchens such as ours.

I had a Kraps and it died after only 1 month of daily use. Started shopping and found the Breville. Solid machine. Looks great, but most importantly, it reliably makes a great latte. Plenty of steam for frothing. One trick to pulling a shot of espresso is to cut a disk of filter paper (from a normal coffee filter) for the bottom of the filter cup. All the espresso must pass through a single, tiny hole in the cup. One coffee grain can plug it and cause you to have to clean and repack the filter.

It's a great espresso maker for the money, talking from an Italian. But it lacks power of steam for Cappuccino which required you to bleed the steam , because it spits water first then steam. It would be nice to have a valve to connect directly from the water main. Otherwise, enjoy a good cup of espresso in the luxury of your own home.

Works very well and was easy to learn. Only drawback is that the steaming wand is somewhat difficult to clean.

The Breville ESP8XL Café Roma Stainless Espresso maker is a one of a kind, must have machine. It doesn't make exceptional espresso, it makes amazing espresso every single time. When you need that extra pick-me-up this machine will carry through for you and make an excellent cup of espresso with an professionally made taste.

Its stainless steel design gives it a higher class feel and it makes a beautiful addition to your kitchen. Its large tank makes it possible to make many cups for entertaining guests and family. This dependable machine is sure to be in use in your kitchen for a long time. I recommend this product to people everywhere and trust me, you wont be disappointed.

I've had this one for 6 months and still love it. I'm very fussy about my coffee/espresso and have been very pleased with the results of the Breville. A few months ago I thought I hit a snag, it wasn't working properly, I ran some white vinegar through it and it was back to working like new. To clean the frothing wand I got a firm toothbrush which works like a charm. Great machine for the money.

Well-built, solidly made. Easy set-up and delivers exactly as promised. Full, rich espresso with perfect crema. Easy to clean
Overall - great product and performs better than machines twice the price.

I roast my own beans and this little machine gets all the flaver out of the bean. At first I wasnt sure if I would like the presurized portafilter. It seems to work great if you get the grind rite. The steem wand preduces plenty of steem if you run it for a for a few seconds so it can build up pressure. I realy like all the stainless steel. I purchased this as a store display for a very good price. For the cost its a great value if it lasts. Customer service at Breville is good but not great.

I'm new to home espresso; the only other machine I've used was a Maxim unit that lasted about two months. I just received my ESP8XL yesterday, and for my money, this machine rocks my mochas! Crema to rival that created by commercial units valued at 500 times the price. Granted, I'm no espresso connoisseur, but this machine suits me just fine. For my tastes, it makes a good cup of espresso, and cafe mochas that will keep me from spending 4 bucks every day at the local chain coffeehouses.

The "froth enhancer" is no longer included. This is fine with me; you don't need it. I'd taken it off my previous machine anyway; it's just one more thing to clean.

My only criticism is with amazon. In preparation for shipping, amazon double-boxes the Breville carton. What's lacking, however, are packing peanuts or any type of filler to prevent the Breville box from shifting about. I've worked for a major carrier and know how packages are handled. C'mon amazon, a few pennies for packing, huh? In fairness, the machine arrived no worse for this oversight.