Breville 800ESXL Commercial 15-Bar Triple-Priming Die-Cast Espresso Machine
If the Breville 800ESXL was a digital camera, it would belong in the "prosumer" category. This is a professional quality espresso machine intended for the home user who knows what a good espresso is. Not only does this machine look the part of a professional quality machine, it has the performance to match. This is the third "home" espresso machine that I've owned, and it is by far the best. Heavy-duty hardly describes how this machine is built, yet its sleek, modern appearance and stainless steel finish is quite at home on the kitchen counter. The high pressure pump, professional quality filter basket, and swivel steam wand rival the features I've seen on machines costing twice as much, and this machine lacks nothing in terms of performance compared to those machines either. The crema produced is exceptional, and the cup-to-cup quality is consistent. There is no noticeable re-heat lag when pulling multiple shots, and for the cappuccino crowd, the wait for steam is virtually non-existent. One of the true convenience features of the 800ESXL is the ability to re-fill the generous sized water tank in place, or you can slide it out from the front of the machine to take it to the sink. The built in storage container is just perfect for keeping the extra filters (three are included, single, double, and pod) as well as the tamper and cleaning tool all in one place - no more digging through the drawers when you want your coffee. The 800ESXL is a standout in this price range, I recommend it without qualification. Be sure you have a good grinder, get yourself some quality beans, and you won't be sorry.
I love this machine. Love it. It makes the best cup of coffee I've ever had from a home espresso machine, and truly tops the big coffee chain that we all go to every now and then. The 15 bar pump gives you just the perfect amount of pressure and there is always a nice crema on top of the perfect shot of espresso. This machine comes with three different filters, one for a pod, another for a single shot, and a third for a double. It holds one quart of water in the back, making it possible to pull several shots in a row if you are entertaining. There is a conceled storage container to store your extra parts, tamp etc... The steaming attachment is also great, easy to clean, and heats up your milk very quickly. To make this machine even better you can pull hot water for tea also. The only, very minor complaint that I have about it is that the filters are a little hard to remove. I use my capresso burr grinder with this set on the lowest level of fine, and absolutly get the best cup of espresso I've ever had. Do not be seduced by some of the other brands, this on is the best. I work in an upscale Kitchen store, and have used all the big names. This is by far the best espresso machine we sell, unless you are wanting a fully automatic machine, which are several thousand dollars. If you love espresso, you will love this machine. If you want to entertain, buy a french press. Then you can throw away your old drip coffee maker, and have coffee the way it was suppossed to taste.
This is the BEST espresso maker on the market, for anywhere near the price. We test-drove it a local retailer then asked friends and foodies alike for input on the various models out there. Hands-down this one beats them all. It's solidly constructed, simple to use, easy to clean, and most importantly, makes a fantastic espresso or espresso drink. I highly recommend this brand and model!
My wife and I each spend at least as much on coffee each year at a HUGE coffee chain that sounds like "harhucks" for as much as this machine costs us just once!
We don't ever have to wait on a long line or have our order screamed out loud for everyone to hear . Plus WE choose the kind of the coffee that we like.
It is also one of the least expensive of the other higher end machines out, so you don't have to break you bank to get one ... I love my Breville and you will too!
We have been using the Breville this past year with only on problem; the double shot filters can clog up and the must be replaced. They cost $10 each and are available from Brevilles customer care dept. It took about 10 days to receive them and now the machine works as good as new!
From a interface and asthetic point of view, the machine is flawless. It's beautiful and solid, and has many nice touches like an integral storage bin and swiveling steam wand. Having said that, it's missing a few things on the INSIDE that you'd expect from a $400 machine:
For one, it uses a thermoblock. This results in a pressure drop and uneven heating compared to a boiler, which is why there is the need for the double-wall crema system. (I'm referring here to pump machines with boilers, not the cheap steam machines.) This is why you'll find that after brewing you have a soupy sludge instead of the hard dry puck considered an indicator of proper espresso brewing.
Second, the filters and group head aren't made of brass (which is more temperature stable) like you'll see in machines of similar price.
Personally, I'm not sure I have a sophisticated enough palette to discern a difference between espresso from this and a machine with better parts. But given that you're considering spending $400 on an espresso machine, I assume you might be a purist and somebody who cares about getting the best for your money. I also feel the need to offset some of the other breathless reviews by people who clearly haven't bothered to do even a minimal amount of research on espresso machines.
Despite the above, the machine produces very good espresso, as far as I can tell, and it IS beautiful. My guess is that it overcomes some of its component shortcomings with nice engineering (such as the auto-purge feature to avoid scalding the grounds). However, you have to wonder if you're really getting your money's worth where it counts, when there are machines out there at half the price with better internal components and plumbing. You should be able to find machines with more stable temperature and higher effective pressure for much less money if you're willing to go for substance over looks.
I recently took the plunge and purchased one of these machines. So far I really like it and would definitely recommend it. It is beautiful, sturdy, easy to use, and makes a great tasting shot. After brewing it does leave a soup in the filter, so you have to be careful when you open it that you dont make a mess all over the counter. Also one thing I noticed is that the cup warmer doesn't seem to get very warm. Maybe I don't leave it on long enough to get really warm??? Not sure about that...But those are really the only little quirks I have noticed. Overall, I'm very happy with it. I look forward to using it each morning. It has definitely been worth the money.
The machine wouldn't turn on one morning. Only had it 6 weeks. (We make about 25 espresso/wk)
Steamer wand head is lame. Knob/lever feels stiff... like it's starting to cease when you turn it. Espresso cookie is mushy and a pain in the @ss to get out of the portafilter. (Messy--have to scoop it out). Pushes shot out too fast. Shot is sometimes watery.
The Breville 800ESXL proves the old cliche that sometimes beauty really is skin deep. It's a gorgeous package, but it seems like all the money and thought went into making the case and controls, and virtually nothing went into the components that make up the heart of an espresso machine: the boiler, grouphead and portafilter.
By way of background, I've been through several espresso machines in the past, including a couple of those cheap Krups steam machines (OK for the price, but not recommended for serious espresso), and I currently have a Gaggia Espresso and Gaggia MDF grinder. The Espresso is a comparatively cheap machine with a plastic case, but it has a decent boiler and an excellent cast brass grouphead and commercial size brass portafilter. I've been very happy with this machine for the last five years, but we recently remodeled our kitchen and the old Gaggia doesn't fit in with the new decor, so it has to go.
When I first hefted the box that the new Breville came in, I thought it must be a well-made machine because it seemed to weigh a ton. Well, maybe not a ton, but at least 25 pounds. Getting it out of the box by myself was a struggle. I thought I might throw my back out getting it onto the counter. Usually, greater weight is a fairly reliable indication of higher quality, but that's not always the case, as I was about to find out.
From the outside, it's very sexy with all that brushed, die cast stainless steel, metal buttons with LED lights, ball mounted steam wand, even stainless steel on the water tank and drip tray. It also has some very thoughtful features, like a hidden comparment behind the drip tray that holds all the accessories, a special tool to clean out the steam wand, etc.
Unfortunately, the portafilter and group head are both aluminum, and the portafilter is much smaller and less substantial than the Gaggia's commercial size 58mm brass portafilter and group head. The Breville also uses a "crema enhancer", which is usually not considered the best way to make espresso. It produces lots of crema, but not necessarily great flavor. Internally, the Breville doesn't have a true boiler like most mid to high end machines. Instead, it's got a "thermoblock", which is smaller and holds less water than a boiler, and thus doesn't do a good job of producing consistent amounts of hot water at the proper temperature, which is essential for good espresso shots.
Firing it up for the first time, I liked how it warmed up within a couple of minutes, much faster than the Gaggia. The LED's glow blue-white around the power and steam buttons. Very futuristic. I ran a blank shot through the portafilter to warm things up, then ground some Trader Joe's French roast at setting 5 on the MDF, tamped it down hard, and went for the first double shot. The machine pumped a few quick bursts of water into the grounds to prime and expand them, then got down to brewing. Sure enough, the espresso came out fast and frothy. Too fast. Ideally, a shot should take 20 or 25 seconds to brew, and it should dribble out in a nice gentle stream. Not so with the Breville. That thing blasted out a full shot in 10 or 15 seconds, squirting it hard into the glasses. Hmmm. Not encouraging.
The espresso itself looked good with plenty of crema, but it tasted bitter and lacked the creamy, almost chocolatey flavor of the espresso that the Gaggia normally makes. Using the espresso in some steamed milk for a latte, it tasted acceptable, but drinking it on its own wasn't much fun. I tried a few more shots at different grind settings, but still no joy. The espresso looks "right" because of the crema, but it tastes sour.
I also noticed that the coffee grounds don't come out of the filter in a nice hard puck like they do in the Gaggia, but instead dribble out in a gloppy mess. It took me five or six hard whacks in the knock box to get all the grounds out, whereas the Gaggia normally only takes one or two knocks. This is another sign that the machine isn't brewing correctly for quality espresso. A good machine should make firm, dry pucks of spent coffee grounds.
The steaming feature seems adequate, but a bit anemic compared to the Gaggia. Another side effect of the thermoblock design, perhaps?
The bottom line seems to be that the Breville looks great and feels very well made and substantial, but it doesn't come through in the one area that really matters in an espresso machine: making good espresso. As far as I'm concerned, an espresso machine could be made out of duct tape and cardboard, but as long as it makes great coffee I'd be willing to live with it. But looking great isn't good enough. So it's going back to Amazon, and getting replaced with a Gaggia Classic.
Simply put, this is not the best machine on the market, however it is the best machine in it's price range, or anywhere close that I have found.
The craftsmanship is outstanding, even the packaging is impressive. The machine is heavy, commercial in feel, and packed with features. From startup, you are ready to pull a shot in a little over two minutes, or steam in about 2 1/2 from pushing the machined "on" button. Now, that may seem like a bit long to wait, but compared to others it is about middle of the road. What does set this apart is that the steam is very hot and dry immediately, no squirts or spitty steam. It's also a very powerful jet, so follow the manual and mind how much milk you put into the pitcher or you will overflow it if you're not careful. I don't see this as a fault, since I am careful, and it steams my milk to 160 in about half the time as machines costing twice as much. Another nice feature is the auto purge, which means you can go from steaming to espresso immediately, no waiting for a cool down. In all, I can do two 16 oz quad mocha's in about half the time as with other high end (manual) machines I have tried. I should also mention that the cup warmer gets very very warm, there is a lighted guage on the water tank, a "full" warning on the drip tray, a hidden storage drawer, and an absolute top notch steam wand which moves in just about any direction you could possibly want.. all positives. Even the packaging and documentation are second to none.
The only faults I can mention on this machine is that you are left with a bit of a soup rather than a puck when using ground espresso. I use ese pods, so it really doesn't bother me. Frankly, the few times I have used ground, I didn't find it that much of a problem either. The shot it pulls is excellent none-the-less. I will also mention that the drip tray fills rather fast due to the auto purge, but again, it's easy and clean to empty. A small price to pay for a machine of this exceptional quality and at an even more exceptional price.
If you don't want to drop a grand+ on an semi or super auto, you should really give this one your consideration.
This was my second expresso maker in 10 years. I originally purchased a Krupp's 9 years ago and it had served me without complaint for all those years. The gaskets started giving out and it was finally time for a change. The Breville looked like just the ticket. I purchased the unit from a dealer who was selling several display models.
What I do like about the unit: Lights that show its working. Good cream in the expresso and the steamer works well. Enough space for a normal sized coffee cup and more (a great feature).
What I don't like, uses way too much water most of which is expelled into the lower tray. The water hopper can only be removed with the coffee filter assembly removed (it does have a rear pop out funnel but I found it easier to pull out the water hopper. The unit does seem to take longer to warm up than my old machine, so you are looking at 1 -2 minutes warm-up time if not longer.
What I really didn't like was the unit died after 4 months with only one use per day. That is what I don't understand. Working one day no lights the next (electrical failure). You would expect something in this price range to work for years without service. Customer service was fast when I called them, email was useless and I waited days for a reply before I finally used the phone. They pay for shipping both ways which is unusual. I am hoping to have coffee again before long. If it wasn't for the quick death of my machine it would have given it a rating of 4.
My husband is a big coffee/cappuccino drinker, so I decided to get this for him for his birthday. What a beautiful piece! It looks great on the counter and seems to be solidly built. We had the old Krups coffee and cappuccino maker combo. It's time for a new one, and this one just seems to be the right one. I haven't used it yet, but my husband says that it works great and it does make great cappuccino. I give it 4 stars because it's a little pricey, but I guess beauty does have a price.
First, let me tell you about myself. I am NOT a coffee expert or an epicurian. I also will not list the brand names of the coffee machines I used previously. I am a daily coffee drinker who has become really dissatisfied with standard preground drip coffee.
My attempts to make better coffee started out by grinding whole beans with a blade grinder, then advanced to a cheap burr grinder. I had a drip machine that made very good tasting coffee but my wife took this machine to work and bought a stylish stainless steel machine that makes coffee that I really don't like the taste of. On a trip to the Pacific Northwest it seemed that there were places that made very good coffee everywhere I went and they were all using espresso machines. So I figured, why can't I make good coffee at home with my own machine? I started shopping around and learning about making espresso. It became apparent that I had several decisions to make. One choice was to spend a lot to get a fully automatic machine. Another was to buy a quality manual machine and hope I could get good at using it. Other choices were to use pods or compromise and get a steam espresso machine or one with a lot of plastic parts. I decided to set myself a budget of $500 to $600.
The first thing I did was to upgrade my burr grinder. I went to the Baratza website and bought a refurbished Virtuoso burr grinder. This was a great decision. I am amazed at how well this grinder works and would give it six stars if I could. With tax and shipping this cost me about $175. I saw the Breville 800ESXL rated well on several coffee sites and here on Amazon. It had great industrial design, high quality components and accessories, and very importantly, was simple enough for a beginner like me to operate. the only downsides i knew about were that it used a thermoblock heating system rather than a boiler (or two) and that it also used a double wall filter crema system. Both of these were not the preferred choices of the coffee experts. I truly did not think that I would be able to tell the difference.
When I saw it for sale by an Amazon Partner for $218 dollars plus shipping I jumped on it. This was too good to be true, and it was. They had made an error by listing the Breville 800ESXL when they were selling the Breville Cafe Roma. So my order was cancelled, but my decision to buy the 800ESXL was made. Soon afterwards Amazon had a promotion and I reordered the machine. It was rapidly shipped to me and I was eager to try it out. I ground some beans and whipped up my first batch of espresso...and it was a failure. I had made an error in setting the grind on the Baratza Virtuoso, my bad, not the machine's fault. I ground more beans, this time I got closer, but they were too fine. The espresso was barely able to drip out of the brewhead. In fact, I had to scrape the tightly packed used grinds out of the filter. I adjusted the grinder a third time (and believe me, you can easily tell the difference on each of the 40 adjustments) and sucess! I steamed up some nonfat milk to a perfect froth and I have been enjoying my lattes, americanos and espressos more than I ever would have espected. Thank you Amazon, thank you Breville! My daughter thanks you. My friends thank you. My budget thanks you. The Breville 800ESXL is a great choice at this price and IMHO at twice the price.
I have had the Breville Espresso maker for about 5 months. I think that for 400 dollars it is an excellent value. It is all stainless steel and very heavy. The accessories are quality as well. The portafilter and filters are solidly built. It makes great espresso and I expect it to perform consistently for at least a few years. It doesn't make commercial quality espresso but I am content with the fact that it will pay for itself in cost per use in a short amount of time.
It ie a really attractive looking machine as well. The blue illumination at several points is cool looking and the alternate slot in the back for water is a great design if you don't feel like pulling out the reservoir all the time.
Unlike S. Hauge or A. Amador, I can't WAIT to get up each morning to make another excellent lattГ© with my Breville! Unfortunately, I can only consume 2 over a 4 hour period; any more and I'm levitating for the next 7 hours. After three months of, at minimum, 4 drinks a day, we are still in awe of this machine (birthday present for my wife). I calculate we've saved about $665 over buying, in my opinion, the same or worse quality product at Starbuck's or Peet's. My only regret is that I can't consume more drinks.... (My eyes are spinning as I write this.) And my wife's legal practice has had a 10% increase in billings per month over prior years! C'est incrediable!!!
My wife and I agree this is the most BEAUTIFULLY engineered consumer appliance we've ever had the privilege of using. And I mean literally every element of the machine. This puts all other comparable products/manufacturers to shame. (We're currently surrounded by Bosch, Wustoff, Thermador, Sub-Zero, Fisher-Paykel, Gaggenau, Franke & Jenn-Air products.) Hats off to Breville!!!
After one month of use, no espresso would come out of brew head. Cleaning the filter holes with the provided tool is tedious and ulitmately does not work, because the coffe grinds are forever trapped between the two walls of the filter. Breville instructs to soak clogged filters in vinegar overnight and then run water only through filterhead on machine to clear - this does not work either. Breville says its because the coffee I was using was too fine of grind...ILLY only was recommended. I tried to order replacement filters, they were on permanent back order - they must have sold them all to clogged filter owners. Customer service was poor, they didn't tell me the filters were backorderd until I called for status. Weeks later Breville sent me a can of ILLY coffee, but unfortunately with clogged filters I can not use it. I returned the machine to retailer who agreed it was not acceptable performance. Be very careful with the grind of coffee, and get on the list for extra filter inserts - $10 each BTW.
I very much wanted to love this machine, but am about ready to return it (not to Amazon, I bought it locally) because of several negative points. I agree that the fit and finish of the 800ESXL is amazing, with well thought out features like the storage compartment, and it is very sturdy. The machine makes an acceptable shot of espresso with proper grind and tamp. BUT ...
1. it wastes water like mad. We use gallon jugs of drinking water to make coffee and this machine wipes one out in short order, most of it ending up in the drip pan. This can get to be expensive!
2. The steamer is only "so-so". I'm used to making wonderful microfoam with my dearly departed previous machine, and have NOT been able to duplicate that with the Breville. With the sleeve in place, the frother is on steroids, producing very airy and bubbly foam. Without the sleeve, I am getting next to NO foam because the milk heats up far too quickly. Maybe with a lot of practice I could overcome this and find a method that works, but frankly, why should it be so difficult when other (better) machines are effortless?
3. The lack of a brass boiler (the Breville uses a thermoblock) makes the temperature swing a bit dicey. Wonderful coffee needs consistent temperatures and I'm afraid the Breville just doesn't quite cut it in this area.
To be fair, I should mention some positive points -- the machine heats up quickly and the cup warmer on top is toasty and does a good job. The Breville is beautiful to look at and may suit your needs if you're willing to work with it a while until you find the process that overcomes it's peculiarities. If your tap water is great and you don't need to use bottled water, then the excessive water usuage might not bother you.
Bottom line, you can do far better if you're willing to spend about $100 more to get a more functional machine. I've decided to return this one and go back to an Italian made machine with a brass boiler.
I bought this machine because I wanted to upgrade, and with a 20% discount coupon from a local major retailer the price was about $360.00. I also wanted a machine that would take ESE pods. I use Starbucks. Very solidly built machine. The first cup of espresso was excellent, much better flavor and more crema than my last machine. I don't know if this was due to the pre-brew feature, but this machine extracted a much better cup of espresso than what I was used to.
I was, however, very dissapointed with my first attempt at frothing milk. The directions say to wait till the red heating light stops flashing before inserting the steam wand into the jug of milk. Unfortunately the wand spits water and steam over you and the counter, before you get the jug under it. Not a good plan. Then the frothing attachment produced only big airy bubbles, not the desired dense foam. I was ready to take it back, but persevered. Two tips:
Put the wand with the frothing attachment into the jug of milk first, then push steam button. Leave the jug alone with the wand straight down in it and leave it alone to froth the milk. Don't hold it at an angle, don't move it around and the results were much better. (Breville does need to improve this frothing attachment.) I tried the Krups perfect frothing attachment on this machine instead of Breville's sleeve attachment and got very good foam! This costs about $10 in bed and bath stores. THe machine does use a lot of water as noted in other reviews, but I'm not really bothered by that if espresso is good! If you're not a purist and want the ease of ESE pods this is a pretty good option for the price.
This machine is indeed beautiful, and I find the espresso very good indeed. The problem is that if your coffee is ground too fine, even once, the filter clogs. Due to the design of the crema filter, there is an inaccessible "interior" between the coffee-side filter holes and the bottom-side single exit hole. If this gets too clogged, there is really nothing to do except get a new filter, as the clog is not reachable with any tool.
This wouldn't be too bad if you could actually GET filter baskets when you need them. The only online company that carried them seems to be out of business now. And without a filter basket, this is just so much pretty scupture.
UPDATE: You can get the filters from Breville USA, for a price. You can also use a backflush detergent (like JoeGlo) to clear them, although it's a bit time-consuming and messy.
I bought this unit last month and use it practically every day. Don't let anybody say the thermoblock is not the way to go. In fact, most of the expensive automatic machines use this type of heating system. Boilers take forever! Do you want a delicious Latte early in the A.M and don't want to wait? This machine is for you. It's quality, it's durable, and it looks great! I did my research. It has an Italian pump with Aussie engineering. Excellent combination! What would you do if everything in your world was upside down? How about building a great expresso machine that's affordable!
Gooday Mates from Frank in South Florida! Trust me, when you live in a political fog like Miami, the Breville 800ESXL will take you down-under with smoothness and send you right back up to the good ole U.S. of A. to face the madness! One Latte at a time my friends! One Latte at a time!
This is an exceptional product that I use very frequently. The professional design compliments our kitchen quite nicely. I find the unit performs flawlessly and produces espresso even more tasty than my favorite local coffee shop. Unlike other reviews, I find the espresso grounds easy to discard after use. Overall, I am very satisfied with this product and would highly recommend it.
I bought my machine for $400 and have had it about a year. I paired my machine with a decent little Stainless steal Cuisinart burr grinder.
I read the reviews below, but I personally have had no problems with this machine. It's easy to use, it's easy to clean (many parts are dishwasher safe), I find it gives great creama and fantastic milk foam (better than many coffee shop's foam). It doesn't give quite coffee shop espresso but, is close enough that a properly pulled shot by me is still better than an improperly pulled shot by an inferior barista. Great espresso for the price and (being all stainless steal and weighing around 30 lbs) it also looks pretty impressive on your counter.
I would recommend this product.
This is my first espresso maker; so some of the finer points of the more expensive machines may be lost on me. However, I find the espresso and cappacino that is made with this Breville unit to be outstanding.
I don't normally write reviews, however, wanted to share a few things I learned the hard way.
1) Don't waste your time trying to make Soy foam with this machine; it won't happen.
2) The grind is ultra important. The recommendations to use either a grind from Starbucks (espresso grind) or the illy brand, fine grind are very accurate. I tried something else, and my filter was clogged and useless immediately. Starbucks does a great job, and it's only $11/lb.
3) When making foam, ignore the directions. Hold the wand straight up and down and just off the bottom of the frothing jug. This yields the small bubbles necessary for good foam (I use 1% milk and it works great).
That's all. If you purchase, I hope you enjoy!
The Breville is an attractive machine that's built like a tank. The stainless steel housing gives it a sleek modern look and the buttons feel solid. It's also a good heavy appliance so it stays put when you wrench the filter into place. Overall the Brevilles design seems well thought out. Even so, the Breville does have it's fair share of problems.
Pros:
- Stainless steel housing, sleek and modern
- Heavy, stays put when wrenching filter into place
- Powerful pump
- Creates decent espresso with good crema
- Refill water from front or back of machine
- Good temperature control
- Heats up fast
- Controls are easy to use
Cons:
- Draws a 2.5 ounce single shot in 15 seconds, much to fast
- Double wall filters trap coffee grounds and eventually clog
- Constantly purges water into drip pan to regulate internal temp
- Frothing wand is difficult to use and does not create micro-foam
- Fails to create a coffee cake, grounds remain a soggy mess
- Drip pan water level indicator is difficult to see
As you can see from my cons list, there are some issues to take note of. The machine draws an espresso shot much too quickly. A slower draw would be better but there is no way to regulate this. The unit holds a fair amount of water but because the machine constantly purges itself to maintain internal temps, the water in your reservoir quickly winds up in the drip pan. This leads to another problem, the drip pan water level indicator can easily go unnoticed and you risk overflow. The frothing wand is difficult to use. You cannot get a good micro-foam with it. With some work you'll get the wand to produce foam but the top layer will be big bubbles. After a shot is pulled, the grounds will remain a soggy mess. Most machines create a dry coffee cake that can eaily be knocked from the filter, the Breville grounds remain wet and sticky and will take several good whacks on a knock box to dislodge them all. Finally, the double-walled filters are a concern. The top layer looks like a normalespresso filter with lots of holes, the bottom layer has just a single tiny pin-hole. Any coffee grounds that get forced through can get trapped for good resulting in reduced performance or altogether clogging the machine. Even with all that said, the Breville is a decent machine. It's quite easy to use, solid, and will make a pretty decent home espresso. If it were priced a bit less it would a winner. At $500 you might want to take a look at the Rancilio Silvia or machines made by Gaggia.
About a year ago I was looking for an espresso/cappuccino machine that would be both great in quality and easy to use. I also wanted it to look contemporary, to fit the style of other things in the house. On the other hand, I didn't want to spend a fortune for some expensive brands that run up to $12,000. At that moment I was lucky enough to order from Amazon Breville 800JEXL Juice Fountain Elite. That juicer impressed me so much, that I was happy to buy Breville's whatever - which happened to be Breville 800ESXL Die-Cast Espresso Machine. It is reasonably priced for style and quality and so far I, my husband and all our guests are happy with both espresso and cappuccino. I only wish I could do more than 2 cups at the same time. A year later, I still think it was a great buy and it works as well as ever.
We got this machine around this time last year and for the most part we've been pretty happy with it. It has its good points and its bad points like just anything I've read about out there. Overall it makes good enough not great espresso, looks great on the counter and makes my wife and myself happy that we own it.
The good:
It's a beautiful looking machine that goes very nicely with our kitchen decor and our stainless appliances. It cleans very easy I usually just wipe it down and it still looks new. It's extremely easy to use once you find the right grind and tamping pressure. It makes good tasting espresso which to be honest we've discovered has more to do with the beans than the machine. It took patience, experimenting with the grind and tamp and several different bags of beans to find the right balance. Once we did it sometimes comes out better than what I've had out at the well-known megachain. One of my favorite features is the huge water reservoir that loads from the front. If I had to pour water in the back (which you can do also) I'd have to lug this thing out from underneath the cabinets and that would be a real pain.
The bad:
The puck remaining after brewing is soupy and drippy not nice and dry. So, if you have any distance to the trash can you could end up with a trail of coffee drippings behind you. Then you've really got to bang it on the side to get the gunk out or use a spoon. The frother does a so-so job with making bubbles. You won't get the fine bubbles and fluffy foam that you would get from cappuccino out but you get steamed milk and you do get foam. You just have to experiment with the technique. I've also found, and this could very well just be my technique but worth mentioning, that the espresso is inconsistent. Most of the time it's good but every once in a while it's not. It does seem like it draws the shot much too quickly but I haven't found a way to get it to come out slower. When I've tried a finer grind or harder tamp it just doesn't come out at all.
The ugly:
It just doesn't work with pods. I bought some Illy pods and the machine just doesn't have enough pressure to push through the puck. I thought it would be nice to try something time-saving for when I am in a rush maybe even take some espresso on the way out the door to work. Very dissapointing. Likely the grind is too fine for the machine. In my experimenting with grind I have found you have to grind it a bit more course than expected.
The bottom-line:
As happy as we've been I probably would not get this machine again if something happened to it. My next machine will probably be a Rancilio Silvia or Gaggia Classic because I want the boiler, I want the Italian build, I want the dry puck and I want the better frother. To me it's worth the extra $50-100 upgrade. Hopefully though nothing will happen and it will keep on chugging along making good but not great espresso. We enjoy it and that's what counts in the end. When I get the craving I can satisfy it and it's a fun toy to play with.
Rating:
Three-and-half stars (rounded up to 4 because 3.5 is not a choice). It loses one star for all the bad points and .5 for the one ugly point.
I'm an espresso/cappucino only drinker, and have owned a variety of machines over the past 20 years. I've had this one for less than a week and it's going back to the store for refund. After having read all of the reviews, here is exactly what is correct and what to expect (p.s. if you're not a cappucino conniseur, please don't bother writing a review):
Pros:
1 - built like an absolute tank. Beautiful style and construction (this does not mean excellent engineering... just means not 'flimsy'). The thing weighs like 40 pounds). 100% durable.
2 - short wait time for water to get hot. Like this really matters compared to a boiler-type machine (this is thermoblock). A boiler takes what, 7 minutes and this one takes 4? Are you that much in a rush for a cup? Takes 20 minutes at Starbucks.
Cons:
1 - I have a $1,100 Pavoni, the best boiler/manual pump machines in the world. You can't come close with the Breville. At best with fine ground espresso I can get slightly rich coffee while the machine pumps for 5 minutes.
2 - The filters stink. The double-wall on them is only there because the machine does not produce enough pressure/temperature. The filters leave a soupy mess and not a dry puck (a puck is indicative of a boiler system). Makes you want to drill holes in the bottom of the filters (as is, there's only a single pinhole that gets clogged).
3 - What steam? When you first switch to steam mode, it spits out a nice 2-3 second stream of water. And whatever you call the air pithing out you can put your hand up to for a bit without scalding. You're better off making foam using your lungs and a straw, then nuking it in a microwave. It hardly produces any foam.
4 - The hot plate on top is not a hot plate. It's a luke-warm plate. My heating pad for my back is warmer.
Overall, if you're an inexperieced cappucino maker who thinks Dunkin' Donuts hung the moon, get this machine. Otherwise it will end up being returned or being a workshop anvil.
Like several other reviews, I was very dissapointed. We have looked at several machines from FrancisFrancis!, Gaggia & Ascaso. While these are certainly more expensive machines, the machine we are replacing is on price parity with the Breville. My observations:
pros:
Solid well built construction
Long steamer wand. This allows you to rest your carafe on the unit and steam your milk while you put away a dish or toast a bagel
Simple to operate and pleasant to look at
Nice ergonomic features like a storage compartment for the accessories under the unit, removable foam wand, etc.
Cons
It fails horribly at its core function, making good expresso and steaming/foaming your milk.
I use pods and the machine takes very long to pull the shot, it splattered all over (due to the funky way they try to "create" crema), and the ultimate product was weak & bitter
The steam was very weak, took about 30% longer to warm up my machine than any machine we tested, and it was very inconsistent in how much steam it injected.
The machine wastes a lot of water. They are proud of all the priming and purging features, but as it steams and belches it makes quite the mess. I found myself reaching for a sponge and towel several times during the brewing process.
Net this is a great machine architecturally but a horrid expresso maker. If this kind of coffee is acceptable to you, there are a thousand less expensive brands that will do the trick. For the price, the performance must be better.
I know it's expensive... and I can't believe I paid full price for it, but I love this coffee machine.
Doing the math, it only took me a hundred and fifty coffees to pay for itself (and the coffee used), so this machine has made it's price back.
Things that I love about this machine: 1) perfect crema all the time, every time. 2) easy to clean and keep clean 3) perfect steamed milk easily 4) big water resevoir 5) warm cups 6) easy to make several cup of coffee... in other words, the grounds are easy to dump, refill and keep on going 7) is a stylish coffee maker
Just a few downsides (and what love affairs don't have small drawbacks): 1) it's important to keep the grind just a little bigger so that the holes in the screen of the coffee filter don't get stuck 2) sometimes the little float thing that tells me to dump the waste water gets stuck and then it relieves itself over the counter -only happened once or twice 3) it's great tasting coffee and ease of use has made me drink LOTS of coffee!! -and spoiled me for any other coffee!
::smile::::
So there you go... my love affair with my coffee machine is revealed. You can tell that it is a true love and runs very deep. You can find me online, looking for fancy demitasse cups!
This espresso machine is really nice. Looks beautiful on my counter, and is heavy and seems very well built. I bought this as a gift for my husband, and we have been using it for about a month now and are very satisfied with the product. We make mostly caramel latte's and drinks like that. I read some of the reviews on Amazon before I bought it....we don't have a problem with how much water it uses becuase we have a well, so we are not purchasing bottled water. As far as the puck being a soupy mess, we didn't find a problem there either. We are looking foward to years of happy espresso consumption. Hope this helps your decision :)
oh I am so sad to have to return this machine, I tested it against a gaggia cafe delux (with 17.5 bars of pressure) and the pros and cons of this machine are:
pros:
beautiful stainless steel design.
makes a wonderful creamy double shot.
easy to use frothing wand with 360 degree angles for access.
dont have to worry about burnt shots.
easy to fill water tank.
cons:
steamed milk for latte's takes forever and isnt creamy froth but tastes watery.
the grinds are messy when you remove the filter holder instead of dry for easy disposal.
have to fill water tank alot.(uses way to much water purging pressure.)
only 15 bars of pressure.
thats about it really. Its such a beautiful and easy to use machine I really am sorta sad to see it go, the gaggia looks like a plastic toy sitting next to it, but I cannot deny which machine performs better. It feels like the gaggia is a porshe with a honda frame....and the breville is a porshe with a vw engine.....hope this comparison helps someone who is ready to buy a machine....
I stumbled on this machine while browsing at the Williams-Sonoma store. It's almost like love at first sight. Beautifully crafted, built like a tank solid, and most importantly.... perfect Espresso every time.
Espresso lovers look for the machine that makes the Espresso with most Creama. [Crema is the beautiful, brown cream found on the top of a perfect espresso.] As other coffee expert describes it..."Crema is the essence of good espresso coffee. I like to think of it as the Holy Grail of espresso coffee. Without it you might as well pour it down the drain."
After extensive research on how to make a perfect cup of Espresso, I am proud to say this is THE machine that produced a lot of CREMA. It's easy to make a perfect cup every time without leaks and no messes. I experimented with different coffee, coffee grind and tamping pressure, and found best brew for my taste. Clean up is a breeze as well. There's virtually no dead spots or hard to reach areas. There's also a neat storage space under the water tank which stores the cleaning tools, extra gruppa, and misc items so that kitchen countertop is not cluttered with many parts.
I don't care what other reviews were saying about thermoblock or boiler heating element differences, or if the ground appears to be soupy after extraction or what not... Nothing is as important as a good cup of Espresso with CREMA! Looks great in my new kitchen as well.
This espresso machine has a great look and works even better. It does not take long to warm up, makes great capps, and coffee comes out wonderful almost every time.
I have become a die hard fan of Breville products since I purchased the "citrus juicer. The construction cannot compare to other products I have seen on the market.
I am finally enjoing great expresso! Long gone are the days I would frequent starbucks for my cup of joe. This machine is beautiful, easy to clean and will look great gracing any countertop. Have I mentioned it makes the best looking crema?
[...]
We have been looking for a good, affordable expresso maker for quite some time. After reading all of the reviews, we settled on this one. Many vendors charge much more. This was the best price and the quickest delivery and we are very pleased.
I bought this six months ago, our older classic Gaggia had finally bit the dust. I researched it and found a good deal, now I use it everyday. Easy to clean, easy to use. Fabulous creme. Warms up quicky. Very nice quality.
I got this machine for christmas 2005. I ended up selling it on ebay last year because I wanted a better machine that I have been lusting over for some time now. The Breville ESXL heats up super quick... like in 2 minutes, and provided pretty good shots... though I only used them for espresso based drinks such as lattes and cappuccinos. The steaming wand is one of the best I have seen on a under $500 machine because it swivels 360 degrees and is super smooth to rotate... though steaming milk to 140 took me like 5 minutes. I would literally put the wand in the milk and walk away to do something else. The water tank is easily accessible from putting out through the front, or filling from a back pop out chute in the back for during operation. The warming tray on top is very spacious, and if the machine is left on for 15-20 mintues your cups will be nice and toasty (which is a must!!!! before brewing espresso everything needs to be nice and hot!) When I was in a hurry I would let the machine do the 2 min. heat up and then run a black shot (HOT water through the portafilter) and fill the cups with hot water and then go to brewing. This machine is also pod capable so you have that nice quick espresso alternative of throwing in a pre-packing pod and brewing away... I like having a steaming knob to control steaming... but on this machine you have a dial in the middle to activate the brewing or steaming which was not impressive... There is a hot water function so you can have instant hot water out of the steam wand for tea or americanos. Overall if you like espresso based beverages such as lattes and things, this would be a good choice for the quality is great. The machine was very heavy and nice looking, and I thought it had great quality to it.... I was just too much of an espresso snob and wanted something better..... so I am now saving up for a Rancilio Silvia and Rocky combo.
Completely died just a few months past warranty. Breville would not stand behind their product. The closest service center is 60 miles away (I live in the heart of Silicon Valley) and their response was that they weren't sure if they could fix it because they are new to doing these repairs. They could not give me an estimate, and would charge me by the hour (a dangerous proposition considering it would be a learning experience for them).
The product capabilities were "fair" (3 stars) when it worked. Wish I heard more about the failures before I purchased.
When I read some of the reviews on this machine I was concerned. I won this model and a year supply of Espresso coffee from a local radio station. I had a baby Gaggia before and several others over the years.
I have used this for a month now and it works perfectly each and every time and is a breeze to clean up. Remember how your coffee is ground and the quality of it can make the difference. I always get dry cups, I have never had any clogging and as for the frothing, this is the first machine that makes it perfect each and every time, and I have hated my past machines I had since they could not froth the milk properly. I am using Whole milk each time.
while I am not a fan of Stainless Steel, it is a beautiful machine and heats up fast, although I always run one pass without coffee then wait 5 minutes and it is oerfect. My luck, when I read the instruction book, I noticed that the Company is located 5 minutes from my home, just around the corner, should I have any problems.
I recommend this to model to everyone. I drink several cups a day of espresso, cafe au lait, etc. .. I have been doing this for years and this machine produces outstanding coffee for the price.
It might take you several grinds to find the perfect one, but once you do, there will be dry pucks after you make it and a perfect cup of coffee.
I bought this machine after looking at what seemed to be thousands of coffee machines and expresso makers. I really was looking for something to replace my old coffee machine which was infested with ants from a kitchen invasion and unable to clean it (they are gone now fortunately). I really liked it since it would grind and brew coffee in one shot. Since I'm the only coffee drinker in the house and only brew a few cups a week on the weekends, I knew I only needed something single serve. So I figure lets resolve the past issues. I hated pulling my coffee machine out to fill it up so I looked for something that was front fill. I thought I'd give E.S.E pods a try so It needed to do that. I thought it would be nice that it could dispense hot water so I needed that. I also wanted something that looked nice and didn't take up to much space. I was hoping for something that would grind also but found only those costing thousands would do what my cheap coffee machine did. Fast forward and I found this unit and its cheaper more plastic cousin. With my 20% off coupon in hand from a box store after being frustrated on a few auctions, I bought the 800ESXL die cast expresso machine. Since I've been doing coffee all of these years and only have a cappucino at restraunts my first trial was a wash with this machine since I didn't have any pods and old ground expresso coffee. Before that was the terrible instructions. The instructions tell you to pull the front water container out and you'll see a black tube and not to touch the tube. Fine...then it says fill the water from the rear?...ok I thought the front container was for the water. Then splish/splash I hear water running down...hmmm somethings not right. I pull the front container and water is everwhere inside and most caught by the internal storage bin....ok..I know how to read..Thinking I did something wrong, I follow the steps again with a little amount of water. So the instructions verbatim are not clear, if you don't read ahead like I finally did which there was a side note saying optionally you can fill from the rear but was not part of the ...1.2.3 steps. So after that disaster I closed the rear fill, pulled the stupid tank out and filled it up like it was supposed to be from the front.
There are a few features which I wish people doing these reviews would have commented on. First this is a semi-automatic expresso maker which requires your complete involvement from start to finish, you have the option to front fill the water or rear fill, there are steps to clean and maintain the unit. They give a large water tank BUT...the instructions say to empty to water and replace for every use with fresh cold water???ok. The instructions say like with urgency to make sure the water tank in closed flush with the unit...well it doesn't close flush. There also is a white LED light to light the tank fill level which is nice and the power, steam, water buttons are illuminated in white which is nice and gives a nice look. There is a very solid switch on the front for steam and expresso making and middle is idle. For step it supposidly does this on purpose to dispense a little water before steam comes out. SO you have a have a seperate cup for that or catch it with a towel like I did and see most people in the coffee shop do. If you want expresso, the expresso maker will prime the coffee with a little water before brewing which supposidly allows for greater pressure. I believe someone commented which is true that you'll be left with a soupy mess in the expresso pod thingy which is OK.and the instructions say this is going to happen.. but a dry puck would have been preferrable since you have to dump the soup in the trash and then to the sink to rinse the gunk out. BUT before all this for the first use you have to run water though the unit to clean the pipes just to note it. The unit heated up in about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes with a little red flashing light on the front to tell you the status if its done or not. So the flushed water was piping hot and I was jumping for joy, nice hot water this is great. Fast forward to making coffee again and the water was not as hot??? NOTE...this is not a automatic machine, when you turn the switch to make express, the water will continue to flow until you turn the switch off which is nice so you can control the amount of water but sometimes you just want to hit a button and go which this unit doesn't do but is probably good for me since I will do cafe americanas or watered down expresso as they call it or cappucinos. It would have been nice to have a button(s) to make water dispensing more automatic. FOR THOSE WONDERING ABOUT FITTING REGULAR COFFEE CUPS.. Nicely enough you can fit a relatively tall coffee cup (normal size) not expresso size cups like some machines out there. This was nice since in the store its hard to tell. So back to the water...the initial turning on the unit the water was nice and hot and when I actually went to brew it was warm and by the time you take time to froth milk...it is luke warm. I know I didn't heat the milk properly either so it takes some time to get it right.
In the end the expresso did UNevenly dispense from the two drip holes so I can't imagine having two cups under there, one would be full and the other 1/3 full. With one cup I was ok. I also noted there was semi thick say medium crema on top. I know some people prefer a very light crema. Needless to say there was crema even from my old expresso coffee I had on hand. I'll buy some proper coffee pods this weekened. The frother I probably don't have it down yet since it produced bubbly milk froth on 2% milk. I saw a program and there shouldn't be any bubbles in the milk. I couldn't get it to really swirl around the included staneless large frothing cup which was nice (anyway spending this much it should be included). So...other accessories a in-one spoon and tamping tool, cleaning tool, pod filter (the filters are metal for those novices), a single expresso filter and double filter (for two scoops). The filters are double walled like someone mentioned. The top has tiny holes all over and at the bottom is a single tiny hole. This then gets outputted to the filter holder which dispenses to its two holes. The filters are easily removable but as someone pointed out not so sure on easily replacable.
So far the unit is very nice looking, has front water drawer which is nice, study look and feel, dispenses hot water BUT (for the amount of time if you plan on making tea with the hot water, the microwave will be faster). I'm sure there are better machines out there but at what price and can you get something cheaper that does better and/or looks as nice. I think 18 bar pressure would have been nice like on the Briel Duo I was thinking of getting but front water fill sold me on this unit.
Completely died just a few months past warranty. Breville would not stand behind their product. The closest service center is 60 miles away (I live in the heart of Silicon Valley) and their response was that they weren't sure if they could fix it because they are new to doing these repairs. They could not give me an estimate, and would charge me by the hour (a dangerous proposition considering it would be a learning experience for them).
The product capabilities were "fair" (3 stars) when it worked. Wish I heard more about the failures before I purchased.
When I read some of the reviews on this machine I was concerned. I won this model and a year supply of Espresso coffee from a local radio station. I had a baby Gaggia before and several others over the years.
I have used this for a month now and it works perfectly each and every time and is a breeze to clean up. Remember how your coffee is ground and the quality of it can make the difference. I always get dry cups, I have never had any clogging and as for the frothing, this is the first machine that makes it perfect each and every time, and I have hated my past machines I had since they could not froth the milk properly. I am using Whole milk each time.
while I am not a fan of Stainless Steel, it is a beautiful machine and heats up fast, although I always run one pass without coffee then wait 5 minutes and it is oerfect. My luck, when I read the instruction book, I noticed that the Company is located 5 minutes from my home, just around the corner, should I have any problems.
I recommend this to model to everyone. I drink several cups a day of espresso, cafe au lait, etc. .. I have been doing this for years and this machine produces outstanding coffee for the price.
It might take you several grinds to find the perfect one, but once you do, there will be dry pucks after you make it and a perfect cup of coffee.
I bought this machine after looking at what seemed to be thousands of coffee machines and expresso makers. I really was looking for something to replace my old coffee machine which was infested with ants from a kitchen invasion and unable to clean it (they are gone now fortunately). I really liked it since it would grind and brew coffee in one shot. Since I'm the only coffee drinker in the house and only brew a few cups a week on the weekends, I knew I only needed something single serve. So I figure lets resolve the past issues. I hated pulling my coffee machine out to fill it up so I looked for something that was front fill. I thought I'd give E.S.E pods a try so It needed to do that. I thought it would be nice that it could dispense hot water so I needed that. I also wanted something that looked nice and didn't take up to much space. I was hoping for something that would grind also but found only those costing thousands would do what my cheap coffee machine did. Fast forward and I found this unit and its cheaper more plastic cousin. With my 20% off coupon in hand from a box store after being frustrated on a few auctions, I bought the 800ESXL die cast expresso machine. Since I've been doing coffee all of these years and only have a cappucino at restraunts my first trial was a wash with this machine since I didn't have any pods and old ground expresso coffee. Before that was the terrible instructions. The instructions tell you to pull the front water container out and you'll see a black tube and not to touch the tube. Fine...then it says fill the water from the rear?...ok I thought the front container was for the water. Then splish/splash I hear water running down...hmmm somethings not right. I pull the front container and water is everwhere inside and most caught by the internal storage bin....ok..I know how to read..Thinking I did something wrong, I follow the steps again with a little amount of water. So the instructions verbatim are not clear, if you don't read ahead like I finally did which there was a side note saying optionally you can fill from the rear but was not part of the ...1.2.3 steps. So after that disaster I closed the rear fill, pulled the stupid tank out and filled it up like it was supposed to be from the front.
There are a few features which I wish people doing these reviews would have commented on. First this is a semi-automatic expresso maker which requires your complete involvement from start to finish, you have the option to front fill the water or rear fill, there are steps to clean and maintain the unit. They give a large water tank BUT...the instructions say to empty to water and replace for every use with fresh cold water???ok. The instructions say like with urgency to make sure the water tank in closed flush with the unit...well it doesn't close flush. There also is a white LED light to light the tank fill level which is nice and the power, steam, water buttons are illuminated in white which is nice and gives a nice look. There is a very solid switch on the front for steam and expresso making and middle is idle. For step it supposidly does this on purpose to dispense a little water before steam comes out. SO you have a have a seperate cup for that or catch it with a towel like I did and see most people in the coffee shop do. If you want expresso, the expresso maker will prime the coffee with a little water before brewing which supposidly allows for greater pressure. I believe someone commented which is true that you'll be left with a soupy mess in the expresso pod thingy which is OK.and the instructions say this is going to happen.. but a dry puck would have been preferrable since you have to dump the soup in the trash and then to the sink to rinse the gunk out. BUT before all this for the first use you have to run water though the unit to clean the pipes just to note it. The unit heated up in about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes with a little red flashing light on the front to tell you the status if its done or not. So the flushed water was piping hot and I was jumping for joy, nice hot water this is great. Fast forward to making coffee again and the water was not as hot??? NOTE...this is not a automatic machine, when you turn the switch to make express, the water will continue to flow until you turn the switch off which is nice so you can control the amount of water but sometimes you just want to hit a button and go which this unit doesn't do but is probably good for me since I will do cafe americanas or watered down expresso as they call it or cappucinos. It would have been nice to have a button(s) to make water dispensing more automatic. FOR THOSE WONDERING ABOUT FITTING REGULAR COFFEE CUPS.. Nicely enough you can fit a relatively tall coffee cup (normal size) not expresso size cups like some machines out there. This was nice since in the store its hard to tell. So back to the water...the initial turning on the unit the water was nice and hot and when I actually went to brew it was warm and by the time you take time to froth milk...it is luke warm. I know I didn't heat the milk properly either so it takes some time to get it right.
In the end the expresso did UNevenly dispense from the two drip holes so I can't imagine having two cups under there, one would be full and the other 1/3 full. With one cup I was ok. I also noted there was semi thick say medium crema on top. I know some people prefer a very light crema. Needless to say there was crema even from my old expresso coffee I had on hand. I'll buy some proper coffee pods this weekened. The frother I probably don't have it down yet since it produced bubbly milk froth on 2% milk. I saw a program and there shouldn't be any bubbles in the milk. I couldn't get it to really swirl around the included staneless large frothing cup which was nice (anyway spending this much it should be included). So...other accessories a in-one spoon and tamping tool, cleaning tool, pod filter (the filters are metal for those novices), a single expresso filter and double filter (for two scoops). The filters are double walled like someone mentioned. The top has tiny holes all over and at the bottom is a single tiny hole. This then gets outputted to the filter holder which dispenses to its two holes. The filters are easily removable but as someone pointed out not so sure on easily replacable.
So far the unit is very nice looking, has front water drawer which is nice, study look and feel, dispenses hot water BUT (for the amount of time if you plan on making tea with the hot water, the microwave will be faster). I'm sure there are better machines out there but at what price and can you get something cheaper that does better and/or looks as nice. I think 18 bar pressure would have been nice like on the Briel Duo I was thinking of getting but front water fill sold me on this unit.
This espresso machine has a great look and works even better. It does not take long to warm up, makes great capps, and coffee comes out wonderful almost every time.
I have become a die hard fan of Breville products since I purchased the "citrus juicer. The construction cannot compare to other products I have seen on the market.
I am finally enjoing great expresso! Long gone are the days I would frequent starbucks for my cup of joe. This machine is beautiful, easy to clean and will look great gracing any countertop. Have I mentioned it makes the best looking crema?
[...]
We have been looking for a good, affordable expresso maker for quite some time. After reading all of the reviews, we settled on this one. Many vendors charge much more. This was the best price and the quickest delivery and we are very pleased.
I bought this six months ago, our older classic Gaggia had finally bit the dust. I researched it and found a good deal, now I use it everyday. Easy to clean, easy to use. Fabulous creme. Warms up quicky. Very nice quality.
I got this machine for christmas 2005. I ended up selling it on ebay last year because I wanted a better machine that I have been lusting over for some time now. The Breville ESXL heats up super quick... like in 2 minutes, and provided pretty good shots... though I only used them for espresso based drinks such as lattes and cappuccinos. The steaming wand is one of the best I have seen on a under $500 machine because it swivels 360 degrees and is super smooth to rotate... though steaming milk to 140 took me like 5 minutes. I would literally put the wand in the milk and walk away to do something else. The water tank is easily accessible from putting out through the front, or filling from a back pop out chute in the back for during operation. The warming tray on top is very spacious, and if the machine is left on for 15-20 mintues your cups will be nice and toasty (which is a must!!!! before brewing espresso everything needs to be nice and hot!) When I was in a hurry I would let the machine do the 2 min. heat up and then run a black shot (HOT water through the portafilter) and fill the cups with hot water and then go to brewing. This machine is also pod capable so you have that nice quick espresso alternative of throwing in a pre-packing pod and brewing away... I like having a steaming knob to control steaming... but on this machine you have a dial in the middle to activate the brewing or steaming which was not impressive... There is a hot water function so you can have instant hot water out of the steam wand for tea or americanos. Overall if you like espresso based beverages such as lattes and things, this would be a good choice for the quality is great. The machine was very heavy and nice looking, and I thought it had great quality to it.... I was just too much of an espresso snob and wanted something better..... so I am now saving up for a Rancilio Silvia and Rocky combo.
This espresso machine is really nice. Looks beautiful on my counter, and is heavy and seems very well built. I bought this as a gift for my husband, and we have been using it for about a month now and are very satisfied with the product. We make mostly caramel latte's and drinks like that. I read some of the reviews on Amazon before I bought it....we don't have a problem with how much water it uses becuase we have a well, so we are not purchasing bottled water. As far as the puck being a soupy mess, we didn't find a problem there either. We are looking foward to years of happy espresso consumption. Hope this helps your decision :)
oh I am so sad to have to return this machine, I tested it against a gaggia cafe delux (with 17.5 bars of pressure) and the pros and cons of this machine are:
pros:
beautiful stainless steel design.
makes a wonderful creamy double shot.
easy to use frothing wand with 360 degree angles for access.
dont have to worry about burnt shots.
easy to fill water tank.
cons:
steamed milk for latte's takes forever and isnt creamy froth but tastes watery.
the grinds are messy when you remove the filter holder instead of dry for easy disposal.
have to fill water tank alot.(uses way to much water purging pressure.)
only 15 bars of pressure.
thats about it really. Its such a beautiful and easy to use machine I really am sorta sad to see it go, the gaggia looks like a plastic toy sitting next to it, but I cannot deny which machine performs better. It feels like the gaggia is a porshe with a honda frame....and the breville is a porshe with a vw engine.....hope this comparison helps someone who is ready to buy a machine....
I stumbled on this machine while browsing at the Williams-Sonoma store. It's almost like love at first sight. Beautifully crafted, built like a tank solid, and most importantly.... perfect Espresso every time.
Espresso lovers look for the machine that makes the Espresso with most Creama. [Crema is the beautiful, brown cream found on the top of a perfect espresso.] As other coffee expert describes it..."Crema is the essence of good espresso coffee. I like to think of it as the Holy Grail of espresso coffee. Without it you might as well pour it down the drain."
After extensive research on how to make a perfect cup of Espresso, I am proud to say this is THE machine that produced a lot of CREMA. It's easy to make a perfect cup every time without leaks and no messes. I experimented with different coffee, coffee grind and tamping pressure, and found best brew for my taste. Clean up is a breeze as well. There's virtually no dead spots or hard to reach areas. There's also a neat storage space under the water tank which stores the cleaning tools, extra gruppa, and misc items so that kitchen countertop is not cluttered with many parts.
I don't care what other reviews were saying about thermoblock or boiler heating element differences, or if the ground appears to be soupy after extraction or what not... Nothing is as important as a good cup of Espresso with CREMA! Looks great in my new kitchen as well.
Like several other reviews, I was very dissapointed. We have looked at several machines from FrancisFrancis!, Gaggia & Ascaso. While these are certainly more expensive machines, the machine we are replacing is on price parity with the Breville. My observations:
pros:
Solid well built construction
Long steamer wand. This allows you to rest your carafe on the unit and steam your milk while you put away a dish or toast a bagel
Simple to operate and pleasant to look at
Nice ergonomic features like a storage compartment for the accessories under the unit, removable foam wand, etc.
Cons
It fails horribly at its core function, making good expresso and steaming/foaming your milk.
I use pods and the machine takes very long to pull the shot, it splattered all over (due to the funky way they try to "create" crema), and the ultimate product was weak & bitter
The steam was very weak, took about 30% longer to warm up my machine than any machine we tested, and it was very inconsistent in how much steam it injected.
The machine wastes a lot of water. They are proud of all the priming and purging features, but as it steams and belches it makes quite the mess. I found myself reaching for a sponge and towel several times during the brewing process.
Net this is a great machine architecturally but a horrid expresso maker. If this kind of coffee is acceptable to you, there are a thousand less expensive brands that will do the trick. For the price, the performance must be better.
I know it's expensive... and I can't believe I paid full price for it, but I love this coffee machine.
Doing the math, it only took me a hundred and fifty coffees to pay for itself (and the coffee used), so this machine has made it's price back.
Things that I love about this machine: 1) perfect crema all the time, every time. 2) easy to clean and keep clean 3) perfect steamed milk easily 4) big water resevoir 5) warm cups 6) easy to make several cup of coffee... in other words, the grounds are easy to dump, refill and keep on going 7) is a stylish coffee maker
Just a few downsides (and what love affairs don't have small drawbacks): 1) it's important to keep the grind just a little bigger so that the holes in the screen of the coffee filter don't get stuck 2) sometimes the little float thing that tells me to dump the waste water gets stuck and then it relieves itself over the counter -only happened once or twice 3) it's great tasting coffee and ease of use has made me drink LOTS of coffee!! -and spoiled me for any other coffee!
::smile::::
So there you go... my love affair with my coffee machine is revealed. You can tell that it is a true love and runs very deep. You can find me online, looking for fancy demitasse cups!
I'm an espresso/cappucino only drinker, and have owned a variety of machines over the past 20 years. I've had this one for less than a week and it's going back to the store for refund. After having read all of the reviews, here is exactly what is correct and what to expect (p.s. if you're not a cappucino conniseur, please don't bother writing a review):
Pros:
1 - built like an absolute tank. Beautiful style and construction (this does not mean excellent engineering... just means not 'flimsy'). The thing weighs like 40 pounds). 100% durable.
2 - short wait time for water to get hot. Like this really matters compared to a boiler-type machine (this is thermoblock). A boiler takes what, 7 minutes and this one takes 4? Are you that much in a rush for a cup? Takes 20 minutes at Starbucks.
Cons:
1 - I have a $1,100 Pavoni, the best boiler/manual pump machines in the world. You can't come close with the Breville. At best with fine ground espresso I can get slightly rich coffee while the machine pumps for 5 minutes.
2 - The filters stink. The double-wall on them is only there because the machine does not produce enough pressure/temperature. The filters leave a soupy mess and not a dry puck (a puck is indicative of a boiler system). Makes you want to drill holes in the bottom of the filters (as is, there's only a single pinhole that gets clogged).
3 - What steam? When you first switch to steam mode, it spits out a nice 2-3 second stream of water. And whatever you call the air pithing out you can put your hand up to for a bit without scalding. You're better off making foam using your lungs and a straw, then nuking it in a microwave. It hardly produces any foam.
4 - The hot plate on top is not a hot plate. It's a luke-warm plate. My heating pad for my back is warmer.
Overall, if you're an inexperieced cappucino maker who thinks Dunkin' Donuts hung the moon, get this machine. Otherwise it will end up being returned or being a workshop anvil.
About a year ago I was looking for an espresso/cappuccino machine that would be both great in quality and easy to use. I also wanted it to look contemporary, to fit the style of other things in the house. On the other hand, I didn't want to spend a fortune for some expensive brands that run up to $12,000. At that moment I was lucky enough to order from Amazon Breville 800JEXL Juice Fountain Elite. That juicer impressed me so much, that I was happy to buy Breville's whatever - which happened to be Breville 800ESXL Die-Cast Espresso Machine. It is reasonably priced for style and quality and so far I, my husband and all our guests are happy with both espresso and cappuccino. I only wish I could do more than 2 cups at the same time. A year later, I still think it was a great buy and it works as well as ever.
The Breville is an attractive machine that's built like a tank. The stainless steel housing gives it a sleek modern look and the buttons feel solid. It's also a good heavy appliance so it stays put when you wrench the filter into place. Overall the Brevilles design seems well thought out. Even so, the Breville does have it's fair share of problems.
Pros:
- Stainless steel housing, sleek and modern
- Heavy, stays put when wrenching filter into place
- Powerful pump
- Creates decent espresso with good crema
- Refill water from front or back of machine
- Good temperature control
- Heats up fast
- Controls are easy to use
Cons:
- Draws a 2.5 ounce single shot in 15 seconds, much to fast
- Double wall filters trap coffee grounds and eventually clog
- Constantly purges water into drip pan to regulate internal temp
- Frothing wand is difficult to use and does not create micro-foam
- Fails to create a coffee cake, grounds remain a soggy mess
- Drip pan water level indicator is difficult to see
As you can see from my cons list, there are some issues to take note of. The machine draws an espresso shot much too quickly. A slower draw would be better but there is no way to regulate this. The unit holds a fair amount of water but because the machine constantly purges itself to maintain internal temps, the water in your reservoir quickly winds up in the drip pan. This leads to another problem, the drip pan water level indicator can easily go unnoticed and you risk overflow. The frothing wand is difficult to use. You cannot get a good micro-foam with it. With some work you'll get the wand to produce foam but the top layer will be big bubbles. After a shot is pulled, the grounds will remain a soggy mess. Most machines create a dry coffee cake that can eaily be knocked from the filter, the Breville grounds remain wet and sticky and will take several good whacks on a knock box to dislodge them all. Finally, the double-walled filters are a concern. The top layer looks like a normalespresso filter with lots of holes, the bottom layer has just a single tiny pin-hole. Any coffee grounds that get forced through can get trapped for good resulting in reduced performance or altogether clogging the machine. Even with all that said, the Breville is a decent machine. It's quite easy to use, solid, and will make a pretty decent home espresso. If it were priced a bit less it would a winner. At $500 you might want to take a look at the Rancilio Silvia or machines made by Gaggia.
This machine is indeed beautiful, and I find the espresso very good indeed. The problem is that if your coffee is ground too fine, even once, the filter clogs. Due to the design of the crema filter, there is an inaccessible "interior" between the coffee-side filter holes and the bottom-side single exit hole. If this gets too clogged, there is really nothing to do except get a new filter, as the clog is not reachable with any tool.
This wouldn't be too bad if you could actually GET filter baskets when you need them. The only online company that carried them seems to be out of business now. And without a filter basket, this is just so much pretty scupture.
UPDATE: You can get the filters from Breville USA, for a price. You can also use a backflush detergent (like JoeGlo) to clear them, although it's a bit time-consuming and messy.
I bought this machine because I wanted to upgrade, and with a 20% discount coupon from a local major retailer the price was about $360.00. I also wanted a machine that would take ESE pods. I use Starbucks. Very solidly built machine. The first cup of espresso was excellent, much better flavor and more crema than my last machine. I don't know if this was due to the pre-brew feature, but this machine extracted a much better cup of espresso than what I was used to.
I was, however, very dissapointed with my first attempt at frothing milk. The directions say to wait till the red heating light stops flashing before inserting the steam wand into the jug of milk. Unfortunately the wand spits water and steam over you and the counter, before you get the jug under it. Not a good plan. Then the frothing attachment produced only big airy bubbles, not the desired dense foam. I was ready to take it back, but persevered. Two tips:
Put the wand with the frothing attachment into the jug of milk first, then push steam button. Leave the jug alone with the wand straight down in it and leave it alone to froth the milk. Don't hold it at an angle, don't move it around and the results were much better. (Breville does need to improve this frothing attachment.) I tried the Krups perfect frothing attachment on this machine instead of Breville's sleeve attachment and got very good foam! This costs about $10 in bed and bath stores. THe machine does use a lot of water as noted in other reviews, but I'm not really bothered by that if espresso is good! If you're not a purist and want the ease of ESE pods this is a pretty good option for the price.
I very much wanted to love this machine, but am about ready to return it (not to Amazon, I bought it locally) because of several negative points. I agree that the fit and finish of the 800ESXL is amazing, with well thought out features like the storage compartment, and it is very sturdy. The machine makes an acceptable shot of espresso with proper grind and tamp. BUT ...
1. it wastes water like mad. We use gallon jugs of drinking water to make coffee and this machine wipes one out in short order, most of it ending up in the drip pan. This can get to be expensive!
2. The steamer is only "so-so". I'm used to making wonderful microfoam with my dearly departed previous machine, and have NOT been able to duplicate that with the Breville. With the sleeve in place, the frother is on steroids, producing very airy and bubbly foam. Without the sleeve, I am getting next to NO foam because the milk heats up far too quickly. Maybe with a lot of practice I could overcome this and find a method that works, but frankly, why should it be so difficult when other (better) machines are effortless?
3. The lack of a brass boiler (the Breville uses a thermoblock) makes the temperature swing a bit dicey. Wonderful coffee needs consistent temperatures and I'm afraid the Breville just doesn't quite cut it in this area.
To be fair, I should mention some positive points -- the machine heats up quickly and the cup warmer on top is toasty and does a good job. The Breville is beautiful to look at and may suit your needs if you're willing to work with it a while until you find the process that overcomes it's peculiarities. If your tap water is great and you don't need to use bottled water, then the excessive water usuage might not bother you.
Bottom line, you can do far better if you're willing to spend about $100 more to get a more functional machine. I've decided to return this one and go back to an Italian made machine with a brass boiler.
After one month of use, no espresso would come out of brew head. Cleaning the filter holes with the provided tool is tedious and ulitmately does not work, because the coffe grinds are forever trapped between the two walls of the filter. Breville instructs to soak clogged filters in vinegar overnight and then run water only through filterhead on machine to clear - this does not work either. Breville says its because the coffee I was using was too fine of grind...ILLY only was recommended. I tried to order replacement filters, they were on permanent back order - they must have sold them all to clogged filter owners. Customer service was poor, they didn't tell me the filters were backorderd until I called for status. Weeks later Breville sent me a can of ILLY coffee, but unfortunately with clogged filters I can not use it. I returned the machine to retailer who agreed it was not acceptable performance. Be very careful with the grind of coffee, and get on the list for extra filter inserts - $10 each BTW.
Unlike S. Hauge or A. Amador, I can't WAIT to get up each morning to make another excellent lattГ© with my Breville! Unfortunately, I can only consume 2 over a 4 hour period; any more and I'm levitating for the next 7 hours. After three months of, at minimum, 4 drinks a day, we are still in awe of this machine (birthday present for my wife). I calculate we've saved about $665 over buying, in my opinion, the same or worse quality product at Starbuck's or Peet's. My only regret is that I can't consume more drinks.... (My eyes are spinning as I write this.) And my wife's legal practice has had a 10% increase in billings per month over prior years! C'est incrediable!!!
My wife and I agree this is the most BEAUTIFULLY engineered consumer appliance we've ever had the privilege of using. And I mean literally every element of the machine. This puts all other comparable products/manufacturers to shame. (We're currently surrounded by Bosch, Wustoff, Thermador, Sub-Zero, Fisher-Paykel, Gaggenau, Franke & Jenn-Air products.) Hats off to Breville!!!
I have had the Breville Espresso maker for about 5 months. I think that for 400 dollars it is an excellent value. It is all stainless steel and very heavy. The accessories are quality as well. The portafilter and filters are solidly built. It makes great espresso and I expect it to perform consistently for at least a few years. It doesn't make commercial quality espresso but I am content with the fact that it will pay for itself in cost per use in a short amount of time.
It ie a really attractive looking machine as well. The blue illumination at several points is cool looking and the alternate slot in the back for water is a great design if you don't feel like pulling out the reservoir all the time.
This was my second expresso maker in 10 years. I originally purchased a Krupp's 9 years ago and it had served me without complaint for all those years. The gaskets started giving out and it was finally time for a change. The Breville looked like just the ticket. I purchased the unit from a dealer who was selling several display models.
What I do like about the unit: Lights that show its working. Good cream in the expresso and the steamer works well. Enough space for a normal sized coffee cup and more (a great feature).
What I don't like, uses way too much water most of which is expelled into the lower tray. The water hopper can only be removed with the coffee filter assembly removed (it does have a rear pop out funnel but I found it easier to pull out the water hopper. The unit does seem to take longer to warm up than my old machine, so you are looking at 1 -2 minutes warm-up time if not longer.
What I really didn't like was the unit died after 4 months with only one use per day. That is what I don't understand. Working one day no lights the next (electrical failure). You would expect something in this price range to work for years without service. Customer service was fast when I called them, email was useless and I waited days for a reply before I finally used the phone. They pay for shipping both ways which is unusual. I am hoping to have coffee again before long. If it wasn't for the quick death of my machine it would have given it a rating of 4.
My husband is a big coffee/cappuccino drinker, so I decided to get this for him for his birthday. What a beautiful piece! It looks great on the counter and seems to be solidly built. We had the old Krups coffee and cappuccino maker combo. It's time for a new one, and this one just seems to be the right one. I haven't used it yet, but my husband says that it works great and it does make great cappuccino. I give it 4 stars because it's a little pricey, but I guess beauty does have a price.
First, let me tell you about myself. I am NOT a coffee expert or an epicurian. I also will not list the brand names of the coffee machines I used previously. I am a daily coffee drinker who has become really dissatisfied with standard preground drip coffee.
My attempts to make better coffee started out by grinding whole beans with a blade grinder, then advanced to a cheap burr grinder. I had a drip machine that made very good tasting coffee but my wife took this machine to work and bought a stylish stainless steel machine that makes coffee that I really don't like the taste of. On a trip to the Pacific Northwest it seemed that there were places that made very good coffee everywhere I went and they were all using espresso machines. So I figured, why can't I make good coffee at home with my own machine? I started shopping around and learning about making espresso. It became apparent that I had several decisions to make. One choice was to spend a lot to get a fully automatic machine. Another was to buy a quality manual machine and hope I could get good at using it. Other choices were to use pods or compromise and get a steam espresso machine or one with a lot of plastic parts. I decided to set myself a budget of $500 to $600.
The first thing I did was to upgrade my burr grinder. I went to the Baratza website and bought a refurbished Virtuoso burr grinder. This was a great decision. I am amazed at how well this grinder works and would give it six stars if I could. With tax and shipping this cost me about $175. I saw the Breville 800ESXL rated well on several coffee sites and here on Amazon. It had great industrial design, high quality components and accessories, and very importantly, was simple enough for a beginner like me to operate. the only downsides i knew about were that it used a thermoblock heating system rather than a boiler (or two) and that it also used a double wall filter crema system. Both of these were not the preferred choices of the coffee experts. I truly did not think that I would be able to tell the difference.
When I saw it for sale by an Amazon Partner for $218 dollars plus shipping I jumped on it. This was too good to be true, and it was. They had made an error by listing the Breville 800ESXL when they were selling the Breville Cafe Roma. So my order was cancelled, but my decision to buy the 800ESXL was made. Soon afterwards Amazon had a promotion and I reordered the machine. It was rapidly shipped to me and I was eager to try it out. I ground some beans and whipped up my first batch of espresso...and it was a failure. I had made an error in setting the grind on the Baratza Virtuoso, my bad, not the machine's fault. I ground more beans, this time I got closer, but they were too fine. The espresso was barely able to drip out of the brewhead. In fact, I had to scrape the tightly packed used grinds out of the filter. I adjusted the grinder a third time (and believe me, you can easily tell the difference on each of the 40 adjustments) and sucess! I steamed up some nonfat milk to a perfect froth and I have been enjoying my lattes, americanos and espressos more than I ever would have espected. Thank you Amazon, thank you Breville! My daughter thanks you. My friends thank you. My budget thanks you. The Breville 800ESXL is a great choice at this price and IMHO at twice the price.
I recently took the plunge and purchased one of these machines. So far I really like it and would definitely recommend it. It is beautiful, sturdy, easy to use, and makes a great tasting shot. After brewing it does leave a soup in the filter, so you have to be careful when you open it that you dont make a mess all over the counter. Also one thing I noticed is that the cup warmer doesn't seem to get very warm. Maybe I don't leave it on long enough to get really warm??? Not sure about that...But those are really the only little quirks I have noticed. Overall, I'm very happy with it. I look forward to using it each morning. It has definitely been worth the money.
The machine wouldn't turn on one morning. Only had it 6 weeks. (We make about 25 espresso/wk)
Steamer wand head is lame. Knob/lever feels stiff... like it's starting to cease when you turn it. Espresso cookie is mushy and a pain in the @ss to get out of the portafilter. (Messy--have to scoop it out). Pushes shot out too fast. Shot is sometimes watery.
The Breville 800ESXL proves the old cliche that sometimes beauty really is skin deep. It's a gorgeous package, but it seems like all the money and thought went into making the case and controls, and virtually nothing went into the components that make up the heart of an espresso machine: the boiler, grouphead and portafilter.
By way of background, I've been through several espresso machines in the past, including a couple of those cheap Krups steam machines (OK for the price, but not recommended for serious espresso), and I currently have a Gaggia Espresso and Gaggia MDF grinder. The Espresso is a comparatively cheap machine with a plastic case, but it has a decent boiler and an excellent cast brass grouphead and commercial size brass portafilter. I've been very happy with this machine for the last five years, but we recently remodeled our kitchen and the old Gaggia doesn't fit in with the new decor, so it has to go.
When I first hefted the box that the new Breville came in, I thought it must be a well-made machine because it seemed to weigh a ton. Well, maybe not a ton, but at least 25 pounds. Getting it out of the box by myself was a struggle. I thought I might throw my back out getting it onto the counter. Usually, greater weight is a fairly reliable indication of higher quality, but that's not always the case, as I was about to find out.
From the outside, it's very sexy with all that brushed, die cast stainless steel, metal buttons with LED lights, ball mounted steam wand, even stainless steel on the water tank and drip tray. It also has some very thoughtful features, like a hidden comparment behind the drip tray that holds all the accessories, a special tool to clean out the steam wand, etc.
Unfortunately, the portafilter and group head are both aluminum, and the portafilter is much smaller and less substantial than the Gaggia's commercial size 58mm brass portafilter and group head. The Breville also uses a "crema enhancer", which is usually not considered the best way to make espresso. It produces lots of crema, but not necessarily great flavor. Internally, the Breville doesn't have a true boiler like most mid to high end machines. Instead, it's got a "thermoblock", which is smaller and holds less water than a boiler, and thus doesn't do a good job of producing consistent amounts of hot water at the proper temperature, which is essential for good espresso shots.
Firing it up for the first time, I liked how it warmed up within a couple of minutes, much faster than the Gaggia. The LED's glow blue-white around the power and steam buttons. Very futuristic. I ran a blank shot through the portafilter to warm things up, then ground some Trader Joe's French roast at setting 5 on the MDF, tamped it down hard, and went for the first double shot. The machine pumped a few quick bursts of water into the grounds to prime and expand them, then got down to brewing. Sure enough, the espresso came out fast and frothy. Too fast. Ideally, a shot should take 20 or 25 seconds to brew, and it should dribble out in a nice gentle stream. Not so with the Breville. That thing blasted out a full shot in 10 or 15 seconds, squirting it hard into the glasses. Hmmm. Not encouraging.
The espresso itself looked good with plenty of crema, but it tasted bitter and lacked the creamy, almost chocolatey flavor of the espresso that the Gaggia normally makes. Using the espresso in some steamed milk for a latte, it tasted acceptable, but drinking it on its own wasn't much fun. I tried a few more shots at different grind settings, but still no joy. The espresso looks "right" because of the crema, but it tastes sour.
I also noticed that the coffee grounds don't come out of the filter in a nice hard puck like they do in the Gaggia, but instead dribble out in a gloppy mess. It took me five or six hard whacks in the knock box to get all the grounds out, whereas the Gaggia normally only takes one or two knocks. This is another sign that the machine isn't brewing correctly for quality espresso. A good machine should make firm, dry pucks of spent coffee grounds.
The steaming feature seems adequate, but a bit anemic compared to the Gaggia. Another side effect of the thermoblock design, perhaps?
The bottom line seems to be that the Breville looks great and feels very well made and substantial, but it doesn't come through in the one area that really matters in an espresso machine: making good espresso. As far as I'm concerned, an espresso machine could be made out of duct tape and cardboard, but as long as it makes great coffee I'd be willing to live with it. But looking great isn't good enough. So it's going back to Amazon, and getting replaced with a Gaggia Classic.
Simply put, this is not the best machine on the market, however it is the best machine in it's price range, or anywhere close that I have found.
The craftsmanship is outstanding, even the packaging is impressive. The machine is heavy, commercial in feel, and packed with features. From startup, you are ready to pull a shot in a little over two minutes, or steam in about 2 1/2 from pushing the machined "on" button. Now, that may seem like a bit long to wait, but compared to others it is about middle of the road. What does set this apart is that the steam is very hot and dry immediately, no squirts or spitty steam. It's also a very powerful jet, so follow the manual and mind how much milk you put into the pitcher or you will overflow it if you're not careful. I don't see this as a fault, since I am careful, and it steams my milk to 160 in about half the time as machines costing twice as much. Another nice feature is the auto purge, which means you can go from steaming to espresso immediately, no waiting for a cool down. In all, I can do two 16 oz quad mocha's in about half the time as with other high end (manual) machines I have tried. I should also mention that the cup warmer gets very very warm, there is a lighted guage on the water tank, a "full" warning on the drip tray, a hidden storage drawer, and an absolute top notch steam wand which moves in just about any direction you could possibly want.. all positives. Even the packaging and documentation are second to none.
The only faults I can mention on this machine is that you are left with a bit of a soup rather than a puck when using ground espresso. I use ese pods, so it really doesn't bother me. Frankly, the few times I have used ground, I didn't find it that much of a problem either. The shot it pulls is excellent none-the-less. I will also mention that the drip tray fills rather fast due to the auto purge, but again, it's easy and clean to empty. A small price to pay for a machine of this exceptional quality and at an even more exceptional price.
If you don't want to drop a grand+ on an semi or super auto, you should really give this one your consideration.
This is the BEST espresso maker on the market, for anywhere near the price. We test-drove it a local retailer then asked friends and foodies alike for input on the various models out there. Hands-down this one beats them all. It's solidly constructed, simple to use, easy to clean, and most importantly, makes a fantastic espresso or espresso drink. I highly recommend this brand and model!
My wife and I each spend at least as much on coffee each year at a HUGE coffee chain that sounds like "harhucks" for as much as this machine costs us just once!
We don't ever have to wait on a long line or have our order screamed out loud for everyone to hear . Plus WE choose the kind of the coffee that we like.
It is also one of the least expensive of the other higher end machines out, so you don't have to break you bank to get one ... I love my Breville and you will too!
We have been using the Breville this past year with only on problem; the double shot filters can clog up and the must be replaced. They cost $10 each and are available from Brevilles customer care dept. It took about 10 days to receive them and now the machine works as good as new!
From a interface and asthetic point of view, the machine is flawless. It's beautiful and solid, and has many nice touches like an integral storage bin and swiveling steam wand. Having said that, it's missing a few things on the INSIDE that you'd expect from a $400 machine:
For one, it uses a thermoblock. This results in a pressure drop and uneven heating compared to a boiler, which is why there is the need for the double-wall crema system. (I'm referring here to pump machines with boilers, not the cheap steam machines.) This is why you'll find that after brewing you have a soupy sludge instead of the hard dry puck considered an indicator of proper espresso brewing.
Second, the filters and group head aren't made of brass (which is more temperature stable) like you'll see in machines of similar price.
Personally, I'm not sure I have a sophisticated enough palette to discern a difference between espresso from this and a machine with better parts. But given that you're considering spending $400 on an espresso machine, I assume you might be a purist and somebody who cares about getting the best for your money. I also feel the need to offset some of the other breathless reviews by people who clearly haven't bothered to do even a minimal amount of research on espresso machines.
Despite the above, the machine produces very good espresso, as far as I can tell, and it IS beautiful. My guess is that it overcomes some of its component shortcomings with nice engineering (such as the auto-purge feature to avoid scalding the grounds). However, you have to wonder if you're really getting your money's worth where it counts, when there are machines out there at half the price with better internal components and plumbing. You should be able to find machines with more stable temperature and higher effective pressure for much less money if you're willing to go for substance over looks.
If the Breville 800ESXL was a digital camera, it would belong in the "prosumer" category. This is a professional quality espresso machine intended for the home user who knows what a good espresso is. Not only does this machine look the part of a professional quality machine, it has the performance to match. This is the third "home" espresso machine that I've owned, and it is by far the best. Heavy-duty hardly describes how this machine is built, yet its sleek, modern appearance and stainless steel finish is quite at home on the kitchen counter. The high pressure pump, professional quality filter basket, and swivel steam wand rival the features I've seen on machines costing twice as much, and this machine lacks nothing in terms of performance compared to those machines either. The crema produced is exceptional, and the cup-to-cup quality is consistent. There is no noticeable re-heat lag when pulling multiple shots, and for the cappuccino crowd, the wait for steam is virtually non-existent. One of the true convenience features of the 800ESXL is the ability to re-fill the generous sized water tank in place, or you can slide it out from the front of the machine to take it to the sink. The built in storage container is just perfect for keeping the extra filters (three are included, single, double, and pod) as well as the tamper and cleaning tool all in one place - no more digging through the drawers when you want your coffee. The 800ESXL is a standout in this price range, I recommend it without qualification. Be sure you have a good grinder, get yourself some quality beans, and you won't be sorry.
I love this machine. Love it. It makes the best cup of coffee I've ever had from a home espresso machine, and truly tops the big coffee chain that we all go to every now and then. The 15 bar pump gives you just the perfect amount of pressure and there is always a nice crema on top of the perfect shot of espresso. This machine comes with three different filters, one for a pod, another for a single shot, and a third for a double. It holds one quart of water in the back, making it possible to pull several shots in a row if you are entertaining. There is a conceled storage container to store your extra parts, tamp etc... The steaming attachment is also great, easy to clean, and heats up your milk very quickly. To make this machine even better you can pull hot water for tea also. The only, very minor complaint that I have about it is that the filters are a little hard to remove. I use my capresso burr grinder with this set on the lowest level of fine, and absolutly get the best cup of espresso I've ever had. Do not be seduced by some of the other brands, this on is the best. I work in an upscale Kitchen store, and have used all the big names. This is by far the best espresso machine we sell, unless you are wanting a fully automatic machine, which are several thousand dollars. If you love espresso, you will love this machine. If you want to entertain, buy a french press. Then you can throw away your old drip coffee maker, and have coffee the way it was suppossed to taste.