Customer Reviews

Breville BES820XL Die-Cast 15-Bar Programmable Espresso Machine

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

LOVE this machine! I do not claim to be an espresso junkie or aficionado, but I am addicted to lattes and my morning habit was getting to be expensive so we bought this machine for Christmas. It's AWESOME! One of my main criteria, besides great espresso, was a frothing wand that would really do the job, and this one does. It texturizes the milk beautifully and creates delicious, creamy froth for my lattes and cappuccinos. We're still working to get the right grind and tamp combination, but I love that you can also use pods in the machine, which is fantastic for decaf! We drink regular espresso in the morning or afternoon, but every once in a while I want a cappuccino at night but it's not worth keeping the decaf beans or emptying my grinder to replace with decaf so we keep decaf pods on hand for those rare evening cravings. Perfectly convenient! You have to be willing to experiment to get the right tamp/grind combination or your espresso won't taste too yummy, but if you have some patience and try various combinations it really pays off. And I love the hot water wand - heats very quickly and great for hot tea! Super easy to use, pretty easy to clean and maintain, and entirely worth the cost!

Notable stuff:

- heats up quickly
- advertises that the top of the machine serves as a warming station for your espresso cups, but it doesn't get nearly warm enough to actually warm the cups (warm by filling with hot water from the hot water dispenser instead)
- does not require the use of distilled or filtered water (in fact, the instructions say NOT to use distilled water) - just use tap water and decalcify with vinegar occasionally
- the drip tray is nice and large-was able to make 6 lattes, including rinsing in between each one, and drip tray still wasn't full
- water reserve is very large and holds plenty of water
- "programmable" just means that you can program how large your single shot is and how large your double shot is so that once it's programmed, you just have to push a button to make a shot of espresso - eliminates the guess work that results in inconsistent shots
- the pod attachment only works for single shots, as far as I can tell there are no double pods on the market and even if there were, I don't think they would fit in the pod attachment

This is a review about the quality of the espresso the machine makes, and not about
the short or long term reliability of the machine, since I have only had it for about a month.

I bought coffee beans from a starbuck coffee shop and asked the barista to grind the beans for an espresso maker. Decided not to buy a grinder (since reviews on grinders seem to indicate nothing but trouble). The first results I got were disappointing. No matter how well I packed the 2 shot coffee filter, or how much coffee I packed into it, the pressure on the indicator dial never reached even the beginning of the "optimum" range.

Then I decide to ask the barista if they had a finer espresso grind. They said their finest was # "2". With that grind, I filled the 2 shot filter with coffee to the top of the filter, and packed the grinds as hard as I could. Started the machine. The needle started to rise, reached the optimum range, went all the way up the optimum range and beyond it before finally stopping when the machine stopped pouring coffee! I also noticed that the amount of coffee poured was somewhat less than 2 shots of coffee. Removing the filter holder from the machine, it was clear that the filter had water, that had not pressed through the coffee, mixed in with the spent grinds.

The next cup of espresso I made, I did not pack the coffee as hard, or fill as high. I left about an 1/8" between the coffee and the filter rim . That did it. After starting up the scale the needle stopped 3/4 up the optimum level scale, and the coffee it made looked like 2 full shots and, when I removed the filter holder the coffee filter was mostly dry! The espresso had a nice layer of crema, added a little Milk, lots of foam...perfect!

What did it for me was 1) the right grind, 2) the right packing pressure, 3) the right amount of coffee.

I hope this helps some fellow home baristas!

I have had this machine for about 4 weeks and love it. It's easy to learn, is made of high quality parts, and looks beautiful on the counter. Be careful with grind fineness, as we had some problems when coffee ground at Starbucks with their machine on "espresso" setting. Once you find the right grind consistency, the results are delicious and consistent. The steamer wand works extremely well and is easy to maneuver with the 360 degree swivel arm. This is a great espresso maker for the coffee/espresso lover.

This is a great espresso machine. Easy to use, AFTER you read the instructions. Cleaning is simple, the indicator on the spill tray lets you know when it's full with "Empty Me!" I use the hot water function to warm up the cups and to make tea. I have never used a cappuccino milk steamer before, but this one is extremely simple to get a good milk froth. The mug warmer on the top of the machine works well, but only if you plan of having multiple uses as it takes a while to get the heat up to the mugs. The pressure gauge on the front gives you a good indication how well you are grinding the coffee, and tamping. I normally have the pressure gauge in the lower optimal range and it tastes very good. It does take practice to create the perfect method, so be patient. The water tank holds enough water to serve many people without refilling.

I also purchased a knock box, which I think completes the set. Removing the grounds from the filter can be frustrating without this specially made knock box. I bought the: RSVP Espresso Knockout Box and it works very well at a good price RSVP Espresso Knockout Box.

After having a couple of low cost Krups 5 bar espresso machines Krups XP4030 Pump Espresso Machine, Black, one I wore out after a little more than a year, I decided to move up to a better system.

After doing a lot of research and reading countless reviews, I decided that this Breville model was the best for the money. I even thought the extra $50 for the programming button was worth it, because I prefer to decide what a double shot or single shot is. My wife likes a bit less coffee and I like a bit more so programmed the single shot for her and the double shot for me. Nice part is I don't have to watch the machine anymore!

It's got a nice look. I'm not comparing to anything and there are a lot that have a nice look - but not the Krups we had - it was black and wasn't that nice looking. Mind you the Krups was a lot less money! How much you will pay for looks is up to you.

The Breville has a nice size water tank that come out from the front so I don't have to pull the machine out from under the cabinet.

I get my beans ground at my local Starbuck's or from Coffee Fool dot com when I'm in the mood to be foolish and on the first espresso the pressure was correct, so I'm good with that. I have noticed that the pressure has increased as I use the machine more with the same coffee so I expect the machine has to be broken in a bit, which is likely due to tightening up the seals or I'm getting stronger!

The hot water wand comes in handy for a single cup of tea, but then again so is my microwave. I'm not about to do an energy comparison, but expect the Breville would win in the carbon footprint competition.

The steam wand is very good and discharges reasonably so it is easy to control heating the milk. I don't use the milk jug that was provided since mine has a temperature gauge to tell me when the milk has reached the right temperature, rather than potentially burning myself when testing the side of the jug. That's not the real reason though - I just like gadgets. The kids like to have steamed milk for their hot chocolate so saves us having to use the Microwave or stove.

Finally, the size is just right for our requirements. It fits under the cabinets nicely and is the right width so I can be steaming the milk and still have the last bit of coffee dripping out in the shot glasses without knocking them over.

Recieved this machine last Friday, The Espresso & Steam Function work great. Easy to Program and makes excellent coffee.

Hot water function DOES NOT work. Seems to be a problem with the selector dial. When turned to "Hot Water" the light does not lite and nothing comes out of the hot water wand.

Contacted Breville customer support and was told that since it was not purchased through one of their "authorized" retailers, Breville would not honor the 90 day warranty that came with the machine. Could find nothing in the warranty included with the unit or the warranty on Breville's website that stated the machine had to be purchased through a specific retailer in order for the warranty to be valid.

After multiple exchanges Breville's customer service still refuses to honor their warranty.


Warranty from Breville's website:

What is the Breville warranty policy?
Breville® warrants this Breville® appliance against defects that are due to faulty material or workmanship for a period of one (1) year from the date of original consumer
purchase. This warranty does not cover damage from abuse, neglect, use for commercial purposes, or any other use not found in the printed "Instructions for use" booklet. There
is no warranty for glass parts, glass containers, filter basket, blades, and agitators. HWI Breville® expressly disclaims all responsibility for consequential damages for incidental
losses caused by use of this appliance. Some states or provinces do not allow this exclusion or limitation for incidental or consequential losses, so the foregoing disclaimer may
not apply to you. ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS WITH RESPECT TO THIS PRODUCT IS ALSO LIMITED TO THE ONE YEAR LIMITED
WARRANTY PERIOD. Some states or provinces do not allow disclaimer of the implied warranty with respect to consumer goods, so the foregoing disclaimer may not apply to
you. This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may also have other legal rights which vary from state to state or province to province. If the appliance should become
defective within the warranty period, do not return the appliance to the store. Please contact our Customer Service Center:

The only word is WOW! After using an inexpensive machine for eight years I upgraded to the die-cast Breville, and what a revelation. Well worth the money, it will pay for itself in less than a year if you compare costs with store-boought espresso drinks. Heavy and sturdy, the coffee produced is equal to any from a storefront. I couldn't be happier - except I wish it had a second tank access for direct pouring of fresh water, but, hey, you can't have everything for $500, can you?

Never going back...!

I bought this machine refurbished as an upgrade from an inexpensive machine. I have to say "WOW". This is a well designed system. I really love the progam feaure that allows you to brew a single or double shot just by pushing a button. No more watching until your cup is filled to the right level.
Whether using pods or ground espresso, the Breville brews as good a cup as I've had.
I like the all stainless steamer/frother. It is easier to clean as the end disassembles from the wand.
I haven't had much use for the hot water feature, and if I were redesigning this unit I would leave it out.
The all stainless construction is attractive and utilitarian. Sturdy and lends itself to easy cleanup.
Well worth what I paid for it!

Forgive me if the tone of this review is a little grouchy, but I've gone without my morning latte for 3 weeks now, with two more to go, and that's just the way it's going to have to be.

I got my first Breville machine, a caffe roma, about a year and a half ago, and was very happy. It was a big upgrade from My Gran Gaggia in terms of design, quality and taste and I wrote a glowing review at the time of my purchase on Epinions. Unfortunately, it died about 4 months ago, and since they were no longer making the Roma, Breville replaced it with the BES820XL. I was really enjoying my 820 - big step up from the Roma and I appreciated that Breville was willing to stand behind its product in that way. There was a little bit of a wait for the new machine, but not much. The 820 was a much more sophisticated machine and it took a little bit more Unfortunately, the 820 started to fail after about two months - the water was leaking from the spout, and the coffee stopped pressurizing properly.

Again, I called Breville, and again they told me they'd upgrade the machine because the 820 was being discontinued and replaced by the 830. Unfortunately, The 830 was on backorder. At first I was told the delay would be three weeks; then I called back and was told it would be two weeks; and finally I was told 5 weeks! I made what I thought was a very reasonable request to Breville, which is that they upgrade me to the next model (same as the 830 except with a grinder) and I'd pay the difference between the two. Request denied, with no explanation as to why.

Breville, perhaps this sort of customer service policy makes sense for other products- but sorry, not for coffee. I think that given the situation, there should have been a little less policy and a little more concern about making your customer happy. The good news is that you make a very good product for the money and you're constantly working to improve them; the bad news is that your products are still a work in progress. Wouldn't it make a little more sense to go the extra yard to keep your customers happy?? We're talking coffee here.

I have to admit I'm not a coffee expert but I can tell the difference between good and not-so-good coffee and this machine does make good coffee, much better coffee that I can usually get from a local Starbucks. Very solid construction, brass filter holder has very nice weight to it. This is my first real espresso maker and so far I'm very pleased. I bought it refurb elsewhere but it was as good as new - no signs of previous use. Most of the previous (positive) reviews are spot-on, and the pressure gauge does work despite what some reviewers said, they either didn't grind/pack cofee properly or got a defective unit. Very intuitive and easy to use, I find default settings acceptable but may experiment with the programming feature. Consistently makes very tasty espresso with the Lavazza beans I use, I was hoping for more crema but can't really complain. Will have to upgrade my cheapo conical burr grinder as the finest grind it produces is still to coarse for this machine - I can barely get the needle to enter the optimum range even after hard tamping, I'm finding that I can get better results with blade grinder I also have.

Minus 1 star for all the following rather minor nuisances:

- cup warming plate is not warm enough, non-heated cup top shelf would be a greener option which also wouldn't affect my electric bill
- to power it on after auto shut-off I have to press power button twice, the first press makes the power button briefly illuminate and then nothing happens, possibly an isolated defect
- the frothing attachment is not working well for me, takes long time to foam the milk, and then there is not enough texture added to milk after all; also there is often a fair amount of water that leaks from the steam wand before the steam actually starts
- the hot water wand occasionally leaks some water, need to remember to keep it pointed inside the machine so the water ends up in the tray and not on the counter
- the power cord is very short - it is a touted "safety" feature but many, myself including, will have to add an extension cord which sort of defeats the original purpose

Update: frothing is no longer an issue after I cleaned the steam wand opening, it lets lot more steam out now, almost too much, the frothing is really quick.