Breville ESP8XL Cafe Roma Stainless Espresso Maker

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Product Features

• Stainless-steel espresso machine with 15-bar Thermoblock pump
• Dual-wall filter system for excellent crema; froth enhancer; cup-warming plate
• Large, easy-fill 1-2/7-quart water tank; external water window indicates when tank is low
• Removable drip tray and grid; stainless-steel espresso cup set and frothing jug included
• Measures 9 by 9 by 12 inches; 1-year limited warranty

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 12 x 12 x 15 inches ; 16 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 18 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B0002VAFWA
• Item model number: ESP8XL
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (147 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #4,287 in Kitchen & Dining (See Bestsellers in Kitchen & Dining)

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Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description
Re-create the flavor of authentic Italian café drinks with the Café Roma espresso maker. Style-conscious coffee lovers will treasure its attractive, stainless-steel housing that conveniently sits on a countertop. Espresso enthusiasts will delight in the 15-bar Thermoblock pump which forces water through coffee grounds at the ideal pressure to create delicious, rich espresso shots. The machine also produces an abundance of crema--the light brown liquid that sits atop an espresso and characterizes a well-pulled shot--via its dual-wall filter system. Filters synchronize with heated and pressurized water to perfectly extract and caramelize coffee oils, resulting in a velvety, flavor-packed crema that will impress purists and novices alike.

The machine is simple-to-use, with a removable 1.3-quart water tank and an external water window that indicates when the tank is low. The tank is much larger than most consumer machines, so espresso enthusiasts can pull shot after shot without running low on water. As with any good espresso machine, the unit also includes a warming plate to prevent shots from prematurely cooling when poured into cups. Additional features include a froth enhancer for flavorful lattés and cappuccinos, and a removable drip tray and grid for easier cleanup. As a bonus, the machine also comes with a stainless-steel espresso cup set and a frothing jug.

Product Description
Breville ESP8XL Café Roma Espresso with 15 bar thermoblock pump has stainless steel commercial housing and includes a bonus stainless steel espresso cup set and frothing jug.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

88 of 90 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great machine so far!, February 28, 2005

By	IntelligenceIsParamount (NY, NY United States) - See all my reviews

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

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

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

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

59 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Machine, May 29, 2005

By	Lori Smart "Amazon Queen" (Eugene, OR) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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

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

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

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

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

I DEFINATELY recommend this machine!!

154 of 166 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars The good reviews are right...unfortunately, the bad reviews are even more so, January 17, 2007

By	Jose Najas Raad (Miami, FL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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

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

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

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