Breville BES900XL Semi Automatic Espresso Machine

By : Breville
List Price : $1,499.99
Price : $1,199.95
You Save : $300.04 (20%)

 

Breville BES900XL Semi Automatic Espresso Machine

 

Product Features

• Dual stainless steel boilers ; dual italian pumps. over-pressure (opv) limits extraction pressure.
• Electronic pad temperature control for precise water temperature, plus actively heated group head and heat exchanger to maintain thermal stability
• Backlit lcd displays brew temperature; assists with programming shot temperature and volume, pre-infusion duration and power, and auto start time
• Drop down swivel foot lowers a wheel that lifts the machine upwards for convenient access to the water tank (both rear and top-fill)
• Includes 58mm stainless steel portafilter, single and dual wall filters, tamper, 25 oz frothing jug, cleaning tablets, 1 year supply of water filters

Product Description

Commercial features and performance, in a domestic foot print. Espresso perfection requires precision temperature and pressure control, consistently, every time. At the heart of this machine is its dual stainless steel boiler heating system with electronic PID temperature control. The brew boiler, for the espresso shot, is adjustable (190 - 205 degrees F) for different bean roasts and origins, while a separate steam boiler offers instant and powerful steam on demand. So you can extract your shot at the right temperature, delivering optimal flavor, while simultaneously steaming your milk to cafe quality with the 3-hole tipped, 360-degree swivel steam wand. What's more, there is a Heat Exchanger (HX) and another element in the group head, ensuring the entire system maintains a consistent temperature.

The Dual Boiler also features an Over Pressure Valve (OPV) which limits the 15 Bar Italian pump throughout the extraction, preventing bitter flavors in the shot. It also offers a true low pressure pre-infusion, which gradually increases the pressure to gently expand the grinds for an even extraction.

But there's much more to this machine for the coffee geek. A temperature display in either Fahrenheit or Celsius; a preset/manual-override/programmable shot volume; and programmable pre-infusion duration and pre-infusion power. At the same time we’ve kept it simple with user-friendly features. An optional Auto Start setting preheats the machine at a programmed time; a top-fill 84 fl. oz (2.5L) water tank ensures easy access; and the dedicated hot water outlet makes it faster to pre-heat cups or prepare an Americano. There is also a shot clock and pressure gauge to help you improve your barista skills over time. All you'll need are some freshly ground beans and a bit of practice to rival the best cafe.

Customer Reviews

I don't even know where to start. I just got this "Lamborghini" of espresso machines, about 2 hours ago and after about 6 tries I pulled a perfect shot.

When I say perfect, I mean double-shot-single-wall-filter-14gr-30-lbs-of-tamper-pressure-200F-9-bars-30-second-extraction-2oz-full-of-crema PERFECT.

I have been using a BES820XL for quite some time and I was very happy with the quality and all my friends always said that my espresso was the best they've ever tried. True, my espresso has always been consistent and close to the coffee I drank throughout Italy.

UNTIL NOW.

I can't believe the difference this machine made. I mean the same coffee (same amount of coffee ; same tamper pressure ; 30 second extraction) tastes like it's not from the same beans. It tastes like dark chocolate with a very long finish and a delicious aftertaste. The same coffee pulled through BES820XL lacked the finish and wasn't as full-bodied.

The machine is a lot bigger than my BES820XL (I will try to upload a photo later) but it's pure sexinness. I don't even mind that my espresso cups don't fit on top of it when it's under the cupboards (my cabinets are hung a little low).

Besides the obvious difference in the looks between the two machines, this machine is a technological marvel. The PID controls alone are worth it. The PID controls let you keep the temperature pegged at 200F with just over a 1 degree variation. Instant steam means I never have to wait again or hear that pumping noise.

I love the wheels underneath. It makes it so easy to maneuver the machine on the counter. And I also love the fact that you can fill it up right through the top lid.

The ONLY disappointment is the weight of the included tamper. I mean it's great that you can store it right on the machine but for my big hands it's a bit small and too light. I will have to get another tamper (this machine usees a 58mm tamper as opposed to the 51mm on the BES820XL). I've been used to using a nice heavy tamper with a rosewood handle, so I'll probably look for the same one in 58mm.

In conclusion, I LOVE the BDB (Breville Dual Boiler).

I've only had it for 2 hours, so time will tell if it will continue to deliver the results. I will keep updating the review, so stay tuned.

UPDATE

I've uploaded 2 photos. On one of them you can see the difference in size between BES820XL (same size as BES830XL) and the new BES900XL.

UPDATE

Didn't even read the instructions until now, but it says to soak the water filter for 5 minutes before inserting. I didn't do it (hopefully it won't be an issue). And I just ordered the Smart Grinder Breville BCG800XL Smart Grinder will my wife kill me? We'll find out tonight. :)

UPDATE

This machine is MASSIVE. I don't know where to put it in my small kitchen... It's intruding into the cooking space. I might have to put it somewhere outside of the kitchen. I may have to get a bigger apartment to accommodate this espresso machine. I think in the new apartment I will have a separate coffee ; wine room with just my coffee stuff and wine refrigerators, how cool would that be?

UPDATE

I keep on pulling perfect shots at 9 bars and get 2 oz in 30 seconds. I am using Lavazza "perfetto espresso" ground coffee, which seems to be the perfect grind size. The Smart Grinder should come in within a few days, but I don't see how it can get any better. The espresso I pulled (see the pictures I posted) is as perfect as I've ever had anywhere, even in coffee shops in Italy from freshly roasted and ground coffee.

UPDATE

Ran out of Lavazza "Il Perfetto Espresso" which was a perfect grind size. Opened a gold can of Lavazza and found the grind size to be too small - I tried pulling shots even with very little tamper pressure and the shots were coming out too slowly about 40 seconds. The Smart Grinder is coming in tomorrow so I am excited. I already bought the Lavazza and Illy whole beans. Will update my review tomorrow.

UPDATE 11/23/2011

Received Breville's Smart Grinder (Breville BCG800XL Smart Grinder) today and started grinding my own coffee. I bought a 2.2 lb bag of Lavazza beans (Lavazza Super Crema Espresso Whole Bean Coffee, 2.2-Pound Bag) from Amazon, which was delivered super fast by the way.

I played with different settings on the grinder until I got to my double-shot-30-seconds-9-bars perfect shot. The coarsness setting is all the way to the right (the finest setting) and the amount setting is all the way to the left (when the amount setting is in the middle I got too many grinds which is an unnecessary waste of coffee).

The result left me speechless. I got so much crema that my eyes literally popped out of my head like in a cartoon. The taste and aroma were superb. I am finally "there". It doesn't get any better than this. You can have a $10,000 espresso machine and the best shot you'll make would be equal to my shot, because there is no room left for improvement.

BES900XL ; BCG800XL are a match made in heaven.

UPDATE 11/25/2011

I keep pulling perfect shots. I haven't had a single shot end up in the sink. I haven't even experimented with the pre-infusion or different temperature (I have it at 200F).

UPDATE 11/27/2011

I just thought I'd say that this machine is not for someone who doesn't understand how the correctly pulled espresso shot is supposed to taste like. This machine is not "set it and forget it" type of machine. It's not a Nespresso or Keurig. To pull a perfect shot you absolutely HAVE TO make sure all the variables are correct and you have to know what you are doing, which means you HAVE TO do additional research on the following: 1. grind size 2. dosing 3. tamper pressure 4. temperature 5. extraction pressure 6. timing of the shot 7. type of bean, etc. If you are not sure what even one part of this means, please do your research BEFORE buying this machine! This machine does its magic only if you do the CORRECT PREP first I guarantee that if you pull a 10-second shot or a 50-second shot, you WILL BE disappointed even with your favorite coffee beans!

I also guarantee that if you do all the prep correctly you will be amazed at the quality of your espresso shots

I would really hate to see someone write a bad review of this machine because of their own mistakes in grind size, dosing and other variables.

UPDATE 12/9/2011

I keep pulling perfect shots every single day. I did change the settings on the grinder to the finest (all the way to the right) and the amount is two ticks from the left between weaker and 0. If the amount is set to 0 it results in too much wasted coffee.

All in all, I am still extremely happy with BDB and the Smart Grinder.

If anyone has any questions, please feel free to ask me in the comments below.

UPDATE 1/28/2012

Here is a quick update. I have not had a "sink shot" for 2 months straight. Every single shot I pull is absolutely perfect.

I went on a vacation to PR and stopped by a coffee shop, which had a La Marzocco Strada with 2 group heads. La Marzocco Strada is an incredible espresso machine with a hefty price tag and I just couldn't imagine how you can screw up a shot, yet the barista managed to screwed it up! I don't know whether it was his tamper pressure, grind size or something else but it was absolutely disgusting Even though I didn't even finish the coffee, it actually made me feel pretty goo to be able to pull better shots than La Marzocco Strada! The moral of the story is, prep prep prep

I'll preface this review by saying that I am not a coffee snob. I don't have lab equipment by which to test the Ph levels of the final product. But I do know food, and I understand that it's important to most people to get both good coffee and good value from their machines. What you'll find in this review is a pragmatic and practical discussion of this product. We'll look at my favorite things about the machine and then a few minor gripes, which I've broken down into categories. At the end of each category I'll highlight the pros and cons, for those who'd like to speed read this review.

First off, let me describe the new Breville unit in one word: innovative. Breville really thought this one through, adding features where they're useful and shoring up the design to create a machine that feels sturdy, reliable, professional-grade and user-friendly - and a machine that gives you the same performance of machines that cost twice as much. This unit looks great, it brews a killer espresso, and it's priced really well.

There's a lot to say about this machine, both big and little. After several months using it, these are my thoughts about this machine:

1. Customization! Breville has handed over control of pre-infusion, shot temperature and shot volume. At first, I wasn't sure I needed all this customization. But with a little use, I found myself tweaking things a bit here and there...and in the end, it really did help me create the espresso/cappuccino/latte I wanted. Additionally, they've included an all-out manual button, offering total control to those with the temerity and tenacity to take the reigns.

Pros: Very customizable, easy controls, temperature adjust, shot volume adjust.

Cons: None I've encountered

2. The coffee! It's hard to review the coffee because I find that coffee drinkers are VERY particular and have very different ideas of what makes a good espresso...or whatever it is they're concocting. What I can say is that even as an inexperienced barista, it didn't take very long before I was pulling 8.5-9.5 bar 30 second shots. I don't always hit right in the zone, but I usually do. Breville helped me out here by including four filters...both single and dual wall filters in single and double shot sizes. I was able to pull decent shots on the dual wall filters pretty much out of the box, but it took some learning to get consistent on the single wall "regular" filters.

And this is where you have a big PRO and a little bitty con on this machine. It will make great espresso with out-of-this-world crema...coffee that will make you tilt your head and wonder why the beans you've always used never tasted like this before...but doing so takes a little attention and patience. There are mornings where I get lazy with my dosing and tamping, and end up with a 6 bar sour shot (admittedly totally my fault). But when I measure my dose and tamp it correctly, the Breville responds by pulling a rich, velvety shot that is really quite awesome.

I definitely see the value of a double boiler. This unit heats from room temp to ready in about five to ten minutes (I live in a warm climate; don't ask how it would operate in a Minnesotan kitchen in February). It also has a built in timer, so the unit will pre-heat for you in the mornings at a user-specified time...a nice feature. It has a VERY short recovery time. When making 2-3 coffees, it's ready to go before I've gotten the portafilter reloaded. And while I didn't think it was a big deal when shopping for the machine, I find that I appreciate the double boiler and REALLY like being able to steam and brew at the same time...and this machine truly will handle this. The machine is also designed to produce a solid, almost dry puck. It does this almost every time, a HUGE improvement over my last machine...not a lot of grinds floating in the sink with this machine.

If there is one con to this unit, it's that it's a rather HUGE machine. We have small kitchens in California, and this thing takes up a lot of valuable real estate. Additionally, it's tall. The size allows the use of larger coffee mugs, but if you want to use the cup warmer on top you really need about 22" of clearance...watch out if you have cabinets above your counters!

I should mention another small con. Like many espresso machines, this one is picky about the grind. I found both Cuisinart and Kitchen-aid grinders insufficient. The Breville really wants fine-as-flour grinds to stay in that much-desired 9 bar range. In fact, I ordered the Breville smart grinder, thinking this would be a perfect match for the machine. But I didn't really like the grind quality I got from that grinder...and neither did the dual boiler. It was okay on the finest setting, but the grinder really struggled to give the dual boiler the exact right grind. I think to make the most of this machine you really need to look at spending a little more for a grinder. My next experiment will be either a Rancilio or Baratza...I haven't decided.

Pros: GREAT coffee consistently, crema to die for, dry pucks for easy cleanup, pretty easy to use, fast heating, internal clock for morning pre-heating, dual boiler...brew and steam at the same time, again...great coffee, which is what it's all about.

Cons: Picky about grind fineness, you DO have to watch your dose and tamp, BIG MACHINE...allow 22" overhead clearance if you want to use the cup warmer!

3. The steam. The steam wand is another area where the company put in a lot of thought. The wand is very adjustable, and sits high enough to easily texture in both large and small pitchers. The steam lever is a nice change to the stupid knob on my old machine, and allows very precise steam control. The wand tip has three holes, and something I noticed right away was that the steam this unit produces is much "dryer" than my other machines. I'm able to get "wet paint" textured milk most mornings with very few bubbles, although I'm not quite at the level needed to produce latte art (probably me more than the machine). Again, let me point out one small con to the unit. The wand is metal, and very sturdy. But it isn't insulated that well, usually resulting in some baked-on milk along the wand. This is a slight annoyance, and although it washes off with a wet rag...which you're supposed to do every time anyway...it doesn't always come off easily. This doesn't affect the textured milk itself, but it does add to cleanup time a bit.

I have read in some reviews that the steaming time is longer than other machines. Personally, I texture both soy and regular milk in about 50-70 seconds. This works well for me and I don't find myself wanting or needing the machine to go faster. Remember...this is a DUAL boiler, so it brews at the same time it steams. I usually start texturing my milk and then hit the brew button once it's getting warm...my coffee and milk are usually done about the same time.

Pros: Professional grade steam wand, sturdy metal construction with rubber handle to prevent burns, great "dry" steam, powerful output, can brew while steaming.

Cons: Steam wand prone to burned on milk that takes a little extra time to clean.

4. The little things. Breville really thought things through on this one, and the final product is one that solves all the little gripes I've had with other machines. Each is worth mentioning, but I don't want to take up too much space on secondary features, so briefly:

- You can fill the unit EITHER from the back by removing the tank, or pour water right into the top of the unit.

- They designed it so that if you overfill it, the excess water drains right into the drip tray. Genius!

- The water level is viewable looking at the front of the machine. This is a nice feature.

- My last machine left black, rubbery marks on my counter when I slid it around. Breville has designed rubber feet that grip really well, but with a simple turn of a knob little wheels drop, allowing you to roll the unit. Again...total genius. Note: the drip tray doesn't slide in with the wheels down, probably an intentional safety feature. So you won't really go to insert the portafilter and have the machine roll off the back of the counter...hopefully.

- The cord is rather long, but can be pushed up into the body of the machine to prevent counter clutter.

- The hot water spout works well, and gets almost as much use as anything else on the machine. The tea drinkers of the world thank you, Breville.

- The magnetic tamper is a nice feature. But NO, you can't tamp with it attached to the machine (I'm pretty sure it's not made to do this). People are tamper-picky though, and I assume most people buying this machine will get their own rosewood handled gold leaf encrusted tamper than embosses their family crest on the puck (coffee drinkers are an odd lot, lol).

-Breville includes a pretty darn nice froth pitcher, six filters (12 months), two cleaning tablets, some nice cleaning tools and four coffee baskets...overall I was really happy with what the unit came with.

Pros: The extra features really make this machine a joy to use

Cons: Extra features may push unit toward self-awareness and trying to take over the world...ha ha.

5. Care and use. I'm a little disappointed at the one year warranty versus two, but I can deal with this. The unit comes with a years' worth of water filters. After that you're looking at about $30 for another years worth (right now I only see them on Breville's site, but they'll probably migrate to Amazon eventually.) NOTE: as many have pointed out, the design DOES NOT allow you to descale yourself. I called Breville to get an idea what professional descaling entailed. They said every four years or so I'd need to spend $70-$100 (they were dodgy about quoting me... Read more›