Breville Infuser Espresso Machine BES840XL, Brushed Stainless Steel

Some disclaimers 1. I am not a professional Barista. However I did watch a ton of videos to learn how to get the espresso quality that a professional does (I mean a real Barista, not the push button coffee shop folks). And I do know what a good shot is and how to savor a fine espresso. I love cappuccinos and lattes too. So I was looking for a near-pro machine and definitely 9 bars of pressure plus simplicity of use.2. I am a hands on person and clean up and maintain things, so I didn’t want a dumb press and play machine (every bean is different, every roast is different, so if you don’t extract at the right pressure or have the right grind, it is a challenge to get crema). I grind my beans every time and make the espresso right there and keep the beans in an airtight container. 3. This machine shows you where you need to be pressure wise on the dial. Really simple. The challenge for me was getting the grind size and tamping right. So in my quest for reproducible success 100% of the time, I bought a few tools (I have reviewed them) that were recommended by professional baristas with millions of followers. Most aren’t needed, believe it or not. So save your money. And I make 6-12 shots of espressos a day for myself and my family and friends. This was a really busy summer and I have now made 2500 shots and 95% were lattes (my original review was after 1000 espresso shots) Baristas may disagree with my review but this machine is ABSOLUTELY the next best thing, just a tiny level below the $4,000 machines. Choosing this particular model that has a single steam tank (instead of separate tanks – for water and milk) helped me save 3.5k in upfront cost on the machine. The pro-machines are not 54mm, this one is. I feel a large portafilter is a disadvantage in extraction as you spread the grind of a single espresso shot in a larger portafilter. If you are making cappuccinos or lattes, plewse do steam your milk first so that as soon as you extract the espresso you can use it right away in your latte or cappuccino.5. The 9 bars pressure is key to great espresso extraction. Even with this machine I couldn’t initially resolve the challenge of getting the pointer in the middle of the range on the display dial). Tamping and WDT tools didn’t work. Save your money on those tools. What did the trick for me was the 54mm neck collar and especially the mesh. How good? 100% of the time. Zero failures. My ~$50 WDT tool is sitting here, useless and un-needed. I first put the magnetic neck collar on (so no spills of coffee grounds) and it fits like a glove on the portafilter. Then I pour the coffee grinds. Another thing that helps is I take the tamping tool and knock all around the sides of the portafilter like you ring a bell. The vibration settles the grind. Then I press and tamp over the grinds. Then I place the thick metal mesh over it. And load the portafilter into its place. Turn it, and it locks. Then I press the button. And M A G I C. Every single time, the extraction happens between those two dots on the dial. More than half the volume is the crema!!! I found fresh Amazon beans and Starbucks espresso mix to be the best (you need medium to dark roast for coffee flavor to come through the milk in a latte). After about the first 40 cups of failures, I’ve had 2500/2500 cups of success. super well made). The tamping tool and the portafilter have no dents from my gentle knocking. Well made stuff. Every homeowner can now enjoy and save $7.50 for a horrible crass latte made by push button trained employees (fake baristas) at major coffee chains. All their original machines have been replaced by push button machines. My niece worked and trained at Starbucks and I am sharing allour learnings/experiences. Next time just watch your barista and see how they tamp, how they choose settings and you will know the quality before you’re even served the espresso. Your street corner barista will be a genius compared to these National coffee chains. They really understand the science behind espresso making. Also, for regular black coffee, I still use my Steel French Press (have had it for a few years). This Breville machine I use only for espresso, cappuccino and lattes. Every piece of equipment I mentioned here is reviewed separately.6. Value for money? Calculate $6-13 for a large latte with three shots (I have paid those in places like Panama City, Hawaii and NY and European countries from Vienna to Budapest etc). This machine paid for itself already within 6-7 weeks! I did not add the cost of coffee beans (I use top quality, single source organic beans and have now tried many coffee beans from all over the world) – even when I add that in, this machine paid for itself in 3 months.7. The back small tray behind the main tray, at the bottom of the machine fills up with a little water a few times. It’s about positioning, I found. Just empty it weekly.8. Water filling is a breeze. I use filtered water. I keep three inches space behind the machine. So I never have to move the machine. When I forgot to fill (4-5 times), the machine made a grunting noise and the shot paused. Easy. Fill up the filtered water. The machine started right away once I put the water in. I have done the rinse and clean cycle after watching the video – it is an easy process. The light however still comes on (even though I use filtered water). I just ignore it. I do wash the filter in the water tank periodically and that is a breeze as well.9. If you make steam and froth the milk, you will go through quite some water (cooling off and condensate). I recycle the water in the tray once it cools down by pouring it in my indoor plants. I use the coffee grounds as compost in the plant pots, too. And my plants have never been greener and healthier!!.10. I bought a knock box form Breville which I have no idea why they don’t sell with this machine (really shortsighted). This is my opinion. Plan on a bigger knockbox than the one I got. Also get a steel jug with markings on the inside as that helps with the right volume to make lattes.11. It is an Australian company not a U.S. one; so I was skeptical and saved my packaging and box for a month (returns are only 30 days). Pretty lousy way to develop trust, is my opinion. It’s not a small box (about 2.5 feet square) so good luck storing it and seeing it and wondering if you’ll be needing to send the product back…bad karma for the company!! I have of course dumped that box long ago.12. The hot water for tea and coffee is ready literally within a minute if that’s what you need from the spout.13. I am yet to try and adjust programming but it allows for more volume extraction as well if you like.14. The trimming tool they give is awesome and I used it to shave down my tamped down coffee puck initially. Now I hardly ever use it as I got the level and amounts all wired in my brain. It is a super useful thing they included with the machine.15. They have a plastic grab tool to open and clean the top of the wand – I used that and it was super easy. Now why would you make that out of plastic? Give the customer a metal one (shortsightedness again). This opinion, too; is mine. DO NOT throw that little tool away.16. It didn’t come with a properly sized coffee beans scoop. What a branding opportunity lost!! Every time a customer uses a scoop (I thank Oxo and think of Oxo, instead of Breville), they would remember your name, right? A plastic scoop must only cost cents!! The one they sent is a tiny one so you can never get your measure for beans using their scoop. Shows that it is a young company chasing the wrong things, and lacks depth of understanding for coffee making (and they’re in the coffee business). Still, a great barista-entry product, here; no doubt. So congratulations to the Breville team for giving me access to amazing espresso shots, lattes and cappuccinos without needing a 4.5k to 15k machine.17. I use a Fellow cup (thin lip of a doubled wall insulated cup) for the coffee. This company doesn’t even send you an espresso cup or anything!! All the gear is yours. (If Costco does things, they make sure the manufacturer provides all these little things so their member doesn’t have to run around for small stuff). Another brand opportunity lost.18. I use a conical grinder and I use airtight containers from Fellow, for those wondering what else would you need on this “make and have great espresso every time” journey. Factor those costs in. I didn’t, so I exploded my budget (a lot was wasted on tools recommended by Baristas that honestly NO ONE NEEDS if you grind beans by batches/every day). All you need is 1) larger knock box, 2) proper scoop for beans 3) neck collar and 4) a mesh which is A MUST in my opinion 5) Air right storage for beans. And you’re set. Have great cappuccino’s and latte’s EVERY time. Extracted at 9 bars to perfection, every single time!! Do not buy their press-on-the -screen-menu-machine model. Someone I know has it. Not the same foam quality at all. Foaming the milk has to be done manually – watch the videos. If you stick the wand and expect it to be a great latte or cappuccino- the faint is yours not the machine’s.19. I forgot to mention, the steam takes a minute longer and getting the milk foam right is a tough skill (I finally nailed it, and am working on latte art next for fun). For a homeowner you don’t need massive steam capacity and separate tank (3.5k more) and pressure adjustments (9 bars of pressure is ideal) on a machine (any more pressure is just narcissism as it doesn’t extract better espresso). Even the big chains can’t train and have their people follow the directions so all the coffee you get there is far far inferior and dumbed down by poor tamp and poor press. Their coffee will taste horrid once you start making your own espressos, cappuccinos and lattes with this machine.20. Lastly, I am me and you are you. If you’re not someone who will wipe down the steam tip (forgot they don’t supply you with that little piece of cloth either; (but the neck collar company sent me one, luckily!!), or empty the tray or fill water (I put filtered water to begin with to avoid the scaling issue), and aren’t interested in the mid level complexity or responsibility, than this isn’t for you. Just find a local barista and pay-up as you go.21. I did buy a latte art tool (This company doesn’t send you any). Breville fails to inspire homeowners into baristas who would have upgraded to their product again and again. (When I upgrade, it won’t be to another Breville machine, for sure, as much as I like this machine for what it does and the price I paid for it. They still cannot have me enrolled as their lifelong fan). Other companies that make end to end metal parts have 4K-15k costs of buying (even refurbished ones) and that I feel is prohibitive and ridiculous, This one has one tank and plastic parts wherever needed and that’s fine budget-conscious that I was; in my opinion. It is a super efficient machine. Space wise the machine really goes under the cabinet on a standard countertop in the US. No water lines needed. Standard power outlet, too. The top gets warm and fuzzy so you can keep your cup on it (just like French press or any coffee making temperature is important) so this helps. It heats up right away in less than a minute and a half. No issues at all. Great innovation in so many areas.22. If there are negative reviews, it is perhaps from people who don’t like doing annual stuff or don’t follow instructions or aren’t as particular with the process and application of a new knowledge or skill. As a homeowner, if you want to be making barista style espresso shots, this will do it – and that is a huge upgrade – buy you still need to read, be willing to learn feom your own failures and not blame the machine. Don’t expect a massive steam generation (not needed for one cup, of latte a time) or separate large storage tank (one for milk pressure and one for hot water pressure) when it really ain’t needed. This makes one cup at a time so my family learns to be patient with me too!!Lastly, do upgrade your coffee drinking. It isn’t like wine. I found a really huge difference when you have the right bean, freshly ground and espresso yielded by this machine. And I sat on this purchase for 6 months before I actually bought it. Wish I could have saved all that money at the coffee places I went in my search for a great cup of coffee every single time. This machine (my model is the one with the pressure -don’t make the mistake of buying the lower model number), this model BES840XL does that at a price that is just unbeatable. And don’t buy the ones with the screen and grinder built in. The grinder is likely to wear down and have issues working as it is used the most.I wish all of you awesome cups of espresso, capppuchino and lattes!! Everyone I know loves my coffee, my espresso extraction and lattes more than theirs at home from the $180-400 models and makes. This model is clearly a winner at the price and what it provides (9 bars of pressure, and success each time that you can see on the dial). The only thing you need to do is watch videos on foaming the milk. And you’re all set.