Comments on: Breville Dual Boiler Espresso Machine BES920XL, Brushed Stainless Steel

By: DeeKay

DeeKay — Sat, 25 Jan 2025 04:06:40 +0000

Great Machine – when it works. Poor customer support. Now I own an broken Espresso maker.
I bought this product end of 2018, so this is truly a long term report.The first year was great. The feature set of the machine is perfect for me. It has just the right degree of automation, e.g. pre-infusion times. The Espresso it makes is tasty, not best in class, but for daily use very much enjoyable.And that was the reason why I bought that machine: A perfect blend of features and achievable results, for what I need.The problems started exactly 1 month after end of warranty – of course. It started making noises that sounded like steam is leaking on the inside. Shortly after small amounts of water would come out of the machine through the housing (see picture). I called customer support and they offered a free repair. This meant I had to live without the machine for a couple of days and go through the efforts of packing and shipping it. But stuff happens, so far so good.I received the repaired machine, all worked – for a year. And then the same as first time happened. After a long and exhausting email exchange and several phone call I could send in the machine a 2nd time for free repair.Currently I have the same problem again! Nine months after I got the machine back. Customer support refuses to do anything about it. They offer to repair for cost. To fix an obviously systematic problem that occurs on regular basis. There I am now. A broken machine and no desire from Breville to help in a customer friendly way.BTW, I own Espresso makers for many years, know how to clean and maintain them. This definitely is not the problem. The total opposite, after de-scaling the problem got worse, which clearly shows that there is a leak.

By: Andrew Smith

Andrew Smith — Sat, 25 Jan 2025 04:06:40 +0000

Amazing espresso machine!
Can’t imagine a better espresso machine. The PID temperature-controlled head is unique for a consumer machine and critical for pulling shots perfectly. The customizable controls, easy-to-use interface, and excellent knobs and buttons make the whole process of espresso making a breeze. Upgraded from a 20 year-old Gaggia Classic, so I’m still getting used to the machine, but no longer is the machine itself the weak point in my journey to pull the perfect shot. (Now it’s the grind, age of the beans, evenness of the grounds, strength of the tamping, etc. etc.). So convenient to be able to pull the shot and steam the milk for my lattes at the same time. Takes less than a minute to heat up a cup of 40-degree milk to 160 degrees, and the foam is perfect. Worth the splurge!

By: T Cioni

T Cioni — Sat, 25 Jan 2025 04:06:40 +0000

Consistent Espresso Shots…I have been through a couple of espresso machines but none of them can match the quality espresso output of the Breville 920XL. Complete brew temperature control, a standard 58mm portafilter, volume or timed shot output, heated brew head, dual boilers for making espresso and texturing milk simultaneously, pre-infusion timing as well as pre-infusion pump pressure all make this a serious machine for getting consistent espresso shots. Best bang for the buck dual boiler on the market. Easy descaling in the Version 3 software, auto-on timer is a bonus feature that makes for a happy morning espresso routine. There are many other programable features as well what I have mentioned. It may not be an Italian quality built La Marazzoco but I am convinced it produces an espresso shot equally as good with more features than some of the big names in espresso machines.I have been using a local Vancouver, Canada coffee roaster called Moja Coffee – the 920XL needs fresh coffee to really shine.I did find it for less money at idrinkcoffee.com with the same free next day delivery, but decided to go with Amazon – crazy me. So the message is do shop around Amazon may not be the best price.

By: Mike Castruita

Mike Castruita — Sat, 25 Jan 2025 04:06:40 +0000

Excelente calidad

By: Susan B

Susan B — Sat, 25 Jan 2025 04:06:40 +0000

This machine will not disappoint. It has a lot of features we don’t use but what we do like is that it has an automatic start in the morning so we don’t have to wait before being able to brew espresso or steam milk. If we did want to brew something without the machine being on, it only takes about 5-7 minutes to warm up. Being able to steam milk and dispense espresso at the same time is great. We’ve had this product for seven months, it’s used every day and so far, it’s great.

By: Michael Haas

Michael Haas — Sat, 25 Jan 2025 04:06:40 +0000

I really wanted this machine to work. The machine itself is really beautiful, the steam wand is gorgeous and overall the machine seems so well thought out … at least thats what I saw when I looked online at reviews.My own experience with the machine was a nightmare. I unboxed it and initially started flushing the machine with water when I noticed a pool of water forming under the machine. It was leaking from the back panel of the unit! This unit also took forever to heat (like 1 hour.)Needless to say I asked for a replacement thinking I had gotten a rare defect. The replacement was delayed and after a week I received it. Started setting it up and it heated up correctly. Finally had it set up and was brewing an espresso when I noticed another pool of water! There was no espresso pressure whatsoever because all the water that should have been going into the espresso was leaking out the back of the machine.Returned everything. So disappointed…I wish they had built these machines out of more robust materials – I’d be willing to pay for it. Also if it wasn’t made in China that might contribute to the product quality. Can’t fault Amazon on this one though because their customer service was great and really understanding.

By: Robert Hicks

Robert Hicks — Sat, 25 Jan 2025 04:06:40 +0000

Great value for a quality dual boiler stainless steel expresso machine. This machine has two stainless steel boilers and functions just like professional units costing more than twice the price. It also has many Pro features like: Electronic PID Temperature Control, Regulated Extraction Pressure, Low Pressure Pre-infusion, Dual pumps, Programmable Shot Temperature and Shot Clock to name a few. All of this to help you make the perfect shot. Quality stainless steel construction throughout. I like the 58mm (standard size) portafilter and the heated group head. The removable water tank holds 3 litres of water and can be filled without removing it by adding water through an access port at the top front of the unit. The drip tray holds up to 1 litre of overflow before it require emptying.I highly recommend this unit if you enjoy expresso the way it should be made. It comes with one Charcoal water filter and and a couple of Expresso Cleaning Tablets Charcoal filter should be replaced every two months or less depending on your water quality.

By: Patrick Zelenka

Patrick Zelenka — Sat, 25 Jan 2025 04:06:39 +0000

Wonderful espresso machine upgrade
The BES920XL replaced an ~8yr+ old BES830XL, which was our introductory espresso machine at home. The 830 served us well with one repair issue, a fractured valve, over the 8 years.Our espresso making routine changed drastically when we put the 920 on the counter and fired it up. The machine itself has a larger footprint, but nothing that created an issue. The center wheel feature is very handy. This makes moving the machine a breeze during those rare times that it needs to be relocated or moved for cleaning or maintenance.The setup is simple enough with the instructions provided in the documentation provided. Technical manuals/consumer device documentation is often a pet peeve of mine. Over the years in my profession as well as at home, I have noted that the composing and editing for such documentation is usually the poorest element of any product. The documentation provided with this machine was the best combination of clarity and completeness that I have experienced for home devices or appliances.The most drastic change in the making of an espresso can be attributed to the design of the machine including a double boiler. The water is heated quickly. The user is able to trigger the espresso process and engage the steam wand for the heating of the milk/cream. We have had the machine going on 2 months and use it multiple times a day yet, I continue to be marveled at how quickly and effortlessly the latte/breve can be made ready for sipping.One detail that I love is the design of the plug on the power cord. It is the same as is on our old 830. There is a ring shaped feature on the plug which is used to easily pull the plug when needed. This is a little thing, but to me it indicates the thoughtfulness of the designer and the management who signs off on the designs.The control panel has a timer feature, which we presently use, that can schedule the startup of the machine. This will have the water heated and the machine ready for the first shot of the day. Set it for the usual time and if there is a delay getting to it, or you choose not to sip some brew, the machine will go to sleep in ~60 minutes, if my memory hasn’t failed me.One item I following up on is the filter that is in the water tank. The shape of the filter that came with the 920 is different than what is listed as replacement on the Breville site and on Amazon. I have some time to get this straightened out.I would purchase this again and recommend this to other households that enjoy coffee on a regular basis. This appliance is often the second reason i get out of bed in the morning.

By: Kim

Kim — Sat, 25 Jan 2025 04:06:39 +0000

Breville Customer Service is the biggest issue with this product.
This is our second machine and they seem to break down every five years, so plan for that. This is a fabulous product, however, this time we opted to see if we could get it repaired as our previous machine stopped working during lockdown. This would be month 2 of waiting in Breville to call back about shipping the unut to them. Online chat is never on and the call in center… well it is a customer support call in. Other than that, this machine is fabulous if you love espresso and like adjusting your pressures manually. No plastic parts to crack and leak.