When you are seeking a feature-rich pure espresso machine giving you the feeling of a real barista experience, Breville steps up every time. A few of the Breville machines that have gained enormous popularity are BES870XL, BES900XL, and BES920XL among which the latter 900 series is also referred to as Breville Dual Boiler (BDB) machines.
Here we are going to get closer to the latest Breville 920XL which is also known as among one of the best espresso machines by many coffeeholic’s.
Breville Dual Boiler Review
We’ll start by saying that the Breville BES920XL is a truly feature-packed espresso machine that produces amazing results. It’s not truly an automatic espresso or coffee machine however, the BES920XL is a semi-automatic machine that is feature-rich. But if we are being honest, we feel that may technically be priced just slightly above in the segment in comparison. Yet, for those seeking a quality machine that can deliver consistent results time and time again, this BDB might just be a perfect option to consider.
The reason behind the consistent results is its amazing boiler system. This machine is often compared with Saeco and Gaggia because of its shoulder to shoulder price points and exceptionally consistent quality of design and craftsmanship.
Anyways, enough of the small-talk… let’s go into depth with some specs of Breville’s BES920XL starting with it’s features.
Features and Specifications
- Dimensions: 2 x 15 x 15 inches
- Weight: 30 pounds
- Total power consumption: 1700w
- Stainless steel construction
- Retractable wheels for easy movement
- Dual Boilers
- Additional temperature controller over group head for precision
- Easily drainable boilers
- Empty drip tray pop up
- Small storage area under the drip tray
- 5 L water tank
- Water tank can be filled either from the front as well as from the back
- 15 minutes startup time from a cold start
- All the startup accessories are provided
- Descale alert
- Programmable brew temperature as well as infusion pressure
- LCD assisted descale process
- Nicely structured menu options
- Water hardness strip included
The Boiler System of BDB
The machine actually has 3 heating systems to give stable temperature– the first one is grouphead heater of 100w, the second one is an espresso boiler of 700w and the last one is a steam boiler of 900w for steam output. As there are separate boilers for steam and espresso, the machine can steam and prepare espresso at the same time. There are electronic temperature controllers to give stable temperature throughout the brewing process.
What Comes Packed
This Breville comes packed with almost all the accessories that are required to start with. It has a bottomless as well as a standard portafilter, two pairs of single/double baskets, and a magnetic tamper that rests near to the grouphead. Even a pitcher is included. One doesn’t have to worry about the extra purchases required with this BDB as almost everything comes with it.
The Menu System
Though the LCD system looks small, it includes all the required information for brewing a great cup of coffee. The menu system is well structured for easy understanding and operation. Few of the settings that can be tweaked are brew boiler temperature, steam boiler temperature and preinfusion time.
Setting Up Your Breville BES920XL
The BDB comes packed with utmost care and attention. The Styrofoam packing ensures that the machine arrives at destination without any hiccups. Cheers to the Breville for great packaging. After unpacking, clean and rinse the water tank, portafilter, baskets, pitcher, tamper and steam wand. After that, fill the water tank, turn the machine on and set the water hardness level with the help of provided strip. The machine will take around 10 minutes to come at stable temperatures. Flush a few times through group head, steam wand and the hot water tap. That’s, you are ready to brew a cup now.
Pros
- Dual boiler for simultaneous operations
- Solid construction
- Less startup time of 10 minutes
- Easy to use
- Adjustable pre-infusion time, brew temperature, steam temperature, and shot time.
- Includes basic accessories: portafilter, tamper, baskets, and pitcher
- Easy to fill water reservoir from front or back
- Unscrew to drain boilers
- Drip tray full popup
- Messages for descaling, water tank empty or cleaning
- Inbuilt system for cleaning
- The best latte machine or a cappuccino maker if you are looking to brew precisely in a manual way
- 2 years warranty
Cons
- Weak foaming wand (due to less powerful steam boiler)
- Cleaning the unit is not a breeze. You have to repeat the process few times to clean it properly
- Please refer to user guide or user manual or user guide...
Conclusion
Overall, for this price point of $1300, this machine is outstanding. None of the machines allow adjusting brew and steaming temperature along with the pre-infusion time. The machine requires some understanding and practice, but after gelling up, you are going to love it.
