Breville BES920XL Dual Boiler Espresso Machine

This is my third espresso machine. The last one was Italian, and after 4 years I was tired of trying to fault diagnose and repair it. And Italian parts can be difficult to obtain. The only repair facility was 2,000 miles away, and shipping a 50 pound machine would have been prohibitive. Hence this Breville. This machine is truly amazing ... light years ahead of my old Gaggia and for considerably less cost. The dual boiler is the best for simultaneously pulling a shot and steaming milk. The steam is very consistent and not too forceful, allowing one to steam milk to the perfect consistency. The rotating lever provides for adjusting the steam force and the wand rotates to the perfect position. The Breville has flexibility in programming your shot. The temperature and the duration of how long it takes to pull the shot allows you to steam the milk while the shot is being pulled. Push the button and go for it! You can fill the reservoir from either the back or the top of the machine, and the illuminated fill viewing port is a nice touch. I can't say enough about the tamper ... integrated into the machine (attached by a magnet) and with a line to note when you have the proper amount of coffee in the porta filter. The drip tray is easy to pull, empty and clean. And the hidden compartment for a few tools is a nice touch. This machine is a little lighter than some, I think tipping the scales at around 30 pounds, instead of 50 of my old one. What this means is that you need to put some light pressure to hold the machine while turning the porta filter. But that's a minor concern. And if you do need to scoot this machine across the counter, it has an ingenious method for having wheels pop out and you can easily push the Breville wherever you wish. There is nothing I don't like about the Breville. For the cost and functionality, this is the best. My wife says my cappuccinos are as good as any we have had in Italy! Now that's a compliment and a testament to this machine! UPDATE 9-25-18 - I have now been using this machine for 1 1/2 years, twice a day. I love it as much as the day I purchased it; I have had not a single issue, the cappuccinos continue to be first rate, and every single thing on it works like the day I came out of the box. I would highly recommend it.

Make no mistake, the machine is a 5 star model, but when you pay a lot of money, everything should be 100% at the moment of receipt. The machine is beyond 5 star, but the warranty registration needs serious work. PROS: --A very solid machine with very few plastic parts --Double boilers mean you can froth and brew --Great design. There are locking wheels for ease of movement, the water tank locks into place, tools have an out-of-the-way hidden tray under the drip tray, lots of little extras like a metal tamper that has its own storage space to the left of the dispenser and a steaming wand with a good range of movement, not just side-to-side After owning several automatic espresso makers (and spending a LOT of money for them), I got tired of having to buy a new one every few years when the parts would inevitably fail...not to mention the miserable customer service I received from a large, dual named company in the US who failed to honor the guarantee. I wanted something that was simple, but well-made and would last for more than 2-3 years. With this dual boiler and more basic, but better made, design, I think I`ve got a winner here, but... CONS: --Registering the warranty. It`s not as easy as it should be. They wanted the serial number (of course), the order number...uh, what? I ordered it through Amazon, and the number didn`t work. I finally just used Amazon`s number and erased digits until I came up with the magical 15 required. --Emails. You can`t just send in an e-mail to the company which would be a turnoff to me if I had some questions as a potential customer. When I submitted a query, it wanted my batch number...what? See above regarding Amazon. This time, I typed in a group of zeroes until it was accepted. You should be able to contact a company without jumping through hoops, whether or not you`re a current customer. I honestly felt like Breville was doing everything they could to prevent me from registering the product and/or sending an e-mail. When a client begins cursing at the computer when simply typing an e-mail, much less the registration, then something is grossly wrong. --No instructions with the machine. Yes, I found them online, but why? After spending so much money on the machine, do you really think I would have quibbled if the price had been a dollar or so higher to pay for the company to recoup the price spent on what should have been INCLUDED in the box? --Missing piece. My packet did not include the water hardness test strip. OK, this is something I can easily go out and buy, but why should I? Where`s the quality control? It might seem that I`m nitpicking, but, again, a lot of money was spent and small items add up fast. ------------- LATER EDIT: While I still stand by my "nitpicking" in regards to registering the warranty, e-mail, no instructions, and missing test strip, I will give Breville a big 5 stars for swiftly addressing my concerns. They know they have an issue with warranty registration, so it will be interesting to see if and how it`s addressed. I respect any company that stands behind its product and Breville definitely did that. Meanwhile... this is an awesome machine!

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.

I purchased the dual boiler back in 2015, and since then this machine has been making 1-2 double shots almost daily. I get great crema and consistent shots from it and it's super easy to clean. But it doesn't clean itself, so be prepared to buy water filters (BWF100) and cleaning tablets (e.g. Urnex Cafiza) to keep your machine running. Clean this machine regularly and measure your grounds, either using the included tool or by using a grinder with finely-tunable output settings. Doing so will help the machine last a lot longer. No problems in 4 years, up until now. And great support: Just recently, the quality of shots really went to crap, and it turned out I had a cracked Inner Shower Screen. This is a rigid, black plastic screen that fits above where the portafilter locks into place. From bottom to top, it goes portafilter - teflon washer - inner shower screen. I don't typically measure my grounds and this might've been the cause. The replacement screen was unavailable direct from Breville.com. I found a replacement screen on Amazon for $30, obviously someone trying to make an easy profit. I made a phone call to Breville, and spoke with a knowledgable and friendly product support specialist who right away processed an order for a replacement Inner Shower Screen. It arrived a few days later at a total cost of $0.00. I installed it and was once again making great espresso. Fast forward a week or two, the bolt that connected the teflon washer to the inner shower screen sheared off completely (photo). From my understanding this likely happened because I'd over-tightened the bolt (something the first representative had even warned me about!). This was really disappointing because I was pretty sure it would require disassembly. The next weekend I took the unit apart, following instructions from a YouTube video and taking photos as I proceeded. I'm a DIY guy but even I had a hard time exposing the group head assembly, drilling a small hole in the sheared bolt, and using an extractor bit to remove it. But it worked, and I was able to reassemble the unit without any major problems (I did drop and lose a screw, but fortunately only had to turn it over and shake *once*). I called Breville today to inquire about getting a replacement bolt, and figured I'd get another to be safe, and an extra shower screen just to be safer. Victor, the gentleman I spoke with, was just as courteous and knowledgeable as the previous representative with whom I'd interacted. I just received a confirmation e-mail indicating Breville is sending two new shower screens and two new bolts, at no cost to me. I'm going to try to get another four years from this machine. But if I can't, my next espresso machine will also be a Breville!

While the Dual Boiler BES920XL worked it was an awesome upgrade from the Breville die cast espresso machine (800ESXL) that had lasted us 12 years. Steaming and pulling a shot simultaneously was a dream over the prior machine in speedier (and better foamed) lattes when company was over. PID temperature control helped dial in the shots closer to perfection— though for black espressos the machine still underperformed better (and more expensive) brands— a good standalone grinder helped us enjoy excellent (and far better than Starbucks) milk drinks. Unpressurized baskets meant better pulls and far less wet pucks than before. Built-in cleaning reminders, backflushable, and basic on/off program also nice. Only a couple complaints: the metal cladding over plastic construction is a little thin so it developed a couple minor dents from the portafilter not staying locked in if you don't crank it in well. (More prone to tightness or coming out mid-pull than our prev Breville— so we just developed the habit to crank it in more firmly, or my wife would keep a hand on the handle during extraction.) The reservoir water filters are also more expensive than some espresso machine options, but they weren't a deal-killer. Since it was always filled with filtered water from our fridge, and most days it only made one or two pulls, it was light duty usage machine, we could get between 4-5 months out of the $30 water filters. Yet at almost 18 months of age the steam boiler started leaking—a small hiss we could hear inside. Breville warranty (not fast but but not horrible) did reliably repair it however. Yet at first full boiler descale (21 months) the steam boiler stopped filling— that took another service call. This problem repeated itself a year later when the steam had grown weaker. While at this point it was under SquareTrade warranty I was able to find instructions online for tricking the sensor to refill after a descale by detaching and reattaching a wire inside. All was fine again until almost 4 years old and the steam boiler completely stopped working. Descale procedures failed to help as did the wiring trick. This meant sending it in under Allstate (who purchased SquareTrade) warranty. Also somewhat slow, they decided it is unrepairable (maybe more costly to repair than they think it’s worth) so are refunding the full purchase amount. Glad we bought the extended warranty! Yet given this service/mechanical-reliability track record, and that the 920s now cost $600 more than the sale price we got 4 years ago, I will not choose Breville as a brand for our next machine.

The double boiler (920XL) works well for espresso, steamed milk, & tea. It is convenient to have water at the correct temperature for espresso and simultaneously have steam on tap for making, cappuccinos, lattes, etc. Water temperature can be controlled, though tolerance may be about 2 degrees Fahrenheit +/-. Cleaning, filter replacement, de-scaling are not too complicated. Be aware that it is made with some plastic parts that are expected to break. The diffuser above the shower screen is plastic. Other users report that in conversations with Breville support these are expected to last about two years. Mine cracked after two years of use, so I there is another data point suggesting replacement parts may be needed at the two-year mark. It is not technically challenging to replace, but using parts that are expected to break in two years on an expensive appliance warrants one star removed. Also at the two-year mark the steam wand has developed a slow drip leak on my machine. This only when the machine is on, and if the steam wand is over the drip tray it is not enough water to overflow the drip tray, yet. The machine has a pressure relief valve to prevent “high” extraction pressures. The machine I have has not generated pressures greater than 9 bars. The pressure gauge dial going to 13 is a bit like the economy car that has a speedometer that goes to 120 mph. So if you want super-fine espresso grinds extracted at pressures above 9 bars this machine may not suit you.

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.

Coffee has been a hobby for 20+ years now. It became relatively serious once I started roasting in 2009. Back then there just weren't many options for coffee roasting machines. Now of course, there are a ton from which to choose. Over the years, we've been through a lot of brewing methods: percolators, drip machines, Melita, French Press, and so on. Each with it's own characteristics. Coffee is fun for me. In 2024 I couldn't put it off any longer, it was time for me to find an espresso machine. I chose this Breville Dual Boiler. BTW, if you're thinking about an espresso machine, i.e., one that requires, grinding, learning about coffee ratios, weighing dose and yield, temps, steaming dairy, and so on, a dual boiler is a minimum. The single heat exchanger models will work, but a real dual boiler is the way to go. The Breville Dual Boiler was my choice. It's a very popular machine, and the support for repairs and parts is very accessible. It probably took me 6 months to learn all the little things needed to be consistent with my shots. There's a lot to it, at least there was for me. But with coffee being a hobby, it was frustrating and fun at the same time. The Breville Dual Boiler has a ton of settings that can be changed, and there is more than one way to use it to pull shots. It has a manual method in addition to an auto mode. The temps and timing for pre-infusion can be set internally, of the pre-infusion stage can be done manually (which is my preferred method). The 'Dual' boiler aspect is also very nice. It allows me to go directly from pulling the shot to using the steam wand or adding water to the shot to make an Americana. Since buying this BDB there are a number of other new machines that have gotten my attention. The BDB's price point is in a good spot given it's dual boiler feature, which is well worth it. And it's serviceability is much more attractive to me than trying to track down parts or service for some of the other more exotic machines. No regrets.

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.

New 2019 to my post: the man nine has been purring like a kitten since my unfortunate episode. After more than a year, I finally reached a good balance between ground size, trampings and water temp... it does perform as best as it can and I have full satisfaction with it... New update to my post: the coffee maker resumed normal operation without repair... nope, the grind was not at fault, I just got no good explanation for what happened... at least, I have good coffee again. I hope I won’t have more issues Update to my post... it almost a year that I got this expensive machine... it was great until this morning.... it just died on me... it makes all the usual noise, but it no longer pump water... the pressure gage climb to maximum pressure but I barely got a trickle and even if I insist, I can’t even get a 1/4 Expresso cup after more than 2 minute of pumping... I tired the trouble shooting, did a cleaning cycle, but nothing work... and now I will have to go through the pain of getting briville waranty... and the pain of sending them the manchine This is my week end morning treat, but beware, it is hand’s on! If you like your cappuccino like at a real Italian shop, and if you are patient to learn how to use it, and if you clean it each and every time you use it, you’ll love it like I do. Sure it is not a real Italian made machine, but it does a real nice job. Make sure to use real arabica coffee FRESH beans and a real high end grinder if you want a delicious crema... otherwise, you’ll only get an unglued bitter juice. It took me two week to find the right grinder setting and to learn how to brew it right... this machine does it the right way = the hard way (better than so called super automatic

When this machine works, it produces a good cup of coffee. However, while it was under warranty, we were sending it back every six months. Eventually, we were sent a replacement machine, and guess what – five months later we sent it back. They sent us a third machine, because they said the second was obviously “a lemon”. Now, after six months with the THIRD machine, it is broken again, but now it is out of warranty. Our options now, pay for shipping, pay for the repair, or….. buy another at 30% off. Really??!! I would highly, highly recommend avoiding this machine.

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.

TL;DR: I should have bought something that was more robust and properly repairable. Would have been cheaper . These machines are designed for a short life... I actually own 2 of these. I bought the 2nd one while the first was out for repair and didn't want to be without it for Christmas... SO I have lots of experience with these machines! 4 years, 4 repairs (3 under warrantee). The last repair on the oldest machine lasted exactly 9 months and cost $350. I have had issues with 2 brand new machines out of the box that had to be replaced. This is the dreaded 3 beeps steam boiler fails to fill. This is similar but not exactly the problem that occurs EVERY time you descale the machine. One of these was my 2nd purchase in 2018 and one was the brand new one they sent me for the first warrantee repair. I opened up my recently deceased machine and it is clear why these machines are so fragile. The plumbing is plastic tubes and many plastic fittings. There are 2 Tee fittings that are made of of plastic. The plastic ages quickly because of the heat and just fails. Would be easy to repair but you cannot get parts. Breville will no longer allow 3rd parties to repair these machines (which would be cheaper) they insist on a flat rate $350 charge no matter what is wrong. This is a lottery. Some times you get your machine back some times you get a brand new one. If you don't expect stuff to last longer than the warrantee then by all means by this machine. It makes great expresso and the dual boiler is great to have. But if after the warranty runs out you will be paying Breville $350 every 9-12 months.