Bottom line: I was expecting the Double Boiler to blow the BES840XL out of the water when it came to shot quality. That was not the case at all. While the milk texturing capability of the 840 is a pale shadow of the DB, and it lacks the multitude of convenience features of the DB, the 840 absolutely holds its own with regards to shot quality.Full review:
I've been using the Breville Double Boiler espresso machine for nearly a year and have been very pleased with it. I was hesitant at first, but great shots and the many, many convenience features won me over. So, when the opportunity came up to compare their top of the line Double Boiler (DB) with their new machine (I'll call it the 840) I thought it wouldn't be a fair fight. Well, I was wrong.
I've never been a fan of thermoblock machines since the temperature stability is just not there. Breville seems to have solved that using two methods. First, the thermoblock is really a thermocoil -it's a solid block of metal that has two channels machined through it: one for water, the other for the heating element. Cold water enters at one end and emerges heated at the other. They also added a PID for temperature control. Collectively, these techniques produce excellent temperature stability for shots, and very fast recovery time.
The machine itself is classic Breville design -lots of stainless and high quality plastic. It has a small footprint, and looks much like the baby brother of the DB.
But it's the shots that count. I started with an easy test: Lavazza Super Crema. It's not a high-end bean, but tasty, and one that I've found is very forgiving of less than perfect prep. After a few test shots to get the new machine dialed in, I pulled a double shot from both machines. I could not taste the difference. Did it again and had others taste it, and they agreed with me -no appreciable difference in taste, mouth feel, crema, you name it.
The next test was a little more challenging -Lavazza Dek decaf. Decafs in general are (to my palette) more sensitive to temperature variations, and the Dek is especially sensitive. Again, both machines produced the same quality shot. The 840 seemed a just a bit less consistent when I did back-to-back shots quickly, but the difference was very minimal.
My final test was with one of my favorite beans Red Bird. This is where I did taste a difference between the 840 and the DB, but it was subtle. The shot from the DB was more creamy and full-bodied. But the 840 shot was quite good as well. The small differences became almost nil when I made Americanos from Red Bird.
For my tests I used my Baratza Vario grinder for both machines. While I have a Breville Smart Grinder it does not pair well with the DB (although it is excellent for any non-espresso use). I tried it with the 840 and got better results, but still much prefer the Vario to the Smart Grinder for espresso. Still, the 840 appears more tolerant of lower-level grinders. I also found I needed to go slighly coarser with the grind for the 840 than the DB.
The DB does pull ahead strongly in two areas -milk foaming and convenience. The thermocoil just can't match the steam production of a dedicated boiler. It did a decent job with milk (albeit with the annoying thump-thump-thump sound that every thermoblock design makes), but it was much slower than the DB and the steam was a lot wetter. Functional, but not at all impressive.
As expected given the price, many of the DB's convenience features are not found on the 840. However, the 840 does have a few of the DB features such as a dedicated hot water dispenser. This is operated with a knob (turn one way for steam, the other for hot water). It splatters more than the DB when dispensing, but the temperature is spot on: I got 197 with the 840 and 197.5 with the DB (same thermometer held in the water stream for 10 seconds).
The 840 also appears to have the same excellent quality head gasket as the DB. The portafilter is well made, although I was really disappointed to see that it was 54mm, which means I can't use my 58mm VST baskets, tamper or the bottomless portafilter I have for the DB. The included tamper is decent quality, and stores easily in the machine. The shot volume is programmable and can be overridden in manual mode. It has a three-way valve so you can backflush (plus it keeps the puck dry). It has an automated cleaning cycle and a "clean me" light, which is handy.
Misses are often related to convenience issues. I wish it was a bit heavier or had better gripping feet, since it's relatively easy to jar when you're putting on the portafilter. A bigger water tank would also be nice. The thing I missed the most was a water level indicator. I didn't expect it to have all the bells and whistles of the DB, but no water level indicator? That seems to be a basic feature that should have been included.
My concerns are two-fold. Breville does not seem to have mastered the reliability issue with their espresso machines. I'm on my second DB, and it is again starting to act up. The Breville customer service has been great in replacing machines, but I'd rather not have to deal with that at all. Plus, with only a one year warranty and no local service centers, I don't have the warm fuzzies about getting years of service out of either of these machines.
My second concern is about scale build-up. It's harmful in any machine, but truly deadly in a thermoblock/coil design. Breville includes their water filters (the same as with the DB) and recommends a descaling every month and a filter change every 2 months. The fact that they are taking such precautions tells me that they are concerned as well. If you get this, don't skimp on descaling!
But those concerns aside, I'm really impressed with the performance of this machine given the price. While it is not perfect, it holds its own where it counts: what's in the cup. This is definitely a machine that should be on your short list in the under $600 category don't let the thermocoil design scare you off in favor of a SBDU design. At this price point it's a 5-star machine. I'll update this should reliability issues warrant a revision in the score.
Sorry for such a long review, but feel free to post a question if there's something I didn't cover.
This new Infuser has a one-piece ThermoCOIL heater. Will this one last longer? Only time will tell and I will update this review if I have a leak with this model.
Where the new Infuser excels:
-Smaller footprint, the Infuser measures slightly over 10" wide
-Hotter espresso, 5 degrees hotter according to my thermometer
-Quieter pump
-Drip tray is easier to clean
-Instant hot water feature (The Barista Express has only a steam wand)
-Around $100 less expensive than the Express, but you are lacking a grinder
Of course, the new Infuser also has its shortcomings:
-No grinder either buy a separate grinder or use ground beans
-Smaller water tank (61 oz. vs. 67 oz)
-Not as "beefy" as the Barista Express, so you need to hold it stationary when inserting/removing the Portafilter or it slides across the counter
So which model has the better tasting coffee? I can't tell any difference both are/were just as good as what I used to pay for at the coffee shop.
My only complaint is for what these machines cost, a one-year warranty is almost a joke.
Added on 1/4/2013: This ground espresso is VERY good: Lavazza Crema e Gusto Ground Coffee, Italian Espresso, 8.8-Ounce Brick
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Got this machine from Amazon about two weeks ago now. Setup was a breeze and the machine works very well. Overall very satisfied.Pros:
-Looks great
-Pressure gauge is very helpful though good shots are usually pulled on the high end of the pressure range
-Pre-infusion has generated good results
-Pre-programmed shot amounts are really helpful
-Machine prepares quickly
-Quiet operation
-Steam arm is long and on a great ball joint
-hot water dispenser is nice
-Great tamper holder built into machine
-large water tank
-Includes both pressurized and non-pressurized baskets
-Uses a thermocoil instead of a thermoblock
-Easy cleaning cycle
Cons:
-Shots pull fine, but come out not as hot as expected (when pulled stand alone). I haven't measured temp on them but if cups and porta-filter are warmed as suggested in instructions i'm sure I would have better results.
-In-spite of built in feature to cool water down to make a shot after steaming, the water stays too hot for a good shot. You have to wait a min or run a bit of water through it first to get the right temperature for the shot. This makes it difficult for latte art purposes because you can't swirl your milk forever. I usually just pull my shots first and then steam last. Shot looses a little but when drinking the latte you couldn't tell the difference if you tried. This problem is not as much of a problem as it is just the limitation of single boiler machine. I just didn't like how it was advertised as being able to pull a shot very quickly after steaming. I mean...you can pull one....just not a good one.
Overall very good machine and I'm very happy with it. I would recommend it. I use it in conjunction with the Breville Smart Grinder which has also been a great product. 1 year warranty on all Breville products
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TL/DR;I snagged this guy for $334 and I gotta tell you it's really good, especially for that price. The coffee is noticeably better than that from a Krups Espresseria we have at work (and even that machine makes great coffee) and at least as enjoyable as anything I used to buy at local coffee shops. The machine itself has great ergonomics and is attractive to boot.
Plenty of other reviewers have covered the basics, I'm going to add my view of choosing this as an espresso noobie.
I had a long conversation over at coffee geek forums before finally decided to purchase this machine. The advice basically boiled down to "Breville sucks except for the Breville Double Boiler machine, thermoblocks/thermocoils suck, and it's not comparable to serious espresso machines" with the alternative view being "I have the Breville Double Boiler and the 840XL makes comparable espresso -I couldn't tell the difference, I was shocked." The other piece of advice I got that was really helpful is to go for the 840XL over the 860XL (which has the built-in grinder). I was convinced that having a separate grinder would result in a better grinder and less likelihood of the machine failing.
I decided I was fine with a Thermocoil over a brass boiler because the 840XL has a pretty high-wattage one. From what I read, the boilers with PID's can produce more consistent results, but at the same time they're finicky because things depend one where you are in the broiler's cycle and also take a long time to heat up.
I was getting really sour shots at first; I can't say whether that was me or the machine. I literally pulled my first shot of espresso ever on this machine. I tried using a thermometer to measure the water temp and it can be a bit lower than ideal brewing temp when you first use it, so I usually run the steamer for 10s or so before brewing. Also I learned a great trick/cheat for dealing with this -just let the first 2 seconds of the shot dump out and then put your cup under. Once I did this I've had nothing but excellent coffee from the machine. Once my technique improves I'll try a full shot again and mess with tracking temperature.
The machine itself has really good ergonomics -it switches easily / quickly between brewing, steaming, and hot water. The pressure gauge is nice; it's really helped me as an espresso noobie figure out my grind, dose & tamp. The steam wand is very easy to manipulate and there's plenty of room on the platform for steaming and using even some of our larger mugs to pull shots. I really appreciate the magnetic tamp holder, it's a great idea. It's also very easy to clean and attractive. The only ergonomic issue is that you can't see the water tank from the front and it's easy to forget to make sure there's enough water, but you learn quickly to just check before brewing so I don't count this as a major negative.
Overall I *love* the coffee and the machine and we no longer make routine (and expensive) trips to coffee shops.
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The Breville BES840XL has one major improvement over the older Breville espresso machines: it uses a thermocoil as opposed to a thermoblock. Breville's machines that use the thermoblock design are notoriously prone to a leakage problem a problem I was to learn about firsthand on my old BES860XL (another reviewer here had the same problem).My 2-year old BES860XL began leaking water after only 4 months of moderate use (1-2 cups of espresso daily). Fortunately, the leakage occurred during the warranty period, and Breville promptly replaced the unit after I contacted them.
The trouble with the thermoblock on my old BES860XL (and Breville's older machines) is that it's composed of 2 halves that are joined together and sealed with a gasket. Over time, the gasket breaks down, which inevitably leads to water leaking through it. The new thermocoil, on the other hand, is a one-piece construction that solves the problem of potential leakage inherent in the old design.
The Breville BES840XL produces great-tasting espresso -ONLY if you use FRESHLY ground high quality coffee such as Peets, Starbucks, or Illy. The unit does not have an integrated burr grinder like the BES860XL, so you will need to purchase one separately if you don't already have one. You might consider getting the very favorably rated Breville BCG800XL, or the more affordably priced Capresso Infinity. Whatever you decide on, DON'T be tempted to use pre-ground coffee. Pre-ground coffee simply isn't the same.
The steam wand, like the one on my BES860XL, is a little slow, but it produces perfectly textured milk all the same. To turn on the steam wand, you give the knob a quarter turn in the counter-clockwise direction (the same knob also dispenses hot water through the hot water spigot when you give it a quarter turn in the clockwise direction). The knob for the steam wand simply turns the steam on and off; the steam pressure is not variable.
The Breville BES840XL also does not have temperature or bar pressure controls like those on professional machines.
The package comes with the basic accessories to help you get started right away: single wall and double-wall (pressurized) filters (each type comes in 2 sizes: single shot and double shot -for a total of 4 filters), portafilter, frothing pitcher, tamper, and frother attachment.
You may wish to get a thermometer to make sure you don't underor oversteam the milk. Other accessories that aren't supplied that you may want to get are a knock box and some espresso cups.
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Bottom line: Despite the lack of advanced controls, the Breville BES840XL delivers very high quality espresso and textured milk. The quality of espresso is comparable to that from coffeehouses. This unit is definitely worth consideration if you're looking for a quick and easy way to make coffeehouse-quality espresso right in your own home.
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