Breville 800ESXL Espresso Machine
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- Operation: Electric
- Type: Espresso Machine
- Built-in Grinder: Without Built-in Grinder
- Capacity: 11 Cups
- Max. Pump Pressure: 15 Bar
Similar in Espresso Machines & Coffee Makers
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Great looker with some design flaws
Pros
Aesthetically pleasing. Very well built. Excellent tactile feel. Great frothing.
Cons
Espresso is very average. Single hole filter causes clogging and a trip to Starbucks.
Recommended it?
No
The Bottom Line:
I would not recommend it.
After serving me for more than 11 years, my trusty and excellent ESTRO Profi machine that I bought in Starbucks requested a retirement. The strange thing is that, given an amazing array of choices offered today by espresso machine vendors, one would think that it would be easy to replace an 11 year old machine. Not so fast. The great attraction of my old machine was that it had a built in burr grinder with a doser feature(i.e. it would release ground espresso into the espresso holder in exact doses, I think around 7 grams, to get a consistent shot)
Still, for a new machine, I decided to go with Breville due to its appearance and after reading positive reviews. The machine tactile feel is excellent, it is very well packaged, user manual is thorough, well written, much better than the La Pavoni Napolitano (read my other review) that I also bought prior. After being impressed by the care and design thought that went into machine I was looking forward to my first cup of coffee.
The Machine
Aesthetically pleasing. Very well built. Small size and it takes a small footprint on the counter. However, if you want to use burr grinder, you need to count it additional space that grinder would occupy. Excellent tactile feel, everything speaks of quality. Well thought through - the extra storage compartment is well positioned, the access to water basket is easy, water basket also comes out so that you can always empty it. The machine is very easy to clean. Notwithstanding first couple seconds of startup, this machine is extremely quiet - really nice in the early morning.
The Coffee
The crux of any espresso machine is crema. Breville produces espresso crema that is average, at best. Nothing to write home about. The frothing is excellent - it creates heavenly, thick foam. So, cappuccinos and lattes come out pretty good. I did not really like pure espresso drinks as shots were on a weaker side.
The Shortcomings
Breville claims a 15 bar pump. May be so, but the espresso it produced was inferior to my old espresso machine.
Lack of a built-in burr grinder means mess. I had to clean up ground coffee from the counter top after transferring it from separate burr grinder to the filter holder.
And lastly, the reason why I returned this machine is a poor design of filter basket. With just one hole on bottom tray, it clogged up on a send day and I spent an hour trying to clean it up and get a shot using a prying tool that comes with the machine. Unfortunately the pump seemed to be too weak to push water through the filter so I ended up packing the machine and heading to the local Starbucks.
Still, for a new machine, I decided to go with Breville due to its appearance and after reading positive reviews. The machine tactile feel is excellent, it is very well packaged, user manual is thorough, well written, much better than the La Pavoni Napolitano (read my other review) that I also bought prior. After being impressed by the care and design thought that went into machine I was looking forward to my first cup of coffee.
The Machine
Aesthetically pleasing. Very well built. Small size and it takes a small footprint on the counter. However, if you want to use burr grinder, you need to count it additional space that grinder would occupy. Excellent tactile feel, everything speaks of quality. Well thought through - the extra storage compartment is well positioned, the access to water basket is easy, water basket also comes out so that you can always empty it. The machine is very easy to clean. Notwithstanding first couple seconds of startup, this machine is extremely quiet - really nice in the early morning.
The Coffee
The crux of any espresso machine is crema. Breville produces espresso crema that is average, at best. Nothing to write home about. The frothing is excellent - it creates heavenly, thick foam. So, cappuccinos and lattes come out pretty good. I did not really like pure espresso drinks as shots were on a weaker side.
The Shortcomings
Breville claims a 15 bar pump. May be so, but the espresso it produced was inferior to my old espresso machine.
Lack of a built-in burr grinder means mess. I had to clean up ground coffee from the counter top after transferring it from separate burr grinder to the filter holder.
And lastly, the reason why I returned this machine is a poor design of filter basket. With just one hole on bottom tray, it clogged up on a send day and I spent an hour trying to clean it up and get a shot using a prying tool that comes with the machine. Unfortunately the pump seemed to be too weak to push water through the filter so I ended up packing the machine and heading to the local Starbucks.
