Levels of Coffee Enthusiast! Reviews Breville BES900XL Dual Boiler Semi Automatic Espresso Machine

This Breville BES900XL Dual Boiler is exactly the type of machine I've been waiting for. Before purchasing I did my homework like everyone else writing reviews for this product and it was a dream come true.

Previous machine used was a Gaggia Classic, it produced good espresso but it lacked steam power to texture milk precisely. After a couple of years of frustration I decided it's time for a serious upgrade and was willing to pay the price.

The Breville BES900XL Dual Boiler is a great machine for many reasons: on demand steam, temperature stability, customizable pre-infusion, shot clock, programmable power on time, volumetric dosing, among many other great features. Remember, a great espresso starts with the grinder - don't bother spending good money on a machine unless you also budget for a good grinder.

• Dual stainless steel boilers and dual Italian pumps for simultaneous espresso extraction and steaming
• Over-Pressure Valve (OPV) limits extraction pressure
• Electronic PID temperature control for precise water temperature, plus actively heated group head and heat exchanger (HX) to maintain thermal stability
• Backlit LCD displays brew temperature, shot clock or time. Assists with programming shot temperature and volume, pre-infusion duration and power, and auto-start time
• Drop-down swivel foot lowers a wheel that lifts the machine upwards for convenient access to the water tank (both rear and top-fill)

When looking to upgrade, I knew that I wanted a double boiler and something with PID control to vary shot temps. After doing exhaustive research, and looking at Italian E-61 lever type machines at over twice the cost of this one, I kept coming back to the Breville. The list of features compared to the price (I got mine on a crazy good sale around Thanksgiving), I was sold and decided to take the plunge.

I must mention that unless you have a good grinder, you will not fully experience what this machine has to offer. By good, I mean Breville Smart Grinder on the low end and going up to a Mazzer Mini or Macap M4 level grinder. I currently use a Baratza Vario, and have had great success with it and do not see a need to upgrade. Spending this amount of money on an espresso machine is pointless unless you have a good grinder.

If you're reading the reviews on this machine, then you know that the real test is whether the quality holds up over time, as there are brands with a much longer track record of success and from my understanding breville only recently stepped up the quality of their machines with the dual boiler. If it holds up and performs like this over time, this will be an undeniable best-value on the market.

Bottom line - believe the hype surrounding this Breville BES900XL Dual Boiler Semi Automatic Espresso Machine, it really is that good! Whether you want to upgrade or start out with a great machine, this is a fantastic option, especially for the price, and even more so if you can get it on sale!