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Espresso perfection requires precision temperature and pressure control, consistently, every time. Recognizing this need, Breville has designed the BES900XL Dual Boiler espresso machine around the concept of meeting the “Gold Standard” for making great espresso. They define four key elements that dual boilers and state-of-the-art electronic controls should maintain control over:
With one boiler just for espresso and dual electronic PID controls, (proportional–integral–derivative), the BES900XL delivers temperature controlled pre-heated water to the boiler, producing precise water temperature for an ideal extraction every time!
That said, there's still much more to this machine for the coffee geek. Programmable pre-infusion duration and pre-infusion power with manual override; a temperature display in either °F or °C; and preset/manual-override/programmable shot volume. An optional Auto Start setting preheats the machine at a programmed time; a top-fill 84 oz water tank ensures easy access; and the dedicated hot water outlet makes it faster to pre-heat cups or prepare an Americano. There is also a shot clock and pressure gauge to help you improve your barista skills over time. All you'll need are some freshly ground beans and a bit of practice to rival the best café.
The Breville BES900XL Dual Boiler features not one, but two PID controllers. One is working on the brew boiler, and the second one is on the grouphead, not the steam boiler. This temperature control delivers precise water temperature for optimum espresso flavor and is user programmable to achieve optimal espresso flavor. The steam boiler is controlled via a thermister control. This focus on maintaining temperature extends to the commercial grade grouphead which has an embedded element for optimal thermal stability during extraction.
This machine also has two pumps. One is a 15 bar Italian pump with over-pressure valve (OPV) protection and delivers water at the optimum maximum extraction pressure of 9 bars. The other one is a less than 3 bar pump exclusively used to feed the steam boiler. That means no pressure problems at the grouphead should the auto-fill decide to trigger for the heat exchanger boiler while you are pulling a shot.
Finally, a user programmable low pressure pre-infusion feature gradually increases water pressure to gently expand grinds for an even extraction.
The steam wand has full range of motion, left to right, front to back, and even swivels. The movement has enough drag to require a little effort but moves smoothly and provides satisfying feedback for precise positioning. A large soft rubberized grip keeps your hands safe from burning while operating. The bulbous end of the wand features a three-hole tip. Included with the BES900XL is a multi-tool for cleaning the wand or even unscrewing the tip so you can give it a complete cleaning.
Being a dual boiler machine, the BES900XL has on demand steam, and possibly the best steam control system in its class. It even rivals many commercial systems. Steam power is excellent for building perfect micro-foam time after time. A dedicated 32 oz, (950ml) steam boiler, delivers instant and continuous steam.
The Breville Dual Boiler has PID-controlled temperature for both the brewing boiler and the grouphead's active heating system. That means if you want to have 94C temperatures, you get that, or at least very close. More importantly, the temperatures hold very steady once they get to your programmed setting. The settings are in 1C or 2F jumps.
The 84 oz, (2.5L), reservoir can be entirely removed from the back of the machine through a lift and pull out handle system built right into its base. Removing it is simple to allow refilling or replacing the integrated filter.
One would think that removing the reservoir from the back of a heavy machine to refill it on a crowded counter would be very difficult. Breville did not overlook this situation and have designed two ingenious ways to handle refilling.
First, at the top of the machine, in front of the cup tray, there's a soft-touch, damped release lid that once pressed, slowly rises showing a place to pour water into. You can fill the entire reservoir from here. There is an LED lighting diode that enables you to see the water level as you fill through a sighting area under the grouphead. In the event you overfill the reservoir, Breville designed the shape of it in such a way that any overfill automatically gets poured into the machine's drip tray! Very nice!
The second way to fill the water reservoir is to remove the machine's drip tray, where you'll see a big knob underneath it. Turn it from 12 o'clock to 6 o'clock and the front of the machine rises up slightly setting the machine on three rubberized roller wheels. The front wheel (right under that knob you just turned) is on a 360 degree swivel. All of a sudden, you can roll the machine around on your counter, allowing easy access to the sides and back. Brilliant!
By pulling out the drip tray a small accessories storage tray is released revealing space to store spare filters, tools, cleaning tablets, and more.
The hot water knob on the left of the Breville BES900XL Dual Boiler has a micro-switch that communicates with the main CPU about its status. Water comes from the brewing boiler, and because the brew boiler is given 80C water via the steam boiler's heat exchanger, there's little chance of excessive temperature drops even when dispensing 150ml or more of hot water.
A cavity inside the back left of the machine provides space for the flat cord to roll up. Very little effort is required to fit the entire cord inside.
The covered drip tray has a large surface, covering 33cm wide by 12.5cm deep. It is designed with a spill area that helps you pour out the contents; by tipping the tray towards the spill area you can control the out-flow of waste water. Another very nice feature is the clear visual indicator of waste water level - a wide “empty me” sign slowly starts to pop up as the tray fills.
The BES900XL Dual Boiler includes a 58mm steel based tamper that fits into a magnetic storage slot in the grouphead underhang.
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I have always been fascinated by machines and have come to appreciate painstaking workmanship and carefully engineered and tested designs. Finding the very best quality design and craftsmanship at a reasonable cost in an espresso machine can be a daunting task. In some cases the beauty and quality is only skin deep and doesn’t extend beyond the polished metal finish, as the structure and type of components can be affected by the manufacturers desire to be cost competitive.
In a quest to find a really good espresso machine one must first think about what makes a great shot of espresso. Clean water, correctly ground beans, careful preparation of the grounds and very precise control of the brew-water temperature and brewing dwell-time along with plenty of steam for milk drinks. Once you find a machine that will help you meet the criteria for great espresso you are well on the way to being a gratified espresso machine owner. And in the case of the class of machines known as semi-automatic it comes down to filtering the water, and controlling water temperature, pressure, volume, and dwell-time for brewing and making steam for milk additions.
The best of breed for controlling water temperature for both brewing and steaming are machines with dual boilers. One boiler is dedicated to making a large volume of hot water and steam for making americanos and frothing and heating milk for lattes and cappuccinos. The second, and by the nature of its job, smaller boiler is dedicated to producing precisely temperature-controlled water for brewing shots of espresso. With this dual boiler plumbing arrangement many features can be added to keep critical temperature needs monitored and controlled.
Thinking about these facts I admire two machines in this class, the Breville BES900XL Dual Boiler and the LaSpaziale Mini Vivaldi II Espresso machines. Both machines have programmable controls and pay very careful attention to the brew temperature. Breville as a manufacturer has earned consumer respect for producing very high quality appliances for the home, and the Breville espresso machine is a modern sleek looking design with a great deal of carefully engineered features under the skin. LaSpaziale has a respected Italian heritage, commercial quality components, and very good craftsmanship. And by looking at buyer reviews of the LaSpaziale it 
is clear that it has a rock solid reputation for steady performance and a growing fan base.
When you get ready to become an espresso machine owner and avail yourself of great coffee drinks either at home or in the office, it would be worth your effort to take a careful look at both of these machines and to compare them to any others in their class.
| Misc Data | |
| Manufacturer | Breville |
| Model | BES900XL |
| Specifications | |
| Dimension - Width (Inches) | 15 |
| Dimension - Height (Inches) | 15 |
| Dimension - Depth (Inches) | 14.5 |
| Weight (lbs) | 38 |
| Watts | 1700 |
| Volts | 110 |
| Housing | |
| Housing Materials | Aluminum |
| Drip Tray Material | Aluminum |
| Drip Tray Cover Material | Stainless Steel |
| Power Cord Length (Inches) | 42 |
| Cup Height | |
| Adjustable Height | No |
| High (Inches) | 4 |
| One Touch cappuccino | |
| One Touch Cappuccino | No |
| Frothing Wand | |
| Material | Stainless Steel |
| Steam Wand Style | Commercial Style |
| Wand Movement | Articulating |
| Usable Length (Inches) | 3 |
| Height Off Counter (Inches) | 4 |
| Number Of Holes | 3 |
| Water Source | |
| Reservoir Or Plumbed | Reservoir |
| Reservoir Capacity (Oz) | 84 |
| Reservoir Material | Plastic |
| Reservoir Removable | Yes |
| Water Level Visible | Yes |
| Water Filter | Breville |
| Controls | |
| Type Of Controls | Push Buttons |
| Programmable Brewing | Yes |
| Cup Volume Control | Yes |
| Aroma / Flow Control | No |
| Pre-Infusion | Yes |
| Energy Savings | Yes |
| Multiple Programmability | Yes |
| Pressure Gauges | Brew Only |
| Brew Temperature Display | Yes |
| Cup Warmer | |
| Material | Stainless Steel |
| Size (Inches) | 11.5x6.5 |
| Passive / Active | Active |
| Portafilter Data | |
| Material | Chrome Plated Brass |
| Type | Commercial Style |
| Quantity Included | 1 |
| Diameter (Millimeter) | 58 |
| Commercial Filter Baskets Included | Yes |
| Pressurized Filter Baskets Included | Yes |
| Ground, E.S.E. Pod And Capsule Compatible | Ground & ESE Pod |
| Bottomless Portafilter Available | No |
| Tamper Size (Millimeter) | 58 |
| Brew Group | |
| Material | Chrome Plated Brass |
| Preheat | Yes |
| Three-Way Valve | Yes |
| Capsule / Pod Friendly | Yes |
| Back Flush Capable | Yes |
| Boiler Data | |
| Number Of Boilers | 1 |
| Brew And Steam Simultaneously | Yes |
| Rapid Steam | Yes |
| Brew Boiler Data | |
| Brew Boiler Type | Small Volume |
| Brew Boiler Watts | 1000 |
| Brew boiler Volume (Oz) | .95 Liter |
| Brew Boiler Material | Stainless Steel |
| Brew Boiler Heater Location | Internal |
| Steam Boiler Data | |
| Insulated | No |
| Steam Boiler Type | Small Volume |
| Steam Boiler Watts | 1000 |
| Steam Boiler Volume (Oz) | .95 Liter |
| Steam Boiler Material | Stainless Steel |
| Steam Boiler Vacuum Relief valve | Yes |
| Steam Boiler Auto Fill | Yes |
| Pump Data | |
| Pump Type | Vibration |
| Maximum Pressure (Bar) | 15 |
| Self Priming Pump | Yes |
| Maintenance | |
| Maintenance Alerts | Yes |
| Back Flush Cleaner Used | Cafiza |
| Water Filter | Breville |
| Details | |
| Warranty (Years) | 1 |
| Country Of Manufacture | China |
| NSF Certified | No |
| Recommended Applications | Home |
| Service provided | |
| Repairs By | Breville |
| Contact Number | 866-273-8455 |
4.8 out of 5
(5 Customer Reviews)
Rated 5 out of 5
Has owned for:
Less than 1 month
Ability Level:
Beginner
I’m new to owning an espresso machine. I lived in Italy for two years and missed the quality of the espresso and cappuccino when we moved back to the US. This machine makes a great product, I am still trying to fine tune the process. I went through two pounds of beans the first week (I don’t think I slept for three days). The coffee was too good. I have tried several different beans and I have found that I need to adjust the grind for each brand of bean. I have also found that the first brew usually has a different bar pressure than the rest. I have nothing to say but good things about this machine. It seems to be made well and I am looking forward to many years of great coffee.
Less than 1 month
Ability to use the steam and brew at the same time.
Beginner
Johnson Brothers Twisted Espresso Blend Whole Bean, Lavazza Tierra! Intenso Whole Bean
Conical-burr
Breville BCG800XL Smart Grinder
Rated 5 out of 5
Has owned for:
6 - 12 months
Ability Level:
Coffee Lover
I bought the Breville to replace my Rancillio Sylvia and have not looked back. This is a great machine for it's price point. It has usefull bells and whistles such as timer, notices when cleaning is needed and the water tray is full, a water filter in the water container, dual boiler. Frothing milk is a dream compared to the Silvia. No descaling is necessary. I recommend it highly
6 - 12 months
Makes great espresso and frothed milk, features very good.
Buy it.
Coffee Lover
Colombre Torrefaction: Nizza, Savoia, and Monaco (prefer Savoia)
None
Sylvia
Burr
Pavoni professio al grinder
Rated 4 out of 5
Has owned for:
More than 1 year
Ability Level:
Connoisseur
If you are looking for a semi automatic with lots of features and don't want to spend 1500 or more this is one for you. Right off the bat you can see that this machine looks great, lots of stainless and minimal plastic. I espresso shots out of this machine are also really good and got better with some larger baskets to allow 17 to 19 grams of coffee to fit. With the actively heated brew group and P.I.D. you can really dial in your shots. The steam wand has three holes, not the most powerful, but I like as I can really work the milk to a nice texture. The included tamp is ok, I personally like more weight but it get the job done.
More than 1 year
The dual boilers
Make sure that the one you get has the ovp (over pressure valve) calibrated.
Connoisseur
Filicori Zecchini Gran Crema Delicato Whole Bean Caffe D'arte Capri Whole Bean Espresso Caffe D'arte Firenze Whole Bean Espresso Caffe D'arte Parioli Whole Bean Espresso Caffe D'arte Taormina Whole Bean Espresso Atomic Café Cosmopolitan Espresso Whole Bean Atomic Café Daterra Farm Reserve Espresso Atomic Café Intensi Espresso Whole Bean julian coffee roasters Le Crema Espresso
I wish the timer would show the shot time for a few seconds after the programmed shot was dispensed as I miss it a lot since I am frothing milk.
Conical Burr Grinder
Breville Smart Grinder
Rated 5 out of 5
Believe the hype. Went from a NS Oscar with MCF grinder to this and was amazed at the ease and consistency of the shots. Hve 8+yrs espresso experience, and this is hands down the best home machine I've used. Everything the coffeegeek preview review claims and more. The group even has its own |PID and heating element, so temp stability is ridiculously easy. Out of the box, the machine feels insubstantial, but its design eliminates the need for the bulk of the E61 gen of machines. |Lots of composite type plastics, small PID controlled boiler fed by a preheater/exchanger, etc etc. In effect, its like a modern F1 car, =light, high tech and amazing performance. Only negative is that its a little tall, no room for cups under my cabinets (which are only 16+ inches off counter) Breville's rep for reliability may not be all that great, but it seems like SERIOUS thought went into this machine, so I suspect/hope that they go tit right.
Rated 5 out of 5
I can only compare to my Rancilio Silvia (11 years old and still performing as well as the day I bought it). The Breville brings more electronics and a more modern feature set: PID Control, Pre-Fusion, Pressure bar feedback, shot timer, retractable cord, and even an accessory bay. These things allow for more consistency in the coffee making process. It is easier to get good results and produce shots with better predictability. The only variables left is tamp and dose (which I am having some problems with so far). I am having a hard time keeping the shot time up around or above 25 seconds without grinding to small, over tamping, or maxing out the bar pressure. This is probably my issue and I'm still working on this part. The Breville Grinder seems to address some of these issues again by adding more consistency to the process (grind and dosage in this case). I'll stick with my Rocky Grinder. I don't know if Breville Grinder can hold up nearly as long. All that being said, this espresso machine produces an excellent tasting cup using out of the box settings. I have not found need to tweak any of setting so far. I've read other reviews on limited steam power but I don't find any issue myself. Steam has a different feel than the Silvia but it does an excellent job creating froth. It is very easy to cleanup as well. The cord is nice and thick and doesn't heat up when in use (unlike my toaster oven). I can only hope that is last as long as my Silvia.
I was considering going with the Alex Duetto III, but concerns about having to move a 75lb machine from underneath my cabinet to be able to refill the water tank gave me pause. I started reading about the Breville Dual Boiler and am very intrigued. Looking to be able to pull a great shot of Espresso as if I were working at Intelligentsia or similar. What are your thoughts on the Breville?
2
Vote
Hi, I've owned four espresso machines in the past and am currently saving up for the Prosumer Expobar Brewtus IV-R with Rotary Pump (possibly the vibration pump model). I am wanting the absolute best espresso and latte making machine for my home and am willing to wait. Am I on the right track or do you recommend a different model? I noticed this new Breville model with the two boilers, but how would you compare it to the Expobar Brewtus IV-R with Rotary Pump? Or if there's one you recommend over the Expobar Brewtus IV-R?
Your feedback will be greatly appreciated!
Mark Corliss
Grand Rapids, MI
0
Vote
mjackson ♦ Mark,
I think you are on the right track with the Brewtus. I love that machine. I also am intrigued by the Breville. I have used it and it does have a lot of features. I am not yet sold on long term durability as it has not been out that long. In my opinion I still see the Brewtus as a better investment. I think it is a much better built piece of equipment. I may be wrong on the Breville but I am basing my opinion on the models they have been previously selling and I still think the question may be durability.
Apparently the units initially release had uncalibrated over-pressure valves. The newer ones have been calibrated to keep pressure from exceeding 9-bar. Does your stock have the calibrated valves? I believe the package would would have something along the lines of "Calibrated OPV" printed on it. Thanks
Bo
0
Vote
mjackson ♦ BK,
We just got a new shipment. I am sure they are with the newer calibration. I do think they are a good value machine. I am not sold yet completely on the long term reliability of the machine as of yet. It certainly has a lot of good features. Time will tell if it as good as say our Expobar Brewtus. I do think they are lots of reviews on line for the Breville and give us a call if you have any questions.
mjackson ♦ Eric,
It was hard to find all the info but here is the info on the brew boiler size - The primary brewing boiler is a 400ml stainless steel boiler , the steam boiler is a 1litre heat exchanger boiler (with a 900W element) serving the steam wand (as well as preheating the water for the brewing boiler. The information is accurate and the best I can find.
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mjackson ♦ I think it has an amazing price for the features it has. It has not been out a long time so we don't really have an idea on the long term durability yet. I would suggest getting a very good espresso grinder like the Baratza Vario. It certainly will give you all the tools you need to pull a consistently good shot.I think if you read all the reviews available you will see people are very happy with the machine.
05-10-2013 8:31am |