Reviewing Breville 800ESXL Espresso Maker
Points to make
(1) UNPLUG the machine every time, like it says in the manual! Why?
The first day I had the machine I assumed that once you turn the machine off in the front panel, it is really off.
Not so, apparently.
One lonely evening, while making love to my machine (just kidding eh!), anyway, quite near the turned off machine in a quiet evening, I could hear a very low humming sound coming from it.
Power unit or whatever, I realized the machine was not really off, and from then on I decided to follow the recommendation in the manual -- which I presumed initially was only for home-safety reasons.
Obviously is not sucking the 1500 watts, but there's still something going on inside, and it's not a caffeinated gerbil!
(2) Vibration and Noise
IMO, it's not noisier than other espresso makers, and it sure is a dead loser against my blender, which my neighbors are probably acquainted with.
As for vibration, I did the same as I did with my Breville coffee grinder: I placed the machine firmly on a towel folded to the appropriate thickness. That not only dampens the vibration but will soak up any water spilled in an accident.
The tank might vibrate off its place and onto the drip area? Yes, it might.
The first time it happened, it was almost funny to watch.
Because I saw many other good points in the machine and this was a minor mechanical problem asking for a mechanical solution I did the obvious: I used the original tape that came with the packaging to hold the tank in place. Using on one side is enough. I use a tank of water every two days, so no big deal. (Yes, the thing uses a lot of water, even more so if you include the after-espresso cleaning procedures)
(3) Grind.
One of the reasons I considered the Breville 800ESXL it's because I have for some time their coffee grinder, which was an excellent choice for a burr grinder under $100 which looks nice and is a solid workhorse.
Before I bought the grinder I read reviews saying that the finest grind was not fine enough (for the reviewer, for some reason).
But now I see that, at least for me, the mid-notch in the Turkish selection in the Breville grinder has been ideal. Enough pressure, good timing and extraction, good crema, and NO clogging so far.
Rule of thumb, or fingers: if it feels like sand, it's too thick; if it feels powdery and like flour it's too fine; if it just stains the fingers without clumping or adhering to them, it's closer to the ideal.
(4) A routine (mine :-) becomes effortless and natural for people who like preparing coffee. (If you dislike rituals, trial and errors, and want push-button coffee this machine is not for you)
Before
Give the machine some latitude. If you know that you'll use it in ten minutes, turn it on right now. If you turn the machine on and start brewing immediately after the red light goes out, you risk not getting your coffee or hot water hot enough.
After the machine is ready (red light out), run a 10-second blank shot (holder and filter in place but no coffee), and collect the water in the coffee cup you will use. This first run warms up the filter assembly and the collected water will warm up the cup while you fill and tamp the filter with the ground coffee. When ready, dump the water and put the empty cup under the filter and start the real thing.
After
After cleaning and washing the filter assembly and filter of all wet coffee grounds, run again a 10 seconds blank shot with clear water to fine-clean the filter and avoid eventual clogging. (Do the same with the steamer in a cup filled with clean water).
It's a good idea also to lightly clean the underside of the filter holder (the fixed part in the machine from which water drips) with a wet paper towel or cloth before running the final cleaning blank shot.
(5) Steamer. Not the greatest feature in the machine, but works just fine when you practice enough. Don't worry, the loud high-pitched sound is NOT a feature of this or any machine :-): move the pitcher, depth and angle until it stops, and the right soft sound will guide you. And go for the micro foam, not the macro foam bubbles. You will see the difference right away and it's easy to learn to get it right. And follow the usual advice: low-fat or free-fat refrigerator-cold milk preferred.
(6) Cleaning the steamer.
As always, the drier the milk, the more difficult to clean. (So, don't take a couple of hours enjoying your coffee, and only then come back for the cleaning!)
Soon after use, "steam" for some seconds a container with clean water. Remove the sleeve and drop it in any container with clean (or soapy) water. Wet-wipe the full extension of the nozzle clean, making sure there's no milk crusting or remains. By following these procedures, it's very unlikely that you are going to have any problem with the steamer or hot water.
(7) Pods.
I didn't care much about pods, had never used them, and it was and remained completely out of my purchasing decision. Like most real coffee lovers I don't consider pods seriously in the tradition of coffee-brewing.
But, as I'm curious about everything, and finding that my local Starbucks had a nice-looking box of 12 dark espresso pods for $4.95, why not, let's see how this thing works.
And it did, beautifully.
My surprise is that, right in my first try, the machine performed beautifully. Quick and with no mess (and ground coffee is always messy as we all know), it came out with perfect color, crema, temperature. And it tasted at least better than the espresso you get at the Starbucks counter!
And the great thing is that Starbucks has the decaf version of the same pods. Great if I feel like having an espresso after dinner!
That does not mean of course that I will start using pods regularly. But, besides having the convenience of the decaf option for a (rare) quick late night fix, I can see the use of a pod as convenient when you wake up in a foul mood not prone to any coffee-loving rituals or patience, or you just don't have time.
The fact is that it's there, it's an option, and it works.
(8) One last note about cleaning.
If you like drinking and preparing coffee, but don't like or don't have time to clean things and keep them clean, you have a problem.
The importance of cleaning in a machine like this cannot be overstressed. Coffee and milk are both troublemakers. Milk dries fast and adheres in layers to surfaces, corners and clogs orifices very quickly. And coffee has oils that stain and adhere to surfaces. It's not that it looks ugly after a while, but it starts to interfere with the flavor of the coffee.
So, the attitude to follow is to make the cleaning, maintenance and keeping the hardware in prime condition, part of the process and ritual of making and enjoying coffee.
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