Good price as haven't seen it sub $900 for a few months now.
Enjoy :)
Edit - I just bought this and a Eureka Mignon Specialita grinder. Let me know of any other equipment/accessories recommendations to go with this.
Also anyone looking into mods/maintenance this seems to be very popular in past threads: https://www.home-barista.com/espresso-machines/breville-dual…
Excludes: Northern Territory, QLD Far North, QLD Regional, WA Regional, WA Remote
slayer mod?
The Slayer Mod
The Doom Slayer Mod
You do some changes internally to swap the hot water dial to control water pressure so you can do fancy "Slayer" shots.
Yes correct, then you can do flow control with different pressure
Can you please provide a link to how this is done.
Wild.
Agree! Can't justify throwing out my 8-month old Express… tempted… really tempted :D
I bet you’ve got a friend or relative lacking an espresso machine. Make the upgrade and be a good Samaritan at the same time!
🛑
Don't ruin someone's life, coffee making is very complicated job lol
@sqheaven: Ha ha ha ha. Totally understand the point. Was crazy until I purchased a proper scale and tamper. Still learning, and often question the wisdom of it all 😂… especially when craving a cup and there's a meeting starting. Where's the darn barista? 🤣🤣
Sell the express and get this, this is way better
If only I had the counter space to spare…
Any deals on a matching grinder for this one?
What's your budget?
This is for my sister who is just getting started out (will be her first 'proper' coffee machine upgrading from pods… so I was thinking something like the Breville the Smart Grinder Pro BCG820BSS possibly but open to suggestions Personally I went with the Eureka Mignon Specialita but she does not want to spend that much just yet…
I have just bought the same combo as you today. Any tips or advice?
@Infamous: Great unit, I'm sure you will love it, did you get the grinder form "Espresso Coffee Shop" (message them and ask for a coupon if not already done as you can get additional discount based on there stock levels and landed costs at the time..etc)..
Tips:
- If you having trouble dialling in the coffee at times try another brand/batch (I've had a few coffee's that are just horrible to work with it's not the equipment)
- The grinder is very basic really, but is a very good unit I hardly need to adjust it once set for a bean type, I do find the dial could have been a little larger as you only need very small movements to change the grind.. I think with my current beans I'm at around 1.5 if my memory serves me correctly
- I am using a 22gram portafilter though (standard double with the machine is 18g so that will change the grind setting but might offer a good starting point
- Flawless guide to milk (on any machine works 100% every time!): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTC3dJvwgUI
- Personally I grind into a dosing cup as I find it easier/less messy (Eg.: https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/394158427617) but have a play and see what works for you
Good luck and feel free to PM me any questions if needed…
@Jonc: +1 for the milk guide. Oat milk is so finicky, but following the approach in that video I nailed it on the first go.
@Infamous: Couldn't figure out why from the get go my shots were extracting way to fast, even on the finest setting.
Worked out you can also adjust the inside ring to make the adjustments even finer or courser.
Now works perfectly.
Lot's of youtube videos on dialling it in.
@Jonc If you're still looking for a decent grinder on a budget, you could try a hand grinder first. I'm just starting out too and went with the JX-pro from 1Zpresso (https://1zpresso.coffee/product/jxpro/) which set me back about $250. There are other hand grinders depending on your budget (Porlex ~$100, Comandante ~$400), but whether or not a performance difference exists / is worth it, is up to you to decide! Ultimately, I went with a hand grinder because to get a comparable grind quality from an electric grinder, I'd have had to spend twice the money. The elbow grease is worth it for me haha
I tried to add the Breville the Smart Grinder Pro BCG820BSS from Bing Lee on ebay as well but the machine is still coming up at $999 for me? how do we access the reduced price?
Did you apply the code?
yup seems the code is targeted and requires other characters SNSMD3…… , Turns out I did not get the offer from Ebay so will not work for me unfortunately
Is the supplied grinder able to re-grind my International Roast so its extra fine? That's the only feature I care about.
FYI: This machine does not include a grinder, it's a dual boiler coffee machine only
Does dual boiler mean it can steam milk and pull shots at the same time?
Yes.
Also means great thermal stability.
Targeted unfortunately
If the machine ever has an issue enjoy waiting 4-6 weeks for it to be repaired.
Genuine question: is repair time better for $3k+ Italian made machine?
Depends who you bought it from I’d imagine. You pay a lot more at boutique specialty shops but you can probably find one near you that does repairs - and then compare the cost of their repairs to the difference in price that they sell the product for to see if it’s worth buying from them under warranty (that they should be authorised to fix without sending away).
Depends. Anything $3K plus will share a lot of parts with commercial machines, and there are obviously a lot of places who repair them. We have an ECM Giotto, so that type of machine, and it's normally in and out for service and repairs in a few days. Breville, because it's domestic stuff made in China, isn't as easy to fix. They're hoping you throw it out in 3-5 years and buy another one…
This has less control, hence the slayer mod. I've pulled a Breville Oracle apart, which has similar internals to the Dual Boiler and there are parts such as the pump which is italian-made, and the solenoid valves (can't recall where they were made, but not China).
Reliability-wise, I'd say an italian machine would be no better than this Breville Dual Boiler in reliability. However, an Italian machine tends to be easier to access internally for repairs as the Dual Boiler/Oracle have very tightly packed components internally. Cost-wise, Breville's boiler-based coffee machines are great as an entry point into the world of coffee before you decide to go hardcore/all-in.
I've been using my Oracle for 10 years now, and I'm fortunate that I have not experienced leaks. I suspect leaking machines probably stem from o-rings which were damaged during installation as there is no movement after the tubing is assembled into the fittings. However, the internal construction makes it relatively simple to repair leaks (worn out fitting o-ring, or split tubing).
Every time I need a service or have an issue I just take it to my local coffee machine repair guy and its done within the week. They are simple machines to fix and plenty of people specialise in Brevilles/Sunbeams.
Not a DB but similar, I just had my Oracle pissing out water internally and an electrical fault (making it unsafe and completely unusable) take over 6 weeks to have repaired. Purchased through Bing lee. Both Bing lee and Breville refused replacement even though IMO it was a major fault under consumer law.
It also went to only 1 of 2 shops authorised to work on them in VIC
@Scottabargin: Did you use Espresso Fix? They replaced the solenoid on my BDB when I lived there and they also did not take more than a week for me, via Breville servicing too.You may have just had one shit experience.
Out of interest how old is your machine?
@Jonc: It was just under a year old when the issue occurred.
I would 100% pay more next time and go TTG with Gold service.
@Scottabargin: Ouch, that's not good waiting 6 weeks for a repair on an under 1 year old machine!… hope it's been running smoothly for you since?
I've been lucky so far with mine (dual boiler) over 3 years old and no issues or services needed as yet (touch wood!)
@Jonc: If you haven't serviced it yet, I highly recommend doing so. Coffee machines need seals and o-rings replaced or you can run into more expensive problems down the track.
also in Vic - took my faulty oracle to the repair joint in Boronia, was done within a week. It was making hissing popping noises, so some o ring had failed. It was a bit over a year old, purchased from bing lee via ebay
@WillisAU: Can I ask how much you guys payed? I went to a repair shop in Canberra and got charged $550! They said they fixed it multiple times and each time something else was wrong with it. I was reluctant but paid up and learnt a lesson….
@Naigrabzo: Quick google search shows there’s quite a few places although they might not be authorised breville ones if that’s what you meant
@johnnytran: Yes, I thought I'd go for authorised.
Part of the issue with the coffee machine was me not using distilled water instead of Canberra water which has alot of Mg I think. Scale city!
Let me know of any other equipment/accessories recommendations to go with this.
Naked portafilter.
This will help you to "see" extraction and improve it.
Scales.
Thank you! Have bought scales and will look into a portafilter.
Just make sure they're 0.1g scales.
Hey! I'd like to get a naked/bottomless portafilter for my dual boiler. Any recommendations on which ones suit this machine?
58mm ones should work (but look for the specific Breville-compatible ones as even though 58mm is the 'standard', they still have enough differences that there is no universal one per se; Pesado make really good ones and their shipping is pretty quick (they use Startrack).
Here's the link to the Pesado one: https://pesado.com.au/collections/naked/products/naked-porta…
Not affiliated with them but got them recommended via the CoffeeSnobs.com.au forum.
That looks cool. Just noticed you can buy 20g 54mm filter basket, any idea if the standard double basket that comes with the barista express is 18g or 20g? I always thought it was 18g and i'm overdosing using 19.5g (puck seems to be muddy when I use 18g)
@johnnytran: The stock basket is 18g (quick Google search) but the puck being muddy is up for debate depending on who you ask and what machine etc etc.
I get muddy pucks on the 20g basket every now and then but happens more if I just grind exactly 20g or less than 16g, or if I dont use a puck screen, or even if remove the portafiter from the head too quickly after a shot. Taste-wise I dont find it bitter or acidic anyway so its just something I live with.
There is an "official" one from Breville too.
Google "58mm Naked Portafilter".
Get the one that suits Breville's 58mm. There is a difference in the group head that standard industry 58mm portafilters don't fit into the machine.
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/225113400322
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/204199669898
Another accessory I can recommend later down the road are VST baskets.
pair with a good grinder and then it is a great machine for espresso
Targeted to the user who received email invite…. Guess I am not spending enough to become eligible haha
Excellent value machine, highly recommended.
Anyone who's got the code and doesn't want it able to PM to me please? Really want to grab this!
Please transfer money to my offshore account for code and machine will be delivered to you soon 😂
Ok I am Plus member but the code or combination of codes did not work for me lol I think I already bought my machine maybe that's why lol IT was in 2020
Gift cards mate. Gift cards.
Same here!!
ferk…not again https://www.rba.gov.au/media-releases/2023/mr-23-04.html
was planning to upgrade but now sticking with my breville
that's what they want us to do anyway
great little machine
You'll be alright MrBillions.
what a surprise lol
Does anyone know how much this is on Good Guys/JB Commercial atm?
$999 when I checked this morning.
I hated the word "TARGETED"
At least you weren't 'TRIGGERED' as well.
tempting…..Just about to go over 9000 on my shot clock on this machine.
Is the code really ‘SNSMD3…’. Hard to tellif the targetted works?
I would get a new tamper. I personally don't feel like the one it comes with is comfortable, despite it being handy having its own spot in the machine. I ordered this one in December and it does a decent job distributing (not as good as a needly distributor but better than none at all).
https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B082MKVYFV?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_…
Serious question,
How are targeted deals beneficial for everybody else?
This is a very good machine!
Have had this machine for 7yrs now. Only had to do one fix where water was running from the group head and replacing the grommet didn't work. I put in a rubber band with the grommit, giving it the firmness to stop leaking. I just need to replace that rubber band every 2yrs or so now.
probably needs a new rubber gasket, very easy to fix
don't turn the portafilter so hard into the group head and also always clean/wipe the portafilter so there are no coffee fines going into the gasket.
also when not in use don't keep the portafilter in the machine
A reminder to those on the fence - these sell for 1.6k USD in the US and people still buy them because they are that good - we are lucky to get these at this price in Aus.
This forum is becoming an expensive habit <3 😭
Can I use pre ground coffee for this until I can afford a decent grinder?
Of course you can. It won't be as good as grinding your own, and stay away from cheap supermarket stuff. Always too course.
Can I use pre ground coffee for this until I can afford a decent grinder?
Honestly… what's the point of buying the best machine in this price range just to use with pre-ground coffee?
I use aldi coffee beans medium. I can't tell difference between that and $60 coffee.
I got the basic bes870 and was going to upgrade to the Barista Pro bes878 (mainly for quicker starting/heating)
Why is this better?
58mm portafilter size means you can use all accessories like baskets (for example VST) and tampers (for example Pullman tamper) or leveller (for example The Jack Leveller) or even automatic tamper station made for commercial machines.
Dual boiler means great thermal stability. Also simultaneous extraction/steaming milk (if this is your thing).
The main perk is that this has a dual boiler, meaning that you can pull a shot and steam milk at the same time. If you drink milk based drinks this is a major perk. If not, the less so. However this machine also has a lot of extra perks including excellent temperature stability and better steam pressure than the barista.
https://espressoaf.com/recommendations/midrange-machines.htm…
Have a read of that to see how it compares with other machines in the 1.5-2k USD range.
Anyone has a view on baskets?
Is VST or INS really so much better than a cheapo from ebay?
If you are looking for value for money I would spend money elsewhere before getting a precision basket. If you don't have a decent grinder, dosing funnel, WDT, etc. I would look into those before a basket, as the stock Breville baskets are pretty good.
We have the Bambino Plus and it works very well for two of us. Because it heats up quickly we don’t have a lot of issues when we have guests either.
Great machine, that is capable of producing great (or better) espresso than your local coffee shop 😉
And can be modded, especially the slayer mod.