Posted Mon Dec 12, 2011, 4:18pm Subject: Re: It has arrived - Breville Dual Boiler BES900XL!
I'll keep my comments on the Smart Grinder brief since this is the espresso machine forum... Breville must have changed the shims in these grinders in later builds as mine on the finest setting goes into turkish mode right out of the box. I ran some quick tests of the range and it seems to grind well from drip all the way past espresso... Is it as good as my old Mazzer Super Jolly? Uh... No, but it seems to work well with minimal fines... So far, so good...
Posted Mon Dec 12, 2011, 5:23pm Subject: Re: It has arrived - Breville Dual Boiler BES900XL!
whelp... I pinched my nose and took the plunge. I was all set to get a LaSpaz Vivaldi II, but the WS price break was too good to overlook. I won't get it until Christmas though. These kinds of purchases have to pass through the wife filter, and I have an ulterior motive... we just closed on a second home, and my plan is to get the Vivaldi sometime in 2012 after a large promotion coming my way. After the dust settles over the BDB purchase, sometime early-mid 2012, and if I pass the training I need to hold on to my promotion, it will probably be ok with the wife to get my dream machine, the Vivaldi II. The Breville will go to the second home, and the Viv to he primary. muahahahaha!
I have no illusions that these machines are mostly frivolous, as with my Vario grinder, careful temp surfing, bottomless portafilter, and fresh home roasting, my espresso shots are damned decent with the 'ole Saeco/*$$ Barista. Then again, maybe I'm wrong, and my shots will be worlds better than they are now, with the BDB?
Speaking of which, I'm not quite understanding the Breville-hating going on here. AFAICT, the espresso machines role pulling espresso is a function of its ability to deliver temperature and pressure consistently, at the expected or desired values. If the BDB can do that, then it will be as good as any, right? Am I mssing something?
Posted Mon Dec 12, 2011, 6:28pm Subject: Re: It has arrived - Breville Dual Boiler BES900XL!
dagoat Said:
...Speaking of which, I'm not quite understanding the Breville-hating going on here. AFAICT, the espresso machines role pulling espresso is a function of its ability to deliver temperature and pressure consistently, at the expected or desired values. If the BDB can do that, then it will be as good as any, right? Am I mssing something?
Oh, my friend there is a heaven full of angels dancing on the head of that pin. I thought the same thing as you posted above about temps and pressure but now I am thoroughly confused...
Posted Mon Dec 12, 2011, 6:39pm Subject: Re: It has arrived - Breville Dual Boiler BES900XL!
dagoat Said:
Speaking of which, I'm not quite understanding the Breville-hating going on here. AFAICT, the espresso machines role pulling espresso is a function of its ability to deliver temperature and pressure consistently, at the expected or desired values. If the BDB can do that, then it will be as good as any, right? Am I mssing something?
Peter, Breville does not have a stellar record for quality home espresso... As a previous owner of an 800 thermoblock machine, I can testify to the pain and suffering endured trying to pull decent shots out of those machines...
That being said, the BDB is in a completely different class... I would never have considered another thermoblock Breville in a million years...
Back to point... this is the reason you see so much disdain... People bought them in droves, came here looking for help (I was one of those) and there was basically nothing you could do... Single wall baskets helped, but in the end, it was still a thermoblock that could never extract at the proper temperature...
Until this machine can prove itself over the long term, the jury is still out... I chose to be an early adopter of this machine and so far, after day one, everything is rosy (except for the freakin' OPV adjustment)... 3 years from now? I have no idea... We'll need to wait and see regarding the reliability of the machine... I'm willing to take the chance, others will not be as easily swayed....
Posted Mon Dec 12, 2011, 7:09pm Subject: Re: It has arrived - Breville Dual Boiler BES900XL!
Hey, if people are happy with the BDB, more power to them. As a consumer, I just know I would be a bit pissed to pay $1000 for anything and find out immediately that it was defective (the OPV valve thing) and that I would have to return it for a replacement to the manufacturer. But that's just me ...
Coffee is the common man's gold, and like gold it brings to every man the feeling of luxury and nobility. - Sheik Abd al-Qadir
Posted Mon Dec 12, 2011, 7:19pm Subject: Re: It has arrived - Breville Dual Boiler BES900XL!
pchoden Said:
As a consumer, I just know I would be a bit pissed to pay $1000 for anything and find out immediately that it was defective (the OPV valve thing) and that I would have to return it for a replacement to the manufacturer. But that's just me ...
Not being calibrated is not the same as defective. The BDB still makes great shots even with the non-calibrated OPV. Did you know the NS Oscar doesn't even have an OPV? Anyone who can use a screwdriver and needle nose pliers can adjust the OPV in less than 15 minutes, no need to send it to Breville.
Posted Mon Dec 12, 2011, 9:30pm Subject: Re: It has arrived - Breville Dual Boiler BES900XL!
dagoat: Welcome to the thread and the hating. The breathless, hysterical criticisms of the machine, particularly by those who haven't touched much less used one certains do seem odd to me as well. All you have to do is read the topics of other threads to realize the other machines -- including those costing far more than the BDB and bearing marquee names -- have "problems" including design issues that make the OPV mis-callibration seem rather mild. My sense is that some of the people dumping on the BDB wouldn't dare make similar (uninformed and overblown) statements about an Italian machine costing three or four times as much for fear that they might be seen as rubes on this forum. But that's just me. . .
Uh oh. Have I written too much? I'm sorry. The emperor's clothes are splendid. The emperor's clothes are splendid. The emperor's clothes are splendid. ; )
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