Breville BES820XL Review
Here you will find product reviews for the Breville BES820XL. The BES820XL is a quite popular espresso maker with plenty of nice features. See the full list of specifications for the BES820XL.Long lost love, oh where have you been all my life?, December 29, 2009
LOVE this machine! I do not claim to be an espresso junkie or aficionado, but I am addicted to lattes and my morning habit was getting to be expensive so we bought this machine for Christmas. It's AWESOME! One of my main criteria, besides great espresso, was a frothing wand that would really do the job, and this one does. It texturizes the milk beautifully and creates delicious, creamy froth for my lattes and cappuccinos. We're still working to get the right grind and tamp combination, but I love that you can also use pods in the machine, which is fantastic for decaf! We drink regular espresso in the morning or afternoon, but every once in a while I want a cappuccino at night but it's not worth keeping the decaf beans or emptying my grinder to replace with decaf so we keep decaf pods on hand for those rare evening cravings. Perfectly convenient! You have to be willing to experiment to get the right tamp/grind combination or your espresso won't taste too yummy, but if you have some patience and try various combinations it really pays off. And I love the hot water wand - heats very quickly and great for hot tea! Super easy to use, pretty easy to clean and maintain, and entirely worth the cost!
Fantastic machine, January 16, 2010
I have had the BES820XL for about 4 weeks and love it. It's easy to learn, is made of high quality parts, and looks beautiful on the counter. Be careful with grind fineness, as we had some problems when coffee ground at Starbucks with their machine on "espresso" setting. Once you find the right grind consistency, the results are delicious and consistent. The steamer wand works extremely well and is easy to maneuver with the 360 degree swivel arm. This is a great espresso maker for the coffee/espresso lover.
FANTASTIC!, November 8, 2009
This is a great espresso machine. Easy to use, AFTER you read the instructions. Cleaning is simple, the indicator on the spill tray lets you know when it's full with "Empty Me!" I use the hot water function to warm up the cups and to make tea. I have never used a cappuccino milk steamer before, but this one is extremely simple to get a good milk froth. The mug warmer on the top of the machine works well, but only if you plan of having multiple uses as it takes a while to get the heat up to the mugs. The pressure gauge on the front gives you a good indication how well you are grinding the coffee, and tamping. I normally have the pressure gauge in the lower optimal range and it tastes very good. It does take practice to create the perfect method, so be patient. The water tank holds enough water to serve many people without refilling.
WOW! What a Treat!, December 2, 2009
This is my third purchase of a pump type espresso machine. The first one was a Gaggia, the second a Capresso. Both were disasters. The Breville BES820XL is fabulous. It is user friendly, makes a great cup of coffee and has an excellent steaming mechanism. It is obviously upscale with its beautiful stainless body. I am hoping there isn't a hidden plastic piece that will give out and change my opinion. I am using it about two weeks and can find no fault with it. My husband has commented that he believes the brew is stronger from this machine and I agree. It obviously extracts the most from each and every pull. Also, the fact that you push a button for one or two espresso shots and do not have to monitor the machine to shut it off at the appropriate moment is a real plus. Do yourself a favor, buy this espresso machine and don't even think about the plastic models (sometimes at much higher prices).
BEST VALUE AND BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE, January 2, 2010
Thanks for the excellent customer service. I just received my replacement machine, and LOVE it. It's the best value for the money out there, and rivals machines twice or three times the cost. Breville replaced my old machine after 14 months of use (despite the warranty expiring) at no cost. I can't thank you enough Breville.