Breville BES920XL Dual Boiler Espresso Machine
5O% 0ff Breville on Amzn (applied at checkout) : http://coffee.to-snap-up.com/#BES920XL
I used the Breville 900xl Dual Boiler for 3+ years, and moved on to the 920xl recently. I’ll try to cover the info that I think is pertinent to a potential buyer. So here’s the first point – this machine, the 920xl, is a slightly upgraded version of the 900xl. Breville has added the ability to drain the boiler for shipping and at-home descaling to this version, plus a few minor other tweaks. Therefore, the reviews on the 900xl are still applicable, with the exception that you can now descale locally. There are a ton more reviews there, which you may want to check out since this is basically the same machine. Overall Pros: Great machine in this price range, great espresso, pretty easy to use, pretty consistent, GREAT features, good customer service. Cons: Some components a little cheap. This is the BIGGEST DRAWBACK…read more about it in the construction section below. And it’s a BIG machine with a high counter clearance. It’s also a bit of a power hog. Why only three stars? I’d go 3 1/2, but the tendency for these machines to fail for me is a pretty big ding.
I love this machine and its features. However, I feel like Breville has opted for cheaper internal parts and components to keep this thing in this price range. I am not sure that any of these units are going to be in operation in ten years. For my next espresso machine, I will definitely do some research and see if I can find a solidly-constructed alternative that might feature fewer nifty perks, but which might last much longer. I’m not a fan of large applianced failing once a year, then having to go into the shop. That said, Breville says that the 920xl resolves some of these issues – a new portafilter design and a few other changes probably speak to their experience with the 900xl’s. #Breville
