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Breville BEP920BSS The Dual Boiler with Smart Grinder Pro $1038.40 (C&C) +$100 Store Credit @The Good Guys

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Breville BEP920BSS The Dual Boiler with Smart Grinder Pro $1038.40 (C&C) +$100 Store Credit @The Good Guys
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ts13 on 20/09/2016 - 02:12 thegoodguys.com.au (2619 clicks)
Last edited 20/09/2016 - 11:56
COFFEE20

$100 store credit upon click and collect confirmed by Javelandy

Thanks to gnv9 for this deal, and heads up on Click and Collect credit. The Breville Dual Boiler at this stellar price deserves a special mention.

Goes from their sale price of $1298 down to $1038.40 after 20% off.
Also $1298 on TGG eBay, but only 15% ($1103.30), if you'd prefer to get it there for any strange reason.

I have this machine and can't recommend it enough. It outperforms the Oracle (their more expensive, fully automatic machine), and has 2 years local warranty. Nothing comes close to it at this price point in my opinion. [Edit: I'd best mention that it is capable of making incredible coffee, but like other manual machines, has a bit of a learning curve/requires a bit of passion/knowledge to get the most out of it!]

Stand out features:
Free conical grinder, of good repute (Breville Smart Grinder Pro, BCG820)
Dual Boiler (can pull shot and steam simultaneously)
Programmable Preinfusion (both pressure and time are programmable)
Volumetric programming (by volume or time)
Great steam pressure
Descale access
2 year warranty, allowing free repairs/services at many Breville authorised repair stores around Australia

Lots more - I'm a bit of a coffee nerd, so feel free to ask any queries in the comments.

Purchases I would recommend alongside it to make great coffee:
An accurate, durable scale (Acaia as the expensive holy grail, or various, cheaper brands that do a similar job)
An 18g or 20g VST basket
A nice tamp (Reg Barber or Pullman as the go to brands)

Home & Garden Breville Coffee Machine

Related Stores

The Good Guys
The Good Guys

closed Comments

  • cmdwedge on 20/09/2016 - 04:39
    +1
    1. What's the scale for? I have a Silvia + Rocky and have never heard of using scales?
    2. What's special about the VST baskets?
    3. What machine(s) did you have previously? I've read good things about this machine but would like to know why you love yours so much.

    I've had my Rancilio combo for about 5 years now, faithful daily usage. I wouldn't mind a dual boiler though - the Silvia is fine for one coffee but a pain for more than 2.

    • jztilly on 20/09/2016 - 06:50
      +1

      Can't answer 2+3 but can give my 2c on question 1:

      I use a scale to dial in my grind once or twice a week. Basically ensure the grinder is pushing out 20g of ground coffee, then measure the double shot output and get it to as close to 60g as i can. If there's too much in the cup, I tighten the grind. Not enough in the cup, loosen the grind. We go through 1kg of beans every 2 weeks. Might not be technically right but it's worked for us for the past few years and keeps the coffee tasting consistent.

      • ash2000 on 20/09/2016 - 09:08

        The Acaia scales were a kick starter project…. very nicely designed, but very expensive…..US$130 to 250.

        Nice review from this Aussie on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzgqo7rYwLc

        As for the Breville, excellent machine, although my grinder failed last week. Fortunately Breville have a 24 month "swap" warranty, so I took it back to the Good Guys and got a new one .

      • fertiliser on 20/09/2016 - 09:46

        Where do you get your beans?

        • jztilly on 20/09/2016 - 14:29
          +1

          i actually buy beans from the same place i buy my morning coffees from near work.

          http://www.goathouse.com.au/fayale-coffee/

          $30 per 1kg bag. they roast locally and have a large selection - although we prefer their house blend.

    • masuta on 20/09/2016 - 09:47
      +1

      I've got the vst baskets and have stopped using them. They seem much more fiddly to get a consistent shot out of them. Every now and then I give them another go, maybe get through 1 kg before I go back to my other baskets. The one's I have been happy with are:
      http://www.talkcoffee.com.au/shop/precision-filter-basket-58…

      The theory of the vst baskets is that the holes are very consistent and they go pretty much to the edge. The problem that I had was a greater number of shots with edge channeling because the holes going all the way to the edge. You will also have to grind much finer with the vst baskets.

      • ts13 on 20/09/2016 - 11:40

        Yep, I've mentioned this above, but you'll need to be quite careful with preparation. Distributing is one of the easiest things to do for free that can improve your extractions and reduce channelling. Some discussion on other distribution methods here.

        Furthermore, due to the steeper edges, you'll probably need it to go with a wider, flat tamp. The "marginal" gains in increased tamp diameter actually lead to an exponential increase in circumference (Area = pi*r^2).

      • bex000 on 20/09/2016 - 12:47

        I notice the tamp with this machine has curved corners. Tamps at my coffee mad mates have sharp corners which tamps all the way to the corner.

        Did you use the default tamp or did you use an aftermarket tamp?

        • masuta on 20/09/2016 - 21:50

          I used a matched Pullman tamp. Don't get me wrong, I have pulled some amazing shots from the vst… But for me it just wasn't worth the inconsistency. My grinder does clump a little (macap m4d) so I'm use to fiddling to get the distribution right.

    • simulacrum on 20/09/2016 - 09:49

      1 - Repeatability. The hard thing about pulling consistent shots is the number of variables - grind, dose, tamp pressure, brew pressure, water quality, temperature all make a difference. The more of these you can keep consistent from shot to shot while you experiment with the others the better.

      2 - Just highly engineered, apparently they designed an optimal geometry for each dosage. They're also manufactured to tighter tolerances - holes are evenly spaced and a very uniform size and shape. http://bit.ly/2cLAWuJ

    • ts13 on 20/09/2016 - 11:27
      +4

      1. If you treat coffee as a science experiment (and I'll probably receive a bit of backlash for saying that, but hear me out), the more variables you can control, the better! The dose and yield (how much ground coffee goes in, and the beverage mass after the shot has finished) are two of the most important variables to set or adjust in order to achieve consistency. Even if your grind size is the same, and your dose varies by +-1g, you may get differences in extractiontime up to 6 or 7 seconds. In theory, if your dose is 19.0g exactly, your grind size remains the same, and your machine has consistent temperature and pressure, two consecutive shots should run exactly the same!
        Scales are awesome for making sure your dose is consistent. It's definitely something that can't be "eyeballed". Even the beverage mess is better to weigh than "eyeball". If you measure your beverage mass by volume etc. as it's not consistent due to density of coffee, and the thickness/height of crema can make it hard to judge.

      2. When you brew filter coffee, you might be using 15g coffee, 250g water over 2-3 minutes. Conversely, espresso is brewed with approx 20g, 40g beverage yield over about 30 seconds. Everything happens with finer grinds, and high pressure to increase the rate of reaction and promote water flow. Therefore, any minor changes in anything are exaggarated due to the speed of this reaction, and the place where it all occurs is of utmost importance! The primary difference between VST baskets and other baskets is that the holes at the bottom are laser cut. Thus, they are all the same size and evenly spaced, and spaced for optimal water flow for the given basket size. Other baskets tend to be drill cut, leading to high inconsistency in hole size and placement. Furthermore, VST baskets have steeper walls, and greater surface area on the bottom of the basket. This does tend to lead to high flow rate, allowing for finer grinding, and therefore higher potential extraction! As has been mentioned below somewhere, it requires careful preparation, as although it does allow for greater extraction, due to the high flow rate, it can also channel easily. Making sure you have a flat tamper, with a similar width to the basket is important. The most impotant thing to do, that's free, is to distribute your coffee! Make sure you're tamping onto a flat bed of ground coffee.

      3. Thisis ironically my first machine. It just works. The volumetrics are great, the preinfusion is adjustable and manageable. The dual boiler is convenient, it turns on quickly. Importantly, service and upkeep has not been an issue yet due to warranty. As Breville is a big brand, people will be knowledgeable about it and there are lots of parts available, and it's not like working with an independent Italian company.

  • aec on 20/09/2016 - 06:35

    Anyone can comment if i need any other consumables? such as filters, etc? i would like to stock them during the this "sale".

    • bxpressiv on 20/09/2016 - 08:17

      Sorry I'm on a sytem which I can't link. You'll need water filters (BWF100) and cleaning tablets. I use the Cafetto tablets because you can buy a bulk bottle on eBay. The filters I think I bought in bulk on eBay too from the US, they didn't ship them but it was far cheaper to buy a dozen and mail forward them (very light) than buy locally.

      • aec on 20/09/2016 - 11:24

        so i only need the cleaning tablets and filters? i will keep an eye on the filters from the states. thanks.

    • FitzChivalry Farseer on 20/09/2016 - 09:14

      The machine comes packaged with a few cleaning tablets which will see you through for 6 months or so. When you buy something from the Good Guys and subscribe to their email you get a couple of $20 - $30 vouchers a year sent to you. I have used these to stock up on supplies as needed.

      • aec on 20/09/2016 - 11:27

        So the machine comes with some cleaning tablets (i havent opened the box yet), but what about filters?

        • wfdTamar on 20/09/2016 - 11:34

          No filters. With any coffee machine you're going to need to buy cleaning and filtering stuff.

        • aec on 20/09/2016 - 11:34

          @wfdTamar: i see. thanks.

        • fertiliser on 21/09/2016 - 09:48

          @aec: if you're referring to the water filter, the machine comes with one only.

  • [Deactivated] on 20/09/2016 - 07:25
    -1

    How does this compare to the aldi expressi for 100 bux

    • Flyerone on 20/09/2016 - 07:37
      +18

      One helps you make good coffee, the other does something else.

    • klownz on 20/09/2016 - 09:02
      +2

      This results in way less landfill….

      … provided you use it.

      • charzy on 20/09/2016 - 11:13

        Also coffee grounds provide good fertiliser.

    • simulacrum on 20/09/2016 - 09:51

      Recently roasted, freshly ground beans will make a huge difference to your coffee compared to pods that have had coffee put in them weeks or months ago in some other country then shipped across, stored in warehouses etc.

      • klownz on 20/09/2016 - 10:34

        Not to mention the actual volume of coffee in a pod, makes pods pretty expensive on a kg basis

  • WB TQM on 20/09/2016 - 08:16

    Any thoughts on how the cheaper Dose Control Breville grinder stacks up to this grinder?

  • LoungeLizard on 20/09/2016 - 09:44

    Purchases I would recommend alongside it to make great coffee

    I'd suggest using the machine + grinder as is for a start. With a bit of practice you can make a damn good coffee. The extra $200-$300 will only give you incremental improvements. If you have to buy something, just get a cheap (<$20) scale to get consistent dose weights which is the one thing most newbies struggle with.

  • [Deactivated] on 20/09/2016 - 09:45
    +2

    Any good deals on the Smart Grinder Pro on it's own?

    PS. Farmhouse Gold is an awesome extra cream milk for a flat white.

    • FitzChivalry Farseer on 20/09/2016 - 14:38

      I see the Good Guys have it on sale for $199 as part of their coffee machines sale which is probably as good as you can get it for at the moment.

      • [Deactivated] on 20/09/2016 - 15:53

        May just have to bite the bullet. The machine has been sitting around since the BES920 for $699 deal. Haven't even unpacked it, but it makes a great coffee table.

        • simulacrum on 20/09/2016 - 16:51
          +3

          Buy it on the Goodguys ebay store and use CODE15 to get another 15% off

        • [Deactivated] on 20/09/2016 - 18:14
          +1

          @simulacrum:
          179 shipped.

          Can finally kick the Nespresso addiction.

        • simulacrum on 20/09/2016 - 18:51

          @tshow: Nice! Good combo. I bought one to replace my 5+ year old BCG800. Get some cheap beans to practice with and once you're comfortable try by an espresso blend of beans from a local roaster and it'll blow the Nespresso out of the water!

        • [Deactivated] on 20/09/2016 - 21:25

          @simulacrum:
          I used to make my own coffee but got suckdd into the Nespresso ecosystem due to convenience. It's been 10 years and I'm ready to start again.

          Nespresso has been good.
          1. Warranty was great with their machines.
          2. Third party pods can produce some outstanding shots.

          But also has some bad.
          1. Wastage. Damn that's a lot of aluminium and plastic. (I go through 6 pods minimum per day).
          2. Teflon coating on milk frothed always fail after a year.
          3. Grand maestria milk frother not replaceable.
          4. All Nespresso branded pods have a identifying Nespresso taste that seems to be all I can taste after a while. Caramelito ends up tasting like Ristretto.

          Wonder if Dukes still roast good beans like back in the day.

        • simulacrum on 21/09/2016 - 09:37

          @tshow: Ha interesting you mention Dukes.. My go to place to buy beans!

        • [Deactivated] on 21/09/2016 - 12:42

          @simulacrum:

          Also a great place for breakfast. Have not been since they rebranded their Cafe.

        • skd100™ on 21/09/2016 - 14:16

          @simulacrum:
          Myer eBay also has it for $199 + Free Shipping
          https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/267068

  • bezz on 20/09/2016 - 09:46

    I have this machine and grinder and while I love the machine I can't really recommend the grinder. It just doesn't grind fine enough! Using fresh coffee from Manna Beans I find 95% of the time I need to set the grinder to the finest setting (1) then tamp really hard to get the right extraction.

    • LoungeLizard on 20/09/2016 - 09:47
      +1

      Call Breville and ask for a shim kit. Pretty easy to install

      • bezz on 20/09/2016 - 09:50

        I had previously looked into that and apparently the shim kit is only applicable to the first model of smart grinder? Apparently this was fixed with the revised model. Will look into it again.

        • LoungeLizard on 20/09/2016 - 09:59

          Yeah sorry, I was talking about the first model. AFAIK you cannot add shims to the BCG820, but I assume you know about the burr adjustment?

        • PurchaseAnxiety on 20/09/2016 - 10:03

          It was. You can adjust the burs to grind finer. I believe it tells you how in the manual, but failing that, there's some vids on YouTube showing how.

        • simulacrum on 20/09/2016 - 10:14

          I believe in the new grinder (BCG820) the grind can be adjusted by rotating the upper burr if you remove the hopper.

        • bezz on 20/09/2016 - 10:22

          @LoungeLizard:
          Yep I adjusted the burrs when I first got the grinder but didn't make much of a difference unfortunately.

        • ts13 on 20/09/2016 - 11:30

          @bezz: yep, shim kits were only for the early models of the grinder. Now they have an adjustable upper burr. If you've already adjusted your upper burr and your coffee is still not fine enough, maybe try increasing your dose? i.e. putting more coffee in the basket to restrict flow. Preinfusion also promotes flow rate, so I would cut down to 1-2 seconds.

        • wjb on 20/09/2016 - 12:21

          I'm experiencing something similar (doesn't grind fine enough) with Vittoria Mountain Grown coffee beans. I called Breville and they advised me to use fresh coffee beans, not those from the Supermarket.

          I like my Vittoria Mountain Grown beans they are good value. As ts13 has mentioned, just increase your dose. I use 24g (~60ml) for a double shot and 12g (~30ml) for a single shot.

        • SickDmith on 20/09/2016 - 22:58

          @wjb:

          I am afraid Breville is right - supermarket coffee is "dead" and does not hold the pressure.

    • ShortyX on 20/09/2016 - 11:06

      I have this machine and grinder and while I love the machine I can't really recommend the grinder. It just doesn't grind fine enough! Using fresh coffee from > Manna Beans I find 95% of the time I need to set the grinder to the finest setting (1) then tamp really hard to get the right extraction.

      Different experience for mine. My current grind setting is on 12 and anything lower will choke up my Silvia.

    • ash2000 on 20/09/2016 - 13:46

      I had this exact same issue…..My grinder (820) was grinding perfectly, even on older beans I was getting a good extraction around 12. And then over the course of a week, I had to keep adjusting the grind lower and lower, until I could no longer get it low enough.

      I gave the burrs a good clean, and tested the machine without coffee in it. Without coffee, I could hear the burrs making a metal on metal sound at anything finer than 12.

      Called up Breville, got an authorisation number and had it replaced the same day at the good guys.

      The new grinder now works as it did, back to about 12 for the perfect extraction.

      If you can't block your machine up with your finest grind (even with supermarket beans) get it replaced. Breville's replacement warranty is valid for 24 months.

      As for the burr (built in shim) adjustment on the 820, this should only need adjusting if you've ground more than 200kg of beans (according to Breville https://youtu.be/WvDdj1BDqeU?t=2m20s ).

      • SickDmith on 20/09/2016 - 23:05

        Interesting…
        I can hear metal sound on an empty grinder with lower settings… Probably below 10… need to test it again…
        Are you saying it should not be doing it?

        • ash2000 on 20/09/2016 - 23:33

          Breville seemed to think not. And the fact I could no longer get an extractable grind I suspect they are linked.

          I should really check if it still makes the Same noise empty with my new replacement.

        • SickDmith on 20/09/2016 - 23:42

          @ash2000:
          That would be helpful!
          Thanks.

        • ash2000 on 21/09/2016 - 11:29

          @SickDmith:

          Well, results are in. I'm still getting a noise on the new machine, not as loud, but a definite metal grinding noise.

          So maybe it's totally unrelated to the loss of grind "fineness" I had on the old machine, or perhaps it is the burrs eating themselves away, until the ability to grind finely is again lost? Time will tell.

          My Sunbeam grinder, which can easily "block" the pour on the finest setting makes no additional noise at the lowest setting without beans.

          Maybe the BS820 is just a 🍕💩?

        • SickDmith on 21/09/2016 - 12:54

          @ash2000:
          Thanks for coming back.
          Look like further research is required. :)

        • ash2000 on 21/09/2016 - 13:42
          +1

          @SickDmith:

          I think so, in the mean time, I'm keeping my purchase receipt close at hand.

  • pokipop on 20/09/2016 - 09:58

    Can anyone recommend a cheaper alternative to the cleaning tablets? (Maybe even powder form if that's cheaper)

    • LoungeLizard on 20/09/2016 - 10:04
      +2

      I use Cafetto S15, about $25 for a 60 pack at Officeworks

      • pokipop on 20/09/2016 - 10:16

        Awesome, thanks!

    • bezz on 20/09/2016 - 10:23
      +2

      You can buy the Cino Cleano packs off ebay for about $12 shipped for 8 tablets.

      • aec on 20/09/2016 - 11:33

        how often do you need to use the tablets?

        • bezz on 20/09/2016 - 13:00

          Once every 200 or so cups the machine pops up with 'clean me'. For me it has come up 3 times since buying the machine at the start of the year however I do use it quite a lot.

        • aec on 20/09/2016 - 13:48

          @bezz: thanks.

    • Crys on 20/09/2016 - 23:45
      +1

      Don't waste money on tablets, they're a ripoff. I use Cafetto Espresso Clean in powder form. You can get 1/2kg for $12.90 (plus postage):
      http://www.coffeeparts.com.au/accessories/by-brand/cafetto/a…

      Instead of the tablet you just put in a scoop or two of powder. 1/2kg of powder will last you at least a few years for light domestic use. I've still got almost half a jar full for my ozb Sunbeam EM7000 from 2 years ago.

      General rule of thumb is to do a flush with cleaner for every 1kg of beans. I just do it manually when needed and never relied on the automated cleaning cycle.

      • pokipop on 21/09/2016 - 09:34

        Thanks! Still learning my way around the machine :)

  • wfdTamar on 20/09/2016 - 10:01

    Why do you reckon it is better than the Oracle (BES980) (besides the question of bang for buck)?

    • ts13 on 20/09/2016 - 11:33

      If you know what you're doing, you can definitely make better coffee with the manual machine than the auto. Of course if you don't know what you're doing, it might be easier to just get the auto and let the machine do it for you. At this level of technology, the manual control is better than the automatic control. Consider that baristas in your local coffee shop don't press a button and walk away (gosh I hope not). They've got manual control of all aspects. But like I said, it requires a bit of knowledge to make the most of it.

      • wfdTamar on 20/09/2016 - 11:42
        +1

        If you know how to use (set it correctly) the auto machine, you can make as good a coffee as the manual one - and once you've worked that out it's a doddle. So it seems we have different opinions :-)

        • ts13 on 20/09/2016 - 11:43
          +1

          Exactly! May be a matter of personal preference as well. To each their own :)

  • Kanu on 20/09/2016 - 10:11

    i have the same question as wfdTamar anyone have experience with BES980 and this machine that can provide feedback, im in the market to buy now.

    • bezz on 20/09/2016 - 10:28

      They are both solid (and very similar) machines. For myself I couldn't stand the automatic steam wand on the 980 as it was massive and I preferred the greater control with the BES920 wand. I also liked the idea of having the grinder separate so I could upgrade it later if I wanted to. If bench space is a premium I can see why an inbuilt grinder would be preferred however. You can't really go wrong with either machine to be honest but be sure to check out brands like Rancilio and Rocket as well.

      • wfdTamar on 20/09/2016 - 10:46

        I asked because I have the BES980 and as bezz says, they are very similar (inside). I love the auto steam of the 980 - it produces great milk. Of course it is fun trying to do it on a manual machine too. You can always upgrade to a different grinder if you want - you just can't change the one in the machine. I find it fine as a grinder though the tamping doesn't always leave a smooth surface (having said that I do like the Smart grinder).

        If buying again I might consider the 920 as it's so much cheaper and with a bit of practise can produce as good a cup as the 980. The hardest bit is getting a source of good consistent beans to use. I now roast my own in a Behmor 1600+. That way I can do small lots of fresh beans as I need them, rather than having to buy lots of kg (to get them cheaper) which can go stale before use.

        • bex000 on 20/09/2016 - 11:10

          IMO, 920 will do a better cup. Milk done the manual way is usually better.

    • ruriruri on 20/09/2016 - 22:53

      My BES980 tamper fan failed after 8 months daily use. Followed instructions from Breville to re-calibrate the tamper fan by turning hte grind size to 1 (huge mistake, never do this to your machine). Burr started grind itself. Now burr is damaged and sent to repair. I am getting coffee withdraw for 2 weeks now.

  • JetLi on 20/09/2016 - 11:09

    Was thinking about this, then worked out it would take a few years to recover just the cost of the machine, let alone the ongoing running costs & time spent cleaning etc, really only for diehard coffee addicts.

    • bex000 on 20/09/2016 - 11:11

      Don't forget the therapeutic effect of making your own coffee.

      • JetLi on 20/09/2016 - 11:12

        fair enough, but personally, I like someone else making it for me.

  • Sammyboy on 20/09/2016 - 11:19
    +1

    Waiting for the Oracle to drop to the $1600 mark again with discounts….been soooo long

    • spersephone on 25/09/2016 - 18:32

      $1695 plus postage with the CUT20 discount code on eBay's Bing Lee store.

      • Sammyboy on 26/09/2016 - 10:41
        +1

        got it for $1599.20 direct from good guys as they dropped the price to 1999 and then 20% off. Got a $100 voucher for click and collect from buying it….was soooo tempted to buy another machine for home as well…would have made it 1499.20…which would then have made it the lowest price ever…but bought a rangehood instead lol

  • bargdebarg on 20/09/2016 - 11:22
    +1

    I have this. Makes a coffee that is almost as good as from a 25k commercial machine. And perhaps that's just the difference in their barista skills vs. mine…

  • [Deactivated] on 20/09/2016 - 11:46
    +1

    For those intending to purchase, there might also be a $100 Click & Collect store credit till 22 Sept. Can't see the Click & Collect logo on the page though but then I haven't seen it on any product page for that matter.

    Edit: Confirmed by Javelandy.

  • Andy80 on 20/09/2016 - 11:48
    +1

    Just placed my order at the $1038.40 price :) Upgrading from a Sunbeam EM6910 that has been great over the last 6-7 years, just had to replace a worn collar recently.

    I also received an SMS notification that there is a click and collect store credit promotion, so received a code for $100 in store when I collect the coffee machine. https://www.thegoodguys.com.au/click-collect-get-credit

    • ts13 on 20/09/2016 - 11:53

      lmao, really? that just sweetens the deal. I'll add it to the deal. Cheers for the heads up, and have fun with it!

      • unbelievable on 20/09/2016 - 12:32
        -2

        there is a minimum spend of $150 to redeem the $100 store credit

        • hyds on 20/09/2016 - 12:36

          No, the minimum spend of $150 is to qualify for the store credit up to $100, if you spend $150 you get $15 store credit, spend over $1000 you get $100 credit. There's no spending limit to redeem the credit

    • wjb on 20/09/2016 - 12:24

      whoa so the click and collect promo works at ebay?

      edit: this is not ebay, confused by the recent 15% 20%

  • LaTerrible on 20/09/2016 - 12:16
    +2

    Phew, hot price and well detailed OP along with accurate answers in the thread. Good stuff! You a member of coffeesnobs by any chance?

    As tempting as this is, I'm hanging out for more stock and a price drop on the NS Oscar II… but it is tempting…

  • bex000 on 20/09/2016 - 12:46

    Does this fit the machine?

    https://www.smallbatch.com.au/shop/equipment/vst-precision-f…

    • ts13 on 20/09/2016 - 12:52

      Yep! I would recommend 18g for home use.
      Interestingly, Pullman tampers recelty released their own line of "precision baskets" which look as good and cheaper. Haven't been out long enough for me to comment on them yet…

      • ruriruri on 22/09/2016 - 11:12

        I found the price vary quite a lot on different. $30 to $70. Where is the best place to buy genuine VST filter? Would you recommend 15g and 7g? Thanks.

        • ts13 on 22/09/2016 - 13:33

          A VST basket shouldn't cost more than $50. I think they typically sell for $30-$40.
          I've never heard of people selling fake VSTs - I don't think you'd have any issues in that regard.
          I wouldn't recommend 7g baskets due to issues with flow rate and channelling. It's hard to restrict flow with such a small dose, and @9bars of pressure - it's simply not commonly done. Not to say it can't be done, but it's not commonly done. Coffee shops are starting to brew at low pressure now, but it's not really feasible for domestic machines etc. In terms of warranty void.
          15g VST baskets are almost standard in Europe. Whereas 20g - 22g baskets are standard in Australian cafe culture. 15g is definitely feasible! Just depends on how much you want to dose, and ultimately, how strong you want your coffee. The bigger the basket, the more coffee you can fit, and therefore, the more coffee can come out!
          You can probably buy them from any specialty store in Aus either in store or online. Try places like Felix and co. ; Grouch ; St. Ali ; Micrology ; etc. etc.

        • ruriruri on 22/09/2016 - 14:22

          Cool Thanks. Standard or ridgeless basket?

  • Powershopz on 20/09/2016 - 14:31

    Damn this is so tempting. Just about to move into a new house. My trusty Breville BES860 is still going strong after 6 years of use though.

  • apu on 20/09/2016 - 14:52

    I have owned this machine and grinder for around 12 months.

    A few observations in respect of the OP's comments:

    1. A scale is a good idea. I have the Brewista scale which is fine. I use it to measure coffee shot output. I learnt at a St Ali coffee course that it's better to measure weight of espresso vs. volume. Be aware that with using a scale on this machine there is not a lot of clearance for higher cups, like latte glasses.

    2. I don't think you need VST baskets for this machine. The updated Breville baskets (i.e those manufactured in the last 18 months) are laser cut and the default 20g basket does a great job. I've compared VST and the Breville baskets side by side, and visually they look similar. I own the 18g basket from Talk Coffee, and I don't like it with this machine.

    3. The Breville double basket is approx. 58.4mm wide (similar to a VST). You can therefore buy a 58mm tamper or a more snug 58.4. I personally use a custom made Eazytamp 58.4mm tamper, which works great, but you need to be careful of the vacuum effect when removing the tamper (due to the snug fit). The on-board standard tamper works fine as you would expect for an included tamper.

    Finally, my machine pulls around 2-3 double shots daily for the last 12 months. It's recently started losing pressure on the indicator and the first actuation of water through the group head is very weak. It is also buzzing when operating. According to coffee snobs, this is a sign of a failing solenoid. Obviously I will get this fixed under the 2 year warranty, but it concerns me that there are failures like this in the first 2 years. Sure, this is no GS3 (and is priced accordingly), but you would expect a little better for a $1k piece of kit.

  • corbz on 20/09/2016 - 15:30

    I got this combination during the previous sale on here.

    Happy to answer any questions. I've been really happy with it.

    Look into setting the pour by volume not by time for a more consistent coffee (and it helps calibrate your grind/tamp)

  • KOBH on 20/09/2016 - 15:57
    +1

    It's a bargain. The Oracle is $1600 + bonus $100 store credit

  • mick1 on 20/09/2016 - 16:33
    -2

    Personally - as a former owner of a Breville dual boiler - I would NEVER buy another one due to lack of durability - and it's also the recommendation from the espresso machine repair guy I use.
    The dual boilers make very good coffee for about 18 months, but it's usually either a rapid or not so rapid down hill slide after that.

    The components in these machines are junk when compared with the name Italian brands. In my case it required significant repairs after 18 months (covered under the 2 year warranty), and the machine was finished less than a year later (repair bill would have been $800+ - shop recommended not to do it.) My usage averages about 12 - 14 double shots per week.

    If you look on productreview.com.au you'll see glowing reviews by buyers who have recently bought - and the reason is that these machines make it relatively easy to produce a very good espresso when they are one year old (provided you have fresh beans etc). Look instead at the slightly older dual boiler models (like the BES900) and you'll see endless comments by owners faced with very large repair bills.

    In this price range I'd go for an Italian brand single boiler with temperature control. They usually have commercial grade components, and you can be reasonably confident that they will last (10 years is not unusual) and because they are simpler, if repairs are needed the cost is much lower.

    If you pay $1000 for a machine that only lasts 1500 shots, that seems expensive coffee to me.

  • bah humbug on 20/09/2016 - 17:03

    I have had the bes920 machine for 2 years now. Awesome machine. Am tempted to buy a 2nd as a backup. Started with a Sunbeam em6910 but was never satisfied with results. Needed collar spacers to stop the constant leaks and the group seal was replaced every couple of months.

    After much practice on the bes920, great fresh roasted beans & local unhomogenized milk, I hardly buy coffee out.

    If anyone here is from Adelaide, look up Monastery Coffee. You will not be disappointed with the choice of single origin coffee or the quality.

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