First post.. please be gentle. Been eyeing on a Breville Dual Boiler and finally bite the bullet as rumor has it the BDB will only be sold as a bundle with the Breville Smart Grinder Pro which is usually retail at around $1600. This seems to be the cheapest since July where JB Hi-fi and David Jones has it for the same price. Enjoy!
Excludes Northern Territory, QLD Far North, QLD Regional, WA Regional, WA Remote, PO Box
Nope, it definitely takes 3s because it doesn’t need a boiler to heat up.
Having said that, yes always run a blank shot through the head and with an empty portafilter to get it preheated so you aren’t actually pouring coffee right away.
Bambino does not heat the group heat like the bigger models do, so it’s recommended to run hot water shots through before making coffee. Process still takes 9 minutes less than the bigger machines would
@blonky: Sorry you don't know what you are talking about. Running water through the grouphead for a few seconds doesn't preheat to the optimal temp. Sure it will help but if you think you are extracting with precision temp, you need to wake up from the dream you are in.
I guess you haven't touched the grouphead and portafilter of high end machine that has been preheated. It gets super super hot beyond your imagination
@dji1111111: Sounds like you have more experience than the type of person looking at consumer brevilles; as an average person the point I’m making is the bambino plus is a cheaper option that can make a reasonable coffee, and that expensive machines don’t guarantee a good coffee if the effort isn’t invested
No need for personal attacks here mate
@blonky: Please point out where I made a personal attack? That is an absurd claim lol
Saying you don't seem to know what you are talking about is not a personal attack. Maybe you need to relearn the definition of what personal attack is.
I was pointing our your misleading comment around how bambino plus preheats in 3 sec vs 10 minutes for BDB. not comparing apples to apples since BDB will preheat properly in that 10 minutes while Bambino will be ready to go in 3 sec but you will lose a lot of temp as the coffee extracts
@dji1111111: The grouphead and portafilter should not be hotter than the brew temperature of ~93 degrees. The BDB should take a little less than 10 min to heat up the portafilter/group head if you remember to leave the portafilter in the group head (I think the BDB has an auto-on function) so if you set it to come on in the AM before you get up, it should be nice and hot by the time you get to the machine. There is no way to actually get the included portafilter of the Bambino to the right temperature for long enough to get your ground coffee distributed, tamped and ready to brew as it is aluminium and has a big plastic piece at the bottom of the portafilter. But if you invest some money getting a bottomless portafilter and single wall basket, AND pre-heat with blind shots, you can get the portafilter to a satisfactory temperature pretty quickly. The thermojet system does get the water temperature and steam temperature right very quickly. For the money you spend (<$600), there is really nothing that beats the Bambino Plus/SGP combo for value, and is a good starting point for those learning the "craft".
Years ago, I bought the Bambino's great grandfather model. It was actually the lowest model Breville you could get, but with a fully brushed stainless steel finish. After discounts at the usual retail store (I think it was Harvey Norman), I paid $120 for it.
When the Bambino was released, I was shocked at their asking price! The only difference with my cheap Breville was that the manually operated coffee/steam turn dial, was replaced by electronic buttons. Of course, the Bambino also has a hot water function with my old Breville did not have, but everything else was similar. Same Thermojet system, same basket size etc…..
I don't get why people would pay so much for the Bambino. I'd rather get a Sunbeam at that price (and suffer the water leaking issues).
LOL.
Years ago, I bought the Bambino's great grandfather model.
I have no idea what grandfather model you are talking. There has never been a "lowest model Breville" with the feature set of the Bambino Plus (specifically the auto milk texturing).
The only difference with my cheap Breville was that the manually operated coffee/steam turn dial, was replaced by electronic buttons
That isn't true. The lower end Brevilles (didn't, and) don't have the auto milk texturing, which is a pretty big drawcard of the Bambino Plus. The next model up with that feature is the Breville Touch / Oracle - and they are huge price increases.
Thanks for the explanation I was wondering why the bambino was considered a better choice than the BES870BKS; considering I can get those for $599 at the moment,
@try2bhelpful: I own the BES860. If I was buying today, I'd buy either the Bambino Plus or the Barista Touch (or maybe a secondhand Oracle) - since they all include the auto milk texturing.
I have both. Bambino for camping. In terms of the final product, Bambino makes great coffee. I tried frothing milk with manual function and found it harder to get right vs the BDB. Now just use the auto frothing (I think on setting 2 for both temp and aeration).
For hardly any money the Bambino will give you coffee that will often be superior to what you will pay $5 for at a cafe (depending on who is making it). Doesn’t take long to pay for itself.
I prefer the BDB at home: 1. Easier work flow - coffee is pouring whilst you steam - easier to make multiple cups if you have guests 2. Easier manual frothing to get the milk how you like it 3. I like the cup heating and the timer so it turns on and pre-heats before I get there 4. The bambino is so light you sort of need to hold it with your left hand to get the portafilter in and out whereas the BDB is heavy enough that it holds still. I cant really explain why I don’t like that about the bambino - might just be the “easier workflow” point because you don’t have to think about countering the force of twisting the portafilter in / out - could also just be some sort of weird OCDish thing.
Conclusion - if money and bench space (or room for a separate coffee station) is an issue, bambino will not disappoint and I think you will be surprised by the quality of coffee (whether espresso or milk coffees). Otherwise I would get the BDB.
Thanks for the reply.
I love that you're currently getting better coffee than me while "camping"! Clearly need to up my game and get an espresso machine. Although I am enjoying my aeropress and hand grinder right now!
I have made almost 7000 coffees on one of these.
Would buy another in a heartbeat.
Is there really that much difference in build quality and longevity? They are both breville domestic appliance style devices. I've heard plenty of complaints about the BDB compared to solid Euro machines.
I do not know as I have not used anything else for such a long period of time.
I did have a Unic Pony espresso machine many years ago, and that thing was always getting repaired.
"Euro machines" require regular maintenance and I imagine like any other "Euro machine", they see you coming and charge a premium for that.
Breville machines are made by an appliance manufacturer, I do not see that as a bad thing, as they are built using appliance manufacturing techniques, to meet a target specification within a cost budget.
What sets the BDB apart is the engineering that has been done to meet its specification for the price - a feat which no European coffee machine has been able to do.
Yes well I'm not debating the euro machines vs breville. It's well known you pay for build quality and durability with them but breville gets you more features at a lower price point. I wanted to compare bambino which is also a breville so it seemed strange you would question the longevity of that vs BDB. But I see youve edited your original comment now so all good.
@BlueJay87: The bambino is a more compact machine (which I have not used), which is an exercise in getting a small footprint again with the latest appliance techniques with solenoid controlled steam, PID, thermocoil and purging between steam and brew.
@repeat: Thanks for reply. Bambino actually doesn't use thermocoil, but uses a unique "thermo jet heating system".
How long does the dual boiler take to heat up?
@BlueJay87: it takes a few minutes - I usually wait about 5 minutes if I turn it on, but it is usually up and awake before me (it has an auto on feature) but I havent changed it yet for daylight savings.
The thermojet looks like the older style slab/sandwich thermoblock design, it looks cheaper but more compact to me. I would be more worried about this one with thermal cycles over time because of the high energy input for fast heat up times with a more planar design.
https://www.breville.com/ca/en/products/espresso/bes878.html
@BlueJay87: Look up their diagram of the Thermojet. Looks like a thermocoil to me. https://www.breville.com/ca/en/products/espresso/bes878.html….
@Sleepycat3: I think of this as a thermocoil
https://glo-gadget.blogspot.com/2018/07/thermocoil-vs-thermo…
@BlueJay87: If you spent 1/4 of the money maintaining the BDB as you would thr higher end machines it will last a long time. Most treat it like a Kettle and never service or replace. There are some monster threads online with maintenance, servicing, modifications etc. Huge communities / followings of the BDB it's very DIY
@OzBargaincreeper: This.
Also people who buy high end niche machines are likely to be more knowledgeable and treat it much better, carry out maintenance etc.
We have 2 Sunbeam machines in our family both which have done a lot of shots, the Italian made ULKA pumps seem to wear out after a while and start surging. Fortunately if you are comfortable repairing appliances they are cheap to replace at around $40.
From what I understand most domestic coffee machines use ULKA pumps or clones of them.
I have an Oracle, been running it for 7 years and make 5 cups of coffee a day religiously! I wore out the (made in Italy) pump, so I bought a new pump and installed it. Still working great!
I got this and the grinder pro for around 1069 a few months ago with ebay discounts, my ex got the Express for around 500 with built in grinder, although I think dual boiler its great and no regrets, the difference and extra conveniences weren't really worth 569 and quality diff would be maybe 5 percent, so still worth considering options within budget. Although it's said pulling a shot takes half the time, if your micro managing the milk, I don't find that's the case as I only have 2 hands, pulling back to back shots is definitely quicker though
So I am assuming your ex spent enough time to dial in the express grinder? I feel that grinder is not that great. Whenever I get coffee powder from office (ground with a expensive grinder), compared to the expreess the difference is a lot.
The grinder in the barista express is very ordinary. Yes it will produce coffee but anyone who is semi serious about trying to replicate Cafe quality coffee from home should not go anywhere near it.
Her Grinder was rubbish until I turned back 2 clicks in the grinder, which I had to research, so def agree it's not good out of the box
Had mine a few months and it's a great machine. Don't stress about what it used to cost, even at this price it's essentially as cheap as anywhere in the world.
This is a realiable, cost effective, quick heating, and importantly DOES NOT REQUIRE PLUMBING machine suitable for domestic use. Most higher end rotary pump based machines need plumbing and take forever to heat up, This machine does it in minutes + a quick flush and youre ready to go.
Mine has been solid for over 3 years with regular use (~1kg beans a month). Tank filters are readily available (five bucks a piece every 6-12 months).
Traditional standard sized non-pressurized portafilter works well.
The only thing I got extra is a tamper because the plastic one included is crap. ($69 pullman which is an absolute joy to use).
Quick note about coffee quality:
1) You need beans roasted < 2 months ago to make espresso properly.
2) You need a good grinder to be able to utilize the machine properly. A decently consistent conical burr grinder is essential.
^If you dont have the above two things, dont expect your coffee machine, however high end, to make good coffee.
Thanks for the write up. Which grinder would you recommend ?
THe most expensive one your budget allows. Mazzer Mini if youre feeling rich. Sunbeam plastic ~100 dollar conical burr as a bare minimum. Seriously if you are spending 1k on a coffee machine, spending about ~250 on a grinder is reasonable. Some coffee snobs even recommend spending more on a grinder and fresh beans than a coffee machine… there is some truth to that.
I'd say most coffee snobs recommend spending more on a grinder than a machine to be honest. A Gaggia classic-tier machine plus a Niche Zero or equivalent is going to produce infinitely better coffee than something like a Breville Smart grinder and a 2k+ Lelit machine.
Eureka Mignon Specialita
I've got this paired with my BDB and I've been really enjoying making coffees that taste yummy.
I got my Specialita delivered last week from an ozb deal, it's world better than the Smart Grinder it replaced with my BDB
Virtually zero channelling with the new grinder, the smart grinder was impossible to dial in
A flat burr is generally better than a conical burr, but yes a good grinder is essential to good espresso.
A lot of people discount how essential a grinder is.
You are massively overemphasizing the amount of prosumer machines that legitimately NEED to be plumbed in. The better machines have it as an option.
Beyond 1 month is pushing it for most coffee.
Your other information is very relevant.
I have the combo for nearly 3 years. Really enjoyed using it everyday day, even thinking when it’s dead I will be buying it again.
Warning!!! Just please aware you need to check your batch number in the water tank slot first then search the correct descaling process when the machine showing need descaling. Otherwise you screw up the heating component of the machine.
In short, they updated the descaling process but your manual may still showing the old process which will destroy your machine, which I did but I was lucky it was within the warranty period: 2 years, got repaired easily very smooth experience.
You can google or search YouTube for more information.
How often/after how many coffees does it need descaling?
Depending hard or soft water you have… the first time for mine was nearly 2 years.
This vs barista touch??? .. for occasional users
For occasional users, get the Bambino Plus and a separate grinder.
Holy crap, is the Dual Boiler really 64.6cm wide?
Dimensions (WxDxH)
64.6(W) x 46.1(D) x 47.6 (H)cm
https://www.breville.com/au/en/products/espresso/bes920.html
That's probably the size of the box, the machine is 40cm wide. Still a tad too wide for me.
I've recently purchased Lelit Mara X from Polish Lelit authorised seller. For the similar budget, I would consider Lelit Mara X over BES 920
https://30.coffee/lelit-mara-pl62x-compact-espresso-machine-…
Their customer service response has been great so far.
In terms of the feature, BES920 wins across all the machine around $1k to $2k range at the moment, but I can't justify myself paying $999 + delivery, when I paid one for $300 less 3 years ago.
Lelit Mara X users reviewed the machine is very reliable and consistent.
Here is how those two operate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0kQ5WqjcU8
Good price but it's a bit of a gamble especially if you lack the knowledge to fix minor issues yourself.
Very different machines though and you definitely need more skills to be able to extract consistent shots with the Mara X
Are you getting this shipped from Poland to Australia and if so how much?
Longevity wise probably true, In terms of what's in the cup though, A Dual boiler will blow a heat exchanger into the weeds. eg: you can't effectively adjust the water temp on a heat exchanger, preinfusion is fixed not programmable.
In terms of what's in the cup though, A Dual boiler will blow a heat exchanger into the weeds.
This is completely incorrect and misleading.
It's actually arguable whether a dual boiler or HX produces a better tasting shot as per the article below:
https://www.finecoffeecompany.com/db-vs-hx/
Not to mention that the grinder, bean and skill of the person operating the machine will have significantly more impact on what's in the cup than whether the machine is a HX or dual boiler.
eg: you can't effectively adjust the water temp on a heat exchanger, preinfusion is fixed not programmable
Incorrect again.
The MaraX has 3 different temperature settings, which each provide a 2 degree range of brew temp. It's dual temp probe system combined with the 4kg brass E61 group also provides extremely stable temp consistency and requires no cooling flushes. It's fixed mechanical pre-infusion gives a really nice slow pressure ramp up, which as a default produces excellent shots. A flow profiling kit can also be installed if you'd like the option to play around with the pressure through both pre-infusion and throughout the shot.
I do know a thing or two about heat exchangers, have owned 6 of them and currently have a Profitec 500. If these 3 different settings can effectively/reliably replace the PID/dual boilers, Lelit would not have produced the Bianca. I suggest you read/watch DaveC's reviews on Marax which is quite comprehensive.
@OzHan: I've read Dave C's review and struggle to find anything that would suggest that a dual boiler would blow the MaraX "to the weeds" in terms of what is in the cup as you say. Please point me to what I've missed in there.
In fact his comparison to a dual boiler says the following:
His review also shows how you can achieve temperatures down to 1 degree accuracy.
A dual boiler would let you adjust the brew temperature using the pid by 1 degree at a time, which is easier and more accurate if you've controlled every other variable. It also will maintain a slightly more consistent brew temp, however both of these things are not going to "blow a HX to the weeds" in terms of what is in the cup. It will let you make minute changes, which may let you extract slightly different flavours from an espresso.
It won't drastically change what is in the cup, in fact far less than trying a different coffee bean, which I know you're not willing to even spend more than $40/kg on.
@OzHan: @OzHan I was eyeing up for Profitec 500 or 600. I've heard it is reliable, and with DB and the steam pressure seems to be strong.
If this BES 920 deal was posted last week, I probably bought this one and added Slayer Mod, to reduce mad spike in pressure.
@OzHand and @thestig you guys have really good points.
BES920 is a good item to start with, but Mara X will take less mod to fit how I want to pull an espresso. The price I found for Mara X fit under $1.5k to 2k, and having BES920 few years ago, I wanted to try E61 group machine too because of the looks and and how BES920 spikes the pressure and falls as it pulls a shot. I really like to have Bianca, but again it defeats my purpose, and when upgraditis kicks in about few years time, I have a room to add a flow control kit or something else like Bianca or Profitec 500.
Not quite. From memory , you are still not adjusting the temp at the group head and is not as temperature stable as dual boiler with PID
@thestig: Actually now I remember. It doesn't let you know what temp it is. It's rather useless low, medium and high settings. I am pretty sure I recall seeing some discussions or videos out there that pointed out its limitations which is why I didn't end up buying the mara x
As Davec put it, it is as good as a Heat Exchanger machine can get. In other words it's not as good as a dual boiler with pid
@dji1111111: The fact you say the temp settings are rather useless perhaps highlights either the level of knowledge you have in this area or maybe just your ignorance, however I'll include a bit more detail in case others with an open mind are interested in choosing between machines.
In older HX machines, which put a pid on the boiler alone it was correct that a dual boiler was superior to a HX, end of story. This was mostly because the temp of the brew water varied after coming out the E61 group and the temp of the boiler didn't account for this. This is where the MaraX changed things and actually included a second temp probe in the E61 group, which prioritises the brew temp and cranks up the boiler pressure while the shot has been brewed to give sufficient steam pressure. However, many who don't understand this still keep the old mentality that dual boilers are always better than HX.
Dual boiler machines with large boilers and E61 groups like the Bianca, I agree, are superior. This is mostly regarding their ability to produce multiple milk drinks back to back consistently. However, once you put milk over the espresso a 1-2 degree difference in brew temp would be extremely unlikely to be noticeable anyway. I haven't found an issue doing 6 lattes in a row, however if you do more than this perhaps you'd start running into some delays/inconsistencies as the machine re-heats, maybe?
If you compare dual boilers in a similar price range to the MaraX there is much less difference. My mate has brought around his Lelit Elizabeth V3, which is a dual boiler with PID to brew the same coffee side by side with my MaraX, both using my Specialita for grinding (yes our idea of fun!).
We've spent quite a few days playing around with various temps using the pid as well as the various pre-infusion settings using the steam boiler on the Elizabeth, which are all quite cool. However once the grind is dialled in on both machines for the setting, we haven't noticed a significant difference in the cup compared to using the 3 temp settings on the MaraX and it's fixed mechanical pre-infusion.
The MaraX seems to have the edge steaming a large pitcher of milk slightly quicker, however the Elizabeth does recover fast so if you steam a smaller pitchers after each shot both machines are very close here.
The Elizabeth does have the advantage of changing the brew temp on the fly, which the MaraX needs quite a bit of time to do (can be up to 15mins for the group head to adjust temp) so if you do this often I'd suggest buying the dual boiler.
However, my mate has actually asked if I'd be interested in swapping my MaraX for his Elizabeth V3, which must be crazy if a dual boiler is always better right?!?
His reasoning is that both machines produce extremely similar espresso in the cup but he prefers the feel of using the MaraX with the lever, the look of the classic chrome E61 group and the build. When we've pulled the covers off, the difference in build inside is stark. The MaraX has mostly copper pipes running everywhere and a big 1.8L insulated stainless boiler, whereas his Elizabeth seems to have much more plastic tubes and wires everywhere and two very small boilers, which looks like it would be much harder to work on and just doesn't feel as solid and quality for some reason. Having said that, neither have broken down at all.
The MaraX also has the option to add flow profiling, which would probably make a much bigger difference in the flavour of a shot than the temp stability/selectability and pre-infusion options of the dual boiler, but we haven't tried this yet so can't be sure. The dual boiler Bianca does have the best of both worlds.
Needless to say I've still declined his kind offer of the swap.
I know there are many different dual boilers with different features and this is just our opinion of these machines we've got but I thought this example highlights two machines from the same company in the same price range and shows it's not as simple as "a HX is not as good as a dual boiler with PID" as many other aspects of a machine are also relevant. In this case we'd actually both prefer the HX, although they're both great machines that produce great coffee.
It can't just be our opinions either that it isn't as simple as dual boiler is always better than HX, otherwise Lelit wouldn't sell many MaraX at all when the dual boiler Elizabeth V3 is a very similar price.
@thestig: Very informative text here.. I was looking to update my humble Barista express after nearly 3 yrs and was looking for Elizabeth, MaraX, Expobar Minore 4 and Quickmill QM67 as short list. I had a look at Elizabeth on one coffee shop and it did not look high built with more plastic tubing inside and cheap looking steam knob on the side (however seems to have bell and whistle features, DavidC impressed with its features) so I think I put it on bottom of the list. Expobar on paper was the best value for 2 boiler of 1.5lr each but seems to be not as refined as others (like to see a unit in person before commit). I have seen the QM67 and it looked best quality built, not as bulky but most expensive, so not sure, MaraX seem to have very good reviews and it kinda changed my thinking towards HX machines with its very compact size which is important for me as limited bench space with additional grinder But in general Lelit are on back order most of the time), hopefully when more stores are open will try and see Expobar and MaraX in showroom and try them out for final decision.
@huntabargain: I did consider those same machines too. I read mixed things about the build quality of the Quickmill, although they do look nice and also read that the Expobar brand was being discontinued so I was a bit concerned about part availability in 5+ years, however parts from other brands may fit. I didn't look in depth at these though so don't rely on my conclusions.
For some reason the Lelit brand really appealed to me, being a smaller family owned Italian company, who seem to push for innovation in their machines where as many other brands stick to what they know. Decent is obviously as exception to this and push innovation to another level.
Also, have a look at the Lelit Insider YouTube Channel. They provide very detailed technical videos showing you how to do a lot of servicing/repairs yourself should they ever arise, which is great if you enjoy tinkering.
@thestig: A lot of words for what contains a lot of nonsense and incorrect info and assumption. I am fully aware of how hx machines work. I said it's rather useless because not being able to set temperature explicitly is pretty ordinary. If you bothered to look up DaveC's review of it, you will have noticed a section on temp management and a number of ridiculous routines he suggests to achieve different levels of temperature.
Your last paragraph has to be a joke right? Probably a testament to how you lack any logic lol wow sure just because lelit sells mara x, it must have something to do with how it performs against dual boiler elizabeth. How about the fact that it's cheaper than elizabeth and has the more classic look that people often prefer? I'm sure that has to do with why people pick the mara x over the elizabeth .
How would a mara x that works on low/high settings and with the compromise of bew/steam priority be better than a dual boiler with pid that can independently control brew and steam temperature? It's merely better than a traditional hx machine.
Plenty of cons with mara x. No machine is perfect regardless of price point.
Please don't waste your money on dodgy pressure profiling mod. It's flawed.
The only thing the mara x has over the Elizabeth are aesthetic (subjective anyway) and consecutive steaming. If your priority is build quality, you would be looking at machines like profitec, not Lelit. In domestic use how often would anyone make more than 2-4 latte/cappuccino at any given time? Not many is the answer. I have zero issues serving 4-6 cups with my Elizabeth
@dji1111111: Oh you have an Elizabeth too.
This was just our opinions after a few days of comparing the machines side by side and what they produced in the cup
I'm providing an alternative opinion and review from someone (well two of us) who own these alternative machines and have compared them side by side for others considering purchasing HX vs Dual Boilers or maybe these two machines, which shows it's not as simple as "A dual boiler is always better than a HX for everyone".
If you want to say it's all nonsense that pretty much sums you up.
As long as you're happy with your machine and think it produces something significantly better in the cup, which is as subjective as aesthetics I guess, that's all that matters.
Both are great machines, we just both prefer the maraX, which happens to be HX.
@thestig: Yes because your post consusted of highly biased opinions mainly. It's absurd to say hx with a compromised pid set up is as good as a dual boiler with pid.
People are fascinated by E61 for no reason other than aesthetics. Apart from that it takes a long time to preheat, hot water needs to be flushed and shot time cannot be programmed
Like I said, generally speaking you are more likely to end up with more consistent result from a dual boiler with pid compare to a hx (with or without pid). Obviously you cannot achieve good result from any machine without the skill required.
Funny you mention the boiler size. People get hung up on the wrong things that don't even have any relevance. Just last week I made 4 cups of coffee back to back. 2 long blacks (water from hot water spout), 1 latte and 1 espresso. Had no issue at all. I can't see how in a normal domestic use, any one would be demanding more than 4-6cups at a time
Good find, can you share your experience with them, ie shipping cost and time taken, did you get coupon discount from them and how much % also would you pay customer duty or GST on arrival. Thanks
Mine is still in progress of getting shipped. ordered few days ago.
The coupon I requested got me 20 euros off, the shipping was calculated at the check out so you could put it in a cart and let it show the shipping cost. Mine said 145 euros, but I've added few more items not just a machine.
I've used this to calculate import tax and GST fees https://www.wwcf.com.au/customs-duty-import-goods-and-servic…
The reason I've gone done this route instead of buying from a AU dealer was, the price difference was quite a lot, albeit I will have difficult time when it comes to warranty. However, the machine was known to be reliable and even if I bought from the AU dealer I would only get 12 months warranty. After 12 months I have to look for a local coffee service professional anyway so the price difference will pay out and, the machine just needs a EU to AUS plug.
I recall on some product they are selling (grinder) they offer AU fitted plug for 10 euro, might be better option than separate adaptor?
I added machine in cart but cant get it to show shipping cost as say "Warning: Shipping method required!" however cant choose delivery method although already entered address.
The Lelit Mara X is $2400 here in Australia from a local reseller.
Yea, I was comparing all around, and that's how I found overseas source from mad googling
How many euros was it including the shipping?
I've added couple of parts like bottomless filter and etc. Shipping was 145 euros for me, but it can be calculated depending on what you add in the cart, that's how I calculated things before I made a decision to go ahead with this website.
Import fee is https://www.wwcf.com.au/customs-duty-import-goods-and-servic…
Also another thing that got me to pull this route was, AU dealer gives me 12 months warranty -> after that I'm on my own -> Lelit has good resources to find a solution. And most of the AU dealer I found said back-order
If you're a cheap ass again just go the Breville Barista Express. Has a small footprint. Built in grinder. Makes decent enough coffee and good froth. Just spend a bit more and get freshly roasted beans.
sadly my ass is too tight for that…
Too expensive
If you buy this, get extended warranty as well.
I know most people said this is way better than Nespresso
I have been using Nespresso for years and always feel that 1 capsule is too light in flavor (even with the strongest rated 11/12)
And even 2 capsules still has much difference compare to the one bought in Cafe
Will this espresso machine produce similar flavor like those in Cafe / Barista?
I'm sure it will, but a lot of it comes down to your beans, your grinder and your own knowledge.
Nespresso is ok but just doesn't get hot enough to produce a really good cup among other things. Convenience can't be beat for the price, though.
One of my favourite pods is Vittoria Inca Peru, closest tasting to cafe quality coffee imo, but everyone's different.
I would say even the Breville Barista Express would be a huge upgrade over nespresso pods, but you have to be willing to spend a few minutes each day making the coffee.
If you dial it in well and use decent beans then yes.
Yes, provided you use fresh beans and you develop at least some basic knowledge and skill in coffee making.
Nespresso coffee is overpriced and tastes horrible despite what many people believe but the truth is a lot of cafes out there serve up pretty horrible coffee too.
Not surprising nespresso tastes horrible since each pod only contains 5-6g of coffee
I had multiple Nespresso machines then got the DBD and sold/gave away the Nespresso. It was the Pixie and the Lattisima (IMHO the Pixie with a Breville frother is better than the Lattisima).
Last year I became nostalgic for how easy the Nespresso was especially with their special editions. I got both the Pixie and the new big capsule type machine too.
I ended up disliking both, selling them and going back to my BDB. My wife felt the same way.
Nespresso is great for offices because it’s easy to clean and foolproof. But if you have any ability on coffee machines at all, then the quality between it and DBD are miles apart for home use.
Our 8 year old Sunbeam EM7000 is still going strong - undecided if the BDB will be next, or another sunbeam (EM7100). Would miss the built in milk thermometer in the steam wand a lot if moving to the BDB. Anyone moved between the two and care to compare?
Once you get to know what the jug feels like when the milk is at temp, you won't miss it. Get a $5 clip in thermometre or one of the jugs with the adhesive thermometre on the side.
6470 shots through ours and still going strong.
I went from the EM7000 to this. Yes I miss the thermometer, but I got used the Breville method quickly (use your hand, when it's too hot, stop :D)
You can get thermometers to chuck in the jug if you want. Breville also sell a jug with a thermometer on the side, but it's rubbish.
Most cheap thermometers are useless, by the time it reads 65, the milk is way past that temperature.
What do people recommend as just a steamed wand milk frother?
Look up Breville Bambino Plus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HIGdYy5of4
or
Breville BMF600 Mik Frother
Thanks.
This + Sette 270… amazing combo
My bes920 died this morning. It's got to be around 6-7years old. I think it was the pump that's stopped. But I have a spare pump that I'll be installing (bought it as a spare 24months ago), but I just wanted to say that even at $1k, this machine should be an awesome addition to your kitchen and your daily routine.
Solid machine, ours is 7 years old and on average pulls at least 2x doubles a day.
Only thing that has failed was the solenoid but cheap and easy fix. The steam wand has started to also weep a bit when it's warming up, but once up to temp it doesn't any more.
This is reasonably easy to fix if you are not scared of disassembling things.
My setup makes great coffee:
Breville smart grinder pro + AeroPress + Breville BMF600 frother!!
It is a great machine but overpriced at this price I would say. Black Friday is not that far off.. even with Covid there were a few good deals around last year. Of course no one has a crystal ball but a 10% off the price for a 1000 dollar item is a deal but not a good deal IMHO. Not taking anything away from you OP.. great first post.. good find. This is an excellent purchase even at full price and you will not get a better machine at this price point but having read some of the initial comments, here is my suggestion to prospective buyers.
If you want to get cafe quality drinks at home, the first thing to understand is that it takes some work, hence why cafes exist, unless you use a Nespresso and feel it is the same quality as the cafes in which case you are lucky and I would urge you to not buy this or any other machine and stick with what you have. If you are ready to put in some effort then read on. If you do not know what pre infusion, volumetric shots, dialling in, slayer mod, dual boiler, PID, competition single basket, workflow, input to yield ratio, group head size means .. buying this even discounted maybe too much of a leap and a waste of money.
If you are still reading. then you are experienced and want the BDB but not an enthusiast going for a rocket OR you think this sounds like a good hobby and are willing to try it out . If you are the former, maybe Black Friday would give cheaper prices or maybe I am wrong and you should save a 100 here or maybe you should buy a used, refurbished unit with 3 months warranty.. plenty around. If you are the latter.. do not buy this machine even at a discounted price. No point in buying a high end car to try out manual driving. Start off with the Barista express if you do not have a grinder or the Sunbeam version of it which is pretty good and saves you heaps because it is not as popular for no other reason than marketing. If you have an espresso grinder then buy the Bambino or Bambino plus.
My post is intended to provide some help to people who are not in the know and everything here is my opinion, yours may vary and you may know a lot more than I do.
Spot on. Love your comment about the Nespresso aficionados being "lucky". But to be honest, I have had some horrendous cafe drinks - a Bambino in skilled hands will give you a much better cup than an untrained "barista" at your local sandwich bar using a commercial machine. Nothing even the most skilled operator can do with a Nespresso though!
Yes, I do think the Bambino in good hands is the best value machine as of date. I can sell my Silvia v6 and buy 3 of them and still have money leftover for a naked portafilter and a VST basket. Steam pressure is lower but 9 bars built in at the group head, pre infusion built in, PID built in.. those 3 things alone would cost more than the Bambino if I was to mod my Silvia. I do not like the look of the Brevilles but I'd rather buy 10 of them than a Linea mini and take my chances with the appliance grade product..as long as they produce coffee that matches a high grade machine. I have tried a bambino with my own grind and have been very impressed with what it can do for such a tiny little appliance grade product. The steam pressure and the thermo block which they have a fancy name for are the only bad things about it. But it produces as good a coffee as anything else I have tried. It is not meant for entertainers though.. one or two cups at a go then the quality goes down pretty fast till you let it cool. Which of course will not happen with this one.
Perfect summary Shaidas (and agree with zoomjc’s points too). To add to my post above, I bought a new BDB when I saw a good price because my first BDB had gone in for the OPV fix (after 4 yrs) and I thought I might get a new in case anything else was wearing out. Recently sold my first BDB on ebay for $460 - so that machine really only cost me around $100 a year.
10 minutes is not insane and there is a reason it takes that long. If you really think it's ready to brew in 3 sec, you have believed the marketing material too much. The water itself may be up to temperature but there is no way you can preheat the grouphead, portafilter and thr cup to optimal temp in 3 sec.
If you are pulling shots after 3 sec just because the machine tells you it's ready, you are extracting espresso with erratic temp and you won't get consistent result or the best flavour in the cup possible.