The Breville Dual Boiler is no longer listed on the Good Guys website as a solo product, it is now sold only as a bundle with the Breville Smart Grinder Pro ($1699).
Walked into TGG and noticed they still have it for sale as a single product in store for $949. With the current 15% off deal, comes down to $806.65.
Utilising the current Ultimate Home eGift Card deal brings it down to $725.99
I guess it would depend on repair costs and guarantee that the repair will fix the problem.
Have you tried giving the machine a full clean?
Try descaling it. Also check for leaks as my 7 year old Barista Express needed new O rings / some of the plastic bits had cracked but also I think the 3 way valve also isn't shutting properly impacting steam pressure.
The dual boiler is a different class, larger portafilter, better temp stability as its a boiler not thermoblock. And can steam / extract espresso simultaneously.
I found a significant difference as I upgraded about a year ago. So if you're really into your coffee its worth the upgrade at this price. Note will need a grinder as the above is machine only.
Yes, we've done descaling (semi-regularly). Am tempted just to put this one in the cupboard as a backup and buy the dual boiler.
Good idea to by BDB (@ this price) and keep the express as backup. In mean time do clean and scale cycle, and clean steam nozzle with the needle.
@esosite: The machine comes with something called a Breville Cleaning Tool, but any needle should be fine.
https://www.breville.com/au/en/parts-accessories/parts/sp000…
This is a great price and great machine. I experienced a lot of the same issues you did around the six year mark, but I suppose that's to be expected with all the rubber and plastic inside the machine. Unless one is willing to pay $3k for an all copper piping machine, this is what you get. But it's a great machine for the price.
Definitely worth descaling the machine thoroughly if you haven't already. The thermoblock water channels in these appliances are tiny and will block with scale causing reduced steaming.
Cheers mate, will give it another crack. Am using supermarket brand descaler…is that as "good" or effective as any other?
It should be ok, I used to use water and vinegar mix and it worked fine for 3 years, need to clean machine when clean light flashes.
@huntabargain: I'd consider switching to citric acid, acetic acid (vinegar) hardens plastic and will reduce the life of the o-rings and internal plastic parts (providing it comes in contact, so mainly just o-rings).
@albot: I used diluted vinegar to water 1:2 ratio, the descale process takes few minutes then rinse with clean water after, so don't see issue as no concentrated vinegar left for extended time, but point taken. Now with my Italian made double boiler, I can only do backflush with water or cleaning tablet as can't do descale.
I used to use citric acid that you can buy at supermarket in baking section ….. comes as powder.
What's the ratio you use to descale it please??
@honkyb: I have a Delonghi Dedica and I use 2 tablespoons in the tank filled with water - been doing it for years with no dramas.
You can probably buy it in much larger and cheaper quantities from places like Indian or Asian supermarkets - I think Coles and Woolies would be quick expensive, although still cheaper than branded 'descaler' .
I know sunbeam have a stainless thermoblock ….. mine was used daily for 6 years till I gave it away to my son and it still works ………….in Melbourne we have soft water so mineral build up isn't as big an issue, I now have Breville dual boiler BUT,
Often on machines the steam wand gets blockages and slows down, this is because a little bit of milk gets sucked up into the wand when you turn the steam off and it cools ….. unscrew wand and give a good clean …………
If you have hardwater in your area, thermblock might need a clean,
These things dont wear our, they just get dirty.
Good tip. Always flush the steam wand after each use.
If you have barista express, the DB is a far better overall machine. Definitely worth upgrading if you can find one at this price.
A dedicated boiler such as on this BDB should do a vastly superior job to a thermoblock I'm sure.
Not sure why you got downvoted for this - It's absolutely true, the boiler is vastly superior to a thermoblock
Have you tried taking the steam wand nozzle off and soaking it in hot water for a few minutes? That helped for me.
Will definitely give that a go, appreciate the suggestion!
It's ~ 42 seconds to 60°C for milk on the dual boiler vs 75 on the barista express. So it's much better steam speed & pressure (relative to the express) and you can also do it at the same time as pulling a shot.
I had this problem, until I heated up water with the steamwand for a while(couple mins), then used the needle(came with the unit) to clean the steam nozzle. Now year 4 and running solid.
We have the dual boiler, but had the exact same issue as well as a leaking wand. I changed the o-rings (check youtube) and it now steams much faster.
So… how do you apply 15% off if it’s not on the website?
Call the 1300 number listed. They have national stock levels and organise interstate shipping too.
$1699!
Dual boiler is normally around $1000 and the smart grinder around $250 (even bought my smart grinder a while back for $160)..
$1699 seems crazy.
Dual boiler prices went nuts over covid. Only getting back to normal now.
This is not a normal price… The RRP price of this model and normal price of all other brands and models are only going up the roof.
Nah think you're wrong, only the bundled model with grinder beP920 is eligible. That's BEP920 not BES920
Yep you are right.
Which store? I want one
Which store was this OP?
Macgregor QLD
Do you know if they had many left in stock? might pop down to get one there if so
There was 4 when i left
Just wondering if spending an extra $50 for the Barista Pro model is worth it.
I keep getting popups knocking $20 off, which brings the above to $949 less 15% less 10% = $748.94
Barista Pro is not a dual boiler. Dual Boiler is superior
Thanks, that's what I needed to hear!
I think context is important. The benefit of the Dual Boiler is that it helps if you are making a lot of coffees at once (because it is a dual boiler) and hardcore enthusiasts want a dedicated grinder. But the Barista Pro will take up a lot less bench space which can be a big deal in a smaller kitchen. Happy to be correct by someone if there is additional benefits to the Dual Boiler?
Bigger porta filter, better milk frother, better temp stability…its just a better machine.
@harro112: Good points, I found a good comparison article which mentions these. The bigger porta filter potentially enhances the quality but you must have a grinder (like Eureka) to get the most out of it. The frother is 3 hole head instead of 1, more of a learning curve but can make it much quicker to froth but not really any improvement in the quality. Temp stability control also seems another but the Pro does have PID too? Doesn't really elaborate I'm guessing just a bit more consistency with dual boiler. So yeah a better machine except for it lacking the thermojet of the Pro.
With most things in life (audio equipment, cameras etc) there is diminishing returns. Since you need a $600 > grinder then really it's in a different price category to the pro.
@Goonos: You don't need a $600 grinder to make the most of a dual boiler, any decent grinder will do fine - Like the Breville Smart Grinder which is a favourite on here and can be had for $150-$250
Dual boiler compared to Pro:
58mm portafilter vs 54
Much better temperature control (Digital PID)
Pre infusion
Over pressure valve
Proper high pressure/dry steam
+ the obvious two boilers so you can pull a shot and froth milk at the same time
Just on pre-infusion, see blurb below. These features all add up to a much better shot pull.
"Pre-infusion refers to the process of gently soaking the puck of ground coffee in your portafilter before applying the full desired brewing pressure. The goal is to ensure that water evenly penetrates the grounds to ensure that the entire bed has the same amount of water flowing through it once extraction begins."
@sovereign01: The breville brinder is ok but it’s worth it getting something like a Sette 270 instead
@Goonos: Can always hand grind. Just drop $200-$300 on a nice 1zpresso or something.
I think an excellent grinder represents the best bang for buck improvement one can get in their espresso, regardless of the portafilter or machine used.
The cheaper machines, of course, are designed to cover up grinding limitations with the likes of pressurised baskets.
I think this is valid. If you're not doing milk coffees at all - why would you want a DB?
Hardcore enthusiasts probably aren't buying a Breville though, grinder or no.
@Banj0: Ideally, an espresso machine should work with repeatable temperature (and pressure).
The dual boiler is designed for making cafe quality coffee at home. To do this, they designed for temperature stability, preinfusion, repeatable pressure and concurrent steam/brew.
As an example, let's look at the thermal side of things for the design choice in the Dual Boiler:
1. a boiler has inherent stability due to its thermal inertia thanks to the additional volume of water compared to a thermoblock.
2. the Dual Boiler has an active heater on the group/shower screen to maintain the temperature of the water while it is being extracted.
3. the intake to the brew boiler actually uses the steam boiler as a heat exchanger to preheat the boiler inlet, so as to minimise the thermal shock while refilling the boiler.
4. PID control (proportional, integral, derivative control) measures the error in the output temperature regularly to switch the element on or off and maintain a temperature close to the set point. With the other 3 above, the error is usually quite low and thus the ripple in temperature is usually quite low.
Most other thermoblock machines cannot match these and just work with PID control, and subsequently have more variation ripple in the brew temperature.
The dual boiler usually heats up from cold in 2-3 minutes. (compared to less than a minute for thermoblock machines)
If you are patient, you can wait longer and the portafilter will heat up also while its in the machine - in my case, the Dual Boiler is set to turn on 10 minutes before I usually make my first coffee so everything is good to go.
@repeat: Yes…the HX design in these is pretty cool. I believe some other higher end DB machines have a similar system - though obviously there's a $$$ penalty. I wasn't aware of the screen heater in them.
As impressive as it is, I do wish the Breville DB machine was made of sterner stuff (ie more of a commercial build)…though of course they'd never make that for anything like what you can buy a BDB for. I just hate seeing this stuff end up in landfill when it breaks and is not economically repairable.
I totally get the attractiveness of a machine that requires minimal user input for shot consistency.
Dual boiler also takes much longer to warm up when you switch it on which was a turnoff for me
@badmedicine: Re Warm up time : You can set it to automatically turn on at a certain time in the morning, but honestly? No, not really. 2 to 3 minutes.
@badmedicine: lol…I use a Rancilio Silvia, and IMHO it's best to have that turned on for 30 mins prior to using (I can supercharge that a little by turning the steam heater on, but best for it to have a 30 warm up).
@badmedicine: You need to turn any coffee machine on and leave for good few minutes before use even thou the light shows ready to use. The internals and group-head need time to heat up for All machines.
Barista pro has a lot of extra features. You can adjust pre infusion time, boiler temps, auto turn on in the morning, these an easy mod for full manual pressure control, the list goes on. Better wand, better portafilter, group head 100 watt heater, etc etc
@kiitos: That's my bad, I meant to say the Dual Boiler has all those extra features. I'm off sick today you see, scrambled :D
Hate losing bench space and having another unit to plug in and maintain so I prefer the built in grinder version. I know there are some hardcore standalone grinder peeps but my coffees taste great.
Bargain get on it
Amazing price - any way to find out which stores have stock?>
Check in store or try calling 1300 942 765
What's the actual model number for the machine in the OP?
BES920
Thanks!
They accept the coupon code in store? I thought it was online only.
Staff member automatically applied the 15% discount
Thanks. Literally added this unit to my watchlist an hour ago and then your post came up. lol timing.
Just spoke to my local TGG and they said they can't apply 15% in store.
Which store was it?
Thanks OP, successfully obtained this deal in store.
Sadly looks like it is excluded from Breville Promotions. But small price to pay for this bargain. Lowest price on here since Dec 2019.
Hi any chance you could share the receipt please?
Called two stores (TAS). The 15% discount is fine but they won't sell machine individually.
Awesome deal OP. Call your local TGG enquire about this model and they will send you a link to your mobile phone to purchase (with 15% off applied). Then just use your giftz prepaid card to complete the deal.
First time using the Ultimate gift card. I read that only 1 gift card can be used on TGG website? What amount did you use?
$806.65 then applied promo code JULOVE.
Thanks. Wasn't sure if cents can be used in the amount
Wow, good timing.
I have had mine now for 7 years. Basically making 1 coffee a day, sometimes 2/3.
But now I'm starting to have an overboil, where it boils past the temp I set, which then stops the machine from pulling shot. At this price probablly better to buy a brand new one.
This happened to me too. The issue was a leaky o-ring inside the machine. Water leaked on the PCB and this was the result. Was fixed under warranty.
Just to add to other comments - no stock in my local area so paid $15 for delivery and after the 15% discount the total was $820. This is using the global sales number (1300).
For the WA folks, Malaga, Oz Park, Midland, and Belmont are all out. Joondalup has some stock tho
Called the 1300 number, none in stock in WA. $10 shipping via Toll though. Ordered one!
Any idea why it's no longer on the website? Is it being discontinued?
Cheers
It's weird, there have been rumours of it being discontinued for years, but hasn't happened yet.
It seems to disappear from JBHIFI / Good Guys websites and then reappear. Have been eying off a new one for a while
Having just bought it, I'd be pretty bummed out by is if they replace it with an even better model haha!
Costco has the following package $1299
Breville The Dynamic Duo Coffee Machine Black Truffle BEP920BTR
I was looking for a Dual Boiler in Black Truffle, until recently decided to keep using the Barista because of the build in grinder. Infrequent beans in the build in grinder, regular beans in the standalone grinder.
Otherwise would most likely get this combo at this price and sell the Smart Grinder.
The national number person says she can't see it on the website and so can't sell it. I mentioned the above experiences but to no avail :-(
Asked if she can see which stores have stock and same answer.
Had the same issue, got them to transfer me to a local store and they were able to help out. They had one in stock too, even though the 1300 fella said they didn't stock the item.
Yes call your local store directly. My particular local one was very friendly and helpful.
Also if anyone is desperate for a grinder now, use the same tactics above to get the smart grinder pro for $228.73.
Brings the total cost for the duo to be $954.71 (delivery extra).
I tried calling my local stores first, but both rang out. Then tried the national number and got stonewalled, but she offered to transfer me to a local store, which rang out again. Looks like I'll have to invest the cost of petrol and try my luck in person.
This sounds like an amazing deal. Great price.
How do I redeam the gift card?? Its not accepting it?
Also had a mini heart attack. It's not actually a gift card, use it like a virtual debit card and checkout normally with it.
Haha same here - although I messed up big time by getting a GC that was for $806 instead of $806.65! Had to rush in store to secure the last one they had in stock!
Thanks OP, easily the best coffee machine in this price range. Will be a nice step up from the baby brother, the Barista Express.
You have to add to your phone's wallet after clicking retrieve card in your email. To do this it made me download an app called My Prepaid Center first.
So I messed up by buying a GC for $806 instead of the $806.65, which meant I couldn't buy it via the link sent by the phone rep, which meant I didn't have stock reserved! Hurried in store and managed to split the payment between two cards and land the last item they had in stock.
Interestingly, despite downloading the app and loading the card onto Google Wallet, it kept declining the payment. They had to send me another online store link to pay for the $806 and then took the $0.65 via my CC in store. Absolutely chaos, but ended up with a great coffee machine at a great price!
Thanks for sharing this info. Good to know. Hadn't used this type of gift voucher before too
We have the single boiler version, but after a couple of years daily use it seems to take a lot longer to froth milk. Is it worth getting it [thermoblock?] repaired / replaced, or to just buy a new one like this?