Is The Breville Dual Boiler Still The Beez Neez?

EightImmortals on 27/02/2025 - 13:29

Just poking around, our 10 year old Lelit started leaking steam through the grouphead the other day when in steam mode and I'm conflicted whether to spend the time and money on a 10 year old unit or just replace it. The BDB seems to be a perennial favorite so just wondering if that's still the case? Also, it could be overkill for our usage, on average we only make 1-2 cups a day, very occasionally 4-5. Our priority is great coffee (we have a separate grinder) and machine reliability and serviceability. I prefer to fix things myself if outside of warranty.

I believe the connections inside this machine were upgraded recently due to leaking issues, has anyone noticed any problems in this regard?

What other options would you recommend (under $1500)? I prefer a boiler to a heatblock and don't necessarily need a dual-boiler.

TIA

Home & Garden Breville Coffee Machine

Comments

  • mskeggs on 27/02/2025 - 13:49

    Do you make milk coffees?

  • CantonasKungFuKick on 27/02/2025 - 14:24

    Bambino Plus all the way, way cheaper and no messing around with milk frothing, does it for you and works perfectly

  • morebierplease on 27/02/2025 - 14:33
    +2

    If you're a tinkerer i had a lot of fun troubleshooting and installing spares for my lelit anna ordered from Jetblack espresso

    • EightImmortals on 27/02/2025 - 14:34
      +1

      Yeah I've done a fair bit of that over the last 10 years already. :)

  • elgrande on 27/02/2025 - 14:43
    +1

    Oracle

  • Stewardo on 27/02/2025 - 15:22

    What happens on the occasions where you have 5 coffees? Must be fully Lelit those arvos!
    Why not just get it serviced?

    • EightImmortals on 27/02/2025 - 15:33

      Nothing happens on those occasions, just wanted to note it's a low volume machine.

      "Why not just get it serviced?"
      Cost V age. What do they actually do in a service? I've recently replaced all the grouphead seals and given it a good clean and descale.

      • Charity on 02/03/2025 - 13:23

        They will tell you they replaced the group head seals, given it a clean and descale and she’s ready to go again. $450 + GST. Can we book you in 6months time for your next service?

        • EightImmortals on 02/03/2025 - 15:41

          Cheers, thought that might be the case, I do all that myself. :)

  • dogboy on 27/02/2025 - 16:01

    Yep, it is great.

  • ChrisLevo on 27/02/2025 - 16:23

    Expobar Leva.

    We have had ours for years, and it gets a pretty solid workout every day.

    You won't want anything else after you have used a Heat Exchange machine.

    • kiitos on 28/02/2025 - 07:18
      +2

      Isn't a dual boiler better than a HX?

      • gyrex on 28/02/2025 - 17:21
        -2

        Not necessarily. My Lelit Mara X is a HX machine and far surpasses the capability of most dual boilers.

    • EightImmortals on 28/02/2025 - 10:14

      It's about a grand over budget. :)

  • Gunnar on 27/02/2025 - 16:39

    I upgraded my Lelit P41 to an ECM Casa V a year ago and am loving the upgrade. I got 12 years out of the Lelit and had to replace it because the steel on the group head holder split! My service huh said he’s never seen it on a Lelit before. I could have gotten it fixed but like you cost vs age wasn’t worth it.

    Why not BDB? I’ve used them and don’t like Breville’s build quality and honestly think both the Lelit and ECM make better coffee

    • EightImmortals on 27/02/2025 - 17:30

      Thanks, I was looking at the Casa V this morning. It has a dual boiler doesn't it?

      • Gunnar on 27/02/2025 - 17:54

        Nah single boiler and it heats very quickly. From pushing the steam button, pouring the milk and coming back to the machine, it’s pretty much ready to go.

        What model Lelit do you have?

        • EightImmortals on 27/02/2025 - 18:35

          PL41TEMD

          • Gunnar on 27/02/2025 - 18:59

            @EightImmortals: I had the same (sans the PID) if you like that machine you’ll love the Casa. The BDB is a great bang for buck machine but I think these two do a better job (obviously if you need a dual boiler it’s a different story).

            Other things to consider, coming from your Lelit, a BDB will feel ‘cheap’ in your hands and is also an eyesore. The BDB is also a big machine (if space is at a premium for you)

            When I was buying my Casa I thought about just buying another Lelit because that way I’d have a spare machine for parts but just bought the ECM and it’s a decision I don’t regret. I also looked at a Quikmill Pippa but the smaller and side loading water tank was a deal breaker

            • EightImmortals on 28/02/2025 - 07:40

              @Gunnar: OK thanks, yeah kind leaning in the direction of the Casa at this point.

              • Gunnar on 01/03/2025 - 14:36

                @EightImmortals: Nice! If you have any questions about going from your PL41 to a Casa, I’m more than happy to answer. I also have the same Eureka grinder too

                The down side is you’ll need a new tamper BUT the Casa comes with a 58mm tamper (but it’s not heavy weighted, does the job - I just bought a new one that has more weight)

  • Save Medicare on 27/02/2025 - 19:12
    +2

    BDB still punches above its weight in the Australian market since we get so much cheaper here as Breville is a local company.

    In it's price range it's unbeatable, but if you want an upgrade you'll realistically have to spend 2-3x as much

  • Reticent on 28/02/2025 - 09:25
    +1

    BDB will make as good of coffee as anything in the 2-3k price range. And because we live in Aus, we get them extremely cheap. Hence the popularity.

    Despite the average build quality they’re highly serviceable too.

    You won’t go wrong with buying one, but I reckon there’s some sexier options out there now for more $$$.

    • EightImmortals on 28/02/2025 - 09:44

      Thanks, the BDB might be pushing us for space after I measured things up this morning. :) We'll see.

      • rossnroller on 03/03/2025 - 18:06

        It is a big bastard. If you have limited space, maybe best to look for a smaller option.

  • Blackfyre on 28/02/2025 - 10:10

    By by

  • rossnroller on 28/02/2025 - 13:21
    -1

    The claims about this and that machine making "better coffee" than the BDB are not factual. The machine is the least important element in the quality home coffee chain. Any decent machine is capable of turning out equally great coffee. Much comes down to the quality of the beans, the skills of the barista, THE GRINDER, and a combination of other lesser factors.

    So, don't factor the erroneous advice about the role of the machine in producing great coffee into your buying decision. Build quality affects longevity of course, so that should be taken into account. But then, so should value for money. On that basis, the BDB more than holds its own. You get a lot of tweaking options with a BDB, and that in combination with the extraordinarily modest price of it and other Breville products in Australia makes them worthy of serious consideration.

    TBH, unless you want the extra tweaking functions of the BDB, the Bambino is a great buy. I rate the Infuser even higher (apart from the steam wand, which is certainly better on the Bambino). Unfortunately Breville is no longer making the Infuser for the Australian market.

    PS: Upgrade your grinder if you're using a Breville. THAT will certainly up the quality of your brew.

  • EightImmortals on 28/02/2025 - 14:15
    +1

    Thanks for that.

    I roast my own beans, my Barista skilz may be questionable and I use a Breville Smart Grinder. I do have a Eureka Mignon Specialita which got on a sale here a couple of years back when the Breville looked like it was giving out but the Breville recovered. :)

    • rossnroller on 01/03/2025 - 16:11
      +1

      You may like to do some research on the DF54 grinder, which has been causing waves in the coffee nerd community. OTOH, perhaps you're happy with the Specialita. Haven't tried it, but until the DF54 arrived and was widely acclaimed as a giant killer, I know the Specialita was well regarded as a quality budget grinder.

      You're probably well aware of the coffee gurus like James Hoffmann and Lance Hedrick. I do believe these guys are unbiased and really know their stuff, and if I were in your place, I would be privileging their assessments above mine and others on Ozbargain. We're all well-meaning, but Hoffman, Hedrick et al are bona fide experts with massive exposure to coffee equipment.

      If you haven't already, you might want to take a look at these YT videos before you make up your mind on which way you want to go. All the best with your decision.

      James Hoffman
      The Best Espresso Machine Under £1,500
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0kQ5WqjcU8&t=1119s

      Lance Hedrick
      IS THIS THE BEST HOME ESPRESSO MACHINE?: What You Didn't Know About The Breville Dual Boiler
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmQgxQ5Higw

      Lance Hedrick
      STILL BEST VALUE ESPRESSO MACHINE OR DISCONTINUED? Breville Dual Boiler in 2023
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=425zem1rk_4

  • peteru on 01/03/2025 - 18:50
    +1

    You really need to shelve the Breville Smart Grinder Pro and start using the Eureka Specialita grinder. It is a HUGE improvement. My path was Sunbeam EM0480, Breville Smart Grinder Pro and then Eureka Specialita. In retrospect, I should have skipped the Breville Smart Grinder Pro - I could have been enjoying much better coffee years earlier.

    I was in the market for a machine a couple of weeks ago and considered the BDB. Instead I decided to go with an El Rocio, Manus S. It's on back order and should be delivered in the next 2-3 weeks. The Manus S has the features of a $3k+ machine for around $2k. E61 group, HX with PID, programmable pre-infusion and a mode where you can use the front panel control to vary the pump duty cycle, if you wish to play with profiling. From all the reports, the build quality and design are top notch - better than Lelit. On paper, the Manus S sounds great. Hopefully it will live up to the expectations when it gets here.

    If I were in your position, I'd be trying to fix the Lelit machine. Just because it's 10 years old doesn't mean it needs to be replaced rather than repaired. I've had the previous machine for 17 years, but I think mine is not economically repairable.

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join