The Breville 800ESXL espresso maker is a joy to behold. Fortunately, it is not all looks and no brains. The Breville Die Cast 800ESXL espresso maker offers a dozen innovative features to make your espresso-making experience a delight, rather than a chore. And the taste results won't disappoint, either.
Weighing in at 31 lbs (19 kg), it's on the heavy side of the scales as home espresso makers go. That weight doesn't guarantee a good shot, naturally. But the extra stability provides a welcome convenience. You'll spend no time cleaning up spills. With its stainless steel exterior, cleanup there is equally easy.
The interior parts are equally high quality. They feature a chrome-plated brass filter, which provides even thermal conductivity, and therefore excellent temperature control. Some reviewers give less than stellar marks due to the thermoblock heating component. But even the most expensive units use it, so it can hardly be considered a cheap substitute. It's doubtful whether anyone could tell the difference in a blind taste test.
There is one minor area where the design could be improved. The Breville 800ESXL has a proprietary dual-wall design. That helps create good pressure and temperature control. But it does tend to produce sludgy grounds. Experienced baristas or those who have tried several machines will be used to a drier, more compact puck. That is a convenience when it comes to clean up. However, in this reviewer's opinion, it's a minor defect.
The unit more than makes up for any less-than-ideal qualities by added convenience overall. It also, not coincidentally, produces a truly fine cup of espresso.
You'll be particularly fond of the steam wand on this model. It's set on a ball so you can turn it any direction you desire. That comes in very handy when you have different sized cups to fill. It can be used to fill cups with hot water, too, a nice feature for those who want to make hot tea and espresso with one machine.
The maker does a superb job of keeping water at precisely the right temperature throughout the machine for a stellar shot. Cheaper espresso makers have hot and cold spots, producing inconsistent and inferior results. As the water and/or coffee passes through the machine it is affected slightly by these differences.
A commercial-quality marine brass boiler might be the state-of-the-art component for temperature control. But in actual tests the difference was virtually undetectable, and thermoblock elements are lower price. It seems a very reasonable compromise.
The large heating tray at the base is a real convenience feature, too. Good baristas will pre-heat the espresso cup to prevent rapid cool down when pulling a shot. A tray that heats the cup adds to the effort, rather than fighting it.
The removable water tank produces up to 50 shots before requiring refilling, so the Breville Die Cast 800ESXL makes for a great machine for large parties.
The Breville 800ESXL Die Cast espresso maker offers convenience and high-quality in a medium-priced machine. No one could be disappointed about that.
Weighing in at 31 lbs (19 kg), it's on the heavy side of the scales as home espresso makers go. That weight doesn't guarantee a good shot, naturally. But the extra stability provides a welcome convenience. You'll spend no time cleaning up spills. With its stainless steel exterior, cleanup there is equally easy.
The interior parts are equally high quality. They feature a chrome-plated brass filter, which provides even thermal conductivity, and therefore excellent temperature control. Some reviewers give less than stellar marks due to the thermoblock heating component. But even the most expensive units use it, so it can hardly be considered a cheap substitute. It's doubtful whether anyone could tell the difference in a blind taste test.
There is one minor area where the design could be improved. The Breville 800ESXL has a proprietary dual-wall design. That helps create good pressure and temperature control. But it does tend to produce sludgy grounds. Experienced baristas or those who have tried several machines will be used to a drier, more compact puck. That is a convenience when it comes to clean up. However, in this reviewer's opinion, it's a minor defect.
The unit more than makes up for any less-than-ideal qualities by added convenience overall. It also, not coincidentally, produces a truly fine cup of espresso.
You'll be particularly fond of the steam wand on this model. It's set on a ball so you can turn it any direction you desire. That comes in very handy when you have different sized cups to fill. It can be used to fill cups with hot water, too, a nice feature for those who want to make hot tea and espresso with one machine.
The maker does a superb job of keeping water at precisely the right temperature throughout the machine for a stellar shot. Cheaper espresso makers have hot and cold spots, producing inconsistent and inferior results. As the water and/or coffee passes through the machine it is affected slightly by these differences.
A commercial-quality marine brass boiler might be the state-of-the-art component for temperature control. But in actual tests the difference was virtually undetectable, and thermoblock elements are lower price. It seems a very reasonable compromise.
The large heating tray at the base is a real convenience feature, too. Good baristas will pre-heat the espresso cup to prevent rapid cool down when pulling a shot. A tray that heats the cup adds to the effort, rather than fighting it.
The removable water tank produces up to 50 shots before requiring refilling, so the Breville Die Cast 800ESXL makes for a great machine for large parties.
The Breville 800ESXL Die Cast espresso maker offers convenience and high-quality in a medium-priced machine. No one could be disappointed about that.
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Looking to buy an espresso maker? Check out why the Bialetti Moka Express and Breville Die Cast 800ESXL espresso makers are perfect choices!
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