Review by Jonathan Birge:

From a interface and asthetic point of view, the machine is flawless. It’s beautiful and solid, and has many nice touches like an integral storage bin and swiveling steam wand. Having said that, it’s missing a few things on the INSIDE that you’d expect from a 0 machine:

For one, it uses a thermoblock. This results in a pressure drop and uneven heating compared to a boiler, which is why there is the need for the double-wall crema system. (I’m referring here to pump machines with boilers, not the cheap steam machines.) This is why you’ll find that after brewing you have a soupy sludge instead of the hard dry puck considered an indicator of proper espresso brewing. Update: as pointed out by somebody else, this may be more a function of the lack of three-way valve than indicative of poor pressure or heating. I didn’t realize this didn’t have a three-way valve, but that’s just one more reason to avoid this. Regardless, the weakness of the thermoblock is apparent in the difference in quality between a single shot and a double shot. The latter is harsh and bitter, which I assume is because the last part of the shot isn’t properly extracted due to a drop in temperature.

Second, the filters and group head aren’t made of brass like you’ll see in machines of similar price. Brass has a high thermal conductivity and mass, which helps keep the water hot on the way to the grounds, at least when the machine is properly preheated.

Personally, I’m not sure I have a sophisticated enough palette to discern a difference between espresso from this and a machine with better parts. But given that you’re considering spending 0 on an espresso machine, I assume you might be a purist and somebody who cares about getting the best for your money. I also feel the need to offset some of the other breathless reviews by people who clearly haven’t bothered to do even a minimal amount of research on espresso machines.

Despite the above, the machine produces good espresso, as far as I can tell, and it IS beautiful. My guess is that it overcomes some of its component shortcomings with nice engineering (such as the auto-purge feature to avoid scalding the grounds). However, you have to wonder if you’re really getting your money’s worth where it counts, when there are machines out there at half the price with better internal components and plumbing. You should be able to find machines with more stable temperature and higher effective pressure for much less money if you’re willing to go for substance over looks.

Review by Edward Fiscella:

The Breville 800 ESXL is turning out to be one of the best buys I have ever madeBreville 800ESXL Commercial 15-Bar Triple-Priming Die-Cast Espresso Machine.

I had a Gaggia that produced great espresso when I first got it, but recently, it stopped creating any crema whatsoever. Water leaked from the steamer wand and the expresso head. It was time for a replacement.

I studied and studied and studied all the expresso makers and I knew I did not want to spend over 0 for a good pot. My goal was to find a great pot for under that amount. I read every review there is on the internet concerning the Breville 800 ESXL. People love it or hate it but if you read carefully, you may find as I did, that many of those who hate it, did not follow the directions as prescribed by Breville. They treated it like their old pot, however, the Breville 800 is a wonderful pot if used according to the instructions put out by Breville. And dare I say, that some of the others who did not like the pot sounded like coffee snobs who want perfection and had no right buying this machine and judging by standards that only a much more expensive machine could match.

If you want a truly outstanding expresso or cappuccino, the Breville 800 will do it for you, as long as you live up to your part of the bargain. The first thing you need are really good beans and fresh filtered water. Next is to really learn how to make expresso. You need to find the right grind and then stick with it. I have a Capresso Burr Grinder that works great for only . You need to learn the right amount of pressure to tamp the coffee (also, it does not hurt purchase a good metal tamp- the one they give you is only okay). You should get a thermometer to make sure your frothed milk is between 140 – 160 degrees and then learn how to froth milk. The cups should be warm and you will have some great coffee.

you may not get great coffee the first time out— and maybe not the second, but the more you do it, critique what you did, and make adjustments, you will find that the difference between and excellent cup and a good cup has more to do with you than the machine. This is a hands-on machine (which I love about it). Like a cook using fresh ingredients, the results often lie in the art of the cook. It is the same with this machine. If you just want to turn it on and get a great cup of espresso, it may happen sometimes, but not always. It is up to you to make your shot the best. There is a learning curve to be sure, but the end result is fantastic – and for a great price. I was making great shot after great shot in about three days.

I was scared to death about my filters clogging as others have said, but I have found that the best thing you can do is to clean after every shot. it is not a big job to wipe down the nozzle, rinse out the pots and filters, and take the little tool they give you to keep the filters open and poke the hole once to keep it open for the next time. Takes all of a minute- maybe less. The result, great expresso, perfect crema, great frothed milk (once you acquire the knack of rothing), and a beautiful, sturdy machine that should last a long time with the kind of care I ask you to give it.

Some have complained about the temperature of the coffee. I too thought it was not hot enough the first few times I made the espresso, and then I read the manual. When you do what the manual says, the coffee is plenty hot –too hot actually. As for the time it takes to steam the milk, no longer than my Gaggia with a lot less mess. And about the “sloppy mess in the portafilter” and no dry puck —- well, I would like a dry puck too, but the paper from Breville in the box tells you that the technology they use to get the coffee hot and with perfect crema will not give you the traditional dry puck. Expect it to be watery in the portafilter. just rinse it out when done and you are in business. I accept that and as a result I get great coffee. My machine is not a Rencilio, nor a Gaggia. It is a Breville and it does not have the dry puck— but it does have great espresso that can be made within a minute or two of turning on the machine. And clean up takes less time than it did to heat up (under a minute).

It has a large well for water which is easy to fill, from the front and the back. it is very very easy to clean. It is sturdy and it looks great. There are so many cool things built in — obviously thought went into the design. Some complain about it being loud. I have never met an espresso maker that is not loud. Oh yes, I saw one once but that machine cost ,000 and was fully automatic. There was no joy in making an expresso with that—- no art to it. The machine does it all.

Now, for the weaknesses. I already told you to get another tamp. The one they give is not the greatest. Also, it has the very cool feature where it purges itself after each shot or steaming allowing the built up steam to flow to the overflow reservoir. (Actually this is a positive feature) but on the negative side it uses more water, but no big deal unless you are paying for bottled water. With my Gaggia, I was always afraid it was going to blow up on me. This steam pressure release is very cool and well thought out.

Needless to say, I am very happy with this machine. As you may be able to see, I am the kind of person who looks at what I have done and tries to make the next one better. For me, this machine does not disappoint.

Hopefully, this review has helped.

Review by Wolfenhawke:

I spent my Christmas 2009 reviewing expresso machines. I had just returned from a trip to Europe and finally was going to fold and get an expresso machine. I missed the expresso from Italy and France. 1oz of crema delight.

So, I liked the Breville from all the reviews but was worried about some of the negativity on the “wet puck” I had read. All the reviews mentioned excellent coffee though, so it was on my short list.

Then I saw the Breville BES860XL, also known as the Barista Express Programmable Expresso. From the looks you can tell this unit has exchanged the hot water dispenser for a bean grinder. This unit is a fully automatic expresso machine with the super automatic feature of grinding a pre-measure of beans for your brew. Note, it is not a super automatic machine as you still need to manually mount the portafilter into the group head, and clean the filter afterwards. This is as automatic as you will want to go if you want to really control your coffee.

But, let me walk you through the pleasure:

1. the box. this has excellent graphics — even as you open, the getting started guide and pictures guide you along. The unit removes easily.

2. The tamper is magnetically held in place on the front of the machine — you can use it in place or remove for manual tamping.

3. New: -there is a dry puck feature now for all the fussy reviews — this removes excess water so you get, a dry puck

– an excellent burr grinder — you can dismantle this for cleaning, and it has a wide range of control

– for those that previously complained about the “cheat” dual wall filters — the unit comes with single and double dual wall AND single wall filters

– there is a hideaway storage tray to hold all the small goodies

4. Steaming — excellent steam temperature and pressure — works very well with the provided frothing jug, very minimal excess water to start

5. The real test. I am using the dual wall filters, and the Illy whole expresso beans I got from Italy were made into pure heavenly expresso. Nice crema. This is the real thing.

This is one finely engineered machine. From a mechanically inclined electrical engineer to the folks at Breville: you have created an exceptionally functional piece that does the job. Did I mention it is beautiful on the counter as well? I have it on an island, no bad sides.

Drawbacks: none. BUT, when making a real expresso shot, make sure you pre-warm your demitasse. Otherwise the expresso will heat up your cup and your coffee will not be hot. I run a water cycle first into my cup to heat up the group head and the cup.

In my opinion this is the best buy in the market under 00. At the office, daily I use a super automatic machine that is at that top end.

Review by W. Straus:

I agree with most of the reviews below – but wanted to add a few words about my experience with this machine:

I made a cursory read-through of the manual and having never owned a machine like this, but certainly having purchased a lot of coffee shop espressos across the globe, I thought I could jump right in and make some great drinks. Well, in part true, but I hit a point where I almost returned it. I started off with the double-wall filter and it made a very decent shot. Then I figured I try out the single wall filter. 2 weeks later and after joining the ranks of Corn-holio, I hit the jackpot.

During the first 2 weeks, I went from a moderate grind and a middle grind amount to the finest setting and about 2/3 away around the grind amount dial. I even far exceeded the recommended tamping pressure. The result was always an under extracted and bitter shot. Most of the time the puck was wet on top and a bit messy to clean up. Each time I pressed the double-shot button, the pressure wouldn’t even rise into the darker colored scale. No matter how fine the grind, or how hard I tamped the coffee the result was the same. I thought maybe it was the bean I chose or just a lousy grinder. Nope.

The day before yesterday I decided to read through the manual very carefully and try doing what they say step by step, not just what the cartoon correction diagram showed. I pre-heated the cup by running hot water through the filter and portafilter, thereby warming it. Then I immediately dried the portafilter/single-wall filter and filled it with freshly ground coffee. I added some coffee, pressed it down lightly into the filter with my fingers and added more. Then I tamped it with about 20 pounds of pressure. When finished, the tamper’s stainless rim near the bottom was not completely recessed in the portafilter, leaving it filled to within 1/8″. After cleaning the rim thoroughly I simply attached the group head and pressed the pre-programmed double shot. Killer espresso – like ones I’ve had in the finest Italian shops. Cleanup was a dream because the puck was nearly dry – it just popped out. Wow. Cleaning between shots is important – reheating is as well. If you follow these (Breville’s) directions you will be more than pleased with this machine. I now feel like I got my 0 worth.

I changed a few things all at once, so I can’t necessarily put my finger on exactly what changed the output. Pre-heating and filling the single-wall filter to an after-tamped level near the top seems to be the key. I love this machine now. As with the other reviews, I think the “clean me” light comes on with just a pre-set number of cycles since I too use filtered water and clean incessantly. The machine is heavy, solid and well laid out. Watch out while filling the reservoir so as not to get even a few drops close to the hopper – jamming problems and a difficult clean. I don’t like leaving the tamper in the magnetic mount to tamp my coffee, but it’s a great place to store it. The wand for frothing is fantastic, but I normally prefer straight espresso. My lovely wife prefers cappuccino and we’re now working on some good cup art, no longer worrying about trying to nail the perfect shot. I do recommend this machine, but I highly recommend reading the directions word for word, front to back in the manual and adhering to their advice. Breville designed it and they know how to get the best results. With practice, you too will snub your nose at Starbucks from now on.

Best of luck.

Review by M and G:

Updated: New rating 2 stars due to longevity issues.

We’ve owned 3 or 4 different espresso makers over the years, paying big bucks for some. This was the first that delivered for us day in and day out… at least at first. It lasted a lot longer than most until it failed about 14 months after buying it. We have replaced it with the Le Cube Nespresso 180 espresso maker (see our other review there)

Pro:

+ Consistent brew with a great flavor

+ Creates a good (but not best) coffee crema, unlike many other brands

+ A good solid feel to it, does not feel cheap or flimsy to us

+ Overflow tray is huge (and much appreciated I might add)

+ Comes with a stainless frothing cup and scoop for coffee (the other end of the scoop doubles as a coffee tamper too)

+ Seems to handle/tolerate a variety of grinds, fine and course, something other brands seemed to hate

+ Very easy to see remaining water/water level at a glance, thank you!

+ For those who put their appliances away instead of leaving them on the counter: the power plug has a thumb-sized hole in it to more easily (and more safely) pull the plug. I’ve never seen this feature before.

+ Overflow tray that sits under your cup has a novel “full” indicator/float that pops up when the tray is full and needs to be emptied

+ Comes with espresso cups

Con:

- The clear water container a little awkward with the frothing wand and/or when the coffee holder is inserted in the machine. We find that these items are in the way and need to be moved to slide the water container out of the unit. Probably a picky comment that should not detract from your impression of this gem.

- Water container also has some awkward angles, complicating cleaning.

- Overflow tray “full” indicator noted in the “pro” section above only warns you when the tray is absolutely full with no margin for error, making for an interesting and exciting trip to the sink

- Lasted longer than other models, but ultimately failed shortly after the warranty ended

Neutral:

x Priming/heat-up process, while fast, was very different from our other models. Not an issue, but you need to get used to it.

Bottom line: no longer recommended due to low quality of internal mechanism(s).

Review by S. Cobb:

So apart from a cheap espresso machine for christmas several years ago…this is the first espresso machine I have ever owned or operated. I could never figure out how to us the old machine and resorted to using the attached coffee maker. This machine is extremely easy to use! However, you should read the manual thoroughly to understand what you need to do. Don’t expect to pull this thing out of the box and start making the best latte’s in the world if you don’t read the manual. Once you understand the simple procedures it really is quick and easy to make espresso and latte’s. I’ll be quick and to the point:

POSITIVE FEATURES

1. Design: It’s amazing how much thought went into this machine. The frothing wand swivels out, the machine is tall enough for normal size coffee mugs, high quality materials, cup warming try, Assist plug to make unplugging easier, visible water tank the removes extremely easily, easy to dump waste tank, all the tools needed to clean the machine come packaged with it, hidden tray behind the waste tank to store cleaning tools and filter pods, small sign that displays to let you know when the waste tank is full, hot water dispenses out the steam wand for hot tea if you wish, simple three button operation, powerful pump, etc…do you see my point? Anyone who puts this much thought into making a neatly organized and easily operated machine will spend just as much time making sure it’s designed to last.

2. Ease of Operation: It’s simple. You want espresso? Fill the filter pod with espresso grounds, tamp them in, attach the filter, push the coffee button once. Got enough espresso in your cup? Tap the button again and it stops. Same type of deal for creating steam to steam milk for latte’s. Want hot water for tea? Turn the dial on the steam wand to max and hold the coffee button.

3. Excellent results: I use Starbucks espresso grinds and Starbucks syrup. I will never pay for another cup of coffee unless I’m out with friends! The steam wand produces thick, rich foam. Use cold milk and cool your frothing pitcher before use. Also, use a thermometer and you will get good results. As for the reviewer commenting on his espresso cooling to room temperature by the time he cleaned the wand….froth your milk first. Then make the espresso. While your espresso is being made wipe the wand off. By the time you wipe the wand off your espresso is done and ready to be added to the milk (which if you heated it to 160 degress or more like you should it will still be hot!!).

I can’t say enough about this machine!!

Bad things:

1. Poor troubleshooting in the manual: The troubleshooting basically offers answers like…do you have water in the container? or Is the machine plugged in? Useless information when I couldn’t prime the machine. I held down the coffee button to bring water out of the steam wand and no water would come out. It turns out that I didn’t have the water container pushed all the way in.

2. That’s it….I can’t think of anymore.

BUY THIS MACHINE!!