Breville BES840XL the Infuser Espresso Machine

The Breville BES840XL vs the Breville Double Boiler: a surprising shoot-out result
Bottom line: I was expecting the Double Boiler to blow the BES840XL out of the water when it came to shot quality. That was not the case at all. While the milk texturing capability of the 840 is a pale shadow of the DB, and it lacks the multitude of convenience features of the DB, the 840 absolutely holds its own with regards to shot quality.

Full review:
I've been using the Breville Double Boiler espresso machine for nearly a year and have been very pleased with it. I was hesitant at first, but great shots and the many, many convenience features won me over. So, when the opportunity came up to compare their top of the line Double Boiler (DB) with their new machine (I'll call it the 840) I thought it wouldn't be a fair fight. Well, I was wrong.

I've never been a fan of thermoblock machines since the temperature stability is just not there. Breville seems to have solved that using two methods. First, the thermoblock is really a thermocoil -- it's a solid...

"The Infuser" vs. the "Barista Express" - Breville Espresso Comparison
If you can't decide between the two, maybe I can help. I've owned the Breville Barista Express BES860XL Machine with Grinder almost 2 years. Eleven months into my 1-year warranty, I woke up to find water all over the counter. Breville has superior customer service and replaced my leaking Barista Express within a week. Two weeks ago I woke up to the same thing with the warranty replacement. It turns out that the Barista Express has a 2 piece ThermoBLOCK heater and the gasket where the 2 pieces join together eventually leaks.

This new Infuser has a one-piece ThermoCOIL heater. Will this one last longer? Only time will tell and I will update this review if I have a leak with this model.

Where the new Infuser excels:
-- Smaller footprint, the Infuser measures slightly over 10" wide
-- Hotter espresso, 5 degrees hotter according to my thermometer
-- Quieter pump
-- Drip tray...

Amazing home espresso machine, once you get the hang of it
First and foremost, this is an absolutely fantastic home espresso machine for the price. It definitely takes some practice to learn how to get the most out of and find the sweet spot (which i've learned always differs depending on the type of beans & grinder you are using). But now after 3 months and a LOT of researching/learning/practice/more practice, I am now consistently making absolutely fantastic espresso drinks.

If you are new to the world of espresso, or have some knowledge, I wanted to write about my experience buying this machine 3 months ago knowing little to nothing about espresso, to now consistently pulling absolutely delicious espresso drinks on a daily basis with this machine. Here we go:

I waited 3 months after purchasing this unit to write a proper review, and I wanted to give a lot of information I have learned and discovered to help others looking into buying a home espresso setup. I honestly knew little to nothing about espresso before...

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