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Reply With QuoteBut is it worth still spending the $$$ on this or buy a Rancilio Silvia ?? How long do these Harvey Norman machines last ???
Too true. They're back at $799 with 20% at The Good Guys on EvilBay (need to be Logged-in to see it - until 4/11/19?).Originally Posted by theonetruepath
But is it worth still spending the $$$ on this or buy a Rancilio Silvia ?? How long do these Harvey Norman machines last ???
If you read this thread through, you'll see the Pros and Cons. The Silvia is overpriced, dated (No PID) and the frame still eventually rusts. You need to Temperature Surf to avoid burnt coffee and even then can still get burnt Coffee. I kept my old one as a back-up (mainly because of the rusted frame affecting re-sale value) and can't say I'm a fan, especially at the price they sell for currently.
The Breville BES920 has a question mark over it's durability in the longer term but also has the ability to repeatedly produce high quality coffee (PID temp) and simultaneously steam at a low price (when on sale). Bear in mind that 1000s upon 1000s of the mass produced Breville are sold. They offer a lot of features but are built to a price. You'll always hear about the ones that fail. Less so about the ones that don't. If Breville fully sorted the Durability side of things, machines like the Silvia wouldn't exist any longer. Don't forget too that a large percentage of BES920s are sold to people new to coffee brewing who don't maintain their machines correctly, don't read the instructions or feed it good quality water. A surge protector would also be a good idea on the power supply to protect the Electronics. It has it's issues but also has it's place. You have to weigh the Pros and Cons for yourself.
Hi All! I’ve been quiet on here for a while but up until recently a very happy BES920 owner! That was until upgraditis struck
So if anyone is interested in a well cared for, lightly used machine (2-3 coffees a day) with extras check out my listing in the MarketPlace forums.
Hey Everyone
Got a BES920 with a nasty pinhole leak in the steam boiler seam. My neighbour has done a good job to weld it back up but i'm not too sure the boiler will hold pressure. i was thinking of just swapping out the steam boiler from an older BES900. Apart from the drain at the bottom of the BES920 boiler, is there any other differences between the two boilers?
Hi everyone,
I just got the BS920 with the smart grinder pro. It was on sale and I wanted to get my own espresso machine for the longest time and so i went for it. I have a few questions though:
1. Is the tamper too small for the portafilter double shot basket? I noticed that when i tamp the sides are usually not compressed properly
2. this leads me to, not getting enough pressure for extraction. I tried multiple times, different grinds i could only get up to at most 4-5 bars of pressure and the output is too much. what am i doing wrong?
with the single shot basket i always get 9 bars of pressure when pulling a shot
What are your grinder settings? You may need to grind finer.
Other standard questions jcruiz, what beans are you using, when were they roasted, are you using the single wall baskets for both the double and single?
Yes the tamper is slightly too small for the basket, they're all like that. You can buy a number of after market tampers.
Just an update on my post:
After several months of enduring instant coffee, I decided to chance my luck and took it in to get repaired.
Just a day after putting it in, got it all back, all sorted for about $180.
The problem was a bad triac board. Apart from this, the tech replaced 6 or 7 of the seals/washer thingies.
I decided upon viewing the internals, I didn't have the technical skills.
While it may be child's play to some, the internals look daunting.
Good it's all fixed, but warranties are arbitrary...the law says goods sold have to be fit for purpose and should last a reasonable time .... Irrespective of what the warranty says.
I would have contacted Breville, given them an opportunity to repair the machine, reminded them of their statutory obligation, waited for their response then threatened legal action if they refused.
I did consider this, but since I only paid about $700 for it, Breville could probably argue it is a cheap machine, and 2 years warranty should be plenty.
Besides, going to the repairer directly, I have more choice as to options for repair.
When I took it in, the tech chuckled "We see lots of these!"
I asked him whether I should take it in every year to get the o-rings replaced and preempt any leaks, but he said I shouldn't bother because they can go at any time and even newly installed o-rings might only last several months. So he advised me to bring it in only if something major happens or I get a very bad leak.
The leak I had was only sufficient to corrode and short some components, not enough to make a puddle on the counter and alert me to its presence.
All machines get issues. The important thing is that parts and know how are available to fix them.
It is good to get simple too. A machine with just one boiler and a few relays and a switch is complex enough.
Just pressed go - $699.20 delivered on ebay with Bing Lee (20% off code plee20). Sad to retire the EM6910, but after about 11 years of use it's not worth repairing anymore, rust, plastic perishing, leaks...
Posted Fri Nov 29, 2019, 9:43pm
Subject: Re: New Breville Dual Boiler BES920XL
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Hi guys. Talk about joining the conversation late
I got my BDB920 yesterday only. Upgraded from the Barista Express. So not sure it's related to this post as it's new and hasn't really had time to become clogged or dirty...
After only 3 shots the pump stopped working.
I can hear it trying as there's a buzzing sound (like a pump that's getting power but stuck), and the buzzing gets louder as it ramps up after PI, but no water, neither from the spout.
Any suggestions??
I live in South Africa and bought from the US through Amazon, so don't really have a place to return it to as the Breville agents here don't supply (and so don't support), this model....
Any suggestions?
Could still be the solenoid. Is there water going into the drip tray during the shot?
An air-lock perhaps? Have you tried opening up the hot water valve and running some water through it (240ml should do it.) to see if that clears up the problem?
Java "Airlocks in space good, not so good in espresso machines." phile
Toys! I must have new toys!!!
Make sure the water tank is in properly, sounds like the tank is slightly out
hi everyone,
I just got my new bes920 up and running, finally upgrading my 6+ year old BES900. What is the go with the new water filter? I looked it up and $19 each, every 3 months is crazy... can the old bes900 filter setup be used?
cheers
[QUOTE
Any suggestions??
I live in South Africa and bought from the US through Amazon[/QUOTE]
ermmmm.... USA is 110V and Sth Africa is 230V.... please check the voltage is correct
Yes you can, the circle on the bottom of the water tank that the filter assembly clips onto hasn't changed. You just need to get both parts of the old style assembly and you can use the old smaller filters
Great news, I'll take it out of my old machine and use his box of filters I had for it!
cheers
ermmmm.... USA is 110V and Sth Africa is 230V.... please check the voltage is correct[/QUOTE]
Same here - SA from US. I took a chance and just plugged in and went for it, all seems OK. Also think not that many products today are not compatible internationally?
Hi guys, just some feedback. After it cooled down all was normal again. I then replicated my morning (in how long it was on etc) but all seems good. Weird. If it happens again I'll start trouble shooting and let you know if anything interesting comes up.Posted Fri Nov 29, 2019, 9:43pm
Subject: Re: New Breville Dual Boiler BES920XL
Edit this Post Reply to Post with Quote Reply to Post
Hi guys. Talk about joining the conversation late
I got my BDB920 yesterday only. Upgraded from the Barista Express. So not sure it's related to this post as it's new and hasn't really had time to become clogged or dirty...
After only 3 shots the pump stopped working.
I can hear it trying as there's a buzzing sound (like a pump that's getting power but stuck), and the buzzing gets louder as it ramps up after PI, but no water, neither from the spout.
Any suggestions??
I live in South Africa and bought from the US through Amazon, so don't really have a place to return it to as the Breville agents here don't supply (and so don't support), this model....
Any suggestions?
Hi, I think it's time I got my machine serviced it's about 5 years old and being very inconsistent. Can anyone recommend a service centre in Melbourne inner north or west? Thanks
J A Appliances Sales & Services
17-19 Hossack Avenue,
3058, COBURG, VIC
03 8371 9100
Hey Guys
Got an overheating problem on a BES920.
The temp sails straight past 93 degrees and keeps going well over 105 degrees before i shut it down.
The steam boiler is not quite up to temp once the brew boiler hits 93 degrees (seems about 20 degrees below operating temp).
I have replaced all the O rings from the pump to the brew boiler (no leaks).
i managed to be able to run a brew shot with the cleaning disk inserted and i could get 11 bar at the group head which suggests the brew pump is working OK.
Any ideas on whats causing the overheating fellas?
Sounds like the heating element is running all the time and not switching off. Could be a few things, the triac and relay that switch the element are likely culprits. Could also be the temperature probe etc.
If you leave the machine plugged in and the power point turned on by the machine turned off does it heat? Or is it only when the machine itself is turned on? If it heats when turned off it's more likely the relay or triac, of it only heats when turned on it's more likely the temperature sensor or PID controller part of the controls.
Edit to add: is this the same machine you just replaced the pump on? Is it a 900 or 920? If you got the triac wet when changing the pump that could do it.
This was my symptom. Solution was to replace the triac board and many o-rings.
You'll need to go into the diagnostics menu and check the error messages to confirm.
The brew boiler is heating with it switched off and plugged in so i'll swap out the Triac now see if that makes a difference.
This one had been double o ringed and both thermal fuses had gone when i got it so no doubt some steam got into the Triac.
PS. This is a different machine to the BES900 where i swapped the pump out.
Replaced the Triac and now doesn't overheat anymore, thanks guys.
Problem is that the boilers keep heating up when powered off but plugged in.
What causes this?
Had this too. Despite the machine being apparently switched off, hours later the machine directly over the boiler on the back right hand side would be too hot to touch.
Temp solution was to switch the machine off at the power point after doing a coffee.
The fault log corresponding to this event was 10 Coffee NTC Over Temp.
It went away when I got the Triac board replaced so there must be more than one cause.
I think i'll just get a brand new Triac as the one i just installed came from a spare parts 920 i had.
Replace the entire triac board, not just the individual offending triac. It's the optocouplers and possibly other circuitry that can also be at fault in most cases and just replacing the triac won't work.
If you're going to be repairing these machines in the future as it seems you have a few of them (a problem I wish I had) then keeping triac boards on hand would be advisable.
I have had my machine serviced, they replaced some seals & orings, pretty cheap parts so the majority of the cost was labour. However it hasn't really helped, the link shows what is typically happening to the basket. its usually extracts considerably more from the left side spout. Any ideas what could be going on, same beans & grinder settings i've used for years.
https://pasteboard.co/ILkiTIv.png
It looks like you're over-filling the basket.
Java "Less is sometimes better" phile
Toys! I must have new toys!!!
As JP said you're overfilling the basket. That's part one. How many grams of coffee are you putting in the basket?
Part two is I'm curious what's causing the puck to break up like that. Have you removed the shower screen and the black plastic piece above it and inspected them? If you've been overdosing this much for 5 years there could be some damage in there that is causing the issues you've described to pop up recently.
Whatever the case you need to dose less coffee and grind it finer to compensate.
Thanks guys, I've never weighed the amount however I had been doing about 17 seconds grind with at 13 on a BSG, I do a 30 second pour using the supplied double shot basket. The coffee had always been consistently great with fresh beans up until a month or so ago. I did this morning change it to 15 seconds and was a vastly better then anything I got from it recently. I'm hoping the recent service would have checked behind the shower screen (not sure what that is?),we tend to only make about 8 coffees a week so the machine hasn't had extensive use. Still good to learn something new & will continue with reduced grinds.
The shower screen is the round piece of metal with holes in it that the water comes out of onto your tamped coffee. If you leave the portafilter out and look up at it you will see an Allen head screw on the middle. There is an appropriately sized Allen key that comes with the machine. Checking what lurks behind the shower screen is a quick way to tell how well a machine has been looked after. I assume you do regular cleaning cycles?
Fixed: Descale Warning Stuck / Not Resetting - Engineer's Reset (undocumented)?
Has anyone else experienced a problem with the 'Decale' warning getting stuck / not going away?
I'm really pleased to have found a solution. I think it's a hidden 'Engineers Reset'. Anyway please see the following post where I explain what was happening / how to fix.
https://coffeesnobs.com.au/brewing-e...resetting.html
NB I just stumbled across this out of frustration. I think this is just a software reset but please use at your own risk.
If anyone else knows more please add your comments.
any specials on these at the moment? my old saeco magic on last legs after 11 years.
Ding Lee's official fleabay store had one a couple of months ago. They will likely have it again starting boxing day or just after. They usually have it on sale and then with an extra 20% discount code.
yeah been looking round, even checked out the breville factory outlet, had the kit with grinder for $800 but only 12 months warranty.
Hey guys, long time lurker and first time poster here.
I just picked up the dynamic duo as a Christmas present to myself from Myer for $1195 including 5 year warranty after reading a lot about this machine on these forums. Never thought I'd "upgrade" from my Silvia/Rocky combo to a Breville, but I'm impressed!
Using the standard settings for now: 20g dose with a ~48g yield, great crema and flavour. I'll start playing around with settings over the next few weeks but so far so good!
I have a question about the pre-infusion. My Silvia didn't have this and not sure what the purpose of it is? Is it a gimmick? It looks like the 7 seconds can be adjusted. Does anyone completely disable this feature (if possible)?
Welcome to Coffee Snobs Acidpants.
Congratulations on your new set up, pleased your getting on well with it.
Not familiar with the Breville, however I think you will find most regard pre infusion as a good thing, seven seconds is pretty standard.
Thanks!Welcome to Coffee Snobs Acidpants.
Congratulations on your new set up, pleased your getting on well with it.
Not familiar with the Breville, however I think you will find most regard pre infusion as a good thing, seven seconds is pretty standard.
Seems to be common with other info I've found with pre-infusion - I'll leave it at 7s :-)
So I had a bit of a play around this afternoon and here are my findings after wasting about 250g of beans
Working with a 20g (standard 17.8 seconds) dose on double shot single wall filter. First I timed pre-infusion until first drip which was around 10 seconds. I then adjusted my grind until I was getting 60ml (~60g) in about 25 seconds (after pre-infusion). I then changed my pre-infusion settings to 10 seconds and set my double shot time to 35 seconds (10 seconds pre-infusion plus 25 seconds extraction). This isn't far off the standard 7 seconds pre-infusion plus 23 seconds extraction time (30 seconds total). I reckon upping from 7 to 10 seconds ensures the puck is completely wet....?
These machines are pretty well setup from the factory, you only really need to adjust the grind based on your beans and you're in the ballpark. Shots are very consistent which is probably why this machine gets positive reviews.
Cheers
Any decent boxing day sales ? so far cheapest new is 800 from harvey norman , with out a grinder.
Hello everyone, merry Xmas. Just a question am I the only one who uses the standard dual boiler single basket. Single basket holds around 12/13gms. Does the double basket produces a better forgiving shot or is it that a lot of drinkers just love it strong. My wife’s Italian family finds the single basket a little strong considering the standard shot is normally 7gms at ratio 3:1.
cheers daisy
As you suggest, I think many use the double basket because it gives more 'oomph' for a single drink.
I prefer to use them for their intended purposes - single basket for 1 cup and double basket for 2 cups.
Unfortunately the single basket on the Breville DB has sloping sides as opposed to straight sides on the double basket.
This can lead to problems with tamping unless overdosing, and having the puck regularly sticking to the shower screen.
I have settled on 10g for my singles, and 19.9 g for doubles.
This will vary depending upon your blend of coffee, type of coffee bean: robusta vs arabica, and grind coarseness, so it will be necessary to experiment to find the amounts which suit you, and not just use the amounts which are recommended by others.
Not sure if it depends on roast darkness too much... I drink lighter roasts... But with Breville single basket I wasn't able to get proper tamp until I put 12.2g in it.
