Hi All,
I just wanted to recap my experience with this machine I have had for the last couple of weeks.
As a recap I had an early model ES800 which I had purchased I think around 2006 or thereabouts and was using the single walled basket with a BCG820 grinder.
It wasnt pretty - I would wait for the thermostat to switch off the red light, and then extract. The pump sounded on the edge, pulsing like it was just about to choke, and water was leaking out on the left hand side of the group, and I had just blasted out the bottom of the large double basket . Anyhow, the coffee was still extracting ok with the small basket, and I liked the front tank access, but enough was enough. I had to make the call and it was time to put the 800ES aside - I had my heart set on getting a BES920 dual boiler so I had been biding my time until I had the opportunity hoping it would hold together.
But not yet.
Along comes a deal on ozbargain - the "Breville Duo Temp Pro" with a BCG400 grinder for less than what I paid for the ES800 almost 10 years ago...
It looks a little bit like the ES800, but the tank is at the back, and it is much lighter. Locking the portafilter moves the whole machine easily.
From the spec sheet, it would appear Breville stripped everything out to make it cheap enough:
- no volumetric metering
- no single/double cup memory
- no pressure gauge
- no temperature adjustment
However, look at the features they left in - makes it an intriguing option:
- PID temperature control factory set to 93°C (not user adjustable). I thought I read somewhere it holds it to +/- 1°C of the setpoint.
- automatic purge of hot water (when making steam or hot water), so as the brew temperature remains at its set point.
- low pressure pre-infusion
So I grabbed a machine and was impressed at the coffee and steamed milk I could get out of it.
The additional grinder, whilst nothing like the BCG820, is manual with no timer or automatic activation, however it does have a handle for the 53mm Portafilter. I set it up for decaf and kept the BCG820 for the regular beans.
Nice things I discovered using the machine:
- steam wand with a constant diameter - looks good, steams reasonably and is easy to clean. (i.e. no hexagonal or larger piece on the end like the ES800 or even the newer 920)
- powers down after 30 minutes or so if not used (I dont know how many evenings I had noticed the ES800 had been on all day...)
- extraction stops after a minute or so. If it stops, its a good sign I need to check my grind again or take it easier on the tamp.
- The puck comes out of the basket so nicely(especially the large single walled) dry like a cooked biscuit.
Here's one of the extractions the other day - medium roasted supermarket beans, and to me it was a nice coffee.
http://]http://i.imgur.com/56zjMx9.jpg

Now I have the BES920 coming in and I am kind of feeling a bit torn...
I like the little BES810 - no bells and whistles but it delivers more than expected.
I just wanted to recap my experience with this machine I have had for the last couple of weeks.
As a recap I had an early model ES800 which I had purchased I think around 2006 or thereabouts and was using the single walled basket with a BCG820 grinder.
It wasnt pretty - I would wait for the thermostat to switch off the red light, and then extract. The pump sounded on the edge, pulsing like it was just about to choke, and water was leaking out on the left hand side of the group, and I had just blasted out the bottom of the large double basket . Anyhow, the coffee was still extracting ok with the small basket, and I liked the front tank access, but enough was enough. I had to make the call and it was time to put the 800ES aside - I had my heart set on getting a BES920 dual boiler so I had been biding my time until I had the opportunity hoping it would hold together.
But not yet.
Along comes a deal on ozbargain - the "Breville Duo Temp Pro" with a BCG400 grinder for less than what I paid for the ES800 almost 10 years ago...
It looks a little bit like the ES800, but the tank is at the back, and it is much lighter. Locking the portafilter moves the whole machine easily.
From the spec sheet, it would appear Breville stripped everything out to make it cheap enough:
- no volumetric metering
- no single/double cup memory
- no pressure gauge
- no temperature adjustment
However, look at the features they left in - makes it an intriguing option:
- PID temperature control factory set to 93°C (not user adjustable). I thought I read somewhere it holds it to +/- 1°C of the setpoint.
- automatic purge of hot water (when making steam or hot water), so as the brew temperature remains at its set point.
- low pressure pre-infusion
So I grabbed a machine and was impressed at the coffee and steamed milk I could get out of it.
The additional grinder, whilst nothing like the BCG820, is manual with no timer or automatic activation, however it does have a handle for the 53mm Portafilter. I set it up for decaf and kept the BCG820 for the regular beans.
Nice things I discovered using the machine:
- steam wand with a constant diameter - looks good, steams reasonably and is easy to clean. (i.e. no hexagonal or larger piece on the end like the ES800 or even the newer 920)
- powers down after 30 minutes or so if not used (I dont know how many evenings I had noticed the ES800 had been on all day...)
- extraction stops after a minute or so. If it stops, its a good sign I need to check my grind again or take it easier on the tamp.
- The puck comes out of the basket so nicely(especially the large single walled) dry like a cooked biscuit.
Here's one of the extractions the other day - medium roasted supermarket beans, and to me it was a nice coffee.
http://]http://i.imgur.com/56zjMx9.jpg

Now I have the BES920 coming in and I am kind of feeling a bit torn...
I like the little BES810 - no bells and whistles but it delivers more than expected.


Comment