Breville BES900 Dual Boiler - Owners thread

[wilko23]

Hi all, just a few more questions to further my learning...

When people say 18g of beans for a double shot are they weighing the beans then grinding or measuring after they have been ground to make sure it makes weight?

How many grams are recommended for a single shot?

Can you do single shots from the double basket?

As beans get further from their roast date is it necessary to adjust your grind at all?

What is the best way to store beans prior to use once the bag has been opened?

Also i have the puck sticking to the shower screen EVERY time unless i overdose the basket (so i can see an imprint on it afterwards) is there any reason for this? Can it be avoided?

Thanks in advance for any help... I have had the machine now for about a week and a half and am loving it! Have found it pretty easy to get very nice tasting coffees (mostly) which gets me excited about what i might be capable of once i actually know what im doing! Still need more practice with the milk, but have managed a couple of times to get nice silky micro foam (pity im not sure what i did different!)

[DavidW1960]

Single shot is around 14g when basket is correctly dosed.
No single shots from double basket unless you want a ristretto
You will need to adjust grind as beans age.
Store in airtight container
Pucks sticking is a fact of life with the single basket particularly due to it's shape.

[brokenvase]

Breville BES900 Dual Boiler - Owners thread

Single shot is around 14g when basket is correctly dosed.
No single shots from double basket unless you want a ristretto
You will need to adjust grind as beans age.
Store in airtight container
Pucks sticking is a fact of life with the single basket particularly due to it's shape.

Do you grind finer as they age?

[DavidW1960]

Do you grind finer as they age?

It depends - You have to look at the shot - if it's running too fast, grind finer. Too slow then coarser.

[Barry_Duncan]

some of the italian competition may look better but most of them look like they belong in a hospital not my kitchen.

I agree about the hospital like equipment.


The BDB is often called an appliance. I think that any machine not made for commercial use and made to put in our kitchens is an appliance, wherever it comes from. Don't forget than some of the BDB insides such as pumps and valves are made in Italy.

This is a Bes 900 user’s thread. As an owner and user, the new or second hand price is not of much interest to me as I am not now in the market to buy or sell.


I want my machine to make good coffee, for me and my friends, for a long time. That is why I regularly clean it and only put softened water through it.


As for price, some discount stores will sell some things near or below cost, hoping that you can be encouraged to buy other more expensive goods where they can make a good profit and not go broke.

Barry

[Barry_Duncan]

Do you grind finer as they age?

Yes.

As well as age of beans, humidity and dose size will also affect the needed grind fineness. That is why you should grind only enough for current use.
Some good baristas may adjust their grinders a dozen or more times in a day.

Barry

[Spoony]

Re: Breville BES900 Dual Boiler - Owners thread

Having said that, after a week of ownership, I am loving the machine. It is much easier to make good espresso than from our old Ikon. Paired with the smart grinder, my wife is enjoying it too which must be saying something.

[Khanuen]

I've seen pics of the bes900 in black and red. Is it possible to see these versions in a showroom somewhere? Does anybody own one in another colour?

p.s. There are an inordinate number of posts about how annoying, and off topic, another's post is(including this post right now). These posts are more guilty of derailing this thread than any initial controversial post.

[Barry_Duncan]

I've seen pics of the bes900 in black and red.

Breville had some coloured Bes 900’s and other models at the recent Aroma Festival at The Rocks Sydney.

Phil McKnight said that they should be available by about September.

Barry

[specialpants]

I've seen pics of the bes900 in black and red. Is it possible to see these versions in a showroom somewhere? Does anybody own one in another colour?

The only time I saw this was at the Aroma Festival. There's a mixture of painted panels and polished stainless steel. There's also a purple coloured machine for memory.

One of the reps there said they're due out soon (I think he said SEPT or OCT.. i cant remember). It'll be a 'limited edition' thing.


And here's a video of the BES900 I just uploaded (just to give this thread some relevant content). I love the naked handle:

[Khanuen]

Breville had some coloured Bes 900’s and other models at the recent Aroma Festival at The Rocks Sydney.

Phil McKnight said that they should be available by about September.

Barry

The only time I saw this was at the Aroma Festival. There's a mixture of painted panels and polished stainless steel. There's also a purple coloured machine for memory.

One of the reps there said they're due out soon (I think he said SEPT or OCT.. i cant remember). It'll be a 'limited edition' thing.

OK thanks for that. I don't really care what it looks like but my wife might and I'm looking at every possible angle to sway her over.

What are the shortcomings of this machine? People seem to refer to it as being "great value" but seem to imply there are still some compromises. The owners who didn't like the machine seemed to be mostly dissatisfied with its appearance rather than the functionality? What components of the machine look likely to die first?

I've noticed that even my favourite cafes seem to have bad days(or bad staff) and I occasionally get an average coffee. If I get this machine and practice, how close to cafe consistency/quality would I get? (assuming I've also developed some grinding skills).

Edit. I've just been reading about people replacing the opv with a sturdier one. Are there other mods like this that will increase the machine's life expectancy?

[water_dragon]

OK thanks for that. I don't really care what it looks like but my wife might and I'm looking at every possible angle to sway her over.

What are the shortcomings of this machine? People seem to refer to it as being "great value" but seem to imply there are still some compromises. The owners who didn't like the machine seemed to be mostly dissatisfied with its appearance rather than the functionality? What components of the machine look likely to die first?

I've noticed that even my favourite cafes seem to have bad days(or bad staff) and I occasionally get an average coffee. If I get this machine and practice, how close to cafe consistency/quality would I get? (assuming I've also developed some grinding skills).

Edit. I've just been reading about people replacing the opv with a sturdier one. Are there other mods like this that will increase the machine's life expectancy?

As for quality you will get better than most cafe experiences. I can assure you,I embarrass my friends by sending bad coffee back I refuse to pay good money for bad coffee. So many do not use fresh beans or really have an interest in coffee.You will not be disapointed with the quality, only problem you will drink more coffee.

[MarkZammit]

Ok, I'm going to go off topic here and actually discuss my experiences with the Breville BES900.

Just a bit of background. This is my third espresso machine. First was a fairly cheap Krups model (light portafilter, plasticky), secondly a Gaggia Classic (never produced a decent shot, but mostly due to my inexperience and a crap grinder). Have been doing the usual research, and was planning on spending up on an Alex Duetto II with an appropriately shiny grinder, but with a new house build to start next year was going to wait until that was complete.

Couple of months ago received an offer on a BES900 and smart grinder I couldn't refuse. Way below cost price, and only through an industry contact (so please don't ask the price or if you can see a receipt!!!). After looking into the machine, thought why not. Even if it lasts a few years, it appears to tick a few boxes.

I spent a lot more time reading about how to make good espresso and milk based drinks this time, and the effort has paid off. I live in Northcote, VIC and have some brilliant local cafes just a walk down the road - Penny Farthing is my favourite, and they roast their own beans (blends and SO). Having access to such great coffee regularly, and chatting regularly to the owners has refined my palate a great deal. As a result, it's been a breeze to start churning out good double ristrettos and flat whites with this machine and it's grind mate. Easy to use and clean, ability to alter brew temp, extract and steam together, microfoam is a breeze, and I'm consistently getting great crema and flavour from my shots.

Long term reliability is the only major downside I can see. I'm really not fussed by issues such as "it doesn't look European". To be honest, for an "appliance", I reckon it's quite attractive. I simply want to churn out good coffee regularly with minimal waste and fuss, and this machine does it. If I can get five years out the BES900 (will probably upgrade the grinder before then I imagine), I'll be a happy camper - and resale value is of no interest to me whatsoever. What would I buy then? Probably go to a European I guess, but with the convenience and thermal stability of a double boiler, can't see myself considering any of the HX's, and I would have to go for that Alex Duetto II, or maybe even a lever. In the interim, I'm just going to enjoy what this machine is producing at home. Setting my alarm 30mins earlier every morning just to get up and have time to brew and savour my morning flat white.

[Khanuen]

Ok thanks that's what I want to hear. I recently had the best flat white I've ever had but can't remember which cafe. It was quite a small flat white but the flavour blew me away. My goal in getting this machine would be to reproduce that coffee. At the moment I've been using a hand grinder and refilling my wife's capsule machine but I think I've taken that as far as it can go.

[Bernsbrew]

Ok, I'm going to go off topic here and actually discuss my experiences with the Breville BES900.

Nice read, Mark.