Breville BES900 Dual Boiler - Owners thread

[joes]

Greetings from Canada. I'm in the first week with a new Breville DB; so far, so good. After a few not-so-good shots, it's doing a great job. The Vario-W is doing an excellent job of grinding for the Breville.

I do have several questions.

I would like to buy a bottomless portafilter and am wondering if the only one that will fit is the Breville portafilter or whether any other one - an E61 compatible portafilter, for example - will fit. If it requires the specialized Breville unit, where is a good place to buy one? Breville Canada wants about $135 shipped for one, so that won't happen any time soon. Does anyone know of a less expensive way to obtain a portafilter?

After trying unsuccessfully to register the machine at the Breville Canada website (the error message said the serial number was not valid), I called Breville Canada. The customer service rep said that their registration system does not work and not to worry about registering the machine - that it's not necessary.

While I was on the phone with Breville Canada, I asked about their nearest service centre for the eventual descaling procedure mentioned in the manual. The customer rep told me the machine will never need descaling, that the boilers are so big that they never will require the procedure. This just doesn't sound correct. Or has Breville changed their recommendations on this? She never did tell me the name and address of a service center.

[don_nairn]

De-scaling will depend on water quality.

I don't know about water quality were you live.

[Barry_Duncan]

Joes,

Welcome from Australia, from CoffeeSnobs and from fellow BDB owners.

I am not aware of any other make of portafilters fitting the BDB. Many manufacturers have a different configuration of the lugs that make them incompatible. Just like car parts.

I bought my naked portafilter, which I use most of the time, from Breville here in Sydney.

I think that Breville claim that a machine using water with a usual amount of minerals may require descaling after three years use.

Regularly changing the in tank filters and further treating your water to reduce calcium and magnesium should extend this time.

Take a look at:
http://coffeesnobs.com.au/brewing-eq...er-advice.html

Enjoy your coffee.

Barry

[joes]

Thanks for the replies. Too bad about the portafilter being a unique unit. Even though the Canadian dollar is worth about the same as the US dollar, the Breville Canada price is higher than on their US website. Then add on another $35 for tax and shipping. It gets to be a matter of principle. Maybe a used one will come along.

Regarding the water, we use well water that does have natural minerals, including iron. But the water used for the DB goes through a large water softener/conditioner unit - the type that uses salt to flush the resin bed on a pre-programmed schedule. After conditioning, the water is colorless and clear, although invisible minerals certainly remain.

Since this is a new machine, it should not need service for a long time. But, thinking ahead, I'm curious whether anyone here has a copy of the instructions Breville provides to their service centres for descaling. It seems this can't be more complicated than many other mechanical challenges. If anyone has such information, please post it or send me a PM or email.

[PrescottCR]

Hey all ive had my DB for 3 months now and love it. Just wondering if there are replacement steam wands out there that are dual walled so they are easier to clean? Had a mate tell me other machines have them so thought it would be good if i could get one for th DB?

I'm not aware of anyone selling a different steam wand, but the current one isn't difficult to clean from my experience. All you need is a damp kitchen towel and wipe it immediately after use. Also purge the steam wand before & after use. Are you having a specific issue with it?

Also, with new models being introduced this week there may be something new out there! Sadly, questions like yours will be forgotten as the new shiny stuff becomes unveiled.

[pecker]

Breville BES900 Dual Boiler - Owners thread

I'm not aware of anyone selling a different steam wand, but the current one isn't difficult to clean from my experience. All you need is a damp kitchen towel and wipe it immediately after use. Also purge the steam wand before & after use. Are you having a specific issue with it?

Also, with new models being introduced this week there may be something new out there! Sadly, questions like yours will be forgotten as the new shiny stuff becomes unveiled.

No specific issues really, just if you dot wipe it straight away like you said it becomes a bit of a pain.

New models you say?? Maybe I should have waited!

[Jonathon]

Breville BES900 Dual Boiler - Owners thread

Interesting looking new BDB hot off the press, the Breville 9. Not sure if it's a prototype or available for sale.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BHsGQ9KCcAA2zgY.jpg:large

[Jimmytheboot]

Interesting looking new BDB hot off the press, the Breville 9. Not sure if it's a prototype or available for sale.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BHsGQ9KCcAA2zgY.jpg:large

'The 9'

Commercial rotary-vane pump & motor

This skunk-works project is dedicated to all those, like you, that are a little crazy in their commitment to the espresso journey. How could we at Breville resist the temptation to drop in a Fluid-o-Tech rotary-vane pump and Rpm motor into our twin boiler.. We couldn't.. Introducing 'The 9'. Finished in the meanest, flattest matt we could mix.

[csutak40]

I did ask earlier, but will try again.

I got a very good price for a DB&SG combo (still deciding whether to upgrade the grinder while it is new, or give it a try and then decide) I still haven't taken delivery as they didn't have the grinder in stock. Seems as soon as I placed the order, there is talk of a new model. So, I am now wondering - as I haven't actually got the machine yet - if I should say I'll wait for the new model.

No one has told us what the difference between the new model and the present one is and/or when it will be available here.

After all the haggling I did, I suspect they won't be too happy with me if I "change my mind", so I wonder if it is worth the embarrassment. If you think it won't be too risky to buy the present model, I read here that the newer versions have a better portafilter. Is there a way of knowing which model one is getting?

[csutak40]

I just had a thought. Has anyone that has a naked portafilter had the flying portafilter problem? I wonder if that has the QC-d controlled dimension of the lug?

[J_Hutt]

I just had a thought. Has anyone that has a naked portafilter had the flying portafilter problem? I wonder if that has the QC-d controlled dimension of the lug?

Yes I can get my naked PF to undo during a shot. If I run water through with a blind disk in and have the PF partially unscrewed - ie to flush out the seal etc, then the next shots will unscrew. Drying he seal usually works to stop it.

[PrescottCR]

I would like to know in detail what has been changed in later revisions of this machine, I'm sure other people are curious also.

I'm looking forward to pairing mine with a HG one grinder for it's second birthday

This might help, the US site has the BES900XL for sale again, and the manual specifies it's the /B model-

http://www.brevilleusa.com/media/med..._FA_LowRes.pdf

If you're willing to look through the manual you might pick up on what's new

[stoph]

Having an issue with my BES900, sorry if this has already been covered, I just don't have time to read through 80+ pages, and if it's a simple redirect to another post addressing the issue from those in the know, I'd really appreciate it!

My wife uses the auto-function most of the time, and lately (more increasingly so, though not 100% of the time just yet) the shot has stopped around the 15 second mark - regardless of a good flow or not. Nothing has changed in our grind, dose or tamp style so dramatically as to warrant this. The manual function has no issues, and seems to override this early stoppage.

Any thoughts as to what it might be? I backflush before I power down the machine, using the rubber disc, and clean whenever it tells me it's due, in case that helps to know.

Thanks in advance!

[DavidW1960]

You'll have to re-calibrate the 1 and 2 shot buttons. But really, don't bother with this. Just use the manual button.

[stoph]

Thanks for the quick response!

To further query, if it's not happening every time, would that not suggest at a problem with the machine, as opposed to the current shot settings?

It wouldn't bother me normally like I said, but my wife is asking after the auto function.