Breville BES900 Dual Boiler - Owners thread

[inorog]

Hi guys,

I've been lurking around since December when I got my BES900. In the mean time - I've had to adjust the OPV once already, basically at about 230 shots it was kicking in at about 7bar. Thanks to Nic (hi Nic!) and his magic blog - that was one easy fix.

Mind you - now that I've done that about a 5 weeks ago, I've noticed that the pressure where the OPV opens has come down again - by about 0.75bar. Seems that the plastic-fantastic thingumabob is not that fantastic after all. No matter - I've got the Expobar E614 brass OPV waiting and ready to replace the OEM valve - muahahaha!.

Now - why I'm writing this is because for the past couple of days I keep hearing a faint hissing sound coming from inside. I am not sure where it is coming from just yet but I'm about to find out - I've cracked it open again. Has anyone experienced something like this? Rubber O-rings perished in less than 6 months? Which ones? Something else? What?

My usage is about a cup of coffee a day - and the machine is turned off again. The PF does not reside in the group head when resting and the rest of the maintenance is done quasi-religiously.


Ino.

PS: I recall reading about someone finding a nest of ants inside their machine. I did too - right in the bottom part of it, and boy what a royal pain in the proverbial it was to take it all apart and clean it up. Now that the base is back together, and there are no left-over screws and parts, I'll keep a better eye on what's going on underneath the machine. I really don't want to screw/unscrew some 30 assorted screws that hold the base together any time soon now.

[inorog]

Ha! - I found it - it is a small steam leak from the main boiler (the big one, responsible directly for the steam wand). One of the powered ends of the heating element for some reason is no longer sealing properly and as I just wriggled it very lightly it started to make a louder hissing sound. It's the one connected to the black spot-welded wire (there are three spot welded wires there - red, blue and black)

Very curious to see why. In all honesty, on the main boiler the heating element ceramic ends are definitely looser in their sockets than the ones on the small group-head boiler.

I think I'll contact Breville on Monday and see what they say.

[Barry_Duncan]

Possibly the original recommendation to use the dual walled single basket for backflushing was because the silicon disc came with a hole in it and it needed the dual basket to create a bit more pressure. If you use a real blind filter or the now supplied silicon disc without the hole it probably doesn't matter which basket you use.

I use the original silicon disc as a blind filter with the hole blocked by pushing up a thumb tack from below.

Barry

[fforacing]

Hi Guys,
I just thought that I'd share this with the forum. I've had my Dual Boiler BES900 for 5 months now. It was working fine in the morning and then all of a sudden no pressure. Everything else was working fine on it, but only about 1 teaspoon was been extracted and pressure gauge didn't even make 1 bar.
Spoke to Breville who told me to send to repairer in Hornsby as I'm on Central Coast, however after reading many bad reports on internet about this particular repairer, I decided to check for an actual Breville repair company in Sydney who can handle the repair. I contacted Breville in Ultimo, who said no problem just bring it in with receipt.
I took it there today at 11am and told them that I had come down from the coast and they told me they would look at it straight away. They called me back about 1.5hrs later and told me it was all done.
Apparently issue was with a gasket in the solenoid which was faulty which they replaced and all is working properly again.

I tested machine when I got home and my single shot with all default settings and medium fine grind the pressure gauge went a touch over 8 bar. Previously was about 7 bar.

All I can say is Breville at Ultimo provided outstanding service and immediate repair. I couldn't be happier.

[Barry_Duncan]

Fforacing,

Welcome to CoffeeSnobs and the BDB.

I had a similar problem with my machine after 12 months. I also took mine to Ultimo where Len gave me good service.

I hope that all goes well for you now.

Barry

[Dhbic1]

Hi folks,

Have had a double boiler for almost 18 months now and reasonably happy with it apart from a few quibbles.
Recently,however, the pump operation has become erratic ( when drawing hot water or making a shot). It's chattering and struggling to build up pressure. When it does build pressure it seems to stutter, uneducated guess is the pump is about to give up the ghost. For a short period after we logged a service call ( to breville) it came good but on the weekend back to the same.

Today my partner tried to drop it off at a nominated service centre and the guy checked it over and said nothing wrong with the machine. Comments seem to imply either lack of knowledge of the machine or lack of acknowledging there is a problem. (Having used the machine over a year there is definitely something not right !)

Has anyone had an issue like this ?
Would anyone recommend a service centre ( Melbourne area) where there are happy with the service ?
Any guidance appreciated Thanks

Usage : 2-3 coffees per week day, 5-10 per day weekends. Regularly change filters and clean as per instructions

[mr_walker]

I also have this exact problem with my machine - I posted a couple of months ago but nobody else responded with the same issue. My machine stops at 19 seconds when I use the double shot button. It was strange because it stopped pouring at exactly the same time, every time. Grind, dose and tamp aren't the issue. I did some experimenting and if I left the cake in there and poured several shots in a row, by the 3rd or 4th it would start doing the full pour. From a cold start, it would go back to 19 seconds again. My theory is that there is a problem with the volumetric flow meter in the system. It started playing up at about the 11 month old mark.

I haven't been able to do anything about it, and now I use the manual button instead. Still, with the machine still under warranty I would like to get it sorted. I called Breville before Christmas and they said someone would call me back, but nobody called and I haven't followed it up yet. I should get it repaired but I just haven't been willing to go without my BDB for any period of time

It's fine to say just use the manual button, but if the feature is there I would like it to work.

Cheers,

Simon

Well I called Breville today and they are going to courier my BDB up to Sydney to get fixed. Thought I 'd mention it because I was half expecting to be sent to the Canberra service agent in Dickson, but apparently they don't work on this model.

I guess I'll be relying on the Aeropress for a couple of weeks!

Cheers,

Simon

[jhocarz]

I am confused. I just purchased the naked portafilter and I am still concerned that an aftermarket filter won't fit. It is shaped the same as the standard group head of the Breville, that is, it is sloping, like some cups do, so the bottom is a lot narrower then the 58mm at the top (I don't have a calliper, but about 50mm) I have been thinking of the VST, but am a bit worried about buying it through the mail, in case it doesn't fit. Does anyone here actually have it? Looking at the picture of it, it doesn't look as though it slopes like the Breville does.

And, if it was to fit, I have another question. Ridged or ridgeless? I have read the explanation of the difference Things Coffee | Pullman Tamper, Coffee Tamper, VST Filter Basket, VST Refractometer, Hottop, Coffee Roaster, KN-8828B-2 and as I NEVER use the single basket, it sounds as though ridgeless would be better, except.... Question #3 The manual says to use the single dual wall filter for backflushing. Is there a reason for that? I mean the rubber disk seems to fit the double basket fine, so the ONLY reason I swap to the single dual basket to backflush is because the manual says so.

Actually, I just realised something. I can use the original PF for backflushing purposes, (still don't quite understand why one needs to use the single, dual wall basket) so if the VST basked would fit the naked PF, I would be better off with a ridgeless one. Does anyone know any place in Melbourne, where I could go and look at the VST filters up close and personal?

the BREVILLE naked portafilter, the portafilter is the one the touches the group head, so if you bought a breville naked pf then that should fit the bdb group head. as for the filter basket, yes they fit as they are standard commercial 58mm. naked portafilters are bottomless so you shouldnt be able to measure anything there. there is no spout. vst are straight wall, no slopes like the stock basket, i have a 15g and 20g basket. im using a ridgeless, those details dont matter to the espresso taste its just for the tight firm holding of the pf to the basket.

ive spoke with a breville tech in my quest to get answers and solutions for the gauge prob i have. so here is the thing
- the very reason for backflush is the name itself to backflush, so you need pressure here, hence more pressure can be delivered using a single basket and the blind, the blind was also designed to fit the single basket perfectly and not double. the smaller space you have the more pressure you can create. (my logic here)
- from breville - he told me to use the dual wall with the blind to check my gauge and not the single wall - double wall is pressurized thus creating more pressure than single wall.

[inorog]

Ha! - I found it - it is a small steam leak from the main boiler (the big one, responsible directly for the steam wand).(...)

Very curious to see why. In all honesty, on the main boiler the heating element ceramic ends are definitely looser in their sockets than the ones on the small group-head boiler.

I think I'll contact Breville on Monday and see what they say.

Well - that went as expected - take it in to uh... Mr Sparky at Oxley. Oh, and how do you know it's a steam leak on the main boiler? She then says "because if you opened it - that will void your warranty". I'm thinking "riiiight - that ol' chestnut! Good thing you didn't seal it then" so I said "Well - you don't want to know..."

In the mean time I can't hear the leak anymore - so for the time being I won't be taking it in.

That being said - I also think that I might need to take it to Albion - since it will end up there anyway.

It's a pity that there's no reviews of these repair guys. It would make the choice so much easier.

[Banjo.au]

If the steam boiler is leaking, the first evidence visible without opening the machine will be under or in the tool storage tray. If there's no sign in the tool tray space yet, try tipping the machine to the right (looking from the front) after the machine has been on for a while. If there's still no sign, don't worry, the leak will get worse. The machine may well keep working until you can see clear external evidence.

Albion is your best bet. Report the fault to Breville as an 'internal leak'.

[northerner]

I keep getting err1 errors on my new machine. I know it's been discussed before bit is it best just to return it?

I have the timer set so it comes on automatically first thing in the morning and even get the err1 message then - before having done anything apart from let it warm up.

Any advice??

[swamprat96]

I had a couple of these in the early days of ownership but none since. However if you keep getting them I'd return it for a replacement. Its not normal behaviour

[bones23]

Hi all.
A question re: shot volume.

I've had my BDB for about a month now. Yesterday did a training session with the barista from my coffee place and after some inconsistency early in the session, he reprogramed the 2 shot button for an extraction of about 28ml (per side). Following that during our session we both pulled consistent shots - 28ml, 30secs, 9bar.
Today I turned the machine on and again the first couple of shots were all over the place -very low volume (15ml) in about 19secs - then everything came good and for about 4 shots got the good consistency I had yesterday. But then - chaos - back to shots of 15-20ml in 17-20 secs. Grind, dose, and tamp all the same.
Can anyone offer any help / suggestions as to what may be going wrong as it's driving me crazy!!

Thanks for the anticipated assistance.
Michael.

[Miloolimm]

I just finished watching the latest episode of "Hannibal". It's a tv series about the serial killer from Silence of the Lambs. Breville marketing are really on the ball. Without spoiling any plot lines, in the show Hannibal Lector is a serial killer with a penchant for very fine food. It is a big budget show and food is lovingly displayed throughout, fine French cuisine and the like. And there on his kitchen bench sits a BES900.

Just thought it funny and thought maybe those who post and lurk here may find it amusing.

Wonder how much Breville paid for the cameo?

[MerleApAmber]

snip

Hi all.
A question re: shot volume.

Grind, dose, and tamp all the same.
Can anyone offer any help / suggestions as to what may be going wrong as it's driving me crazy!!

Thanks for the anticipated assistance.
Michael.

end snip

Michael,
Congratulations on the new equipment in your home. I'm sure you'll find many many wonderful days and memories as you go forward. The first days are always most interesting because they take us from where we were to a view of where we'll be going. In my experience, the volumetric logic (on most espresso machines I've heard...) is a bit of an oxymoron. Certainly there are a number of variables which need to be steady state for the true design performance to turn up. Sadly, the three you list, ... are also the most difficult to see maintained in that perfect world relationship. Here's a work around you might find useful; practice drawing your extractions using the manual button. Hold it down to preinfuse at less than full pressure, and then release it to extract the shot. You'll note, your pressure, time, and the character of the coffee coming out of the portafilter will change with almost every shot. That's not really unusual, especially at first. The difference is, after a few tens of shots you'll start seeing the relationships change day in and out - often due to nothing more than the change in the weather and the coffee beans themselves. Don't give up... you're on the journey; and that's far more enjoyable than you might have thought even so...