Breville BES920 Dual Boiler - Owners thread

[dlight]

No difference between the Breville basket and the 18g VST basket in terms of their fit in the portafilter.

[Timbosaurus]

So probably a rookie question, but what do you guys notice with the vst baskets?

I know they are supposed to be higher precision, but does this make them less likely to channel? Does it somehow magically increase flavour or reduce bitterness? Or do you just desire something sized mid way between the breville single and double?

[bodyboardingbum]

Those using Cafetto (or similar), do you still use the cleaning cycle option in the menu? Or just manually backflush with powder like a normal espresso machine? I still have a heap left over from my HX, and the two little tablets the machine includes won't last long at all!

[rusty888]

I use the clean cycle with the caffetto

[level3ninja]

I use the clean cycle with the caffetto

Ditto.....

[bodyboardingbum]

Great, makes it easier. Thanks!

[salem]

Hi all. A few days ago my filter basket started getting stuck on the group head when i pull the handle off. As I was using the double basket, I'd just put the handle back on and give it a wriggle and the seal would unstick and the basket would come out. Today I did a clean cycle with the single basket and the blanking plate, and now that single basket is stuck and I can't get it off even with a wiggle of the handle. I tried running the machine without the handle to try and push the basket off and just got water leaking up around the back of the seal. I had a bit of a push and lever with a teaspoon on the edge of the basket and bent my teaspoon. I tried again with a screwdriver (trying hard not to damage the seal) and it just didn't budge.

Is it because of the group handle spring getting loose? or the dry-puck thing I've read about sucking the filter back up too hard? I don't know how to stop it happening again, and I don't know how to get it off right now and I am dying for a coffee! any help would be appreciated.

edit: got a longer handled screwdriver and got the filter off. Took apart the shower screen, and the black plastic bit that holds the seal on is split. Maybe I'm overdosing? I did a weigh on my dose for the first time and it's 23-24g. The seal looks fine...? No splits or nicks. I don't know what a new one looks like.

Black retainer
https://photos.app.goo.gl/aL7ytxGu0hHs6YQe2

Seal
https://photos.app.goo.gl/NK6IEzyrQaMJzIdV2

Overdose?
https://photos.app.goo.gl/seC6WUT0xQ5qFAh92

[Yelta]

Hi all. A few days ago my filter basket started getting stuck on the group head when i pull the handle off. As I was using the double basket, I'd just put the handle back on and give it a wriggle and the seal would unstick and the basket would come out. Today I did a clean cycle with the single basket and the blanking plate, and now that single basket is stuck and I can't get it off even with a wiggle of the handle. I tried running the machine without the handle to try and push the basket off and just got water leaking up around the back of the seal. I had a bit of a push and lever with a teaspoon on the edge of the basket and bent my teaspoon. I tried again with a screwdriver (trying hard not to damage the seal) and it just didn't budge.

Is it because of the group handle spring getting loose? or the dry-puck thing I've read about sucking the filter back up too hard? I don't know how to stop it happening again, and I don't know how to get it off right now and I am dying for a coffee! any help would be appreciated.

Sounds like the basket is stuck to the seal.

Can you get a short piece of wooden dowel or similar on to the edge/side of the basket, if so give it a LIGHT tap with a hammer, even thumb pressure on the basket may loosen it.

Don't leave the portafilter in the group head after pulling a shot, this can cause the basket to stick to the seal as well.

I suspect its time for a new seal.

[salem]

I never leave the handle on after a shot. I know that much! might have to look into a new seal as well as the disk bit thing that I added to my previous post.

[Yelta]

Looks well over dosed to me Salem, imprint of screen and screw is obvious, not good, 23/24 grams is a lot of coffee,

Not familiar with Breville seals, how old is the machine, is the seal original? they do compress and harden over time.

[salem]

Looks well over dosed to me Salem, imprint of screen and screw is obvious, not good, 23/24 grams is a lot of coffee,

Not familiar with Breville seals, how old is the machine, is the seal original? they do compress and harden over time.

seal is original, around 2 years old now, maybe a bit more? I'll try 18 grams, but I am guessing I'm going to need to really fine up my grind. Might even use that fancy dose razor that came with the machine so I'm not sitting too high. This is going to be a well caffinated afternoon!

[Timbosaurus]

I could be wrong, but I found that the razor dose tool still left the coffee sitting a little high for my liking. It still left a fair showerscreen imprint post-shot. So I use it as an "absolute max", and the 5c test does seem to back me up.

But then again, I suspect the breville engineers know what they are doing, certainly more than me

[salem]

well I didn't use the razor, but i did weigh up 18g. Boy did it feel weird sinking the tamp in that deep! No shower screen imprint, and a completely different taste to the coffee! I did have to dial the grinder right down, the coffee was almost coming out of it in cubes.

[Timbosaurus]

haha.

I find (using the standard breville tamp/basket) that I press down with my thumb and forefinger on the outer edge of the tamper until my fingers are actually pushing on the basket. I'd say that at this point the top edge of the basket is about in line with the corner where the vertical tamper wall ends.

It then makes it easy to rotate my hand and tamper 180 degrees and make sure that the contact that my finger makes with the basket is consistent, and therefore the puck is level the whole way around.

[Yelta]

seal is original, around 2 years old now, maybe a bit more? I'll try 18 grams, but I am guessing I'm going to need to really fine up my grind. Might even use that fancy dose razor that came with the machine so I'm not sitting too high. This is going to be a well caffinated afternoon!

At 2 years plus I suspect a new seal is well overdue.

How was the coffee at 18 gram dose, is the basket still sticking?