Breville BES920 Dual Boiler - Owners thread

[Yelta]

No I have two coffee machines, two grinders and have run shots through both machines using both grinders. One grinder produces perfect shots through both machines....and it isn’t the smart grinder! I’m pretty sure it’s not me that’s the problem!

Fair enough! just trying to look at it from a different perspective.

[pcrussell50]

Yelts, I see from a previous post of yours that you are at least familiar with the concept when people talk about "seasoning" of burrs. I agree with you that that term, while widespread among baristas that use commercial grinders, is probably not the best word for it. As an amateur race engine builder myself, I like your analogy to that, better. Though I don't know if I have the energy to take on the barista community with enough vigour to get them to change their terminology.

-Peter

[inorog]

Don't even try - they're closer to cooks than mechanics... so seasoning it remains!

Imagine if they were closer to proctologists

[thecafeninja]

I was talking about conical burr grinders in general... Or at least the "titan" (commercial grinders used in home environment). I have a grinder with huge conical burrs (from a Robur) and it became way way way less channelly, more consistent, and ground nearly twice as fast, after I ran about a kilo of parboiled rice through it. (Never use regular hard uncooked rice. In fact many grinder makers warn specifically against it.)

I have no specific experience with the Smartie, but being a home-use appliance and not a commercial grinder, I would have expected Breville to have done some form of pre-seasoning in order to reduce customer dissatisfaction over a new machine. I only suggested the need to season, based on 'Ninja's description of his symptoms. Upon further reflection, that kind of behaviour also comes from the case where the outer burr ring is not perfectly concentric with the inner burr, so a possible manufacturing error comes to mind as well.

Further reading of much out there, here is a thread I picked at random: https://www.home-barista.com/grinder...ts-t39850.html

-Peter

Thanks Peter....sounds like I need to stick a couple of kilos of supermarket nasties through it then re-test...I’ll give it a go this weekend. Appreciate the great advice!

[pcrussell50]

Thanks Peter....sounds like I need to stick a couple of kilos of supermarket nasties through it then re-test...I’ll give it a go this weekend. Appreciate the great advice!

Good! If that doesn't result in some improvement, it might be time for a call to Breville. Tell them you are worried that the inner and outer burrs are not concentric with each other.

Keep us informed. (I think there is or was a Smart Grinder thread here on CS, by the way)

-Peter

[Desbos]

Hi All

Need a bit of help. Love my BES920, and have absolutely flogged it into the ground over the last 5 years. Killed the main pump and solenoid, replaced both and continued working nicely.

Now I seem to have an issue with the machine constantly dropping water at a slow but constant rate from the LHS water outlet in the drip tray. IE - If I leave the machine on, it will slowly fill up the tray over maybe 1 hour.
I am guessing this might mean the OPV is kaput, but im not 100% sure on the parts that lead to the water outlet in to the drip tray. Any suggestions greatly appreciated. Seemed like OPV to me, but not being sure I thought i would ask.

Also, can someone educate me on which pump is responsible for filling the boilers (is it just the normal pumps?) I am under the impression there are two pumps, one for each boiler (coffee and steam) as far as delivery to the steam wand and portafilter, but do these pumps also fill the tanks from the water resevoir? I seem to have an issue with a pump filling noise happening regularly and near constantly. Initially I thought this may have been related to the machine dropping water into the tray, but it is now starting to make a familiar ticking noise like when the coffee pump and solenoid was starting to die. I'm guessing this may mean the steam pump is also on its way out.

Whilst I'm writing a long post, I may as well ask one more question. Does anyone know anything about when the BES920 will be updated? I love my machine and would be keen to buy another if an upgraded model was to come along. Cant find anything online. Im not interested in an oracle with built in grinder etc. Just a more refined upgraded dual boiler machine would be nice.

Cheers!

[Chris]

From memory the OPV returns to the tank. The three way valve drains to the drip tray. What’s your brew pressure like? When do you last do a blind filter chemical clean?

[Desbos]

From memory the OPV returns to the tank. The three way valve drains to the drip tray. What’s your brew pressure like? When do you last do a blind filter chemical clean?

Thanks for the response. Yep I did a full descale and front end (blind filter) clean a couple of weeks ago.

IM pretty confident its not the 3 way valve, as the machine pulls coffees at good pressure between 9 and 10 bar which for me is fine (also interesting to note the upgraded ulka pump is far quieter than the factory pump!), durng the draw there is no sign of water dropping in to the tray, and pucks are consistently good/dry, thats why I figure maybe the 3WV is ok?

The machine seems to be dropping water what sitting idle, correct me if im wrong, but the three way valve I thought was only utilised when you are pulling a coffee (to release the pressure from the group head)

[pcrussell50]

Correct, both of you.

You say water is leaking out of the hot water spigot? This is very possible, especially if you actually use it. It is a needle and seat system and it is not at all unusual for those to wear out just form normal use. And the slightest bit of over tightening the hot water shutoff can rapidly wear the needle and seat, causing exactly the leak you are describing. I have not had this problem, because I almost never use the hot water so my needle and seat have not had a chance to become worn.

Tell us, does water come out of the hot water spigot while you are pulling a shot? And are you sure it's coming from the hot water spigot, or could it be coming from the steam wand?

Whilst I'm writing a long post, I may as well ask one more question. Does anyone know anything about when the BES920 will be updated? I love my machine and would be keen to buy another if an upgraded model was to come along. Cant find anything online. Im not interested in an oracle with built in grinder etc. Just a more refined upgraded dual boiler machine would be nice.

Cheers!

I have some worries that they do not plan to update it all. Here is a thread about that very topic in another forum. https://www.home-barista.com/espress...20line#p568678

-Peter

[thecafeninja]

Good! If that doesn't result in some improvement, it might be time for a call to Breville. Tell them you are worried that the inner and outer burrs are not concentric with each other.

Keep us informed. (I think there is or was a Smart Grinder thread here on CS, by the way)

-Peter

Hi, so after the grinder started making some hideous noises today I took it back to the store and they swapped it for a new one no questions asked. Having tried the new one I’m pleased to report much less clumping of the coffee, no channeling and getting some good crema out so looks like it was basically a “Friday grinder”. I ran a kg of beans through it to season the burrs as you suggested. I think everything will be good from here in hopefully!

[prydey]

My 920 is only a bit over a year old and recently I've been having an issue with my steam wand. Usually after a period of inactivity for a few hours, when I fire it up it all seems to light up fine but when I open the steam wand tap it gives a couple of feint beeps and the little white light fails to light up to say steam is in use. I still get steam though but probably not full strength. After running for 30 seconds or so and opening and closing the tap eventually the light comes on.
Anyone else experienced this? Is it the start of a bigger issue? I have no other error messages or descale messages.

[pcrussell50]

My 920 is only a bit over a year old and recently I've been having an issue with my steam wand. Usually after a period of inactivity for a few hours, when I fire it up it all seems to light up fine but when I open the steam wand tap it gives a couple of feint beeps and the little white light fails to light up to say steam is in use. I still get steam though but probably not full strength. After running for 30 seconds or so and opening and closing the tap eventually the light comes on.
Anyone else experienced this? Is it the start of a bigger issue? I have no other error messages or descale messages.

The light is actuated by a microswitch when a cam in the steam lever rolls over it and depresses it. It has no relation to whether steam is actually flowing or not, except indirectly. Steam flows from the simple act of opening the quarter-turn ball valve, which opens the path between the steam boiler and the steam wand tip. First place to look if steam is weak is the tiny holes in the steam tip possibly being clogged.

-Peter

[prydey]

thanks. sounds like something simple like a sticky microswitch.

[pcrussell50]

If you listen closely, can your hear/feel the microswitch clicking when you swing the steam paddle through it's arc?

[Desbos]

The light is actuated by a microswitch when a cam in the steam lever rolls over it and depresses it. It has no relation to whether steam is actually flowing or not, except indirectly. Steam flows from the simple act of opening the quarter-turn ball valve, which opens the path between the steam boiler and the steam wand tip. First place to look if steam is weak is the tiny holes in the steam tip possibly being clogged.

-Peter

Hi Peter, sorry I wasnt good with my explanation. The water (and now steam) is coming out of the overflow point on the left hand side inside the tray, not from the hot water dispenser.

I can hear the steam pump (or solenoid) clicking like the brew pump did before is died, and it appears some sort of valve has died which leads to the pipe which dumps excess water in the tray. I opened it up yesterday, and can also see another leak from the top of the boiler (where the pipes go in).

I really feel like ive had a good run with the machine, its done an enourmous amount of work. I called breville and they offered to provide a new machine at a heavy discount, tempted to take that offer whilst the inner coffee snob makes me feel like I should be upgrading (but my logical mind keeps getting stuck on the part about the actually coffee being no better on a $3500 italian machine).

Thanks for the link. Geez I wish Breville would at least give it an aesthetic make over, this machine with the look of the sunbeam torino would be amazing. I am a bit concerned i'll get a new machine and two weeks later they update it (have seen multiple places with the BES920 pm "run out" and that makes me wonder if something in the pipeline.. the breville customer service people had nothing to add).