Tuesday, January 27, 2009

All About the Breville 800ESXL Espresso Maker

By Valerie T.

The Breville 800ESXL espresso maker is a joy to behold. Fortunately, it is not all looks and no brains. The Breville 800ESXL offers a dozen innovative features to make your espresso-making experience a delight, rather than a chore. And the taste results won't disappoint, either.

The unit tips the scales at 31 lbs (19 kg). That weight doesn't guarantee good coffee, of course. But, it does help stabilize the machine and that prevents tipping. No time wasted cleaning up unnecessary spills with this model. The stainless steel exterior continues that theme of durability and easy clean up.

The interior parts are equally high quality. They feature a chrome-plated brass filter, which provides even thermal conductivity, and therefore excellent temperature control. Some reviewers give less than stellar marks due to the thermoblock heating component. But even the most expensive units use it, so it can hardly be considered a cheap substitute. It's doubtful whether anyone could tell the difference in a blind taste test.

There is one minor area where the design could be improved. The Breville Die Cast 800ESXL has a proprietary dual-wall design. That helps create good pressure and temperature control. But it does tend to produce sludgy grounds. Experienced baristas or those who have tried several machines will be used to a drier, more compact puck. That is a convenience when it comes to clean up. However, in this reviewer's opinion, it's a minor defect.

The Breville Die Cast 800ESXL more than makes up for any less-than perfect attributes by convenience, on top of making an excellent shot of espresso.

The steam wand is thoughtfully designed, set on a ball so it can be easily turned in any direction. That's a big help when you've got different sized cups to fill, or happen to need a different angle because of counter or personal height. It's also very handy for producing hot water for tea, hot cocoa, and other drinks.

The maker does a superb job of keeping water at precisely the right temperature throughout the machine for a stellar shot. Cheaper espresso makers have hot and cold spots, producing inconsistent and inferior results. As the water and/or coffee passes through the machine it is affected slightly by these differences.

It's true that the thermoblock is not quite as consistent in terms of pressure and temperature as a commercial-quality brass boiler. But in actual tests the difference was virtually undetectable and the lower price makes it a toss up.

There's a large heating tray, which simply adds to the quality. Keeping your espresso cup warm is just one more element among many for producing the best possible final result.

The large capacity, removable water tank is another great convenience feature. If you're making shots for a large party, you won't have to run to get a refill every few minutes.

Convenience, style, and producing consistent excellent cups of espresso. That's more than just nice. That's great!

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