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Breville Dual Boiler BES900XL Owners Thread

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mcknightp
Senior Member

Joined: 11 Feb 2009
Posts: 68
Location: Sydney, Aus
Expertise: Pro Barista

Espresso: LM 3 Grp
Grinder: Robur, Swift

Posted Sat May 12, 2012, 2:39pm Subject: Re: Breville Dual Boiler BES900XL Owners Thread

Hot off the presses........ Breville is now an official partner & sponsor of the 2012 WBC (World Barista Championships) being held in Vienna under the WCE (World Coffee Events) banner June 12-15! No we haven't replaced Nuova Simonelli as the official espresso machine, but we are the Official Blender Sponsor! This means we get unfetted access to live content, competitors, etc so we'll be able to bring unprecedented coverage to Dual Boiler owners! I judged both Craig Simon winner of the Australian Barista Championship & Matt Perger winner of the Brewers Cup in Melbourne last week! This was the first time the Brewers Cup has been run & I judged some amazing coffee from the six finalists! We'll have info up shortly on how we're going to share all this stuff with you guys, so sayed tuned. Cheers, Phil

SamP
Senior Member

Joined: 10 May 2012
Posts: 7
Location: MD
Expertise: Just starting

Posted Sat May 12, 2012, 6:51pm Subject: Re: Breville Dual Boiler BES900XL Owners Thread

That's cool, good stuff. Any idea when you will have more nekked potafilters for sale? Can you take pre-orders?

mcknightp
Senior Member

Joined: 11 Feb 2009
Posts: 68
Location: Sydney, Aus
Expertise: Pro Barista

Espresso: LM 3 Grp
Grinder: Robur, Swift

Posted Sun May 13, 2012, 9:55pm Subject: Re: Breville Dual Boiler BES900XL Owners Thread

Here's some pictures of our baskets both front & back & the same of some VST22g. I still fail to see the difference between the 2 baskets other than perhaps the total hole area. I believe Breville baskets & the VSTs are manufacured in the same way. Breville baskets are not manufactured the same way as Synesso or LM. Yes, VST may be made of slightly thicker gauge SS. The link is to the first in a 4 shot series on Flicker. click here Cheers, Phil

michaelgo
Senior Member

Joined: 21 Jan 2012
Posts: 92
Location: Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Expertise: I love coffee

Espresso: Breville 900XL
Grinder: Baratza Vario

Posted Mon May 14, 2012, 9:50am
Subject: Re: Breville Dual Boiler BES900XL Owners Thread

mcknightp Said:

Here's some pictures of our baskets both front & back & the same of some VST22g. I still fail to see the difference between the 2 baskets other than perhaps the total hole area.l

Posted May 13, 2012 link

I bought the VST basket after some of the discussion a couple of months back and being completely new to all this, took everything as a learning experience. I think I get a better tamp with the VST because of the straighter sides and while nearly every puck sticks with the stock Beville basket, it's very rare with the VST. Other than that, I personally see no difference, but don't have the educated palette or consistent skill of other posters here.

Just my two cents.

Michael

dagoat
Senior Member

Joined: 10 Dec 2004
Posts: 296
Location: santa barbara, ca
Expertise: I love coffee

Espresso: BDB (Breville Dual Boiler...
Grinder: baratza vario
Vac Pot: aeropress
Drip: manual
Roaster: cafe rosto

Posted Mon May 14, 2012, 12:55pm Subject: Re: Breville Dual Boiler BES900XL Owners Thread

what you describe about your experience with the breville basket is characteristic of ALL tapered wall baskets, (when improperly used). what you describe about your experience with the vst baskets is characteristic of ALL straight wall baskets, (not just VST). aaah, but there is an advantage to the tapered wall basket: super clean, easy-tap knockouts. but there is a price, too. you have to be meticulous in your shot prep to avoid sticking pucks and trouble tamping. then again, if you are a home barista there is no excuse NOT to use meticulous prep, (unless you are obsessed with imitating the shortcuts the pro's take at your favorite coffee joint). when using the tapered breville baskets i never get pucks sticking to the shower screen, nor do i foul the sides of the basket while tamping--ever. FWIW, as an aside, i DO have two other espresso machines besides the BDB, and they both use straight-wall baskets--which are much more of a PITA to knock out than tapered ones. my solution? i have four spare baskets. each time i use one, i take it outside and leave it in the sun all day and over night. in our dry southwestern climate, enough moisture evaporates that the puck shrinks a lot after it dries out. then it knocks out easily. -peter

michaelgo
Senior Member

Joined: 21 Jan 2012
Posts: 92
Location: Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Expertise: I love coffee

Espresso: Breville 900XL
Grinder: Baratza Vario

Posted Mon May 14, 2012, 10:17pm
Subject: Re: Breville Dual Boiler BES900XL Owners Thread

dagoat Said:

what you describe about your experience with the breville basket is characteristic of ALL tapered wall baskets, (when improperly used).

Posted May 14, 2012 link

Thanks for the comments, can I come over and have you show me what I'm doing wrong? LOL I've been trying to figure this out for a few months now. I've read as much as I can and watched the videos. I weigh my shots, do my best to distribute the grinds, have practiced tamping on a scale to get the pressure right; everything I can try but the results are the same. So what am I missing? Where do I go for more info. The local roaster (Klatch) has classes but I'm not sure I want to spend $500 for that.

One thing about me though, I don't give up easily.

Michael

Posted Tue May 15, 2012, 12:16am
Subject: Re: Breville Dual Boiler BES900XL Owners Thread

michaelgo Said:

One thing about me though, I don't give up easily.

Michael

Posted May 14, 2012 link

a great trait.

at this point, you have already spent the money on VST baskets, (on top of the cost of the BDB), so if you are happy with what you are getting then the only reason for you to go further is out of curiosity and drive. my interest at this point is in protecting unsuspecting new BDB owners from thinking they MUST have expensive aftermarket baskets to make good espresso, or that the ones breville supplied are anything less than top-notch.

sooo, you had two complaints: 1) inability to tamp without the tamper encountering the taper in the basket, and 2) pucks sticking to the shower screen.

1) hopefully the answer to the first problem is self-evident. if you put enough coffee in the basket, you will not be able to push the tamper down hard enough to jam on the tapered sides. right?

2) as to the sticking to the shower screen? i had a few stickers early on, (got mine in december), when i was experimenting with 17.0g. that number went down when i went to 17.5g, and i have not had a single sticker since i went to 18g, some time in january. i have not tried 19 or 20g, but phil, (who is not as anal about weighing as i am), reckons he has gone to 20 without a problem. have you gone through an iterative process whereby you try several different weights, from say, 17.5g to 20.5 in increments of 0.5g? one other thing that i almost fall for sometimes, (almost did it this morning, in fact). i weigh my beans in an old yogurt cup that weighs about 5.3g. if i forget to tare/zero it out, then the dose of beans i get is about that much less than the 18.0g i am shooting for. what weight have you been shooting for, and have you been tare'ing you scale with the bean vessel on it BEFORE adding beans?

one other thing, and i was never sure of why, but IIRC from either earlier in this thread, or the other BDB thread that got shut down, there were reports of "young" BDB's having more suction when they are brand new, and less as the valves and solenoids get some cycles into them.

you mentioned klatch. they are out of the RC, right? i get around that area from time-to-time. sometimes an ontario layover as well. maybe we can hook up for a little extraction session? with enough advance notice, i'll try to bring some of my home roast, (i am NOT an expert roaster), but none of my stuff sticks, no matter what it is, SO, blend, old trader joes coffee that nobody should waste their time with, (but i have), none of it sticks for me.

-peter

Stuart
Senior Member

Joined: 9 Feb 2012
Posts: 113
Location: TX
Expertise: I love coffee

Espresso: Breville Dual Boiler
Grinder: Baratza Vario
Roaster: Air Crazy popper

Posted Tue May 15, 2012, 6:14am Subject: Re: Breville Dual Boiler BES900XL Owners Thread

I continue to enjoy my machine, but have a question concerning reservoir cleaning. Periodically (once a week or so) I remove the reservoir from the machine, empty the water, and rinse all the internal surfaces with a stream of hot water. The reservoir has a complex shape. I worry that this rinsing regimen is insufficient to get at the nooks and crannies, and to dislodge any "fuzz" that might be starting to grow in the corners. Is there something else I should be doing? (I read a recommendation on here to use bleach -- in context, I think it was in jest. But -- should I use something like that periodically?)

michaelgo
Senior Member

Joined: 21 Jan 2012
Posts: 92
Location: Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Expertise: I love coffee

Espresso: Breville 900XL
Grinder: Baratza Vario

Posted Tue May 15, 2012, 8:11am
Subject: Re: Breville Dual Boiler BES900XL Owners Thread

dagoat Said:

my interest at this point is in protecting unsuspecting new BDB owners from thinking they MUST have expensive aftermarket baskets to make good espresso, or that the ones breville supplied are anything less than top-notch.

Posted May 15, 2012 link

You're right about that. I bought the VST baskets primarily because of the sticking problem. I also picked up a naked PF for the similar reason of a diagnostic tool. I agree, neither of these is necessary and the stock equipment works just as well.

have you gone through an iterative process whereby you try several different weights, from say, 17.5g to 20.5 in increments of 0.5g?

Nope, but I'm certainly going to try that. I've been trying to follow the suggestions earlier in this thread like it was gospel as I'm completely new to all this so have been working primarily with 18.0g doses. I'll be working the ladder approach this week though, it's a great idea. I've got to learn that all the experts aren't always right. LOL

i weigh my beans in an old yogurt cup that weighs about 5.3g.

I started with weighing the beans and grinding just what I needed but a variety of factors led to my loading them into the hopper and weighing the grind instead. I may go back to bean weighing but have made the same mistake of not zeroing out before grinding into the basket and then trying to remember just how much that basket weighed.

you mentioned klatch. they are out of the RC, right?

Yep, RC. I live about 15 minutes for ONT. If I can figure out how to private message, I'll get you my info and we can meet up, I'd really apprecate that. I have some clients up your way, Ventura, Oxnard, SB but don't get up there all that often.

Michael

Supernas
Senior Member

Joined: 9 Jan 2012
Posts: 12
Location: Indiana
Expertise: I love coffee

Posted Wed May 16, 2012, 3:10pm Subject: Re: Breville Dual Boiler BES900XL Owners Thread

Just got off the phone with them. There is a list they are making to info those who are interested possibly before they make them avail to the public. So get yourself on the list.. No free coffee though that was just for the lucky few who got like the first 50 or some crap. also they were talking early to mid june but disclaimer with customes who knows..lol

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