[.uk] Breville ESP8XL Cafe Roma Stainless Espresso Maker

It's good once you learn its quirks:
First of all this is a very nice looking machine. It is well built and has a solid feel to it. As far as I can tell it does almost everything the 800XL does for a lot less money. But how does it make espresso and froth? Pretty good once you learn its little quirks. First of all, don't expect this machine to be an automated espresso maker; it isn't. It also doesn't cost thousands of dollars like the automated - do everything for you machines. YOU actually have to do some work to get the best results from it and it requires constant maintenance. I learned most of what I know by reading lots of reviews from other users. Some tips are in the manual but not all of them. First of all, this machine needs to be primed before you use it, on both the espresso and steamer settings. With my first few attempts it just didn't get things hot enough until I learned this. The steamer will eject water for the first 20 seconds or so - so you need to prime it or you will get watery froth. The metal cups need to be preheated in order to have hot espresso. I simply prime the steamer and catch the water in the cup to preheat it, then dump it out. I have had no problems with the filters clogging up as others have complained about. I think the thing here is not to grind the coffee to fine or it will get trapped between the two metal filters. I use an automatic grinder on the "fine" setting with no issues. Just make sure it isn't powdery or you will have problems. I have also learned to stop the espresso from brewing when it gets to about 3/4 of the way full on the metal cup. It does continue to drip for a while after you turn it to the standby position. This isn't a big deal as you will have to clean the drip tray anyway once you are done. The grounds do come out watery in the filter after use, but this is how the machine is designed to work. Not a big deal - just a little messy. If you don't tamp down the grounds real hard it isn't as bad. I find it is also necessary to clean the filters and other parts as soon as possible after using it. I think this also prevents the clogging problems. Once again, not a big deal once you get the hang of it. I just simply rinse everything out well with hot tap water. You do get some grounds up in the top of the machine, (where the filter seats) but I just get a wet paper towel and wipe it down - that's all. If you don't, you will find dried grounds dropping onto the drip tray or into your next cup. Actually the machine is very easy to clean and the steamer is now much improved as the rubber nozzle has been replaced by an all metal wand. You simply wipe it down and then run some steam through it before you shut it down. Piece of cake. All in all this is a good machine for the money. It makes great espresso and I find it easy to get good froth for other drinks. At first I didn't like it and was ready to return it. I just took me some time to learn how to use it. Take your time, don't freak out, clean it well, read some reviews, learn how to use it, and you will enjoy some good espresso Making a good cup takes some experimenting and experience to get optimal results. As far as its durability and longevity, we will see. I do think they need to replace the plastic collar that holds the filter in place. It really should be metal and is the weakest part of the machine which also gets the most use. Others have complained that the pump burns out prematurely. Maybe this has to do with running grounds that are too fine as that would put more back pressure on the pump. Sure, its not perfect, but what is these days? I've been able to get some good drinks from it and I still learning.

Poor Quality Espresso:
Shortly after receiving my machine, I checked the temperature of the espresso that was being generated. It was 145 degrees which I consider too low. I e-mailed support at Breville and they responded with the following instructions: To prime your machine to raise the temperature to its normal setting, follow directions below: Make sure your water reservoir is at least 1/2 full Turn on your machine's power Turn your dial from the center position to the Steam position on the left and wait 15 seconds Turn your dial back to the center Standby position for 1 second Turn you dial from the center position to the Brew position on the right and wait 15 seconds Turn your dial back to the center Standby position for 1 second Repeat steps 3 thru 6 seven times return the dial to the center standby position. Now you are ready to make hot espresso with your Breville Espresso machine! I found this procedure unworkable and ineffective. It really soured me on the machine.

Good Machine for the Price:
This is my first espresso machine, and I am pretty much satisfied with it. I did a lot of research, and for the price, I think it is a good value. It heats up fast and is extremely easy to use. There are few issues with it: it vibrates when brewing, causing the cups to move. Sometimes they slide so much they won't be under the brew head and the coffee will drip into the drip tray and not the cups. The most annoying issue, however, is that the steam wand pours water for about 15 seconds the first time you use it each time you turn it on. This wouldn't be such an issue except that the water doesn't go into the drip tray, it will go all over the counter. No matter which way you turn the wand, you can't make it go into the tray. I deal with this by just catching the water in a little cup and dumping it out. Once it is warmed up, it won't do it anymore; just the first time you use the steam when you turn the machine on. Despite those issues, it is quick, easy to use, and the coffee tastes great. If you don't want to spend $500+, it is a good machine.

Don't Bother:
This machine is compact and cute and started out OK, although the milk frother was mediocre. It took a while to heat up in the morning, but after about 15 minutes and a half cup of water through the steam wand before it actually turned to steam, indicating that the machine was finally hot enough, I could make a cup of strong expresso when I used the double shot basket for a single cup. We maintained it, never let it run dry and decalcified it twice, but two and a half months after purchase the heater just stopped working. Fortunately we had purchased this at a Williams Sonoma Store, which has a very generous return policy and we just walked back in and got our money back. Don't waste your time and effort ordering this online from anyone; you will only be disappointed.

Money Saver:
Going great so far. Paid for it's self in 1 1/2 months. I use the same blend as my espresso palace, but the homemade tastes even better. DO NOT use a very fine grind, it will clog the filter. As with the big commercials (I had one when I owned a restaurant), keep it clean as you go. I am very pleased and hope this helps you.

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