Facts About the Breville 800ESXL Espresso Maker
Wednesday, December 31st, 2008
The Breville 800ESXL espresso maker is a joy to behold. Fortunately, it is not all looks and no brains. The Breville 800ESXL Die Cast 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.
Weighing in at 31 lbs (19 kg), it’s on the heavy side of the scales as home espresso makers go. That weight doesn’t guarantee a good shot, naturally. But the extra stability provides a welcome convenience. You’ll spend no time cleaning up spills. With its stainless steel exterior, cleanup there is equally easy.
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 area where the machine is less than ideal. Because of its dual-wall design (which has advantages for pressure and temperature control), the 800ESXL produces grounds that are sludgy. Most espresso lovers with experience of several machines will be used to a drier, more compact puck that simply flops out of the machine during cleanup. In this reviewer’s opinion, the defect is minor.
The 800ESXL more than makes up for any flaws by added convenience, not to mention making an excellent shot of espresso.
It offers a well designed steam wand set on a ball. That makes it easy to turn in any direction. That’s a big help when you’ve got different sized cups to fill. The wand also provides straight hot water for making hot cocoa, tea… any hot drink!
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 removable water tank is large enough for 50 shots before needing to be refilled. That’s a nice feature, especially for large parties. But then the Breville Die Cast 800ESXL espresso maker is just full of nice features.
Convenience, style, and capable of an excellent shot of espresso. What’s not to like?