BES830XL Die-Cast Programmable Espresso Machine

This particular model (830XL) was out of stock at most dealers. I was tempted to get the older model, 820XL, but found negative reviews regarding its pressure guage breaking down often. I wanted to avoid that so I waited and found a seller that had the newer 830XL in stock. Item was well packaged and was delivered ahead of schedule.

I ran my first espresso, and it came out decent with a good amount of crema. I tried again using a different grind size. I can see the pressure guage showing optimal pressure for the 1st run, and slightly higher for the 2nd run. On the third run, the pressure guage stopped working and the espresso was muddy and terrible. I made sure everything was clean and water tank was full, etc. I tried both manual and automatic modes. I tried going back to initial grind size. I have a pretty good coffee grinder (Rancillio Rocky) that gives out very consistent grind size. I tried everything I could think of, but the pressure guage never worked again... Read more

I love my machine.

If my house were robbed and they stole my Breville 830, I would replace it with another Breville 830 (I've only had the machine for 4 months...I reserve the right to change my opinion if it fails me in the first 2 years).

BES830XL Die-Cast Programmable Espresso Machine

Every morning I stumble over to this very beautiful piece of machinary, and push that round "start" button and savor the anticipation of coffee drinks better than I get at the local overpriced coffee drive-through.

I can't comment on reliability apart from "mine works just like new and I use it twice a day". At four months old, that's expected. Ask me in 2-3 years. My last machine was a gift from my parents in 1991. It finally died of total system collapse (i.e. "old age").

This machine... Read more

I've had this machine for about 3 weeks now. This is my first espresso machine so I don't really have any others to compare it to. The machine comes fully assembled and ready to use out of the box.
It heats up quickly and makes a great Espresso every time, I have been using the pre-programmed settings for the single and double shots and it comes out great with a nice crema.
Used both a medium espresso grind as well as a preground coffee that I originally bought for a drip coffee machine, both types made great espresso.
The milk forther is very nice, easy to use, and quick to steam.
As one of the other reviewers mentioned cleaning is a breeze for all components which is a huge plus.
Got this refurbished on buy.com for $150, which is an amazing deal for this machine.
Haven't had any issues with any of the components so far.