Breville ESP8XL Cafe Roma Espresso Machine –Factory Recertified

Got this prod refurbished here last Sept, upgrading from a steam machine. The increase in quality of the coffee is considerable, but the machine seems to need a bit of finesse to get the most from. This machine has an unusual style of grounds-holding cup, designed to produce extra crema by what seems to be a foaming process. The cup has a double wall, with only one tiny hole in the outer wall, from which the espresso exits. Due to this unique design, one cannot pack the grounds as tightly as other units require, without totally blocking any steam/water flow through the unit. The cup can clog, also, if one grinds the coffee too fine. But clogs are easy to resolve with the tiny tool they supply. Once you learn what grind and pressure to use, clogs are very unusual The cup doesn't totally drain right away, so if you are making two or more pulls, be ready to spoon out wet hot grounds. The frother/steamer allows a stream of water to exit before the steam begins, so if you don't want watered down milk, let it build a good head of steam before you start to use it. This is one way a person can make excellent espresso with this machine: Preheat the unit, and let it start to make steam from the wand while you grind the coffee, and fill the ground holding cup. I just let it shoot the steam into the sink. This assures a good head of pressure and maximum heat. When the unit is all assembled and loaded with coffee, and still jetting steam, turn the switch right over from full steam to brew. Turn off the machine after about 30 seconds, or when the heating element light comes on again. You will need to vary the fineness of your grind to produce a 3-4 oz double shot in 25-30 seconds. And you may have to tamp the coffee a little less than you are used to to avoid clogging the grounds cup. It took me a month of twice daily experimenting to produce a more or less consistently good cup of espresso, so take your time, read a little on the web, and practice. This machine can certainly do the job.
 
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i bought my from buy.com referrubbish. my machine was defective the front seal, frothing wong leak when the pressure build up and the pump make loud noises, as if i had a gost under my cabinets. I guess you get what you pay for! now, i have to contact the breville for replacement, what a hassel. i wanted to have a nice expresso machine for the holiday guest.
 
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Spoke with Breville customer service and this is a re-conditioned product that only carries a 90 day warranty and does not include the 2 cups or froth attachment. He says it does have an upgraded frother that swivels and doesn't need the extra piece. He looked at the buy.com site and said it was not correct and they would try to get it changed. On the bright side, customer service was good, and the machine does work well.
 
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I called Breville because my refurb unit was missing the stainless steel espresso cups and saucers and was told that refurb units do NOT include these items. So the description needs to be updated. My unit did have a frothing mug. I was also missing the pod adapter filter, but Breville is sending it to me. The unit itself is very nice and makes great espresso and cappuccino . It is manual , you have to stop the flow of water to the espresso shot yourself.. for some reason I kept thinking it would stop on its own but you have to turn the knob when the cup fills near the top. Overall a great price... the frother worked fine , you have to let the water pass thru a little bit before it turns to steam... I wish the steam wand turned 360 degress so I could aim it to the drip tray....
 
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