Alternative Brewing

Paid $3,000 for a premium brand-new coffee machine & grinder. To their credit, they have great online presence, but that's where it ends. Buyer beware. Typical 'high-volume', 'high-output', 'high-turnover', low quality support. Our coffee machine arrived DOA (Dead on Arrival). As soon as I reported it, they immediately started playing games. … Read more

Back-and-forth, back-and-forth.

"Send us a video", "prove this", "prove that", "not our fault", "the vendor this, the vendor that", "the importer said this, the importer said that", blah blah blah. You get my drift. Zero accountability and twisting their words.

With no phone number to call them on, they dragged this out as much as they could, taking over a month to sort out. Received a replacement machine in terrible, tacky old second-hand packaging. Zero care factor. Just more & more games. Terrible outcome. No genuine attempt to restitute or make sure this meets customer satisfaction.

Once they got your money, too late.

I am contemplating reporting them to the ACCC. Felt like I've been dealing with dodgy used-car salesmen.

Looking around, I've seen others having similar issues.

If you ever have a problem with anything from that shop, I wish you luck...you're going to need it.

EDIT: To Alternative Brewing: please don't respond with your usual passive aggressive "we're sorry nonsense". You had every opportunity to fix this issue from the get-go, but you decided to throw your customers under the bus.

I bought a Baratza coffee grinder after seeking advice from the team. We had nothing but problems with the grinder (after using one from Beville for years without any problems) mainly because it clogs all the time, I even bought a new ring burr… Read more

because I thought that was the problem. The support from the company was limited to: you can’t use this grinder for supermarket coffee, you’ll need to buy our special beans. Interesting that this wasn’t mentioned when I asked for advice about a grinder for my espresso machine before making the purchase.

I read a lot of reviews on this kettle before purchasing. Some reviews said it was just a good size for two people but it’s definitely big enough for 4-6 cups. It’s so easy to use and no writing on the base that can wear off like my last kettle.… Read more ·  1

Easy to keep clean and super quiet. It might take a little longer to boil but it’s not an issue for us. I’ve also noticed hardly any steam comes out and I think that’s because there’s a little steam hole in the lid so it’s very gradual as opposed to heaps of steam right at the end. I wish the cord wasn’t so long as I try to hide it behind the kettle but that’s my only small issue if I had to be picky. I would highly recommend this kettle. We are using it for coffee/tea and when I need boiled water for cooking etc. Varia Aura Electric Spouted Kettle

Absolutely love my Bellman Espresso & Steamer CX 25P. After having a flat white from my friend's one while we were out camping, I knew i had to get one. To be able to make an espresso coffee with steamed milk with just heat alone is perfect. We use it at home every morning, and bring it with us in the van for a flat white in the early mornings in… Read more ·  1

the mountains. Feels very fancy. We also use the steam wand on its own for hot chocolates in the evening. We were considering buying a benchtop espresso machine, but this one is so compact and doesn't need electricity and minimal water, it's just a no brainer. 10/10 so stoked. Top tip for anyone thinking about buying one though: check to make sure it's the one that comes with a tamp and milk jug. Unfortunately I bought the one that was just the coffee machine, so I had to place a second order for the tamp and jug and pay for shipping from Australia twice, gutted. Also I've just learned you can get a reusable coffee filter as opposed to the disposable paper ones, wish I had got one of those too. So don't be a numpty like me, just order the right product from the beginning.

This is my second purchase from AB. Great communication super responsive and they’re happy to give advice on maintenance to get the best out of products which I really appreciated. Very satisfied with these two products which I have purchased before (Varia Grinder, normcore spring loaded tamper). I’ve bought these as gifts in a different colour. Show reply

Great customer service and excellent products. Definitely recommend Alternative Brewing for all your coffee needs. Their returns team were very friendly and helpful too. Show reply

Just letting people know how poor the after sales service at Alternative Brewing is after I requested new seals for my Bellman coffee maker. The seals in the coffee pouring head piece failed after less than a year and I was told they can’t supply them and offered, at great expense to sell me a whole new head new head piece. Whilst the coffee… Read more

maker was good to use while it was working, it is now useless without the seals. I would think twice about wasting your money on a Bellman coffee pouring head maker.

Avoid purchasing a coffee machine or any other premium product through Alternative Brewing! I ordered a Lelit machine on 27/12/25 amongst other products. The order finally arrived on 13/1/26 and the Lelit machine had scratches on the machine AND dust and water marks. I contacted Alternative Brewing immediately and they deferred me to undergo a… Read more

warranty claims process with Breville (parent company). Breville arranged for a courier to pick up the machine and advised a replacement machine would be dispatched as soon as the courier collected the initial machine. After the machine was collected, Breville stopped responding to my emails! After reaching back out to Alternative Brewing, I was provided with a tracking number a few minutes after the replacement was delivered… The “new” replacement machine also had defects, although fewer than the first machine. Notifying Alternative Brewing of the condition promptly, Alternative Brewing acknowledged that the issue had been escalated to Breville and only after enquiring with Alternative Brewing, they advised we should have received compensation (2 coffee cups) from Breville - however these have not been delivered to date. I contacted Alternative Brewing further to see what was being done to help remedy the product quality and experience. After weeks of back and forth emails and no resolution, I requested escalation within Alternative Brewing and was advised on 20/2/26 that their General Manager would be in contact with me directly - however I have not received any contact since! It has now been over 2 months since making the purchase. This experience has shown a lack of accountability, poor quality control, poor customer service and repeated deferral to the manufacturer, despite Alternative Brewing’s obligations as the retailer. I strongly encourage customers NOT to use Alternative Brewing for any purchase, let alone purchases of significant value.

I DO NOT suggest you purchase a machine through Alternative Brewing. My husband and I purchased an espresso machine through Alternative Brewing and it has NEVER optimally worked. They blame maintenance (note we have never regularly used the machine due to its faults but, whilst in use, have applied regular maintenance and are experienced enough… Read more

with this given our older same single boiler machine is working and 10 years old- not purchased through them obviously- thank goodness we had not given it away yet, but we knew not to because the new one didn’t work!). We just wanted a new machine for our new home. And they have assessed this machine twice (which requires significant effort on the customers behalf might we add), but it has never been returned functional despite their dishonest claims. They have refused to refund our machine and want it checked by them a third time, but there has been no evidence to trust their service ability/quality, nor to quality of their products obviously. We had originally requested replacement, but no longer think that is wise. This has been back and forth since mid 2025 and has now been escalated to the Office of Fair Trade by us. I would recommend getting them involved early to start oversight over any complaint process. Or save yourself the time, effort and your money and look entirely elsewhere for your machines. Their assessment process appears to be a scam designed for you to give up. Alternative Brewing does not appear to care about honesty, customer experience or quality products.Think hard before you potentially waste your money. If they have not cared about multiple existing customers not having working machines this far down the line, it is unlike they will care if you do either!

Addit: The above review and a large number of other negative reviews do not always appear when you search this company. Be aware! Below is the response they gave on my other google review and is evidence that our case is not at all unique. There are otherwise plenty of details that should allow any of their customer service personnel to have identified this case. How many similar case must there be at the same time for this to be true?!

In case they wish to edit their response later, I have copied it here:

“Thanks for sharing your feedback, _. We’re sorry to hear about your experience.

At this stage, we’re unable to identify the order or service case from this review alone. If you’re willing to reach out directly with your order number or details, we’d be happy to review the full history and clarify what’s occurred.

For general context, espresso machines require regular maintenance and correct setup to operate reliably and performance issues can sometimes be influenced by factors such as servicing history or water quality. Each case is assessed individually and in line with manufacturer guidance and Australian Consumer Law.

We’re open to reviewing this further once we can confirm the relevant details.

Kindly, The Alternative Brewing Team”

Probably the best service and prices in Australia. Often cheaper then Amazon. If you live near Brisbane and want to purchase quality products with expert advice... the only real option. Show reply

I’ve consistently had positive experiences with Alternative Brewing. Their range and selection are second to none, the customer service is outstanding, and the after-sales support has been excellent. I’ll definitely continue to be a customer and wouldn’t hesitate to highly recommend them. Show reply

Cafetto Grinder Cleaner I had no idea my grinder needed this product so much until I used it. What a difference! Cleaned the burrs brilliantly and the grind is better, cleaner and my coffee tastes even better. Very happy. Show reply

Love the little Lelit Ana machine! We came across it on the Alternative Brewing site when looking for a different Italian machine that had been recommended. We had an old cheaper DeLonghi and separate grinder. We have a very small kitchen so it was great to find this compact little machine PLUS inbuilt grinder that fitted our space. It heats… Read more ·  1

quickly and is easy to clean. We drink latte's, cappuccino's and long blacks, all of which it makes well. We did have to experiment for a week or two with getting the grind right and figuring out how much to tamp the coffee but we think we've got it to our liking now! It's quick to heat and easy to clean.

Appalling Communication on Product Dispatch Delays! 7 weeks from order to delivery! Item ordered 24th November expected deliver “Early December” by them. When this changed no communication from them, until I investigated its whereabouts, but they said they would keep me updated, they didn’t! When item finally dispatched it took 10 days from … Read more

Brisbane to Adelaide! They did absolutely Zero to appease. Beware of ‘Pre Order’ Not Happy with Alternative Brewing.