Breville 800 Class Espresso 800ES

absolute crap, hands off! – 2 months after warranty the water pump failed. replaced it and everything was fine again. 4 weeks later the grinder motor gave up. I am totally annoyed about the low quality and will never ever buy any Breville product in the future Show details

just buy coffee from a coffee shop! – These machines just make clunking sounds and get hot.. no coffee or steam or anything for that matter comes out. on the plus side its a nice looking unit, but completely useless for anything other than a noisy hot paper weight. Show details

reliable, yummy coffee every time – Owned since 2011 and have made over 4745 cups of coffee and only now has this workhorse been retired. Consistently good coffee at the right temperature. It's easy to use and the smooth crema meant no need to add milk. Steam wand does drip a little but still makes a good froth.  Show details

Good quality and good coffee with a little effort – I have had this coffee machine for 5 years and its still running well. The Steam wand drips a little but still functions. If you want a strong coffee you must tamper really hard and pre-infuse twice, depending on how course your grind is. Its the only issue with the machine, the pour is too fast for most pre ground coffee from the supermarket… Read more

and because the machine does not have a grinder, you cant control this. Overall for the money you can make nice coffee.

rubbish – Produces luke warm cappuccino which according to the instruction manual is how cappuccino is normally served (I have never been served luke warm cappuccino at any of the cafes or restaurants I have ever visited ) My only consolation is that I only paid $30 second hand and not the new price of about $330.  Show details

Leaks and peeling and corroding – After much research we settled on this model, as an entry level start but we are so disappointed in it. The coffee is okay but has really diminished in quality after some time. And we have found it leaks water everywhere but worst of all its painted on "stainless steel" finish has been flaking off and whatever material is underneath is corroding… Read more

away. I tried customer support who would not tell me what this material was or if it was harmful, and as it was just out of warranty said I could bring it in but would have to pay for repairs which is pointless because the whole outer skin needs replacing. It is now such an ugly mess that we cant look at it anymore as guests often mention its flaking paint. I question breville on claims it is stainless steel, its paint and it bubbles and flakes away and not even they will tell me whats in that paint or material under it, despite it being a food appliance. I want to upgrade but very wary if the higher end brevilles are all the same. Very disappointed in the product and the response from breville.

Was a great machine – Originally bought our machine in 2009 and loved it for years. Solid machine, made great coffee, really easy to use. One return under warranty when the pump died 12mths in (replaced for new at the retailer) and another return to the manufacturer for a replacement motherboard a few years later (either parts or labour were covered under warranty, but… Read more

not both. Cant remember. Either way, it wasnt expensive and turn around was reasonable). Started having some problems with turning the machine on and off more recently - intermittent problem with the switch I suspect. We decided it was time to retire the old gal but had always intended to buy another ES as we had been mostly happy with the product. To celebrated her retirement we took her on a 6wk holiday to NZ and ironically she didn't miss a beat!

We purchased a new ES on our return from our holiday and could not have been more disappointed. Breville seem to have cutback on the quality of this machine. The machine is LOUD! Really LOUD. This was not the case with our previous machine. The noise from the new machine was more of a clunking sound rather than a thumping one you would expect from the pump. As the coffee pours into the cup, the machine emits a tinny vibration which suggests lower quality materials or removal of insulation?? Im not sure, but it was certainly not the standard of our previous machine. The quality of the end product (the coffee) however was still good.

I returned the product to the retailer for a replacement hoping I had just received a lemon. Nope - same with the second machine. I endured for several weeks but in the end I was simply not happy with the reduced quality of this machine despite the good coffee. It was embarrassing to make a coffee for friends; I found myself having to yell across the kitchen or just stop all conversation all together whilst using the machine.

In addition, Breville have reduced the size of the jug - struggles to hold enough frothed milk for two large cups, and even the taper tool is thin (held the old tool and new tool up to the light, the new one is translucent, the old one solid). I accidentally drop the new one off the bench and the end broke off.

I agree with the other reviews - don't bother with the frother attachment - works better without it, never had a drama with the seals, and the end product - the coffee - was great. Which makes the excessive noise and tinny sound of this machine all the more disappointing.

Review other products, we had to upgrade and spend nearly twice the $$ to get a decent machine (we were lucky enough to get some good savings at the Xmas sales). Clearly $350 doesnt buy a quality machine anymore.

I have recommended this machine to others - even bought one as a gift for my sister in law several years ago; but I would not recommend this machine now.

Five years still going strong! – Makes a great coffee without a million buttons and dials. At least 2 or three coffees everyday for 5 years. I did have to return a faulty one straight out of the box but the replacement has made me a person others can live with. Seals still going strong but as a friend is ordering one for his machine, I'll save the postage and get one too.  Show details

A great machine – I had one of these for years, but the cockies got in the back and ate the plastic pipework. I replaced it with two other brands and chucked them out within two years and bought another Breville. I would love to be able to afford one with a proper pump though.  Show details

So good I bought another – Our old 800 died , it had given sterling service for almost 12 years , I replaced it with a new Breville but sadly that was nothing like the 800 in terms of coffee quality . So I bought a second hand one , turned it on and had coffee as good as it gets from a kitchen top machine . Very happy to have found a replacement but saddened by thought… Read more

that Breville can't seem to produce an honest no frills manual machine that actually creates decent crema .

Gauges , flashing lights , built in grinders and extra knobs do nothing but help sell machines in stores ,each bell or whistle added is just something else to either go wrong or get in the way of the purpose of the machine . Breville would do well to rediscover it's design roots and go back to producing simple high quality appliances .

So good – Really easy to use, coffee taste like at the cafes. Using it makes you feel like being a barista. Bought the machine off ebay and have no issues. Coupled with good coffee ground like Illy then you'll have a nice cup of coffee every single time. The only disadvantages are being slightly difficult to clean and takes longer to make a cup of coffee as compared to nespresso style coffee machine  Show details

Excellent Coffee Machine – We purchased this coffee machine in early 2014. It is now four years on, and the machine is still making an excellent coffee. There are a few minor defects in the way the water runs off into the tray (occasionally missing the tray and leaking onto the bench), as well as corrosion in the metal frame towards the back. Though, fairly reasonable defects after it has made almost a thousand coffees. Definitely a worthwhile investment.  Show details

Really Simple to use! – I loved using this! easy to use, great tasting coffee. I found the machine so easy to clean and refill. It would heat quickly and also keep the cups on the top warm too! Its important to remember to clean the milk steamer as soon as you have use it to ensure it is easy to clean.  Show details

Terrific unit for the price – We use it between four and five times a day so it gets hard usage (by domestic standards!). The coffee is of a decent standard (again, for the price) and it has been super-reliable lasting for years. We have been very happy with this unit and would definitely buy another breville in future.  Show details

Perfect little machine – Great coffe machine, Easy to use and clean, Uses loose coffe which is cheaper to buy then pods, tastes better and better for the enviroment. Steam has great pressure so you can make a REAL cappuccino. We`ve used friends more expensive machine (supposed to be automatic ) but is more work than a coffee is worth for the cost of the machine..  Show details

Good solid machine – We've used this machine daily for about seven years. It's very noisy and pretty basic but a good workhorse. I definitely recommend it and hope it never dies!! Ours came with a free Breville coffee grinder which makes a mess but we prefer freshly ground coffee. Frothed wand works better without the cover on.  Show details

Good for the price – My son bought me this Coffee machine along with the coffee grinder, about 9 years ago and I love the idea that it's still working just as good as the first day I had it. Considering the price, it isn't a bad machine for making nice coffee. Just wish the milk frother had a manual regulator to regulate the steam while frothing the milk. Once this… Read more

machine stop working, I will continue to consider purchasing another Breville brand. Just can't go wrong with Breville :)

Good machine! – Hi, I bought my breville second hand for $30, its the old one without the gauge. I repaired a cracked motherboard track that was making the front knob intermittent. Also a c1 replacement and its good as new for last 6mths. I'm no aficionado, but all others say its good coffee, and I'm liking it. I can answer questions about the coating peeling.… Read more

The sheetmetal is stainless, the rest is cast aluminium. I think its actually chrome plated and brushed to look like stainless.

Great machine, and thanks others for the tips

Great aesthetic design, water drainer – Great cup of coffee this machine always produces. After comparing to other machine, I start to wonder, if extensive draining of water to maintain temperature is a good idea, as the seemingly large water tank has almost have of its water drained to the bottom tank and I have to purge this drain tank very frequently, resulting in a less than happy coffee making experience.  Show details

LOVE IT. CAN'T BE WITHOUT IT – Had mine for around 7 years now (@ 3 - 5 coffees a day) and still going strong. no problems with it just the expected maintenance for its age. HIGHLY RECOMMEND. Easy to use, makes great coffee (you do have to experiment a little with the tamping to get your preferred taste, but I guess this is normal with any machine). cleaning is easy but a little time consuming. All round a good machine .  Show details

Best Household Kitchen Appliance I have – I have owned this now for nearly 10 years and have made well over 10000 cups of coffee (flat whites and cappuccinos) in this time and it is still going as strong as ever. Give it a regular clean and purge with citric acid and everything just works. Very satisfied with its operation.  Show details

Harder than a coffin nail! – Absolute blinder of a machine this little one. Do you like your coffee made from beans with none of the snobbery attached?Track this down.As per other reviews this has been smashed more than a cricket ball being bowled at Bradman at its still finding the boundary overtime. I love the front tank. Simple wipe down to clean. Fires up easy and a… Read more

simple dial left or right for coffee/steam and you're in business which is great since I'm nowhere near awake when it gets the bulk of it's use.

Parts are cheap and easy to find easy to replace

What a great little machine – We're on our second machine (the 1st was ruined after a cyclone and replaced) and we love it. it's 5 years old and is used daily and just keeps on giving great cups of coffee. We taste tested some of the pod coffee in a retail store and it just didn't compare with the quality of little beauty and add to that that actual ground coffee is so much cheaper than pods and its an extra bonus. Long live the Breville 800 we love you  Show details

Very impressed – I just bought one of these machines on ebay for $62. I was told that it hadn't been used much but all sellers seem to say that. Got it home and put coffee in it and it was crap, but then I remembered reading that you must make sure the coffee you use is ground very fine. Well the coffee we tried at first was coffee beans that had been ground in a… Read more ·  5

vitamix and the jug is a wet jug. So off I went to the supermarket and purchased a bag of pre ground coffee beans. Bingo the machine worked like a dream, wonderful coffee. Also if you google breville 800 coffee machine and click video, there is a barrister showing you exactly how to use the machine.

Sadly she's on her last legs but still going strong! – This little machine has been absolutely thrashed to death for over 7 years and is STILL pumping out good coffee! We tried this machine as an alternative to disappointing results with another brand. Its been pumping out coffee pretty much every day (sometimes 7-10 coffees!) and is now only starting to peel and flake behind the water container and… Read more

the steam function is starting to only work intermittently (if you turn it off and then on again it will work)

Regular cleaning and using filtered water (we have notoriously hard water) helps a lot.

I buy a slightly coarser grind from my local coffee roaster/cafe which keeps the machine most happy :)

Having managed a cafe and using the commercial size coffee machines, its hard to scale back one's expectations when using a domestic machine. However, I have been extremely happy with this machine!

Unfortunately the repair place charges exhorbitant prices for repair as he is the only one in town and will tell you that ('take it or leave it" was the term used!) so I will probably buy another machine rather than repair.

Based on previous experience, I'll go for another Breville

Solid Entry Level Machine – Got this half price as a replacement for another Breville machine that failed after 2 years was unable to be repaired because it was discontinued and the parts were unavailable. This one is a bit of an upgrade and hasn't missed a beat in the 3 years I've had it. Consistent extraction with a nice crema, it's only a matter of getting the grind right to make the perfect coffee.

Our third coffee machine runs rings around our previous two! – Prior to this we had a $700 bodum machine and a Krups machine. The Bodum was unreliable and the Krups one only had room for an espresso cup! We bought the Breville in 2010 (maybe earlier) and it hasn't missed a beat. In 2014 replaced the ring that goes around the strainer. It cost about $7 on ebay. That's it. We take this thing on holidays by… Read more

packing it in a milk crate. with all the bits and it doesn't flinch.

The coffee is always fine but I recommend taking the aerator off the steam wand. Otherwise you end up with a mug of foam. It's not too tricky to clean either and a simple float lets you know when the drip tray is full. If you forget to refill the water it just growls at you and it's so solid that when it does finally blow up I'll probably use it as a car stand.

I would buy another Breville without hesitation.

Still works great after 10 years – Received this for my birthday, and still going strong. (Looks the same as the 800ES) Most of the time I use it, give it a quick wipe and that's it. Today I took it apart for a major clean, as its Christmas. Bit of rubber is wearing out where the frother sleeve fits into, but no big deal, after reading the drama that others have been through with… Read more

their expensive machine. Its now 10 years later.....just fitted a new rubber handle thingy and new wand washers (ebay) as a bit of steam was leaking, its working like new. Update 12 years later - the wand arm now blows off when steaming, but still works ok if I hold it on. But I've been looking for an excuse to get a new coffee machine. Its made an average of 2 cups per day for more than 12 years without problems. Update - Found a Duo Temp Pro for $224 at Big W, 2018 Boxing Day sales. Can't resist a bargain.

On my third Breville – I'm now on my third breville coffee machine, the thing I find wrong with them is they wear out from very heavy use. I found once you find a great coffee bean stay with them, that seems to make the difference as to whether or not you get a perfect crema or not. I've now had my Bes800 for 2 years it make up to 6-8 coffee every day 7days a week. I… Read more

don't use the frothing attachment on mine, I just use the steam wand till the jug feels warm enough then move the nozzle out of the milk just enough to create perfect froth. A litlle practice does pay off. Yes i would buy another breville.

Good coffee :-) – Have had this about 6 months & am pretty happy with it. Not sure of yhe model, but bought in feb, march 2014). Makes great coffee if you get all the elements right! As with all espresso machines, this is variable, depending on the barista, the milk etc. etc. having said that - we've mastered this one & it's pretty consistent! As with other… Read more

reviews, I've given up on the "frother" attachment and just use the nozzle without it. I also turn the steam on for a couple of seconds before puting in the milk, as it runs very watery to start. It uses a lot of water - the overflow fills up pretty darn quick! overall, we are very happy though :-) Looks great! Good, sturdy construction. Good price Uses heaps of water

Great until I found out what's important in brewing espresso – Build quality: excellent! I mean, die cast stainless?? The weight of the thing too! Performance: let down by the thermoblock. I am of the understanding that the water temperature has to be consistent throughout the brew and so I opened the machine and put a jk thermocouple wire under the cable clamp screw between the two thermo switches and ran… Read more

the wire out via the water fill door and closed the machine up. I monitored the temperature with a Fluke thermometer. At the start of the brew the temp was ~92C. Once the water got flowing though the temp fell to ~80C before the element cut in and was ~75C by the end of the brew.

It should have stayed at the start temp right to the end. If I could have been bothered hacking it further, I would have arranged a switch acting off the selector knob to turn the element on as soon as a brew started. I think the thermoblock would still have been fighting a losing battle.

Another thermocouple stuck up the group head outlet spout showed predictably worse results with the actual coffee temperature.

Re the steam wand: this suffers from having only one hole and that being too large so the pressure forces out relatively wet steam that just punches straight through the milk. I got better results without the sleeve fitted (sight easier to clean too!).

Happy to say that with the 2014 Dual Boiler machine, the temperature problem is averted and the steam wand has three holes in a splayed arrangement that grabs the milk and spins it up properly.

I have had no problems with the ES (circuit boards, seals etc) and I think those that have had problems have been the unlucky few who might have got a 'Friday afternoon' machine. Looks good, built well, solid. The thermoblock is just not the right water heating system for this level of machine.

Solid, reliable machine. Makes great coffee – I have had this machine for a few years, bought it as a reburbished factory second - its great! makes awesome coffee. Top tip - try and get the single wall basket from breville for superior crema. The best thing is it is solidly made, and if something goes wrong it is easy to get fixed. It had one or two issues over the years, but always had… Read more

it fixed in a day or two at the breville factory store, never more than $50, and they will clean it and replace the seals at the same time. Cheap, solid reliable

pretty good – My brother got me this for Christmas. I find it easy to use and isn't to bulky on my kitchen bench. Makes a pretty good coffee id say! Only thing i can say that it does take a little longer to heat the water up than what my old machine did. But i still like it. easy to use