Breville Professional BES820 Questions & Answers

We love our BES820. Some things are easy to fix and some impossible. We have bought a couple over the years and canibalised the parts. LOL My husband is amazing at fixing things and at the moment ours is going very well, but it's only a matter of time and we'll be looking for another to do the same thing. Best bet is to contact Breville and have a chat. It's the best coffee maker and has the water tank at the front, which is convenient to refill. We also have the unattached coffee grinder so don't need one which has it. I hope we can save it when it stops working. It's now very old and finding one to take parts from won't be easy. Just wish Breville would re-introduce it again so we can start all over when the time comes. (Come on Breville it's your best design!)

Sure looks like you've been sold a broken coffee machine. They might not have known (benefit of the doubt) Have you spoken to the seller? You can ask for a refund. The one we have is very old. My husband has fixed several parts and replaced parts. We've even bought a couple with the same model number to be able to swap parts. We love this model so much. It has the water tank at the front and no grinding attachment. There are a number of things which can malfunction. So far we keep limping along. If you bought it from eBay they always help to get your money back. Good luck Dianne

Hi Angelo, Have you tried the program button? The only other thing you could try is to go directly to Breville and ask for help there. It's a great machine. I don't want ours to die, there isn't a better one out there, so good luck getting it up and running. Dianne.

Hi Sleepless in Brisbane, I’ve tried that but to no avail. I did forget to mention that it had been in storage for a number of years, so not sure if that is an issue. It is a great machine and I was going to give to someone, their eyes lit up when they saw it but then the disappointment when it didn’t heat up! Thanks for your reply.

Could be that the strainer filter is blocked. It would build up pressure but not let the water through. You could try undoing the filter (where you put the coffee in) and see if the water will go through. Then you could just buy a new insert and problem solved. Otherwise phone Breville and see what they suggest. It's a great coffee machine, we're really happy with ours but there are several things which can stop it from working. My husband has replaced some parts which were plastic with metal ones he has made and he keeps the machine working. Don't know why Breville have stopped making the same model. Having the water tank at the front is a much better idea, easy to fill, easy to clean! Good luck, Dianne.

Hi Carc, My husband is the one to talk to, but he's gone to bed. If you'd like to phone him around 5.30 tomorrow afternoon he might have some ideas. We love our Breville, but it's the same as you've done. We've married about three machines. He's even made one part out of metal instead of plastic. Sounds like you're pretty clever too. Breville make a fantastic milk frother. I don't use the one attached to the machine, the one they sell alone works a lot better. We're in Brisbane too. 33255567 cheers Dianne.

Hi Dianne. Thanks so much for the quick response. Thankfully I was able to get the pump to finally work. I disconnected the hose going into the pump and syringed water into it. That appeared to have resolved the issue. Hopefully we will get a few more years out of the machine. I has run really well so far. Thanks again and for the Frother tip.

Hi Carl, We've had several Breville coffee makers and as they age they do develop some problems. My husband is a wiz at fixing them and once fixed off they go happily for years. Sadly Pete just said you have a leak in the hoses. There's a small plastic part which connects them sad it needs to be made out of brass instead. This would stop the problem. BUT Breville don't sell this part. My husband made one and our machine works perfectly now. We had the exact same problem you're having. This might be the reason Breville stopped making this machine. I love mine and don't want one with a water tank at the back. If you're in Brisbane we might be able to help you. Good luck, Dianne.

Thanks so much Dianne, but Im in Auckland.

Sounds like a seal problem. You might need to see a repair person.

Yes, coffee. No pods in sight. Aldi sell terrific coffee and I grind it, 4 bags at a time, put in glass jars with super tight lids and store in the bar fridge. We go through a lot of coffee. This model of Breville if you can find one in good condition has the water reservoir at the front which makes it really easy to refill. Breville also sell a milk frother which we have. The machine has one too but we drink coffee in mugs and need a bigger frother than the machines. We bought a second hand one and the reason it was being sold was because it was noisy and jumped about a bit. I put two lead weights inside and two magnets next to our cups, problem solved. The new machines mostly have a grinder on top and I'm usually in a hurry for my coffee so don't need that extra. I love Breville machines. Their mixer is fantastic too. If you have technical questions you could phone Breville and I'm sure they would help you. Hope I have too. Clean the water tank often with warm soapy water. Fill with good water. (we have a filter on one of our taps) Empty holder under the tray which catches drips and fills quite fast. It says empty me which pops up when the tray is getting full. Fill the coffee holder to the top for two mugs of coffee and a little less for one. It has a push start button and will flash until the water is hot, then push the button for one cup of two. Done. It's super easy to make coffee. If you have any specific questions, please write back. cheers Dianne.

This machine has automatic settings for different types of coffee preferences. I use the manual one Breville is not producing anymore. After cleaning the machine, grinding and placement of the beans I prefer to be in control by looking for barista clues (thinness of water, pressure noises, amount coming out). This makes coffee-making an art and a pleasant ritual activity in the morning.

Hi there, Think this came to me in error. Try phoning Breville they can help. Good luck, Dianne.

It looks like you have a faulty machine. Mine seems indestructible.

Hi there, The coffee basket insert sounds blocked. There's a needle in a holder suppose to unblock it. Worth a go. But that part is easily replaceable either through Breville or eBay. They don't cost much. Take the basket out or the holder and give it a good soak in bicarb and vinegar. They might work. Good luck. Dianne. p.s. maybe it's the pressure not getting up high enough. Try phoning Breville if my other tips don't work.

I couldn't find any needle in the holder. I'm not exactly a handyman and it was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Just where exactly is this needle?

Sorry Susie, I don't know. Mine vibrates and I have to hang onto the cups for dear life. Love to get mine fixed too. Maybe phone Harvey Norman and ask them. Good luck Dianne.

Mr Sparky in Oxley is a great shop for appliance repairs. This response is a bit late but it's definitely worth checking out

Think you might have a dud there Matt. I have the Breville milk frother and the coffee machine and both appliances require pushing the on button twice. They always have but besides this they both work perfectly. If your machine is new you should phone the retailer and they might exchange it if it's under warranty. Otherwise a local repair shop might be able to sort out the problem. Best coffee beans are at Aldi but the pre ground beans have less flavour than the dark roasted ones you'd need to grind yourself. Hope you get all sorted out. cheers Dianne.

p.s. You could also phone Breville direct and explain the problem and I'm sure they would help one way or another. Just went to my friend Google and copied and pasted Breville's details. Breville Australia

external link 

Support. Beverages. Contact us directly at 1300 139 798 GOOD LUCK, Dianne.

Hi Diane, I called Breville and she sent the contact details for the local breville service agent, so I will try them. Otherwise I might just leave it as is - like yours it works perfect except for the fact I need to switch on and off

It sounds as though there is something wrong with your machine as this should not be happening. If it is new I suggest taking it back or that it is time for a new machine :-)

Verify that both of your dials on your machine are not twisted to make hot water come out of it. I think this model has a function where it'll just produce hot water, so this might be whats happening

Hi Ljeff - can you please contact our customer service team for assistance and advice on nearest service agents - 1300 139 798. Thanks, the Breville team

No.... :( :(

You use either ground coffee, or buy whole beans and grind them as you need them.

You get the full coffee taste you want this way.

As Mainey said you used real coffee.. It really does taste better!

If you are cleaning your handle, wiping the machine under where the handles goes each time and giving it a flush of water then it should be fine. The other reason for bitter coffee is because the milk is too hot.. If you are doing everything right then it could possibly be the beans?

Hi Pastrygirl, Coffee does impact on coffee flavour . We always recommend using fresh coffee (used within 2- 4 weeks of roasting date) and grinding on demand. The following has an impact on taste.

1. Poor quality coffee

2. Stale coffee (pre-ground has a long shelf life)

3. Coffee not ground on demand

4. Inconsistent dose

Hope this helps

seeing it is a "second hand" machine I would run some cleaning agent through the system, OR mix 1/3 white vinegar and 2/3 water and run that through each section of the machine, steam wand, pressure pump etc, till the liquid has almost gone as that will clean up the inside of the machine and get rid of most contaminants, then run just 'normal' water through the system to eliminate the vinegar taste :) It could also be that the beans are 'not fresh' as mentioned above.