Espresso machines beta · Breville
Owners keep it as a capable, good-value home espresso machine that pulls strong shots, steams milk with real power and holds temperature steadily, with a workflow that makes daily drinks easy.
Value for money is the clearest praise. Owners call it a very capable machine for its price, and one who moved up from a Barista Pro said the gain in taste and workflow was far bigger than the step in cost suggested.
The clearest complaint is about need, not function. Owners question whether a home setup needs a second boiler at all, and those who mostly drink straight espresso say it adds little for them. Others who make milk drinks for a household call it essential.
The Breville Dual Boiler (BES920) is a home espresso machine with two separate boilers, one for brewing coffee and one for steam. It suits home users who want to pull espresso shots and steam milk at the same time, and who want to control things like shot temperature. It has no grinder, so you need a separate one.
| Boiler | Dual stainless steel boilers (PID-controlled espresso boiler plus a separate steam boiler) |
|---|---|
| Pump pressure | 15 bar pump (9 bar extraction) |
| Heat-up time | |
| Water tank | 84 oz |
| Built-in grinder | No |
| Steam wand | Manual steam wand fed by the dedicated steam boiler |
| Size | 14.9 x 15.9 x 14.6 in (37.9 x 40.3 x 37.1 cm) |
| Warranty | 2 years (repair) |
From the maker's spec page, checked October 6, 2026. A blank row means the maker does not state it.
Because it has two boilers, you can steam milk while a shot is brewing, so you don't wait between the coffee and the milk. The 84 oz tank holds about 2.5 liters, which is enough for many drinks before you refill it. It is roughly 15 inches on each side, so check that it fits under your kitchen cabinets. You will also need a separate grinder.
Pick up to three. You get a page with just those, side by side, on the subjects owners raised.
What keeps people happy is the daily routine. Owners say it is much nicer to work with than cheaper or more hands-on machines, and that pulling a shot and steaming milk fits into one smooth session. Steam power and temperature stability are both praised, so milk drinks for more than one person stay easy.
The adjustments are small but real. Owners are divided on heat up time: some find it fine, others notice the wait. One owner who otherwise rates it highly singled out the plastic parts behind the group head as a weak spot. A few longtime owners eventually wanted a fuller-bodied shot than they could get from it and moved on to machines with more profiling control.
Reliability and build quality are both praised on balance. One owner used it for about ten years before upgrading, and others are happy running machines bought second hand. Where build quality draws criticism, it centres on the plastic parts around the group head rather than the internals.
The long-term record in these accounts is thin. The comments do not describe specific failures, repairs, or what owners did when something broke, so there is not enough here to say how it ages beyond the few owners who used it for years without reporting trouble.
From 14 owner accounts that said how long they have had it. Own one? Add how long yours has lasted.
Counted from the owners who raised each subject, not from everyone. A subject is judged once at least 4 owners raise it.
23 more subjects came up from fewer than 4 owners each, which is not enough for a fair reading. To see how it stacks up, compare it with another machine.
The same owner, asked again at each point. Fills in as owners answer.
Two questions: how long you have had it, and anything you would like to say about it. Then we ask again as it ages. This helps our mission.
More in espresso machines: Decent de1, Lelit Mara X, Breville Smart Grinder Pro.
Among the 14 owner accounts here that gave a duration, 2 described a failure. Parts named most: boiler/pump (unit failed, replaced under warranty), unable to hold pressure.
Before you buy one used, ask the seller: how old it is, whether it was ever repaired and by whom, and whether any of the parts above have been replaced. Ask to see it run. A receipt tells you the warranty start date; most makers honour the term only for the first owner.
Public discussions we read and summarised in our own words. Nothing here was submitted to Still Kicks.
Counted from public accounts by people who said they own it, and summarised by Still Kicks in its own words. Not a manufacturer claim, a lab test or an estimate.
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