Best All-Rounder
Breville
Breville Barista Express
The one machine that turns a kitchen counter into a coffee bar.
$300–$800 on Amazon
Breville
BES920XL
Breville Dual Boiler BES920XL
Two PID boilers. Brew and steam at once. The ceiling of this site.
7.9/10 editor
14.8" W × 14.7" D × 14.7" H58mm portafilterPID control2-year warranty
Typically $900–$1,600
A price range for this class of machine, not a live figure — check the current price on Amazon.
Eligible for Amazon Prime — free delivery and returns for Prime members.
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The short version
The Breville Dual Boiler is the prosumer end of the range: two separate stainless steel boilers, each PID-controlled, so you can pull a shot and steam milk at the same time with no waiting. It has a full 58mm commercial portafilter, adjustable pre-infusion pressure and time, an on-screen shot clock and a proper commercial steam wand. There is no grinder — this is a machine you pair with a dedicated one.
Ideal for
An enthusiast who makes several milk drinks in a row, wants simultaneous brew-and-steam and real pre-infusion profiling, and already owns or will buy a serious grinder.
Look elsewhere if
Someone who wants an all-in-one, has limited counter space, or makes a single drink each morning where a single boiler is plenty.
Editor scores
Our judgement · not manufacturer data
Espresso Quality9/10
Ease of Use6/10
Milk & Steam9/10
Barista Control9/10
Build Quality8/10
Maintenance6/10
Value7/10
Scored against the other machines in this catalogue. How we score.
The full review
Everything cheaper on this site is a single boiler, which means brewing and steaming happen in sequence with a temperature change between them. The Dual Boiler removes that entirely: one boiler holds brew temperature under PID, a second holds steam pressure, and they work simultaneously. For anyone making back-to-back milk drinks it is a different experience, and the steam power is close to commercial.
It also gives you the 58mm standard and real profiling controls — you can set pre-infusion pressure and duration, watch the shot on a timer, and there is an over-pressure valve so a choked shot does not spike. Reviewers who roast their own coffee and have owned several machines tend to describe this as the one they stopped upgrading from.
The caveats: it asks for a good grinder alongside it, so the real cost is higher than the sticker; it is big and heavy; and the critical reviews — enough to sit it at 4.2 stars — describe leaks and valve failures on some units, with older reviews noting Breville worked through a quality-control patch. Buy from a seller with an easy return window.
Eligible for Amazon Prime — free delivery and returns for Prime members.
Buy on AmazonFull specifications
A dash means we could not verify it — never a guess
Type & Brewing
- Machine type
- Semi Automatic
- Pump pressure
- 15 bar
- Extraction pressure
- 9 bar
- Heating system
- Dual stainless steel boilers, both PID-controlled
- Boilers
- 2
- PID temperature control
- Yes
- Pre-infusion
- Yes
- Heat-up time
- —
Grinder & Portafilter
- Built-in grinder
- No
- Burr type
- —
- Grind settings
- —
- Bean hopper
- —
- Portafilter
- 58 mm
- Basket type
- 58mm commercial — single, dual wall and 'the Razor' trimmed baskets
Milk & Drinks
- Milk system
- Manual commercial steam wand, dedicated steam boiler
- Milk carafe included
- Yes
- One-touch drinks
- 0
- Programmable recipes
- Yes
- Hot water outlet
- Yes
Capacity & Size
- Water tank
- 84.5 oz (2.5 L)
- Removable tank
- Yes
- Cup clearance
- —
- Width
- 14.8" (37.6 cm)
- Depth
- 14.7" (37.3 cm)
- Height
- 14.7" (37.3 cm)
- Weight
- 28.4 lb (12.9 kg)
Power & Build
- Power
- 1700 W
- Voltage
- 120 V
- Housing
- Brushed stainless steel, dual stainless boilers
- Display
- LCD with shot clock
- Made in
- —
- Warranty
- 2 yr
Cleaning & Care
- Water filter included
- Yes
- Descaling program
- Yes
- Removable brew group
- No
- Cup warming tray
- Yes
Also worth knowing
- Dual boiler
- Separate PID-controlled brew and steam boilers — pull a shot and steam milk simultaneously
- Portafilter
- Full 58mm commercial, low-pressure pre-infusion, adjustable pre-infusion time and pressure
- Shot clock
- On-screen extraction timer; over-pressure valve limits max pressure
- No grinder
- Pair with a dedicated grinder — this is a brew platform, not an all-in-one
The honest bit
Pros and cons
What we like
- Two PID boilers — brew and steam at the same time, no waiting
- Full 58mm commercial portafilter and the whole aftermarket that fits it
- Adjustable pre-infusion pressure and time, plus an on-screen shot clock
- Commercial-grade steam power for back-to-back milk drinks
- 2-year warranty; the natural end point for someone who keeps upgrading
What to consider
- No grinder — budget for a good dedicated one on top
- Large and heavy: about 15 inches in every direction, 28 lb
- Critical reviews report leaks and valve failures on some units
- More boilers and valves means more that can eventually need service
- Overkill for anyone making one or two drinks a day
What owners report
Summarised from the 389 Amazon ratings
Long-term owners, several roasting their own beans, describe it as the machine they stopped upgrading from, citing simultaneous brew-and-steam and steam power. The negative reviews cluster on hardware reliability — leaks and a fractured valve on some units — with older reviews referencing a Breville quality-control issue that improved over time. Cleaning is called easy but not automatic.
No regrets
Coffee has been a hobby for 20+ years and I started roasting in 2009. This is the machine I stopped upgrading from.
Wonderful upgrade
Replaced an 8-year-old single boiler. Steaming and pulling a shot at the same time changed our whole routine.
Tasty while it worked
An awesome upgrade while it lasted, but the build quality let it down. Steaming and brewing at once was a dream up to then.
Review excerpts are quoted from the product's Amazon listing and belong to their authors.
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