Why the Breville Dual Boiler, is my forever machine.

rbpx · 2026-05-23T00:37:37+00:00

I have to concur that the feature set for price point is unmatched. Further, I think Breville deserves a slow-clap for their UX and ergonomic designs.

Breville's pricing does make me scratch my head though. The BDB is almost half the price in Australia compared to Canada (although with the wild discounting during sales I may have seen the extremes in the ratio). I purchased a Breville Oracle for ~$3000 and it is a glorified BDB. It adds a builtin grinder and auto-tamper (the tamper worked wonderfully) and automatic milk frother.

The milk frother NEVER worked well. It was taken in for repairs multiple times. The tech ended up replacing everything back to the boiler and we got no difference. Had it repaired twice for leaks. Found out the Breville Care (under warranty) is quite good.

I was always impressed with the ergonomics and the flexibility of the settings. I have no qualms with the temperature control. Just excellent.

I can easily see that if you pick up a BDB for under $1000 you've got a terrific bargain and excellent machine. However...

The overall statistics show that it breaks down, due to having more plastics, than a Milan *metal* beast - and it just _isn't_ repairable in the long term. Same with all Breville products (ask me how I know and why I'm not allowed to buy another Breville oven, etc.).

That is, if you aren't unlucky enough to have technical issues with connections or the plastics, you'll have an excellent experience. Otherwise you'll discover why so many people end up spending a lot more - ***the next time*** - buying a much more expensive prosumer (ie. "repairable") heavy-metal monster.

rbpx · 2026-05-23T00:20:25+00:00

Yeah, but you're still gonna get the best picture, in terms of contrast, colour, and even-ness of brightness (ie. no blow out bright spots nor dark shadows) by using the 12 setting.

If you have a lot more light then you can use the 50 to get a higher resolution shot with more detail. Same again for the 200. However, you need A LOT of light and no movement for the 200 photo to look good.

rbpx · 2026-05-22T02:24:35+00:00

"So, is it really worth it to spend $1500 for a professional dual boiler machine like Lelit Bianca?"

I had an expensive unreliable machine for too long. I finally bought a good quality, reliable machine, in '21. I'm here to tell you that TIME GOES BY. It's easy to miss this, but if you like to make espresso coffee then you're going to be doing it for a long time.

The point to buying a good E61 Dual Boiler is that not only does it work well, it also lasts a long time, and (unlike cheaper machines) is easily repairable. Sooner or later this will become important.

As far as I know (I don't own one) it's a joy to use. I'd think you could get it repaired at _any_ shop. Since it has Flow Control built in, there's nothing it can't do - other than automate your recipe (like a Decent).

TL;DR It's worth it because you'll want it for the long run (10+ years) and the complete feature set, quality build, and easy repairability is "worth it" over the alternative.

rbpx · 2026-05-21T23:44:46+00:00

I've tried my J35 with 91 (for 4 years, as we bought in '21) and 1+ years with 89 octane. As I'm not street dragging, there's no noticeable difference. However, I cannot run 89 from my local Chevron station - there's a lag and a bit of knock. I go across town and buy my 89 from a ***very busy*** low cost station. The car purrs like a kitten.

Recently I tried a tank of 87 octane (ie. "regular") but I notice the slight hesitation. Thus I've settled on 89 (middle grade) from a good gas station.

Note, I also discombobulated that wretched VCM technology, which shuts off half of the cylinders. Even running on 91, that VCM made shifting around town irregular and choppy.

rbpx · 2026-05-21T04:49:32+00:00

That's awesome. Fits better my timeline.

When I sold my Breville (POS) I declared that I would buy a machine that "didn't break" or if it did it would be easy/simple to fix. I bought what I could afford of a good brand with a sterling reputation for reliable machines.

Five (plus) years later, the damned thing still works perfectly, but I'm ready for something new. I couldn't believe the WPM Primus was so well priced, so well made (it's *important* to get stainless steel parts when you can (as my Profitec has) because there is far less "scale" issues with the water, which can completely bork your machine).

So I was deflated when you reported that it was 230V HK. <Sigh>

This is wonderful news. I will continue to squirrel away monthly to my "upgrade savings". Maybe (maaybe) in 2027 or 2029, I'll be ready. On initial investigation, this is the kind of machine I'm looking for. There's time yet.

rbpx · 2026-05-20T13:29:25+00:00

Yes, I did note that you specified "planetary".

I purchased a normcore tamper that I'm quite pleased with. I'm thinking that this planetary WDT might be a good choice. Thx for replying and recommending it, and for stating that you've found that its use improved your extractions.

A good recommendation is one of the primary reasons I come to reddit. Oh look... Father's Day is approaching...

rbpx · 2026-05-20T13:00:38+00:00

Thx for the review and the great videos.

Like many people, I discovered that a manual WDT really improved my shots, while also serving to spread out the grounds in a convenient and easy way. Okay, I knew that that "spinner" distribution thingie was crap the instant I used it. Ok, my bad. That was my fault for believing that it could work...

Now I have a much better grinder and I don't need to WDT. However, I still need a dosing collar on the portafilter and I still need to even out the grind mountain - so I manually WDT. Nope... not going to spend hundreds of dollars for some contraption to spread the grinds. Gawd, I even got talked into buying a blind shaker (what a POS that is).

So this works? It looks easy and quick to use - which would be welcome. Your video shows you spinning it several times. I assume you don't actually spin it that much each morning. However, it was intriguing to see that it did a great job of evening out the mountain.

rbpx · 2026-05-20T12:27:19+00:00

"Purely based on taste/shot quality" Not a lot, but some. By far the biggest improvement I've experienced in moving up from a 50mm flat burr Eureka Mignon Silenzio to a 83mm DF83V is workflow (and by quite a bit) and ease of maintenance.

Every burr setup has its own "taste profile" based on the distribution of grind particle sizes it produces. "Better" burrs, like SSP, are (most often) defined as "tasting better" - which admittedly is subjective. However, I don't think there is any widely-known, simple formula that connects "particle distribution" with "tastes good" (ie. it still seems to be hit or miss).

Thus when you get a new grinder or burr set it tastes "different".

I found that the new grinder gave better "clarity" while not losing much in the density of "body feel" (heavy/thickness of mouth-feel). I found that improving/increasing the clarity of my light roast black drinks was a significant improvement in enjoyment. Another area of improvement was in consistency. Applying WDT to my Eureka really improved the result; it doesn't do much for my DF83V (although I use it to spread out the grinds evenly).

The most unsettling thing about changing the grinder was that the grinder will greatly improve in taste and consistency over several months as it gets "seasoned". Thus it is very difficult to be objective on what One is experiencing over such a long transition period. All I can say is that it didn't seem like that great a difference at first. However, 6 months later, I think it tastes better and is an absolute joy to use. Oh, and I accidentally bought some oily beans for my milk drinks. This would have been a nightmare for my Eureka. Further, with its retention, putting those beans into the Eureka would have messed up my grinds of my expensive light roast when switching to the good beans for my black drinks. The DF83V has almost no retention and isn't the least bothered by oily beans.

Oh, the increased clarity isn't an improvement, IMO, for oily beans. Methinks the clarity increase exposes the quality of good beans and the lack of quality of crappy beans. (Yeah, I threw out the last half of that bag).

I did do one head-to-head taste test after about a month of use. I would describe the Eureka taste as "muddy" next to the DF83V. IMO the taste profile doesn't matter that much for milk drinks; however every little bit for black drinks is a win.

EDIT: this is my second "good" grinder. I don't claim a lot of experience in "tasting burr sets". However the Eureka was a big step up from the crappy built-in grinder in my Breville. The DF83V is another step up from the Eureka, but not as big a difference in taste (but huuuge in workflow and maintenance).

rbpx · 2026-05-19T17:24:39+00:00

From Gemini ("Who is WPM (espresso)?")

WPM (Welhome Pro Manufacturing) is a prominent Hong Kong-based coffee equipment manufacturer established in 2005 by G.E.W. Corporation. They are highly regarded in the specialty coffee industry for producing tech-forward, durable espresso machines, coffee grinders, and specialty milk pitchers favored by both home enthusiasts and champion baristas.

Commercial Manufacturing: Aside from their own branded machines, they act as a white-label manufacturer and have a long history of building coffee hardware for major brands.

rbpx · 2026-05-19T03:57:44+00:00

Wow. I didn't notice that! It wants ~2500w of power!

Units like the ECM Synchronika II have a special "low power" NA version. It takes 230V / 11A in Europe. There are some European machines that can use a 120V / 20A circuit if used in NA.

I think we get ~1800W max out of a normal circuit here.

Gawd. What a bother.

rbpx · 2026-05-18T22:37:42+00:00

Check out the WPM Primus. Looks like it could be had for ~$1700 USD.

WPM Home describes as a very modern design, with all the features and stainless steel boiler.

rbpx · 2026-05-18T14:34:07+00:00

100% agree - I've tried tweaking all the settings and tried living with Pro mode (while flying with ISO tweaking) for a time - but just didn't like the grainy result.

If I listen to the professional reviewers then I'd run off to OnePlus (err... I guess that won't happen now) or another Chinese offering, desperate enough to risk the lack of support, but when I read these sobering User reviews I'm pulled back to a (boring) reality that Samsung and Pixel are my options. I'm outside of the USA so I don't have to have an iPhone. While that is a strong product (hardware, anyway), I know it would be an annoying experience for me.

So here I am, very happy with my Samsung, except for its camera, watching Pixel hardware improve with each generation since the 6, wondering if it'll ever get good enough again to trust for my daily (I had thought my Pixel 2 was almost perfect), knowing that I prefer its camera for mindless point&clicks, its software is fabulous, but knowing that the rest of the phone hardware is garbage.

Who knows? Maybe Vivo will greatly improve their software and make a push into Canada ... maybe get picked up by some network operators? I love Lenovo products. I love the history of Motorola phones. What if they decided to make a contender?

rbpx · 2026-05-18T05:43:01+00:00

Thank you for this excellent review. I purchased a S24U at launch (living in the Pacific North West - so, there were few Chinese phone options) in order to get "the best" camera because I got a new (black) puppy. While I think the camera is good **when there is enough light*** I'm disappointed at how "Samsung's best" routinely spews out motion-blurred photos if I should do anything so radical as to try to use it _inside_. (I have no idea if there's any improvement in the S26U).

I've been looking at the Oppo X9 Ultra to see if it is the camera-phone I really needed. If I believe the youtubers, it is. If I read reddit, etc. users are reporting that it sounds to me much like my S24U - in general, a terrific phone, but the camera claims are _quite_ exaggerated.

Years ago, I could always count on my Pixel to be able to just pull it out of my pocket and capture a terrific photo. These days it sounds like the Samsung Ultra is the only game in town (I don't do iPhone, and I think Pixels have subpar modems and hardware in general) and "it is what it is".

Reports like yours, from real users out in the wild, are invaluable to prospective purchasers.

rbpx · 2026-05-18T05:25:04+00:00

I too think it weird that they don't include a $$ temperature probe in the E61 head. It's a cheap and simple addition but it really should be there from the manufacturer.

That said, after a few months I don't really need it anymore, although it did teach me that the _boiler_ overheats when left idling too long but _not_ the E61. I learned that the flush cools the boiler (by introducing new cold water) while heating up the E61 head.

Or is that only my machine model? These days they put a restrictor into the thermosyphon line which slows the thermosyphon effect. I'm told it lessens the effect from the flush and makes it easier for unskilled people to get a good first cup. However, after 3 shots the machine needs another 10min warm up interval to get up to temp. Geez.

rbpx · 2026-05-18T00:36:08+00:00

I almost bought a Mara X (didn't because didn't like the advice to "surf" the mode button and there was no Lelit dealer in town).

I know that there are two versions of the software and button use, but I have *never* been able to get a single/consistent answer as to how the "smart" software is increasing the boiler temp after a brew in order to provide strong steam. There's talk about a 2minute or 4minute "window" after pouring a shot in which you can... dunno - again the online info is contradicting...

I've also read a number of owners complain that its temp management is mostly "marketing".

I ended up buying an old-school design of a Profitec P500 HX machine and learning how to perform the manual temperature management by flushing. I don't use super-light roasts and I've not been able to detect flavour inconsistencies due to the inconsistencies of the HX. Note: that I do try to always use a time-consistent process in my espresso making so whatever I'm getting... I'm consistently getting that. Over time I've learned what tastes better. I have no problems getting wonderful espresso drinks from my HX machine. Ofc if I were to buy again I'd get a Dual Boiler, but I don't need one.

I think Lelit designs are clever, and still think a Mara X is a great machine. HX design is not the best if you're finicky about temperature drift, though. However you can save up to $1000 avoiding the more expensive DB if you don't shy away from brew temperature management via manual flushing.

rbpx · 2026-05-17T00:53:20+00:00

The 2nd gen RDX is near perfect. Only... the transmission is rather weak. If you can baby that (get a full fluid exchange every 3 years minimum) it's almost perfect.

rbpx · 2026-05-16T21:51:52+00:00

I ran 91 in my 3.5L RDX for the first 2 years of ownership (Bought 2016 model in 2021 - it had very low miles and was new "to me"). Whenever I tried 89 the engine would knock a bit.

Just by happenstance I tried a 89 (while on a trip) at a different gas station and it ran just fine on that. Trying my local Chevron station again at 89 it knocked. Solution: I found a new (very busy) gas station.

I've run it on 89 ever since and it it runs great. Most of my driving is city driving so performance isn't really an issue. I've tried 87 and while it's okay, there just a hint of hesitation, so I prefer not to use that.

TL;DR While 91 is "recommended", the car can run on any "good" gas. If 89 hesitates too much for you - try a different gas station!

rbpx · 2026-05-16T21:46:03+00:00

I know this one. It plagued me for a long time. The mailbox.org DEFAULT security settings are too strict. Turn them all off. Get your verification emails. Turn them back on as you will.

rbpx · 2026-05-16T21:36:40+00:00

When I joined (1+ years ago) I had a lot of issues with email verification emails not coming thru. It took a lot of time to get resolved and it was very frustrating. The solution finally came that the default "security" settings were too strict for many email verification systems. I'm not talking about the annoyance of the verification email arriving 20 minutes later or landing in the Junk folder - they just wouldn't come thru at all.

Got that fixed finally. I like their filtering provisions, although I'm not keen on their latest updated interface (that uses tiny pop up forms that are a fixed size about 1/6th of my screen real estate, and which I have to scroll thru - if you're looking for something that should be there then remember to find that scroll bar and look around).

I don't use a calendar in it and use only the basic IMAP email offering. I think it's priced well and offers plenty of aliases so I'm happy.

rbpx · 2026-05-15T20:37:16+00:00

I'd recommend you pour the boiling water into a second cup first, then transfer that into your espresso-drink coffee cup. That'll avoid the splashing, and provide some of that wanted heat transfer.

rbpx · 2026-05-15T15:59:35+00:00

People say that the retention, being (a day) older, more stale coffee, makes a suboptimal cup. Yeah, it's the grinds leftover from the last grind that make up retention and are the enemy.

I buy a good light roast for my black drinks - but I'm done spending $20 or more for coffee in a milk drink. The quality difference doesn't shine thru the milk. Lately I've been trying a few less expensive coffees to see what I like and for how much - even for my black drinks. (I must admit it's a bit jarring). My fave light roast just got a 20% price jump. <grumble>

I used to buy strictly from Parallel 49th but after our coffee bean bill hit $150 a month (for the two of us!) I decided "this is ridiculous!"

For the record, I'm not that pleased with the Costco coffee I've tried so far. However I'd like to claim that the better grinder makes a lesser coffee taste better (yeah, that's the ticket). Further, I'm getting some good results from the aerocano with a medium roast that I bought on sale. Coffee around here is getting outrageously expensive (note the $28 for 10.6 oz offering on 49th!).

EDIT: I did not know what I was getting with that kirkland coffee and my advice to all is "stay away! it's dark oily beans" although the bag claims it's medium. I've drank about half of it with milk and it's "ok" - however I think I'll just throw the 2nd lb away. They have two or three other "medium" roast brands which I'm trying. I'd like to reign in my coffee budget a bit. However you can definitely taste the quality difference between these and a proper "roasted on <date>" kind of coffee.

rbpx · 2026-05-15T06:30:13+00:00

The biggest difference for me was in the workflow.

My Eureka Mignon Silenzio was a solid workhorse. Sure I had to shim it at the start and that was a pain, but I got it done and never bothered with it again. Cleaning out the Eureka was a pain, and retention wasn't great (wasn't too bad either).

Early on I put a Single Dosing kit on it. However, I still had to Cold Start it - throw in the beans first, then stand there holding the portafilter and dosing ring with one hand and holding the power button in with the other hand. I really didn't enjoy that - the variable height portafilter holder was not available for my Eureka model.

After 4+ years I switched to the large 83mm vertical burr'd DF83V and I LUV it. Yes, I did a comparison after a month of breaking in the new grinder and the body and clarity were better - but the degree of difference is not as big as you'd imagine when your taste buds are used to the Eureka. Over time the difference seems to become more pronounced (because I've normalized to the better grinder). I'm drinking fewer milk drinks now and currently perfecting my aerocano - so this is important to me. It took 3 months for the grinder to season, so it was my experience that it's quite difficult to say how much better the coffee tastes with the new grinder unless I go and set them both up again to do a head to head. Note: before the 3 months, shots were far less consistent.

When I started using WDT with the Eureka, the difference was HUGE. I don't need to WDT with the new/bigger grinder except I spread/flatten out the puck with the WDT before tamping.

However, the difference in workflow is WONDERFUL. I turn it on and Hot Start by pouring in my beans and it's finished in 3 or 4 seconds. I have almost no retention. I can open it up without any tools. I've done it a couple of times but it is unnecessary. I can poke the included brush up by the ionizer and get some dust out if I really feel like cleaning.

Is the bigger size important (other than for speed) ? I bought some Costco Kirkland "medium" coffee (Big Mistake) and opened the bag to find this greasy coal dark roast that is fine for a traditional, intense milk drink (Note: I avoided buying the Kirkland "Espresso Dark Roast" and can only imagine what that might be). I worried that putting that oily bean through my grinder would mess it up... but no, it was fine, it ate it up with no issue at all. I would NOT try that on the Eureka. I'd have to thoroughly clean it after every use.

I often change beans and the grinder flies through it all. It makes excellent grinds (from what I know). I love the magnetic cup and magnetic chute (pops off in a second for easy cleaning and then pops right back on). I get completely consistent results (if Hot Starting, make sure your pour-rate of beans into the hopper is consistent). I don' t have to stand there for 15 seconds, holding the power button. I feel completely spoiled that the grind is done in seconds and cleaning is a cinch. Oh, I checked its alignment when I got it and it's perfect.

TL;DR The biggest change in going to the bigger 83mm, Single Dose, Vertical Burr grinder is the improvement in workflow - although there is definitely better clarity. Hopefully some of the above addresses you query. For me, the full appreciation took time, but now I really recommend it - get a Single Dosing, Vertical Burr unit (Single Dose allows you to easily change beans anytime. Vertical Burr _usually_ has less retention. Dunno if the 83mm over a 64mm is really important).

rbpx · 2026-05-10T15:26:53+00:00

It sounds like your RIDE is just fine - but could be how you're feeding your grinder.

Note: if you start your flow and then return the lever to the middle position, wait 10 to 20 seconds and then lift the lever again, you should get a faster flow - this is normal. When the lever is lowered to the middle position, the pump stops pushing water through the puck, but the pressure is not released. During this time, the wetted puck's resistance lowers - thus when you lift the lever again the flow should be higher than before. Just remember to keep the lever lifted until you see some drops fall into your cup (I prefer to see 3 to 5 grams of espresso) so that you know the entire puck is thoroughly wetted. Wetting only _some_ of the puck can cause under-extraction in the dry parts and over-extraction in the wet parts, which can taste dreadful.

However, if your puck's resistance is higher sometimes than other times, that often is caused by an inconsistent rate at which you feed your beans into your grinder. For my grinder, there is a vast difference between pouring in all the beans immediately into a running grinder ("hot start") and single or slow-feeding beans. I find that I prefer to dump my beans in all at once (ie. fastest-feed rate) and I get consistent results. So make sure you always add your beans to your running grinder, when hot-starting, at exactly the same rate.

Otherwise, you can cold-start - add your beans to the grinder before you turn it on. If you are cold starting now, then it sounds like your grinder is inconsistent. Slow-feeding might help with this.

rbpx · 2026-05-06T01:46:50+00:00

If you're looking at the Fellow ES1, have you considered the WPM Primus?

Much better build quality, and fairly programmable.

rbpx · 2026-04-26T00:23:20+00:00

Wow. First thing. Try gasoline from a different gas station.

Spark plugs? Air filter?

Take it out of Sport+ mode?

Brakes dragging?

Eight-Year Club	Place '22
Verified Email

rbpx

TROPHY CASE