How significant are the improvements in the BES870XL over this model?

150 Watts more on thermocoil, hot water dispenser for americano, auto sleep (1hr)/shut-off(after 3 hr). Possibly better design on espresso hopper/grinder (time will tell). 860 model had some issues in the beginning but was fixed. 860 grinder still gets bean pockets that stops beans from funneling into grinder, not a big deal just tap the side and they fall right in. For even money i would get the 870 for sure.

can this machine make a regular cup of coffee as well as Espresso?

No, it cannot. however, you can make an americano which is an espresso with hot water thus, diluting the espresso. This is actually how I drink my coffee 90% of the time. It will still be stronger than what you will get from an auto-drip machine but not too strong that you can't drink it.

The water or espresso coming out from the portafilter is measured only at 140- 150F. IS this normal? I thought extraction occured best at 195-205F.

That's a good question, so I measured the water temp for my BES860XL with a fast food thermometer. There was a little variability of water temp flowing from the filter, between 175-186F. Sitting in a pre-heated cup after the draw, the temp reading was 170F. I did not use the portafilter because it will act as a cooling fin and dissipate heat. Note that my machine is a refurb unit.

My machine leaks water into the cleaning kit storage compartment. Is this normal?

Have had same thing happen, but only when tray gets to full. I fill water at 15-20 OZ mark and then empty tray carefull not to lift up as it might drip back into cleaning tray. Use pull out nozzzle from sink to fill so water tray stays in place till monthly cleaning.

Material	Stainless Steel
Number of Items	1
Color	Silver
Style	Modern
Wattage	1800 watts
Recommended Uses For Product	Making espresso
Human Interface Input	Dial, Buttons
Filter Type	Reusable
Operation Mode	Manual
Coffee Maker Type	Espresso Machine
Special Features	Removable Tank, Cup Warmer, Water Filter, Jug, Programmable

BREVILLE BES860XL 5b62ege, 14 x 12 x 15, Silver

Details

Description

Specifications

Common Questions