Breville Duo Temp Pro Espresso Machine, One Size, Brushed Stainless Steel

Update: it’s 2023 and this machine is still working well. I descale it and I clean the group head screen each time I do a deep cleaning. Because it’s 7 years old I am starting to anticipate that I could fail soon however it doesn’t seem to have any malfunctions yet. I paid $356 for this machine when I got it and paired with the smart grinder pro I feel like I have gotten my money worth. It costs me like $70 dollars a year to own this machine for the past 7 years and has made lots of tasty drinks. I am thinking about getting the same one again but now it costs more than when I bought it. The quality of my machines has been so great and I am so glad I went with a simple and very reliable machine.——/—————————-This machine is really amazing, and I don't regret not getting the Barista express or the infuser. I did lots of research, and I almost went with the Barista express but then I realized I didn't want my machine and grinder to be in one machine just incase one of them breaks. I also am realizing how nice it is to have a small expresso machine with these advanced features on it. I did buy the Breville Grinder and now I am trying to work with the single wall baskets, and I am finding that I am getting really nice creme and good shots. I recently bought a De'longi EC 155 for my work and after working with it It makes me realize how happy I am with my Breville. This Breville has been so nice and it is so great to have the auto purge, because trying to bring it back to temp is such a pain. I love that this machine has booth pressurized and non-pressurized which makes it a great machine to step up in to the expresso world. I am so pleased with my machine and I hope to have it for years to come.

I had a difficult time sorting through reviews for espresso machines in this price range, and I eventually decided that they had more to do with the personalities of the coffee snobs writing the reviews than with the actual machines. Trying to sound superior by excoriating a piece of equipment over trifling details is not helpful to people trying to figure out which is a good machine to buy. Someone was kind enough to mention on another machine's negative review they wrote that they really loved the Breville Duo-Temp Pro, so I looked it up and the reviews were mostly positive. I found a couple of videos on YouTube reviewing the product and it seemed to be a great value for this price range.Now that I've used it, I wish I would've bought one a long time ago. It's unfortunate it took like 7 years for my Krups machine to die for me to go looking for a replacement. This machine warms up quickly and makes delicious espresso. It's not gritty like my Krups machine made; you won't have dregs in the bottom of your cup. It comes with 4 filter cups and the instructions say to use the single wall cups for home ground coffee and the double wall cups for store ground coffee. I tried the single wall cup the first time and found that it made great espresso but there was no frothy stuff (I refuse to call it "crema"). I googled and found where Breville had told someone to try the double wall cup. This worked beautifully; I got lots of frothy stuff. If you have a conical burr grinder you should be fine. I don't normally bother with milk but I frothed a batch just to see how well it worked, and it was great.The Duo-Temp is quieter than my Krups machine. The volume is probably somewhere between my dishwasher and my blender. I like that it turns itself off when it reaches the 2-cup mark. I also like that it leaves a puck that is bone dry; I was used to my Krups machine leaving a sloppy, wet mess that I would occasionally drip on the floor on the way to the trash can. The tamping tool is really good; there's no need to buy your own. The milk jug is really solid too. The entire piece of equipment feels quality. Amazon had it about $70 cheaper than Bed, Bath, and Beyond. You'd have to be pretty critical to find something to complain about with this machine. I know that there are some who will. Don't let their silly agenda dissuade you for buying this awesome machine.

My Duo Temp arrived 3 days ago so I have only been using it that long. That said, I am very satisfied so far. This is my first home espresso machine. I, like many, have a very serious S**rbucks addiction and I’ve always wanted to be able to make those wonderfully delicious drinks at home. This machine allows me to do that.The things I like:The machine heats up quick. I don’t think my Kuerig heats up as fast. The steam wand is commercial grade and even though I am a rookie, I find it easy to make a good micro foam. It comes with 4 baskets for the portafilter. 2 are pressurized double wall filters (for pre ground beans). And the other 2 are single wall non-pressurized (for freshly ground beans). I’ve been using the pressurized baskets with preground espresso.People will tell you you can’t get a good shot unless you buy an extravagant $200 grinder and beans roasted within 5 days of when you brew. I used preground Lavazza coffee and I made 5 lattes this past weekend that I would be glad to get if I ordered them in a coffee shop. So regardless of whether you opt for the expensive grinder this machine will still pull a great shot. That said, I also wouldn’t waste my time on a cheap grinder. Either buy the expensive high quality grinder, or don’t and just buy high quality preground coffee. Lavazza and Illy are best from what I’ve read. I can only vouch for Lavazza.I also love the PID and the backflush feature that cools the machine after steaming so you can quickly pull another shot. There is a tamper and pitcher included. The pitcher is high quality and the tamper is certainly very usable. It is pretty cool how the tamper has a magnetic storage location on the machine so it doesn’t get misplaced.What I don’t like:Because of the backflush feature, the drip tray fills up fast. So you have to empty it fairly often. This machine is a single boiler system which means you can’t pull a shot and steam milk at the same time. However, switching between the two functions is fast so this is really a non issue. Also busting out a quick cup on the Kuerig takes just a minute or two. This takes much more time. So be prepared if brewing a cup is part of your morning routine. Lastly, I’ve had the filter basket get stuck in the group head twice already. It’s no big deal but eventually it’s gonna get stuck, then fall out, and send coffee all over.Ultimately, I am thrilled so far. I can now make great latte’s without the $5 price tag. I will update if things change.UPDATE:So I’ve had my machine for 6 months now and I’m still very happy with it. I use it at least once everyday but usually twice. It’s great for that much use. I have noticed however that this machine is not great for entertaining. I have my family over regularly and usually end up making about 6 lattes/cappuccinos after dinner. The machine tends to get hot and the grounds in the group head actually start to smell burnt after the 3rd or 4th brew. That was brewing double shot lattes. I have since stopped the double shots for each drink and now brew a double shot into two separate shot glasses making two drinks on each cycle. This fixed the overheating but be aware that this is not a high volume machine. Casual use only. I also had one instance where the steam failed to start when turning the knob into position. A little steam was coming out so I double checked that the knob was turned all the way and it was. So I set it back to the off position and then back to steam and then it worked fine. Only happened once and then never again. That was a month ago so fingers crossed that doesn’t become a problem.Anyway I am extremely satisfied with my purchase and I highly recommend this machine to those serious about their espresso drinks but want the convenience of brewing at home. Good luck and enjoy!

Well built..easy to use..makes great coff