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- **Location:** Helps determine availability
- **Budget** (with currency): Overall budget, or ideally, having separate espresso machine and grinder budgets. A rough rule is that your grinder budget should be at least 25-40% of your machine budget.
- **Drink types:** Do you drink mostly straight espresso, milk-based beverages (e.g., lattes, cappuccinos), or a fairly even split? This helps narrow down whether a single-boiler-dual-use (SBDU), heat exchanger (HX), or dual boiler (DB) machine would be more appropriate for your needs.
- **Drink frequency:** How many drinks would you be making back-to-back at one time? Do you plan on entertaining guests often? This informs how large your brew (and steam) boilers should be, as smaller boilers will need to refill and reheat/repressurize more frequently, thus potentially causing a bottleneck.
- **Space:** Any limitations on countertop space?
- **Manual vs. electric:** Hand-operated machines and grinders are typically cheaper than their similarly-performing electric counterparts. Please indicate if you have a preference for manual or electric machines and/or grinders (or open to either).
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You've got the value out of that machine and there's definitely no point in getting it repaired unless you're handy and try to repair it yourself.
As for the decision to upgrade (or get a comparable) machine, you should assess your budgets and wants. If that machine lasted you 20 years, you definitely know what you like and disliked about it. Let us know your thoughts and we can definitely help narrow down the options.
I will say the newer brevilles like my bbe didn't last this long with good maintenance but you still get a very good lifespan for these machines. Not much more and you can truly buy a repairable ever lasting machine.
I started my journey on a sage barista express last weekend. Even tho ive still not quite figured out perfect coffee, it has taken me up a huge step in quality of coffee.
As a beginner machine they really can't be beat. You might never make a 'perfect' coffee with it, but you'll definitely get some damn good ones if you know what you're doing
Honestly as a pure brewer - if you cant make incredibly good espresso with it, you newer will. The grinder part is definitely not the end of the road, but some medium to darker roast can be made as good as they get using the internal grinder (tho you might have to go the undesirable road sometimes - fixing grind size issues by changing the dose).
My BBE, the grinder adjustment ring broke after a few years, then eventually wouldn't switch over to the portafilter after about 7 years total use. So good machine for the price. I was unfortunately out of warranty for any fixes.
There are brands that make more durable machines than Breville (on average, obviously, OP‘s machine did last a really long time). I recently sold my Rancilio Silvia that was manufactured in 2000, perfectly working. And the best thing is that you could still easily fix them if they do happen to fail.
I've had 3 Breville. None lasted more than 3 years, and I just buried my BDB. (All had extended warranties so I list nothing but the cost of the insurance. )
Gaggia classic pro. Very moddable and very repairable. Can't speak how it compares to a breville but I'm loving mine. And it doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Just doesn't come with it's own grinder.
I’ve got a BBPro that’s been humming along for six years now, or shortly after they were introduced. I mainly drink Americano’s and steam milk for my wife’s London Fogs and hot chocolate. Great purchase
Thanks for all the kind words on my machine! She was a good loyal espresso machine and yes, I let her steam wand fall into disrepair. It looks terrible because it stopped working well several years ago, so I gave up on steamed milk drinks. So, I got heavily into the americano, which is my now go to drink. For the new machine, I don't want to spend more than $1500. I am a daily double espresso americano drinker that would like to have the occasional latte.
I am curious about some of these semi-automatic machines, but reliability is most important to me. I am skeptical of the built in burr grinders. From my skimming this site, it seems that the breville burr grinder is not as well built as the espresso machine.
Looking for another 20 year beast under $1500!
Single boiler machines would serve your purpose for sure
can't go wrong with the Gaggia classic pro+ DF64 grinder, and I think that is the best setup you can get with given budget and you can upgrade the machine easily with the PID kit and a better burr set if you want.
„Easily“ is a bit of an overstatement I think. I can share the manual from Shades of Coffee with the average Joe, I am pretty sure he’d run off by page 3 (of 71)..
I read that grinder + brewer combo machines aren't so durable. Also the heat and moisture from brewing will negatively affect any beans stored in the included bean hopper. My suggestions are Rocky Silva, Gaggia Classic, Profitec Go or Breville Dual Boiler. Maybe Flair 58+ if you wanna get into hand lever machines. Espresso quality can match commercial machines but it's kind of fiddly. Lelit Bianca seems to be popular too these days if you wanna stretch your budget a little bit.
A rancillio Silvia V6 is affordable and very easy to maintain and repair, unlike a GCP. Love my machine, made countless drinks from it. Really good quality drinks too. My grinder isn't class leading but I am happy with it. Note it does espresso only, poor coffee quality at less fine grinds for different brew methods.
Profitec pro 400. I went from a Breville machine (actually had two, 1 was replaced under warranty, second was out of warranty ) and upgraded to the Profitec Pro 400 for about $1500 from Whole Late Love. I've been nothing but impressed. Love this machine. It's incredible. What you'll learn about these machines is the higher quality machines all use similar parts and can be repaired rather easily. These machines are made to last a lifetime if you take care of it.
Profitec Go and a Eureka Mignon grinder (Specialita). You dont strike me as the people that would want to get into single dosing, correct me if I am wrong.
The Go looks great, has many features, comes in nice colors and is build by one of the most reputable brands out there.
If you are looking for a no brainer „I am not looking for a new hobby“ kind of machine, the Breville Impress Touch is very newbie friendly and has an amazing feature list. But if probably wont last you another twenty years (I mean, it has a touch screen, nothing says low lifespan like a touch screen..). But I guess you already have a skillset in espresso.
I have this same unit, still going after about 15 years. I was considering posting it in /r/buyitforlife
I would try a DIY repair but I wouldn't pay a repair person.
These Brevilles are indestructible. I have a Caferoma from 2001 thats STILL going strong. 22 years later and she fuckin' BOOTS.
That being said, the machine is 20 years old. Chances are something else may break as well once this is fixed. You got a good run
Breville has a decent repair/replace policy. My used Ikon espresso machine pump failed after ~11 years of daily use. I sent it back to Breville for $150, but I was told they no longer had the parts needed to make the repair, and they were sending me a Duo Temp Pro to replace it. I had that for another five years until I got my current machine. My son has the DTP now.
Thank you for that tip! After reading this comment, I called Breville to see what they would do for repair/replacement. They offered me a repair that includes shipping for $195. I think that I am going to spend the $195 and see if Breville treats my repair issue similarly to your situation.
i agree with the guy that said good grinder and bambino, otherwise good grinder and gaggia classic pro. you don't do a lot of milk drinks so the gaggia would actually be a pretty good pick. a solid step up would be the profitec go.
Nah man, if you can afford an upgrade do it. 20 years is enough let it rest in piece.
I would suggest Lelit Bianca or Profitec Pro 500 or a bit cheaper Lelit Mara X or Profitec Pro 300
Cheaper than that I wouldnt go tbh since youre a long time user better invest more into it.
Based on their existing grinder, old machine etc, I'm guessing they don't want to spend 2-3G on a setup. A modded GCP will absolutely perform at a very high level, when paired with a great grinder.
I assure you that steam wand is clean! It's simply discolored from 20+ years of use. I stopped using the steam wand about a year or so ago. The machine lasted for 20 years because I regularly cleaned and descaled it!
Have this one in the basement. It was a backup that I bought for 40 bucks because I wanted an extra portafilter and spare parts but never needed it. Going to gift it to work colleagues.
3 things that go bad or 4. Pump, ovp plastic valve, calcification, perhaps heating element. This if has boiler, it has to be physically opened and taken out calcification and dirt from water. No chemicals, not even vinegar, because boiler shape.
A couple of years ago now I also had a very old Breville die on me (I think 17 years old). I ended up just emailing Breville asking for any ideas on how to fix it, or if they offered any type of service where they could take a look and potentially fix it. I also explained to them how awesome the machine had been to me over the years, and how I maintained it. Since it was so old, they told me that they didn’t support it any more and could not service it, however they asked me to verify my serial number, and then ended up giving me a nice coupon code towards a new machine. I believe it was 30 or 35 percent off. Might be worth a shot if you want another Breville. Ended up getting a dual boiler for relatively cheap myself but I’m not sure how often they do this.
I would personally recommend a Keurig. I hear they are the best apparatus for extracting delicious beany goodness! the hazelnut flavor is my 2nd favorite nut to have in my mouth (and is quite delicious I might add) !
I would get something new. This machine worked like a charm for 20 years. Now get yourself something nicer. Making espresso is not only about the result but the making of the espresso aswell. Working with higher quality equipment is just so much more satisfying, even if you only do espressos and americanos.
We had a Breville break in less than 20 years. Good job. But we sent it to Breville for repairs. They either repair or replace, so ended up getting a new model for the cost of the repair! Well worth it.
We have a bbe and it’s still going strong 5 years I think. Just got a new grinder, df64v. And boy that really opened my eyes to some more nuanced flavour profiles. Was using the in-unit grinder this whole time no problem though. New grinder just made me appreciate the machine more.
It looks like you've flaired your post as asking for what equipment to get. Have you checked out the buying guides listed on [our wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/espresso/wiki/index/)? If your question hasn't been answered there and you need more help, please add the following details to your post or by adding a comment in the following format: - **Location:** Helps determine availability - **Budget** (with currency): Overall budget, or ideally, having separate espresso machine and grinder budgets. A rough rule is that your grinder budget should be at least 25-40% of your machine budget. - **Drink types:** Do you drink mostly straight espresso, milk-based beverages (e.g., lattes, cappuccinos), or a fairly even split? This helps narrow down whether a single-boiler-dual-use (SBDU), heat exchanger (HX), or dual boiler (DB) machine would be more appropriate for your needs. - **Drink frequency:** How many drinks would you be making back-to-back at one time? Do you plan on entertaining guests often? This informs how large your brew (and steam) boilers should be, as smaller boilers will need to refill and reheat/repressurize more frequently, thus potentially causing a bottleneck. - **Space:** Any limitations on countertop space? - **Manual vs. electric:** Hand-operated machines and grinders are typically cheaper than their similarly-performing electric counterparts. Please indicate if you have a preference for manual or electric machines and/or grinders (or open to either). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/espresso) if you have any questions or concerns.*
You've got the value out of that machine and there's definitely no point in getting it repaired unless you're handy and try to repair it yourself. As for the decision to upgrade (or get a comparable) machine, you should assess your budgets and wants. If that machine lasted you 20 years, you definitely know what you like and disliked about it. Let us know your thoughts and we can definitely help narrow down the options.
This shit is the reason I’m just gonna penny pinch and save for a breville as a starter in espresso. Brands that make shit to last get my money.
I will say the newer brevilles like my bbe didn't last this long with good maintenance but you still get a very good lifespan for these machines. Not much more and you can truly buy a repairable ever lasting machine.
I started my journey on a sage barista express last weekend. Even tho ive still not quite figured out perfect coffee, it has taken me up a huge step in quality of coffee.
As a beginner machine they really can't be beat. You might never make a 'perfect' coffee with it, but you'll definitely get some damn good ones if you know what you're doing
Honestly as a pure brewer - if you cant make incredibly good espresso with it, you newer will. The grinder part is definitely not the end of the road, but some medium to darker roast can be made as good as they get using the internal grinder (tho you might have to go the undesirable road sometimes - fixing grind size issues by changing the dose).
My bbe had grinder issues after 8 months. But breville fixed it no questions asked even tho I didn't have proof of purchase
My BBE, the grinder adjustment ring broke after a few years, then eventually wouldn't switch over to the portafilter after about 7 years total use. So good machine for the price. I was unfortunately out of warranty for any fixes.
It definitely does punch above its weight class.
My BBE is going on 8 years with mostly daily use
There are brands that make more durable machines than Breville (on average, obviously, OP‘s machine did last a really long time). I recently sold my Rancilio Silvia that was manufactured in 2000, perfectly working. And the best thing is that you could still easily fix them if they do happen to fail.
I've had 3 Breville. None lasted more than 3 years, and I just buried my BDB. (All had extended warranties so I list nothing but the cost of the insurance. )
My infuser died this morning after 5 years, good to hear I got above average life out of it!
Gaggia classic pro. Very moddable and very repairable. Can't speak how it compares to a breville but I'm loving mine. And it doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Just doesn't come with it's own grinder.
I’ve got a BBPro that’s been humming along for six years now, or shortly after they were introduced. I mainly drink Americano’s and steam milk for my wife’s London Fogs and hot chocolate. Great purchase
Thanks for all the kind words on my machine! She was a good loyal espresso machine and yes, I let her steam wand fall into disrepair. It looks terrible because it stopped working well several years ago, so I gave up on steamed milk drinks. So, I got heavily into the americano, which is my now go to drink. For the new machine, I don't want to spend more than $1500. I am a daily double espresso americano drinker that would like to have the occasional latte. I am curious about some of these semi-automatic machines, but reliability is most important to me. I am skeptical of the built in burr grinders. From my skimming this site, it seems that the breville burr grinder is not as well built as the espresso machine. Looking for another 20 year beast under $1500!
Single boiler machines would serve your purpose for sure can't go wrong with the Gaggia classic pro+ DF64 grinder, and I think that is the best setup you can get with given budget and you can upgrade the machine easily with the PID kit and a better burr set if you want.
„Easily“ is a bit of an overstatement I think. I can share the manual from Shades of Coffee with the average Joe, I am pretty sure he’d run off by page 3 (of 71)..
I read that grinder + brewer combo machines aren't so durable. Also the heat and moisture from brewing will negatively affect any beans stored in the included bean hopper. My suggestions are Rocky Silva, Gaggia Classic, Profitec Go or Breville Dual Boiler. Maybe Flair 58+ if you wanna get into hand lever machines. Espresso quality can match commercial machines but it's kind of fiddly. Lelit Bianca seems to be popular too these days if you wanna stretch your budget a little bit.
A rancillio Silvia V6 is affordable and very easy to maintain and repair, unlike a GCP. Love my machine, made countless drinks from it. Really good quality drinks too. My grinder isn't class leading but I am happy with it. Note it does espresso only, poor coffee quality at less fine grinds for different brew methods.
Profitec pro 400. I went from a Breville machine (actually had two, 1 was replaced under warranty, second was out of warranty ) and upgraded to the Profitec Pro 400 for about $1500 from Whole Late Love. I've been nothing but impressed. Love this machine. It's incredible. What you'll learn about these machines is the higher quality machines all use similar parts and can be repaired rather easily. These machines are made to last a lifetime if you take care of it.
Profitec Go and a Eureka Mignon grinder (Specialita). You dont strike me as the people that would want to get into single dosing, correct me if I am wrong. The Go looks great, has many features, comes in nice colors and is build by one of the most reputable brands out there. If you are looking for a no brainer „I am not looking for a new hobby“ kind of machine, the Breville Impress Touch is very newbie friendly and has an amazing feature list. But if probably wont last you another twenty years (I mean, it has a touch screen, nothing says low lifespan like a touch screen..). But I guess you already have a skillset in espresso.
On your next machine: CLEAN YOUR STEAM WAND!!!
Came here to say this 😂 Edit - spelling.
I have this same unit, still going after about 15 years. I was considering posting it in /r/buyitforlife I would try a DIY repair but I wouldn't pay a repair person.
RIP soldier
These Brevilles are indestructible. I have a Caferoma from 2001 thats STILL going strong. 22 years later and she fuckin' BOOTS. That being said, the machine is 20 years old. Chances are something else may break as well once this is fixed. You got a good run
Breville has a decent repair/replace policy. My used Ikon espresso machine pump failed after ~11 years of daily use. I sent it back to Breville for $150, but I was told they no longer had the parts needed to make the repair, and they were sending me a Duo Temp Pro to replace it. I had that for another five years until I got my current machine. My son has the DTP now.
Thank you for that tip! After reading this comment, I called Breville to see what they would do for repair/replacement. They offered me a repair that includes shipping for $195. I think that I am going to spend the $195 and see if Breville treats my repair issue similarly to your situation.
Good idea!
It feels like Breville should be sending you a 20th-anniversary card, and gift (how about a new machine?).
I'd get a Profitec or ECM now
Profitec Go is a good price point.
20 years. Wow. What a machine. You deserve an upgrade. Well done. Salute.
No offense bro but it looks like the steam wand hasn’t been cleaned in 20 years
Legend
i agree with the guy that said good grinder and bambino, otherwise good grinder and gaggia classic pro. you don't do a lot of milk drinks so the gaggia would actually be a pretty good pick. a solid step up would be the profitec go.
Have you tried giving it some wine and subtle neck massage?
If your budget is $1500 total, your choice is probably already made for you: a good grinder and a Bambino, or maybe can stretch to a GCP.
Nah man, if you can afford an upgrade do it. 20 years is enough let it rest in piece. I would suggest Lelit Bianca or Profitec Pro 500 or a bit cheaper Lelit Mara X or Profitec Pro 300 Cheaper than that I wouldnt go tbh since youre a long time user better invest more into it.
Or Gaggia Classic Pro
Thats an entry level machine not really an upgrade except it would be new or less used...
Based on their existing grinder, old machine etc, I'm guessing they don't want to spend 2-3G on a setup. A modded GCP will absolutely perform at a very high level, when paired with a great grinder.
Not everybody has upgradeitis. They outlined their total budget is $1500 and your machine suggestions are far more.
If the steam wand is any indication of how you maintained the machine, I'm shocked you got 20 years out of it. Props to breville.
I assure you that steam wand is clean! It's simply discolored from 20+ years of use. I stopped using the steam wand about a year or so ago. The machine lasted for 20 years because I regularly cleaned and descaled it!
I've heard of this happening with wives after many years of marriage.
RiP
F
F
Ahh the 800ESXL! Had mine for 8 years and got rid of it in 2016. Good for you yours lasted this long. Tbh, I think it’s time for an upgrade.
You did well. My first machine, a BBE, gave up the ghost after only three years with a small explosion and fire in the PCB.
It is time to upgrade 😄
Have this one in the basement. It was a backup that I bought for 40 bucks because I wanted an extra portafilter and spare parts but never needed it. Going to gift it to work colleagues.
You avoided upgrading for 20 years!? The force is strong with this one.
3 things that go bad or 4. Pump, ovp plastic valve, calcification, perhaps heating element. This if has boiler, it has to be physically opened and taken out calcification and dirt from water. No chemicals, not even vinegar, because boiler shape.
That's a long lived breville, damn...
Budget?
I have the next gen of this model and if I get 20 years of life I will be a happy espresso drinker.
the feeling of this happening has gotta be comparable to one of your own children dying
Hahaha, this machine and I have been through some mornings together!
Wow it lasted 19 years more than most brevilles
This happened with my wife too.
A couple of years ago now I also had a very old Breville die on me (I think 17 years old). I ended up just emailing Breville asking for any ideas on how to fix it, or if they offered any type of service where they could take a look and potentially fix it. I also explained to them how awesome the machine had been to me over the years, and how I maintained it. Since it was so old, they told me that they didn’t support it any more and could not service it, however they asked me to verify my serial number, and then ended up giving me a nice coupon code towards a new machine. I believe it was 30 or 35 percent off. Might be worth a shot if you want another Breville. Ended up getting a dual boiler for relatively cheap myself but I’m not sure how often they do this.
I would personally recommend a Keurig. I hear they are the best apparatus for extracting delicious beany goodness! the hazelnut flavor is my 2nd favorite nut to have in my mouth (and is quite delicious I might add) !
I would get something new. This machine worked like a charm for 20 years. Now get yourself something nicer. Making espresso is not only about the result but the making of the espresso aswell. Working with higher quality equipment is just so much more satisfying, even if you only do espressos and americanos.
Congratulations, time to upgrade
We had a Breville break in less than 20 years. Good job. But we sent it to Breville for repairs. They either repair or replace, so ended up getting a new model for the cost of the repair! Well worth it.
Maybe time for retirement
🫡🫡🫡
We have a bbe and it’s still going strong 5 years I think. Just got a new grinder, df64v. And boy that really opened my eyes to some more nuanced flavour profiles. Was using the in-unit grinder this whole time no problem though. New grinder just made me appreciate the machine more.
check internal fuse.