I liked the pressure gauge when starting out, to know that I had got good pressure (which was easy), however the gauge stopped working after a month or so and would barely move even if it was over packed

, The pressure was great and produced a great espresso

Best Machine i have ever had, Ive been doing this for 20 years now and this to me is the ultimate in Home Espresso machine, the conical grinder is top quality easy to use and plenty of adjustment range being built in makes it so easy the espresso maker instructions are very easy to understand and turn you into a barista in no time I love how you can use manual mode if you prefer to be more in control or just let the auto function control infusion and quantity as it should the double wall filter baskets are great to use if your not that savvy really helps out when your not sure of tamper pressure and grind settings they thought of everything on this machine i love all the extra tools it brings the tool

I almost didn't buy it due to some negative reviews about it not getting up enough pressure to get into the espresso range on the machine

By the third shot, after doing espresso-steaming-espresso-steaming-espresso, the machine did lose pressure

I immediately got a good shot of espresso (note that she said good pressure was between "11am" and "1pm" on the gauge)

I've always thought of this brand as being a premium high-end brand but the machine Stop producing expresso sufficient pressure after about 20 to 25 uses

Good looking machine, great compact size, decent pressure for foaming milk, overall works very well and our cappuccinos are coming out better all the time

Pressure problem

The group head works very well to deliver the right amount of water, at the right temperature, and pressure to yield good amount of crema

The group head works very well to deliver the right amount of water, at the right temperature, and pressure to yield good amount of crema

While there is a bit of a learning curve to get the coffee grind set and packed just right to get the ideal pressure for espresso, once you get that dialed in, you are ready to go.

And very bad pressure situation: when I had less than 1 mark on pressure scale with EMPTY "double wall" (pressurised) 2-cup filter basket

I could not get enough pressure using the two cup single wall filter that is why I am still using the one cup single wall filter and making coffee twice

The pressure gauge does not work at all!!

The gauge is definitely a worthwhile aid in achieving the combination of correct grind and tamp pressure essential to a good cup.

Came out over-pressured, bitter and over-extracted; a fail.

The pressure wasnt working from the word go and the grinder paid no heed to the settings

It was like it no longer had any pressure

It took a bit of fiddling to figure out the right grind and quantity to get a good pressure, but once I got that right for my beans it's been smooth sailing

Finer = higher pressure.- the vigorousness with which you tamp (nice tamper included, held up with a magnet, pull down to use it more ways)

After 8 months the machine lost its pressure and i no longer can have espresso

However, I found this step is key to perfect pressure every time

When you have the right amount of dose in order to make good pressure during extraction, you should feel some RESISTANCE (of your tamped down coffee puck rubbing against the group head) when you are locking your filter to the group head

Sure, I had to experiment a bit with the espresso beans, the fineness and amount of beans to grind, and pressure for tamping them down

If I did not set it to it's finest setting it did not build enough pressure most of the

Very noisy, drain a lot of water in tray, pressure unstable and etc

Took me a while to figure it out, but you'll get a much better brew with the single wall cups (you're relying on the grind to provide back-pressure rather than the cup)

Also, it is important to grind the correct amount of coffee and to tamp it with significant pressure.

Getting the right pressure is almost impossible

, I feel like it could use a little more pressure

too much pressure, not enough pressure, too much grain, too big, too short, too strong

Fresh ground coffee and good water (not tap) extracted at the right pressure and temp makes the difference.

With a few tries with the breville, I was able to consistently produce great quality shots at the proper pressure and they tasted great

Steams perfect, great pump pressure

Well made, pulls excellent shots, stretches milk like a champion (though obviously slower and lower steam pressure than a commercial machine) and looks great in my kitchen

Water Reservoir- Magnetic Tamper- Pressure Gauge for instant

I have to adjust the grind almost daily to get the right pressure for the pour

Don't assume you got a dud if your machine isn't building enough pressure

Now tap the holder until the grounds settle and then tamp them with sufficient down pressure.

The pressure gauge is extremely helpful in determining the right grind and tamping pressure.

Still learning proper tamping pressure on the grounds

Generating the right pressure may be tricky at times

she uses it every day and after learning the proper grind size and packing strength, we always get consistent pressure and flavor

The steam is superfine and consistent (does not spurtr), and provides adequate pressure for steaming > 10 oz of milk

The 454 beans produced the correct pressure at ground size 5, while Sbx was a 1 and Kroger's was an 8

The grinder seems to work very well, the pressure is adequate for a nice crema on top of the espresso shot.

It comes with 4 filters, Single/Double Shots and then a Dual Wall Single/Double Shots (The Dual wall one is perfect when switching beans and you don't want to mess with the settings to find the right pressure).I highly highly highly recommend this for anyone starting to get into Espresso making and doesn't want to spend a fortune

the pressure reading does not guarantee of the perfect espresso but will make your learning 20 times easier since you have measurable reference compared to guessing "is my espresso stream too thin or too runny..."

Once you figure out your grind size and the right pressure you will get the best coffee ever!

You need to practice how fine to grind the coffee, how much to put and how much to press it down to get the right pressure = good taste of coffee

Once you figure out your grind size and the right pressure you will get the best coffee ever!

Like other reviewers have stated, this machine does take some experimentation to come up with the right combo of beans + tamping + coarseness + shot size to get the proper solution, but once I got all the settings adjusted, I get an absolutely delicious cup at the right pressure 95% of the time

Then you have to be capable of using the right pressure and angle when you tamp down the grounds

It is a good machine but requires you to mess with the setting for grind size and amount until the pressure is just right.

The 3 major components that go into an espresso extraction are: grind size, grind volume, and tamp pressure.

Their troubleshooting guide really helped (too little espresso, not enough pressure, etc

Over-pressured, bitter and over-extracted; a fail.

With the grind set to 6, using FAR less tamping pressure than before I get consistent "optimal" pressure from the 870.

After I turned the steam selector off, when I removed portafilter from the cradle, high pressure steam and grinds spewed everywhere.

Once I figured out that dry beans are necessary for appropriate pressures when making espresso.

: single-walled basket, grinder at "4", medium-hard pressure tamp.

Now the pressure does not work properly anymore

I did this the first couple times, and apparently a coarse grind allows the water to pass through too quickly, thus not creating enough pressure to properly extract your espresso.

, otherwise you are not making good espresso - rather, you are making either watered down espresso (not enough pressure) or not enough espresso which is too rich (too much pressure).

I seem to get more consistent pressure this way, and it also wastes a lot less coffee from overflow.

Different beans require a different grind setting and tamp pressure to produce a perfect shot.

Another problem is that when the pressure indicator does show a brewing pressure greater than 11:00 o`clock on the gauge, water is forced out of the valve between the water tank and the base, leaving a puddle on the counter

I regard this as a huge rip-off, The machine I have had to be repaired - locally - twice in three years, and it needs to be repaired again (not enough pressure), but I am throwing it away instead

Getting the right pressure is almost impossible

We found that "8" on the grinder, consistent pressure when tamping, with the puck leveled by the Razor makes a perfect espresso every time

I have already tried a variety of beans and it is VERY true that you will not reach the correct pressure unless the beans are fresh and good quality

Seems to give a good pressure

This machine is difficult to get the pressure in range making the espresso very inconsistent

The milk steamer did not produce the consistent pressure I was looking for

Upon setting up the machine, it was not working properly as not enough pressure was being generated and the espresso was diluted as a result

Lastly, I have been using this daily for 2 months and the pump started making an odd noise and now aferocious under 5 mon the ofirst moder ate use, the pump failed and doesn't develop adequate pressure.

It takes a little bit to get the right amount of grounds so that the pressure is correct

It took a while for me to get the right brewing pressure

Within 8 months, it started a very loud rattling and eventually would no longer build enough pressure to draw a shot.

Not only did it reach the correct extraction pressure, but the crema was perfect and the taste was spot on.

It doesn't produce enough pressure and also the milk steamer works randomly.

When I started calibrating the machine I had to change the grind all the way down to 1 to get a fine grind that would create sufficient pressure in the portafilter to get crema on my cup.

Now, if you found your optimum dose at fine-grind setting, you should see either just right pressure or too high pressure (over-extracting)

Without that you will not be able to achieve the right pressure and proper maceration process

That said, the double-shot filter we're using requires some experimentation to perfect the pressure, but worth the effort if you have fresh beans.

I don't like the taste of the coffee with the pressurized filters and cannot get the double shot filter to pull at the correct pressure no matter how I change the grind/amount or amount of strength I use to tamp the grounds.

Furthermore, with a little trial end error one can adjust grind size and tamping pressure to adjust the acidity level of the finished cup of coffee

The pressure and temperature is good and constant, and surprisingly the steam outlet does a great job

One of the things that I really love is the pressure gauge that works when you draw each and every shot

The three variables you need to nail down are tamping pressure, grind fineness and the amount of coffee being ground

, the current machine just crapped out 1/15/2017 (no pressure) after about three years

You have to figure what grind, tamp pressure and beans are right for you but that is part of the enjoyment to us.

It has worked like a champ with great pressures and consistent shots6.

Good thing, because after 16 months it stopped building correct infusion pressure

It grinds the right amount at the right grind setting, it dispenses the right amount at the right pressure

don't get some fancy brand and stick with it even when it's giving you poor results).I've found (against other reviewers' stern advice) that tamping the coffee twice makes it so you never have to fill it so high it starts to spill over, and I still get ideal pressure during extraction.

The grinder is great and pressure gauge works perfectly.

Personally, so far I like sticking with the Dual Wall, Double shot, as I feel it creates a better pressure for all coffee, creating a better crema (head on the espresso), but again, I am even still experimenting, and this may change

With enough coffee to get the correct clearance after you tamp AND the pressure where it should be on the gauge, you'll pull a double in 30-35 seconds fairly consistently (including 8 seconds or so of

I bought my machine in April 2013 and used it without incident until this week when the machine not only failed but failed catastrophically spewing high pressure steam.

Takes some practice to get the right pressure to achieve good crema and consistent good results

There is one thing I have a problem with is when I go to make my second shot the pressure is never enough.

I have to say, the Breville 870 has enough pressure and temp regularity to make rich foam in a matter of a few minutes

You just cannot create enough pressure if there is gap between coffee puck and the group head

back.2nd machine: the entire espresso side of the machine worked beautifully (grind amount, pressure, yummy espresso produced)

It is not easy to grind fine enough to get a decent pressure on a double shot with the standard 2 cup filter basket

The grinder works great, the pressure is adequate, the construction seems strong, the steam wand for lattes and cappuccinos is my less favorite part (it gets "tired" after 2-3 minutes of work and you need to wait until it works again

I still enjoy playing with the different grind settings and still have fun finding the right amount of espresso for optimal pressure, something that changes with each roast

That will throw the pressure off and scare the crap out of you

SECOND ONE - We have now had the second unit for almost 8 months now and it too is starting to not give the proper pressure to make espresso and the pump is starting to give us trouble

We spent our first few weeks getting our grind size, tamp pressure and shot

Eventually the machine struggles to come up to enough pressure even with perfect maintenance

Inconsistent pressure with all of the preset grinds.

The Machine also tend to lose pressure very easily

Assuming the pressure is now correct, keep an eye on the scale

that the amount of dose is the first key, again assuming you are doing good pressure tamping, before you take other internet advises then buy the most expensive coffee in the town or buy a coffee grinder that is more expensive than your espresso machine

The pressure gauge helps you determine whether you have the right pressure each time you brew a shot to create a great shot

When I pull a shot, its within the proper pressure range but just doesn't taste right to me

It worked perfect however after about 8 months of use by just one person it seems like it is starting to lose pressure to extract

Also, in order to find the right tamping pressure, I filled my portafilter and tamped with what I thought would be enough pressure, noted the results, pulled another shot while tamping with what I thought was too much pressure, noted the results and again with what I thought wasn't enough pressure

The steamer also has a very good pressure

Apparently the issue is not the pressure as the pressure does build up if you completely block the portafilter

pressure is not enough during the coffee extraction process

I can attest to the post regarding how to get the correct extraction pressure.

This machine is not as fool proof as a fully automatic, but if you are OK with nuances a semi-automatic (making adjustments to get the right pressure) the end product is quite good.

the EMPTY "double wall" 2-cup filter basket => the pressure gives 3 marks on pressure scale (and noise of the pump was a normal one)!ATTENTION once again

Different grinds, tamping pressure, level of coffee (even with use of the supplied razor).

Mainly due to the design aspects like the pressure pump, the improved heating block design, the fresh grind coffee from the burr grinder, and the sophisticated controls.

If I have to grind any finer than that to get adequate pressure, I know the beans are too old to get a good tasting cup of espresso

He did watch a few youtube videos to understand how to hit the right pressure, its obviously an art, but he is enjoying it

Just got Breville BES870XL, spent half day fiddling how to get satisfactory pressure to make decent crema, tasty coffees and expressos.

Apparently, this Aussie only likes certain drier beans as whenever I used really fresh oily dark roasts the pressure was insufficient and the puck was wet when extracted and the coffee was simply disgustingly weak or strong depending on the flow through the single walled double shot espresso cup

Several things need to be balanced such as the grind setting, amount of grind, the tamp pressure, freshness of coffee beans and type of beans used to get the correct expresso pressure

(if there is too much space between the coffee grounds and the machine there is no way you can get good pressure

the finer the grind (turn knob left), the more pressure there will be during extraction (needle goes higher), and the coarser the grind (turn knob right) the less pressure there will be (needle doesn't go as high)

The factors you will need to vary are: grind size, tamping pressure, amount of coffee, and volume of water in the shot

Over the past few days it has also started to make rattling noises and sometimes it cannot generate sufficient pressure