One recent tidbit: for a double-shot, try grinding a single shot's worth of beans first, then doing a light tamping on that, then follow up with another single shot worth of beans on top of that, and your final tamping

Great machine, it of course takes some time to get a great shot but after some practice it delivers a great shot

For the money it can produce a fine shot of espresso

The pressure of the tamp is the other control item to ensure a perfect shot.

It initially took some patience and experimenting to get the perfect shot of espresso, but once you have the settings adjusted the way you want them (grind texture, amount of coffee beans ground for each shot, amount of water dispensed), those settings are saved even when you turn of the power

The pressure gage helps out making the perfect shot because it does take some practice getting the tamp and grind right.

After a few tweaks to grind (Lavazza Super Crema) and tamp, you can really make a great shot with a nice extraction.

It is very forgiving and was the reason my very first shot was quite good

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

I'm still getting the hang of pulling the perfect shot and making perfect foam, but non the less she is still making great espresso

The espresso shot on this might be better quality IF you can get the darn thing to pour a good shot!

They say knowledge is power and backed by a proper pull or shot of

so why would i think this machine would actually pull a sweet shot???

So it seems a bit temperamental, but I'm still motivated to keep playing with it and see what the "ideal" shot seems like.

After reading a lot of reviews of espresso makers, I first tried the De'longhi EC155, tried 2 and both didn't work, then I spent $500 to get a Breville BES840XL infuser, tried everything can possible help to make a perfect shot, even contacted Breville tech support and spent another $200 to buy a Breville smart grinder, buy new coffee beans change baskets, still no luck.

I've been using the non-pressurized basket and it delivers a great shot of expresso with the prefect amount of cream

Other than that, with a little practice I have been able to pull a perfect shot 90% of the time

The settings allow us to get a thick, dense shot of espresso.

I've noticed that the machine loses some consistency over time but very little that affects the production of a great espresso shot

The Barista is definitely more complicated than the Cafe Roma in producing a perfect shot every time

BES870XL espresso machinethe difference is hugh the gauge allows you to get your grind size and shot size and tamp pressure dialed inthe worst shot pulled through the breville was by far better than my best shot on the ES155I have had espresso from some superautomatic machines and they require less user interface BUT taste is sacraficed on the superautomatic machines since you have much less controlI want to see how long this machine lasts so far love this machineit is a night and day difference

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

The attention I put into coffee (buying particular beans, developing individual roasting profiles, storing to age under vacuum) goes to waste when the machine fumbles the shot.

, I'll run down how I get an amazing shot out of this thing

However, I've never found it difficult to keep a consistently good shot

A double shot comes out perfect with a lot of coffee crema

Perfect shot every time!I have my grind set to 4 and my grind amount set to 5 o'clock.

If you're looking for a home espresso machine that will give you consistent results with minimal fuss, this is your best shot (get it

I only grind one shot, then tamp it a little and add more so the little mountain of grounds does not make a big mess.

It makes the perfect shot at its first run.

The machine still looks brand new, still draws an excellent shot of espresso, just have to have an external grinder now

The gauge helps u see if ur getting a good shot or not which I like alot.

By this, I mean, you must put in time, effort, and patience in order to get your perfect shot

It fits it perfeclty and has a nice finish to the material.3) Pressure Guage with "ideal shot" range

Love this expresso maker - had to do some research to figure out how to make expresso properly, and then when this arrived it took some experimentation to pull the perfect shot

All it takes to get me out of bed in the morning is the happy thought of pulling yet another delicious shot from this wonderful machine

Only the first unit ever produced a proper shot (after much tinkering

It took a little practice, but within a couple of days I was extractijg a great shot

If you can get the hang of grinding, tamping, and pulling a decent espresso shot (and it does take practice) you can make fantastic drinks!

The gauge helps u see if ur getting a good shot or not which I like alot.

I now know what a seriously undesirable shot tastes like, simply because I didn't just chuck it out

If you're looking for a mess free experience, you may want to double or triple your spending and look at fully automated machines.-You are not a hardcore espresso drinker who is looking for the perfect shot and the best components for the money

The purpose of the semi-automatic espresso is to have control over fine details involved in pulling a great espresso shot.

Grinding seems perfect and very easy to pull a perfect shot each time since grinding puts out the same amount each time.

Regarding ease of use, the instructions provided in the Breville pamphlet are simple to understand, and if you follow EVERY step involved EVERY time, you will consistently pull a great shot of espresso

Most home users are suprised to find how much detail goes into pulling a good espresso shot.

It's one thing to have a flavored latte, but it's a whole different animal when you want to know what a good shot should look and taste like first hand

Stunned at how good an espresso this machine makes!Right out of the box barely and reading the manual, I made a two shot and it was as good as anything the big box coffee guys serve you

I was a barista for 6 years in my younger years and this machine puts out a pretty decent shot

Is annoying since you have to pulled with your Hans every time you use it, Other wise if you know what you are doing you can pull a perfect shot every time

Only hard part of the machine is figuring out how to adjust to perfect shot of espresso

He helped me understand that the grind and amount of coffee are related to the acid taste of the shot (a finer grind [to a point] yields a smoother shot).

If the espresso tastes a little boring or sour, it could be underextracted, and by making the grind finer, you prolong the brewing time and pull a better shot

Pulls a perfect shot after a few tweaks

BES870XL espresso machinethe difference is hugh the gauge allows you to get your grind size and shot size and tamp pressure dialed inthe worst shot pulled through the breville was by far better than my best shot on the ES155I have had espresso from some superautomatic machines and they require less user interface BUT taste is sacraficed on the superautomatic machines since you have much less controlI want to see how long this machine lasts so far love this machineit is a night and day difference

(I finally got a decent shot after going through a full 12oz bag of beans in two

Up to 50 cents for a fresh grind (18 grams of coffee) vs $1.50 for two nespresso pods (12 grams of coffee) for a proper double shot

Right out of the box, I set it up, set the grind size and volume to the desired settings (after the initial water and purge set up) and pulled a great shot

Once you get used to feeling out what makes a good shot, it's almost 100% reliable.

whether you produce the 'perfect shot' or not, the Barista makes terrific

takes some practice, look at youtube videos and only use good never frozen or refrigerated - fresh whole coffee beans or it just wont pull a good shot

Super customizable so you can pull a perfect shot no matter what beans you are using

Today went through a pound of coffee and never got a good shot

That being said, it does make a really good shot and steams the milk better than the several thousand dollar machine at church

Makes really good shot of espresso

I needed to dial the grinder alot of times to pull the almost perfect shot

And does the Rancilio pull a better shot than this machine

I picked up the machine and drove straight to a coffee roaster and picked up a pound of their freshly roasted espresso blend, came home and after trying 2 grind settings got a PERFECT shot

I know how to adjust grind, and tamping to extract the best shot - but this is a little more difficult than most.

If you are going to make mostly milk-based drinks, I think the machine is spot on, given the price, and you don’t have the pull “the perfect shot”

I had gone thru 3 before this, they were all not powerful enough to make strong double shot

I have experimented through half a bag of Lavazza Caffe Espresso beans and have yet to pull a well balanced shot

The grinder also doesn't correctly output twice the amount of grind for double shots, so you'll have to grind 1 shot, and then another shot separately into the same portafilter if that is what you want

There are a number of "complaints" from people on these reviews about how difficult it is to get good espresso, but I can tell you my very first shot was good and has been ever since.

If the shot tastes too bitter, increase the coarseness of the grind which will therefore decrease the brewing time overall as water passes more readily through it

If pressure needle is the right spot (grey area) you'll pretty much get a dang good shot

This machine is the best shot ever

Be prepared to spend a few wasted shots before you get your perfect shot

Not a con in my mind but may be for some: This machine does not automatically and inevitably make a great shot of espresso.

Using fresh, locally roasted coffee- pulling a good shot is now almost a no-brainer

- it was too light that I always have to push the machine down with my other arm)- can make a great shot of espresso when you got everything

The pros: As mentioned, makes as good a shot as a machine that costs ten times as much

I got this to replace a cheaper delonghi machine which had started delivering inconsistent shot quality

The pressure gauge is very helpful in pulling a perfect shot, particularly in adjusting the grind.

I’ve pulled really good shots but probably not great ones (I say “probably b/c opinions differ on what a great shot is)

It took a little bit of time to get consistency (probably 8-10 times) but now that I've done it a few times, I can get a consistent shot within the ideal range

You can get a great shot from this as well as a 1500k machine

So easy to use and it makes a great shot of espresso

If you can't pull a good shot from this machine, most likely is just human error and will happens even if you using a $10k machine

You have to be willing to find the settings that make the best shot (and to buy good beans).

It does take time for one to pull a good shot

Once the machine has warmed up (and the machine does warm up very quickly) - pull a hot shot through the machine

I've gotten used to the fact that with each new bean I try it will be a matter of trial and error to pull the perfect shot

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

+ Pours a great shot

And its very easy to adjust each setting (grind, water flow, amount of coffee) to achieve the perfect shot

Now I can look at every shot and know the pressure and whether it hit the right zone to make the perfect shot

But I do know how to pull a great double shot using the Breville BES870XL

I prefer this over a fully automatic machine since you have a little more control over the fine tuning to create a perfect espresso shot

You just have to play with these features to find the best combination for the perfect shot of espresso

I've had no issues that couldn't be solved by reading the handy trouble-shooting guide.

Once dialed in you can get a perfect shot

Just buy fresh beans, adjust your tamping according to your grind level and you will pull a perfect shot every time !!

Even after pulling our first shot on Barista Express, which happened to be a pretty bad pull, it was still better than our best shot on the old machine

The first shot I made with the machine was outstanding and everyone since has yet to disappoint

Another tip: Always run a single empty shot to warm the group head and purge the steam wand for 10 secs or so to warm the

He helped me understand that the grind and amount of coffee are related to the acid taste of the shot (a finer grind [to a point] yields a smoother shot).

the best coffee shot I've so far had from the BES870XL only glimpses at the voluminous explosion of crema that was quite easily attainable from the Gaggia Classic

The first time, I bought it and couldn't figure out how to pull a damn shot

The fine tuning for a perfect shot is a very delicate process

The infusion gauge is really helpful to see where you need to adjust your grind, tamp or coffee amount to get a proper shot

I went through several pounds of beans searching for the traditional perfect shot using the single wall and honestly, none were better than the dual wall.

Once you get the grind down, tamp pressure, and extraction pressure spot on, you can’t buy a better shot of espresso anywhere

From grind size and grind amount, to pressure, shot volume and even water temp, the BES870XL allows fine tuning for each of these paramaters to pull the perfect shot.

Initially we couldn't get the machine to automatically extract the perfect shot.

n’t say “cons” really, more like