Comparing speed of Breville Dual Boiler to Crossland CC1 for two lattes

Recommendations for buyers and upgraders from the site's members.
lad2001
Posts: 3
Joined: 8 years ago

#1: Post by lad2001 »

Hi everyone,

I'm gearing up to purchase my first espresso setup. Expected use will be primarily making 2 lattes in the morning (for myself and my wife).

I'm hoping to hear opinions on whether a Breville Dual Boiler will be significantly faster than a CC1 at making these two drinks. The CC1's price and praise on these forums appeal to me, but I was concerned it might take a while for the machine to switch between the brewing and steaming modes when making two drinks. Time matters to me since if using the CC1 is particularly slow, I'm concerned I might not make using the espresso machine every morning part of my daily routine. I think it could be worthwhile to spend an extra $500 on the BDB if it means I'm much more likely to use my espresso maker every day.

Still, I'll mention my original budget was $1K and I had also planned to purchase a Vario grinder. With the package deal on SCG and the holiday coupons, the CC1 and Vario come out under budget at $875. I estimate it would cost ~1.5K to put together a BDB and Vario package on their own (using the BBB coupon).

Many thanks in advance for any thoughts you can offer. This forum has already been wonderful for educating me about my upcoming purchase.

- LD

Beezer
Posts: 1355
Joined: 17 years ago

#2: Post by Beezer »

I haven't used either of those machines, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. However, everything else being equal, the dual boiler will be faster when making milk drinks because you can pull the shot and steam your milk at the same time. Also, you don't have to cool the machine down after steaming milk before you make your next shot.

Aside from all that, the Breville should be easier to use in general, and you should be able to make good shots more consistently. If you can afford it, go for the Breville.
Lock and load!

RyanJE
Posts: 1519
Joined: 9 years ago

#3: Post by RyanJE »

lad2001 wrote:Hi everyone,

I'm gearing up to purchase my first espresso setup. Expected use will be primarily making 2 lattes in the morning (for myself and my wife).

I'm hoping to hear opinions on whether a Breville Dual Boiler will be significantly faster than a CC1 at making these two drinks. The CC1's price and praise on these forums appeal to me, but I was concerned it might take a while for the machine to switch between the brewing and steaming modes when making two drinks. Time matters to me since if using the CC1 is particularly slow, I'm concerned I might not make using the espresso machine every morning part of my daily routine. I think it could be worthwhile to spend an extra $500 on the BDB if it means I'm much more likely to use my espresso maker every day.

Still, I'll mention my original budget was $1K and I had also planned to purchase a Vario grinder. With the package deal on SCG and the holiday coupons, the CC1 and Vario come out under budget at $875. I estimate it would cost ~1.5K to put together a BDB and Vario package on their own (using the BBB coupon).

Many thanks in advance for any thoughts you can offer. This forum has already been wonderful for educating me about my upcoming purchase.

- LD
I have a CC1, please PM me for input if you wish, I would rather not open a can of worms in your thread.
I drink two shots before I drink two shots, then I drink two more....

rittem1
Posts: 232
Joined: 10 years ago

#4: Post by rittem1 »

Welcome Lawrence!

I agree with everything Beezer said. I have used the BDB 900 but only as a demo. If I were looking for a semi auto right now I would get it without thinking twice. Beyond just thinking of the time it takes to make two drinks also think of which machine you would be happier with for a longer period of time. You can also have the BDB set to turn on and be ready for you in the morning which is a time saver.

A CC1 is a great machine and Bill C is a PNW guy so he has that going for him as well. From what I have seen on this forum he is very responsive to issues with the CC1 when they arise. I don't think you would be unhappy with either choice. You may also want to search youtube for SCG vids on the speed of making drink with the respective machines.
LMWDP #517

Bret
Posts: 611
Joined: 8 years ago

#5: Post by Bret »

I only have experience with the BDB, so I can't compare the speed with anything else. But, as already noted above, the BDB does allow you to steam while pulling a shot, though I don't take advantage of that. I use the auto timer to have it ready and preheated for me in the morning, though if my schedule changes for any reason, the BDB only takes 15 min to come to stable temp.

As mentioned, you don't have to fuss with letting the temperature come down after steaming, etc. So that can be a time saver depending on your workflow. I find it particularly nice when I have guests.

In addition, it has a few other time saving features in general: e.g. you can refill the reservoir from the top/front without removing anything or moving the unit. It has an illuminated window right up front to let you see the water level easily.

I have owned and used the older 900 model for years, and recently replaced it with the new 920. I've been very happy. It also allows some degree of adjustment (brew temp, steam pressure, pre-infusion parameters) so you can experiment with those at some point if you choose.

I know nothing about the CC1, so it might be a much better machine for your needs or not. But your intended usage sounds a lot like mine, and I am very happy with the BDBs.

Bret
Posts: 611
Joined: 8 years ago

#6: Post by Bret »

I went to the SCG site to check out the CC1. It appears to have some commonality with the BDB in terms of programmability of certain functions. Refilling the reservoir is from the front, as well, but seems slightly clunky to me -- not a deal breaker though. To address your specific question on speed, I would say that the BDB920 is roughly twice as fast at steaming compared to the time shown in the SCG video. It isn't clear if that is the default steam temp setting or not, and I have set that higher on my BDB than the default, so it might not be a fair comparison.

I think I prefer the user interface on the BDB, but the CC1 interface is not a deal breaker, either.

The knuckle banging because the portafilter handle is not quite long enough might give me pause: maybe that video is old, and that has been improved? That might be a twice daily annoyance which I would get tired of working around.

I didn't see anything about the CC1 that would warrant a "Danger Will Robinson" sort of thing: it seems like you have two good but slighty different options.

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NightFlight
Posts: 246
Joined: 10 years ago

#7: Post by NightFlight »

The BDB with the BB&B 20% off and lifetime return warranty is a no brainer. No a CC1 is not a 920XL.

Schomer on the Breville Dual Boiler

RyanJE
Posts: 1519
Joined: 9 years ago

#8: Post by RyanJE »

In addition to my PM, make sure to look for Dan Kehns feedback about the CC1.
I drink two shots before I drink two shots, then I drink two more....

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sweaner
Posts: 3013
Joined: 16 years ago

#9: Post by sweaner replying to RyanJE »

Ryan, how about giving your input in this thread for the benefit of others?

That is a good price for that package. I doubt that the time difference would be significant.
Scott
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h3yn0w
Posts: 476
Joined: 13 years ago

#10: Post by h3yn0w »

Since you are almost exclusively make milk drinks I would say you would be better off with the dual boiler (or even an HX) over a single boiler machine. Your coffee making will be faster and more enjoyable.

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