I have a BDB and am happy with it other than steam power. I like the 5 minute warm up speed in the mornings and when I have an afternoon craving. I also love the built in timer on the PID when I'm pulling a shot.
The negatives for me is steam power and looks. The looks aren't bad per say its just not as "holy cow what is that" as a duetto is.
I was thinking of upgrading as I can get a deal on a Rocket R58 or the soon to be released Alex Duetto 3 (which is basically the same as the newer duet to 2 revision performance wise)
I am leaning towards the duetto as I have 20 amp outlets, can direct plumb. There are some early issues I've read about the rocket which Chris coffee says will be addressed by the first of the year.
Back to my main question, should I upgrade? (I can get a refund on the BDB)
Thanks!

Should you upgrade ? That's a common question on this forum. I believe that's a question only you can answer. I moved from a pasquini Livia 90 to an Alex. I had my machine for almost 10 years before upgrading. I was tired of temp surfing and getting 1 good shot out of 5 shots pulled- I never looked back-So questions to ask yourself ? Is the money spent to upgrade worth it to you ? Is it going to meet your needs ? In response to your BDB - depends on how long you've had it and what the return policy is from your vendor.

Steaming on the duetto is more than ample. But you are not going to get quick start-up times on a e-61. Minimum .5 hr to .75 hour before temps stablelize. I you can go find a duetto- play with it and taste the results. It will answer your questions.

you know, it's interesting. I recently faced the same question. I own a BDB and I am very happy using it, though I find the warm up time to be longer in reality say 15+ mins, and although the steam power is not powerful, the whole system seems to be geared to produce excellent microfoam that is complete before my shot is done. I haven't worked with a Duetto so maybe it does produce superior microfoam, but I have no complaints with the DBD.

I agree that the look is mediocre and there is also the question of durability over time.

Breville Canada has replaced my machine three times because I have been getting the Err1 message and on the last go around I consider taking the refund and starting over with a proven machine. Having that occur in succession is apparently a unique problem. Here are the reasons I didn't: I discovered that there is something that I can do differently with my electrical to completely eliminate the possibility that something here is scrambling the brains of the machine; I like the simplicity and feature set of the DBD; the result in the cup is excellent; it is everything that I am looking for in a machine with the exception of being tried and true. I also figured that if the same problem occurs, I will ask for a refund.

In terms of results in the cup I would guess that if there is a difference, it would be small (diminishing returns and all). So spending time using one to determine a difference that is significant enough to motivate an upgrade would be essential.

Durability over time however, there is no contest with a tried and true Duetto, and Rocket has a solid reputation.

The fact that you can refund now is interesting because there is no loss, and if your deal significantly drops the price then that is a mind bender.

I also figure that there is a lot of development right now in DB's and i'm curious to see how the market will play out. The BDB is my starter machine and with time and experience I will learn what I like on more expensive machines.

This was just my thought process (i'm not calling it right, but for now I am still pulling excellent shots). I look forward to hearing what other people say re. comparisons in the cup. The Duetto and the R58 can go on a timer; the steam will be more powerful; their reputations are strong; and they look a lot better. For those reasons alone if the deal is good and you can get a refund then it would warrant serious consideration. I look forward to your decision.

If you can get a full refund on the BDB, and you really know that you will not be happy with it, then go for it. I doubt you will make better espresso, but reliability should be better.

Just remember that, for the money, the BDB offers quite a lot. When I steamed milk on one I produced better foam than with my Vetrano! If the Vetrano dies and I don't have the cash for a top-line DB I would buy the BDB.

I am worried about the BDB and how it will hold up in the long run. However the way I read Williams & Sonomas return policy I should be good as long as I own it.
Take a look at the attachment and read highlighted area and see I you guys agree.
Thanks


Looks like its a little hard to read but it says
"Defective products may be returned at ANY time for a replacement or merchandise credit only"

ghostchili wrote: Looks like its a little hard to read but it says
"Defective products may be returned at ANY time for a replacement or merchandise credit only"

They have honored that in the past for me, but I think it might have been before they moved the "no questions asked" policy down to 90 days. I'd read that the same way you do.

Would that be on top one the 1 yr warranty through Breville?

Whatever, get it in writing. "Defective" usually does not cover "wear and tear." It infers a manufacturers fault for installing a bad part during original assembly. A hose that comes off, sprays water inside, and damages the electronics two years from now may not be considered defective, and in some states it is possible that even if the hose is deemed defective that only the hose repair would be covered. There are too many assumptions to even dare try to write them all down, but some of the most important are that in two years:
- that if W/S is using Breville factory service that this has improved
- you will still have or want the machine
- that parts are available (how long of a wait for repair)
- that W/S still sells that machine

Sop, as I said, get the details of the current warranty agreement in writing before purchase.

johnlyn wrote:Would that be on top one the 1 yr warranty through Breville?

Yes, "at any time". I was also told the same thing from an employee there when we bought an all-clad griddle. I was concerned about the non stick coating, they said not to worry cause I can bring it in for a replacement whenever.

The "plumb in" option is worth quite a lot, and plumbing in the drain is worth even more. They encourage you to keep your water fresh by emptying and refilling your boilers more than you would if you had to schlepp water and the waste tray, and also encourage you to sink bad and mediocre shots for the same reasons. Additionally, you'll (almost certainly) filter your coffee supply water and end up with better quality water than you would using a Brita or similar. Those things add up to a substantial improvement in quality in the cup.

Perhaps more important: Don't discount aesthetic considerations like look and feel too much. They're very meaningful parts of a machine you'll use daily and live with for years.

If you can afford it, make the upgrade.

BDL