I am looking at buying my first machine and want to spend about $1500 or under.

I have been looking at the Breville Barista Pro but if I do not go this route I will end up buying a niche grinder and hopefully a machine around $1300.

Been looking at the ECM models and the Quickmill Alexia Evo, any others out there that you might recommend?

If your grinder budget is separate, is there a reason you wouldn't just buy a Breville Dual Boiler and then the Niche? No real reason to have an internal grinder and separate grinder of a much higher caliber - especially if you will be single dosing anyway, no?

I guess I don't know how people feel about the Breville machines. I am either going to get the Barista Pro and no grinder or fork out more money for a nice machine and grinder. But I don't want to if I don't have too. Figured most would say stay away from Breville at that point but maybe not?

Right now I drink a quad shot over ice from Starbucks and I want something that can compare to the taste of that until I get more into it.

Lots of respect for the breville dual boiler here. For your stated budget, it's the machine to get unless you really hate the way it looks.

There are a lot of people here on HB that have come to see that the Breville Dual Boiler punches way above its weight, keeping it as their machine of choice while upgrading to the best grinders money can buy to pair it with.

TallDan wrote:Lots of respect for the breville dual boiler here. For your stated budget, it's the machine to get unless you really hate the way it looks.

There are many reasons to go for a bdb, but there are also many reasons to not go for a bdb:
-anemic steaming performance
-shoddy build quality
-you need to rely on their warranty policy if it breaks down. To me, I'd rather have something that is designed to be repaired. The bdb isn't, as even the manufacturer rather sends out new machines than repair broken ones.
-made in China. I'd rather spend money on luxury items from countries where the workers have rights.

Dismissing all that and saying people who don't buy a bdb do it only out of vanity is downright insulting.

Bluecold wrote:There are many reasons to go for a bdb, but there are also many reasons to not go for a bdb:
-anemic steaming performance

The steaming capability of the BDB is far from "anemic" and has been touted by many as capable of making the best micro foam they have ever seen. Sure, you can't boil 16 oz. of milk in 10 seconds. So What.

-shoddy build quality

I would like to know what you base this comment on. The BDB uses most of the same components, from the same mfgs. as the "better" machines AND stainless steel boilers.

-you need to rely on their warranty policy if it breaks down. To me, I'd rather have something that is designed to be repaired. The bdb isn't, as even the manufacturer rather sends out new machines than repair broken ones.

So, no body has ever had to use the warranty on a Lilit, Profitec, Gaggia, etc.? The BDB is easier to work on and costs far less to maintain properly than any other brand out there. There happen to be a couple threads on this forum detailing every known issue that you might run into and how to fix them cheaply and easily. As far as Breville sending out a new machine instead of repairing; That has more to do with their promise of a timely turnaround than anything else.

-made in China. I'd rather spend money on luxury items from countries where the workers have rights.

Finally a valid, if subjective statement.

Dismissing all that and saying people who don't buy a bdb do it only out of vanity is downright insulting.

Again, a valid if not pertinent statement. There is exactly one reason to not consider the BDB. Aesthetics. That doesn't mean there isn't any reason to not buy something else, just no reason to dismiss the BDB out of hand.

I think a lot of people just want their espresso machine to look like a commercial machine you would find in a cafe. That is fine if looks is all you're interested in. Dismissing the BDB just because it's not Italian or German of whatever is foolish as you are dismissing the best value out there, bar none. Even if you have no interest in making the simple, free and completely reversible modifications to make it the most advanced machine for under $3000 the BDB is still one of the best values out of the box that can be had.

I'll step down from my soap box now

luvmy40 wrote:The steaming capability of the BDB is far from "anemic" and has been touted by many as capable of making the best micro foam they have ever seen. Sure, you can't boil 16 oz. of milk in 10 seconds. So What.

25-30seconds for 4 ounces is anemic.
/breville-d ... eview.html

I would like to know what you base this comment on. The BDB uses most of the same components, from the same mfgs. as the "better" machines AND stainless steel boilers.

Take a look for yourself on the innards.
Breville Dual Boiler BES900XL brass OPV and pump mod.
It does not look like it's made to be repaired. It's made to be thrown away, exactly as Breville does when it stops working.

The BDB is easier to work on and costs far less to maintain properly than any other brand out there.

Absolute and total rubbish. I refer you to the previously quoted link.

Breville packs a lot of functionality in a small, efficient box. But don't think the box contains magical beans or that Breville knows stuff other manufacturers don't.

We get that you hate the BDB; you seem rather fixated on it. Your continual bashing of it has become tedious and tiresome. In fact there may even be a term for somebody who repeatedly shows up in threads to disparage a machine they have zero experience with. It's akin to writing an Amazon review for a product you've never owned - or writing a Yelp review for a business you've never patronized.

Bluecold wrote:Take a look for yourself on the innards.
Breville Dual Boiler BES900XL brass OPV and pump mod.
It does not look like it's made to be repaired. It's made to be thrown away, exactly as Breville does when it stops working.

From that link...

The thing is actually built well considering the technology/features and price point. Most of the things that get folks dander up are inconsequential, but there were some engineering and build details that got irritating from a service standpoint.