Disregarding all other things, focusing on espresso quality only and considering same grinder - can the BDB compare to the mid-high end HX/dual boiler Italian machines?

I'm looking for the easiest way to get a very good espresso. I'm willing to compromise on reliability, looks, price, or anything else in order to achieve that. In the last years, I experienced with various espresso machines (La Cimbali Junior, Strega, Giotto and more) producing exceptional espresso, and I'm really looking to ease up the process as much as possible without sacrificing too much on quality.

It seems that the BDB is kind of what I'm looking for, the question is how does it compare in real life, and how worse (if any) will the espresso from the BDB be? I'd appreciate answers from real life experience with the machine, and not guesswork based on others' reviews.

I've owned a BDB for a little over a year. Never had or used a commercial or prosumer machine, so take this with a heap of salt.

I don't think the BDB is capable of producing cafe-quality espresso. Maybe it's my skills, maybe it's not. It seems roast dependent; medium and below come out acrid. Crema is always awesome but the body mouthfeel is watery. I don't remember it being a problem with darker roasts. Steaming isn't great. You can do some latte art but it just doesn't develop that paint-like microfoam.

For all those negatives, I'm sure you can find a fix. i.e. adjust opv [physically], play with preinfusion pressure and time [digitally], cover a steamtip hole.

It's not a bad machine but if I had the opportunity I'd upgrade.

BDB shots can be lacking in body/mouthfeel, compared to say an E61 machine. I'm not really sure why that is given all the pre infusion options, etc.

As someone who never used the BDB, I can only provide the following insight: it is possible to produce great coffee from pretty much any machine, the only question is how easy it is to produce such coffee in a repetitive fashion. I used to own a Silvia, E61 and Silvano machines. I was able to produce a great coffee from all of them, but with some of them it wasn't as easy.

Any one can produce a great cigar, but for some reason, the best brands can do so reliably so that when you buy a box of 25 you know exactly how they are going to perform.

A commercial machine will have a better steam, bigger tank, and will produce repetitive results more often.

Can the BDB produce a great espresso in a batch of 10 - for sure.

The BDB Espresso quality has been compared to several very high end machines and always comes out with a favorable impression. Even Schomer gives it a positive review; although some may feel this is advertising.

The success of the BDB will rest with the grinder quality and barista skills. Finally, the BDB is a very good entry level machine that has good resale value, so if you feel the need to upgrade in a few years the BDB will return a good percentage of its initial cost.

My $.02: I have owned three Breville Home Barista's and all lasted less than 18 months. I know this not the BDB and not sure how many parts they share if any, but IMHO I think Breville does an amazing job with advertising and not as good with the products they put out. I also own a fryer and a juicer by Breville and don't think very highly of them. To me Breville looks pretty, costs a pretty penny, but never worth their weight. I do not believe the BDB can be repaired by the owner, but rather has to be shipped back to Breville for repairs, whereas with my Vibiemme I can purchase nearly every aspect of the machine, which needs to be replaced/repaired. Again, I have never ran a BDB or even looked at it, but given my experience with Breville as a company I would look elsewhere.

My experience has been that if they have the same temperature and pressure/flow profiles (including pre-infusion) , espresso machines taste very much the same.

Josh, to answer your original question; the short answer is yes. The long answer is grinder, grinder, grinder and the person behind the portafilter. Couple that with excellent water and the same cleaning routine provided any other machine and it will provide you with same.

jonr wrote:My experience has been that if they have the same temperature and pressure/flow profiles (including pre-infusion) , espresso machines taste very much the same.

In theory I would agree, but how do you explain the difference in body and mouthfeel compared to an e61 machine. There is a difference no matter the pre infusion settings.

A BDB and an E61 do not have the same temperature and flow profiles (and preinfusion) AFAIK.

I would add baskets to the mix, all you need is a Silvia and a good basket to equal an E61 HX (for straight espresso).