I am making 2-3 americanos every day and I get the hot water from the BDB. Would my machine last longer if I bought an electric kettle for the hot water instead of relying on the machine?

I don't know if your machine will last longer, but you won't be filling the reservoir as much and the kettle will have your water hot when your shot is pulled.

Get a kettle with adjustable temp. Turn the kettle on, then start your prep.

Say,

I have a BDB too and also do Americanos.
I had also wanted to experiment with teas and after doing a ton of research I bought this one in 2020.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TXCDKTG

Anyway, with their coupon thing, it is at the same price I paid 2 years ago and for me it offered the best value of all the ones I looked at.

The other advantages to using (any) purpose-built kettle are
- much larger volume of water available
- the stay at the specified temp aspect
- the tea making aspect
- it comes to boil pretty quickly
- you can use it for pour over (I do)
- Better tasting Americanos because you are not using the boiler water and can use the blue label (better tasting)l recipe
- I have been using the 3rd Wave blue label water treatment recipe for the teas and pour overs and it is better than the BWT pitcher system I have
- I just this week tried the 3rd Wave pink label (espresso recipe) and it is better than the BWT too.

So, I'm a happy camper.

I don't remember why I passed on the Breville version but for some reason I did. I have a lot of their appliances but I thought the one I got was the better choice.

HTH

Been away....good to be back.
Quick question--when replacing the solenoid, how are the pins and teflon washers EXACTLY oriented? The pin has a flared side and I'm not sure how to orient it within the washer:
solenoid/flared pin end/washer/tapered pin end/base

Or????

Thanks!

I need some help with my grouphead. I have had my Breville Dual Boiler bes920xl for about 9 months, has been working fine for the most part.

I normally leave the machine in the lower power mode, but still on, during the work day so that it is quicker to heat up. I make about 3 coffees a day. I turn it off every evening.

About a week ago I noticed water leaking from (I believe the front of) the group head. It is often happening when in sleep mode, it will just randomly leak out an 15-30ml of water. I also noticed this morning it leaked out some water while was pulling a shot, the water was completely clear even while the shot was actively getting pulled.

Any ideas for further diagnosing? Technically the machine is under warranty but am trying to avoid sending it in if I don't have to

gorse.byway wrote: About a week ago I noticed water leaking from (I believe the front of) the group head. It is often happening when in sleep mode, it will just randomly leak out an 15-30ml of water. I also noticed this morning it leaked out some water while was pulling a shot, the water was completely clear even while the shot was actively getting pulled.

I'd venture to say this is the group head gasket. Certainly the most common and easiest fix.

It's a bit unusual at 9 months. Are you perhaps over-tightening the portafilter and leaving it like that all day?

You might also consider using the "auto on" feature for your machine at night. It doesn't take long to heat up.

Doubtful it's the group head gasket. It's leaking in standby mode and leaking clear water when pulling a shot. I have no idea what it might be, but it's probably not the group gasket.

I got a side question. How many in here are mantaining a BDB in Europe? I'm still debating if getting one, but I've got the feeling that finding spare parts at a reasonable price will be harder in Europe. Am I wrong? Or are parts (not just o-rings but also probes pumps solenoids etc.) available with reasonable shipping inside Europe? Thanks!

I can't say for sure they are available inside Europe, but the solenoid and pumps are widely used in the industry. They are not proprietary to Breville/Sage.

anyone notice bdb grouphead is shorter than others 58mm machine ? it is like 2mm shower. i am using 18g pesado basket and fill with 22g dose for normal puck.. otherwise muddy puck.