Coffee machine recommendations?

Forums › Off topic › Coffee machine recommendations?

1 | ... | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | ... | 24

11927 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 9683

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3037795 16-Feb-2023 16:52

tweake: Breville is known for issues and lack of replacement parts

That isn’t what Breville are “known for”

Some machines will have issues but given the volumes they sell it would be unusual to have a problem with their machines.

tweake

2647 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1139

#3037803 16-Feb-2023 17:16

Handle9:
tweake: Breville is known for issues and lack of replacement parts

That isn’t what Breville are “known for”

Some machines will have issues but given the volumes they sell it would be unusual to have a problem with their machines.

a lot of the reviews i saw all said the same thing, common part breakage and breville won't sell you the replacement parts. once out of warranty they don't want to know. yes you can send it in for repair but that costs a lot. to be fair the Sunbeam reviews showed common failures as well. they are all built to a price and it shows.

while i would not expect quality at that price range for a combo machine, not being able to get parts for a current machine really poor.

Handle9

11927 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 9683

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3037804 16-Feb-2023 17:20

Are any of your “reviews” from New Zealand? It sounds like US reddit threads not actual experience. Have you actually tried dealing with Breville?

Handle9

11927 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 9683

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3037811 16-Feb-2023 17:37

A 2 minute google search confirms that parts are readily available for Breville espresso machines in New Zealand.

https://www.appliancespares.nz/collections/breville-parts-accessories

tweake

2647 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1139

#3037817 16-Feb-2023 17:53

Handle9: A 2 minute google search confirms that parts are readily available for Breville espresso machines in New Zealand.

https://www.appliancespares.nz/collections/breville-parts-accessories

thats good to see, tho i don't see one of the common parts to fail listed. also the reviews did say breville, they may not have had an appliance shop supplying parts at that point of time.

jonathan18

7415 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2850

ID Verified

Trusted

#3037819 16-Feb-2023 17:56

My recent experience with Breville customer service was excellent - I didn't even have to ask if they'd cover the repair under warranty, despite it being a couple of months after coverage ended. Compared to many other retailers and distributors...

I've also met one of the official Breville repairers (sold him something on TM - small world!) who confirmed there's no problems sourcing parts and repairing machines - it really doesn't seem to be an issue in NZ.

AliExpress

Shop now on AliExpress (affiliate link).

tweake

2647 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1139

#3037823 16-Feb-2023 17:59

Handle9: Are any of your “reviews” from New Zealand? It sounds like US reddit threads not actual experience. Have you actually tried dealing with Breville?

many of the reviews are from NZ retailers customers. i do see a few listed as being from overseas sites. i think there was some from brevilles own site, i would have to go back and check.

couple of the reviews was a break down review ie pull the machine to bits and actually show what fails. manufactures can't hide away from poor products these days.

Handle9

11927 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 9683

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3037824 16-Feb-2023 18:00

tweake:
Handle9: A 2 minute google search confirms that parts are readily available for Breville espresso machines in New Zealand.

https://www.appliancespares.nz/collections/breville-parts-accessories

thats good to see, tho i don't see one of the common parts to fail listed. also the reviews did say breville, they may not have had an appliance shop supplying parts at that point of time.

Regurgitating reddit posts from the US isn’t helpful. If you’re going to make definitive statements it’d be nice if they had some basis in fact.

I’d be surprised if any coffee machine supplier had parts more readily available in New Zealand than Breville.

robjg63

4161 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1427

Subscriber

#3038124 17-Feb-2023 11:50

We have had Breville and Sunbeam appliances for years and I have not found parts or reliability to be an issue.

We still have a Sunbeam coffee maker from around 2006 that makes quite good coffee. I ordered another brew head gasket for it the other day (It needs one every few years) and got it in my letterbox within 24 hours of ordering. When the coffee maker was around 5 years old the Bakelite handle on the portafilter developed a crack and I rang Sunbeam service to see about buying a replacement - they sent a free one.

Our Breville standmixer has a plastic silicon scraper mixer blade that I mistreated by trying a very bad recipe for a gluten free bread. It was like concrete and cracked the blade from abuse. Breville wanted to replace the mixer blade for free (my wife insisted it was my fault and we paid). It was my fault...

One thing you will find on any forum - people only complain about products and don't generally post comments when they are happy. As both Breville and Sunbeam sell a lot of products, they have a lot of users and therefore proportionately you will see more complaint posts. (But I still research them when I am looking for a product).

I seriously think this forum topic should be split into two. One branch for 'home appliance' coffee machines (say < $1000) that suit 95% of the population and the other branch for those rather more invested in the 'finer points' of coffee and coffee machines where there is no $ limit. The two branches have vastly different requirements and will just annoy each other.

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

Silvrav

477 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 173

ID Verified

#3038131 17-Feb-2023 12:13

Due to having a small child in the house again time is limited and we decided on this one for ease of use. My one requirement was not a milk frother but a wand.

https://www.breville.com/us/en/products/nespresso/bne800.html

So far I am pretty happy with it, but do miss my bean-to-cup machine (will buy one again someday).

Enjoying Nespresso but it does get expensive - anything better priced or that tastes better?

Handsomedan

7770 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 7408

ID Verified

Trusted

Subscriber

#3038132 17-Feb-2023 12:20

lookout: Any thoughts on the Breville Barista Express vs the Sunbeam Barista Max?

My two cents worth.

I had a Breville Barista Express for nearly 10 years.

I enjoyed using it, despite the coffee making process being a little slow (compared to a commercial machine, that is).

When it finally died a death (uneconomical to fix, I was told) they were no longer on special and I decided to go with the then-newly-released De Longhi La Specialista Arte.

Similar design, similar price (but as a launch special I got it for about $699 rather than the $1000+ for the Breville.

I miss my Breville. It was just...better. Generally speaking, the Breville felt like it was slightly better built, with slightly better materials.

The De Longhi is pretty good now I have gotten used to it, but having used my brother's Breville while at hios place on holiday over Xmas, I realised how much I preferred the Breville.

As an "entry level" domestic coffee machine and grinder all-in-one machine, I think it's hard to beat.

Handsome Dan Has Spoken.
Handsome Dan needs to stop adding three dots to every sentence...

Handsome Dan does not currently have a side hustle as the mascot for Yale

*Gladly accepting donations...

Geekzone

Want to support Geekzone and browse the site without the ads? Subscribe to Geekzone now (monthly, annual and lifetime options).

jonathan18

7415 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2850

ID Verified

Trusted

#3038189 17-Feb-2023 15:11

Senecio:

I also have some Acme cups but more the rounded version (cappuccino?) and not the tulip version. Who stocks them in Auckland these days? We got ours from Flo & Frankie in the city but they don't seem to stock them anymore. I would like to get a couple more.

I've decided to pick up a couple of Acme cups after using them during a lesson I had today at a local coffee place; I think the 190ml medium/cappuccino size is probably the sweet spot for me - @Senecio: I imagine this could be the one you're talking about? https://acmecups.nz/products/cappuccino-cup-190ml (They also do a large/latte which is 280ml.)

Not being from Akld I don't know who sells them there but you can buy them directly from Acme (at the link above), with the option of being able to mix and match saucers if you so wish! $10 shipping, though. Shops like Moore Wilsons and Nesbit's sell them online, but only in sets of six and cups/saucers are sold separately. (One can buy them separately in-store at Moore Wilson's, but they're only in the Wgtn region.)

@ShinyChrome - where did you buy yours from?

Handle9

11927 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 9683

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3038265 17-Feb-2023 16:35

robjg63:
I seriously think this forum topic should be split into two. One branch for 'home appliance' coffee machines (say < $1000) that suit 95% of the population and the other branch for those rather more invested in the 'finer points' of coffee and coffee machines where there is no $ limit. The two branches have vastly different requirements and will just annoy each other.

I’m not sure that it’s a problem? One of the things I like about this thread is mostly gatekeeping is absent. That’s not the case on a lot of coffee forums.

tweake

2647 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1139

#3038286 17-Feb-2023 17:39

robjg63:

One thing you will find on any forum - people only complain about products and don't generally post comments when they are happy. As both Breville and Sunbeam sell a lot of products, they have a lot of users and therefore proportionately you will see more complaint posts. (But I still research them when I am looking for a product).

I seriously think this forum topic should be split into two. One branch for 'home appliance' coffee machines (say < $1000) that suit 95% of the population and the other branch for those rather more invested in the 'finer points' of coffee and coffee machines where there is no $ limit. The two branches have vastly different requirements and will just annoy each other.

with a lot of the retailer reviews these days, it seams to be the other way around. most people give good reviews. the product turned up on time, its not damaged and it works. but they have only had it a week. very few people come back 2 years later to complain that it failed, or even have the ability to complain on the retailers reviews. so you get very little info on reliability from that review format (which is why retailers like that format). so if your finding a few complaints of reliability (especially all the same issue), and thats matching up with forums and people doing teardowns or how to repair blogs/video's, then there's really high chance that product has an actual problem and your only seeing the tip of the iceberg.

i don't see a point in splitting the thread. having a conversation is good.

Handle9

11927 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 9683

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3038303 17-Feb-2023 18:12

Handsomedan:

lookout: Any thoughts on the Breville Barista Express vs the Sunbeam Barista Max?

My two cents worth.

I had a Breville Barista Express for nearly 10 years.

I enjoyed using it, despite the coffee making process being a little slow (compared to a commercial machine, that is).

When it finally died a death (uneconomical to fix, I was told) they were no longer on special and I decided to go with the then-newly-released De Longhi La Specialista Arte.

Similar design, similar price (but as a launch special I got it for about $699 rather than the $1000+ for the Breville.

I miss my Breville. It was just...better. Generally speaking, the Breville felt like it was slightly better built, with slightly better materials.

The De Longhi is pretty good now I have gotten used to it, but having used my brother's Breville while at hios place on holiday over Xmas, I realised how much I preferred the Breville.

As an "entry level" domestic coffee machine and grinder all-in-one machine, I think it's hard to beat.

Your experience is pretty similar to my cousins with the BBE. They have had theirs at least 10 years and it's still working well.

IMO the espresso machine side is a fair bit better than the grinder but it's compelling value proposition for a lot of people who don't want the hassle of dealing with separate grinders and espresso machines.

Breville make good machines at a good price. Their PID controlled machines make really good espresso, last a reasonable amount of time and there's local support available.

When I had an Infuser the espresso I made was comparable to the espresso I make with my Lelit Bianca at 5 times the price. The Bianca does other things better, especially repeated shots and steam, but Brevilles PID machines are generally a good way to start with Espresso for a reasonable amount of money.

They aren't a Linea Mini but they don't cost $8k.

1 | ... | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | ... | 24