the machine works well with single shot basket. Good pressure nice extraction etc. When using the double shot basket i can not get the pressure as high as i would like no matter what grind or tamping pressure or how full the basket. Do i need to change the basket or am I missing something?

There is nothing more disappointing than paying $600 or more and getting a faulty product. We followed all instructions to the letter, eagerly expecting decent coffee. But, we got a lemon. This Breville BES840XL is faulty and the pressure guage doesn’t budge, not even a little. The coffee is horrible and now we have to go to the trouble of packing it up and sending it back. This is the second time we purchased a Breville product - and both were crap. Never again!

Have now had it 2 years. It makes good reliable coffee and we use it 4 - 6 times day every day. Steam Frother is good, water tank is adequate, and it's simple to clean. I use the double shot bowl for all coffees as I like it strong, and grind fresh beans every 2 days. It came with a simple but reliable grinder. It does leak water occasionally, but it's not a major problem, I've only noticed it if I let the drip tray get more than 3/4 full. It does however require fairly regular cleaning cycles.

We thought we'd upgrade this time around, having owned two cheaper Breville models in the past. I'm disappointed with the coffee my new machine is producing, having experimented with different grinds and beans..even buying the same coffee I used in my last machine. It shouldn't be this hard! My friends said I made the best coffee. Now I'm embarrassed to serve them a cup! I rang Breville to see if I could return it and get a cheaper model again, but was told "no" as it's not faulty.
I won't be wasting my money again.
Unhappy,
Angela.

I have had the BES840 for 14 months. Used every day for 4 lattes and the odd espresso. No leaks, no returning to Myers -it just works.

Took a bag of coffee to dial in the Sunbeam grinder - only minor grinder changes since when changing coffee beans.

Had this machine for almost a year making at least two coffees a day and so far so good. Makes great coffee and steams milk to a silky smooth texture (took a while for me to perfect that) and easy to clean. Bought from Myer on special and would recommend.

Worked brilliantly until suddenly started overheating and producing steam instead of hot water (blew the handle straight off!). Breville repair shop said that cockroaches have got inside (yuk!!) and ruined the electrics. They are now refusing to fix in warranty as "not a machine issue" . Apart from the thought of cockroaches making me squirm, if Breville design a machine that the little rodents can easily get inside that would seem to be a design fault (i.e. you would have thought it was sealed) - and even if I do get it repaired what is to stop it happening again!?!

great machine used with coffee beans.easy to clean and very good quality.simple and easy to use.worth the $ .bought from Harvey norman whos. discount was excellent.$649.00 @ myer versus $ 460.00@harvey norman.

I've been lucky with our unit, no troubles at all. We bought ours a year ago to replace an old Sunbeam. I really like the espresso, very rarely over extracted, the temperature control and infuser makes for a unique combination, much more friendly to inconsistent grinds than a thermoblock unit. Great for low volume espresso. Downsides, the group head and basket feels a bit cheap and light, and the unit uses a lot more water, and ends up in the bottom collector tray. Overall, happy with the unit for the price we paid.

Owned an 820 for around 6 years, enjoyed every time that I had a coffee from it, reliable and never skipped a beat. Got me the 840 and have had nothing but disappointment for a whole month now, not one good experience. can not believe for the money it cost me that it is made by the same company.

I've had my machine for just over a year and must say I've been really pleased. I'm bit of a coffee geek and don't mess around with my coffees. The shots I'm pulling are great, very rarely get a dud. Obviously a lot is to do with the making skills, fresh beans etc. The machine has good pressure and the frother works well. For the $500-$800 price range its a good deal. I don't always clean it on it's scheduled time frames or replace the filters that often.
Price, quality of components
Seems a bit precious with regards to filter replacement times and cleaning.

I bought the breville BES840 before i read this stream of reviews. In hindsight, I would nto have bothered. The first one I bought, the pressure gauge did not budge, and the coffee was poor with zero crema. I replaced this with a new one, and exactly the same problem. There are so many reports of this machine not providing appropriate pressure that I would steer well clear of this machine. I will not be buying breville again.