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Breville BES870XL vs BES920XL


 I love coffee.  Well, let me take it back.  I like to drink coffee, but I am in no way a coffee connoisseur and I definitely don't demand using fresh coffee beans only.  In fact, to "save money", if I am to buy coffee at Starbucks, I always get a venti size and refrigerate or microwave coffee if I couldn't finish it in time, which is, almost always the case.

I believe I started drinking coffee around end of high school, university time.  In the cold weather, I like to hold something warm and hip something warm constantly.  Sounds like what most people would like to, right?  Right.  The only drawback is the frequent, very frequent visits to washroom.  ๐Ÿ˜จ So much so I believe I secretly hold the Guinness world record of most washroom visits for any human beings.

In 2011, I bought a second hand DeLonghi Magnifica 3500 Espresso Machine on a Craigslist for 400 USD.  It worked hard and it worked well.  Unfortunately, after being with me for 9 years, it started to leak water, and I am no mechanic.  After troubleshooting (okay, I turned on and off the machine, tried to wiggle things here and there) and not having any success for a week or two, I put it up and gave it away.  ๐Ÿ˜Œ I did what Mary Kondo would do, I said thanks to the broken machine and wish it for a better life.

At this moment, I remembered a friend of mine having a Breville machine.  I searched the Internet and there happens to be Breville BES870XL on sale, with high rating and feedback.  Within a matter of hours, we went out and brought back a new machine.

I don't know about you, but getting new things are not as exciting as it used to be for me, especially if new things comes with manual.  Luckily, I have watched quite a few YouTube videos and I found it was much easier to be comfortable with the new machine, then trying to figure it out on my own with the manual.  Having said that, the machine is pretty simple to operate and I absolutely love, ๐Ÿ’—, yes love the detailed attentions that were paid to make this machine.  The storage compartment underneath with I don't know what you call it - the "attach & pull out" mechanism, the magnetic tamper, "Empty me" dripping tray, they are just cool.  The size of the machine was also smaller than my Magnifica (I know it sounds possessive).  ๐Ÿ˜Best of all, you can play with latte art!

Three merry months passed (Sorry, I took no picture of it), it was a close family friend's birthday.  We had trouble coming up with anything meaningful to give to the guy.  Then I recall that he actually enjoys drinking a nice cup of coffee.  We started searching online for deals on BES870XL, but unfortunately, any deal we came across were more than a hundred dollars over what we paid (๐Ÿ˜‡My Magnifica dead at the right time...).  I put the price alert for the machine but basically gave up on any hope of getting it soon.

Just then, my husband's co-worker decided to get rid of BES920XL.  I looked up this machine, good rating, and it looks just like BES870XL, but with a separate grinder.  Without much researching, I told him to get it as it will solve the problem of no gift.

You might be wondering what kind of friend gives out second hand items.  Well, in this case, because of the price tag on these machines I honestly felt he would be more comfortable knowing it's used as we don't usually exchange birthday gifts (what kind of 40+ years people do?), and that I have another (better) machine for myself.  It's a win-win situation for everyone.

Well, the winning me didn't realize that BES920XL is bigger, on top of it there is a separate grinder.  The biggest advantage is that it saves time with this dual boilers, meaning you can make espresso and steam milk at the same time.  Potentially, you can make a better cup of coffee as there are more adjustments possible and the filter size is a ted bigger.

I have to re-locate BES920XL as it and the grinder takes up more counter space.  Since the machine is bigger, I appreciate the mechanism to lift up the machine with rolling wheels and stabilize it when you want it in one place.  You could also see water level and add water from the front which makes this bulkier machine bearable.

For person who press button twice - first time to make proper espresso, second time to "not waste" and drink diluted coffee, making a perfect cup of coffee is nice (I always try), but it's not essential.

Also, saving a minutes or two is nice with BES920XL.  But it's also not essential.  In fact, I think it's nice to take the time or make the time to do a cup of coffee.

I do appreciate the clock function on BES920XL which I set to automatically start up the machine at 7 AM.  Separate nob for hot water and lever for steamer are also an improvement over BES870XL.

What do I prefer?  Does it matter?  I felt this is a string of serendipity events that leads to where I am and what I have.  ๐Ÿ’œ I am grateful. 

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