The Breville BES840XL and the Breville BES860XL are espresso machines that attempt to bring the luxury of coffee into the everyday kitchen. They are sophisticated machines made by the same company that use state of the art technology to brew the perfect cup of espresso for you.
To help you determine if the Breville BES840XL or the Breville BES860XL is right for you, we’ve compared the two espresso machines in the categories of mechanics, features, accessories and dimensions and then offer up a recommendation.
Mechanics
Both the Breville BES840XL and the Breville BES860XL have a pump pressure of 15 bars.
The Breville BES840XL has a heating system that operates on 1600 watts while the Breville BES860XL operates on 1450 watts
The Breville BES840XL has an integrated stainless steel water coil that allows the espresso machine to accurately control the temperature of the water.
The Breville BES860XL also has a stainless steel water boiler in a special lead-free alloy. This boiler is described as having high thermal accumulation.
Both the Breville BES840XL and the Breville BES860XL have a purge function which adjusts the water temperature after it has been used for steam which then creates an optimal espresso extraction temperature.
Features
The Breville BES840XL has an integrated and removable 54 mm tamper as well as a cup warming tray. It includes a storage tray where you can place its accessories.
There are multiple alerts on the Breville BES840XL including a cleaning alert when the machine has been used enough. After one hour of not being used, the Breville BES840XL goes into sleep mode and after three hours not being used, it automatically shuts off.
The Breville BES860XL also has a removable drip tray and a cup warming tray. It has concealed storage to place your accessories.
The Breville BES860XL also has a flat shower head which helps to ensure even water distribution throughout the coffee puck. It also has a dry puck feature which means that if used properly, the used coffee grinds come out solidly, which makes for easier cleanup.
Accessories
The Breville BES840XL comes with a host of accessories. With your purchase of the espresso machine, you also receive four single and dual wall filter baskets.
It also comes with a coffee scoop, stainless steel frothing jug, cleaning disc and tablets, a cleaning tool and allen key, as well as a water filter holder and filter.
The Breville BES860XL also comes with four filters that include a dual-wall single shot, a double shot, a single wall single shot and a double shot. There is also a coffee scoop, a frothing attachment, stainless steel frothing pitcher and a cleaning kit.
Capacity
The Breville BES840XL has dimensions of 12.5 inches x 12 inches x 12.5 inches. Its water tank capacity is 61 fluid ounces, or 1.8 liters.
The Breville BES860XL has dimensions of 9.2 inches x 11.4 inches x 13.4 inches, making it taller and more compact than the Breville BES840XL. Its water tank capacity is 67 fluid ounces, or 2 liters.
Recommendation
While both the Breville BES840XL and the Breville BES860XL have a large amount of features, the better of the two espresso machines is the Breville BES860XL.
The Breville BES860XL is the next step up from the Breville BES840XL. It is a newer model with slightly more sophisticated technology.
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