I really like this machine. The shot quality is very consistent. I flip flop between Illy, Cafe Bustelo and a Colombian bean I got in Cali . . .very nice. I'm pretty sure its the thermocoil based on the manual, and especially (forgot to mention this before) since Breville told me specifically that my serial number had the thermocoil. FYI Breville claimed to me that all current stock out there is the new thermocoil. They told me what to look for in the serial number, but I forget :(
the dodad on the side of the brew boiler is not the temp sensor or control.. its a thermal cutout. so if the boiler goes over a max temp it cuts the power. they have a very large cut in/out range but it is a safety only feature. means it cant go into bomb mode if the pid gets set to high or if a SSR stays on
I'm not sure if it's normal, per se, as 'good shots' is such a subjective statement. I have noticed that pulling shots with dark roast on some of these machines that don't have quite as good temperature control does seem to produce a more well rounded shot in the end. So a darker roast might have a home with entry level machines - Kat
For some reason, with the single wall filters, I can only pull good shots with dark and somewhat oily roasts on this machine... medium roasts will always be underextracted, no matter what I do. (finest grind, tamping, mountain of coffee grinds on top of portafilter). Is that normal for this machine? Thanks for your answer!!
I have a Breville 800ESXL die cast with I'm guessing early thermablock. Always wonder why there was so much water in the tray after each use. Do I have a thermablock issue?
Hi Kat, I'm curious to know whether there is any point in Breville BES870 machine where the water is in contact with non stainless steel components? Does the hot water travel through any plastic tubing, if so would you know whether these tubes are BPA free?
Rock chicks AND bling???? Holy guacamole!!! LOL Seriously, thank you both for the genuinely interesting look at some innards. I'll look forward to more on the boilers and heat exchangers :-)
that thermocoil design looks extremely nice. I'm planning for a rather elaborate automated aeropress project and the thermocoil heater seems the best for temperature stability and compactness. Anyone know offhand what popular espresso machines have one inside? i'd be looking on ebay for broken models to raid for the pump and thermocoil
Did you ever end up doing that? I had just picked up a broken breville barista express on craigslist, replaced the tactile switch used for the power switch, but then it went pop and fully died a couple days ago. So I'm either looking to re-brain mine with an arduino + a bunch of relays, or make something more automated since I have a bunch of parts (even the little hall-effect based flowmeter) to do it.
I asked two people when I called (two separate calls) and was told each time it has a thermocoil. As a matter of fact, on page 13, the manual now states: " thermocoil heating system with integrated stainless steel coil ensures accurately controlled water temperature". Maybe they were looking in an older, non-updated manual?
Gale never answered. However, it seems as though the thermoblock has a teflon or a similar material covering the aluminum. I actually called Breville about it and they assured me that it was chrome (stainless steel), but i'm not sure if i believe them because the thermoblock that I ask them about is not in production anymore.
I just called and asked if the Express has the updated coil, the answer after looking it up was "no." 'Just the Infuser model has that now." Did you find otherwise?
very good - now to explain to my husband that we need to upgrade our breville 830 to an 840 as it has teflon coating in it!!! eek - bad for health!! thanks for the info! Betty Bake
hey Guys, have been researching lately to efficiently use thermocoil to generate steam on demand. For that I need to keep thermocoil at a constant temperature say around 120 c. Is that what is done? Also, how is temperature of thermocoil controlled within a desired range? As it tends to fluctuate quiet a bit. I read PID controlled thermocoil, could you please share some details in case you or anyone knows detail about it? Thanks much!
Hi. I've heard somewhere that Breville switched to the thermocoil for the Barista Express....can you confirm (or deny) that? Breville's "tech specs" on their website are silent as to whether it's a block or coil. I'm just having a hard time pulling the trigger on this if it's a thermoblock...they fail eventually, right? Hoping it IS indeed now a thermocoil and maybe you know the "right" people at Breville to ask to find out :) thx!!
Hello Guys ... I am curious to know if thermocoil like the one you showed here can be used to generate steam? If yes, please let me know whether the pressure is sufficient and if you know how many psi is that when it comes out of steam wand, that'll be great!
Hello *****, Yes, a thermocoil can certainly produce steam sufficiently. A thermocoil works similarly to a thermoblock in that it flash heats the water on demand. We’re not sure of the psi value, unfortunately though that may be a good question for the manufacturer of the machine that you’re interested in. - Haley
Seattle Coffee Gear Hi Haley, Thanks for the response. Just one more technical clarification - while using Thermocoil to generate steam we would be sending pulses of water in thermocoil through a pump, right? If yes then there would be periods when there is no water (may be steam) at some areas inside thermocoil. Doesn't this put thermocoil at risk of burning out while generating steam? Please clarify
***** No, it does not put the thermocoil at risk. The heating element never comes in contact with any air, as it is not a boiler, so there’s no fear of it burning out. Yes, the pump does push little bits of water through at a time, and it’s these little bursts that then heat up to the proper temperature. When you’re finished steaming, the machine will drain the water naturally that’s left over down into the drip tray. - Miranda
Just FYI: breville emailed me and advises it is a thermocoil as of 5 months ago and all stock out now is the thermocoil (they also sent me documentation from the manual which states its now a thermocoil....) yay!!
Was looking at the EC220 and EC680 and that is when I noticed the thermoblock/boiler debates. I found a thread that said thermoblock was inconsistent and didnt have the power and was often inconsistent. Then i realised the thread was dated 2004 or something like that! How is the thermoblock in the EEC680? good quality? I went to Italy last year and anywhere i went had amazing coffee. Completely different from here in Ireland.
Avi Harel I don't know where a general customer would buy a thermocoil for a espresso machine that they're trying to build. Typically, parts suppliers are only wholesale and don't sell one thermocoil at a time. - Brendan.
I have an older Breville 800esxl which is leaking. So, I took it apart to try to fix the seals, and saw the black coating on the Thermoblock. I was wondering what it was... and thanks to this video I know it's teflon. Ugh. Maybe I can sandblast it off... Just another reason why the Breville 800esxl is junk.
I could swear I heard Gail say "shit steel" near the end of the segment. Now she will try to convince us she "sit still" but really Gail come on! (please forgive my silly sense of humour...LOL) Another great vid ladies...very informative!
I,ve seen so many videos about the 800 ESXL.Sorry to say that ,but I,m just about the time to throw out mine !! As the time goes by ,looks like a low level garbage ! I,m looking for a bezzera Unica ,that is a level to make great espresso.
We just got in an EC860, which is the model that we will be carrying. Review will follow as soon as possible - hope that will help you! :) - Kat
You're welcome! We'll do more of them as time allows :) - Kat
Currently, it's the first one we show; they will be upgrading all their machines to the thermocoil as manufacturing cycles allow. - Kat
No; we cover in here about what to expect from a thermoblock vs. a boiler ... - Kat
Not that I know of; there are several standalone frothers you could look at, and there are some stovetop steamers on the market. - Kat
I really like this machine. The shot quality is very consistent. I flip flop between Illy, Cafe Bustelo and a Colombian bean I got in Cali . . .very nice. I'm pretty sure its the thermocoil based on the manual, and especially (forgot to mention this before) since Breville told me specifically that my serial number had the thermocoil. FYI Breville claimed to me that all current stock out there is the new thermocoil. They told me what to look for in the serial number, but I forget :(
the dodad on the side of the brew boiler is not the temp sensor or control.. its a thermal cutout. so if the boiler goes over a max temp it cuts the power. they have a very large cut in/out range but it is a safety only feature. means it cant go into bomb mode if the pid gets set to high or if a SSR stays on
i love this channel and theese guys! Hugs from Brazil!
I'm not sure if it's normal, per se, as 'good shots' is such a subjective statement. I have noticed that pulling shots with dark roast on some of these machines that don't have quite as good temperature control does seem to produce a more well rounded shot in the end. So a darker roast might have a home with entry level machines - Kat
Hi! the thermocoil is made of stainless steel and all parts that come into contact w/ coffee and water are BPA free per their website. ~ sam
So does the thermoblock aluminum touch the water?
For some reason, with the single wall filters, I can only pull good shots with dark and somewhat oily roasts on this machine... medium roasts will always be underextracted, no matter what I do. (finest grind, tamping, mountain of coffee grinds on top of portafilter). Is that normal for this machine?
Thanks for your answer!!
I have a Breville 800ESXL die cast with I'm guessing early thermablock. Always wonder why there was so much water in the tray after each use. Do I have a thermablock issue?
Nice video explaining the difference. Love all your videos.
+Chang Choo Cheers! Thanks for watching ;D Spread the word!
Hi Kat,
I'm curious to know whether there is any point in Breville BES870 machine where the water is in contact with non stainless steel components? Does the hot water travel through any plastic tubing, if so would you know whether these tubes are BPA free?
Does anyone know which Thermoblock is in the Brevilla Barista Express? Is the two part one?
Rock chicks AND bling???? Holy guacamole!!! LOL
Seriously, thank you both for the genuinely interesting look at some innards. I'll look forward to more on the boilers and heat exchangers :-)
that thermocoil design looks extremely nice. I'm planning for a rather elaborate automated aeropress project and the thermocoil heater seems the best for temperature stability and compactness. Anyone know offhand what popular espresso machines have one inside? i'd be looking on ebay for broken models to raid for the pump and thermocoil
Did you ever end up doing that?
I had just picked up a broken breville barista express on craigslist, replaced the tactile switch used for the power switch, but then it went pop and fully died a couple days ago.
So I'm either looking to re-brain mine with an arduino + a bunch of relays, or make something more automated since I have a bunch of parts (even the little hall-effect based flowmeter) to do it.
Good luck with it! I haven't tried it but have heard good things :) - Kat
You're welcome! Glad you found it helpful :) - Kat
Is it possible to buy a thermocoil steamer? I only need a steaming wand, not an espresso machine.
I asked two people when I called (two separate calls) and was told each time it has a thermocoil. As a matter of fact, on page 13, the manual now states: " thermocoil heating system with integrated stainless steel coil ensures accurately controlled water temperature". Maybe they were looking in an older, non-updated manual?
interesting! i've learnt a lot today. Thank you for sharing!
+Viewerx Thanks for watching!
Any aluminum coming into contact with water? Ty
4:36 try to get the scale build-up out of one of those bocks!
Thanks :) Glad you enjoyed it! - Kat
What material is the thermoblock made of? Aluminum? I don't want aluminum touching the water
Juan Caceres did you find any answers to your question? I would like to know the same. Thank you
Gale never answered. However, it seems as though the thermoblock has a teflon or a similar material covering the aluminum. I actually called Breville about it and they assured me that it was chrome (stainless steel), but i'm not sure if i believe them because the thermoblock that I ask them about is not in production anymore.
the water goes through a stainless steel pipe, not aluminum
I just called and asked if the Express has the updated coil, the answer after looking it up was "no." 'Just the Infuser model has that now."
Did you find otherwise?
That is a straight up dual boiler - no thermoblocks involved. - Kat
very good - now to explain to my husband that we need to upgrade our breville 830 to an 840 as it has teflon coating in it!!! eek - bad for health!!
thanks for the info!
Betty Bake
Awesome - thanks for the heads up! -Kaylie
Hi Kat,
Do you have any idea if the Breville BES900XL use the new thermoblock?
unfortunately I had old alu-thermoblock, works great but what is the best for descale in near future ??
I have this question too. Do you still have the machine? Did you ever figure it out?
hey Guys, have been researching lately to efficiently use thermocoil to generate steam on demand. For that I need to keep thermocoil at a constant temperature say around 120 c. Is that what is done? Also, how is temperature of thermocoil controlled within a desired range? As it tends to fluctuate quiet a bit. I read PID controlled thermocoil, could you please share some details in case you or anyone knows detail about it? Thanks much!
Hi. I've heard somewhere that Breville switched to the thermocoil for the Barista Express....can you confirm (or deny) that? Breville's "tech specs" on their website are silent as to whether it's a block or coil. I'm just having a hard time pulling the trigger on this if it's a thermoblock...they fail eventually, right? Hoping it IS indeed now a thermocoil and maybe you know the "right" people at Breville to ask to find out :) thx!!
Love this video and intelligent Gail. Do you know if nespresso use thermocoils that is why it's so expensive?
is there any smaller thermoblock ?
It is currently a thermoblock. -Kaylie
You're welcome!
Cool! Thanks for sharing - Kat
Excellent video!
Cheers! Thanks for watching!
Great video! Thanks for explaining!
Hello Guys ... I am curious to know if thermocoil like the one you showed here can be used to generate steam? If yes, please let me know whether the pressure is sufficient and if you know how many psi is that when it comes out of steam wand, that'll be great!
Hello *****, Yes, a thermocoil can certainly produce steam sufficiently. A thermocoil works similarly to a thermoblock in that it flash heats the water on demand. We’re not sure of the psi value, unfortunately though that may be a good question for the manufacturer of the machine that you’re interested in. - Haley
Seattle Coffee Gear Hi Haley, Thanks for the response. Just one more technical clarification - while using Thermocoil to generate steam we would be sending pulses of water in thermocoil through a pump, right? If yes then there would be periods when there is no water (may be steam) at some areas inside thermocoil. Doesn't this put thermocoil at risk of burning out while generating steam? Please clarify
***** No, it does not put the thermocoil at risk. The heating element never comes in contact with any air, as it is not a boiler, so there’s no fear of it burning out. Yes, the pump does push little bits of water through at a time, and it’s these little bursts that then heat up to the proper temperature. When you’re finished steaming, the machine will drain the water naturally that’s left over down into the drip tray. - Miranda
Seattle Coffee Gear Thanks a bunch for the information!
Just FYI: breville emailed me and advises it is a thermocoil as of 5 months ago and all stock out now is the thermocoil (they also sent me documentation from the manual which states its now a thermocoil....) yay!!
Ditto for the above--nice to see the inside of things :-)
Was looking at the EC220 and EC680 and that is when I noticed the thermoblock/boiler debates. I found a thread that said thermoblock was inconsistent and didnt have the power and was often inconsistent. Then i realised the thread was dated 2004 or something like that! How is the thermoblock in the EEC680? good quality? I went to Italy last year and anywhere i went had amazing coffee. Completely different from here in Ireland.
where can i buy a thermo block coil ? i am unable to find any online retailer...
thanks
For what machine are you looking for?
Seattle Coffee Gear i am designing a new machine(home made) and i want to buy a generic one that would fit my needs...
Avi Harel I don't know where a general customer would buy a thermocoil for a espresso machine that they're trying to build. Typically, parts suppliers are only wholesale and don't sell one thermocoil at a time. - Brendan.
You can search ebay for it ... there are a few options for Saeco and Gaggia ...
How to determine if they've changed it yet? Thx sorry to be a pain..
Can you review delonghi ec850 if you have one. Thanks for the great and amusing videos.
Thank you! - Kat
super informative, thanks for doing this
Thank you :) - Kat
Thank you! :) - Kat
How do you like and what's the shot quality like? Think it's the thermocoil?
Guess someone could open the machine and take a peek, too! Thanks...
do you own the machine?
Worries me that the manufacturers don't tell us how much water comes into contact with aluminium. That steamer didn't look too healthy to me!
Good, thank you!
I have an older Breville 800esxl which is leaking. So, I took it apart to try to fix the seals, and saw the black coating on the Thermoblock. I was wondering what it was... and thanks to this video I know it's teflon. Ugh. Maybe I can sandblast it off... Just another reason why the Breville 800esxl is junk.
I could swear I heard Gail say "shit steel" near the end of the segment. Now she will try to convince us she "sit still" but really Gail come on! (please forgive my silly sense of humour...LOL) Another great vid ladies...very informative!
very informative
Thank you very much :)
i know!!! Thanks!
(oops just saw your previous question and reply as to this topic.....) do you know w
yes.
Hahahaha -- good luck with that! - Kat
Play at 0.25x speed. Creepy AF.
(Oh, and I'm not about to open the machine to find out definitively!!!! :)
I,ve seen so many videos about the 800 ESXL.Sorry to say that ,but I,m just about the time to throw out mine !! As the time goes by ,looks like a low level garbage ! I,m looking for a bezzera Unica ,that is a level to make great espresso.
They use TEFLON!!!!!????? Thats horrible!!!
A travesty...?