Breville BDC450BSS Precision Brewer Drip Coffee Maker Thermal Carafe 60 oz Brushed Stainless Steel

Yes, this is an expensive coffee maker. Yes, it is worth the pricetag. This is going to be lengthy review, but I really had to dig deep to decide to spend $300 on a coffee maker and wanted to weigh my options with you. For me, I only seriously considered 3 makers: the Breville (which I bought), the Technivorm Moccamaster, and the Bona Vita. I love coffee, and several other makers (french press, espresso machine, etc.) this is hands down the best maker. I had gotten really mad with drip brew makers over the years. I had 2 Mr. Coffee in college, since have used two different Cuisinart makers. This maker has restored my faith in good drip-brew coffee. I recommend 2 different sources to help you shop for a coffee maker. James Hoffman on YouTube did a review of this maker that really persuaded me to get this particular maker. America's Test Kitchen/Cook's Country Gearheads reviewed their coffee makers (although a year or so before this particular product was launched). Between those 2 sources I was in between the Technivorm Mocca and the Breville Precision Brewer. The America's Test Kitchen Review of drip brew coffee makers is what inspired me to look at a higher end product, as they identified so many of my issues with previous makers that I have used. America's Test Kitchen also cited the SCAA (Specialty Coffee Association of America) and their "Golden Cup" standards for a good cup of coffee, these include consistency of temperature of brew water and ground coffee to water ratios. My big issue with the Mr. Coffee and Cuisinart products is that they just do not hold enough grounds to make a great pot of coffee (our Cuisinarts had to be loaded lightly to avoid having the grounds spill over into the pot and water tank). America's Test Kitchen identified the ground capacity along with water temperature issues as a key in making a consistently good cup of coffee. Again, even though they did not review this specific coffee maker, the details of their segment on this helped me with the decision process, especially pointing me towards the SCAA Golden Cup info. Without getting into a deep comparison, here is why I chose the Breville over the Technivorm and Bona Vita. The primary factor was the volume of brewed coffee. The Moccamaster and Bona Vita make 40oz of coffee. I live by myself now, and 40oz is a perfect amount for me, but should I have guests over, 40oz could go pretty quick, and who have to make multiple pots of coffee... The Breville will make up to 60oz at a time and has the option to make less coffee that is still of high quality for 40oz. So this was the biggest draw for me. I personally drink 2-3 12-14 oz cups a morning, so any of these makers would be enough, but I wanted the extra capacity. I mentioned that Breville has an option to make more volume of coffee or less. This is achieved with a cone filter insert (that is included) that fits a standard #4 cone filter paper. Breville recommends this insert for 40oz (8 cups) or less of coffee, and you simply remove the cone filter holder insert and use either the included gold mesh basket filter or large basket filters. Breville also offered an option that the Moccamaster did not (unsure of BonaVita) and that was the option to do a delayed brew, I can load the grounds before bed and wake to freshly brewed coffee (I have used this feature once, but it is nice). The Breville adds a little more options and customization to the mix compared to the Technivorm. The Breville offers 5 preset brew options: FAST, GOLD, STRONG, OVER ICE, COLD BREW. It also offers the option to tweak and adjust and create a personalized brew setting manually adjusting temperature, speed of brew, soak time, etc. The GOLD Brew Setting meets the parameters set forth by the SCAA (Specialty Coffee Association of America), the Technivorm meets these standards as well. The Technivorm has an on/off switch. The friend who owns one has attached a timer to the machine so he can load it at bedtime. Having had hands on both the Technivorm and the Breville, there is a good build quality on both products, neither feels cheap. The Technivorm is more solid, and I would expect that it will last much longer due to the simplicity and quality. The warranty is also better for the Technivorm. Ultimately the ability to adjust the settings and the 20oz of extra brew capacity sold me on the Breville. I have had this product for a month and a half and still love it. I don't think that I will ever be able to go back to a cheap coffee maker. I have used this with my favorite variety, some local varieties, but I have also used my favorite cheap coffee (Wholefoods 365 Pacific Rim $11 for 1.5lbs). This really does elevate coffee. I previously had only used the hot plate and glass carafe brewers, and I do think the insulated carafe helps significantly. Bottom line: do you spend $300 on this coffee maker? Yes, if you drink and use your coffee maker almost daily, I think that this is worth the investment. Especially if you are a bit of a coffee snob. If you simply want coffee to taste warm and brown or use Folgers, I would look at a less expensive machine. If you do not need timed brew, and more than 40oz capacity, I would choose the Technivorm over this product. If you just cannot spend 300 on a brewer, the Bona Vita is good option. Read more

June 2021 UPDATE: Three brewers and numerous cups of cold coffee later... 1. If another CSR tells me to descale an item, my head WILL explode. 2. I'm still waiting for that call from an engineer as promised by a CSR. 3. The only solution after more than six months was to return the final brewer for a credit at the company. 4. We are happy with our final purchase - pour over coffee making equipment from Coffee Gear. 5. After several reviews and with hindsight, we opted for the extremely expensive, bulky and most unlikely to need a return or repair panini maker/indoor grill. 6. Dropped from three to one star after this very trying experience and despite reviews from several gurus. My advice? STAY AWAY from anything this company makes UNLESS you get your money back and repurchase an item, instead of agreeing to an exchange as, the original sell date only gives you 30 days to get your money back. Original Post UNEDITED: I purchased the Breville Precision Brewer because it is the only brewer on the market that allows you to customize brew settings. The first thing I did after receiving the brewer was to do the "First Time Use" things. According to the instructions on page 11, I filled the water tank with cold tap water to the max carafe setting, tested the water hardness with the test strip and entered the hardness level. After that, the display said "FLUSH Unit". I pressed the SELECT dial once, as per the instructions, and the water emptied to within about 2 inches from the bottom of the tank. The instructions say "The machine will dispense ALL the water from the tank ...". Since this did not happen, I assumed the machine was defective. I spoke with Breville customer support and they said to return the unit. I returned the unit and received a replacement. The replacement exhibited the same problem. I phoned Breville customer support again and they referred me to the last Troubleshooting item on page 21, which states: "A small amount of water remains in the tank after brewing". Since "FLUSH Unit" is not the same as brewing and 2 inches of water left on the bottom is not "... dispense ALL the water ..." I did not believe the support person. The only way I could empty the tank was to turn the unit upside down. I decided to use the unit to make coffee. No problem this time, it always made a good cup of coffee with just the tiniest amount of water left on the bottom of the tank. I don't know if the problem I experienced is a documentation error or a problem with the unit. I gave it a 3 star rating because of the frustration I had. It makes good tasting coffee. I am not sure what I am going to do with the unit. I would appreciate it if a Breville engineer would respond to my situation. FYI: The documentation for the brewer is available online for no charge. Read more