Hi guys. I'm planning to get a machine+grinder for home use. First-timer. I was wondering if the Breville BES870 will be a good one to start with?

I like the BES870 because of the integrated grinder. Save space + I drink more espresso based drinks than others, so no need for separate grinder.

Haha I certainly had my answer in terms of price and convenience, but I guess I was asking more in terms of reliability, consistency, taste. I have not used Breville or drink anything made with Breville, so asking to see if anyone has good/bad reviews on it. Appreciate your thoughts though

Thanks for all your reply guys. I don't drink long black so much; prefer milk based but trying to learn to drink black coffee as well. I guess it's obvious from my questions that I don't know what I'm doing yet, so would prefer to send in for services instead of DIY.

Thanks bro kuluuluk for the info on the warranty. Something to think about.

Hmm.. From what I understand from you, if I weigh and only put in sufficient beans each time into the hopper, then the 870 should be decent yeah? I have been looking at the BES920, but it's way above my budget for the machine alone and I'd have to buy a grinder to compliment it also. Thanks bro for the tip.

Proud owner of a BES870 checking in as well!

I'm currently using beans from Lighthouse Roasters, Penang. Quite enjoying it, but to be fair this is only my second bag of beans. Am exploring options.

[quote=d33pbluez,Sep 2 2016, 08:11 AM]
Penang lighthouse still have ? I thought they close shop long time ago.... .... you can always tried coffee lane, that where i usually get me coffee bean from or you can try order online from this fellow Beanstalk whose in penang also as he can do door to door delivery (Service also not bad)...

They close their cafe I think, but the roastery is still going. I'm actually based in PJ, just that I bought Lighthouse's at the coffee festival at Publika. Thanks for the tip though. Will try when I'm in Penang.

Noob question: why sj over the sette yeah? What's one's advantage over the other?

Ahh. How about grinding capabilities in terms of consistency in being able to go from espresso to pour over? I recently learnt that not all grinders can do both.

Hi guys. Anyone here knows where i can get Breville cleaning tablets? The nearest is Kota Kemuning which is very far for me. I also can't find it online at the moment.

Thanks for the offer bro. I actually got it from ESH SS2 already. But if you're interested, this below is the service center.

GRANDEVEST SDN BHD
UNIT 2-39-3
14 PERSIARAN ANGGERIK VANILLA
KOTA KEMUNING, SEKYSEN 31
40460 SHAH ALAM
SELANGOR, MALAYSIA

Wow. How much did that set up cost you?

Hi. Which webstore is this?

Thanks!

There was a member here selling. His username is utraben. Alternatively I think papa paletha carries them.

This post has been edited by alvint89: Apr 7 2017, 07:23 PM

On that note, where to get a wifi switch yeah? Been looking around in hardware shops and computer shops, but haven't come across it yeah.

Thanks man!

Before I begin, you can read up more on this website: http://www.home-barista.com/. I'll give you a summary of what I know based on your requirements.

It really depends on what level you are going for. If you are just starting out on your coffee journey, a Silvia is not too bad, based on your budget. Silvia and Gaggia Classic are at the same level (single boiler). You can look at this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viY84ZSaZnQ). These are proper coffee machines, whereas Breville tends to fall under 'home appliances'. They do well enough, but longevity is questioned. As for maintenance when issues crop up, I'm glad to say my BES870 has no issues yet, but I heard servicing is not so good here in Malaysia (parts issues). Just hearsay and no evidence, so take it with a pinch of salt. For myself, I'm upgrading to the Appartamento and Eureka Mignon.

At 7k budget for machine and grinder, your world is open for single boilers. Silvia and Gaggia are the top picks for many starting out. Coffex has a range of Gaggia's and they also carry the Ascaso, which you can go to Coffex in Glenmarie or you can look out for ETC, a shop in Starling Uptown and Bangsar Shopping Center. Depends on how patient you are, you may get tired of it quickly. Because there's only one boiler, you'd have to take turns to steam and brew, and it has quite a bit of a wait time. (If steam first, you'd have to wait for it to go back down to brew temperature before you can pull your coffee; if brew first, you have to wait for boiler to go up to steam temp while your espresso sits and waits.). If you only drink black, single boilers are sufficient. Try to get one with a PID because the temperature stability in single boilers are not consistent.

For HX, my personal bias is towards the Appartamento because of the e61 brew group and its looks. Official sole retailer of the Rocket brand is Pulp by Papa Paletha, so whatever issues with the machine they'll handle it.
Oscar 2 is not bad, but no hot water spout and feels plasticky. Same level with Appartamento is actually the Nuova Simonelli Musica, though I'm not sure which company brings that into Malaysia.
The other brand which I didn't look at that might interest you is Expobar. The HX is their Office series, if I'm not mistaken. Apparently their price point is lower. You can look at them at Cottle Coffee, Uptown Damansara Utama.
HXs are more tricky to use, so I highly recommend reading this: http://www.home-barista.com/hx-love.html. TLDR: Need cooling flush, but can steam and brew at the same time. No need for PID because you control the temperature. Some people say it's guesswork, I'd like to think of it as opportunity for exploration.

Your budget can't afford any dual boilers except the Breville. Again, decent performance, just the longevity. If you push your budget up, you can look at Profitec Pro 300, a dual boiler with PID (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQXm25pMXds&t=), priced at 7.5 k I believe. Advantage of dual boiler is temp stability at all times for steam and brew due to separate boilers. No need for cooling flush Personally I don't like the looks, but that's me. You can look at it at Coffee Ritual, Uptown Damansara.

For grinder at 2k budget, the Eureka Mignon is your best bet already based on my research. Only issue with it (because it is doser-less) is the clumping issue, which can be settled using simple barista techniques. The Baratza Sette has been a rave, but plagued with reliability issues so I wouldn't recommend at this time. Other option may be Rancilio Rocky doser, but ground retention is a small issue. If you are a 2nd-hand person, there is the occasional Mazzers that are sold on Mudah and Caroussel. PULP carries other Baratza's, so you can explore there, but they are more expensive.

My budget wasn't that big to begin with, but I decided on the Appartamento and Mignon because I know they will last comfortably for the next 5-10 years, with wear and tear replacements. Only issue I have is upgrade-itis, but I can't justify buying more expensive than these for pure home-use la.

Hope this helps!

I know Cream/The Roast Things in PJ is selling this:
https://www.facebook.com/theroastthings.my/...?type=3&theater

If I'm not mistaken, RM 490. Not sure how good it is for espresso. From Taiwan apparently.

Curious, you do your 28-32 seconds from pump initiation or from first drip?