The Breville 800ESXL - More Than Just Nice

The 800ESXL is stunning. Fortunately, it’s not just all looks and no brains. This superb espresso maker offers several new features that entirely remove the effort in your espresso-making experience. You’ll find the taste results won’t disappoint, either.

Weighing in at 31 lbs (19 kg), it’s on the heavy side of the scales as home espresso makers go. That weight doesn’t guarantee a good shot, naturally. But the extra stability provides a welcome convenience. You’ll spend no time cleaning up spills. With its stainless steel exterior, cleanup there is equally easy.

The interior parts offer equally high quality. The porta-filter is chrome-plated brass, providing even thermal conductivity for excellent temperature control. Some users are less than thrilled with the thermoblock heating component, but the complaints are reminiscent of stereo aficionados who say that good sound can only come from a turntable and vinyl records. The difference will be undetectable to all but a few even in a blind taste test.

Users have a more legitimate complaint when it comes to the dual-wall design. While it provides for good pressure and temperature control, it does make the post-brewed grinds a messy sludge. If you’ve seen a few different espresso makers you’re probably familiar with the drier, more compact puck they produce. Even so, clean up is straightforward, so it represents a minor flaw.

The unit more than makes up for any less-than-ideal qualities by added convenience overall. It also, not coincidentally, produces a truly fine cup of espresso.

It offers a well designed steam wand set on a ball. That makes it easy to turn in any direction. That’s a big help when you’ve got different sized cups to fill. The wand also provides straight hot water for making hot cocoa, tea… any hot drink!

The maker does a superb job of keeping water at precisely the right temperature throughout the machine for a stellar shot. Cheaper espresso makers have hot and cold spots, producing inconsistent and inferior results. As the water and/or coffee passes through the machine it is affected slightly by these differences.

It’s true that the thermoblock is not quite as consistent in terms of pressure and temperature as a commercial-quality brass boiler. But in actual tests the difference was virtually undetectable and the lower price makes it a toss up.

The large heating tray at the base is another nice feature, too. If, like a good barista, you pre-heat your espresso cup in order to prevent rapid cool down of the liquid, the tray will assist your efforts rather than undo them.

The removable water tank produces up to 50 shots before requiring refilling, so the 800ESXL makes for a great machine for large parties.

The Breville 800ESXL Die Cast espresso maker offers convenience and high-quality in a medium-priced machine. No one could be disappointed about that.

Related posts

• Don’t Be Inferior: Use Coffee in Your Food (0)
• Traditional Turkish coffee, an Original (1)
• These Coffee Grinders Also Permit You Total Control (0)
• There Is a New Development in The Brazilian Coffee Market (0)
• The Matchless Style of Coffee Grading (0)

December 29 2008 | coffee | No Comments »

Coffee and High Blood Pressure - A Causal Relationship?

I love coffee! So much so that I enjoy a cup of Starbucks almost every day. Is this bad for my health? Some people say so.

This was highlighted the other day while having breakfast with a friend. She told me how “lucky” I am to be able to have my coffee every day. She said she couldn’t drink coffee anymore due to high blood pressure. Her doctor advised her that this could contribute to her high blood pressure.

I found it interesting that the doctor would have told her to give up coffee rather than three other behaviors which to me, seemed to be of higher concern than drinking coffee: Over-eating, smoking cigarettes and alcohol consumption.

Quite likely, my friend’s doctor stressed to her that her weight and smoking habits were contributing to her high blood pressure. Why then did he mention coffee?

I have read no studies where it states that there is a causal link to coffee and hypertension.

Studies I’ve seen published have shown an a temporary increase in blood pressure after drinking coffee but the increase is not significant.

These studies also show that this increase in blood pressure goes away over time.

Researchers are starting to notice that the reason coffee is so often associated with the actual contributors to hypertension (cigarettes, and obesity) is because many people tend to combine drinking coffee with these bad behaviors.

No. Rather, the studies have shown that people associate the negative lifestyle (cigarettes, over-eating) with drinking coffee. My same friend has foregone her cigarette break if she doesn’t have coffee, indicating that the cigarette, “Just doesn’t taste the same.”

While I’m always excited to read about amazing results from people who’ve given up coffee and reduced their blood pressure, I’m even more interested in knowing what other bad behaviors where dropped when these people gave up coffee.

Based on evidence, I do not believe that drinking a cup of coffee, even every day will cause high blood pressure. If I believed that, I wouldn’t drink it myself.

Regardless of why you have high blood pressure, I think you will benefit from my High Bood Pressure Program. I’ve seen and documented incredible results from this simple, natural cure.

If weight loss is your concern as well, I recommend my Weight Loss Breeze Program.

EL331001

Related posts

• With A Little Work You Can Roast Your Own Fresh Roasted Coffee (0)
• Which Coffee Maker is Right for You (0)
• Ways To Properly Store Your Coffee (0)
• Traditional Turkish coffee, an Original (1)
• Tips on How to Ensure Coffee Freshness (0)

December 28 2008 | coffee | No Comments »