Breville is a company that produces commercial-grade, high quality coffee makers and other small appliances. They strike a balance between the commercial products and consumer products, making them affordable to the average customer while largely maintaining commercial-grade quality.  Their coffee makers may seem a bit pricey to the average customer, but if you can afford the steep price tag, they sure do deliver in terms of quality and value.

The Breville company began as a radio company in 1932, later adding small appliances to their lineup. After merging with kitchenware company HWI in 2003, Breville expanded into the US market, where it was surprised by the overwhelmingly positive response to its single serve coffee makers and espresso machines. Breville is now known for its coffee makers more than any other product, particularly in the United States.

Why has the response to Breville's coffee makers been so enthusiastic? Probably because of their bold attempts at dominating the mid-range market, producing machines that look and function like commercial grade products, but that cost between $200 and $500. They are high end enough for most consumers to long for them as desired luxury, but not prohibitively expensive.

One of Breville's best known products is the Breville 800ESXL Commercial 15-Bar Triple-Priming Die-Cast Espresso Machine. Let's call it the Breville Die Cast Espresso Machine for short! Its list price was originally $499.90, but it's available at discounted prices, especially from online shops like Amazon. You can guess from the image just how durable this product is, and you would be right. Most comsumers report using this machine for a long time without malfunction, and the few complaints of malfunction seem to be due to misuse. Read the instructions!

This Breville espresso machine features a Thermoblock heating system that keeps the water perfectly heated at 204 degrees F. It also has a 15 bar triple prime pump that releases three bursts of hot water into the filter before extraction, making the ground coffee/espresso expand. This causes more crema to be extracted, resulting in rich, smooth coffee.

I have to be honest and tell you that I don't own this espresso machine, but I did try one for the purpose of this review. And I was impressed by the espresso it produced. Once I save up a bit more cash I hope to have one of these comfortably located on my kitchen countertop.

My experience with other Breville coffee makers has also been great. For anyone who takes a real interest in their coffee beyond seeking a simple caffeine rush, Breville coffee machines and espresso machines are the real deal.