Breville Dual Boiler (BES920XL): Two Boilers, PID and a 58 mm Portafilter
The Breville Dual Boiler is our pick if you make several milk drinks in a row. It has separate espresso and steam boilers, so it can brew and steam at once, plus PID on the espresso boiler and a 58 mm portafilter, per Breville. It needs a separate grinder, and one morning latte does not need two boilers.
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Buy the Breville Dual Boiler if you pull shots and steam milk for several drinks in a row and want the temperature and pre-infusion in your own hands. Skip it for one latte a day, because a machine a price class lower does that job. Budget for a grinder, or look at the Dynamic Duo bundle.
On this page
This is the Breville for people who already know their ratio and now want the machine to stop being the bottleneck. It's a lot of machine for one latte. It earns its place when two or three milk drinks go out in a row, and when you want to change brew temperature and pre-infusion yourself.
Who it suits, and who it doesn't
- Several milk drinks in a row, since it brews and steams at the same time
- Hobbyists who want to set shot temperature and pre-infusion themselves
- 58 mm tool buyers, since this Breville takes a different size from the 54 mm range
- No grinder in the box
- Premium price class, and one morning latte won't use the second boiler much
- Serious Eats wished for a less plastic build and stronger steam, and says it hadn't formally tested this model
- Tools from a 54 mm Breville won't carry over
Technical data
| Value | What Breville states | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Heating | Espresso boiler with PID, separate steam boiler, heated group head | Page, manual |
| Steam boiler | 32 fl oz (950 ml), default 275°F (135°C) | Manual |
| Pump, as stated | 15 bar Italian pump, dual pumps in the manual | Page, manual |
| Brew pressure, as stated | 9 bar extraction after low-pressure pre-infusion; an OPV limits maximum pressure | Page, manual |
| Portafilter | 58 mm, stainless steel, 22 g dose | Page |
| Shot temperature | Default 200°F (93°C), adjustable from 190 to 205°F | Manual |
| Water tank | 84 fl oz (2.5 L), top fill | Manual |
| Shot control | 1 cup, 2 cup or manual; shot clock on the LCD | Page, manual |
| Built-in grinder | None | Page |
| Rating | 120 V, 60 Hz, 1700 W | Manual |
| Price class | Premium | Our classification |
The 15 bar on the box is what the pump can reach. Espresso is brewed at about 9 bar, and Breville puts the two numbers side by side here, too. A pressure gauge on the front shows you what your shot is doing, and our pressure page explains how to read it.
PID keeps the boiler closer to the set point. Measured stability at the puck depends on the machine. Breville documents the PID, the set points and the heated group, but we found no independent measurement of how the shot temperature behaves, so we won't give you a stability number.
Why two boilers matter at the wand
A single boiler has to take turns between brewing and steaming, and a dual boiler can do both at once. Here that means the shot can run while the wand spins the milk. The manual describes a three-hole tip on a 360° swivel wand and lets you change the steam temperature, with the lower range suited to smaller volumes. Steam and hot water can burn, so follow the manual's warnings.
Daily use, from the manual
- Heat-up. On first use, the machine reaches its operating temperature after approximately 10 minutes. The manual suggests setting Auto Start for 15 minutes before you want coffee.
- Temperature. Breville recommends 194 to 203°F for optimal flavor, and says the best setting depends on the beans, their freshness and the degree of roast.
- Pre-infusion. Both duration and power are programmable. Change one thing at a time, as our dial-in guide explains.
- Water filter. Breville says to replace it after three months or 10.6 US gallons (40 L), which it says will reduce the need to descale. Set the water hardness with the supplied strip.
- Cleaning. The LCD shows CLEAN ME! when a cleaning cycle is due, and there's a descale routine in the menu. Our cleaning guide covers the rest.
The tamping force in the book differs from some other Breville books. How to tamp sorts that out.
Grinder and tools
You will need a grinder that can go fine and move in small steps, and it should hold a 58 mm portafilter. Breville's own answer is the Smart Grinder Pro, which lists 60 settings and a large 58 mm cradle. You can buy it as part of the bundle or on its own, and the grinder guide has others.
Breville Dynamic Duo
The Dual Boiler and the Smart Grinder Pro sold as one bundle.
Why here: The Dual Boiler and the Smart Grinder Pro in one purchase, if you have no grinder yet. Compare it with the two separate listings on the day.
Best for: Dual Boiler buyers who also still need a grinder
- Dual Boiler (BES920) and Smart Grinder Pro (BCG820) in one purchase (Breville)
- Grinder lists 60 settings and a 58 mm portafilter cradle (Breville)
- Premium price class
- A bundle ties you to this grinder, so compare it with buying the two separately on the day
- Heating
- Dual boiler
- Pump, as stated
- 15 bar
- Brew pressure, as stated
- 9 bar
- Portafilter
- 58 mm
- PID
- Yes
- Built-in grinder
- No, separate grinder in the bundle
- Grind settings
- 60 (Smart Grinder Pro)
- Milk
- Steam wand
- Price class
- Premium
The tamper and a 58 mm Razor tool come with the machine, along with a 16 oz milk jug, a cleaning kit and baskets. The portafilter guide sorts sizes across brands. Breville sells a 58 mm naked portafilter and names this machine on its page, if you want to see how your shot actually runs.
What others report
Serious Eats, in a copy dated May 2, 2023, likes the commercial-size basket, the shot timer, the adjustable brew temperature and small touches like wheels and a drip tray indicator. It wishes the machine weren't mostly plastic at this price, and it would like stronger steam. It also says it hadn't officially tested this model, and that its view rests on staff experience. We have no summary of buyer reviews that we could vouch for, so we leave that out.
Alternatives
- One or two drinks at a time? Do you need a dual boiler? helps you count, and the Breville Barista Express* includes the grinder at a lower price class.
- Want a different brand in the same class? The Rancilio Silvia Pro X* carries the Silvia name as a dual boiler. We have not checked its values at Rancilio. See our prosumer page.
- Still comparing dual boilers? The dual boiler guide sets this machine beside listings whose boilers we couldn't confirm. All Breville machines are on one page, and the start page sorts every machine by what you drink.
Breville Dual Boiler
Two stainless steel boilers, PID and a 58 mm portafilter: brew and steam at the same time.
Why here: The dual boiler here whose two boilers and PID we could read in the maker's own documents, for people who brew and steam several drinks in a row.
Best for: Upgraders who make several milk drinks in a row
- Separate brew and steam boilers (Breville)
- PID on the espresso boiler, heated group head (Breville)
- 58 mm portafilter, 22 g dose (Breville)
- Premium price class
- No grinder included
- One morning latte does not need two boilers
- Heating
- Dual boiler
- Pump, as stated
- 15 bar
- Brew pressure, as stated
- 9 bar
- Portafilter
- 58 mm
- PID
- Yes
- Built-in grinder
- No
- Milk
- Steam wand
- Price class
- Premium
Asked at the bar
Can the Breville Dual Boiler brew and steam at the same time?
Yes. Breville's manual describes dedicated espresso and steam boilers for simultaneous milk texturing and espresso extraction, and a 32 fl oz steam boiler. That is the reason to buy it. If you make one drink at a time and don't mind waiting, you are paying for something you will rarely use.
How long does the Breville Dual Boiler take to heat up?
On first use, the manual says the machine reaches its default operating temperature after approximately 10 minutes. It also offers Auto Start, and recommends programming that for 15 minutes before you plan to use the machine. We make no claim about how the temperature behaves at the puck, because we don't measure it.
What size is the Breville Dual Boiler portafilter?
58 mm, in stainless steel, according to Breville. The page lists a 22 g dose, single and dual wall baskets in 1-cup and 2-cup sizes, and a matching 58 mm Razor dosing tool and integrated tamper. Tools made for 54 mm Breville machines will not fit, so check the size before you order.
What is the Breville Dynamic Duo?
It is a bundle, model BEP920, of the Dual Boiler and the Smart Grinder Pro. Breville lists the same machine accessories, plus the grinder's 60 settings and a large 58 mm portafilter cradle. Compare the bundle with buying both separately on the day.
Is the Oracle Dual Boiler the same machine?
No. Breville sells the Oracle Dual Boiler as its own model, BES995, and we don't cover it on this site. It shows up beside the BES920 on Breville's page for 58 mm accessories, which is about all we can say. Read Breville's page for that model if you are comparing the two.
Where this comes from
Next round
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BrevilleEvery Breville semi-automatic espresso machine we cover, from Bambino to Dual Boiler: how they differ, what Breville states and omits, and which one to pick.
Do You Need a Dual Boiler at Home? It Depends on Drinks in a Row, Not on Shot QualityDo you need a dual boiler at home? Count the milk drinks you make in a row. One latte a morning doesn't need two boilers, and a thermoblock or single boiler will do.
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Espresso grindersWhat makes a grinder suitable for espresso: burrs, small steps and clean dosing. One clear pick, the alternatives sorted by routine, and honest notes on the data.- Prosumer machinesProsumer espresso machines on Amazon: what the word means, what E61, PID and rotary pumps do, which high-end machines actually ship, and our pick for most buyers.
semiautomaticespressomachine.com Editorial Team
Espresso gear & shot craft
We are the editorial team at semiautomaticespressomachine.com. We read maker spec sheets, manuals, standards and published research on espresso and turn them into plain-English buying advice, with sources on every page. We do not run lab tests, and we say so openly.
- Spec sheets & standards read
- Sources on every page
- No lab tests – stated openly
- Publisher details in the imprint