Know Your Espresso Machine
The Infuser™ combines low-pressure pre-infusion with PID temperature control so that balanced flavors are drawn evenly from all the grinds. Rather than start with bursts of high pressure, a steady, low-pressure pre-infusion gently expands the grinds before stepping up to high pressure for an even extraction.
A. – Power button – light flashes while machine is heating. B. – Integrated & removable 54mm tamper. C. – Group head. D. – 54mm stainless steel portafilter. E. – Extra-tall cup clearance. F. – Removable drip tray with Empty Me! tray full indicator. G. – Storage tray. H. – 360° swivel action steam wand. I. – Dedicated hot water outlet. |
J. – Steam/Hot Water dial. K. – 1 CUP and 2 CUP buttons. L. – Steam/Hot Water light. M. – CLEAN ME light. N. – Espresso pressure gauge. O. – Program button. P. – Cup warming tray. Q. – 61 fl.oz (1.8L) removable water tank. |
Accessories
1. – Stainless steel frothing jug. 2. – Cleaning disc. 3. – Cleaning tablets. 4. – Dual Wall filter baskets. 5. – Allen key. |
6. – Single Wall filter baskets. 7. – Cleaning tool. 8. – Water filter holder and filter. 9. – Coffee scoop. |
Special Features
Special features of the BES840XL Infuser™
- PID Temperature Control – Electronic PID temperature control for increased temperature stability.
- Auto Purge – Automatically adjusts water temperature after steam for optional espresso extraction temperature.
- Thermocoil Heating System – Integrated stainless steel water coil accurately controls water temperature.
- Commercial Style Steam Wand – Stainless steel 360° swivel-action steam wand for effortless milk texturing.
- Instant Hot Water – Dedicated hot water outlet for making Americanos or pre-heating cups.
- Low Pressure Pre-Infusion – Applies low water pressure at the start of the extraction to gently expand grinds for an even extraction.
- Espresso Pressure Gauge – Monitors espresso extraction pressure.
- Volumetric Control – Preset 1 & 2 cup volumes, manual over-ride or re-programmable shot volumes.
- Dry Puck Feature – Removes excess water from the ground coffee in the filter basket for extraction for easy disposal of the coffee puck.
Set Up
Initial Set Up
1. | Ensure the water filter is securely fitted inside the water tank. |
2. | Fill the water tank with cold, preferably filtered water up to the MAX mark. When replacing the water tank, push down completely to lock into place. |
NOTE: | Always check the water level before use and replace water daily. Use cold, preferably filtered water. Do not use mineral or distilled water or any other liquid. |
3. | Select the filter to be used and firmly press the filter into the portafilter until it locks into place. |
4. | Store remaining stainless steel filters, cleaning tablets, cleaning tool, cleaning disc and Allen key in the tool storage tray and slide tray into the opening beneath the machine. |
5. | Slide the drip tray assembly into the opening beneath the machine, in front of the storage tray. |
6. | Press the POWER button to switch the machine On. The POWER button light will flash while the machine is heating. A pumping sound will be heard. This is normal. |
7. | When the machine has reached the correct operating temperature, the POWER button light will stop flashing and all button lights on the control panel will illuminate. |
Before First Use
Machine Preparation
Remove and discard all labeling and packaging materials attached to your espresso machine. Ensure you have removed all parts and accessories before discarding the packaging.
Remove the water tank located at the back of the machine by lifting the water tank handle. Remove the plastic bag containing the water filter and water filter holder. Clean parts and accessories (water tank, portafilter, filter baskets, frothing jug) using warm water and a gentle dish washing liquid, then rinse and dry thoroughly. Wipe the outer housing and drip tray with a soft damp cloth and dry thoroughly. Do not immerse the outer housing, power cord or power plug in water or any other liquid.
NOTE: Do not use abrasive cleansers, pads or cloths which can scratch the surface. Do not clean any of the parts or accessories in the dishwasher.
Conditioning the Water Filter
The water filter should be removed if using filtered or bottled water.
Remove the water filter and water filter holder from the plastic bag.
1. | Soak the water filter in a cup of water for 5 minutes, then rinse under cold running water. |
2. | Wash the water filter holder with cold water, taking specific care to rinse the stainless steel mesh. |
3. | Insert the water filter into the two parts of the water filter holder. |
4. | Set Date Dial 2 months ahead. |
5. | To install the assembled water filter holder into the water tank, align the base of the water filter holder with the adapter inside the water tank. Push down to lock into place. |
6. | Slide the water tank back into position at the back of the machine, ensuring to push down completely to lock into place. |
Warranty
All Breville® products have at least a one-year limited product warranty, valid from the date of purchase. Should your Breville® product have a defect in product material or workmanship within the Warranty period, Breville® will arrange to have your original product returned to us, and either deliver an identical or comparable replacement to you, free of charge, or apply such other remedy as described below. Some models may have longer warranty periods on the product or specific components so please consult the individual product warranty for complete terms and conditions.
DO NOT RETURN PRODUCT TO THE STORE*
Please follow these instructions, subject to the terms of the Warranty, to receive faster service:
1. Write down the product model number, batch code (this is a 3 or 4 digit number) and/or serial number. These can be found on a sticker or molded into the product housing and are typically located underneath or on the back of the product
2. Have the original or a copy of the sales receipt.
3. Contact Breville®. Please see Breville® USA contact information below.
4. If the product, or one of its parts, qualifies for replacement or service under the Warranty, Breville® will send a pre-paid shipping label via email so that the product may be sent to Breville® at no cost to you. Upon receipt of the product, Breville® may ship the replacement or contact you with further information regarding repair of the product. Typical turnaround time to address Warranty claims is up to 10 business days, plus shipping, depending on your geographical location and type of damage or Warranty claim.
5. For additional protection of the product and and to ensure secure handling while a product is being returned for any Warranty repair, Breville® recommends that you use Breville’s shipping label or a traceable, insured delivery service. Breville® is not responsible for any damage while a product is in transit.
For the complete terms of warranty, see the warranty PDF:
One-Year Limited Product Warranty.pdf
* California residents – please see paragraph entitled “Warranty Notice to California Residents Only” on page 4.
Care and Use
- Always check the water level before use and replace water daily. Use cold, preferably filtered water. Do not use mineral or distilled water or any other liquid.
- The amount of espresso extracted in toe cup will vary depending on your grind size and dose amount.
- Pressing the 1 CUP or 2 CUP button during a preset shot volume will immediately stop the extraction.
- Default settings: 1 CUP shot volume is approximately 1oz./30ml. 2 CUP shot volume is approximately 2 oz./60ml.
- Water is automatically released into the drip tray after the steam and hot water functions to ensure the thermocoil is at the optimal temperature setting for extracting espresso. This is normal. If you find water around the front of the machine, ensure the drip tray is firmly pushed in place after using the steam and/or hot water functions.
- The machine automatically switches to SLEEP MODE after 1 hour. During this time, the POWER button light will flash slowly. After 3 hours the machine will switch to AUTO OFF MODE. To re-activate the machine, press any button except for the POWER button. The POWER button light will flash while the machine re-heats. A pumping sound will be heard, this is normal. When the machine has reached the correct operating temperature, the POWER button light will stop flashing and all button lights on the control panel will illuminate.
Care
Cleaning the Filter Baskets & Portafilter
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Cleaning the Shower Screen
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Cleaning the Drip & Storage Tray
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Cleaning the Steam Wand
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Cleaning the Outer Housing & Cup Warming Tray
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Periodic Maintenance
Here’s a checklist of basic long-term maintenance; each step is explained after.
- About once a month, decalcify
- At least every two months, replace the water filter
- When the CLEAN ME light illuminates, run the cleaning cycle
- As needed, replace the silicone seal in the group head
WARNING | Do not immerse power cord, power plug or appliance in water or any other liquid. |
Decalcifying
After regular use, hard water can cause mineral build up in and on many of the inner functioning components, reducing the brewing flow, brewing temperature, power of the machine, and taste of the espresso. We advise decalcifying the machine every month and especially if not using the machine for an extended period, e.g., before going on vacation. Replacing the water filter every two months will reduce the need to decalcify the machine.
WARNING | The water tank should never be removed or completely emptied during decalcifying. |
TO DECALCIFY:
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Replacing the Water Filter
The provided water filter helps prevent scale build-up in and on many of the inner functioning components. Replacing the water filter every two months will reduce the need to decalcify the machine.
If you live in a hard water area, we recommend you change the water filter more frequently. The water filter should be removed if using filtered or bottled water.
Remove and discard the old water filter from the filter holder; remove the new water filter from the plastic bag.
1. | Soak the water filter in a cup of water for 5 minutes, then rinse under cold running water. |
2. | Wash the water filter holder with cold water, taking specific care to rinse the stainless steel mesh. |
3. | Insert the water filter into the two parts of the water filter holder. |
4. | Set Date Dial 2 months ahead. |
5. | To install the assembled water filter holder into the water tank, align the base of the water filter holder with the adapter inside the water tank. Push down to lock into place. |
6. | Slide the water tank back into position at the back of the machine, ensuring to push down completely to lock into place. |
Cleaning Cycle
The CLEAN ME light will illuminate when a cleaning cycle is required. This is a back-flushing cycle and is separate from decalcifying. (Additional espresso cleaning tablets are available at BrevilleUSA.com.)
TO RUN THE CLEANING CYCLE:
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Silicone Seal & Using the Allen Key
Over time, the silicone seal surrounding the shower screen will need to be replaced to ensure optimum brewing performance.
1. | Press the POWER button to turn the machine Off and unplug the cord from the power outlet. |
2. | Carefully remove the rear water tank and drip tray, taking particular care if they are full. |
3. | Using a skewer or similar, clean the center of the screw of any residual coffee. |
4. | Insert the shorter end of the Allen Key into the center of the screw. Turn counter-clockwise to loosen the screw. |
5. | Once loosened, carefully remove and retain the screw and stainless steel shower screen. Make note of the side of the shower screen that is facing downwards. This will make re-assembly easier. Wash the shower screen in warm soapy water, then dry thoroughly. |
6. | Remove the silicone seal with your fingers or a pair of long-nose pliers. Insert the new seal, flat side first, so the ribbed side is facing you. |
7. | Re-insert the shower screen, then the screw. With your fingers, turn the screw clockwise for 2-3 revolutions then insert the Allen Key to tighten until the screw is flush with the shower screen. |
8. | Re-insert the drip tray and rear water tank. |
WARNING | Do not immerse power cord, power plug or appliance in water or any other liquid. |
Making Espresso
GENERAL OPERATION
NOTE: The amount of espresso extracted in the cup will vary depending on your grind size and dose amount.
Preset Shot Volume – 1 CUP button
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Preset Shot Volume – 2 CUP button
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NOTE: Pressing the 1 CUP or 2 CUP button during a preset shot volume will immediately stop the extraction.
Reprogramming Shot Volume – 1 CUP button
1. | To begin programming, press the PROGRAM button once. The machine will beep once and the PROGRAM button will begin to flash. This indicates the machine is in programming mode. |
2. | Press 1 CUP button to start espresso extraction. Press 1 CUP button again once desired volume of espresso has been extracted. The machine will beep twice to indicate the new 1 CUP volume has been set. |
Resetting Default Volumes
To reset the machine to the default 1 CUP and 2 CUP shot volumes, press and hold the PROGRAM button until the machine beeps three times. Release the PROGRAM button. The machine will return to its original default settings. | |
Default settings: | 1 CUP shot volume is approx. 1oz / 30ml. 2 CUP shot volume is approx. 2oz / 60ml. |
Manual Shot Volume
Manually control low pressure pre-infusion time and shot volume without re-programming the preset shot volume.
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Texturing Milk
There are two phases to texturing milk. The first is stretching the milk to aerate it and the second is swirling the milk to make it silky smooth. These two operations should blend into one.
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Troubleshooting
- The Roast – The darker the roast, the glossier the surface of the beans will be. This means that the oils have been roasted to the surface and these will need to be used fairly quickly to prevent evaporation of the oils. Letting glossy beans wait in unsealed containers will dry them out and, when brewed, will produce a result that is lacking in the normal, rich créma.
- Freshness of Grind – Pre-ground coffee will also allow more of the oils to evaporate before they can be used. The results of using pre-ground espresso that has a roasted on date that is very much in the past is that the espresso will be lacking the full créma, may be less aromatic, and may come out watery, thin. Keeping pre-ground espresso in an air-tight container and making sure that it is finely ground to provide the most surface area for the water to pull out the remaining oils can help with these issues for pre-ground espresso.
- Coarseness – The grind of the coffee is very important. Twenty coffee beans ground on a very coarse setting will take up more room then twenty beans ground on an incredibly fine setting. If darker, oilier beans are used, the grind will need to be fine to make sure that the highest amount of oils are utilized during extraction. Milder roasts will not need to be as fine in order to get the same quantities of oil and flavor intensity. If the beans are older, the grind, again, will need to be a bit finer in order to make sure the most oils possible are extracted. However, too fine of a grind can cause the water to only drip out during extraction, making the espresso taste a bit burnt. Too coarse and the water will flow out too quickly, leaving the espresso weak.
- Tamping Depth – The tamping of the grounds is the next coffee factor. Depending on the coarseness of the grind being used, more or less coffee may need to be added to the portafilter. A general guide is that, once tamped, the coffee grounds should be about 1/8th of an inch below the top edge of the portafilter. For a visual, that’s about this long _. It should be roughly this low to allow the coffee to be close enough to where the water comes out so that a good pressure seal can be created easily but far enough away that the grounds are not pressing up into the shower head that the water is coming out of, effectively blocking them. The tamp of the grounds should force the grounds down that 1/8th of an inch below the top edge of the portafilter. If the coffee is pressed too far down, the water will just flow through it quickly. If it is too close to the shower head, it will barely drip out.
- Tamping Pressure – Tamping pressure is also a factor in the extraction. Packing down the grounds as hard as possible will not allow enough room for the water to flow through. Not packing down the grounds tight enough will produce weak results as the water will flow through too quickly. The general idea is to put around 30 lbs of pressure on the grounds when tamping. Getting the entire section of ground coffee compressed with just a tamp is impossible, however, 30 lbs of pressure will compact the upper portion enough to force the water to around 9 bars of pressure to get the fluid through the grounds. While the upper portion provides the initial resistance to make good créma, it’s the slightly looser grounds at the bottom that keep the flavor pressure up. Once water hits the grounds, they expand and while the upper portion is the initial resistance, once the bottom portion expands with moisture, it, too, provides similar resistance and pressure. 30 lbs will compact the upper section of grounds to make the rich aromatic créma generally sought.
- Non-Fat Milk – When frothing milk, the lower the fat content, the ‘bigger’ the foam. The results will be a lot of foam with larger bubbles in it. Non-fat milk is best at this. Due to a lack of fats, the liquid is able to create and maintain larger fluffier froth/bubbles. If the goal is ‘microfoam’, the smaller-bubbles, more silky textured foam then fat is needed. If the froth is not the consistency that is desired, using a higher fat content milk is suggested.
- Low-Fat Milk – The higher the fat content of the milk, the higher the temperature will need to be in order to create the foam. Low-Fat or 2% Milk is s mixture of the silky fat enhanced milk and the bubblier non-fat milk. It will take longer to get the quality and volume that is intended with a higher fat content but the results will be closer to the silky texture
- Whole Milk – Whole Milk is about 4% fat content and will take a higher temperature and longer heating/frothing time in order to reach the resulting silky foam. The volume of the milk will increase as the steam is added but it will take a bit of time before that silky textured foam results.
Lack of Steam
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- If the steam wand is not producing steam or not enough steam, it’s important to make sure that the heating light is not lit while turning on the steam.
- Make sure that the steam wand tip is not clogged. Using the needle end of the cleaning tool, slide the needle into the hole at the tip of the steam wand, breaking through any clog that may be there. Once done, if the heating light is not on, turn on the steam and allow it to run for 10 seconds.
- To prevent the steam wand from being clogged, after each use, turn the steam on and allow it to run for 10 seconds, steaming into the drip tray to clear any milk that may be inside the tip from the last frothing done.
- It is important to note that when the steam is initially started each time, a small amount of water will drip out. The water that remains in the steam wand after steaming will cool and condense back from steam into water and this will be forced out before the steam comes out.
- When descaling the espresso machine, make sure to run some of the solution through the steam wand. Since steam and water do come out of the wand, it, too, will have mineral deposits and the descaling will help in preventing clogs.
- The Portafilter and Filter – When the espresso is brewed, the temperature of the liquid coming out of the machine, before it hits the coffee, is around 200°F (generally between 195°F and 205°F). While some heat loss is expected and even desired to get the espresso to a comfortable drinking temperature, too much can alter the flavor of the coffee. If the espresso is cooled too much during brewing, the flavor can be sharper or a bit bitter. To help in preventing this, we recommend that the portafilter, with the metal filter inserted, be locked into the brew head with no coffee in it and a single shot be run through it. This will heat up the metal to a temperature much closer to the water brewing temperature and prevent that sour flavor. Once the water is through, remove the portafilter, dry it thoroughly, and add in the coffee to begin the shot.
- The Cup – Once the water leaves the portafilter, it is falling down and into the cup. If the cup is cold it can greatly reduce the temperature of the espresso prior to drinking. Between 160°F and 180°F is considered a comfortable drinking temperature. However, the hot espresso entering a cup that is significantly lower in temperature then the water brewing temperature of around 200°F can cause the liquid to drop below that comfortable level. This can cause the espresso to taste off and not be at all appetizing. We recommend that when the portafilter is being pre-heated with a single shot with no coffee, the water falls into the cup to be used for the drink. Let the water stay in the cup, heating it, until immediately before extracting the shot.
- Other Temperatures – If the cup has been warmed as well as the portafilter and filter, please note that it is also vitally important to descale the espresso machine. Mineral deposits can build up along the thermo-block heater and prevent the full transfer of heat to the water. We recommend that, with regular once a day use, the espresso machine be descaled every 2 to 3 months. If hard water is being used or the espresso machine is being used more often, the time can be lessened to every 1 to 2 months between descalings.
Using the right water is essential to achieving the best flavor from coffee and making sure the machine operates without interruption. We do not recommend using highly filtered or demineralized water such as reverse osmosis, ultra filtered, demineralized or zero-filtered waters. The machine is not designed to operate with these kinds of filtered water as there is too little or no mineral content which is required for the sensors within the machine to operate. These types of waters can also alter the taste of the coffee from what one would normally expect.
If these types are waters must be used, we recommend adding in a small bottle (6oz) of spring or tap water when filling the water tank to provide the minimal content of minerals required for the machine to operate without hassle.