Breville Infuser Espresso Machine BES840XL, Brushed Stainless Steel

First and foremost, this is an absolutely fantastic home espresso machine for the price. It definitely takes some practice to learn how to get the most out of and find the sweet spot (which i've learned always differs depending on the type of beans & grinder you are using). But now after 3 months and a LOT of researching/learning/practice/more practice, I am now consistently making absolutely fantastic espresso drinks. If you are new to the world of espresso, or have some knowledge, I wanted to write about my experience buying this machine 3 months ago knowing little to nothing about espresso, to now consistently pulling absolutely delicious espresso drinks on a daily basis with this machine. Here we go: I waited 3 months after purchasing this unit to write a proper review, and I wanted to give a lot of information I have learned and discovered to help others looking into buying a home espresso setup. I honestly knew little to nothing about espresso before purchasing this machine, and have done A LOT of research, reading, testing, and barista questioning in order to learn how the art of making quality espresso is done. I now make 2-3 espresso drinks a day with the Infuser and am EXTREMELY satisfied with its performance. It's not easy to make a high quality espresso by any means, but once you figure out how to manage all the important espresso variables (type of beans, grind coarseness, dose, tamp pressure), this machine produces truly remarkable results that any professional barista will be highly impressed with (yes I did receive this feedback). The most important aspects of making this machine work well (and any espresso machine for that matter) are having a quality grinder and fresh, quality beans. When I first got this machine, I was under the impression you wanted to grind as fine as possible for making espresso. I set my Infinity Burr Grinder to its finest setting, using some peet's espresso beans, and immediately the machine clogged up, not producing any espresso. I tried again, dialing the grind a little coarser, and again the machine clogged up. Same thing with the third time, although this time I was able to produce a few drops of espresso. After about 5 tries I was able to pull an actual shot of espresso which tasted incredibly strong to me but good (at this point in time I didnt really know what to look for in a quality shot of espresso). Long story short I realized the beans I was using were INCREDIBLY oily and played a huge factor in easily clogging up my machine. Next I purchased some Blue Bottle espresso beans, which got along with my machine MUCH better. Now I was making some great progress, tasting more like espresso, but still not close to what the baristas at Blue Bottle were serving. I went through a lot of beans & brands playing with the grind coarseness, and soon became familiar of the "sweet spot" settings on my grinder where the espresso came out tasting best. I was now becoming more familiar with what a good shot of espresso was supposed to taste like after spending a bunch of time at Four Barrel & Blue Bottle cafes in San Francisco. I also learned to start timing my shot times and that also helped me immensely improve the quality of my espresso (typically between 24-30 seconds depending on the type of beans you are using). So now I soon learned my Capressa Infinity burr grinder did not have nearly the adjustability I would need to lock in the perfect grind setting for espresso, so I decided to upgrade to the Breville Smart Grinder. The Smart grinder ended up being a much better grinder, but again long story short, it also seemed to lack the real "fine tuning" ability that I was learning is truly needed with espresso. After using the Smart Grinder for 3 weeks, I decided to pull the trigger on a much higher quality grinder, the very highly recommended Baratza Vario. After getting familiar with the Vario by some trial & error, I must say this was the ultimate step (and proved to be most important) towards producing amazing quality espresso. I've also ground for drip coffee with it a few times and the taste was truly amazing compared to both of the other grinders I had tried. So, back to the Infuser. After much more research into the art of espresso, I purchased a gram scale in order to weigh my doses of coffee & amount of liquid being extracted from my shots, which also have helped a LOT in improving the quality of my shots. Now after a couple solid months with all of the above in my home espresso setup, I believe I have dialed in this machine to its maximum potential, and it is really producing fantastic results which I get excited about drinking every morning as soon as I wake up. Some notes I would like to share which I have discovered that may or may not relate directly to this machine, or to every espresso machine: -The type of beans used almost always require a different coarseness setting in order to pull the perfect shot. For example, beans like Four Barrel & Blue Bottle always require much more fine grind settings, where beans like Stumptown & Barefoot require much coarser grinds. This seems to be hard to get used to, but now that I have tried many different quality espresso roasts and have narrowed down my favorites (Sightglass is #1, Stumptown #2, Barefoot #3) I know what setting to use ahead of time and I can almost always nail a perfect shot on command. -The milk steamer does a great job, but now after trying so many quality cappuccinos & lattes through the area, I feel like this steamer does the milk more on the creamy side. I believe I understand the technique for creating quality microfoam to use for cappuccinos & latte's, and im using the same Clover Organic whole milk that almost all cafe's use, and mine always seems to turn out a bit sweeter & creamier. It seems hard to get the microfoam as velvety thin as Sightglass/Four Barrel/Blue Bottle does, and because of this, my cappuccinos dont have quite the "intense coffee bite" but its getting pretty close. I believe this is as good as I can ask for again using a $500 home espresso machine. -The hot water dispenser is great. One trick I figured out a while back was when I pulled OK shots and didnt want to waste them, I would just instantly make them into Americano's, since its a bit harder to taste a bad shot in an Americano than it is in a Cappuccino or Latte. And thus has been my experience with the Breville Infuser since purchasing about 3 months ago. I'm sure I will be updating this review further as time goes on, but so far it has been an incredibly positive experience and I would HIGHLY recommend this machine to anyone looking for a semi-automatic machine in this price range. Hopefully this was helpful and not just me rambling.

Despite being really happy with this espresso machine, I have held off on writing a review for it too early because my main concern when parting with the money for such an expensive item was its durability. Having owned it for a little over 2 years now (purchased May 16 2009), I think that I can now feel comfortable sharing my opinion. I worked at a coffee bar 20 years ago, and, since that time, I've have always wanted an espresso machine for my home. The problem always was that they are very expensive. When I was 19, I was too broke to afford one. Now, at 39, I'm just cheap, and I was held back by the nagging idea that, no matter how good the coffee that comes out of it is, it'd be really financially unwise to spend a lot of money on an espresso machine unless it would last many years. My wife and I first met at that coffee bar where I worked in the early 2000's, and we bought this machine on our 10th wedding anniversary. I did as much research as I could beforehand, and I don't regret the decision. It makes espresso and foams milk every bit as good as the professional machine that I used 20 years ago. The portafilter is no different from a professional machine. The steam has slightly lower pressure, so it takes somewhat longer to steam milk, but it is able to make foamed milk with the exact same quality as a professional machine, too. No complaints there. I can make espressos, americanos, cappuccinos, lattes, etc that are better than the local coffee shop's. I use a manual burr grinder to grind my coffee (a Lido 2) and use freshly roasted coffee. The espresso is amazing, and my mom and sister come to my house just to get me to make them some. I've had zero problems with durability. I use the machine almost every day, and it just works with no problems. The company includes instructions for maintenance that makes me think they are paranoid that people are going to be trying to make espresso using pond water and then lodge complaints when they end up with problems. I followed those instructions for the first month or two and then stopped worrying about it. I haven't ever changed the water filter in the tank, and I haven't run a cleaning cycle on it in over 2 years. I do use reverse osmosis filtered water which won't gunk up the machine with mineral deposits. It makes the coffee taste better, anyway. Why would you spend so much money for something that makes amazing coffee and then use sink water? I don't necessarily recommend you not follow the company's instructions, but I feel confident at this point that the machine is well-made and doesn't need to be meticulously maintained to avoid problems. I would use filtered water, though. You also really will need a burr grinder (and they're not that cheap... i think my manual grinder was $180) and somewhat fresh coffee. I have tried making a shot using cheap coffee that's probably been sitting on the grocery store shelf for months. It will make a shot, but it's hard to get the water pressure right, and it is noticeably less tasty. So that's my review. Overall, the cost of these machines is intimidating, but this one is capable of making 100% professional quality espresso and steamed milk. You just have to use fresh coffee and a burr grinder for even particle size. The machine is well-made. It isn't going to break down on you after just a year or 2 of use even if you aren't faithful with cleaning and maintenance. It seems like the cleaning/maintenance instructions are concerned a lot about hard water, so just use good water. I think it's an excellent value--much, much cheaper than daily trips to Starbucks! I'm really glad I bought it and recommend it without hesitation.

If 4 stars = "I like it" and 5 stars = "I love it" then I have to go with 5 stars because once you get the hang of the Breville BES840XL, it's a great machine. As a number of the other reviews have said, though, there is some trial and error involved before you finally get it working the way you want and getting there is frustrating. After the La Pavoni unit we'd had for 10 years died a couple of months back, I did a fair amount of research on rival models as well as the 860XL as a replacement but kept coming back to the two Breville models. The built-in grinder would have been really handy but concerns over leaks over time reported by owners in the seal between the dual boilers (not to mention the price difference) prompted me to go with the 840XL "Infuser". First off, it's a beautiful-looking machine and it looks great on the kitchen counter. Also, Breville's packaging is Apple levels of gorgeous. There's a handy storage tray behind the spill trap for all the bits and pieces, including pins to unclog the foaming spout, etc. . It's also really easy to operate and I love that you can re-program the one- and two-shot volume to draw your own size of shot. When it gets dirty, the "Clean Me" light comes on and you initiate the self-clean program with the supplied detergent tablets. And, most importantly of all, it makes great espresso. Night and day better than the La Pavoni Lusso we had before which was really inconsistent in the quality of shot and has no programmable shot option so everything is manual. Also, the La Pavoni's steaming spout was designed in such a way that build-up inside the spout (which was almost impossible to clean properly) would really diminish its ability to froth the milk properly. The Infuser has a completely different design and it's awesome, giving you complete control. It took time to master The Infuser, though, and it was frustrating trying to get any consistency out of it. And that was knowing going in, based on other reviewers' experiences, that a lot of it was in the tamping and volume of ground coffee going into the basket. I would say now, based on my experiences, the beans and the quality of the grinder (see below) might be the biggest determining factors -- I would never have guessed just how *much* difference there can be between different types of beans when it comes to tamping pressure and volume. I did a lot of experimenting early on -- even resorting to extracting two singles instead of one double because that was the only way I could get a decent extraction in the middle of the unit's "Espresso Range" putting the grounds in in three stages and tamping down each time in between -- but once I'd upgraded to a better grinder, I was set. Now that it looks like I've nailed the process, I couldn't be happier. And my wife, who has incredibly discerning taste buds, especially for coffee, has really noticed the difference. ***************** UPDATE May 2014 My old Krups burr grinder died last December so I decided to make the investment in a Breville BCG800XL Smart Grinder and I have to say that The Infuser is a LOT more consistent now than it used to be. Not entirely -- I find that the strength of the extraction changes over time between cleaning cycles so that more tamping pressure is needed -- but I no longer need to mess around with two single pulls or staged tamping. I just grind the beans, tamp them down and let The Infuser do its thing. One small issue that has cropped up in the last few weeks is that water leaks down the steaming wand where it joins the underside of the unit but that has not had any effect on the function of the machine. Still very happy. ***************** UPDATE August 2014 The leak in the steam wand worsened over time to the point that the unit had to be replaced but I give a HUGE thumbs up to Breville customer service here. They responded quickly to my initial support request and had arranged to replace the machine free of charge within 48 hours. Not only that but they offered to ship the new one to me in advance of the return of the faulty one (they placed a temporary charge on my credit card as insurance) enabling me to only ship the old one back after the new unit had arrived. Excellent service all the way around. I note that this machine prefers the beans to be ground slightly more finely than the previous one so another reason to invest in a grinder where you can customize the grind.

I have had this machine for 5 years. I'm on a fixed income and it was a major purchase. I should have returned it, but repacking & shipping was too much hassle and I delayed it too long (I'm disabled and kept trying to get it to work right, letting the warranty expire rather than returning it. That part is my fault.). The fact, though, that it rarely works and even then only by using methods NOT approved by Breville is NOT my fault! I have replaced the silicone seal twice, thoroughly cleaning the "guts". I clean the thing religiously - and one time out of 5 it will reach the very bottom of the espresso pressure reading on the meter, resulting in a weak cup of espresso and a thin, wimpy amount of crema around the edge of the cup. Plus - the ONLY way it sporadically works is with q grind resembling confectioner's suga - a brown powder (and this was with the THIRD grinder I had to get - actually a gift from my son - a $500 Rocky, on its #8 setting, FAR below what they recommend for espresso. As far as tamping goes - I'm 6'2 and weigh 223lbs - I have to use nearly enough weight to lift myself from the floor. I think 30# of tamping pressure is a misprint and they meant *300*. AND I have to use the not-recommended "twisting" motion or it never hits even minimal pressure. There is no rhyme nor reason for the few times it works properly. I filter my water before filling the tank AND change the internal filter, clean the parts, and as mentioned have changed the silicone seal. It doesn't leak, so internal connections are OK. My coffee is vacuum-sealed and ground fresh every "try" (and I've tried pre-ground with the other baskets. My son (who got me the current grinder and worked as a barista) was going to replace the filter basket with a better one - but this Breville uses a small, non-standard size (which also doesn't fit the filter basket holders on any grinders) - so you have to hold the basket assembly while you grind or guess at the amount, grinding into another container. I've given up. I can't afford a decent espresso machine, am not going to donate an inconsistently-working machine to charity. So I use a $35 manual Aeropress - which makes a much better cup of semi-espresso. The Breville sits on a counter and is rarely used as a milk steamer - I guess until I can get someone to take it away A truly unfortunate waste of money that I wish I could afford to replace. NOT recommended.

If you just want to make espresso drinks at home and want something quick and easy, there machines a lot less than half the price to use with pressurized filters and that have an easy to use steam wands. But if you are ready, or plan to soon, move up to professional style non-pressurized filters, then this is a great machine for the beginner up through intermediate user at a very good price. One thing I want to say upfront, ALWAYS run an empty shot before making your espresso. The first shot runs about 20 degrees below the optimal 200 degrees and will result in an under-extracted espresso. It is also good to heat up your grouphead, portafilter and cup. It makes a very very good espresso that probably can only be beat by a $2.000+ machine. I used a non-pressurized filter on my previous machine, but noticed that the shots with the infuser brought some of the subtle tasted characteristics from my coffee beans. It is important to use a good quality conical burr grinder in order to grinds that are fine enough to use with a non-pressurized filter. I use the Breville smart grinder pro. I think this is a better way to go rather then getting the Breville Barista Express with the built-in grinder, for numerous reasons. One is that it is more flexible than the built-in one, which only has 30 settings. The smart pro has 60 settings so you can use it to get coarse grinds for a French press and other coffee makers. It is also much easier to clean and allows you to upgrade to a more advance espresso machine without having to buy a new grinder. The steaming wand works very well after a small bit of practice. There are some videos on youtube that are helpful. After some research it seemed the best milk to use is grassfed whole milk. So I bought organic grassfeed whole milk, and wow it is the way to go. It tastes great and easy to get an excellent microfoam. I highly recommend that you give it a try. The pressure gauge looks cool, but is totally unnecessary. I wish the tamper were a heavier all metal construction, though this lighter one is needed to use the magnetic holder, which is convenient. The tamper words oaky, so I will just have to get used to it. Overall this is a great machine at this price. update: 13December: thought I would address of common complaints I've noticed in some reviews. One being that it uses too much water and that the drip trays fills up to fast. Both are due to the fact that the steam wand purges (through the back of the tray) hot water after use, which is good so that if you pull another shot the water won't be too hot. To me, it's not a big deal to refill it. As far as the tray filling up, just do what I do ... empty the tray each time you use it. It is very simple and only takes a few seconds. A plus is that the tray design is very easy to remove and install .. it is really no big deal at all.

I want to start by saying this review of mine is a lot more than just a review on how happy I am with my purchase. But is also a review on everything I have learned the past couple months since buying this machine. I can say now that I have it, I will never go back. The Breville Infuser is a great little machine. I have wanted an Espresso machine for over 10 years and put it off because I had a hard time getting past the cost of a good quality machine. Before I committed to getting my first Espresso Machine I knew I had to do the research, to educate myself on a world that I am quickly seeing is as complex and sophisticated as the world of wine. I learned very early on that while all these steps, methods, and suggestions, that at first seemed snobbish and over exaggerated were actually the pieces of a puzzle that slowly I was able to put together and even now am still working on getting to see the whole picture of. Dark roast vs light roast Freshness of the beans Quality and PH of the water The right amount of pressure used for extraction Heated cups vs cold cups The fat content in milk Why the Crema on an espresso shot is really the mark of how good your equipment is and how fresh your ingredients are. Type of espresso Machine does matter. Let me start by saying I didn’t even know that there wasn’t a difference between Coffee beans and Espresso beans when I first started out on my adventure. In my head I thought there was some specially made type of bean that was specific for making espresso on its own. I assumed they were grown different or harvested different. Something that made them special; to only learn that every coffee drink from espresso to that fancy order you put in at your favorite coffee place is all coming from the same source, the coffee bean. I went through a whole experience my first week with my first machine I bought, The Bambino Plus and getting sour lemon shots of espresso that were not drinkable. The shots that had just sprinkled bubbles over the surface of the drink, and me not understanding what crème was or why it was important, or how to get it. I knew that before I could start trying different drinks and adding syrups to make my favorite one. I would have to master simply making a drinkable shot of espresso that didn’t leave me cringing. No one ever tells you once you buy your first Espresso Machine how your home will forever smell of coffee, how you enter this whole new world that you don’t even know your part of yet. No one tells you that the smell that previously welcomed you when you walked into your favorite coffee shop, becomes the scent of your home forever. Or how prepackaged coffee is nothing like having a grinder and grinding your Espresso fresh in your home every day. No one ever tells you the research and studying needed to not perfect, but to simply achieve a really good shot of espresso at home. I even called up Local Coffee chains in my area and spoke to Barista’s asking for helpful hints on what I could do to get a better quality drink. To ask what I might be doing wrong with a machine(The Bambino Plus) that was giving me under extracted, watery, sour espresso shots. I saw machines with fancy gauges and didn’t understand why it mattered I have one. But have learned if you don’t see you reached the right pressure any espresso that comes out will be gross. I went onto forums where I learned why it’s smart to buy a grinder separate from your espresso machine. Because when the day comes your grinder breaks, and that day will come; then you only have to return the grinder and not be without your entire espresso machine in the process. I learned why it's important to heat your portafilter, and any parts being used to make the drink and the cup you drink from. And luckily the Breville Infuser has a heating plate on top that works perfect for this! I learned why Dark roasts taste better and turn out better even though everywhere seems to recommend a medium roast for most Espresso. I learned that Reverse Osmosis water makes a bad cup of coffee, a bad cup of Espresso, and the flavor will be messed up if you use this type of water. Cold tap water will work, but even that will affect the quality and taste of your espresso. I also learned you want to go to the coffee shops that roast their beans ON SITE and buy freshly roasted beans. I was told by the Barista the sweet spot is 3 to 5 days after a roast the beans are the most fresh, and will pull the best shots. Anything after 2 weeks the quality will start to go noticeably down in flavor, texture, and crème. If you get beans that were roasted that same day, they will be okay, but you will see how everything tastes and gets better if you wait for those few days. And yes I even found myself looking for the best water recommendations from experts and others online. Because my research found the PH of your water can also make an impact. So I went out and bought bottled Fiji water because I read in several places it gives one of the best tastes you can get from water used in your machine for a drink. I eventually quickly exchanged my Bambino Plus that I believe was just a faulty individual machine, and got the Breville Infuser in its place. A step up and it has a gauge which is a must. I will admit I am still using Fiji water for the moment, but I don’t intend to do that forever, but if you are first starting out and looking for the perfect cup and flavor give the fancy water a try. I have a few different flavored syrups I have tried, and I purchased some of the Breville accessories that aren’t included: A better Tamper, the portafilter basket remover tool(which is a must) A knock box, dosing funnel, and even a tamper mat. All of which I had no idea what they were for at the time, but that my friend told me I will for sure need. They have been incredibly helpful and make the process 100% easier. I am so happy with the Breville INFUSER! I am getting quality crema on my shots; they are rich in flavor, no more sour shots with this machine! Like any new thing it takes a while to get the swing of it. And the only negative I can think of to mention, is that when you fill the water tank, after you make your drink and the machine goes into rest mode/powder down mode; The machine purges itself of any water that is still inside the machine. You have to empty the drip tray after each drink made and our drip tray will be almost full each time. That is quite a bit of water it dumps after a drink cycle. But the only reason I think my husband and I care is we have been buying the bottled Fiji water to use. So we notice little stuff like that because it seems wasteful. But if you plan on using tap water that won’t impact you at all! If you are looking for a starter machine I really think this is the right one to begin with, and I can say that having tried the one under it. I am also happy I got my Breville grinder separate as well. Now that I have mastered the Breville Infuser machine, I can start enjoying trying different drinks, different flavors, my husband makes himself homemade hot chocolate using the steam wand to heat and froth the milk. I have bought different flavored syrups. The whole process and experience of learning all this, and getting that perfectly made drink has been so much fun. I would say 2% Milk is the perfect flavor and texture to make those yummy delicious drinks you would get at coffee shops; but if you don’t want the extra fat or calories, skim milk and even oat milk make decent alternatives. When I first wake up in the morning I turn my machine on and allow it to heat up for at least 10 minutes. I have found if you make a drink under that time, the water won’t be quite hot enough. If you heat it up over 10 minutes, you will have to let your hot drinks sit for a minute or two until they aren’t too hot to drink. But as long as you plan for allowing the heat up time and include it as part of your routine, I really think you can’t go wrong with this model of the Breville Infuser. I have had my machine a month now, and I will never go back to buying store bought or coffee chain drinks again!

I used to work for Farmer Brothers coffee and we were spoiled with a very high end employee café with unlimited usage of their commercial grade 3 portafilter machine, precision grinders with pressure controlled tampers, etc....Anyway! After leaving the company for a new position I was Jonesin’ for espresso based drinks for a while and the French press and occasional $10 per visit coffee shop visit wasn’t cutting it anymore so I started to do some serious research on a high quality machine that would not break the bank. This machine pulls a shot just as well as that $20,000+ commercial drink did (or at least the end result tasted just as good to this non-pro cupper’s tastes) and froths micro foam milk for my capps just as well too for literally a small fraction of the price. I was previously never aware of a “double walled” portafilter and while I’m in lazy mode and just want a tasty espresso with good crema I’ll use the double walled portafilter for a perfect espresso with tons of crema. When I want to work on the barista skill I’ll use e standard portafilter (I.e. the one with more holes on the bottom). This BXL heats up to proper temp in almost 10 seconds which is basically instant considering prep time is at least a minute. It has the ability to change the shot temperature and the duration but I haven’t messed with either of those and I’m just using the default although I have been meaning to adjust the shot duration as it seems to pull slightly on the long side. The water tank has a nice filter option but I would buy the cheaper 3rd party filters that combines both a charcoal filter and a water softener so that way all you have to do is use tap water (don’t ever use RO, Zero, or distilled either unless you add Several drops of Concentrace). The cleaning reminder is handy and to protect your investment I would do the descale and cleaning when the reminder light comes on, at the very least to stop the blinking that becomes (probably intentionally) irritating after ignoring it for a week! Have read some reviews about leaks and yes even saw the high end commercial grade machine have this problem and need maintenance but I’m not sure if the water problem might be from others removing the tray too early. It seems to exhaust some of the residual water/steam into the drip tray even after the flush so I’ve just been waiting until after cleaning and turning off the machine and hearing no sounds coming from the machine and then I’ll pull the tray and almost all of the water then is in the drip tray. I settled on this unit based on research, some knowledge, and from past experiences with De’Longhi’s horrible and literally non-existent customer service that just blatantly ignore 3-4 emails and voicemail attempts to reach customer service. I considered another lower end $100 range machine that has the forced (too high) 15-bar range which was good for me at e time as a starter unit that my wife find deeply discounted in the $50 range, but figured I wouldn’t be satisfied with the results so thought it was time to invest a bit more into a higher end unit as you get what you pay for. I’ve only had this unit now for around 3 months so I cannot comment yet on build reliability but I’m hoping/expecting with proper maintenance and care (and a little luck) this unit will last in the 7-10 year range with daily usage.

Great machine, makes excellent coffee. Others have reviewed that aspect, so here I am focusing on cleaning the machine. It's easy BUT the instructional manual that I received (May 2020) AND the instructions on the Breville web site (as of today, 8/19/2020) are wrong - and they have been wrong for at LEAST the past two years. BREVILLE - PLEASE CORRECT THIS!! Here's the issue. The instructions (and innumerable YouTube videos) tell you to clean the machine (when Descale / clean light is flashing) by putting the 1-cup basket into the portafilter, then placing the rubber cleaning disc (with a small hole) into the basket, and putting the portafilter into the group head. Then, they tell you to place a large tray under the portafilter, to catch the cleaning solution that pours out during the cleaning process. In reality, for several years, Breville has used a cleaning disc without a small hole, so no (or VERY little) liquid comes out of the portafilter. Instead, the cleaning fluid is (i) backflushed through the group head, and (ii) expelled into the drip tray. However, because of their wrong instructions, I poked a hole through the Breville-supplied cleaning disc, to make everything work as described by Breville. After I realized Breville’s errors, I bought a new, third-party, cleaning disc on Amazon. So, here is the correct procedure. You can do this anytime (you don't have to wait until the cleaning light starts to flash). 1. Turn the machine off. 2. Ensure the water tank is full. 3. Empty the drip tray, and place it back into machine. 4. Put the 1-cup basket into the portafilter, then add the rubber cleaning disc (without a hole in it). Ensure that it is well-positioned in the basket (level; not tilted to the side). 5. Place a cleaning tablet on the disc. I use tablets with a blue dye, so that I can tell when all detergent has been flushed out of the group head (see point 18 below). 6. Put the portafilter / basket / disc / tablet onto the group head. 7. Place a clean white cup under the group head (why white? See point 18). 8. Hold down the 1 cup & 2 cup buttons, then press & hold the power button. 9. After about 5 seconds, cleaning begins. Release all three buttons. 10. If the Descale / clean light wasn't already flashing, it will start flashing now. 11. The pressure gauge starts low, but very quickly rises above the grey Espresso level. It remains there for ~12 seconds, then drops back to zero pressure. Contrary to Breville's instructions, you should NOT see a lot of liquid pouring out of the portafilter (because the cleaning disc does not have a hole). 12. It does this 5 times over a period of a little over 5 minutes. The final high-pressure stage is longer than the others (~30 seconds). 13. The cleaning cycle ends immediately after the fifth high-pressure stage. The machine beeps twice, and cleaning stops; the Descale / clean light stops flashing. The machine stays on. 14. Very little liquid should have fallen into the white cup during cleaning. 15. Carefully remove the cup & drip tray, empty the hot blue water into the sink, then replace the empty tray. 16. Remove the portafilter, and its contents, from the group head. There may be a few residual grains of detergent on the rubber disc. Thoroughly wash the portafilter, basket, and disc. 17. If necessary, clean any material (which will be blue) from the white cup, and return the clean cup to its position underneath the group head (do not insert the portafilter). 18. Push the 2 cup button. This flushes the group head with hot water, removing remaining detergent. At first, the water will be bright blue, indicating that detergent remained in the system. Empty the cup, and repeat the 2-cup flushes until the water is clear; using a white cup, and tablets with a blue dye, helps me tell when the water is clear (i.e., that the detergent has been flushed out). Usually, this takes a total of four to five 2-cup flushes. 19. Refill the water tank. You’re done.