Why I buy this one ?
- 15-bar pump pressure; makes 2 cups in about 35 seconds
- Auto Espresso Flow system lets coffee strength be set according to taste
- Grinder with various settings, very fine to coarse; frothing wand with temperature control
- Exterior water-lever indicator; shining stainless steel and sturdy black plastic
- Measures 16-1/4 by 12-1/4 by 10 inches

Cooking.com offers this stuff with condition New, new for:

Price : $449.95 Usually ships in 2-3 business days

What our customer's say!

"Performs flawlessly, serves up a great espresso or coffee", For several years I've been making espresso at home using an off-brand (Monterrey) device bought from woot.com for $20. Though it also made decent espresso, I was in the market for something a bit better so I investigated here on Amazon and talked to several customer reps at different resellers. In February of 2008 I settled on a Gaggia 9306 Syncrony that was listed as refurbished. When it arrived, the unit and the packaging all looked to be in perfect condition. However, I soon discovered what they never tell you before you buy an automatic espresso maker: You can't use most types of coffee beans in the grinder because they are too oily and they clog the grinder and brewer. I sent it back for a full refund after a week of trying out different kinds of beans.

Now it was time to do more research on "semi" automatics because it seems that every automatic has the same problem with oily beans. I settled on the Briel because it appeared to have what I wanted (control over brew size and strength, and a grinder that dispensed fairly accurate doses).

This machine has been through a good 40 large (6 oz) cups of both espresso and weaker coffee since it arrive ten days ago. The grinder has worked better than expected grinding the beans of MY choice (not the beans that the reseller makes you buy), which I buy from a small coffee roasting outfit (Cafe Sophia in Palo Alto, CA). These, like most good beans, are indeed oily. [see note below]

The brew itself is consistently great (as good as Sophia herself makes, which is orders of magnitude better than Starbux or Peet's) espresso and cappuchino. The Briel lets you control how much water to run through the brew head, making a cup of regular coffee a breeze as well. I'm still getting used to the frother (nothing's perfect!) as it is quite a bit different from my old unit, but when I do have the knack, it works great as well, giving a good head of froth on top of my half and half (I know, everyone says not to use half and half but I particularly enjoy the creaminess).

I like that you can leave it on for a while (it turns itself off after a couple of hours) so I can have a second cup (or more when friends visit) without waiting for the water to heat.

One thing that might interest others is the separate holder for ESE pods. I don't use pods so I can't say whether or not this option works well or not.

My only beefs with this unit is that (1)you are limited in what height of cup you can place under the brew head. I usually like my drinks in a regular coffee-shop-style ceramic mug and unless I remove the drip guard, it won't fit. My mug is 4" tall and the distance between the coffee ground filter (the thing that you crank onto the brew head) is less than 3.5", and (2) when the machine first boils the water, water drips from the frothing wand unless it is tightened REAL tight. However, once tightened so tight, it is difficult to release it so steam can be used. Minus one star for these problems.

I would highly recommend this machine to anyone who is looking for a consistently good cup of espresso, cappuchino, or a tall cup of coffee.

[Note about oily beans: Despite what resellers and mfrs of fully automatic espresso makers try to pass off on the unsuspecting buyer, oily beans are preferred over dry beans.

A Google search (oily coffee beans) will turn up a number of hits that will give you further info. I liked this response from <[...]> :

"Beans that are not oily have been roasted for a shorter period of time. A dark roast brings the natural oils of the beans to the surface and gives them that oily appearance. These oils are volatile and contain much of the subtlety of the taste in a fine coffee. That's why it is so important to keep your beans in an airtight container until you use them."

Other web pages will mention that the oils are what really make a good strong-tasting espresso drink.

I leave the ultimate decision as an exercise for the individual coffee drinker.]

"Costly but effective", We've had our second Briel Multi-Pro for over three years now - bought the original unit at Costco and the second "online" (at another source other than Amazon) and they'be both been "useful" units. Yes, they are a bit expensive compared to some other manufacturers but I very much appreciate the appearance of the unit as well as the quality of espresso this unit makes... y'gotta love that crema!! And I truly love "blending" my own bean combinations and enjoying the fresh-ground flavor the side-by grinder accommodates.
Unlike some of the other reviews I've read here, I very much like the machines and I've had more than a few expresso machines in my "coffee drinking lifetime". The only limitation I might mention are those complaints of "unavailable parts", from local sources.... although when I've needed them, I've found that there are parts available by simply doing a "google" on "Briel Multi-Pro parts".
The "800" source that the reviewer from Canada mentioned, is helpful and they guided me to a source here in Denver with one phone call; but to-date, I've needed only two parts in over six years so I cannot speak for the unfortunates who had unfortunate luck with their machines....

"Looks Great, Works Great--for a while", When I got this machine I was in love with it. It was rugged and out-performed every other machine I owned. However, within a year it was on the fritz. There is nowhere in the USA for repair other than in New Jersey. Living across the country I wasn't about to ship the machine there so it "might" get fixed. I repaired the thing myself and got another 6 months out of it. Finally too much started to go wrong with it. It is now in the pile of disgarded machines.
We use our machines two or three times a day for multiple drinks--light commercial use for a home. This machine should have been able to handle the volume, but service and parts are lacking, or a long time in coming. I am now going to buy a Pasquini Livia 90 to replace this machine. Lots more money, but proven durability.

"Too much money, not enough performance - nice looking tho.", I have been an espresso fan for years and recently decided that it was time to upgrade from my simplistic countertop home-kitchen espresso machine to something bigger and better. After lengthy searching, reading reviews and looking at several machines, I decided that this was the one. It had everything I wanted (grinder, water reservoir, pump delivery, steamer) and it looked good too. I eagerly placed my order. I was SO looking forward to the new addition to the new kitchen that we just built. Unfortunately, it arrived used and broken. The grinder still had beans in it from the previous user and was broken to the point that the top wouldn't shut. It also wouldn't grind - wouldn't even turn on. (Grinder is powered separately from the rest of the machine.) The coffee basket handle was broken as well. I was disappointed but figured that it was probably a simple mistake (i.e., used machine that got re-sold) and returned it. The second one arrived shortly and was in brand new condition. (Good!) I read through the instructions and set it up step by step. I could hardly stand the suspense. Finally it was time. I brewed espresso and steamed up some milk for my first semi-pro homemade latte. It was really good...BUT took a really long time (compared to my Mr. Coffee Wal-Mart special...) The steamer was a pain because you have to wait at least 30-45 seconds after the last espresso shot is done brewing (one shot at a time, tic toc...) before you flip the switch to the steamer. Then you have to wait for the steamer to get going (tic toc...) THEN it takes awhile to actually steam the milk (tic toc - zzzz). FINALLY, you put your latte together (or whatever drink you prefer) and it's pretty good - BUT - not for over $400.00. I was surprised too, for that price, at how cheaply made the knobs are. They are simple plastic and "gave" a little; it felt as if you could over-turn them very easily. I ended up returning the second machine and getting my money back.

Bottom line: If you want to spend too much money for a hot-rod looking machine that takes too long to produce, this one will get the job done. BUT, if you want decent espresso when you're jonesing for it in the morning, save your money and stick with the tried and true until a better machine than this comes along.


"Where to obtain parts!", Hey folks,

Same gasket problem as most folks had, but SOLVED! Coffee and coffee grain used to piss all over the place out from on top of the filter holder due to a badly deteriorated gasket.

The technical support team for Briel here in Canada are very informative and very comprehensive. The numbers for support are:

U.S.A. = 1-800-763-6699
Canada = 1-905-660-9958

You can obtain parts ordering information for the nearest distributor near you. The gasket is easily user-serviced and no take-apart is necessary. Simply flip the machine over, grab the smallest flat-head screwdriver you can buy, get a flashlight, locate the silicone gasket and gently pry it out with the screwdriver. Order a replacement gasket from one of the distributors, pop it back in place and start enjoying amazing espresso pulls again!

The distributor they recommended to me was:

Café Express Distributon
Sainte-Foie, Quebec (near Montreal)
1-418-654-1419

They have replacement parts for all Briel models available.

Enjoy folks!

James

Read this reviews before You buy...

"Excellent Espresso Machine PLUS Built In Grinder", This is the first Espresso machine I have ever owned so I don't have another one to compare it to but I can say that it makes Lattes as good as any I have had at Starbucks. I especially like the "Auto Espresso Flow" feature that allows you to set the strength of the espresso based on how much water is pumped through the machine. I have got it set where I like and now all I have to do is push the button. Friends have told me that they have to monitor the time on their espesso machines which seems far less convenient. I put off buying an espresso machine for a long time because they looked like to much trouble to make but I have to say that with the pods, espresso is easier than coffee from my drip coffee maker and lattes are only a little bit more time consuming. Do get the pods because once you use them you will never go back. I didn't get them when I first bought the machine and probably only used the machine once a week. I went back on line and bought the pods from Amazon (which are excellent) and I now make a latte almost every day because it is so easy. I figured out that once I go through my BOX of 150 the Machine will have almost paid for itself since a comparable latte at Starbucks is about (dollar amount) and the pods are very inexpensive.

However, it's also great to have the built in coffee grinder. This is a quality burr grinder, as I learned from the Briel people. You can grind fresh whole bean coffee, dose the ground coffee directly into the filter holder and instantly brew a perfect fresh espresso, from bean to cup!

This machine is a home run and I would recommend it not only for home use but also for the office. Everyone likes a "fresh" coffee on command.

"Good Choice", Did much research for a machine with grinder
attached. I would say that Briel gets my vote
for price and quality.
Was concerned when reading reviews that you
may want to order two in case problems with first
unit. No problems . Tried to purchase ...
warranty. Check was returned stating this
is no longer a possibility with new "management."

"Fresh Espresso Lover", A friend of mine had the BRIEL EG281 multi-pro with built in coffee grinder. They absolutely love having fresh coffee beans ground on the spot, then placed in a filter holder for an "instant" espresso. I was surprised at the rich crema and texture that the espresso coffee was extracted from the machine, which proves to me this machine is a winner. It takes a strong pump to give a proper espresso.

Then it blew my mind when I learned you can also use the coffee pod or serving. I've had illycaffe in the past and actually like the pods my friend had better. The extraction was even richer with the pod and there was absolutely no messy cleanup.

I've had an entry level pump espresso machine from Krups and found it to be marginal at best. I'm sold on BRIEL and this MULTI-PRO machine is great. I'm not sure if I'm going to buy the one with the built in grinder or the one with the built in 10-cup drip coffeemaker. Maybe I'll have to get both!

"Order a couple and see which one works?", I ended up ordering three of these and returning two as defective.Apparently there is a problem in the coffee ground holder: two of mine clogged and kept locking up the pump. The third is a different design and has pressure relief holes which seem to work ok. The 3rd machine had a defective grinder. The one I have now works great. ANYWAY the machine is a bargain if it keeps working since it includes a grinder for the same price as a separate unit, but it is reportedly a new model andd one of the techs at the number Briel provides says they don't know a whole lot about the reliability at this point. I'm keeping mine and getting an extended warranty. Makes great espresso/lattes when it is working.

"Briel EG281APG w/ Grinder", Overall a good quality design and engineering. Makes great espresso and cappuchino, after you figure out how it works. On the minus side is the grinder: doesn't deliver correct amount of coffee; mostly too little, or then far too much. If you consider this machine, buy the one without grinder. Making milk froth is very easy, after you learned how to do that (it took me 3 attempts only). The heavily advertised "automatic" feature for the amount of espresso does not work; either no water at all, or it stops nether and overflows the cups. Therefore you have to use the hand on/off feature. Also, you can't froth milk and brew coffee at the same time (but I did not expect this for the cost of the machine). Overall 3plus stars!

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