When my Gaggia espresso machine gave up the ghost - earlier in its life than you’d expect for such an expensive Italian product - I searched around for awhile before we ended up with a Breville.

I already had great success with other Breville products - my Breville portable grill went across the country with me when I was promoting my book, The Guy Can’t Cook, creating amazing panini sandwiches and perfectly seared tuna steaks, live on television, while the world watched.

So I knew that this company made good quality stuff but an Aussie company making a great barbie is one thing - what do they know about espresso down under? Apparently, quite a lot.

I wasn’t actually expecting as much as I got when I opted for a Breville Espresso Machine. At about $500 (Cdn) it’s half the price of even the most basic Italian job, but it works better than many others I’ve tried - easy, intuitive and makes a perfect espresso. The heavy duty body is die cast aluminum and the unit is completely programmable - or you can stick with manual mode, like a real barista. There’s a gauge on the front to let you know that you’re brewing your espresso under the ideal pressure, and a commercial style steaming wand, on a ball joint that lets you move it around easily. It even delivers instant hot water for tea or hot drinks, and there’s enough space to use a larger cup or travel mug.

I liked the espresso machine so much that I bought a Breville Conical Burr Grinder for grinding beans, and it does the job exactly as advertised. So now we can have a steamy cappuccino every morning and an espresso, with a perfect crema, after dinner. The new Fresca Espresso model has the grinder built right in - which I’m sure is a great deal, too!

www.breville.ca