Breville Precision Brewer Review: Can It Satisfy Coffee Nerds?

It’s been a few years since my original Breville Precision Brewer review. However, I can still hear the promoter’s words as he introduced me to the machine at a trade show in 2019: “It’s waaay better than the Moccamaster.”

Any self-respecting coffee nerd would have burst into a fit of laughter when faced with so much conceit. That’s because the Moccamaster had led the field of drip coffee maker reviews without any serious competition since it first took office – and it was developed in the sixties!

These days, there are quite a few excellent SCA-certified coffee makers to rival the Moccamaster, including the Ratio Six and the OXO 9-Cup Coffee Maker. And as it happens, the Breville Precision Brewer is a very successful (if very expensive) machine. With that said, it shines in different ways to my beloved Technivorm Moccamaster.

Incidentally, the Precision Brewer is sold under the Sage name in Europe, which is what you’ll see in my photos. However, it’s exactly the same machine.

Overview: Breville Precision Brewer Review

Costing $299.95, we can’t help but first want to try out the performance offered for this price. In any case, the Breville is not to be sneezed at because this giant stainless-steel monster doesn’t do things by halves:

The six brewing modes, which Breville also loudly advertises on the packaging, shouldn’t really be taken all too seriously. Only the “Gold” and “My Brew” settings are really important – we’ll get to those in a moment.

Both the cold brew function and iced coffee setting are just marketing trash because to use them you first have to set the machine up in a complicated way. After all, cold brew is the simplest thing in the world to make and doesn’t require much more than a big screw-top jar. Why then all the effort and workarounds with the Breville?

By the way, the promoter himself had to admit that these functions only feature on the label because they’re trendy. Spare us then.

It would be easy to use these unnecessary functions to justify why this machine’s price is too high, however, the more useful functions are all the better for it. What’s more, this 10-pound (4.5-kilogram) appliance is also the epitome of high-quality manufacturing.

Incidentally, as well as the Precision Brewer with a thermal carafe that I tested, there’s also a slightly less expensive glass carafe model. Still, I’d recommend spending the extra cash on a thermal carafe. That’s because the combination of a glass carafe with hot plate equals burnt coffee – which is all the more disgusting in large quantities.

Breville Precision Brewer Features

Let’s continue my Breville Precision Brewer review by taking a closer look at the features on offer.

Size and Design

As I mentioned earlier, the Precision Brewer doesn’t do things by halves, especially in the size department. Seriously, I was quite taken aback by the sheer heft of this thing as I unboxed it, and lifting it onto my kitchen counter was no mean feat.

Speaking of counters, you’ll need plenty of space for the Breville Precision Brewer. Plus, seeing as it rises to almost 16 inches (41 centimeters) in height, I’d recommend taking precise measurements before buying.

As far as looks go, I wasn’t particularly charmed by the Precision Brewer. Sure, it’s attractive enough, but its design feels rather run-of-the-mill. Let’s just say it didn’t get my blood pumping like the Ratio Six. Now that is one heck of a beautiful coffee maker!

User Interface

While I feel like the Breville Precision Brewer is overloaded with a few too many unnecessary features, I’ll admit to loving the machine’s user interface. Comprising a selection dial, buttons and a large backlit digital screen, the user interface is super intuitive and easy to navigate.

I’ll talk more about all the adjustable settings a little later. For now though, I’ll say that one of the best features is the adjustable PID controller. This device allows you to adjust the brewing temperature, which is very rare for a drip coffee maker.

I get that many users won’t fiddle around with temperature settings. Still, those who like to experiment with different single-origin coffees and roast profiles will be able to geek out to the max.

Brewing Modes

I give this drip machine special credit for managing to satisfy one-touch fans just as much as us wacky coffee nerds.

For lovers of single-dial controls, the “Gold” function is the measure of all things. Using this setting, your coffee is prepared according to the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) Golden Cup recommendations. It would be a step too far to attempt to dissect this standard – suffice to say it lives up to its name.

The “Strong” and “Fast” functions both affect extraction time, thus actually ensuring a stronger or thinner coffee. I don’t like either mode very much because they always tend to put the aroma of the coffee a bit out of balance.

For an old nerd like me, the custom version is especially exciting. That’s because with the Breville, you not only have control over the brewing temperature and extraction time (flow rate), you can even make the blooming phase more exact.

A quick reminder: coffee blooming entails evenly moistening the bed of ground coffee and then leaving it to swell for about 30 seconds, so that even extraction can follow.

The Breville allows you to set both the blooming time and the amount of water used. There are no generally applicable standards here, just try it for yourself. During my Breville Precision Brewer review I played around with the settings for a very long time until I eventually found my way back to the “Gold” setting.

Filter Baskets

The machine’s 60-ounce capacity almost puts it in batch brewer territory. It’s no wonder then that Breville supplies the Precision Brewer with both a conical and flat-bottomed brew basket. Many of you will know the wider filter baskets from the giant commercial drip coffee makers.

The “Pour Over” option, which Breville is very proud of, is actually kind of convoluted. You can buy an extra (!) adapter kit that ensures the carafe sits closely against your favorite pour-over coffee dripper. Then, you use that for brewing rather than what comes with the machine.

Basically, this turns your drip coffee machine into a rather expensive electric kettle – although you at least get a fancier showerhead as part of the adaptor kit.

As you can see just from the many words of explanation required here: save yourself the workarounds and just use an ordinary pour-over coffee dripper from the start!

Thermal Carafe

In my opinion, a thermal carafe is the only way to go, especially when you’re considering a coffee maker with such a generous brewing capacity. I mean, imagine brewing up 60 ounces of coffee to be enjoyed throughout the morning, then leaving it to cook slowly on a hot plate. Doesn’t sound very appetizing eh?

Fortunately, the Breville thermal carafe is very effective when it comes to keeping fresh brewed coffee nice and hot. What’s more, the Precision Brewer carafe is taller and slimmer than what’s supplied with the Breville Grind Control, meaning fewer spills.

Accessories

If you’ve checked out my Breville espresso machine reviews you’ll know how generous the manufacturer is. In my opinion the Australians put everyone else to shame when it comes to supplying their customers with everything they’ll need. That’s why I was surprised that the Precision Brewer didn’t come with the pour-over adapter. After all, you can’t really use one of the coffee maker’s main functions without it. Complaints aside, here’s what comes in the Breville Precision Brewer box:

Incidentally, you can’t use a water filter in the Precision Brewer’s reservoir. However, the machine will ask you to input your water hardness and calibrate itself accordingly.

The Breville Precision Brewer in Use

Throughout the testing phase of my Breville Precision Brewer review I used 11 tablespoons of coffee and 34 ounces (1 liter) of water. Needless to say, I also used high-quality coffee beans from a small-batch roaster. Finally, I got the best results using a medium-fine grind setting on my burr coffee grinder.

Incidentally, the Breville is the same as many other drip coffee machines out there: it only stops brewing when the water in its tank runs out. So, make sure to measure your water carefully. The best way to do this is to use a separate measuring jug or your coffee scale.

When it comes to its brewing process and cup results, I fully expected the Breville Precision Brewer to deliver on the claims of its promoters.

Let’s just say I hoped for a coffee that was at least as good as one from a pour-over coffee maker and better than one from a Technivorm Moccamaster.

The Breville brews extremely quietly with a gentle gurgling sound, which immediately made me feel at home. You can see everything you need to know about the brewing process on the display. And yes, the preset default settings are all implemented very precisely too.

The water flows gently onto the coffee grounds. You can very clearly see in the “after” photo that there aren’t any craters; instead, the whole surface has obviously been evenly soaked during the brew cycle.

Cup Results

It’s no surprise then, that I ended up with coffee in my cup that I couldn’t actually tell apart from the pour-over coffee dripper version: fruity, fresh, multi-faceted and delivered at the right temperature. Everything was terrific and I loved drinking it!

My only objection: I can get all this from the Moccamaster too – for almost the same price (sometimes even less) and without all the marketing dribble.

This in no way changes my positive attitude towards the Breville, but I’ve come to the conclusion that the Australians really should market this machine differently…

Breville Precision Brewer Cleaning

When it comes to cleaning and descaling, there isn’t much to worry about with the Breville Precision Brewer. And as long as you take the time to keep the machine clean in between brew cycles, it should last for a very long time.

I’d recommend wiping off the showerhead after brewing coffee, as well as wiping down the machine’s exterior with a soft damp cloth. Oh, and don’t forget about the carafe – rinse it out after each brew and give it a deeper clean with mild detergent once in a while.

Of course, you’ll need to regularly descale the Precision Brewer to keep it in good working order. How often you’ll need to do this will depend on your water hardness. Still, the machine will let you know when it’s time via a flashing warning light.

Trust me when I tell you not to ignore the descale warning! After all, if too much limescale builds up inside the machine, your coffee will start tasting bad and the Precision Brewer will start to struggle. 

Breville Precision Brewer Specifications

Verdict: Breville Precision Brewer Review

The Breville Precision Brewer fills a gap in the market that it (I think) doesn’t even know exists:

It provides high-precision coffee made in the style of a pour-over dripper, at Golden Cup standard (almost), in large amounts. Whereas other giant drip machines are only able to spit out half-baked cups of joe, the Breville can be used to serve guests, customers or business partners exceptionally delicious coffee with little effort.

However, “excellent drip machine for the office” doesn’t sound nearly as badass as “Moccamaster killer,” which is probably why Breville has taken the latter stance. This isn’t wrong, but it is aiming too high.

The Breville Precision Brewer also makes the most of its advantages with smaller fill quantities. Still, why would a small family or hipster single buy such a huge coffee machine?

The Breville and the Moccamaster are, in my opinion, two different pairs of shoes – there’s no original and no “further development.” With its many settings and sheer size, the Breville model strikes out on its own – and is very successful!