Are you searching for an affordable espresso machine that still has the power to fly through drinks quickly? Do you need an espresso machine that can allow you to serve guests fast or provide espressos for a small office?
If you answered yes to those questions, then a dual boiler espresso machine could be perfect for you. In this post, we’ll be comparing and contrasting two high-quality dual boiler machines: the Lelit Bianca vs Breville Dual Boiler.
This is what you’ll learn:
- Which features are the same in the Bianca and Breville Dual Boiler.
- What sets these machines apart from each other.
- Information regarding their prices.
- Advice on deciding which one is right for you.
Let’s begin…
Quick Summary
The Lelit Bianca is a recent addition to our store, and we’re proud to have it. Its compact size, combined with its dual boilers and precise flow control system, make it a great choice for prosumers and small offices who want total control over their espresso.
Get the Lowest Price Here >>
Breville Dual Boiler Espresso Machine
Breville makes a lot of kitchen appliances, so they know a thing or two about what goes into good coffee. Their Dual Boiler machine is a step up from a basic home model and makes whipping up a milk-based drink both easy and fast. We’d recommend this one for beginners who want to make quick drinks at home.
Similarities
Dual Boilers
What sets these espresso machines apart from many home espresso machines is their dual boiler design. It isn’t uncommon for home espresso machines to have only a single boiler, which oftentimes prevents them from simultaneous steaming and brewing.
By incorporating two boilers into the design, the Lelit Bianca and Breville Dual Boiler ensure they are much faster. They have one boiler for frothing milk and another for brewing espresso, so these tasks can be performed at the same time. The result is a freshly made drink in short order.
This speed is why dual boiler espresso machines are so popular in larger businesses. If you’d like to see some more examples, check out our guide to the best dual boiler espresso machines.
Stainless Steel Boilers
Beyond having two boilers, the Bianca and Breville Dual Boiler have another boiler design element in common. Their boilers are both made from stainless steel.
Stainless steel boilers are becoming increasingly popular in high-end espresso machines for a couple reasons. One reason is that the material is more resistant to limescale buildup than other alternatives, which makes maintenance easier for you and promotes the longevity of the espresso machine.
When they’re insulated or thickened, stainless steel boilers are also excellent at stabilizing the temperatures inside them.
Dimensions
While there are some slight differences in their size, we think the overall dimensions of the Lelit Bianca and Breville Dual Boiler are more alike than they are different.
The Breville Dual Boiler is 14.7 inches tall, 14.1 inches wide, and 14.6 inches deep. It’s pretty close to a perfect square.
The Lelit Bianca is 15.75 inches tall, 11.4 inches wide, and 19.1 inches deep. You can reduce its depth even further to just 15.9 inches if you use it as a plumbed-in machine and remove its water tank.
At the end of the day, these are both compact machines. If you’re concerned about not having enough room for an espresso machine, you should be pleased to find that either one in this comparison doesn’t need much space at all.
Pre-Infusion
Want greater consistency in all your drinks? What you’re looking for, then, is an espresso machine with built-in pre-infusion, like with the Lelit Bianca and Breville Dual Boiler.
You can think of pre-infusion as a precursor to the brew step. Prior to extraction, either espresso machine will run a small stream of water through your espresso. This stream settles the espresso grounds and erases irregularities.
When the full water pressure for extraction is applied, these smoother grounds will be easier for the water to reach. You end up with a more well-rounded flavor time and time again, even if your tamping technique isn’t always perfect.
Read Also: Best Pre-Infusion Espresso Machines
Built-in Shot Timer
Another thing that will help you make good espresso more consistently is timing each shot properly. The Bianca and Breville Dual Boiler aid you here, as well, thanks to their integrated shot timers.
There will be no need for you to get out your smartphone to time each shot. Instead, you can use the convenient timers built into either machine to keep track of how long you’ve been pulling your shots for.
PID Temperature Control
You’d be surprised at the impact brewing temperature can have on the taste of your espresso. Many expert baristas have noted that the acidity of your roast can be heightened or muted depending on the temperatures you choose to brew at.
You can see, then, why being able to control the temperature in your espresso machine is important. Fortunately, both the machines in this comparison let you do exactly that. They each have a PID temperature control, which both stabilizes the temperature and allows you to adjust it as you see fit.
Pour-Over Water Tanks
In a large business, like a coffee shop or a restaurant, you’d have an espresso machine that hooks up to your water line. That way, the machine will refill its boilers automatically rather than relying on busy employees to remember to top it off.
In a home or even small office environment, however, finding the space to connect your espresso machine to a water line can be a hassle. The Lelit Bianca and Breville Dual Boiler can both be used as pour-over machines, which means you add water to them by hand as necessary.
Because of this, you can set them up anywhere, provided they have power. That makes them more portable and easier to store.
Water Tank Capacity
If you have a pour-over espresso machine, water tank size is going to be a key player in your daily use of the machine. A smaller water tank means more refills, while the opposite is true for bigger water tanks. So, what do you have to work with when you’re using the Lelit Bianca or the Breville Dual Boiler?
Both have a water tank capacity of around 2.5 liters. To be more specific, the Breville Dual Boiler’s is actually around 2.4 liters, but we believe this difference is negligible.
On either machine, you’ll have plenty of water to brew and steam milk for several drinks in a row, depending on how much espresso you’re putting into each one.
Stainless Steel Exteriors
You want your espresso machine to last for as long as possible. It would be incredibly frustrating if you invested a lot of money in one, and it just broke down or got dinged up on the outside within a matter of weeks or months.
To ensure they’re well-protected, either machine in this guide has been covered in tough stainless steel exteriors. Their durable metal side panels help protect their interiors to boost the length of their lifespans.
A bonus to the stainless steel siding is that it also makes the machines look visually appealing. Keep them clean, and they’ll shine on your countertops for years to come.
Want to see some other machines with a distinct look? Take a look at our list of the best espresso machines with eagles on top for some truly memorable-looking models.
Differences
Appearance
These aren’t cookie cutter-like espresso machines that seem like they came from the same mold. They both look incredibly unique and different from each other, which could factor into your decision.
The Breville Dual Boiler has an even square shape that makes it look sturdy and would also probably make it easy to squeeze in between other appliances. Depending on where you purchase it, you’ll likely have two color choice options: brushed stainless steel or black.
The Lelit Bianca is an espresso machine with an extreme amount of style. If it were all stainless steel, it might look almost cold and impersonal, but the machine compensates for this with walnut handles and feet. This adds a natural feel to it that’s perfect for bringing a touch of warmth to any kitchen.
Included Accessories
It may depend on where you purchase it, but generally, when you purchase an espresso machine, you don’t get just the espresso machine. It will usually come with accessories, just like the Lelit Bianca and Breville Dual Boiler do. In this case, the extra accessories you get differ by the machine.
The Breville Dual Boiler comes with a stainless steel milk pitcher, a water filter, and a dosing tool that you can use to smooth the top of your espresso in the portafilter. With the Lelit Bianca, you’ll get a solid metal tamper, a water softener, a plumbing kit, and a premium microfiber towel for easy cleaning.
Of course, they also each come with portafilters and baskets, as well, so you can start using them right away.
Lelit Bianca No-Burn Steam Wand
Professional baristas make using an espresso machine look effortless. The truth is, espresso machines can be delicate and sometimes even dangerous. Steam wands are especially famous for their danger since they get extremely hot during use.
The Lelit Bianca solves this issue handily. Because of special insulation, its steam wand never overheats, which means you can foam milk and clean the wand in total comfort. No more pesky steam wand burns all over your fingers.
Breville Dual Boiler Volumetric Dosing
What makes the Breville Dual Boiler so great for beginners is its volumetric dosing. It has single and double shot buttons on it, so that brewing a single or double shot is as simple as pushing the corresponding button.
Basically, you don’t need to worry about timing each shot of espresso carefully if you’re new or in a rush. If you want to pull extra-long or short shots, though, you also have the option of using the manual brewing mode and timing the shot yourself.
The Lelit Bianca does not offer a volumetric dosing function. It is a purely semiautomatic machine, so you will need to start and stop the extraction phase when using it.
Lelit Bianca Flow Profiling Paddle
One of the most brilliant features incorporated in the Lelit Bianca is its flow profiling paddle on top of the machine. In short, you can move the paddle while brewing to adjust the rate of the water’s flow.
Pressure has a massive influence on the taste of your espresso. Since you can make minute adjustments to brew pressure during brewing, you’ll have more power to test out new flavor profiles.
For this reason, we think the Lelit Bianca is a great match for experienced or curious baristas.
Breville Dual Boiler Color Options
Out of the two espresso machines on this list, the Breville Dual Boiler is the only one that has other color options. Of course, this may depend on where you purchase the machine from, as different sellers may not have all options available.
Some sellers may have the machine in either a neutral stainless steel color or black. This makes the machine more visually versatile so it can fit into a wider array of settings.
Lelit Bianca Group Pressure Gauge
Both machines in this comparison give you at least some information regarding their internal pressures. The Lelit Bianca puts the most pressure information at your disposal, though, using its three pressure gauges.
One pressure gauge is mounted to the brew group and provides a readout of the pressure in the group during extraction. This is actually a gamechanger because the machine lets you make adjustments to water pressure while you brew. You can keep track of the pressure you’re using by checking the group gauge and make note of any pressure levels that produce your favorite drinks.
Lelit Bianca Optional Plumbed-in Functionality
We mentioned earlier in this guide that both machines can be used in a pour-over format that requires you to add water manually every so often. This tends to be more convenient for home users, because then they don’t need to connect their machine to a water line. It can be moved and stored at a moment’s notice.
But what if you’re going to make a lot of espresso on it? What if you’re going to be sharing the machine with multiple other people? In that case, a pour-over configuration becomes far less convenient, as refills must be performed frequently.
The Lelit Bianca offers you direct-connect compatibility for situations just like those. It can be connected to your water line and refill itself automatically, which makes it both more compact and user-friendly.
Pricing Considerations
Presently, Majesty Coffee does not have the Breville Dual Boiler available in our store. You will need to check online with other sellers to see if they have it in stock.
We do, however, have the beautiful Lelit Bianca in our store. Because we work hard to offer our machines for the lowest prices online, we’re pleased to have the Lelit Bianca available for $2,979.
Which One Should You Get?
Now you have a better understanding of many of these espresso machines’ features. Unfortunately, you may still be left asking yourself: which one should you get? That’s a question we’re prepared to help you answer by examining various reasons to choose one or the other.
One obvious starting point is appearance. If it’s important to you that your espresso machine looks a certain way, you can start by asking yourself which one looks better to you.
Both espresso machines are visually appealing and work with many different environments. The Breville Dual Boiler will offer you some more flexibility with its brushed stainless steel and black color options, but the Lelit Bianca has its unique walnut handles and feet to fall back on.
You should also think about your experience with espresso machines, or the experience levels of anyone else who will be using it. If you’re more experienced or you’re willing to spend time learning, a machine with more advanced features like the Lelit Bianca’s multiple pressure gauges and flow control paddle will be preferable.
On the flipside, if you’re more of a novice and you just want a beginner-friendly experience, the Breville Dual Boiler will give you what you need. Its volumetric dosing buttons will help you make consistent shots of espresso even when you’re new to the world of espresso brewing.
Consider how many beverages you’ll be preparing regularly, too. If the machine is being shared by several people or will otherwise be used frequently throughout the day, you likely don’t want to deal with having to refill the water tank multiple times per day. That makes the Lelit Bianca’s direct-connect convertibility a real advantage.
However, for those who won’t be using their espresso machine multiple times a day or sharing it with groups of people, a direct-connect machine may not be necessary. It’s possible you won’t even need to add water to the tank every day. In this situation, the Lelit Bianca as a pour-over or the Breville Dual Boiler would both be fitting.
Want to learn more about our Lelit Bianca? Be sure to view the Lelit Bianca in our store for additional information. If you still have questions, you can also reach out to our friendly team at 888-978-5224.
Related Guides
Lelit Bianca vs ECM Synchronika
Lelit Bianca vs Profitec Pro 700
Lelit Bianca vs Rocket R58
Lelit Bianca vs Linea Mini
Lelit Bianca vs Rocket Appartamento
Lelit Bianca vs Rocket Cinquantotto
Lelit Bianca vs Profitec Pro 800
Lelit Bianca vs GS3
Lelit Bianca vs Decent
Ask an Expert
Buy with Confidence. Contact Our Experts Today. M-F 10am - 6pm EST
📞 888-978-5224
Tony Barlow, with over a decade of experience in the coffee industry, is the go-to technical sales expert at Majesty Coffee. He's passionate about helping businesses find the right espresso equipment for their needs.
