This was my second dual boiler machine. The first lasted nearly 10 years, while the second purchased in January 2022 barely lasted 3 years. Breville changed. Not for the better. Mine developed a faint hissing sound after 2 yrs which worsened over several weeks, then I noticed excessive heat from the cup warming tray, then the hissing sound turned into a high-pitch whine until manually purging the steam boiler, a few weeks after that the brew pressure gauge got condensation inside, and finally the brew pump stopped working altogether. Upon opening the machine it was really obvious what happened; the steam boiler leaked inside the machine. After looking this up online, this problem is all too common and the cause is actually really simple. When Breville redesigned for descaling in 2013, they changed the o-rings on the boilers from Viton which lasts about 10 years, to silicone which lasts about 2-5 years. They chose silicone because its resistant to the acidic descaling solution, unlike Viton. Makes sense if you need to descale often, but not if you have soft water. It probably doesn't even deserve 1 full star, because in addition to the short lifespan Breville says literally nothing about o-ring longevity, maintenance or replacement, and you can't even buy genuine replacements from Breville's own parts store. For a part you're going to have to replace on a rolling 2-year basis, that's beyond a joke.

So far the machine does a perfect job. Great temperature control. Great preinfusion control.

I graduated to the Sage dual boiler from the Rancillio classic and so I was reasonably confident with making a decent flat white. The first drink I made after unboxing the Sage (and dialing in the grind) was one of the best I have made. The preinfusion is great and the steamer is the best I've used. I love the level off control I now have over preinfusion, pressure, temperature etc - although this has caused me to pull some pretty poor shots as I have been too experimental at times. The defualt setting still remain the best for me. (Working with 200 degrees Brazillian Love Affair). My only two concerns are as follows. I haven't been able to program the one and two cup volume settings - I follow the instructions but don't get a "beep" to confirm the setting. As a result I pull all shots manually - using my scales. My other concern is that some people say they have had problems with descaling. I will reserve judgment until I try this myself and it certainly would not put me off buying the Sage. I am delighted with it.