What is the Breville Precision Brewer?
A drip machine that gives you the controls a hand brewer has, and then automates them.
Breville publishes six brewing modes named Gold, Fast, Strong, Iced, Cold Brew and My Brew, precise digital temperature control described as PID, three flow rates it says optimise contact time, a Thermo Coil heating system it states delivers purer water than systems using aluminium, and a 60oz capacity. It measures 6.7 by 12.4 by 15.7 inches.
Why three flow rates is the unusual feature
Temperature control is becoming common. Controlling how fast the water arrives is not.
Extraction is set by temperature, grind and contact time. Every decent machine now manages the first. Almost none let you change the third, because a fixed pump delivers water at a fixed rate whatever you put in the basket.
Three flow rates means a coarse grind can be given a slower delivery so the water spends longer in the bed, and a fine grind a faster one so it does not over-extract. That is what a person does by hand with a V60 and a kettle, and this is the only machine in the category that automates it.
Combined with PID, which holds the temperature at a setpoint rather than letting it drift as the element cycles, it is a genuinely different class of machine to a supermarket drip maker.
Cold brew in a hot machine
A dedicated cold cycle, which is unusual and worth understanding.
Cold brew is normally a matter of steeping grounds in cold water for twelve hours or more, which is why immersion brewers own the category. A machine that produces it needs to work around the absence of heat rather than apply it.
Breville publishes the mode but no time and no method here, so how it does this is not stated. Treat the result as its own drink rather than as an equivalent to overnight steeping, and note that the Braun MultiServe Plus does publish a time for its version, under thirteen minutes.
Breville Precision Brewer vs OXO Brew 9-Cup
Control against certification, and the OXO publishes more.
The OXO Brew 9-Cup states SCA certification and a 92 to 96C brew window on its own listing, and it costs considerably less.
The Breville publishes PID and three flow rates but no temperature figure and no certification claim, which is a strange omission on the more expensive machine. It is much more adjustable and it makes cold brew. If you want a number you can hold the maker to, the OXO. If you want to change the brew rather than trust it, the Breville.
Is the Precision Brewer worth it?
Worth it if you will use more than one mode. Expensive if Gold is the only button you press.
Bought by somebody who currently brews by hand and is tired of it, this is the machine that replaces the ritual without losing the control, and there is very little competition at that job.
Bought by somebody who wants a good pot at eight in the morning, a Moccamaster does that with a five year warranty and one switch, and Breville publishes no warranty term here at all. Also unpublished: wattage, brew time, any temperature figure and the cold brew cycle time. This is a glass carafe version, so the pot sits on a warming plate.
Who should buy it (and who should not)
Buy it if you would otherwise own three brewers.
It suits somebody who wants hot filter, iced coffee and cold brew from one machine, who changes beans often, and who will actually adjust the flow rate rather than leave it on the default.
Do not buy it for simplicity. And do not buy it for the warranty, because none is published here.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the six modes on the Precision Brewer?
Gold, Fast, Strong, Iced, Cold Brew and My Brew, which is customisable.
What does PID do on a coffee maker?
Holds the water at a target temperature instead of letting it swing as the heating element cycles on and off.
Is the Breville Precision Brewer SCA certified?
This listing makes no such claim and publishes no brew temperature. We record only what the maker states.
Does it really make cold brew?
It has a dedicated cold brew mode. Breville publishes no cycle time or method on this listing.
How much does it hold?
60oz, which is the largest in this group.
