# Sage by Heston Blumenthal the Dual Boiler™



## Glenn

Many thanks to Dave from Sage for supplying me with a Sage by Heston Blumenthal the Dual Boiler™ for review on Coffee Forums UK

In addition to the machine that arrived within hours of us speaking, the Smart Grinder™, also found its way to me

The 2 items I will be reviewing are:

BES920UK = Sage™ by Heston Blumenthal - the Dual Boiler™

BCG800UK = the Smart Grinder™

the Smart Grinder™ has a 2 year repair or replacement warranty card through www.sageappliances.co.uk

I will unbox the machine tomorrow and advise if this contains a similar card

The machine and grinder will be reviewed over the coming week with daily thoughts being placed online

Please Note:

I am not receiving any inducements for reviewing the machine and gladly accept the opportunity arising from the linked review to Pocketlint thread

A variety of beans will be used, and shots will be pulled on my Alex Duetto MkIV for comparative purposes (ground using the Smart Grinder™)

Additionally, espresso will be ground using the Mahlkoenig Vario and Anfim Caimano and pulled through the Sage Dual Boiler machine to see how the machine works with unpaired grinders

The testing period will finish on Friday 01 November 2013

I will update as much as possible

External photographs will be taken, but no internal shots on this machine

I will have the opportunity to dismantle a machine at a later stage

Watch this space!


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## Glenn

The full specs for this machine can be found at http://www.sageappliances.co.uk/the-dual-boiler.html

Photos taken of this machine can be found on my Flickr at 


 

Unboxing:

The dual boiler machine is surprisingly light

My Alex Duetto weights in at over 30kgs, whereas the Sage Dual Boiler weighs in at approx. 13kgs

This makes it light enough to manoeuvre around the worktop, for tank refills and re-siting when necessary

Inside the cardboard delivery box is a purple product box, usually used for retail display

Upon opening the top of the box, the first thing you see are the accessories included with the machine;

A 480ml thick walled milk jug

A portafilter with reverse mounted twin (open) spouts

4 x 58mm filter baskets (1 x single + 1 x double (ridgeless) - standard baskets & 1 x single pressurised + 1 x double pressurised standard baskets)

the Razor™ - a precision dose trimming tool for 58mm baskets

A 58mm tamper with magnetic handle top for mounting on the machine itself

The machine is protected inside a well formed and snug fitting polystyrene mould, with handles built in

Simply lift the machine out of the box and place straight onto the bench

Remove the polystyrene by tipping the machine to each side

The machine has grippy feet for stability, yet cleverly hidden beneath the drip tray is a dial, which when turned raises the machine on rollers for easy manoeuvre

There is also integrated storage for tools and cleaning products when the drip tray is removed

Included with the machine I am reviewing are espresso cleaning tablets

Next step is to fill the machine with water and switch on










Integrated Tamper holder


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## Glenn

Filling the machine:

Filling the machine with water is simple

You can fill from the rear (by way of removing the 2.5 litre tank - which contains a filter) or from the top (next to the warming tray), at the front of the machine directly behind the front panel

I am using Volvic bottled water - the same as used in my Alex Duetto

There is a water level panel on the front of the machine, lit from below too (which is a nice touch)

Switching on / Priming:

Turning the machine on activates the pump, which fills both espresso and steam boilers

The digital readout shows water temperature and rose to the preset 93c in approx. 3 minutes

The group was hot to the touch after 5-8 minutes but would require a flush to bring all components up to temperature

For the initial test I am leaving the machine on for 30 minutes before pulling a shot or steaming milk

The pump was fairly quiet - certainly quieter than many other tank fed machines I have used in the past


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## Glenn

The first extraction:

For the first extraction I used the Smart Grinder™ supplied for review

I have set the grinder to 2 micro-adjustments away from as Fine as it will go

A shim kit for espresso is being sent out to me separately, allowing me to grind even finer

The first extraction was 19g in and 56g out in 27 seconds - a long way off my traditional extraction ratio but the resulting espresso tasted okay

The integrated shot timer kicks in when you press the brew button (I used the Manual button on this occasion)

The vibe pump sounds are reasonable - no noiser than a Rancilio Silvia, but a touch louder than a Rocket Cellini

Steaming:

As soon as I stopped the shot I started steaming the milk jug I had prepared with 265mls full fat milk (4% Yeo Valley Organic). This amount of milk took 50 seconds to reach 65c (judged through the TempTag lighting up fully)

I am using the supplied 3 hole tip which gives a nice gentle mist when purging, but a couple of seconds in it seems to kick up a gear and the milk starts to volumise and spin nicely

Microfoam is formed and the steaming is effortless, resulting in a glossy oil paint finish when tapped and swirled lightly

This was my first attempt

A little too much microfoam, but the sounds are deceiving. The steaming is so quiet










Comparison shots using a Mahlkoenig Vario:

For comparison I dialled in the same bean on my Mahlkoenig Vario

19g in and 29.6g out in 28 seconds at 93c

The shot was much better looking, more viscous and had a much better aroma and mouthfeel

The first drips started to appear at 12 seconds

There was a noticeable increase in volume of the pump from the first shot

For the next shot I have knocked 2 micro steps off the fineness setting on my grinder

Steaming a second jug of milk (also 265 mls) was again achieved in 50 seconds, with the extra kick in pressure appearing 2-3 seconds into the steaming process

The first tests were conducted at factory settings

The cup warmer is effective too - registering 48.3c on the surface (vs 55c on the Alex Duetto)

I will delve into the menu now to see how easy it is to change temperature and pressure


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## Glenn

Sage Manuals and Quick Start Guides:

It's at this point that I'm thumbing through the manuals and associated 'Heston's Tips & Techniques' guide. There is some great (and relevant) information contained within them

The Quick Start Guide is easy to follow, in graphical format and has clear & concise instructions on how to make a coffee and steam milk

This sheet alone should help a lot of people produce a drinkable cup shortly after buying their machine

It is not a substitute for home barista training but will help you avoid making mistakes on your first attempts

The Tips & Techniques guide is easy to read and covers roasting, degassing (and why it is important), how to choose your beans and even where to buy them. It goes on to cover milk steaming tips, all of which are bang on the money!

I am very impressed with the literature provided for both the Smart Grinder and the Dual Boiler machine.

There is even more information on the Sage Appliances website and Facebook page

Included in the box was a 2 year Repair or Replacement Warranty card

For those people considering a £1200 outlay this will provide reassurance that they won't be left high and dry if anything was to go wrong

Attached to the Dual Boiler instruction booklet is a water hardness tester strip

As my machine was used in a photoshoot on Friday this test was already completed so I skipped this step

Power Save Mode:

I left the machine on whilst I went shopping for more milk

When I came home the power light was flashing. When you press any button (except the Power button) the machine kicked back in (from 88c) and hit 93c again within seconds

There is a power save mode after 1 hour with a full machine switch off after 4 hours

I cannot see a way of disabling the power save mode


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## Glenn

Dimensions:

The Sage by Heston Blumenthal - the Dual Boiler™ coffee machine has presence in the kitchen

38cm High

41cm Wide

36cm Deep (without Portafilter)

45cm Deep (with Portafilter locked in)

This machine is ideal for shallow worktops, but takes up more space widthways than most machines in its price bracket

On my bench I can have scales laid out in front or use the space for pouring the milk into the cups, whereas this is not possible with my Alex Duetto

The Smart Grinder™ is also small enough to fit under most kitchen cupboards

39cm High

16cm Wide

20cm Deep

The finish on these machines is a brushed steel look and they sit nicely together


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## Glenn

Auto Start (Wakey wakey):

I am leaving the machine to go to sleep by itself (standby after 1 hour, power off after 4 hours) and have set the inbuilt alarm (aka Auto Start) for 0630 tomorrow morning


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## Glenn

Right on 0630 this morning the Sage Dual Boiler kicked into life and could be heard burbling away as it heated the boilers and brought itself up to the preset 93c temperature within a matter of minutes

This shows the auto-timer works as the machine had switched itself onto standby just before I headed to bed (at about 0030)

I let the machine warm further whilst I had a shower and then proceeded to grind (again using the Vario) and pull 2 shots

19g in, 31g out, 28 seconds at 93c

Again the extraction started slowly (11-12 seconds in according to the shot timer) and the needle indicated 3 bars of pressure before noticeably becoming louder and jumping to 7.5 bar then up to 9 - flicking within this range for the remainder of the shot

I will run a few tests at varying grind fineness (going coarser initially) to see if this reduces the pressure fluctuation.

I would expect the pressure to be more constant throughout the shot

The pre-infusion time can also be changed and I will try and lower this to start getting drips at about 8 seconds rather than 12

More caffeine consumption coming up this evening


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## Glenn

Tonight's test consisted of running the same grind, through my Alex Duetto and Sage the Dual Boiler - to see how much liquid is extracted in 30 seconds, along with pressure fluctuation (judged by the needle)

The Sage Tamper was used through this test

For reference;

The Alex Duetto shot weights are in between hashes # #, using the Sage supplied double basket

Shot 1

First shot was on the Sage - with the standard pre-infusion and a firm tamp

16g in, 23g out, 30sec at 93c (first drips appeared at 12 seconds) #29.0g with manual preinfusion#

Shot 2

Next shot was on the Sage - with full pressure* throughout the extraction and a standard tamp

16g in, 57.2g out, 30sec at 93c (first drips appeared at 8 seconds) #55.1g#

Shot 3

Third shot on the Sage - with full pressure* throughout the extraction - slightly harder tamp

16g in, 45.4g out, 30sec at 93c (first drips appeared at 9 seconds) #51.6g#

*full pressure on the Sage Dual Boiler machine I have is set to 9.5bar but jumps between 7 - 9.5 with a firmer tamp (approx. 26lbs), and 8 - 9.5 with a standard tamp (approx. 20lbs) during the extraction process.

In contrast, the Alex Duetto pressure is rock solid at 9.8bar throughout the extraction

The Sage Tamper

I like the Sage Tamper. Although it is light, it fits the basket and stores neatly on the machine - with a magnetic top to hold it in place

However, it's no match for a Reg Barber Copper Base, with a bit of heft to aid in the forming of the puck

I recreated the shots on both machines with my tamper, and shot volumes fell overall, as my natural tamp was a few lbs heavier

I have just created a flat white with 16g in, 32g out, 28sec at 93c

I steamed 265mls of milk and again it took 50 seconds to reach 65c - consistent with previous tests

The steaming is such a joy and Sage has got it right supplying the 3 hole tip

The Sage Basket

When I flipped out the Sage basket from the portafilter I thought I was looking at a VST

The only visible difference was the lack of a VST stamp in the rim or the side

The ridgeless basket supplied is very good quality. Much better than baskets supplied with home machines that I have come across in the past

I will be trying out the double walled (pressurised) baskets more thoroughly later this week


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## Glenn

Yesterday I received the shims for the BCG800UK = the Smart Grinder™

4 shims came in the sealed bag (1 x 1mm and 3 x 0.4mm shims)

I fitted the 1mm and 1 x 0.4mm shim as recommended

The job took about 45 seconds and no tools were required

This has transformed the grinder into something I quite like

I have moved about 8 macro adjustments towards coarse

The grinder is quieter than an Iberital MC2, but not as quiet as Mahlkoenig Vario

There is a digital control panel and you can use either pre-programmed amounts or manual mode

The grinds drop straight into the portafilter and are totally contained within a rubber surround that the portafilter pushes into. This ensure no grinds stray where they shouldn't

I have noticed a little clumping (but nowhere near the Mignon or Rocky levels of clump density) but the grind is fairly even when spread out

I'm changing beans again in the morning so will monitor this


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