Breville BDC450 Precision Brewer Coffee Maker Review 2022

Manufacturers of efficient coffee makers like the Breville BDC450 Precision Brewer has revolutionized the way people enjoy their coffee. 

Experts in the field of quality coffee production made a strong case arguing that this model is an example of excellence. Those who take positive distinction more seriously would know better than to take the word of professional critics at face value, however. This Breville Precision Brewer review carefully checks out the machine’s capabilities to verify if it lives up to expectations. 

Design and Construction 

We cannot help but deem appearance as a valid reason to choose a coffee maker no matter how much we yell “do not judge the book by its cover.”

The Breville BDC450 looks sleek enough to gain attention but not exactly eye candy. Then again, you want to look at function rather than just the form when buying a coffeemaker. 

Size

This model spans roughly 12.4 x 6.7 x 15.7 inches in total dimensions. Compared to most machines, this one can be quite intimidating. Fortunately, the overall size does not immediately translate a heavier load. The Breville Precision coffee maker only weighs 3.15 pounds.  

Material

The significant portion of this Breville Precision model’s overall structure is made of brushed stainless steel. This is the material component responsible for its glossy metallic look. 

The LCD monitor looks a bit somber around daytime brightness. At night, however, its baby blue radiance shines like a miniature LED nightstand. Reading the font can be relatively pleasurable (if you are not photosensitive). The water reservoir sports a clear transparent polymer glass that integrates well with the overall device’s curved frame.    

Safety Features

In terms of overall safety, this device is engineered to be very convenient to operate (more of this on Ease of Use) that the manufacturers guarantee it is safe enough for children at least 8 years old (1). There is practically nothing in the device’s smooth exterior frame that can pose a danger to your overall safety. 

The spout that directly feeds the thermal carafe also has a pause-brew feature that allows you to grab and pour a cup in the middle of the brewing process. This crucial characteristic is often overlooked in other models, leading to a fairly statistical degree of skin burns. 

To further augment this basic pause-brew element, the Breville Precision also has the ‘steep and release’ technology (2). In other words, the valves in your coffee maker spout are smart enough to pour safe droplets if you have set the control panel for brewing merely a single-serve cup or tumbler.     

Accessories Included

If you purchase this unit directly from Breville’s online store, there are a number of accessories that go together with the machine and its thermal carafe. This product also includes a coffee spoon, mesh basket filter, 10 pieces of paper filter and the water hardness test strip.

The small nearly paper-thin strip measures water hardness via its calcium deposit volume. Ordinary consumers may not always appreciate the scientific nuances but expert coffee aficionados know that the water’s mineral content directly affects the brew’s taste. Yes, this product literally takes ‘precision’ to a whole new level. 

Brew Time

As mentioned in the earlier part of the article, this brand does not use the affixed term ‘precision’ lightly. In fact, this model has a knack for enticing the ‘mechanical inclinations’ of expert brewers who consider tweaking with numbers an inseparable part of operating a coffee maker. 

Hence, this degree of customizability allows you the liberty of dictating how long your water percolates – between the range of 1 minute to 14 hours (no kidding!).

Obviously, the Breville Precision homebrewer has a programmable timer. In fact, this is just one of the many calculable elements you can tweak around. 

Brew Quality

Almost every Breville Precision Brewer review you can find online is proud to highlight the fact that the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) has chosen this model among the thousands that vie for its coveted position. Understandably, the SCAA certificate is so competitive that only 28 models are featured in its very short roster. 

In addition to setting the precise time, you can also tweak around the exact temperature – and this one even has specific parameters that you can manually adjust. Elements like bloom time and flow rate enable you to produce concoctions with a specific aftertaste (e.g. floral or earthy). 

Yes, this machine does not only tell you that you can brew strong coffee. It even gives you the very means to determine (if not experiment around) the exact coffee strength you prefer. Speaking of preference, you can even brew cold and iced coffee when it really comes down to it. These flexible settings are included in the preset modes. 

Ease of Use

The Breville Precision homebrewer has two buttons and one rotary analog. The bigger push switch is for manual start and cancel and the small one beside it is for automatic brewing. It is a good thing that the LCD monitor is big and  legible enough to clearly see the presets and programming settings. 

This machine looks simple enough that expert coffee aficionados are going to have fun exploring the adjustments without getting slowed down by multiple command inputs. 

What about beginners? Fortunately, there is an awesome preset on the LCD that bypasses the overall comprehensive customization settings. 

With one button and the right initial preset, you are immediately in a position of brewing the best coffee just like the SCAA defines it. This is called the Gold Cup preset.

Clean-Up (4/5)

Anyone who has owned a coffee maker before will not have a difficult time cleaning up this particular machine. However, it is important to understand that you will have to wash all the removable components manually. Just like every coffee maker model produced by Breville, you must avoid abrasive cleaning materials to prevent damaging these removable components.

Brand & Customer Service

Breville is an Australian company founded in Sydney, specializing in the manufacture and sale of kitchen appliances since 1932. Today, they deliver their innovative products to all 70 countries – with the United States being one of their greatest consumer markets. 

The Australian-based page Product Review (3) gave it a 2.5 out of 5 stars (and this is probably the least hostile review website around). While there has been significant traffic regarding the issue of the unit or parts replacement, the other greater portion of complaints stem from claims that most of their units are fragile and easily damaged.

Breville’s coffee maker has a 2-year limited warranty. Their main website (4) can accommodate inquiries or concerns via email, hotline (18662738455 for the US) and live chats from Monday to Friday (8:00 AM to 4:30 PM).   

Value for Money

The coffee maker might be a little expensive but such a price range is understandable given the incredible features it has in store. In fact, it is one of the fewest brands in which the design is proven to be so elegant and smart that both ends of the experience spectrum (ordinary beginner homeowners and expert baristas) can enjoy it.

This machine is not so extravagantly estimated like the Keurig K-Duo or the Technivorm Moccamaster. For less than $300, you can have the best cup of coffee exuding a variety of aftertastes across a broader flavor spectrum that only the Breville Precision Brewer thermal carafe model can prepare may it be hot, cold, or iced.  

Downsides

It is naturally difficult to come across bad Breville Precision Brewer reviews given the level of performance it brings. However, as mentioned earlier, this model is not designed for convenience in terms of its clean-up. Everything has to be done manually for ‘precision.’

For a device that is hand-picked by the SCAA themselves, it is curious how the manufacturers get away with using plastics that are not BPA-free. This issue might be a good topic to bring up to the company, yet you can absolutely forget opening such a discussion when the customer service line can barely even satisfy the consumer’s more pressing concerns.  

Who Should Buy this Coffee Maker? 

The Breville Precision Brewer thermal carafe model is suitable for home and office use. While it is a bit expensive, it does provide good value for money. So anyone who enjoys a hot cup of Joe every morning or at any time of the day would love to own this machine.

Final Verdict

I give the Breville BDC450 Precision Brewer Coffee Make a rating of 4.25 out of 5. 

As per the approval of the Specialty Coffee Association of America, you can never go wrong in choosing the Breville Precision Brewer BDC450BSS coffee maker. This machine is one of the fewest that truly embodies the paradox of ‘extraordinary capability within an ordinary exterior appearance.’ There is very little doubt that perfection can be achieved by this machine’s overall performance alone.

Specifications

Breville BDC450 Precision Brewer Coffee Maker Specifications
Brand	Breville
Model	BDC450BSS1BUS1
Material	Brushed Stainless Steel
Brew Type	Automatic Drip
Cup Capacity	12 Cups
Warranty	2 Years
Price	$$$

Frequently Asked Questions

References

1. https://www.breville.com/content/dam/breville/au/assets/miscellaneous/instruction-manual/coffee/BDC455-instruction-manual.pdf
2. https://www.amazon.com/Breville-BDC450-Precision-Brewer-Thermal/dp/B078RQVQF1
3. https://www.productreview.com.au/listings/breville
4. https://www.breville.com/us/en/support/breville-support.html