Breville BKC700XL Review

Breville BKC700XL
Overall Rating
79
Coffee Quality (40%)
78
Design & Features (20%)
85
Durability (20%)
65
Ease of Use (10%)
88
Brand Reputation (10%)
90
The Bottom Line
A discontinued model, the Breville BKC700XL was notable in its heyday for a 60 oz reservoir, 12 oz brew size, Iced Beverage function, and Temp Control. For an in-production alternative, check out the Cuisinart SS-10 instead.
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Key Features of the Breville BKC700XL

Key Features of Breville BKC700XL

  • Brew Sizes: 6 oz, 8 oz, 10 oz, 12 oz
  • Brew Types: Hot or iced coffee
  • Water Reservoir: 60 oz removable with blue LED light
  • Control Panel: LCD control panel with digital clock
  • Auto-On: Yes
  • Temperature Control: Yes
  • Strength Control: Yes
  • Dimensions: 10.0"W x 13.2"L x 13.0"H
  • Weight: 16.5 lbs
  • Watts: 1500W
  • Comes with reusable K-Cup and scoop in convenient lid compartment
  • Removable drip tray with pop-up indicator showing when drip tray is full

Breville BKC700XL Overview

You know the deal with these single-serve K-Cup brewers:

  1. Pop in a K-Cup
  2. Press brew
  3. Wait a minute
  4. Enjoy your cup

In the single-serve space, it can be hard for a brewer to stand out.

This Breville K-Cup coffee maker doesn’t have that issue. It’s one of the few single-serve brewers that also brews iced beverages!

But hold your horses, we’re not talking about a tall cup of iced coffee for those sweltering summer days. Instead, it’s a meager 3.25 oz of concentrated coffee intended to be brewed over ice.

Hey, at least it’s an option.

The brew time was middle of the pack, ranging from 40-60 seconds depending on the brew size. From a cold start expect to wait 3-4 minutes before your cup is ready.

Unfortunately, the biggest downside with the Breville BKC700XL is its inability to produce a strong coffee with the 12 oz max brew size. There are enough coffee makers out there that do this without issue, so why get one that can't?

Pros
  • Sleek, chrome-colored design
  • Cold beverage functionality
  • Reusable My K-Cup compatible for ground coffee
  • Convenient scoop and K-Cup pod storage under the lid
Cons
  • Discontinued model
  • Max volume brew doesn't produce a strong coffee
  • Serious durability concerns
  • Just a 1-year warranty

Is the Breville BKC700XL for you?

Are Breville BKC700XL for you?

A discontinued model that struggles to produce a strong, 12 oz coffee, there isn't a good reason to purchase the Breville BKC700XL.

Instead, here are two alternatives that offer similar functionality:

  • Cuisinart SS-10: Don't sleep on the SS-10. With a max 12 oz brew size, 72 oz water reservoir, digital LCD display, a reusable HomeBarista pod for ground coffee included, and a handy storage compartment so you don't lose the included accessories, the Cuisinart SS-10 is a fantastic value alternative to other K-Cup coffee makers.
  • Keurig K-Elite: Keurig's top-of-the-line model in their new Classic line, the K-Elite has a max 12 oz brew size, a 75 oz reservoir, Iced and Hot Water modes, and a host of premium settings befitting its status as the premium model from the world leader in single-serve coffee. Of note, the K-Elite usually costs more than the SS-10 and doesn't include the My K-Cup reusable pod, which you'll need to purchase separately.

Either of those recommended models is a great alternative.

If you're looking at the Breville BKC700XL, there's probably a reason you're shopping for something other than a Keurig. If that's the case, go with the Cuisinart SS-10 and don't look back.

Breville BKC700XL Review: An In-Depth Look

Quality of Coffee

The strength of your cup is very highly correlated with its size. While that’s generally true of all coffee makers, its extremely true here. Small cups will yield a strong brew. Large cups are lacking. Breville advertises that it reaches 197°F, but I registered 193°F at sea level.

Performance Quirk: If you don’t start your brew within 60 seconds of inserting the K-Cup, the LCD screen will blink and read “Open Head” until you acquiesce to its demands and open the head to restart the brewing cycle.

Durability

We love Breville products and rarely have issues with them, but our biggest concern with this Breville coffee maker is that it’s a currently discontinued unit as of 2011-2012 and only comes with a 1-year limited warranty.

Frankly, that's just an old coffee maker made with outdated parts. Unsurprisingly, many users report pump failures inside 1 year. You want more longevity with your purchase.

(The Cuisinart SS-10 has a 3-year warranty.)

Another common complaint is that the needle that pierces the K-Cup clogs frequently. This is a risk with all K-Cup brewers, and the simple solution (with any brewer) is to manually puncture the K-Cup first. K-Cups are stored at high pressure, and this releases some of that pressure before you lock the K-Cup into the brewer.

You can pre-pierce your K-Cup either by pushing the K-Cup down and piercing the bottom before locking it into the unit, or by piercing the top with a paperclip before inserting it.

Ease of Cleaning

Frequent cleaning is especially important with this unit for a couple reasons:

  • The aforementioned frequent pump and clogging problems
  • The lowly 1-year limited warranty

You don’t want to be left holding the bag on an expensive unit just after the warranty expires. Make sure to replace the charcoal filter every 2-4 months and descale every 3-6. Even better, do yourself a favor and use filtered or distilled water if at all possible.

While we love the sleek stainless steel look, the downside of stainless steel is that it can be a pain to keep clean.

Standout Features

There’s a secret storage compartment

Maybe it’s the kid in us, but we’ll give an extra few ratings points to anything with a secret storage compartment.

The lid flips up to reveal two convenient storage spaces:

  • One for the scooper
  • One for the reusable My K-Cup pod

If you’re like us and get more use from the reusable pod than the K-Cup holder, you can store the K-Cup holder here and make the My K-Cup reusable pod your default attachment.

Check out the Breville BKC700XL!

Check out Breville BKC700XL!

Breville BKC700XL
A discontinued model, the Breville BKC700XL was notable in its heyday for a 60 oz reservoir, 12 oz brew size, Iced Beverage function, and Temp Control. For an in-production alternative, check out the Cuisinart SS-10 instead.

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About The Coffee Maven
bryan de luca
Bryan De Luca

I'm Bryan but most people know me as The Coffee Maven. I grew up outside Boston, Massachusetts and received my Bachelor's degree in Biochemistry from Providence College. My first introduction to coffee was during my college days, when I used it as a source of caffeine to fuel late-night study sessions, but soon I became obsessed with the chemistry of coffee. How did changes to water temperature or contact time affect its taste? Why do beans from Africa taste fruity while beans from Indonesia taste spicy? I launched The Coffee Maven in February 2017 to explore these questions and help others brew their perfect cup. Welcome to my site, and thanks for reading!

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