Brevilleknock box 20, Brushed Stainless Steel

Ok I’m going to confess something. I am an addict. I’m addicted to Breville appliances, and I’m addicted to great espresso. The Breville Barista Express Impress I now own gives me that daily fix. I own a bunch of other Breville appliances too, most that are of the newer look that incorporates the chrome trim ring seen in the base of this beautiful knock box. So, when I was browsing the Amazon website like I do a few times a day I noticed this knock box had just been released. So new in fact that I think I’m the first review. I was a tiny bit hesitant to order it, but I have faith in the Breville name as they tend to make really good accessories for their gear. I had just ordered the older large Breville knock box the day before, and hadn’t noticed this. Amazon being such a great place to shop, I knew I could return the other one I hadn’t used yet and just buy this one. I’m so glad I did. This thing is a work of modern industrial art! If you own a newer Breville espresso machine you really need to get this. Either this or the Knock Box 10 which is nearly identical but smaller, made for 10 pucks max whereas this is made for 20 max, hence the “10” or “20” after the name. Whichever size allows in your home is what you should get, as you can’t ever have “too big” a knock box when they tend to add up so quickly between compost runs. Ok, now for the specifics.. It’s heavy but not obnoxiously so. A good, solid feel in the hand. The stainless is real as far as I can tell, unlike the older cast aluminum knock box that was simulated stainless. A cool box, but it pales in comparison in every way to this gem. The base has a nice semi-tactile feel that should help it stay firmly in place during a puck knock. The knock bar comes off for easy soapy water wipe and rinse. The manual recommends you *not* wash this in a machine, nor let it soak in the sink. I would strongly agree. I clean my stainless with mild, soapy warm water. Quick but thorough rinse followed *promptly* with a microfiber towel wipe down and dry. The last stage is important. It will keep it from getting water spots. Microfiber is your friend. If you haven’t done so already I’d strongly recommend buying a good quality 2/4/6 or 8 pack of quilted microfiber bar towels. They are a godsend as you will find out. Just be sure to spend a fair amount for something highly recommended. They aren’t too expensive but the super cheap offerings tend to wear out quicker, get runs, piles etc. I know my review sounds biased, and to be fair it is. But I can tell you that I honestly believe that even if this was made by OXO or KitchenAid I’d still have recommended it due to the build quality and pricing alone. For 39.99 it’s a very good, fair price. The 10 is 29.99 as of this writing. I think Breville should give a raise to the talented design team that came up with these. Another solid addition to the stellar line of consumer goods from the folks Down Under.