I'll be using this mainly for long black/americanos. Any tips or downsides to getting the most brewed liquid? I love a big, hearty mug of joe.

Do not let the water run through the coffee in the portafilter once the shot is done, like others suggest. For long black and americano, put the hot water in the mug first, then pull the double onto the water. For a nice long black, I suggest just 100ml of hot water before pulling your double shot (doppio) of 60ml from 18g of coffee. For an americano, use 200ml of water more or less to taste. Do not pull more than 65 ml from portafilter. My idea of a long black is actually stronger, 60ml water and 60ml from shot.

Will the machine fit on top of this protective mat? I'm not sure of the dimensions. http://amzn.to/2l8g4zZ

It will not fit on top but you can definitely lay it in front of your machine as it looks like it intended for tamping your grounds...

What are the significant improvements of the 870 over the 860 Express besides hot water and 1600W?

In addition to Randy B.'s CommentOne of the Most Important features/ changes to the 870 is the ThermoCoil Change, as the 860 had a Bolt together two Halfs with a seal sandwiched in between the two halfs this was a Possible failure point and could Leak down the road. I have seen reports of the thermo Block of the 860 leaking, But the new 870 uses a ThermoCoil, it is a Full length of Stainless Steel tubing (the water only comes in contact with the stainless steel) that coils around a few times nothing is Bolted together as the tubing is one continuous length to eliminate Leaks, and is surrounded by Aluminum, this alum houses the heater and makes for Fast heating up, for steaming and cooling down to 200 degrees for pulling the shot, so temps are more precise than before. This New ThermoCoil is a big Improvement over the 860 model. I saw a cut away version of both the 860 thermo block and the 870 thermoCoil the 870 is a much better design and should last a long time, as long as you don't run it out of water and burn it up. The Grinder Burrs have a little better/tighter tolerance for a little finer grinds. In addition to Randy B.'s Comment

Do I need to buy any other thing besides the coffee beans to use this machine well? For example, "Stainless Steel Frothing Pitcher".

This machine has been great. I use it in my cafe in Mexico. Its on all day and makes alot of coffee. I did buy a stainless steel frothing so I could make certain espressos. I have a couple of extra of all excersories. They are much cheaper in the States. I also have a themostat to tell me how hot the milk is.

Brand	Breville
Coffee Maker Type	Espresso Machine
Filter Type	Reusable
Style	modern
Specific Uses For Product	Espresso Machine
Recommended Uses For Product	traveling
Included Components	Filter
Operation Mode	Manual
Voltage	120
Number of Items	1
Human Interface Input	Dial
Net Quantity	1.00 unit
Global Trade Identification Number	00021614055514
UPC	021614055514
Country of Origin	Australia
Item model number	BES870XL
ASIN	B00CH9QWOU

Breville Bes870Xl Barista Express Espresso Machine,Silver

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