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Availability:
In Stock.
Arrives
Saturday, Aug 29
Color: Black Sesame
Features
- INCLUDED: Razor Dose Trimming Tool, 54mm Stainless Steel Portafilter, 1 & 2 cup Single & Dual Wall Filter Baskets, Coffee Scoop, Integrated Tamper, Stainless Steel Milk Jug, Cleaning Disc, Tablets, Brush Tool, Allen Key, Water Filter & Filter Holder
- CAPACITY & SETTINGS: 1/2 lb Bean Hopper; 67 oz Water Tank; Single or double shots; Adjustable Grind Amount and Manual Override; WARRANTY: 1 Year Limited Product Warranty; Power: 1600 Watts; Voltage: 120 Volts
Description
The Breville Barista Express espresso machine is an espresso maker delivering third wave specialty coffee at home. This manual espresso machine allows home baristas to go from beans to espresso in under one minute. The integrated conical burr grinder provides dose control grinding, delivering freshly ground coffee directly into the portafilter. Low pressure pre-infusion gradually increases pressure during brewing, drawing out balanced flavors. This home espresso machine also features digital temperature control (PID), allowing water to reach the right temperature for precise espresso extraction. If you're looking for a latte and cappuccino machine for home use, the powerful steam wand enables manual microfoam milk texturing that allows for the creation of latte art. Now you can craft café-quality cappuccinos and lattes in the comfort of your own kitchen.
Specs & Other Info
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Making Type | Espresso Machine |
| Brand | Breville |
| Model | BES870BSXL |
| Design and Hue | Black Sesame |
| Dimensions of Product | 13.8"D x 12.5"W x 15.9"H |
| Filter Features | Permanent, Reusable |
| Outer Finish | Stainless Steel |
| Operational Mode | Semi-Automatic |
| Voltage Requirement | 110-120 Volts |
| Weight | 23 pounds |
| Usual Uses | Espresso |
| User Interface | Dial |
| Manufacturing Location | China |
| Available Since | June 6, 2013 |
| Manufacturer Support | Continued support, Not Discontinued |
Frequently asked questions
The Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine comes with a large 2L (67 fl.oz) water tank. This large capacity ensures you don't have to constantly refill, making it ideal for hosting or for large households.
Yes, one of the standout features of the Breville Barista Express is its integrated conical burr grinder. It grinds on-demand to deliver the right amount of freshly ground coffee directly into the portafilter for your preferred taste with any roast of the bean.
The Breville Barista Express BES870BSXL comes in a variety of color options to suit your kitchen decor. The specific model mentioned here, BES870BSXL, is in Black Sesame.
Yes, it is. The machine includes a 'clean me' light to indicate when a cleaning cycle is required. The removable drip tray also has an 'empty me' indicator when it's full. The components are easily removable for thorough cleaning.
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🚀 Abunda's Overview
This is our summary and key points to consider based on customer reviews.
The Breville Barista Express is a popular espresso machine that offers a host of features usually reserved for commercial coffee machines. People who are fond of this machine appreciate its all-in-one brewing system, easy maintenance, and high-quality espresso brewing capabilities. However, a consistent critique was about the built-in grinder where it seemed to lack consistency and would make the brewing process longer than it should be.
Pros
- 🌟 Comprehensive all-in-one brewing system relying on fresh beans for quality espresso.
- 🌟 High-quality espresso brewing allowing for the creation of a variety of coffee drinks.
- 🌟 Easy maintenance and customer-friendly features.
Cons
- 🔻 The built-in grinder has inconsistent results, affecting the quality of the brew.
- 🔻 Steaming and brewing cannot occur simultaneously, leading to slower brewing process.
- 🔻 The espresso machine is high maintenance and requires regular cleaning and decaling.
Should I Buy It?
If you are looking for an all-in-one espresso machine that offers great value for money, the Breville Barista Express is a reasonable choice. However, if you are after a quicker brewing process or want less maintenance, you might want to consider other options. Otherwise, keep in mind that buying a separate, more reliable grinder could greatly elevate your coffee experience with this machine.
Color: Brushed Stainless Steel
Update May 2024: I purchased this machine in 2015. I've had it almost 9 years. It's now starting to have issues - the 1 cup pour does not stop at automatically any longer, and a few weeks later, the 2 cup pour started doing the same. I'll look into repair, but this is probably it for the machine. Update July 2023: Still going strong!! Using it daily! I've followed their cleaning guide and decalcification guidelines and have had no issues! Update June 2nd 2019: Still use it daily, and it's working well! It's now been almost 4 years! (Time flies when you're drinking good coffee :) Update August-6-17: Still going strong after almost two years! Original Review and Tips: I love this thing. I've been using it multiple times a day for almost a year I think. Every day it makes amazing espresso, and as long as I keep it clean it preforms beautifully. This thing is also easier to maintain and requires less cleaning than other cheaper espresso machines I've tried. A tip for anyone looking to make actual espresso at home, I recommend looking for a local roastery in your area. I use to buy bulk beans online like many people, but once I tried local whole beans and found a blend I liked, the difference was amazing. Bean choice is very important if you actually want to enjoy your espresso! A few tips I picked up for using this machine: 1. A few people complained about the grind amount knob not going low enough. To counteract this, I changed the cup size to "Single" and increased the grind amount by turning the knob to the right. This gives me the perfect amount of ground coffee every time. 2. If the machine keeps going over or under on the pressure gauge, try cleaning the grinder. And remember to clean the grouphead with those desolvable tablets when the clean me light comes on! 3. You can get cheap replacement cleaning tablets here on amazon. I chose Urnex Cafiza Espresso Machine Cleaning Tablets here on amazon, and they work great! 4. You do not need to order a separate tamper, the one included is perfect. 5. The included frothing cup is small but works for me. Some might need a bigger one. 6. Do not underestimate the need for a burr grinder. Trying to make good espresso without one is like trying to hammer a nail with an inflatable hammer! Some of the features I love (Pros)* 1) The grinder. I know many would rather use a separate burr grinder, but this thing works perfectly fine, and is easy to clean. Many complained about the coffee machine heating up the beans too much if you leave them inside the hopper, but I actually store my beans in a special container outside of the hopper, and use the included the scoop to pour in the beans when I grind them. 2) The frother is amazing. Much much better than cheaper machines. 3) Clean me light is awesome. Always reminds me to keep up on this things maintenance, and helps prolong the life. 4) The Stainless steel is beautiful. (It is not 100% stainless on the outside though, a little bit of plastic, see cons.) 5) The pressure gauge. Absolutely invaluable in making good tasting espresso. I would not recommend buying any machine without one. It really helps with learning and getting it right! 6) The included tamper is perfect. 7) Creates perfect pucks of coffee to dump out in the trash. 8) The hot water dispenser is an awesome addition! 9) Is an all-in-one, meaning I don't need to buy a separate grinder! 10) Just makes good coffee. 11) Great manual included for lots of useful information. 12) Has an automated cleaning cycle to clean the insides of the grouphead. Awesome! 14) Includes a beautiful copper dosing tool. 15) Includes tools to clean out the filters. Some things that bother me (Cons)* 1)The top of the machine is plastic. 2) The bottom sides of the machine is plastic 3) The water tank needs to be refilled often, and it also thick plastic. 4) The bottom water catcher thing (sorry) needs to be emptied often, but its not too bad. 5) The coffee grind separator doesn't really seem to help much, but it does help keep it out of the water below and little bit, which keeps it from smelling! 6) Expensive, but to me, was a very worthwhile investment for how much coffee I was buying from the shop. 7) Can't seem to find inexpensive filters for the water tank, however, I use filtered water instead of tap. 8) The Lowest grind amount is too much on the "double" setting. QC Should have caught this! But not a deal breaker. See above for workaround. *Might add more later as I think of them! This thing is also great for making sweet frappicinos and iced drinks. For caramel flavored drinks I use Hershey's Caramel Syrup (Edit: I now make my own caramel syrup! It's super easy!) For vanilla flavored drinks I use Torani Vanilla Syrup that I get cheaply from a bulk wholesale store in my town. For my sweet drink of choice I mix the two, add a double shot of espresso, 2% milk, and top with whipped cream and caramel syrup. Nothing beats a great espresso in the morning! Added tons of pictures. Edit: It seems quite a few people had problems with the machine dying on them, If your machine died on your please comment on this review with any information you think may help, such as the level of maintenance you preformed while your machine was working, the brand of water filters and cleaning tablets you used, etc. Maybe we can find a common cause of this defect!
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Reviewed in the United States on August 14, 2016 by Amazonian
Color: Brushed Stainless Steel
I absolutely love this machine. With as many lattes as I drink, this will easily pay for itself within a year, inclouding the cost of beans, milk and cleaning products. Notes: Make sure to keep up with all the regular maintenance. Ever day after I've made my coffee, I wipe the steam wand, purge it, then wipe again. Make sure to get into all the crevices around the tip and you'll never need to use the pin to clean out the tip. Once I've done that and poured my steamed milk, I purge the showerhead by pulling one shot into the empty mug (no filters). This keeps the showerhead clean of coffee debris and keeps the coffee tasting pure. REMEMBER TO CHANGE YOUR WATER FILTERS. The filters should be changed every 60 uses or 2 months, whichever comes first. This wolill reduce how often you need to descale the machine, prolong it's useful life and provide better tasting coffees. You will still need to descale the machine every so often. The manual included is very helpful for keeping up with the maintenance (as well as pulling shots, making drinks and other useful tips) and you can also find instructions on their website should you misplace the manual. Gold tone makes pretty inexpensive replacement filters specific to this machine and they're available here on Amazon. I use them and am pretty happy with the results. Do not let the water run out. Ever. This could cause serious damage to the machine. If you forget once or twice, you'll probably be just fine but check the water reservoir at least 1-2 times per week. Clean the machine parts at least once a week. You may need to empty and rinse the drip tray 1-2 times a week (depending on frequency of use) but take it out and hand wash at least once a week. This is a good time to wash the tools and tool bin as well. Also, dont forget to take the coffee filters out of the portafilter and wash those as well. Over time, residue can build up underneath there. Also, the spouts in the portafiler twist off so you can clean them better. Clean out your parts, get in those crevices regularly and you'll be just fine. Don't forget to clean the hopper and grinder. You should clean it out every time you switch to a new bean or at least every few pounds of coffee. The instructions in the manual are pretty easy and straight forward. I also use a clean, dry towel to wipe any remaining coffee and oils from both the grinder parts and the hopper. Do not wash in warm water as you could risk it not drying well and rusting or not being lubricated enough and over heating. Just use the included brush and clean, dry paper towels. You could also vacuum out residual coffee from the grinder to assist in cleaning, but I don't usually need to. Also, remember that the stainless exterior is stainless plating. This means it can wear over time and not look as nice. The best way to handle this is to wipe it down with a damp cloth (once daily then more detailed once a week) and follow it up by drying it with a clean towel. This will prolong the exterior appearance. Also during your weekly cleaning, be sure to look under where the coffee and steam come out and clean around there. Milk, coffee and residue steam can splatter and build up so be sure to clean it as well. The weekly cleaning sound intensive but really takes maybe 5 minutes. Common issues: Keep in mind certain o-rings will need to be replaced over time. This is noted by Breville in the manual and on the website. There are two main places where you need to replace these: around the tip of the portafilter (where the spouts connect) and where the portafilter connects to pull shots. Another common issue is that the machine will make a loud "buzzing" sound and/or leak water out of the bottom of the machine. This is a common issue and, when it does occur, usually happens around 6 months to a year. This generally occurs due to a broken solenoid valve. If your product is still under warranty, take a video and contact their customer service. Maybe suggest it's a solenoid valve and they are usually very good about fixing or replacing the machines and parts. If it is no longer under warranty and they will not resolve the issue (because sometimes they still will after the warranty period), there are many repair services that can fix this. If you are especially handy and brave enough to fix it yourself, you can usually find the replacement parts fairly cheaply online (not just the valve, but really ANY part that may need to be replaced). Again, if it's still under warranty do not go this route, as it will void any existing warranty. Also, if you don't know what you're doing, you could do more damage than good. All-in-all, this is an amazing machine for this price point. There is a reason this machine is so popular and highly rated. There's a lot of customization available to you and it is a very good quality machine. I would not suggest any product below this machine and price point for your first machine as you'll likely be very disappointed in the results. Eventually you may want to upgrade to a more robust multi-thousand dollar machine, but this is great for the majority of consumers and is super user friendly. Use higher quality beans directly from the roasters and learn how to use the machine and make drinks and you'll be very happy with it. The quality is truly amazing for such a low cost espresso machine. Side note: Whole Latte Love on YouTube is a great resource for additional reviews, tips and tricks and maintenance for this machine (and many more). It's also a great resource on how to pull shots, steam milk, pick types of milk and make many different types of drinks when you're just starting out or want to up your coffee game.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2018 by Maddle
Color: Black Truffle
This espresso machine is very good. It makes great coffee. At first I felt like I was standing in the cockpit of the starship Enterprise with all the dials and buttons, but it’s not difficult to learn to use it. I’m still fine tuning my results, but it’s going well. I chose Breville because we have had a few of their appliances and they’re nice and sturdy, but also their customer service is solid. Also it’s not $3000😎.
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Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2026 by LindaB
Color: Brushed Stainless Steel
Fantastic espresso machine. You get your grinder (with adjustable dosage, and two dials to change the coarseness - the second adjustment is directly inside the grinder), pump, steam wand, hot water spout and a nice tamper all in one machine! The accessories you get with it are great as well, you get the porta-filter holder (duh), 4 baskets (single and double serve with single walls and the same in double-wall setup), precision dosage razor, frothing pitcher and the cleaning kit. Really don't need much more than this, so if you're looking for a serious espresso machine with all included, this one is it. And the 1,500+ reviews and average over 4.5 stars just proves that. I debated going with this one or something cheaper. I recently used to have a DeLonghi EC155. That thing started at 4.0 stars or higher, but now I see it lower, I understand why. For a first try of "espresso" coffee, it was okay. I put it in quotation marks, because it was more like a really strong coffee, didn't quite come across as espresso. Maybe I did it wrong. But anyway, I am not reviewing that machine here. With this machine, there is one thing you need to realize (and a video review of Breville, or rather "Sage" as this brand is known in Europe) is this - with this machine, you're not only getting into serious coffee, you're probably getting into a hobby as well, or a new activity. If you are looking for a simple serve machine that prepares a great coffee with one push of a button, look elsewhere, like the Nespresso machines. But, if you are looking for something that is a little more involved, gives you the desired control, allows you to experiment and pulls you into the world of coffee, this is it. There is a reason why you pay $2-2.50 for just an espresso at a coffee shop. It takes work, it takes skill and it takes time. Once you start pulling your own great (or good for me, I'm not at the "great" level quite yet) coffee, the sense of accomplishment along with a great drink at home feels nice. I think it retails at around $560 right now. I put it on my wish list in August 2017 I believe and kept watching the price. Then I noticed it dropped below $500 for like a day and half and I ended up getting this machine for $460. I still would probably purchase it for $560, but man, what a deal. Don't forget that cheap/stale beans just won't do. I mean, if you got a car for a race track, you probably wouldn't pour in regular 87 gas, no, you'd go with the premium high-octane stuff. Similar with this - you got an awesome, professional-like machine, then feed it quality beans. I mean, you can try to go cheaper, but if you get very oily and stale beans, the coffee will taste burnt and you'll end up spending more time cleaning the thing. Pros: 1) Sense of control - there is so much experimentation you can do. I've had this for 3 months and I'm still at the beginning. I now froth milk in a decent way but boy, there is a lot to learn. 2) All-in-one - you don't have to get an expensive grinder, fancy wooden tamper and a milk frother. I mean, you could, but why would you, if you have that high quality all built into this one? 3) The supplied equipment - kind of goes with point number 2, but you get a frothing pitcher as well, you get multiple baskets and you get everything you need to get rolling (besides the beans). 4) Quality - it is all stainless steel and what isn't (and is plastic) doesn't feel cheaply made. It seems sturdy and high quality. I've had it for 3 months now, so far so good, so ask me in a few months if I still think so. 5) The display/indicators - it tells you when it wants to be cleaned. I spoke to their customer reps and this was their exact email response: "I have confirmed with our technicians, they advised me it will actually come on after 300 shots, and unplugging the unit should not reset the counter. " You also have a dedicated button for filter size, you can let it automatically grind the specific amount of coffee you want - this brings me to one of the cons, however. Cons: 1) As mentioned pro #5, the grinding amount is a bit of a pain. When coffee is ground, it tends to expand. If you let the machine grind the automatic amount, it overfills the basket (because the coffee expands) and you get grounds falling over into the tray. This may not be a design flaw, because when you tap the filter onto the counter, the grinds settle and you do have the right amount, it's just a mess though - someone slightly OCD like myself finds that hard to deal with. I just use the manual grind, I hold it in, let it fill half way, tap it to let it settle, grind some more and tamp. Time consuming, yes, but it's more fun and cleaner. 2) If you live in an area with hard water (like I do), be prepared for water spots all over that beautiful stainless steel - again, not a manufacturer's flaw, but worth mentioning. I keep trying to think of other cons, but can't. That's when you know it's a good unit, when you "try" to think of cons just for the review and can't come up with any legit ones. Again, if you want a great coffee machine that will feed (or create) a coffee hobby and make you want to experiment, source local beans and just overall make your own fantastic coffee, go right ahead. I'd say it's worth the money. If you're looking for a morning/quick convenience of pressing a button and that's it, look elsewhere, this isn't for you. I would also like to say that this machine is my after-work or weekend espresso/play around machine, for my quick morning coffee I have a small Mr. Coffee steam machine (and a Cuisinart grinder). Let me know if this was helpful, I'm open to any questions!
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Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2018 by D & R
Color: Brushed Stainless Steel
I swear I have been stalking the price on this Breville Barista Express Espresso machine for years. I couldn't convince my husband because he drinks Coke not coffee. But I was tired of giving all my money to Starbucks and Dunkin', so I told him if it hit a certain price point on Prime Day, I was buying it no matter what. And it did! I was worried about having to set it up and figure out how to use it, since I am not mechanically inclined, but the directions were easy to follow. Putting the machine together took a minute or two! Very portable, and I could move it from one counter to another where I wanted it to go. The ease of use is amazing! The brew strength has a variable feature, so I love my espresso strong, whereas my daughter doesn't - so that's a bonus for us! The noise level is decently low, not overwhelming. It steams the milk in seconds! It's easy to clean and compatible with the different espresso beans we've used. The sleek design and material are the aesthetic I want in my kitchen, too. Highly recommend this machine! No more drive-through coffee places for me!
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Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2026 by VickiT
Color: Brushed Stainless Steel
As my profile name says, this is my first ever review and a feedback for anything I bought anywhere online. I felt like doing it because I have some spare time over Christmas and also I hope someone will find this helpful. If your primary criteria for choosing an espresso machine is the looks, don’t read further. Choose this machine as my opinion it is the best looking machine on the market as of right now. If on the other hand you are assessing other features, keep reading. Bough this machine 3 weeks ago. Was away for a week on work travels and used it effectively 25 times. Made around 15 espressos and 10 cappuccinos. in two weeks. I owned two espresso machines in last 5 years and these were half the price of this one so you understand where my base line or the previous knowledge is. Issues The first issue is around excess amount discharged of water in the bottom tray (you will see it because Breville obviously even made a floater that flips red when it is about to overflow). Issue 1. Bottom tray was overflowing with water after using the machine 15 times. I thought this was strange, emptied the water and continue using the machine and this time I was monitoring the level of water in the bottom tray. After 10 further drinks (mostly espressos and a few cappuccinos) the tray was half-way full. I did not think this was right so I gave Breville support a call. They were very responsive and called me back. I explained the situation and the gentlemen I spoke with said it is a normal operating condition for this machine and that end-user is expected to empty the tray after a while due to, as he stated, 3 events taking place: - Event 1, When you switch the machine on it automatically drains any stale water from its pipes into a tray so that a fresh water from the plastic container is used. I see this as a positive and a smart function for the machine to do and can confirm not much water is discharged into a tray. - Event 2, Machine drains a certain amount of water after every espresso made into a tray in order to get rid of any water in internal pipes so, so no water under pressure is left in machine pipes as this prolongs the life of a machine. I confirmed this whilst on a phone to him and there was not much water discharged in the tray. - Event 3, Machine drains a certain amount of water after using steamer for e.g. milk frothing. Again, as explained this is so any excess pressure is released from the pipes as well as any water. Here, a large amount of water was released in the tray as I tested this whilst on the phone to support. My assessment of this issue is, if you have the time to change empty the tray after roughly you made 15 drinks and stress about whether the water will overflow in you espresso tray then consider this a non-issue. This normal operating condition is not listed in the manual or brought to consumer’s attention when choosing this product. This is obviously known to Breville since they went as far as designing a smart flipping floater turning red when the tray is full. However, they do not consider this too much of a hinderance to users. The next issue number 2, again as per my conversation with the support is a normal operating condition. Steamer pipe was blocked. I had to use a cleaning needle, supplied with the machine, followed by switching on the steamer to get it to work. This is after frothing the milk for around 10 cappuccinos I made using this machine, last one yesterday. The support said it may be because I used whole milk, and I think I did. Again, this normal operating condition/best practice is not listed in the manual or brought to consumer’s attention when choosing this product. This is obviously known to Breville since they went as far as supplying a cleaning kit with this machine all with specifically designed needle. Obviously, they do not seem to consider this too much of a hinderance to users. Issue number 3 is to do with coffee grinder feature usability. You cannot tell how much coffee has been ground (the grinder will go on as long as you keep the porta filter basket/handle pressing the grinder switch). As a result every coffee you make will taste different. Now, in summary, I am returning this product since I cannot afford the time to maintain it (empty water, clean). Although making a coffee is a ritual, I do not feel like I can get use to this machine. It would require too much of my attention to maintain and learn how to operate it. Also, I want to be able to use any milk type without a fear it will clog the steamer pipe and lastly the coffee tastes differently every time I make it (this last one would take some time to get use to the machine which admittedly I did not allow for). Although I am a coffee lover, I cannot justify the price of this espresso machine with having all the basic issues I listed. And for whomever over-engineered the self-cleaning functionality of this machine, and the person who approved it, they have done it to the detriment of usability and have affected the end product result at the end of the day. The next section are my suggestions on how to improve this product in the future, so for Breville Product Owner, in case they ever read this. 1. Have a light at the top of the grinder dispenser so that I can see how much coffee has been ground. Maybe have both options available to users, unlimited coffee grinding (needs light to see) as well as the exact amount 2. Find a better way of cleaning the machine than discharging a lot of the water in the tray - this is a burden to end-user. See suggestion 3. 3. Instead of on/off steamer switch, have a knob controlling how much steam to use. This will help with cleaning the pipes as well as stopping excess water discharge in the tray since the user can simply release any excess steam with the knob. Not as easy with on/off switch, not to say impossible 4. Grinder dial numbers are hard to see Hope this helps.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2022 by FirstEverReview
Color: Brushed Stainless Steel
We now have two Breville Barista Express Espresso Machines. Only for when we’re having parties or large gatherings. We use our Barista on a daily basis making several shots of espresso at a time. The Barista makes excellent lattes with the milk frother! The grinder is fantastic and you can set the grinder to your desired setting to grid your espresso beans as fine or as course as you want! The machine heats the water to almost boiling temperature in less than a minute! More like 30 seconds! The espresso shots are perfect every time. This machine is really more industrial than the price reflects! In fact, this same machine use to cost over a thousand dollars at William’s Sonoma when it first launched about 12-15 years ago. We’ve had one of our two machines for just over 10 years and it’s still running perfectly today! Cleaning the Barista is super easy! The instructions that come with it are simple to follow and tell you everything you need to know. There are also many helpful videos on YouTube that show you exactly everything you need to know, including how to make the perfect espresso or latte every time. You will not be disappointed with this machine! It rivals machines that are much more expensive! We prefer our barista over a Starbucks coffee, espresso or latte any day! Have fun with it! We’ve had a blast with our Baristas for years! Enjoy!
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Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2026 by Nathometheatre
Color: Brushed Stainless Steel
This is the first espresso machine I've ever owned. I purchased it this Spring (2020) because, like many of you, I needed to stop going out. I didn't know much about home brewing espresso, but I have lots of Breville products, and I thought this would be a good entry-level machine., I liked that it had all of the features I needed in a one-stop solution, but would still allow me to make "real" espresso, not the stuff that shoots of a pod, which I typically dislike. Armed with nothing more than the instructions it came with, power, water, and beans, I was able to brew espresso good enough to keep me from going into withdrawal, but typically not delicious, and appreciably less enjoyable than my favorite baristas in my favorite cafes. I also wasted a lot of beans in the process. After about 10 days of this bumbling around, I decided to start researching how to get better performance, learning a lot of coffee science along the way, and over the next few months, my technique and results improved, but ultimately plateaued at a point where I felt my home-brewed espresso was now generally better than my favorite baristas - but still not consistent - one day I could make a perfect shot, with all of the lovely sweetness and velvety texture of great espresso, with little or no extraction defect, but then the next day, doing the exact same thing, would get something uneven and over- or under- extracted, and not as good. I was not exactly sure what the variable was, but I suspected it was the grind consistency, since by now I had become very practiced at everything else. The obvious issues with the grinder are that there is a limited range of adjustment, and as you get to a good fineness for your beans, there will be popcorning - the phenomenon of the beans bouncing off the burrs before passing through; those popcorned beans will be ground more coarsely than the beans that were packed into the grinder by the weight of the beans sitting on top of them. Also, while the machine has a hopper that encourages you store beans in it, that's a terrible idea; it's better to store the beans in an airtight cannister or, if they came from a nice roaster, in their resealable, airtight bags with one-way gas valves. I find that beans that are well-packed like that do not have to be brewed within two weeks of roast, as some coffee trainers say, but rather, can last up to 5 weeks from their roast date, and still be very good, with the peak time for brewing being 7-15 days after roast. Back to popcorning: because the beans will grind differently based upon whether they're at the bottom or top of the pile, this would theoretically render every dose you grind prone to unevenness. This is not a defect of the Barista Express. This is just something in the nature of conical burr grinders. Some craft builders have figured out how to build-in flow control (including the grinder that I now use, which I'll come to that). But you can also be your own flow-control. And that's how I hacked this to get slightly better consistency. I adjusted the grinder to be so fine that it would give me an espresso grind, even feeding only one or two beans at a time, and then did that. In so doing, my grind was more consistent from top to bottom, and my extraction improved significantly. But it was still not totally consistent. And, it makes grinding very labor intensive to feed beans one or two at a time - it makes it take 3-4x as long, and you can't do anything else. The other thing too - and I learned this early in the adventure - is that you can't rely on the built-in dosing settings for the grinder. Just forget about these. Even if you don't want to go crazy and hand-feed the machine like I do, you need to get a scale. Measure your beans one shot at a time. The dosing volume controls on the machine are not volumetric; they just control how long the grinder runs. Good espresso requires adherence to a brew recipe with a known mass of beans and that can only be done by weighing them. You could take your portafilter and weigh it after the machine dispensed your grind, but this will invariably lead to waste. Now, 8 months into my new hobby, I treated myself to a new grinder - one you've definitely seen if you watch coffee videos on the internet all day. Now that I use this grinder instead of the built-in grinder, I am not having any problems. In my last 30 shots, 29 have been perfectly-extracted (meaning no channeling, no dead spots, just nice even extraction at the correct pressure levels, resulting in a shot that gets all of the sweetness out of the bean, and little to no bitter or sour flavor) and the 1 that wasn't was because I used the wrong grinder setting. Mea culpa. Oops. That's the kind of consistency I'm looking for. What does this tell me? The coffee brewing function of this machine is top-notch. The group head, shower screen, thermoblock, all of it performs at a professional level, and with the right grind, you can make supremely good espresso on this machine, and do anything you want with it. Drink it straight; make a milk-drink; make an Americano, hot, iced, or whatever you want. Also, the controls are very intuitive, and the build quality is high, as you would expect from Breville. As for maintenance: espresso machines are high maintenance. They require regular cleaning and decaling. But Breville has made it a snap. It takes maybe 10 minutes to descale, every other month, with normal daily usage. A monthly cleaning cycle is so simple it practically runs itself. I also take off the shower screen and make sure it hasn't accumulated too much grit, every few days. That's not necessary - it can go weeks without cleaning and still work, but I am a bit of a perfectionist, as you may have gathered. I've talked about brewing and grinding, but not steaming. As for steaming: it works fine. I know that there are commercial or prosumer models with slightly more sophisticated steam wands. Because this has a single thermoblock, it is not able to brew and steam at once, in fact, the steam cycle takes quite a while to wind itself up. So you have a Hobbson's choice: steam first, and wait for the temperature to come back down to where it is appropriate for brewing; or brew first, then steam, while your shot goes cold. I don't make a lot of milk drinks, and if you are, it's less important if the shot cools a little. But it just makes the process slower. But once it's running, the steam wand textures milk very nicely. This isn't the most important feature for me, because I drink mostly espresso or Americano, rather than milk drinks. But if you drink mostly milk drinks, then keep this in mind that there are machines with better wands, and better ability to transition from brewing to steaming, out there. The steam knob on this machine also activates a hot water dispenser, which is very helpful. It automatically cuts off after delivering the right amount of water to make an Americano; two cycles will give me enough to brew a quick cup of tea when I don't want to wait to boil a kettle on the range. That is a plus. However, the steam control, although it rotates, is not a volumetric control, it's just an on-off; you can't dial in more or less steam by opening and closing it more. So would I recommend this machine? I would say I recommend the Breville family, more than I recommend this particular machine. Because the espresso-brewing is 5-star, but the grinder is only 2 or 3 star, and I am so happy no longer need to use it. If I knew then, what I know now, I would not have gotten an all-in-one machine. I could have gotten a better grinder, and a smaller, lower-cost Breville, like The Infuser, or a larger machine that focuses only on the brew and steam functions, like the amazing Dual Boiler, which might be my next machine. Before I knew better, I liked the space-saving and cost-effectiveness of an all-in-one. But the all-in-one is not going to let you chase perfection in your espresso. So depending on what your wants, needs, budget, and counter space requirements are, you might want to look at other machines in the Breville line, that have the same great controls, fit and finish, customer support, that you would expect from Breville, but that aren't trying to be the jack-of-all-trades. If you do get this machine, it has almost everything to get up and running (except the water and beans) but I do recommend some accessories: 1. A 54mm bottomless portafilter so you can see your extraction in real time -- this is KEY to learning about extraction defects 2. A drip scale -- or any slim-profile kitchen scale that measure to 0.10s of a gram, so you can accurately weigh your dosage of beans before grinding, and also test your flow rate and mass of your finished product, to ensure that you are getting a good ratio of input to output. These are a MUST. Without seeing the extraction, and without being able to measure your dosage, you will not be able to make anything resembling tasty espresso from this machine. Some other things are optional but helpful: - A rubber tamp mat to protect your counter and limit the mess; - A 54mm distributor tool to quickly and easily get a nice well-prepared puck. You can do this by hand, but the tool makes it easier, faster, and less messy. The Breville distributor tool that it comes with is useless. - A 54mm calibrated tamper, so you know that your tamp application is consistent every time. The built-in tamper is adequate, there's nothing wrong with it, it's not useless, but it doesn't give you any guidance for that all-important consistency. - Lots of replacement filters, cleaning tablets, and descaler. This machine is not deficient because it doesn't have all of these things (it actually does come with maintenace tools, and starter packs of cleaning tablets and descaler which is really great). It's a very complete package. Great instruction booklet, and all of the nice packaging you would expect from a great company like Breville. In conclusion: There are many people for whom this probably is the right machine. For me, it's not quite perfect because the grinding function is not as good as the brewing function, and it was bringing down the quality of my results. In hindsight, I should have gotten the Infuser or the Dual Boiler, and a separate grinder. I only started to achieve really consistently great results when I was able to stop using the built-in grinder. But that does prove how good this machine is at brewing. I don't think it's possible to improve much on that.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2020 by Matt K