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This is our review of the Breville BES870xl Barista Express espresso machine.
Breville The Barista Express Reviews and Ratings
Our readers send us more than 18000 emails across the US about the Breville Barista Express. The below table shows our rating for the Breville Barista Express espresso machine:
| Overall Score | 96.57/100 |
| Easy to clean | 9.94/10 |
| Temperature Control | 9.84/10 |
| Flavor | 9.74/10 |
| Easy to use | 9.64/10 |
| Blending power | 9.54/10 |
| Value for money | 9.40/10 |
| Brand Reputation | 9.50/10 |
The Bottom Line
The newest of Breville’s 5 Espresso machines, the Barista Express has a programmable or manual coffee settings, an integrated conical burr grinder, hands-free grinding cradle, preset and adjustable dose control, PID temperature control, low-pressure pre-infusion, dedicated hot water outlet for long blacks, multi-access swivel steam wand, 2L Water tank with a water filtration system, fast heat up and high-pressure steam for do-it-yourself third-wave specialty drinks.
Key Features and Specifications of The Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine
- Price: $699.95
- Skill Level: Beginner
- Model Number: BES870XL
- Manufacturer: Breville
- Product Name: The Breville Barista Express
- Color: Brushed Stainless Steel, Black Sesame
- Breville Barista Express Dimensions (WxDxH): 12.5″ x 13.8″ x 15.9″
- Item Weight: 23.00 lbs
- Bean Hopper Capacity: 1/2 lb
- Water Tank Capacity: 67 oz
- Integrated Burr Grinder: Steel conical burrs
- Settings: (a)Single or Double Shots, (b)Adjustable Grind Amount & Manual over-ride.
- Machine Construction Material: Brushed Stainless Steel
- Milk Texturing: Manual milk texturing
- Brewing System: 15 bar Italian Pump, Thermocoil system, PID Temperature Control, 1600W Thermocoil–Integrated stainless steel water path accurately controls water temperature
- Temperature Control: PID Temperature Control
- Interface: Simple button control
- Portafilter: High quality 54mm portafilter
- Breville Barista Express Portafilter Size: 54mm
- Pressure Gauge: Extraction Feedback pressure gauge
- Tamping: Manual removable magnetic tamper
- Grind Settings: 16 precision grind settings
- Accessories: (1) Razor Dose Trimming Tool, (2) 54mm Stainless Steel Portafilter, (3) 1 cup & 2cup Single & Dual Wall Filter Baskets, (4) Coffee Scoop, (5) Integrated Tamper, (6) Stainless Steel Milk Jug, (7) Cleaning disc and tablets, (8) Water Filter Holder and Water Filter, (9) Cleaning brush, tool and Allen Key
- Power: 1600 Watts
- Voltage: 110–120 Volts
- Warranty: 1 Year Repair Warranty
- Cup Clearance: 4 inches
- Solenoid Valve: Yes
- Cup Tray: Yes
- Warm-Up Time: 30 seconds
- Brew Time: 1 minute
- Boiler Design: Thermocoil
- Pod Friendly: No
- Water Sources: Reservoir/Internal Tank
- Auto Shut Off: Yes
- Auto On: No
- Pre-Infusion/Aroma: Yes
- Material: Stainless Steel
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Automatically adjusts water temperature after steam for ultimate espresso extraction temperature to +/- 4 degrees.
The Breville BES870XL is a single boiler, so it will either make a shot or froth milk but not both.Introduction
The Barista Express is part of Breville’s Barista series and aims to deliver third-wave specialty coffee to users, all from the comfort of their homes. Using the famous four keys formula, Breville ensures that each brew has a rich, full flavor, the perfect body, balanced taste, and a silky mouthfeel. It is done by ensuring everything is done in just the right amount: the ideal temperature, dose, and water pressure. The Barista Express maximizes flavor by allowing you to grind your beans fully, and its precise temperature control settings ensure that you get perfectly extracted espresso.
Dose Control Grinding
The Barista Express uses an integrated conical burr grinder that controls your dose to make sure you can choose exactly how much coffee you’d like to enjoy and maximizes flavor. The grinder places the perfect amount of ground coffee into the portafilter for any bean or roast.
Optimal Water Pressure
This machine uses low water pressure pre-infusion at the beginning of extraction. It makes sure all the flavors of the coffee are evenly drawn out for a rich and balanced drink.
Precise Espresso Extraction
The Barista Express’s digital temperature control (PID) settings ensure you get balanced tasting espresso every time. This digital temperature control feature detects when the water is precisely at the right temperature for optimal espresso extraction.
Manual Microfoam Milk Texturing
The Barista Express’s steam wand makes it possible for you to create microfoam manually. This microfoam adds to the flavor of your coffee and is also super important if you want to create latte art.
Espresso Machine with Grind Size Dial
The grind size dial in the Barista Express is a beneficial feature as it maximizes the amount of control you have over the size of your grind. It doesn’t matter what kind of bean you’re grinding; this tool makes sure you can precisely choose how much of it you want.
Espresso Maker with Built-in Coffee Grinder
The Barista Express comes with a built-in coffee grinder. It allows novice baristas to grind directly into the espresso portafilter.
Included Accessories
Razor Dose Trimming Tool, 54mm Stainless Steel Portafilter, 1 & 2 cups 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 and Settings
The Barista Express has a water tank capacity of 67 oz. While smaller than some other Breville machines, it is enough that you won’t have to be refilling too frequently. Different notable settings include 1 by 2 lb Bean Hopper, Single or double shots, Adjustable grind amount, and Manual override.
Warranty
The Barista Express has a warranty of 1 year.
Other Features
This machine uses 1600 WATTS of power and has a voltage of 120 Volts.
Is Breville Barista Express For You?
The Barista Express espresso machine is one of the most popular introductory models. But if you are looking for any other models related to Barista Express, then here are some options:
Whether or not the Barista Express is better for you depends on your budget. What kind of coffee do you like? Do you prefer automation or manual control? How much space do you have in your kitchen? Do you choose the built-in grinder, or does buying a separate grinder suit you better?
If your budget is open and you like more automation, then Barista Express will not meet your expectations as it does not have full automation. Instead of Barista Express, you can check out Bambino, Bambino Plus, or Oracle and Oracle Touch, which will give you full automation features, including auto ground auto tamping and auto texturing. These are tipi-top machines of Breville’s espresso group and do not disappoint automation fans. But these are the most expensive coffee machines of the Breville brand.
If you like the Breville espresso Barista family, there are four machines: Express, Pro, Touch, and Max. The Barista Max is the European version and has precisely the same features as the Barista Express. If you compare Barista Express, Pro, and Touch, Express will suit you if you are a beginner-level home barista. And if you prefer the touch screen over the manual buttons, you can opt for the Barista Touch. But suppose you want the highest and most successful version of the Breville Barista family. In that case, Barista Pro will be best for you with a quick startup, more power, and a beautiful and stylish digital interface.
If you want to brew and steam simultaneously, then the Breville Dual Boiler would be better for you than the Barista Express, but it does not have a built-in grinder. You will have to buy a separate grinder for this. Or you can buy a Dynamic Duo that has the same features as the Dual Boiler and comes with a separate grinder.
If you have a separate grinder and do not want all the micro-adjustments of Barista Express, then low-budget Duo Temp Pro or Infuser will be better for you.
Barista Express, DeLonghi La Specialista, Gaggia Classic Pro, Rancilio Silvia and Mr. Coffee Cafe Barista are all entry level espresso machines.
Barista Express offers more value for money than Rancilio Silvia. Barista Express is also cheaper than Rancilio Silvia. But Rancilio Silvia provides more durability and precision than the Barista Express.
Another affordable machine vs. Barista Express is Mr. Coffee Cafe Barista. It has more automation than Express and is much easier to make coffee. I would never advise you to buy DeLonghi La Specialista compared to Barista Express because La Specialist is not good in build quality, nor does it offer everything Barista Express provides. The price is higher than Barista Express.
The Barista Express offers more features than the Gaggia Classic Pro. In addition, you will need to time, measure, or weigh your shots; you will need to remember to clean Gaggia Classic Pro on your own, and you will need an extra budget for a standalone grinder if you prefer Gaggia Classic Pro over Barista Express.
At the end of the day, Breville Barista Express is an all-in-one machine that has a wide range of programmable features, whistles, bells, an integrated grinder, and much more at a reasonable price. It is all you need to brew great cafe-style drinks at home. This machine is Breville’s best-seller, and it’s easy to see why with a palatable price point and built-in burr grinder, steam wand, and hot water spout.
In-Depth Insight of the Breville Barista Express
You will find a detailed review of the Breville Barista Express below.
Breville Barista Express Components
A. Button for Automatic Dosing: You can select between single or double filter baskets.
B. Mechanical Clutch Protection: The machine automatically activates the Grinder Safety Clutch when you overfill the bean hopper. It indicates that the overfilled filter basket caused the chute to backfill. You should clean and clear the grinder and chamber to solve the problem.
C. Button for Grind Size Selection: Select one out of 16 precision grind settings.
D. On/Off Button: When the machine is turned on, it lights up all around.
E. Dial for Grind Amount Control: This button lets you control the amount of freshly ground coffee you want to dose in the filter basket.
F. Removable Integrated Tamper: It is helpful for consistent tamping control.
G. Grinding Cradle: Push your portafilter to the grinding cradle for direct dosing.
H. Cup Warming Tray: Preheat your cup or coffee mug before pouring coffee into it.
I. Cleaning / Descaling Indicator: When it lights up, it indicates that a cleaning or descaling cycle is required.
J. Steam Light /Hot Water Indicator: When it lights up, it indicates that you have selected the steam or hot water function.
K. Group Head: Push your dosed portafilter to the group head for espresso extracting.
L. Place for Your Coffee Cup or Coffee Mug: You can place an extra-tall cup or coffee mug here.
M. Separator Drip Tray: This drip tray is removable, and it is for wet and dry coffee.
N. Drip Tray Full Light: When it lights up, it indicates that the drip tray is full.
O. Bean Hopper Capacity Mark: 250g shows the bean hopper limit for coffee beans.
P. Integrated Conical Burr Grinder: Stainless steel conical burrs maximize the surface of ground coffee for a full espresso flavor and grind the coffee beans to an exact espresso size.
Q. Pressure Gauge: Here you can monitor your espresso extraction pressure.
R. PROGRAM Button: Here you can personalize your espresso shot volumes & also can access the Advanced Temperature functions.
S. STEAM Dial /Hot Water Dial: With this dial, you can control the steam and hot water frequency.
T. Programmable: 1 CUP and 2 CUP buttons.
U. Instant Hot Water: It is a Dedicated outlet for hot water for making tea and long blacks and preheating your coffee cups and mugs.
V. Stainless Steel Portafilter: 54mm bottomless stainless steel portafilter with commercial style spouts.
W. 360° Swivel Action Steam Wand: You can easily adjust this steam rod to the perfect position for texturing.
Breville Barista Express Design and Colors
Breville, the Barista Express, is now coming in two new colors, i.e., black and red. It is a brushed stainless steel espresso machine with many settings, gauges, dials, and buttons for filter size, power, and program. It gives you complete control over your espresso shot. It has a knob to adjust the grind size and an integrated grinder and tamper. Moreover, it contains a removable water tank and an easily cleanable drip tray. The main difference between Barista Express and Barista Pro is that Barista Express has different buttons performing different functions while the Pro has a digital LCD and small buttons. Breville Barista Touch has a touch screen display and is fully automatic. Delonghi La Specialista contains more buttons and dials than Barista Express, and it does not have storage compartments for tools. Breville Infuser, Breville Dual Boiler, and Breville Bambino do not have a built-in grinder. Breville Oracle Touch is a super-automatic machine and contains a dual boiler for steaming and espresso.
Breville Barista Express Compact Footprint
Barista Express has a 13.5 inches height, 12.5 inches width, and 12.5 inches depth of 16 inches. Barista Express is an affordable machine of the Breville brand as it is an all-in-one machine with a compact footprint, portafilter, large hopper, gauges, buttons, and integrated grinder. It can convert the coffee beans into tasteful espresso within a minute and can also have the ability to do tamping, grinding, and steaming in less time. This compact footprint machine allows you to enjoy the best café-style espresso or coffee in less time by doing everything manually or automatically. This compact all-in-one Barista Express is an incredible, robust, and more extensive espresso machine compared to other compact Duo Temp Pro, Mr. Coffee Café, and Delonghi espresso machines.
The Bambino Plus is also one powerful espresso machine and is a good choice for new users. Bambino Plus has a compact footprint, automatic steaming feature, portafilter, unpressurized filter basket, and heating technology such as thermojet. These features give you auto-control over your extraction and provide you with high-quality espresso/coffee that is tasteful, rich in flavor, and has an incredible aroma.
Breville Barista Express Interface
No doubt, you can produce the best espresso shot at home with the Barista Express. The coffee given by Breville Barista is rich in flavor, refreshing, and has a balanced taste as the steam wand of Barista Express gives a smooth and silky texture to milk.
Digital temperature control (PID)
PID technology of Barista Express provides optimum temperature during your espresso shot and heats the water in just 3 seconds. This feature makes your espresso delicious and ready in a few seconds.
Steam wand
The Barista Express has a steam wand having a nozzle of hot water and is activated by a large knob present on the right side of your machine. The steam wand gives your milk a velvety, silky, and smooth texture. It also increases the taste of your latte or cappuccino. The microfoam milk texture allows you to do art on a latte without any skills. You have to operate the steam wand of the Barista express manually, so you have control over your drink.
Built-In Burr Grinder
As Breville Barista is all in one machine, it has an integrated grinder called a burr grinder. Let’s talk about how it is beneficial for you! This burr grinder provides you with coffee having a quality of an artist Barista, so I must say, you can enjoy café-like coffee at home and learn to make coffee like a Barista. The taste of coffee provided by the espresso machine having an integrated grinder is best because your coffee grounds are not exposed to air compared to the compromised taste provided by machines without a built-in grinder.
With the burr grinder, you can control the dose of your coffee grounds, and it also saves the time required for grinding and extraction. That’s why the taste of your coffee is fresh and unforgettable.
Pressure Gauge
Breville Barista Express has a pre-infusion pressure gauge that slowly increases pressure during your espresso shot and gives your espresso a balanced taste. A circular dial on your machine shows the passing of hot water through coffee grounds by an internal 15 bar pump. This dripping of hot water is done at the optimum pressure range. If pressure is not optimum, i.e., low pressure, water will quickly pass and give your espresso a bitter taste due to under extraction. If pressure is high, it will give your espresso a watery look and bitter taste. So, the pressure gauge needle should be in the gray range; you can say between 10 and 2 o’clock. The pressure gauge is also present in Dual Boiler, Infuser, and Duo Temp Pro, while Barista touch, Barista Pro, Bambino Plus, and Oracle Touch do not have a pressure gauge.
Barista Express Buttons for “Power,” “Filter Size,” and “Program,”
In Breville Barista, there are circular dials for filter size, power, and program. There are 2 additional buttons to select whether you want single or double shots and a knob to adjust the number of your coffee grounds. Then the grinder will automatically give you the optimum amount for single or double espresso shots directly into the portafilter. After this, the coffee grounds are evenly spread by tamper, and the portafilter is pushed into the brew head in lock position for extraction.
Drip tray and water tank
Breville Barista has a removable drip tray that makes it easy for you to clean it and also contains a removable water tank with having integrated water filter.
Grind size dial With Group Head
There is a dial for grind size on the left side of your Breville Express, having 16 settings. You will get coarse coffee grounds by turning the dial at one end and fine-size coffee grounds by turning it on another side. This feature gives you complete control over your drink and results in a high-quality espresso shot.
Breville Barista Express Water Tank
A water tank having high capacity is beneficial to use at home as you do not need to fill it again and again; it also contains a water filter that should be changed after 2 months. The water tank of Breville Barista Express, Barista Pro, and Barista Touch is made up of stainless steel, with 2 liters (67 ounces). In comparison, the water tank of Delonghi La Specialista, Oracle Touch, and Dual Boiler is removable and has a capacity of 84.5 oz. This capacity is also beneficial for you if you are a single person and drink coffee two times a day, so you have to refill the water tank after one week. Breville Infuser and Breville Duo-Temp Pro have a capacity of 61 oz, and Gaggia Classic Pro has a capacity of 71 oz.
Breville Barista Express Water Filter
A water filter removes dust, grit, extra salts, contamination, and other solid particles from the water. It also removes chlorine odors from the water and gives your coffee the best taste. So, having an integrated water filter is beneficial for the espresso machine; otherwise, you have to buy a separate water filter if your espresso machine does not come up with it. Bambino Plus has no water filter, while Oracle Touch, Barista Express, Barista Pro, Breville Duo-Temp Pro, and Breville Dual Boiler contain water filters. The water filter of Barista Pro and Breville Barista Touch has a duration of 3 months, but the Breville Infuser water filter is changed after two months.
Breville Barista Express Filter Basket
54mm stainless filter basket is used in Barista Express. The filter basket may be pressurized and non-pressurized; it gradually increases pressure during espresso extraction and helps infiltration. A pressurized filter basket exerts more pressure during extraction and helps in improving the shot’s consistency. Barista Pro, Barista Touch, Oracle Touch, and Duo-Temp Pro have 4 filter baskets. The first two are double-shot baskets (one with a non-pressurized single-wall and the other is a pressurized double wall), and the other two are single-shot baskets (one with a non-pressurized single-wall and the other is a pressurized double wall). These 4 filter baskets are the same as present in Barista Express.
Breville Barista Express Grinder
The coffee made by an espresso machine having an integrated grinder is rich in flavor. The volatile and aromatic compounds present in coffee grounds are not exposed to air and directly go for extraction. Due to the burr grinder, you have control over your espresso shot. Also, it saves electricity, price, and space and is easy to use. So, I prefer to buy a machine with an integrated grinder.
The Barista Express, Barista Pro, Barista Touch, Oracle Touch, and Delonghi La Specialista have Built-in grinders. In contrast, Infuser, Bambino Plus, Duo-Temp Pro, and Dual Boiler have no integrated grinder.
Breville Barista Express Accessories
Razor Trimming Tool
This tool comes up with the accessories of Barista Express and provides a consistent, optimal, and precise dose in every shot. Optimum dose by the razor trimming tool also ensures that the machine functions properly.
54mm Stainless Steel Portafilter
Breville Barista Express has a bottomless portafilter due to many reasons. It looks fantastic to watch your espresso extract dripping out from the basket. Due to the bottomless portafilter, you can also judge your ground beans’ dosing, tamping, and distribution. Naked portafilter also helps you remove and clean the basket after every shot.
Single and double cups Dual Wall Filter Baskets
In a dual-wall basket, another wall has a single small hole surrounding the standard base. Extraction of your espresso drip out through this single hole. It will increase pressure in the basket and improve espresso consistency. This dual wall basket is also pressurized and can give you extraction if you do not have fine-size coffee grounds. There is also a non-pressurized basket in Barista Express accessories; it does not have another wall and is only used by professionals. In the case of a non-pressurized filter basket, you require fine coffee ground, proper tamping, and precision to get your perfect espresso shot.
Single baskets can tolerate about 7-12 grams of coffee grounds, while the double-wall filter basket accepts 14-21 grams of coffee grounds.
Coffee Scoop
The coffee scoop of Barista Express is designed in such a way that it precisely measures the 7-14 grams of coffee. It is shaped in such a way that coffee grounds are poured smoothly.
Tamper
The Breville Barista comes with a 54mm tamper, and it helps you get the best espresso shot by evenly spreading the coffee grounds in the portafilter. The size of the tamper depends on the portafilter’s length, as the best tamper is the one that is slightly smaller than the portafilter’s internal diameter.
Milk Jug
The milk jug of Barista Express is made up of stainless steel and is resistant to heat, and it neither will rust nor stain. Its spout design helps easy pour milk and grip on the milk for cappuccino or latte art. The milk jug of Barista Express has a capacity of 480ml (17 ounces) and is best to use in the office and home for 1 or 2 cups of coffee.
Breville Cleaning Disc
A cleaning disc is a small flexible disc made of rubber and contains cleaning tablets. These cleaning discs and cleaning tablets also come up with Barista Express accessories. Cleaning tablets helps to remove the oil residues. This black rubber disc is sealed in the filter basket of the portafilter so that the cleaning tablets will be sucked and dissolved into the group head. It causes the backflushing of your espresso machine.
Descaling Tablets
Breville Barista Express descaling or cleaning tablets will help remove oil residues or coffee oil from the filter basket and the shower screen.
Brush Tool & Allen Key
Allen key present in Barista Express accessories is used to remove the showerhead if its maintenance is necessary. In contrast, a brush tool is used in the cleaning cycle to clean the showerhead.
Water Filter & Filter Holder
The water filter of Barista Express also contains a filter holder compatible with it. A water filter, mainly ion exchange resins, is placed in the water tank, and it keeps the water clean and crisps in the water tank of your espresso machine. Water filters should be changed after every two months to enjoy the taste of fresh water.
Cafe Quality
Dose Control
Breville Barista has dials for controlling grind amount and grind size. By adjusting the grind amount and size, the burr grinder will provide you with the right amount of grounds in the portafilter. At the same time, the barista touch has a touch screen to control all these features.
Water Pressure
Breville Barista has a pressure gauge that gradually increases pressure during espresso shots and gives a delicious flavor to your shot. It is also called a pre-infusion low-pressure system. At the same time, Breville Oracle has a triple heat system that controls temperature and water pressure.
Espresso Extraction
The Barista Express adds the right amount of coffee grounds to the portafilter; then the tamper evenly spreads the coffee grounds; after this, you lock the portafilter in the group head and press 1 cup or 2 cup buttons, and as a result, espresso will be extracted. While in Duo Temp Pro, you turn the dial to the espresso side, and the espresso will extract within 25 seconds.
Milk Temperature
Breville Barista steams the milk at 55-65 °C for brewing or making a latte/cappuccino, while Breville Duo Temp Pro textures the milk at 135 °C.
Milk Texturing
Breville Barista has a steam wand that manually gives texture to your milk by swirling the steam wand along the milk direction. While in Bambino Plus, you press one button, and it froth the milk for you; similarly, you adjust the options of temperature and texture, and Bambino Plus textures the milk for you.
Microfoam Milk
Breville Barista has a steam wand that gives your milk microfoam texture and enhances your milk flavor in latte art creation. While in Barista Touch and Barista Oracle Touch, you select the texture and temperature for your milk on the touch screen; these machines automatically texture the milk.
Heat Up Time
Barista Express and Breville Duo-Temp Pro have a preheating time of 15 minutes, while Breville Bambino Plus has a heat-up time of 3 seconds, and Breville Dual Boiler has a heat-up time of 10 minutes.
Entertaining
Breville Barista Express is a manual machine, so when you make espresso shots or brew your coffee, you feel like an artist barista of a coffee shop. It is a very entertaining and refreshing feeling for the espresso lover.
Rich, full flavor
Coffee prepared by Breville Barista has good flavor, beautiful texture, and high quality and also gives you a refreshing feeling. This type of coffee is made by using 18-22 grams of fresh coffee ground beans. This proper amount will give your coffee the incredible aroma and character, rich flavors, and good quality results. If the amount of coffee ground is less than the right one, it will give your coffee a bad taste and watery appearance
Perfectly balanced taste
Delicious, sweet, and incredible flavor in coffee is due to the precise temperature control. PID technology of Breville Barista controls water temperature and produces balanced extraction, a perfect espresso shot, and provides consistency and delicious taste to your coffee.
Irresistible body
Pre-infusion low-pressure gauge present in Barista Express gives your espresso a creamy look and caramel-like color. Pre-infusion allows water to pass through coffee grounds by soaking the grinds evenly. An Italian pump of 15 bars present in Barista Express delivered a high pressure during the espresso extraction. The espresso will be vicious and rich in flavor.
- Silky, velvety mouthfeel
Microfoam milk prepared with a steam wand of Barista Express will give you a silky taste and a velvety appearance. When the machine steams the milk, it will result in many small air bubbles, and these tiny bubbles will enhance the flavor of your coffee. At the same time, optimum temperature maintains milk sweetness and gives you a mouthfeel of golden syrup espresso.
Breville Barista Express Price
No doubt, Breville Barista is an expensive machine. It is an all-in-one espresso machine with many buttons, programmable features, an integrated grinder, steam wand, accessories, etc. But it is also a fact that everyone requires an espresso machine to make espresso shots at home, but the main hurdle is its price. So, here is a detail about how you can save your money. The reasonable retail price of Barista Express is $600 on Williams Sonoma, $100 off its brand new price, which is $700 on Amazon, and on bed bath beyond. You can buy Barista Express and infuser on eBay by saving $150 and Barista Pro by saving $100 as used items are sold on eBay. It benefits you to return the machine within 30 days if it shows any issue. You can also buy these Breville Espresso machines during the Cyber Monday/Black Friday sales, where you can also save $100. Similarly, you can buy Breville Infuser for $374.96 from Cyber Monday/Black Friday deals by saving $80 and DuoTemp Pro for $447.95, saving $120.
These Breville machines are versatile, durable, and can last for many years. So, I assure you that you will not regret it if you spend money on these machines. No doubt, all of these are expensive because they are all in one device; you get a lot of features in one appliance, so if you want to enjoy an espresso shot at home and brew your coffee like an artist barista, then you have to spend money on it.
How to Use the Breville Barista Express?
- Read all instructions mentioned in the manual.
- Always check the water level as it does not have a water indicator.
- Clean all the parts and accessories of the machine with cleaning tablets or tap water
- Preheat the machine for 15 minutes to get a proper taste.
- Also, place your coffee cup on the warm tray of your espresso machine to preheat it.
- Set the grind size and grind amount by the dial of the machine.
- Grind the coffee beans in fine powder in an integrated burr grinder by adding the coffee beans to the grind hopper.
- Weigh the portafilter, and don’t forget to zero it out to measure the exact amount of coffee grounds.
- Tamping should be done in such a way that it evenly spreads the coffee ground in the portafilter
- Select single or double shot as you require, and push the portafilter in group head in the lock position.
- Now press the 1 or 2 cup button, and your espresso will be extracted.
Which Coffee Beans are Best for Breville Barista Express?
Beans that are best to use in the Breville Barista Express espresso machine are roasted within a week.
- Beans roasted within two to ten days give good flavor to coffee.
- Use whole beans and avoid using pre-ground beans because it loses their flavor while grinding.
- Similarly, use roast, which is medium dark rather than a dark roast, as it becomes oily and is not best for espresso machines.
- Beans should be stored in an air-tight jar in a dark and cold place.
How to Make Lattes and Cappuccino With Breville Barista Express?
For cappuccino and latte, milk is steamed or frothed with the wand’s Tip; draw a circle in each direction by turning the steam button on.
- Keep doing this until your heated milk turns into frothed foam.
- The Tip of the wand should be 1/4th under the milk surface. Tilt the jug and swirl the milk around it. If the Tip is inserted too low, the machine will produce a high screeching sound. If the Tip is above the surface, it will produce giant bubbles and splashes.
- Hold the bottom of the jug with your left hand and hold the handle with your right hand.
- Turn off the dial when you feel too hot at the bottom of the jug.
- Tap the jug and swirl the milk a few times to break any large bubbles.
- Once it is done, pour frothed milk into a coffee mug and top it with the remaining foam.
- To get better foam, your milk should be cold, so store it in the fridge, not in the freezer.
- Also, use fat milk rather than skim milk to get better froth.
- After every shot, turn on the steam dial again and allow it to run for a few seconds so that leftover milk drips out, then wash the steam wand with a kitchen towel.
How to Make Macchiato With Breville Barista Express?
- Grind your coffee beans with an integrated grinder.
- Tamp the coffee grounds to ensure that they are evenly spread
- Push the portafilter in the group head, select the 1 or 2 cups, espresso-like the thick warm honey will be extracted
- Turn on the steam dial and introduce air to the surface of your milk by lowering the milk jug.
- It will give your milk a velvety texture.
- The temperature should be 60-65 degrees C
- Add two teaspoons of this textured milk to your espresso shot and enjoy it.
How to Make Regular Coffee (Americano) With Breville Barista Express?
The Barista Express mixes hot water and espresso shots in equal amounts to make Americano. The Barista Express combines one part of the espresso shot in 2 parts of hot water to make the 2:1; it will give your coffee a bitter taste. If you want a less bitter taste, then make 3:1 Americano, and this drink is defined as the dilution of an espresso shot with hot water.
Care and Maintenance
How to Clean the Breville Barista Express? Long
The Breville Barista machine should be maintained and cleaned regularly so that its working remains unaffected. The Breville Barista comes up with many types of cleaning equipment and is stored behind the drip tray. The cleaning kit includes; Cleaning tablet, Allen key, cleaning disc, water filter, and cleaning brush.
Regular cleaning
- The group head is flushed by presetting the shot button so that some water is run through the group head and showerhead; dry it with a damp cloth.
- The steam wand is cleaned by turning on the steam dial and allowing it to run for a few seconds so that the remaining milk drip out, then dry it with a damp cloth.
- After every shot, clean the filter basket and portafilter with hot water to remove any coffee residues.
- Cleaning the Drip tray is effortless; the Breville Barista has a sign of ’empty me,’ which lightens up when the drip tray is full. Remove the drip tray, empty it, wash it with soap mixed in hot water, and dry it with a damp cloth.
- If you use a bin of coffee grinds, then empty it and clean it regularly to prevent mold growth.
Deep cleaning (backflushing)
The cleaning cycle is performed after 2-3 months when the ‘clean me’ sign lightens up.
- Insert the cleaning disc in the filter basket having a single wall.
- Insert this filter basket in the portafilter.
- Place the cleaning tablets in the center of the cleaning disc.
- Push the portafilter in the group head in the lock position.
- Be sure that the drip tray is empty and the water tank is filled with cold water.
- Press the 1 cup button to start the cleaning cycle; it will complete within 5 minutes.
- When the cleaning cycle is completed, the machine will go into ready mode and produce the beep sound.
- After this, take out the portafilter and wash the cleaning disc, portafilter, and drip tray.
- Don’t forget to change the water filter every three months and replace it with the new one.
How to Descale Breville Barista Express?
Descaling depends upon the hardness or type of water being used. Descaling is done with a mineral solution available at online marketplaces, with descaling powder that can be dissolved in a water tank. Still, you can also use a homemade 1:1 vinegar and water solution. If you don’t know about descaling, let a professional describe it.
- Remove the water from the drip tray.
- Replace the water filter with cleaning tablets in the water tank.
- Add the descaling solution and water up to the descale line in the water tank.
- Press the menu button and select the descale option by rotating the dial of the grind amount. Press the 1 cup button to start the descaling process.
- The descaling cycle consists of 3 cycles; steam, hot water, and coffee.
- The machine will give the beep sound after the completion of each cycle.
- Fill the water tank with fresh water and press the 1 cup button again to start the rinse cycle.
- After the descaling and rinse cycle, the machine will return to ready mode.
Breville Barista Express Troubleshooting
Breville Barista Express Pressure Guide
- Is Breville Barista Express Pressure Too High?
High pressure is caused when there is difficulty in passing water through your coffee grounds, so the machine works hard, and as a result, pressure increases. High pressure will cause a bitter taste in your coffee and make the extraction process too long, so the problem is solved by applying less tamping pressure. Increasing the size of coffee grounds means that you have to make coffee grounds coarser. Also, make sure that 16 grams of coffee grounds are dispensed in the portafilter; if not, reset the dose amount.
- Breville Barista Express Not Enough Pressure
If the coffee grounds are coarse, water will quickly move through it, resulting in low pressure in your espresso shot. To avoid this problem, constantly adjust the grind size to 5, increase the coffee amount, apply high tamping pressure, and evenly spread the coffee grounds by tamping. If tamping pressure is low, pressure during extraction will be high and vice versa.
Breville Barista Express Extraction Guide
- Breville Barista Express Under Extraction
It may be because the machine is not plugged in or not turned on; the water tank is empty, the coffee grounds are too fine, high amount of coffee grounds in the filter basket, blockage of filters, and too firmly tamping. To solve this problem, ensure that the machine is turned on and is plugged in, clean out the filters or change them, and make sure that the coffee grounds are fine (espresso size).
- Breville Barista Express Over Extraction
This problem arises due to the reasons such as coffee grounds being too fine, a high amount of coffee grounds in the filter basket, and tamping being done with high pressure. So, to solve this problem, adjust the pressure to 9 bars, increase the size of the coffee grounds, and adjust the number of coffee grounds in the filter basket.
Breville Barista Express Cleaning No Water Coming Out
When water is not pumping out from the Espresso machine, it means the machine is in a vapor-locked position. The following steps prevent vapor locking;
- Fill the water tank and place the cup under the steam wand.
- Press on the power button and steam button.·
- After 2 minutes, please turn on the brew button and run it for 2 Minutes.
- Now, turn the brew button off, run the steam wand for 2 minutes, and then power off the machine.·
- Wait for a few minutes and then test whether the water is pumping out or not by running a cycle.
- Check the blockage in line by examining the incoming water. If the waterline has kinks, straighten it.·
- Similarly, check the water-controlling valves. If there is no sound of a click when the brew button is pushed, it means the valve is stuck, replace it.
- If there is a blockage in the filter due to dust or debris, replace it. The filter may also block if coffee grounds are too delicate, stopping the water flow.
- Descale your machine to clean the water pumps.
Breville Barista Express Steam Wand Not Working
If the steam wand is not working, it may be due to the blockage of the Tip of the steam wand. The jam is prevented by using the cleaning tool of the steam wand, using pins from these cleaning tools, and trying to clean the holes. If it remains blocked, remove the Tip of the steam wand and rinse it with a cleaning solution/powder mixed in hot water. After this, again, use the pin of the cleaning tool and clean the holes. Fix the steam wand, turn on the steam dial and allow it to run for a few seconds to check whether it is functioning or not.
Breville Barista Express Single Double Light Flashing 1 para
Single and double flashing light means that the hopper is not fixed correctly, or maybe the grinder is choked. Clean the bean hopper and upper burr with a brush present in cleaning tools to remove any coffee beans. Then, fix the upper bur and hopper properly in their places in the lock position.
Breville Barista Express Grinder Not Working 1 para
If your Barista machine has an integrated burr grinder, clean it regularly to prevent blockage or choking. Regular cleaning will maintain the consistency of coffee grounds. Otherwise, it will stop working. If your grinder is not working correctly, then unscrew the hopper; if there are any coffee beans, remove them. Fix the hopper and run the grinder empty. Again unscrew the hopper and twist it to the right to unlock the upper burr. Brush out any remaining coffee grounds from the burr and grind outlet. Once it is done, fix the upper bur and hopper in their places in the lock position.
More Breville Reviews from Coffee Aim
Breville Barista Pro  | Breville Barista Touch  | Breville Oracle Touch  |
Overall Rating: 95.61/100 | Overall Rating: 95.77/100 | Overall Rating: 94.85/100 |
Notable for 3 second startup time with the ThermoJet heating system, the Breville Barista Pro espresso machine offers a new intuitive interface, built-in grinder, precise espresso extraction, and Digital Temperature Control (PID), microfoam milk texturing to provide third-wave specialty coffee with a barista-quality performance. The machine offers one-touch convenience. ----- | Arguably the top-end Breville model, the Barista Touch has a reasonable 67 oz water reservoir, 8 oz bean hopper, an integrated coffee grinder, automatic micro-foam milk texturing, faster heat-up time, precise espresso extraction, hands-free operation, and up to 8 pre-programmed personalized coffees on a new intuitive touch screen display and automatic milk texturing to make anyone a home barista. | Breville’s best espresso machine model, the Oracle Touch, brews your favorite café coffee in three easy steps – grind, brew, and milk. With the most significant reservoir (84 oz) and bean hopper capacity (8 oz), brushed stainless steel construction materials, 39.2 x 37.3 x 4 (WxDxH) dimensions, integrated burr grinder, 7 settings: (1) Touch screen operation, (2) 5 pre-programmed Café favorites. |
Resources
Breville Barista Express Warranty Information
What it Covers: Breville espresso machines, Breville coffee makers, Breville Grind and Brew Coffee Makers, Breville grinders, Breville blenders, and Breville coffee cafe.
Length: 2 Years (Covers Oracle Touch, Oracle, Dual Boiler, Dynamic Duo, Barista Touch, Barista Pro, Bambino Plus, Breville Café Venezia, and Precision Brewers), 1 Year (Covers Bambino, Barista Express, Smart Grinder Pro, and Milk Cafe)
Who Supports the Warranty: Breville USA
Warranty Contact Information: 1-866-273-8455
Does Coffee Aim have Repair Information? Yes, Read more about espresso machine repair services.
Note: Please register your product with Breville for warranty support.
User Manuals
Breville Barista Express Manual for Users
