Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine: In-Depth Review

The Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine (BES870XL), with its sleek brushed stainless steel exterior, promises to bring the art of barista-quality coffee into your home. As a part of the Barista Series, this all-in-one machine aims to provide coffee lovers with a convenient, efficient, and user-friendly solution for brewing espresso, lattes, and cappuccinos. In this detailed review, we’ll explore its features, performance, ease of use, and value for money, providing a comprehensive look at whether the Barista Express is the right espresso machine for you.

Overview of the Breville Barista Express

The Breville Barista Express is an espresso machine that combines high-quality espresso extraction with an integrated grinder, allowing you to grind fresh coffee beans directly into the portafilter. With its 1600-watt power, the machine is built for performance, delivering consistent results across a range of different coffee types, from espresso to frothy lattes. The Barista Express uses Breville’s proprietary “4 Keys Formula” — Dose, Grind, Water, and Milk — to ensure that each cup meets the standards of specialty coffee. This machine is ideal for coffee lovers who want both quality and convenience in one appliance.

Key Features

1. Dose Control Grinding

The Barista Express features an integrated conical burr grinder, which ensures you grind coffee beans directly before brewing. This system allows you to adjust the grind size to suit the type of coffee bean you’re using. Whether you prefer a finer grind for espresso or a coarser grind for drip coffee, this system gives you the flexibility to achieve the perfect dose and consistency every time.

2. Optimal Water Pressure

The Breville Barista Express employs a low-pressure pre-infusion mechanism that gradually increases pressure during the extraction process. This ensures that all flavors from the coffee grounds are evenly drawn out, resulting in a balanced cup of espresso. The pre-infusion process improves the overall taste and body of your espresso by extracting the full depth of flavor from the coffee grounds.

3. Precise Espresso Extraction

The machine is equipped with digital temperature control (PID), which allows the water to be delivered at a precise temperature for optimal extraction. Proper temperature control is crucial for espresso as it ensures the coffee’s flavor is fully developed without under or over-extraction, delivering a rich and flavorful shot every time.

4. Manual Microfoam Milk Texturing

For those who enjoy lattes or cappuccinos, the steam wand on the Barista Express is a standout feature. It allows you to manually texture microfoam milk, enhancing the flavor of your drinks and enabling you to create beautiful latte art. The powerful steam wand offers excellent control, making it easy to texture milk to the perfect consistency.

5. Grind Size Dial

One of the most user-friendly features of the Breville Barista Express is its intuitive grind size dial. This allows you to easily adjust the grind size, ensuring that no matter the coffee bean you’re using, the grinder will provide the perfect consistency. This control over grind size is essential for achieving the ideal espresso shot.

6. All-in-One Design

As an all-in-one espresso machine, the Barista Express integrates a grinder, a steam wand, and a portafilter in a compact footprint. This reduces the need for additional equipment and allows coffee lovers to brew and enjoy their espresso from start to finish using just one machine. Additionally, the integrated grinder grinds directly into the portafilter, ensuring minimal mess and maximum freshness.

Performance and Brewing Experience

Espresso Quality

The Breville Barista Express excels in producing high-quality espresso. With its precise temperature control, low-pressure pre-infusion, and powerful grinder, it delivers rich, full-bodied espresso shots with consistent results. The ability to dial in the grind size ensures that you can experiment with different beans to find your ideal espresso flavor profile.

The digital temperature control (PID) ensures the water temperature remains stable, a critical aspect of espresso brewing. This consistency in temperature makes the Barista Express ideal for producing balanced and flavorful espresso, a hallmark of high-end machines. Whether you prefer a light, medium, or dark roast, this machine allows you to extract the best flavors from your beans.

Milk Frothing

Milk frothing is where the Barista Express truly shines. The steam wand is powerful enough to create rich, velvety microfoam, which is perfect for creating creamy lattes or foamy cappuccinos. The control over the steam wand allows users to texture the milk exactly to their preference, whether they’re aiming for a silky smooth texture for lattes or a dense foam for cappuccinos. The only downside is that the steam wand can be a little tricky for beginners to master, but once you get the hang of it, the results are professional-grade.

Ease of Use

The Barista Express is remarkably easy to use, especially for those who are new to espresso making. The integrated grinder and grind size dial allow you to easily adjust the amount and consistency of the grind, ensuring that you get the perfect shot every time. The clear and intuitive controls make it easy to select between single or double shots, adjust the grind amount, and fine-tune the settings to suit your preferences.

Despite its array of features, the Breville Barista Express does not overwhelm users with complicated controls. The machine offers enough customization to keep experienced coffee aficionados happy, but it’s also simple enough for beginners to start brewing great coffee without feeling lost in a sea of settings.

Design and Build Quality

Durable and Elegant Design

The Breville Barista Express features a sturdy brushed stainless steel design, which not only looks sleek but is also highly durable. The exterior is easy to clean, and its modern aesthetic fits well in most kitchen environments. The build quality is solid, and the machine feels substantial, with no parts that feel flimsy or prone to breaking.

Compact Footprint

One of the biggest advantages of the Barista Express is its compact footprint. Measuring 13.8 inches deep, 12.5 inches wide, and 15.9 inches high, it fits well on most kitchen countertops without taking up excessive space. While it’s not the smallest espresso machine available, its all-in-one design means you don’t need to clutter your kitchen with additional equipment like a separate grinder.

User-Friendly Controls

The controls on the Barista Express are user-friendly and well-laid-out. The digital display is clear, and the buttons are intuitively placed for easy navigation. The grind size dial is a particularly nice touch, allowing you to easily adjust the grind for different coffee beans and preferences.

Cleaning and Maintenance

Easy Cleaning Process

The Breville Barista Express is relatively easy to clean, especially considering it has so many components. The integrated grinder has a removable tray for easy cleanup, and the drip tray can be emptied and washed as needed. The steam wand can be wiped down after each use to ensure that milk residue doesn’t accumulate. Additionally, the machine includes cleaning tablets and a brush tool to help keep the internal parts in top condition.

Rinse Cycle

One of the most helpful features is the automatic rinse cycle. The machine runs a quick rinse after each shot, which helps prevent coffee residue from building up. This makes it much easier to maintain the machine, especially for daily users.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Feature	Benefit
Integrated Grinder	Fresh coffee grounds every time, no mess
Grind Size Dial	Customizable grind size for various beans
Precise Temperature Control	Consistent, high-quality espresso
Powerful Steam Wand	Perfect for creating microfoam and latte art
Compact Design	Fits easily into small kitchen spaces
Ease of Use	Intuitive controls suitable for beginners
Self-Cleaning Functions	Rinse cycle and easy-to-clean components

Cons

Feature	Drawback
Learning Curve for Steam Wand	Beginners may take time to master milk texturing
Loud Grinder	The grinder can be noisy during use
Limited Capacity	67 oz water tank and 1/2 lb bean hopper may not be enough for large gatherings

Customer Feedback

Many customers have praised the Breville Barista Express for its ability to produce high-quality espresso at home. Reviews frequently highlight the machine’s consistency, ease of use, and the fantastic results it delivers with high-quality beans. Coffee enthusiasts appreciate the integrated grinder, as it eliminates the need for additional equipment, streamlining the process of making espresso.

However, some users have noted issues with the machine’s long-term reliability, particularly with the grinder. A few customers reported that the grinder’s performance degraded over time, resulting in inconsistent grind sizes. While these complaints are not widespread, they are worth considering if you’re investing in this machine for the long haul.

Conclusion

The Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine (BES870XL) offers a fantastic combination of performance, ease of use, and quality in a compact, attractive design. It’s an excellent choice for anyone who wants to take their home brewing to the next level, whether you’re a novice or an experienced barista.

Enjoyed this review of Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine? Then be sure to check out our other espresso machine guides and reviews.

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