Amazon has
Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine (Stainless Steel, BES870XL)
+ $20 Amazon Credit on sale for
$549.95.
Shipping is free.
- Note: Earn 10% back on this item when you pay with your Prime Visa (more information).
Thanks to Deal Hunter
phoinix & community member
icemountain for finding this deal.
Features:- Stainless steel housing
- 15-bar Italian pump, 1600w stainless steel thermocoil heating system
- Stainless steel showerhead, frothing mug, cleaning tool and brush
- Programmable grind size, water temperature and brew volume
- All parts that come into contact with coffee/water are bpa-free
- 8-oz. bean hopper makes up to 25 single shots
- Premium conical burr grinder
- 16 grind settings
- Includes two dual-wall filters and two single-wall filters
- 67-ounce removable water tank with replaceable filter to reduce scale
- 360-degree swivel steam wand
Top Comments
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.
479 people found this helpful"
Community Reviews
The Barista Express is a stylish entry-level espresso machine that delivers convenient all-in-one brewing for lattes, americanos, and daily shots. It has a hot-water function for longer drinks, and the machine has held up for years in regular use for several owners. The built-in grinder is the main weak point, with repeated complaints about limited dialing-in, messy dosing, and the need for a separate grinder for better results. Steam power is also modest compared with higher-end machines, and the drip tray can fill quickly during normal use. It is a solid convenience-focused option if you can live with those tradeoffs.
The machine can handle frequent daily use while continuing to pull multiple shots without reported issues.
Newer units reportedly include a funnel in the accessories pack, which can reduce grinder mess during use.
The dosing behavior can stop after the set amount when using a click, which helps keep grind output consistent.
The hot-water function can quickly support Americano-style drinks for longer coffee preferences.
The built-in grinder can be very lacking, which may lead to inconsistent coffee taste and the need for a separate grinder.
The drip tray can overflow after roughly 15 drinks, and support reportedly frames it as normal drainage behavior.
The steamer pipe can clog after around 10 cappuccinos, which can require cleaning to restore steam performance.
The steam wand can feel weaker than higher-end models and may get weaker over time, limiting latte art ambitions.
Common Questions (5)
AI-generated summary based on comments from the community. Updated ago
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20 Comments
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Without jumping into the rabbit hole of home espresso, this is gonna do really good for 90% of folks that are just looking for decent lattes, americanos, etc.
Add a bottomless portafilter, a good distributor/tamper, and this is gonna produce good results. Also - be sure to use fresh (no more than a month old) beans. Not only just as a rule of thumb for any espresso but specifically with this machine, I find beans that get over ~3-4 weeks old, no matter the grind setting will just shoot right through.
After doing a lot of research, I went with a Gaggia Classic Pro and a Baratza Sette grinder.
The Breville is an appliance. Replacement parts are few and far between. The grinder is meh. You really need to be able to dial in your grind for the basket and pressure your machine runs at. The Breville just isnt that good at grinding.
The Gaggia is a machine and has spare parts galore, tons of ability to modify, add a PID, etc.
My experience with a Breville toaster oven that lasted about 2 months past the warranty sealed the deal. You couldn't find squat for replacement parts for the bad board in the toaster oven. Breviile said sorry about your luck.
IMHO, this is the easy button for espresso drinkers who dont want to try to make the best espresso, but just want something that looks good (it does) and works with minimal effort.
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