Breville Barista Express Review: Is It Still Reliable
Let’s talk about one of the hot-selling cakes in the world of espresso makers in my Breville Barista Express review. Have you ever wondered what makes Breville Barista Express, the most demanding espresso machine over the 10 years?
Since the Breville brand is constantly launching new versions of espresso machines, is the BES870bks version still worth considering? Well, the Breville Barista Express is the best affordable home espresso machine, specially designed for beginners.
Is that so simple? Certainly not, you’ve to dig deep before investing $$$ on an automatic coffee maker. So, let’s discuss the features, pros, and cons of Breville the barista express coffee & espresso maker and find what suits you the best.
Breville Barista Express
Breville Barista Express Review Overview
Espresso machines with built-in grinders are becoming rarer. Breville leads the way in this category, sticking to its tried-and-true design with the new Barista Express Impress. Love it or hate it, Breville’s design style remains consistent.
Barista Express is a compact espresso machine that provides all the features you need to make exceptional coffee right at home, and it won’t take up much space on your countertop.
One of the standout features of the Barista Express is its built-in grinder. You can grind your coffee beans right before extraction to ensure the freshest flavor for each cup.
And what’s the best part? The Breville Barista Express also offers interchangeable filters, allowing you to choose between automatic or manual operation based on your preferences.
Like the Breville Oracle Touch, Barista Express also works on 4 key elements: dose amount, precise water temperature, optimal water pressure, and sufficient steam pressure.
Moreover, with precise PID temperature control and low-pressure pre-infusion, you can achieve a rich and balanced espresso every time. This espresso maker also uses a thermocoil heating system for quick heat-up times and a clean taste.
Another highlight of the Barista Express is its micro-foam milk texturing feature. The automatic steam wand effortlessly transforms your milk into a velvety and smooth micro-foam, perfect for latte art and enhancing the flavor of your drinks.
Pros
Cons
In short, Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine is a small powerhouse with an affordable price tag of under $1000. Grab it if you want to enjoy a cup of coffee rich in taste with little effort. Let’s dive deep into the Breville Barista Express review.
Breville Barista Express Review
Let me explore the features of this hybrid espresso machine that make it Breville Barista express pro.
Design and Build of Breville Barista Express
The Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine features an entire metal shell that gives durability and longevity. The plastic components used in this machine are not the thin and brittle type; instead, they are made of a thick rubbery material, similar to what is used in the rest of Breville’s lineup.
One notable addition to the design is the inclusion of a tamping handle, which is made of metal. This is a high-frequency touch point during coffee preparation. Also, having a metal handle adds to the machine’s overall solidity.
However, it is worth mentioning that the cover of the new tamping system is made of plastic with a fake chrome finish, which can be a slight disappointment.
Apart from that, the Barista Express Espresso Machine maintains the same features as its predecessor. It has a large removable water reservoir, a hot water outlet, a single-hole steam arm, and a convenient storage compartment behind the drip tray.
These elements contribute to the overall user experience and make day-to-day operations more convenient.
Breville Barista Express comes in two colors: Brushed Stainless Steel, Black Sesame.
User Interface
Breville Barista Express combines analog and digital controls, making operating the machine straightforward.
At the front of the machine, you’ll find a clear and easy-to-read pressure gauge, which provides real-time feedback on the extraction process. That’s why I called it the best espresso machine for beginners.
Further, the easy-to-use control panel has buttons and dials that give you control over various aspects of the brewing process.
You can select single or double-shot options and manual control for extracting your desired amount of coffee. The dial lets you adjust the grind size for a perfect coffee cup. I recommend you go through the user manual before operating your machine.
Conical Burr Grinder
The thing that I admire the most and would like to mention in my Breville Barista Express review, is the built-in grinder of the Breville lineup. And you know what? The grinder is a conical burr grinder, famous for its fast and fine grinding.
The same is the case with Breville Barista Express, you have the convenience of an in-built conical burr grinder. With the Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine, you have the convenience of an in-built conical burr grinder.
This burr grinder enables you to grind the exact amount of coffee you need directly into the portafilter. And the best part is you have full control over the grind size and dose to customize your drink according to your preferences.
You can choose between 16 grind sizes (by moving the dial under the 8 oz bean hopper) to meet your desired level of the brewing process.
Whether you prefer a finer grind or a coarser one, and whether you want a stronger or milder dose, the adjustable settings give you the flexibility to tweak the grind and dose to achieve your desired taste.
Water Reservoir
With a capacity of 2 liters or 67 oz water, Breville Barista Express allows you to make your coffee all day without benign worried about the running level of water. Moreover, you’ll get an integrated filter in the water tank to purify the water to keep the taste rich and fresh.
Another good thing is the water tank is removable. So you can easily clean and maintain the tank.
Although the filter used in the water tank keeps it purified, however, I recommend refilling the tank every morning with fresh water to keep the taste rich and aromatic.
Brewing Process of Breville Barista Express
The brewing process of the Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine is designed to deliver exceptional espresso efficiently.
Thermocoil heating system
Breville Barista Express works with a thermocoil heating system. One of the key advantages of the thermocoil heating system is its quick heat-up time. It almost takes 30 seconds to heat up the machine to start the brewing.
The aluminum block and stainless steel coil combination enable the machine to reach the optimal brewing temperature rapidly, ensuring you can start making your espresso without unnecessary waiting.
Pre Infusion
Pre Infusion is another fantastic feature that increases the overall taste and aroma of the coffee, by wetting the beans for a few seconds before brewing. You’ll find this advanced feature in premium espresso makers like Jura’s coffee makers.
During pre-infusion, the Breville Barista Express applies a low water pressure to the coffee grounds in the portafilter. This gentle and gradual saturation allows the coffee to „bloom“ by releasing carbon dioxide to ensure an even extraction.
And the next good thing about this best Breville espresso is you can even adjust the duration of time for pre-infusion to personalize your drinks according to your taste buds. Want to know the secret? A slight change in the pre-infusion can change the whole flavor profile.
Precise PID temperature control
The Barista Express espresso machine includes advanced digital temperature control (PID) technology to maintain a consistent brewing temperature.
What’s the purpose of a PID Controller?
PID technology detects and minimizes any temperature fluctuations during the extraction process. And as a result, you can get the perfect espresso taste.
Even a slight temperature variation of just 1°C can make a noticeable difference in the taste of your espresso, leading to either an ashy or a balanced taste. However, thanks to the PID system, the Barista Express ensures that the brewing temperature remains within its optimal range consistently.
Portafilter: Breville Barista Express Review
Express uses a 54-millimeter portafilter which is well-made and well-designed. It also includes single and double-shot baskets with it.
Both these baskets make coffee with different tastes. If you’re new to an espresso machine, I recommend a double shot basket wall, as it’s made for beginners.
Breville’s Magnetic Tamper
Express is a one-in-all package that includes all the necessary features to prepare a perfect cup of joe without hassle. You’ll get one of the best tampers along with a built-in grinder and steam wand.
Tamping is as important as grinding for pulling a perfect espresso shot. With the help of Breville’s tamper, you can achieve even extraction without losing the taste. Furthermore, to avoid any hassle of placing the tamper, Express’s magnetic tamper can easily be attached to the machine.
Steaming Wand
Here comes a handy feature if you love cappuccino. Of course, Express isn’t a fully automatic espresso machine, and you’ve to do some manual effort but Trust me you’ll love the creamy texture of your milk beverages.
Breville Barista Express 360-degree stainless steel steam wand to move freely to insert at the right angle of your milk pitcher. The wholes at the tip of the steam wand do a marvelous job of frothing the milk and creating a micro-foam milk texture.
Express uses a thermoblock wand, which controls the frothing process and can be challenging for beginners.
What Includes in the Box of Breville Barista Express?
How to Use the Breville Barista Express Coffee Machine
Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced barista, operating the Express espresso machine isn’t hard to master. Let’s start with the preparation of the machine.
First of all, start your espresso maker by turning it on. And fill the water tank with fresh cold water. You can use tap water to fill the water tank.
The next vital instruction is to place the cup or travel mug under the spout or the portafilter to catch the espresso.
Now turn the power button on and wait for the machine to heat up. Express uses thermocoil system. so it’ll take a few seconds. The espresso machine has a built-in indicator light to signal it’s ready.
It’s time to grind the beans.
Fill the hopper with your preferred whole coffee beans. Adjust the grind size using the grind size dial according to your preference. Place the portafilter into the grinder cradle and push to start the grinding process.
Remove the portafilter from the grinder cradle and level the ground coffee. Apply firm pressure to compact the coffee grounds evenly using the included or separate tamper.
Again, insert the portafilter into the group head and twist it firmly to secure it in place.
Next, select single or double shot options on the control panel. Press the brew button to start the extraction process. The machine will automatically control the water flow and brewing time based on your selection.
Your fantastic cup of coffee is ready to enjoy. It’s easy, isn’t it?
Cleaning and Maintenance: Breville Barista Express Review
Well, you might have heard about the rinsing cycle of super-automatic espresso machines, worry not, this semi-automatic espresso machine has something easy to deal with.
The best part is, all the features of Express are removable. You can remove the bean hopper, access the burr grinder with just a twist of your hand, and clean it easily.
Next, the removable water tank also gives you a breeze as you can easily clean it, dry it, and refill it for your next use. You also need to empty your drip tray regularly to maintain the cleanliness of your coffee machine.
But the cool thing is, you don’t need to check the things manually as the Express will inform you when to clean or empty its drip tray. Sounds convenient.
Breville Espresso Machines Comparison
Let’s see how Breville espresso machines are compared in the last part of the Breville Barista Express Review.
Breville Barista Express vs Barista Express Impress
The Breville Barista Impress is the latest version of the best Breville Espresso machines. It includes some more advanced features that make it stand out among espresso makers.
Having the same features as Breville Barista Express, Barista Impress has two unique features: Intelligent dosing and more grind settings.
The intelligent dosing system automatically calculates and adjusts the amount of fresh coffee for the perfect dose every time. Plus Barista Express Impress includes impressive 25 grind settings.
In short, the Barista Express Impress focuses on the manual espresso-making process with intelligent dosing, precision measurement, and assisted tamping.
On the other hand, the Barista Express offers more control and customization options, including adjustable grind settings and manual milk texturing.
Breville Barista Express vs Barista Touch
As the name suggests, Breville Barista Touch has an easy-to-navigate touch display. Its captivating touchscreen display takes you on a journey, guiding you through the entire espresso-making process with ease.
And the next notable feature is its ThermoJet heating system. Its lightning-fast performance promises quick heat-up times that will leave you stunned.
But here’s a downside too.
You may miss the commercial-style steam wand of the Barista Express that rotates to 350 degrees and give you control over steaming the milk. However, it compensates with its automatic system that handles the steam wand work for you.
This automation makes it an enticing option for those seeking a more automated experience without sacrificing quality.
Read more about the best Breville Espresso Machines.
Final Verdict: Breville Barista Express review
Are you’re wondering is this espresso machine still worth considering? Well, As the final words of my Breville Barista Express review, I’ll safely say, yes it’s. If you’re a beginner, Express has a lot to offer. Its integrated grinder, clearly labeled buttons, and easy-to-pull espresso shot are the real treat for novices. And if you’re a professional or experienced Barista, You’ll love to do manual efforts in tamping, brewing, and steaming the milk. So, don’t wait and try it now.
