Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine Review 2025
As it is quite an old model, does it still perform better? If this is your question and you are looking for an all-in-one kind of machine with this price, then this review will clear all your confusion.
Overview
This Breville Espresso Machine is still well known to baristas, future baristas, and coffee addicts. It is a machine that will not let you worry about any features or about any cleaning procedures. It actually has advanced mechanisms and useful features.
It is definitely a really well-performing machine compared to its cost. All the best machines are costly. But if you want a professional machine of good quality, then this one will work great.
Attached grinder, a milk pitcher with thermometer, cleaning kit, auto-purged steam wand and many more items. If you buy this machine, you don’t have to go through any extra hassle in my opinion.
What Kind Of Machine Is This?
Its model number is BES870XL and it is a semi-automatic machine. In other words, you can say hybrid machine. Because some features might be automatic in this machine but you can also control them. Simply to be said, they can be handled manually too.
Breville Barista Espresso Machine Features
If you have read the overview of this machine above, I can say that you are already curious about the details of these features.Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.
Key Features
If you have read the overview of this machine above, I can say that you are already curious about the details of these features.Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.
Material
Stainless steel has been used to build this machine. This metal is really popular as it increases a product’s shelf life. But not all features are made of this metal. In some places, plastic has also been used.
Colours
This Breville espresso machine comes in different colours. Different colours give this machine a modern look. Available colours include black, stainless steel, blue and black truffle.
Size
It is not very big or not too small as an espresso machine. But it does require someplace in your kitchen. It will be about 16 inches in height and 12.5 inches in width.
User Interface
If you have used an espresso machine before, you can easily operate it. But if you are someone new, then this might seem to you a little bit tricky to operate. There are 6 buttons on this machine.
The first one is the power button, which starts the machine. Then, there are one-cup and two-cup buttons to extract the espresso of your choice. Power button and filter size button are also available.
And the interesting thing is that you are getting a grinding burr with this machine. So, there is another option to grind the coffee beans as finely as you want.
There is also a pressure gauge to measure the pressure while extracting the coffee grinds. You will see “Espresso Range” written on it. Moreover, you are getting indicators that will inform you about cleaning and steaming.
PID Temperature Control
This is used basically to control and monitor the temperature of the brew head. It makes sure to extract good-quality espresso. Because too much temperature or too low temperature can make the espresso taste bad.
Water Tank
This tank can hold 2 litres of water. It is removable, and the build material is good.
You will also be getting a water filter, which will help you avoid descaling the machine too often
Tamper
This one is not the best, but it performs pretty well. It is also made of stainless steel and magnetic. So, it won’t fall often from the machine.
Boiler
Like any other machine, you will also get a boiler for this machine. It heats up really quickly than the other machines. In this machine this boiler is equipped with thermocoil. That is why it gets heated up easily, and it will probably work even fine if you wait for more time.
Steam Wand
Steam wand is compulsory in any espresso machine. Here, you will get it too. It’s made of stainless steel and it rotates 360 degrees. So, that means this steam wand moves in two directions, which is joyous news for every coffee addict!
Portafilter
The portafilter is quite heavy and made of stainless steel. It is a 54-millimeter portafilter, quite well-built and sturdy. I included some features in this section because in every machine, you will not get every feature like this machine has gotten. These features seemed really innovative to me.
Unique Features
Here I described some features like grinding burr, pre-infusion system etc as unique features. Because these features seemed quite innovative and different to me when it comes to functions.
Grinding Burr
This is one of the most needed features to me, which Breville did. You can grind your coffee beans to any type you like. You can grind it finely or can grind it a little bit coarser. The bean hopper weighs 8 ounces. This is made of stainless steel.
Filter Baskets
There are not one but 4 baskets in total. They are made of stainless steel. So, you can choose a double wall or single wall basket. Another important thing is that using different baskets will definitely get different extraction qualities.
Pre-infusion System
This is another creative feature that Breville added to this machine. You can adjust your pre-infusion time before extracting.
Milk Pitcher
It is one of the coolest features of this machine that I really liked. Because this milk pitcher has a thermometer in it. You can easily see the temperature of the milk you want to froth. This pitcher is also made of stainless steel and can hold 480 millilitres of milk.
Pros
✅ 15 bar Italian pump bar.
✅ PID Temperature Control System.
✅ Cleaning kit with all accessories.
✅ Stainless steel Pitcher with thermometer.
✅ Removable and adjustable Grind burr.
✅ Pre-infusion system and an auto-purged steam wand.
Cons
❌ Grinding burr is not the best.
❌ The price may seem high to some people.
❌ Single boiler. So it will either make a shot or froth, but not both at once.
❌ It needs to be cleaned up often
My Feedback After Using This Machine
Things That Impressed Me:
I tried to make an Americano and a cappuccino for myself using this machine. And I like it so far.
At first, I actually washed all the removable parts, like the water tank, and filled up the water tank. I flushed the machine to make it clean. I made sure to run water through the steam wand and espresso, extracting the nuzzle.
The water filter is a plus point. Because of it, one doesn’t actually need to descale the machine. Then I pressed the power button. It actually takes some time to heat up the machine, probably it took 10 minutes.
Then, I settled the grinder and filled it with beans. I didn’t fill the whole hopper; I just poured as much as I wanted. Many people in the review box said they were facing problems with the grinder after using it for some time.
But as a first-timer, I didn’t face any trouble. The grinding quality was also good. I tried the fine grinding option, and it didn’t disappoint me. There is an auto-dosing funnel which actually prevents messed up situations.
Because of that, the bean powder was directed to the portafilter. Then I used the temper and it actually worked really well. After that, I pulled up a shot. The extraction was quite good. Crema was also satisfying.
After that, I tried it for a double shot of espresso. This time, while pulling the shots, I didn’t press it very hard; otherwise, it may cause low pressure extraction. After extraction, the espresso was really impressive. It was full of crema, and the scent, the bitter-sweet flavour, was just perfect.
I used the pre-infusion feature while extracting espresso. This feature improves the consistency of extraction and enhances the crema and scent production. That’s why my espresso has a more balanced taste. The cleaning process was also really easy. Because Breville gave you everything you will need to wash.
To talk about the steam wand, when I started, it took 20 seconds to be ready. It has an auto-purging system. So I didn’t have to purge it. While frothing the milk, within a minute, it actually created nice and silky foams.
Things Which Breville Can Work On:
These were all the things I actually loved about this machine. Even though I do not see any problem with the grinder for now, I would say if you can afford it, buy another grinder. It uses so much water to clean the machine. If the water tank was a little bit big, it wouldn’t create any problems.
I also feel that if there was a water sensor, it would be much better. Because if you forget to refill the water tank and start the machine it may cause severe damage. Also, the drip tray should be cleaned regularly because it gets full really quickly.
Cleaning
Breville did an amazing job by providing a cleaning kit with all the necessary tools for this machine. The machine washes up by itself and uses water from the water tank. Besides this, this kit provides espresso cleaning tablets to descale the machine.
A brush and a razor are also included. It also includes a pin to clean the steam wand. And try to clean the brewer before and after pulling out the shots.
Be careful while cleaning the portafilter because there are some important features packed in it. Clean the pitcher on a regular basis if you drink a latte or milk. Otherwise, not washing it won’t create any problems.
As it is a stainless steel build machine, it will show some hand spots. Damp a soft cloth with water and then wipe the interface and the rest of the body. It will be enough. You can watch this video to find out more about how to clean the Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine.
FAQs
How much time does the Breville Barista Espresso Machine take to clean?
The cleaning process is really easy. Approximately it would take 5 minutes to clean the machine with a tablet. But if the tablet completely doesn’t get dissolved within 5 minutes then again attach the portafilter to this machine. And wait until it gets completely dissolved.
Why is my extraction rate so low?
It may happen if the coffee grinds are grinded coarsely. Or you didn’t fill the portafilter with enough coffee grind. Tamping the ground tightly would also create this problem.
Why is my grinding burr not working well?
If you don’t attach the grinding burr properly then it could happen. Not fixing the inner burr and outer dial of this grinder can also cause this kind of issue. So, read the manual properly before attaching it.
Conclusion
It’s a hybrid and all-in-one type of machine. It looks good, and the build is amazing. All The features Breville added to their machine are really creative and helpful. The grinder may create a little bit of improper actions, but overall, and with this prize, this machine serves really well.
Hi! I’m Semiul Bennett. After spending so many years in the coffee industry, I’ve developed a deep passion for all things coffee—from the beans to the brewing process. Now, I’m on a mission to help people have a better coffee experience at home and outdoors. Together with my team, we’re here to share expert tips, brewing techniques and the latest coffee trends, so you can enjoy your perfect cup every time.
