In the world of coffee, freshness can be measured in seconds. By the time even five minutes has passed, ground beans have started to lose their flavor. Grinding beans every time you want fresh espresso takes time, though, and oftentimes it becomes a tradeoff between taste and convenience. The Breville Barista Express solves this problem, delivering fresh, quality espresso at remarkable speed, thanks to its integrated burr grinder. Go from beans to espresso in under a minute—all in the comfort of your own home.
Espresso making is notorious for being both an art and a science, requiring you to carefully adjust each of the inputs (grind size, grind amount, etc.). But even complete beginners and aspiring baristas can pull a perfect shot from the Breville Barista Express. For beginners, it comes with two dual-wall, pressurized filters that regulate pressure and help optimize the extraction. For more experienced baristas, the Barista Express includes two single-wall, non-pressurized filters that give you more room to experiment with different grind sizes, grind amounts, and tamping pressure. As either a crash-course or a continuation study, the Barista Express gives you free rein to explore the art of espresso.
In addition to its integrated burr grinder, the Breville Barista Express has an Italian-manufactured 15 bar pump and thermocoil heating system that ensures accurate regulation of water temperature for a full-flavored espresso. A pre-brew function and flat shower head make sure that the water is optimally distributed through the coffee puck. The Barista Express also has several helpful features, such as a cup warmer on the top of the machine and a feature that removes excess water from the filter basket after coffee extraction, so the used grounds form a dry puck for quicker cleanup. Lastly, it has a stainless steel 360 degree swivel-action steam wand for lattes and cappuccinos.
For beginners and aspiring baristas alike, the Barista Express makes good espresso accessible and easy to make.
The Breville Barista Express is built from high-quality materials so the resulting machine is as sturdy as possible. No-slip feet keep the machine from sliding across the counter when the burr grinder is activated. The Barista Express is housed in a sleek stainless steel casing, making it an attractive and timeless addition to any kitchen. The entire unit is easy to clean and comes with a hideaway storage compartment for the included cleaning tools, in addition to an easily removable drip tray.
Model |
Dual Boiler |
Barista Express |
Infuser |
Dimensions |
16.25″x15″x15″ |
13.25″x12.5″x14.5″ |
10.25″x12.5″x13.25″ |
Weight |
30 lbs |
23 lbs |
17 lbs |
Heating system |
Dual boilers, stainless steel |
Thermocoil, stainless steel |
Thermocoil, stainless steel |
Temperature control |
Electronic PID (for better temperature stability) |
Electronic PID (for better temperature stability) |
Electronic PID (for better temperature stability) |
Pump |
Dual Italian pumps |
15 bar Italian pump |
15 bar Italian pump |
Wattage |
1700W |
1450W |
1600W |
Water tank |
84 fl. oz. top-fill and rear-fill |
67 fl. oz. top-fill with handle |
61 fl. oz. top-fill with handle |
Water filtration |
Yes, 1 year supply |
Yes, 1 filter |
Yes, 1 filter |
Pressure gauge |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Accessories |
2 x 58mm dual wall filter baskets, 2 x 58mm single wall filter baskets, 58mm integrated tamper, stainless steel milk jug, cleaning tool, cleaning disc and tables, allen key, water filter holder and filters, coffee scoop |
2 x 54mm dual wall filter baskets, 2 x 54mm single wall filter baskets, 54mm integrated tamper, stainless steel milk jug, cleaning tool, cleaning disc and tables, allen key, water filter holder and filter, coffee scoop |
2 x 54mm dual wall filter baskets, 2 x 54mm single wall filter baskets, 54mm integrated tamper, stainless steel milk jug, cleaning tool, cleaning disc and tables, allen key, water filter holder and filter, coffee scoop |
Pre-infusion |
True low pressure (gradual ramp up) |
Triple prime (3 burst full power) |
True low pressure (gradual ramp up) |
Volumetric control |
Preset, manual over-ride or reprogrammable |
Preset, manual over-ride or reprogrammable |
Preset, manual over-ride or reprogrammable |
Dry puck feature? |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Auto purge? |
Not required |
Yes |
Yes |
Steam wand |
360 degree swivel, 3 hole tip |
360 degree swivel, 1 hole tip |
360 degree swivel, 1 hole tip |
Hot water |
Yes, dedicated outlet |
No |
Yes, dedicated outlet |
Cleaning alert |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Concealed storage tray |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Breville assist plug |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
Over-pressure valve (OPV), actively heated group head, heat exchanger (HX), programmable extraction temps, programmable pre-infusion, backlit LCD, espresso shot clock, auto start, audio alerts (high, low, mute), drop down swivel foot |
.5 lb bean hopper, conical burr grinder, grind size dial, grind amount dial, hands-free grinding cradle |
|
Housing |
Stainless steel; parts that come in contact with water, coffee, and milk are BPA free |
Stainless steel; parts that come in contact with water, coffee, and milk are BPA free |
Stainless steel; parts that come in contact with water, coffee, and milk are BPA free |
Compare the Barista Express (BES860XL) with other Breville espresso machines
Exceptional! I spent my Christmas 2009 reviewing expresso machines. I had just returned from a trip to Europe and finally was going to fold and get an expresso machine. I missed the expresso from Italy and France. 1oz of crema delight.So, I liked the Breville from all the reviews but was worried about some of the negativity on the “wet puck” I had read. All the reviews mentioned excellent coffee though, so it was on my short list.Then I saw the Breville BES860XL, also known as the Barista Express Programmable Expresso. From the looks you can tell this unit has exchanged the hot water dispenser for a bean grinder. This unit is a fully automatic expresso machine with the super automatic feature of grinding a pre-measure of beans for your brew. Note, it is not a super automatic machine as you still need to manually mount the portafilter into the group head, and clean the filter afterwards. This is as automatic as you will want to go if you want to really control your…
An Espresso Machine For The “Beginner” or The “Aspiring Barista” The Barista Express is Breville’s newest (and most expensive) offering in its line of espresso machines (which includes the and the ). It is a semi-professional machine designated for the “aspiring barista” and the “beginner.”The major selling points of the Barista Express are:(1) patented dual-wall filters to help novices make a respectable cup of espresso without a lot of fuss. Breville has also included regular (single-walled) filters to allow a user the freedom to craft a cup of espresso like a professional barista would.(2) the integrated burr grinderA burr grinder (as opposed to a blade grinder) is ideally suited for grinding coffee beans because they generate less frictional heat than a conventional blade…
Takes some practice… I agree with most of the reviews below – but wanted to add a few words about my experience with this machine:I made a cursory read-through of the manual and having never owned a machine like this, but certainly having purchased a lot of coffee shop espressos across the globe, I thought I could jump right in and make some great drinks. Well, in part true, but I hit a point where I almost returned it. I started off with the double-wall filter and it made a very decent shot. Then I figured I try out the single wall filter. 2 weeks later and after joining the ranks of Corn-holio, I hit the jackpot.During the first 2 weeks, I went from a moderate grind and a middle grind amount to the finest setting and about 2/3 away around the grind amount dial. I even far exceeded the recommended tamping pressure. The result was always an under extracted and bitter shot. Most of the time the puck was wet on top and a bit messy to clean up. Each time I pressed the…