Breville Barista Express: Is it worth it?

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The Breville Barista Express is one of the best selling home espresso machines on the market. The company’s focus on making espresso in the kitchen versus mirroring a cafe style experience has made them a favorite among consumers. For many, the Barista Express is their first foray into espresso making. This appliance is known as a gateway machine, leading espresso lovers to a life-long pursuit of the perfect shot, upgraded gear, and pure coffee geekdom.

Breville Barista Express Features

The Breville Barista Express is an all-in-one machine. It has an incorporated grinder with 15 grind settings, a group for pulling shots of espresso, and a steam wand for heating milk. Like all of Breville’s current lineup this machine features an adjustable PID, a device which keeps the temperature of the water consistent. The internal 15-bar pump is Italian and produces the adequate 9 bars of pressure of espresso. The Barista Express also has a cup warmer, replaceable water filter, and hot water dispenser. The machine measures in at approximately 12.5″W x 13.8″D x 15.9″H. The Express lacks a boiler for heating water and uses a fast heating thermoblock system, the thermocoil, to heat water on demand. The heat up time is approximately 30 seconds. Finally it has a real pressure gauge that gives live feedback. Included accessories are a steaming pitcher, portafilter, a magnetic tamper, single and double sized portafilter baskets, single and double double-walled portafilter baskets, and cleaning supplies.

Breville Barista Express Build Quality

The Breville Barista Express is made mostly of plastic. Stainless steel plating covers the front of the machine. The drip tray itself is also plastic, but has a stainless cover. The internal thermocoil is made of stainless steel, which prevents scale buildup. The steam wand is on a ball joint and is well designed for steaming, allowing natural angles for your hand while holding the steam pitcher. The included steam pitcher is well made and can be used to make latte art. The included tamper is on the lightweight side, and could us an upgrade. However, the magnet hideaway feature of the tamper is a nice touch. The machine is surprisingly solid. I was happy to find that even though it is an entry level product it has a quality feel to it. Even the portafilter handle has a good heft to it. Overall the Breville Barista Express feels sturdy and professional.

Breville Barista Express Experience

As a barista who has spent years behind commercial equipment, I’ve always been skeptical of Brevilles and other home focused espresso gear. I couldn’t see how a kitchen appliance could stand up to the multi-thousand dollar machines in a cafe. I was humbled to find that the quality and experience from the Breville Barista Express exceeded my expectations. The machine feels sturdy and well built. The included steam pitcher is cafe grade. Even the portafilter is hefty and professional feeling.

After filling the water tank and switching on the Express I got to dialing in the espresso. This took a few tries, but once I found the right grind size the first set of shots were decent. The 54mm portafilter is smaller than the cafe standard 58mm size, but also deeper. This deeper espresso puck size is more forgiving to the user, it is actually harder to pull a bad shot because the depth prevents water from channeling. When using a scale to make sure I had my ideal ratio of grind to espresso (18g in 36g out) I found the shots to be palatable and surprisingly complex.

The steam wand was ready to use about 30 seconds after the shots were pulled. Once I got steaming I was surprised to find the power of the steam to be a lot less than a commercial machine. For someone who is used to using a machine with a boiler this could be a minus. However, once I got familiar with the gentler steam wand of the Barista Express I found that it can produce well textured milk suitable for latte art.

Though I haven’t tried them myself, the included double-walled baskets are great for people who are using pre-ground coffee or ESE espresso pods.

Is the Breville Barista Express worth it?

With the retail price of the Breville Barista Express at $700 USD it is worth every penny. Not only is the construction solid, but the included accessories are all of high quality. The grinder is capable of a grind size that produces good espresso. The majority of the shots that I’ve pulled have been of cafe quality. The steam wand is comfortable to use, and beginners will be happy with the low power as it gives you extra time to perfect your milk texture. The included adjustable PID temperature regulator is a higher tier feature that is nice to have on an entry level espresso machine. Pound for pound this is a wonderful machine for people getting started in the world of home espresso.

Who is the Breville Barista Express for?

The Barista Express is the perfect machine for someone who doesn’t want multiple appliances on their counter and is purchasing their first serious home espresso setup. It is a forgiving machine that is easy to use. More experienced individuals, however, will likely find that the machine doesn’t match their skill level. The grinder settings are limited and the heat-up time between pulling shots and steaming milk feels like a crawl. For an extra $150 USD the Barista Pro with its three-second heat-up time, upgraded steam wand, and 30 grind settings is a good alternative for someone in the sub $1000 USD range who wants an all-in-one unit.