Steffi NellLast Updated on July 29, 2021 by Steffi Nell
To start our breville barista express review, it comes with grinder settings, a knob for hot water dispensing or steam, an articulating steam wand frother and passive warming tray. Feature-wise, Breville BES870XL has a long list. Also, it has a 2-liter water tank which is removable and with replaceable water filter for reduced scaling problems in the long haul. It has programmable buttons for the exact amount of coffee you need. It comes with stainless lined, aluminum line thermocoil. Also, it has a removable drip tray with “empty me” notice that pops-up when full, a neat addition. Then it has a sleep mode that is activated after an hour of idle.
Overview
This is a semi-automatic espresso machine. Meaning you have to tamp and froth for yourself. Now, BES870XL has grinder settings for better control. It comes with a knob for hot water dispensing or steam. It has articulating steam wand which can froth your milk. It features 54 mm portafilter with a built-in grinder that comes in canonical burr arrangement. It has a 15 bar pressure pump which assures high-quality extraction from your beans.
Breville Barista Express Performance
For these kinds of machines, it’s really necessary that you check for the pump pressure. The Breville Barista Express has 15 bars to boast of and it really helps in coming up with the right balance of espresso. The result is right flavor, rich aroma and high-quality crema. This espresso machine comes with canonical burr grinder. And everyone does have their own specifics when it comes to ground size.
Fortunately, this machine has an adjustable grinding size for better control. And it does have huge effect over the taste and texture. And this machine has a 54 mm portafilter so can easily cater for double shot espresso. Do take note that it has two programmable buttons for dispensing the right amount of coffee. Each button can be programmed separately then store it in memory making it convenient the next you use it. It’s really a time-saving device.
Then there’s its articulating steam wand that moves 360 degrees for better flexibility. The thing is, the steam does not come with a paranello thus it can take time and practice to achieve the right froth. But when you do, it makes some good milk froth. It has a passive warming tray which means the heat will not be felt readily but it works nonetheless. Also, it comes with a pre-infusion feature thus you can extract more from each bean you brew.
You may also find the analog pressure gauge interesting. It won’t just show you that the machine is indeed working at optimal levels, it’s also quite entertaining to watch. And for those people that can be forgetful at times, you’ll be glad that this machine will go into sleep mode after an hour of idle and will shut itself down after 3 hours of no-use.
Breville Barista Express Price
As this is a semi-automatic machine, it comes with a much higher price. But if you check the build quality, the resulting espresso and the overall durability, it’s really justifiable. Just think of it as a business venture and you need to shell out some cash and your profit is the number of years you’ll be enjoying the bliss of great tasting espresso.
Pros
Our Breville Barista Express review will not be complete without weighing it’s pros and cons. There are enough advantages to justify this machine. First off is the high pressure pump that is capable of reaching 15 bars. And yes, it’s very fast, ideal when you need a sip under short notice. Its 1600W heating coil does the job pretty well. And the built is superb. It has almost everything covered in stainless steel which simply shows how durable it is.
And for the same reason, this machine is easier to clean with a simple wipe. You can dispense coffee in specified amount or you can have the right amount for your taste through its manual dispensing mode. And it has a selector dial for both single and double espresso done with a touch of a button. It comes with a large, 2 liter water reservoir which is removable, making it a breeze when you need to refill.
Cons
Now it’s time for the nitty-gritty part. There’s no perfect machine and some things could have been designed to meet a certain level of compromise. But fortunately for Breville BES870XL, there are very minimal things to think about. Some users find that the drip tray can be filled faster than they expected. Then there were instances when users find that getting the filter out of the portafilter can be a tricky business. But one thing is for sure, this machine is not for someone who wanted more control or someone who wanted more settings to fiddle with to achieve the right taste from their espresso.
Final Words
This espresso machine is quite basic. It can grind, it extracts very well, is has a durable overall construction but it still lacks the convenience of a fully automated machine. But other than that, if you wanted a machine that can deliver the things it promised, this is simply a good choice.
If you have some questions of find our breville barista express review helpful, leave a comment below.
