Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine Review
The Breville Barista Express is a semi-automatic espresso machine that is perfect for home baristas who want to make café-quality coffee at home. It has a built-in conical burr grinder, automatic dosing, pre-infusion, and a PID controller, giving you complete control over the brewing process. The Barista Express also has a powerful steam wand for frothing milk and making lattes and cappuccinos.
Who is the Breville Barista Express for?
The Barista Express from Breville is for anyone who wants to make great espresso and coffee drinks at home. It is a good choice for both beginners and experienced baristas alike. Beginners will appreciate the easy-to-use controls and automatic features, while experienced baristas will appreciate the level of control that the machine offers.
What are the key features and benefits of the Breville Barista Express?
The Barista Express has several key features and benefits, including:
- Built-in conical burr grinder for fresh, evenly ground coffee
- Automatic dosing for consistent results
- Pre-infusion for a more even extraction
- PID controller for precise temperature control
- Powerful steam wand for frothing milk and making lattes and cappuccinos
- Intuitive controls and easy to use
- Compact footprint
Overview
Overall, the Breville Barista Express is a great espresso machine for home baristas of all levels. It is well-built, has many great features, and is easy to use.
Design and Build Quality
The Breville Barista Express is a well-built machine with a sleek, stainless steel design. It is compact and takes up relatively little counter space. The machine is also easy to clean and maintain.
Ease of use
The Breville Barista Express is easy to use, even for beginners. The controls are intuitive and easy to understand. The machine also comes with a detailed instruction manual.
Overall, the Breville Barista Express is a great espresso machine for home baristas of all levels. It is well-built, has many great features, and is easy to use.
Breville Barista Express Features
A well-equipped machine with a number of features that make it a great choice for both beginners and experienced baristas alike.
Controls and Display
The Barista Express has intuitive and easy-to-use controls with a backlit LCD. This makes it easy to adjust the settings and see the status of the machine.
Water Tank
The espresso machine has a removable 67.6 oz (2 liter) water tank. This is large enough to make several cups of espresso without having to refill it.
Grinder
There is a built-in conical burr grinder with 18 grind settings. This allows you to grind your coffee beans to the perfect size for espresso.
Automatic Dosing
The espresso machine has an automatic dosing feature that dispenses 18 grams of ground coffee into the portafilter. This ensures that you are using the correct amount of coffee each time, for consistent results.
Pre-Infusion
It has a pre-infusion feature that helps to evenly saturate the coffee grounds before brewing. This results in a more even extraction and a better cup of espresso.
PID Controller
The espresso machine has a built-in PID controller that allows you to precisely adjust the brew temperature. This is important for making great espresso, as the brew temperature can have a big impact on the flavor.
Boiler System
The Barista Express has a single boiler system with a thermoblock heating system. This means that there is only one boiler to heat both the water for brewing espresso and the steam for frothing milk. However, the thermoblock heating system allows the machine to heat up quickly and recover from steaming milk very quickly. This means that you can make a latte or cappuccino without having to wait too long.
Steam Wand
A built-in powerful steam wand that produces thick, creamy foam for lattes and cappuccinos. The steam wand is also easy to use, even for beginners.
Portafilter
There is a 58mm stainless steel portafilter with double-wall portafilter baskets. This type of portafilter is used by professional baristas and is known for producing high-quality espresso.
Tamping
Integrated tamper that helps to ensure a consistent tamp. This is important for making a good cup of espresso.
Cup Height
There is an adjustable cup tray that accommodates different cup sizes. This means that you can use your favorite cups with the machine.
Accessories
A tamper, milk frothing jug, stainless steel measuring spoon, and portafilter cleaning tool are supplied with the machine. These accessories are everything you need to start making espresso at home.
Observations
The Barista Express from Breville is a great espresso machine for both beginners and experienced baristas alike. It is easy to use and produces high-quality espresso. The machine is also well-built and durable.
One of the things I like most about the Breville Barista Express is the built-in grinder. This allows me to grind I like about the Breville Barista Express is the dual boiler system. This means that I can brew espresso and froth milk at the same time, which is great for making lattes and cappuccinos.
Cleaning the Breville Barista Express
The Barista Express is relatively easy to clean and maintain. Here are some tips:
- Clean the portafilter and tamper after each use. You can use a brush and water to remove any coffee grounds or residue.
- Empty the water tank and rinse it daily.
- Descale the machine every 2-3 months, or more often if you live in a hard water area.
- Clean the steam wand after each use. You can wipe it down with a damp cloth.
Breville Barista Express Specifications
| Specification | Value |
| Dimensions | 12.5″ x 13.8″ x 15.9″ |
| Weight | 23 pounds |
| Power | 1600 W |
| Boiler | Single boiler system with thermocoil |
| Pump pressure | 15 bar Italin pump |
| Portafilter | 54mm stainless steel |
| Grinder | Built-in steel conical burr grinder with 16 grind settings |
| Water tank | Removable 67.6 oz (2 liter) water tank |
| Steam wand | Powerful steam wand for frothing milk |
| Accessories | Dosing Funnel, Tamper, Milk Pitcher, Measuring Spoon, Portafilter, Portafilter Cleaning Tool, an more |
Verdict
Overall, the Barista Express is a great espresso machine for home baristas of all levels. It is well-built, has many great features, and is easy to use.
| Pros | Cons |
| Built-in conical burr grinder | Can be noisy |
| Automatic dosing | Grinder can be messy |
| Pre-infusion | Some users have reported problems with the steam wand |
| PID controller | Compact footprint |
| 54mm stainless steel portafilter | Powerful steam wand |
| Adjustable cup tray | Integrated tamper |
| Easy to clean and maintain |
Recommendations:
I would highly recommend the Barista Express from Breville to anyone who is serious about making coffee at home. It is a great value for the price and produces high-quality espresso.
Breville Barista Express FAQs
The Barista Express is a semi-automatic espresso machine that is perfect for home baristas who want to make café-quality coffee at home. It has a built-in conical burr grinder, automatic dosing, pre-infusion, and a PID controller, giving you complete control over the brewing process. The Breville Barista Express also has a powerful steam wand for frothing milk and making lattes and cappuccinos.
The Barista Express is for anyone who wants to make great espresso and coffee drinks at home. It is a good choice for both beginners and experienced baristas alike. Beginners will appreciate the easy-to-use controls and automatic features, while experienced baristas will appreciate the level of control that the machine offers.
The Barista Express can be noisy, especially during the grinding process. However, the noise is not too loud and is tolerable for most people.
The Barista Express can be messy, especially when grinding coffee beans. However, there are a few things you can do to reduce the mess, such as using a portafilter funnel and wiping down the machine after use.
Some users have reported problems with the steam wand, such as it not being powerful enough or producing inconsistent steam. However, these problems seem to be relatively rare.
