Breville BES870BSXL The Barista Express Coffee Machine, Black Sesame
- 15 Bar Italian Pump
- Purge Function: Automatically adjusts water temperature after steam for optimal espresso extraction temperature
- Stainless steel conical burr grinder with 1/2 pounds sealed bean hopper
- 1600 Watt Thermo coil heating system
- 67 fluid Ounce (2 Liter) removable water tank with handle
Last update on 2020-01-14 PST - Details
The daily espresso is a pleasure for many people – and for others a necessity. Some people drink espressos for the sheer aroma. Others drink it for the kick and to prevent the headache caused by caffeine withdrawal.
Still, there’s no reason why you can’t combine necessity with pleasure. And the best espresso machine will offer you that much-needed caffeine kick without compromising the taste.
In this review, we will test the ability of Breville’s “The Barista” to make a high-quality espresso. Is it worth the money, or is it just average? Let’s see what it brings to the table.
Introducing The Breville “The Barista” Espresso Machine
If you are looking for a professional espresso machine to offer you great-tasting espresso in a simple manner, then the Barista should be able to do exactly that.
Featuring many professional functions, you can make anything from an espresso to an Americano or a cappuccino. It also has a low-pressure brewing style that offers a fine flavor, distributing the water evenly over the coffee puck.
This espresso machine can be categorized as super-automatic since it features its own coffee grinder. Each cup should be fresh since no aroma will be lost in pre-grinding processes. It all depends on your coffee bean quality now.
Furthermore, you could also say it’s semi-automated since you can adjust to some extent the coarseness of your grounds, as well as the water level of your beverage.
Manufactured from stainless steel, this espresso machine was made to be durable. While most plastic-covered units will last only 5 years, give or take, this one should last a lot longer.
Here are the overall features of The Barista:
- Built-in grinder for your coffee beans
- Low pressure in the pre-brewing stage
- Adjustable option for two cups
- Functional and adjustable pressure gauge
- Spacious water tank that is also detachable
- Steam wand made from stainless steel
- Two filter sets
This espresso machine was made to provide every espresso lover with good coffee – regardless if they have barista experience or not. Click here to learn more about the product.
The Results
First of all, this is an espresso machine that works very fast and offers fine quality coffee. It literally takes less than 30 seconds to brew a cup of espresso, and all you have to do is press a button to get things going.
You can make all kinds of drinks with this, from cappuccinos to lattes and regular espressos.
Technically, it doesn’t brew regular coffee. However, you can work your way around that by brewing two shots of espresso and topping it with some hot water from the dispenser. There you are: an Americano!
Speaking of two shots, you also have an adjustable option that can make espresso for two. If you have guests and are in a rush, this will allow you to cut the coffee-brewing time in half.
The unit is very easy to clean. All you have to do is wipe the exterior with a clean, wet cloth, and then just purge some steam from the wand to clean the nozzle tip.
The detachable tray also has a “clean me” message, so you never forget that your espresso machine is in need of maintenance.
The machine still involves a bit of a learning curve, and it might take you a few tries until you get the perfect brew. However, once you get the hang of it, it literally becomes second nature.
What Other People Say
There weren’t many complaints regarding the Barista. Most people claimed that as long as you maintain it properly, it wouldn’t break down anytime soon. All it takes is not skipping the maintenance part.
Considering the multitude of features that it provides, this unit was apparently completely worth the price. It’s durable, and it makes delicious tasting espressos that you can change into any caffeine-based beverage that you want.
What We Liked
I like the fact that despite it being sold as an automatic grinder, it also has a built-in coffee grinder. This allows you to have fresh coffee every time that does not compare with the pre-ground coffee taken from the supermarket.
I also like the fact that it’s easy to clean and that it doesn’t “dance” when it’s grinding coffee. It has a no-slip feet that will keep the machine in its rightful place.
What We Didn’t Like
Despite the fact that it is very easy to clean, it still makes a pretty big mess each time you turn on the grinder. It will occasionally spray on the grinder, making you have to clean not only the machine but the surroundings as well.
The drip tray also gets full pretty fast, which means you have to clean it fairly often. This isn’t a problem if you make espresso just for one, but it might be troublesome if you make coffee for more people at the same time.
Buying Advice
You can buy this espresso machine from pretty much anywhere, but my advice would be that you give Amazon a shot. The initial price is the same as the manufacturer’s website, but Amazon gives you a chance at a good discount.
When I placed my order, I got almost 50% off my price. I also got free shipping, which was very convenient, considering that most of the time, it costs more than the product itself.
The product only has a 1-year warranty, but so far, there were no complaints of the product breaking down before 5 years have passed.
Final Thoughts
Overall, if you are looking for a professional barista system to offer you high-quality espresso, then you should give The Barista a try. It’s not the most affordable of the batch, but it certainly offers the most features.
You can easily (and automatically) make anything from espressos to lattes and cappuccinos, and it’s a great tool to teach you how to make good espresso – without torturing yourself with a manual espresso-maker.
Sale Breville BES870BSXL The Barista Express Coffee Machine, Black Sesame 15 Bar Italian Pump; Stainless steel conical burr grinder with 1/2 pounds sealed bean hopper $699.95 −$102.00 $597.95Last update on 2020-01-14 PST - Details
