I bought the Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine and I have one thing to tell you. It whips up café-quality expressos and lattes in the comfort of my own kitchen.
FYI, prices and ratings are accurate as of time of writing.
Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine BES870BSXL
Highlight: Flavor is full and rich.
Helpful review: Wow! About all I can say. What an amazing espresso machine. Take the grinder, for instance. It comes with dosage that’s adjustable, plus two dials that allow you to alter how coarse it comes out. The package also includes the steam wand, pump, and spout for the hot water spout. Really just an awesome amount for one machine.
I really love the accessories. They’re all great, and you get a porta-filter holder and four baskets. There’s also a frothing pitcher, a precision dosage razor, and an awesome little cleaning kit. That’s pretty much all you need. If you're serious about getting an espresso machine, then take my word for it. This is it! Trust me.
I wondered about whether or not I should go with this one or something else. I used to have a different version that was like four stars, and now it's lower. That one was more of just strong coffee than actual espresso. I may have done it wrong, but I dunno, I feel like that machine was just too complicated either way. This Breville machine is exactly what I needed. It’s not confusing and it actually does the job
Just keep in mind that you’re gonna get into the coffee game when it comes to getting this machine. This isn’t the kind of machine that just gives you a simple serving with one button, and if you’re looking for that, I’d recommend going somewhere else.
If you wanna get down and dirty and you wanna actually control how your coffee comes out, then this is for you. With this machine, you’ll get down into the real world of coffee and be able to experiment and play around with things. Espresso may seem easy, but honestly, there’s a reason that stuff is expensive. There’s a skill set for it and it takes some work to figure out how to make it good. Skill and time are part of it, too. Also, once you figure it out, you’re going to feel a sense of accomplishment that is just awesome. If you’re reading this, then coffee is probably already a hobby for you and you’re likely just gonna get even better.
Oh, and just know now that you’re gonna figure out real quick that cheaper beans suck haha. Just like the type of gas you put into a race car, you’re not gonna put the cheap stuff into this. You can if you want, but good luck lol. You’ll end up with stale coffee beans that taste weird and probably burnt and then you’re gonna waste time cleaning it.
PROS:
1) Experimentation is the name of the game here. You’re definitely gonna get some fun with this and a sense of control knowing you're making what you want to make. I’ve learned so much about how to froth milk - I can write a book about it lol.
2) You don’t need to get a super pricey grinder when you have a machine that has everything built in one.
3) The machine comes with so much stuff already included, like a frothing pitcher and a few baskets, all you need is the beans!
4) Quality is the name of the game. Material is stainless steel and doesn’t seem cheap at all. You can tell it’s built well. I've had it for four months and honestly, it’s been going great. I’ll update as it goes though.
5) I love the indicators on the display and I love how it tells me when it needs to be cleaned. Customer service was awesome to boot.
6) I also really love that there’s a specific button for the size of the filter you want, too. But this is where the cons come in.
CONS:
1) The grinding is kind of a pain. When you ground coffee, it expands. And if the machine grinds the automatic amount, the basket can overfill because the coffee expands. This results in ground overflowing into the tray. and you get grounds falling over into the tray. I dunno if it's a design flaw or what but as long as you tap the filter, the grinds will settle and when you’re OCD like me, it’s annoying. I just end up using the manual grind, fill it half way up, and tap it quickly to settle it and then you’re good to go. Kinda time consuming, but it makes it more fun.
2) Hard water can create water spots all over the steel, but that’s about the worst I can think of. Honestly, I can't think of anything else negative about it. It's really a great coffee machine and allows you to really delve into making coffee a hobby and you can have fun experimenting with it, too. It's also fun to find local beans and you can also learn how to find specific flavors you like and what tastes you want to create. Seriously, it's so worth it.
If I'm being honest, I do have a regular coffee machine I use for mornings when I'm in a rush, but when I'm ready to have some fun, this is what I use. Definitely recommend it. — Audrey Owens
Get it from Amazon now: $749.95 & FREE Returns
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