“Work fine for me on the Express, but I just make ‘good coffee’, my goal isn’t to become a world class barista! Got it dialed in for my preferred beans, and happy to just crack on.”
Breville Barista Express
Based on 310 comments across 3 communities
The headline score reflects owners (Reddit, enthusiast forums), independent lab tests, and blogs with no affiliate links. YouTube and affiliate blogs are shown for perspective but kept out — hover the i for why.
“Work fine for me on the Express, but I just make ‘good coffee’, my goal isn’t to become a world class barista! Got it dialed in for my preferred beans, and happy to just crack on.”
“It’s not perfect but you can make decent stable shots. You will know when to upgrade your machine later. I have been using BBE impress for 3+ years and I saw limit after one year.”
“tried different coffe beans (fresh and not fresh), grind size, quantity, tamp pressure, but the coffe always, ALWAY tastes bitter. I still haven't been able to get a nice shoot.”
“Imho, this is the best entry level package. You can get descent results woth it! Low investment to know if you enjoy the espresso ritual. Grinder won't be able to do lighter roasts.”
“I have an express does the job but I’d get a bambino plus and a separate grinder that’s better if I were to go back and do it again would also make upgrading in the future easier”
“The BBE doesn‘t have a stable brewing temperature when doing back to back shots. That could be part of the problem because with a higher temperature the flow gets faster.”
“Definitely a good beginner machine. Well built, good company. Also nice to have a built in grinder b/c grinder is arguably just as, if not more important than the machine itself.”
“I found the built-in grinder, even at the finest setting, wasn’t fine enough for a bottomless portafilter. I upgraded to a high quality hand grinder and then saved up for a Zerno”
“I could never get similar beans to pull a great shot on my breville barista express with a DF64 gen 2. I just upgraded to a Bezzera Unica and wow what a difference and absolutely consistent.”
“It's not that good imo. For less than half the price I bought a De'Longhi ECP, very good grinder, and accessories (bottomless porta filter, spring tamper, milk carafes, puck screen, funnel).”
“I’ve repaired a few thing on mine over it’s 10 years of service to me. There are a lot of parts in these machines. Sometimes they break, but relatively cheap and easy to repair.”
“if you’re starting out or don’t really need to nit pick on making the absolute best coffee (maybe because you’re a milk coffee kinda person), then the BBE will be fine for years to come.”
“Just got mine today. Grinder works fine, frother is fine. Best latte I have had in awhile and I'm new at this. No scales, No WDT. Eyeballed everything and it was a great drink.”
“Same local beans I’ve always used, within a month of roast. I’m going to try a full clean and realignment but I’m wondering if it’s just worn down over the last few years”
“The grinder is not powerful enough for very light roasted beans unless you slow-feed. It’s also a conical burr type. For those reasons, many people eventually prefer a standalone grinder.”
“My BBX grinder failed also, after 3yr. Replaced with a DF64 and kept using the rest of the BBX. Have never ever made coffee as good with the BBX grinder as I’m getting from the DF64 grinder.”
“I've had this machine for 6 years. The grindr works great. My only complaint is that if you grind two shots worth at once a lot spills over, so I grind one, tamp, then grind the other.”
“As an owner my only caveat I would offer is the steam wand is maddening. Like obviously for the price there is no comparison but I can’t wait to upgrade in a year I think.”
“I was using the Sage/Breville Barista Express while it was away and could never get the light Dialed In, no matter what I did. I have another Grinder and got it fine enough, but it was just sour.”
“Lots of people hate on the built in grinder, but it is totally fine. I used it for 3 years when I was first getting started, and it still made better coffee than all my local baristas.”
“This was my first machine and still use it 6 years later daily (2 or 3 times a day). The grinder is sub par but it will do the job until you can afford something better.”
“I bought the BBEI and I am happy with it. although it has been a journey of learning and adjusting. my major 'issue' is with the amount of ground coffee I pull my shots.”
“With the breville, I stick to darker/more forgiving roasts. The pressure and temp with the breville is so inconsistent, it’s hard to consistently pull great shots with light or medium/light roasts”
“I can get a great espresso out of the BBE I have because I’ve got the knowledge I’ve gained over the years; and it’s significantly cheaper and less tech than the Faema at work.”