Breville Barista Express: The Unbeatable Espresso Machine for Home Kitchens

Specs:

Water Tank Capacity: 67 ounces

Bean Hopper Capacity: ½ pound

Grinder Type: Canonical Burr

Cord Length: 3 feet

Dimensions: 13 ¼” x 12 ½” x 15 ¾”

Price:

Pros:

• The best espresso machine for beginners due to its detailed manual and intuitive controls. 
• Comes with a coffee grinder and milk frother.
• Decent price for a quality espresso machine.
• The frothing wand and tamper work well.
• Has a cleaning indicator that reminds users when it needs to be cleaned.
• Comes with all the accessories you need, including a cleaning kit.
• Offers a good set of semi-automatic controls from grinding to frothing.

Full Review:

A professional espresso machine can cost a thousand dollars or more. For restos, cafes, and other small businesses that need it, it is an expected price tag. Finding the same quality model for your home is another thing. You could get those overpriced commercial machines or have the cheap migraine-inducing purchases in the market. This is why many love Breville Barista Express, the best espresso machine for quite some time now. Not only is it reasonably priced, but it offers the same barista experience in each brew you make. Let’s have a look at it:

Breville Barista Express is hailed as one of our best coffee makers of 2021. There is no doubt about it after our SolidSmack Household Appliance and Tool Research Team personally tested its brilliance in the actual setup. According to our experts, it is an amalgamation of three appliances: a coffee maker, a coffee grinder, and a frother. What’s impressive about it is that each of its parts is perfectly designed to assure you will get the best shot of espresso.

It starts with its built-in grinder utilizing a conical burr system. This makes the grinding process in Barista Express extremely quieter. It also works just as great as other standalone grinder units and it doesn’t overheat the grounds which helps to preserve the flavor of the coffee. It can handle 19 – 22 g beans and you have the option of the grind size using its dial. In our test, it exceeded our expectations for a conical burr grinder. The grounds produced by the grinder were decently consistent in size. The package also comes with a tamper which feels solid and perfect for its job. It is also magnetized, allowing you to store it safely in the machine. 

On the other hand, we praise Breville for keeping the Barista Express as intuitive as possible for users. The buttons are well labeled and there is a pressure gauge that will guide you in reading the right pressure during the extraction process. For new users, it will certainly be a matter of trial and error before mastering the right grind and tampering of grounds. But with the intuitive controls and well-written manual that comes with the package, learning how to use this espresso machine can be fun.

Its extraction process can also challenge the performance of other high-end espresso machines. The water is forced under 9 bars of pressure through the ground coffee using its 15-bar Italian pump and it can deliver one of the best-tasting shots of homemade espresso. The steam wand is also pleasing on all levels. It isn’t that long but it can produce excellent temperature and pressure to properly texture the milk. The fact that it also comes with a frothing pitcher also makes everything more convenient for you. 

Moreover, this 2021 best espresso machine can heat the water just at the right level to match the extraction process. In our test, it reached the ideal brewing temperature of 190°F to 195°F and serving temperature of 160°F for a single or double espresso. Nonetheless, you can also adjust the temperature of the unit though it might look fiddly. To start, turn off the machine first by pressing the Power button. Press and hold the Program button and then press the Power button. This will give you a beeping alert and the illuminated button will show the current set. After this, you need to adjust the temperature within 5 seconds of activating the Advanced Temperature Mode. You can choose from 1 Cup button (+2°), 2 Cup button (+4°), Filter Size button (-2°), and Power button (-4°). After this, the machine will give you two beeps to confirm the changes made. If you fail to enter the settings within 5 seconds, the machine will return to Standby mode.

Breville Barista Express FAQs:

What is the power requirement of Breville Barista Express?

• All products sold by the brand in the US use a 110V/60Hz wall outlet.

Is the Breville Barista Express programmable?

• No, the Breville Barista Express requires manual labor as it is a semi-automatic espresso machine.

Is the Breville Barista Express ideal for countertops?

• The Breville Barista Express measures 13 ¼” x 12 ½” x 15 ¾” so it should be compact enough to fit counters.

Does the Breville Barista Express have an automatic tamper?

• The Breville Barista Express is a semi-automatic espresso machine so you need to choose the grind size of the coffee beans and manually tamper the grounds.