Breville Barista Express
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Reviews
Died after only 14 months
We were given this machine as a present Christmas 22. Fast forward 14 months (so just out the official warranty) and after making 2 cups of coffee a day, it just died. It didn't turn on again. Took it back to the company it was purchased from 3 weeks ago. They are still looking into it under NZ CGA. Bloody terrible - our $99 machine from KMart lasted 3 years and was still going when we were given this one to replace it. And the trays are NOT Dishwasher proof - the coating comes off! Show detailsBreville you can do better !
Not impressed at all at this rather expensive machine, the steam wand is flimsy with the slightest touch moving it- the steam dial if one has arthritis in the fingers stay clear of this appliance as the steam dial gets stiffer to turn the longer it is on- it takes time to get a good head of steam to texture the milk with ! outer and inner burr grinders work ok though i found rotating inner burr clockwise to 1 ( course) instead of the dial stating counter clockwise to 10 for fine i got the right grind for expresso ( complete opposite of what is printed on the inner burr ! Show detailsBreville coffee
it was very good making coffee and it was easy clean Show detailsEnjoying my home-made lattes
I was lucky enough to receive this coffee machine as a gift after dropping hints. Very stylish in sesame seed black/ stainless steel, it is easy to assemble, comes complete with filters, jug, cleaning kit, instructions and a link to a Masterclass video to explain the full range of use. Coffee can be ground or beans - coarse grind adjustable, easy to use, drip tray has a storage area for 4x filters, the top tray warms up to heat your cup when switched on. The frothing arm is very efficient. Makes a great coffee - my only complaint is that I ... Read morehad to buy a temperature rod to check the heat of the milk to ensure it's how you like it. The unit is very reasonably priced and I thoroughly recommend. Bonus offer at time of purchase included 3x 250g packets of coffee beans!My perfect wake-up call
This machine has such an effective grinder So quick to make a perfect coffee Every timeI love the easy buttons to control single or double shot coffee & also the option to froth your milk I must admit this part took me a few goes to perfect it . I have saved so much money not having to buy a decent coffee on a daily bases This was a perfect Mother’s Day gift. Show details
Barista Coffee Express Black model
Good coffees, easy to operate including cleaning and descaling. Much better than our automatic Jura. It isthe best machine of the 7~8 we have owned over the past 22 years. Excellent online video instructions and retail support. Purchased from Harvey Norman Atherton about 6 months ago. We make about 6~8 coffees per day with this machine.
The only fault is the drip tray. The finish coat is black and the leading front edge is chipped in multiple place from use showing the white plastic underneath the coating. The colour should be embedded into the plastic in the manufacturing process to prevent this. We also have a stainless unit which I'd give 5 stars to. Show details
Great entry-point to home espresso
This is an incredible machine; good value, all-in-one solution for the home barista looking to enter the world of coffee snobs. It comes with everything you need, grinder, tamp, portafilter, cleaning tools, milk frother. Although, in the long run, you may be better off getting a separate grinder + machine to make each one upgradeable (eg breville dual boiler).Grinder:
The grinder works pretty well, it has 2 dial settings, one on the side of the machine, and the other inside the hopper itself. This gives you enough fine-tuning. Most commonly ... Read more
Coffee without the hassle
latte, ice coffee, short black, long black..... it does it all with easy and consistency. This machine removes what can be either a process made to simple or complicated by finding a balance all home baristas can appreciate. I have never owned a coffee machine but have always apricated a nice coffee which meant out and about spending money far in excesses I wish to admit. No more is this a problem. The original cost though high has honestly paid its self off at least twice now over the years. To also have people compliment me on the coffee in my house now and ask what and how is a huge change from the murky hot water i was preciously serving. Show detailsDont think just get it!
This sucker has saved me about $1000 this month alone! seriously, a 2x coffee a day habit hit the hip pocket and fast. Once I got this, the biggest decision is choosing the beans. The machine is sold, creates good pressure and if you follow the online instructions, frothing the milk is easy. Show detailsPlastic group head (others used stainless) doomed it at young age
The group head is plastic and the screws come loose. This typically happens after warranty ends. This leads to leaks around the group head. We replaced the silicone washer (simple repair) but that failed. Repairing the screws, if it works, takes a couple of hours, but it is an extremely invasive due to the amount of disassembly required. I had 3 out of 5 screws into the plastic loose, which lead to the loss of pressure. Trouble is the unit has developed another fault in the process. Given the unit's age the repair is probably not cost effectiv... Read moree from a professional due to the level of diagnostics required. The purchase was a lock down treat but is now just a bitter taste. This design flaw is planned obsolescence at a young age in my opinion and has put me off the brand.Very Disappointed
I was not able to get the pressure indicator to move into the Espresso zone so my coffee had no crema and tasted flat. I took it to Brevlle’s authorised repairer and they told me it was working perfectly. I changed the brand of my coffee and amount and grind size as they suggested. Still no joy so I asked if I could come to the shop to observe them making a coffee and they refused but suggested that I make a video and send it to them. I did and they said I was doing it correctly. Still no crema but they didn’t care any more so I bought a Nespresso machine for $299 and it makes beautiful coffee. Show detailsAn awesome coffee machine but, sadly, my previous BES870BSS rusted at the base
Great coffee machine. Easy to use and makes an excellent cappuccino. Unfortunately, my previous one rusted at the base. Hopefully, the new one works as well as my original machine, but doesn't rust at the base Show detailsAbsolute rubbish
Purchased July 2022 had to replaced 3 days later as coffee grinder would not stop grinding. Then replacement machine had be sent away to have grind sensor replaced as would not grind coffee at all 1 month before warranty ran out. Got it back from the repair after 3 weeks and now cleaning light does not go out even if cleaned repeatedly. The paint on the machine which is not covered by warranty started to come off within the first few months so it really looks like rubbish. The steam dial is stiff and does not seem right. Certainly not the qual... Read moreity product they use to be. Got more years out of same product made in 2018. Have tried mediation with breville and no comment regarding paint coming off the machine. They made no comment regarding their being product issues regarding the grind parts. They generously offered as it is one month out out of warranty to send the machine to be reviewed by the service centre but even if the issue is fixed warranty from the repairer is only for three months. The next model up has a protective clear plastic cover for the front of the tray. This was designed to protect the paint! Shame one was not supplied with my machine. This makes it very obvious breville knows their is a issue with the painted Surface on their machines. Hence no warranty for paint. What a waste of money! Don’t buy this model!Good - IF you adjust the burr settings!
I recently bought this machine and was going to send it back after the first day as I could not get a decent extraction, even with the grind setting on the lowest.I had called Breville support who were utterly useless. I then emailed some videos to them and got no response for 2 weeks!
In desperation I looked up YouTube and found how to adjust the burr settings (on the grinder). Turns out the default is set to 6 which is way too coarse. I switched the burr setting to 1 and hey presto - perfect extraction. I’m unsure why Breville support couldn’t figure this out at the initial call! Show details
Would not recommend
The machine is quiet pricey at $650-$750 so you expect it to last a long time. The coffee it made was ok but nothing out of the ordinary even with changing the settings many times. After two years the plunger will no longer hold pressure and the water leaks when I try to make a coffee. Turns out the machine only comes with a 1 year warranty and when I tried to get it fixed at a after market appliance place they were going to charge $300!! The coffee machine is only two years old. Would recommend looking at another brand, I wont be purchasing breville again.After googling the problem it seems to be extremely common with multiple customers.
Buyer beware
Questions & Answers
Frequently Asked Questions about Breville Barista Express
How do I enable the cleaning function on the Breville Barista Express?
If the “clean me” light is illuminated on your Barista Express, turn off your machine, and hold down three buttons - both the one cup & two cup buttons, and the Start button. While holding these buttons down, turn on your unit, and it will start the cleaning process.
What do I do if I am having issues with the taste/volume of my shot from the Breville Barista Express?
As a manual machine, the output from your Barista Express will come from your technique. Breville recommends to refer to the Extraction Guide in your manual, as this has pointers for many typical extraction issues, including shot quantity and bitterness.
Latest Consumer Questions
if the water I use is softened and filtered, do I still need to change the water filter every two months
The water sensor has stopped working. We opened the machine to fix but the connection is glued in so cannot be removed to clean. Even if we replaced the sensor I am not sure how we could remove the electrical connection from the glue!! Any ideas??
Hi Guru,
I have replaced the white color steam ring or brew head seal after cleaning the brew head mesh.
When I plug in the machine, it automatically display me the clean me light + program button light straight without letting me to press the power button. I did upside down my machine when I unscrew the brew head mesh because screw is very tight, I have to use electric screw driver to unscrew it. Can I get advice on how to solve it? It has been with me since 2017. Household appliance part wangara have cleaned the internal pipe last year with (265 aud).
Details
Features
- Integrated conical burr grinder grinds at the press of a button, while the grinding cradle places beans directly into the portafilter. This allows for a quicker and more efficient coffee-making process.
- Has a 250-gram bean hopper capacity, and a 2-litre water tank capacity.
- Allows for manual microfoam milk texturing, allowing you to control the amount of froth you like on your coffee, and also create latte art.
- Digital temperature control delivers water at the precise temperature, to extract the most flavour from ground coffee beans.
- A grind size dial allows you to adjust the grind size based on the type of bean you’re grinding.
- Includes the following accessories: a razor dose trimming tool, portafilter, 1 cup and 2 cup single and dual wall filter baskets, integrated tamper, milk jug, cleaning disc and tablets, cleaning brush tool and Allen Key, water filter holder and water filter.
- Made with a 1600-watt thermocoil Integrated stainless steel water path accurately controls water temperature.
- Includes a pre-infusion function which gradually increases water pressure for more even extraction, as well as a purge function, which removes milk residue with water into the drip tray to clean it.
Points of praise
From the mouths of self-professed coffee snobs, the trusty Breville Barista Express makes consistently great-quality coffees. This saved reviewers plenty of money on cafe bills.
This Breville coffee machine was also reported to be easy to use, as well as to clean and maintain.
According to reviewers, the machine is efficient, and lets you quickly make a great cup of joe, making it great for those who need to squeeze in some caffeine before their morning commute.
Something to consider
Parts can sometimes stop working, which was frustrating for reviewers when the fault occurred just outside of the warranty period (12 months). Finding repairers was reported to be difficult and, once a repairer was sourced, expensive.
Category | Semi-Automatic and Manual Coffee Machines | Semi-Automatic and Manual Coffee Machines | Semi-Automatic and Manual Coffee Machines | Semi-Automatic and Manual Coffee Machines |
---|---|---|---|---|
Price (RRP) | $999 | $999 | $999 | $999 |
Input Power | 1,850 W | 1,850 W | 1,850 W | 1,850 W |
Dishwasher Safe Parts | No | No | No | No |
Water Tank Capacity | 2 L | 2 L | 2 L | 2 L |
Dimensions | 407 x 338 x 313 mm | 407 x 338 x 313 mm | 407 x 338 x 313 mm | 407 x 338 x 313 mm |
Weight | 12.5 kg | 12.5 kg | 12.5 kg | 12.5 kg |
Milk Frother | Steam Wand | Steam Wand | Steam Wand | Steam Wand |
Bean Grinder | Integrated Burr Grinder | Integrated Burr Grinder | Integrated Burr Grinder | Integrated Burr Grinder |
Coffee Bean Capacity | 250 g | 250 g | 250 g | 250 g |
Manufacturer Warranty | 1 year(s) | 1 year(s) | 1 year(s) | 1 year(s) |
Colour / Finish | Brushed Stainless Steel | Black Sesame | Cranberry Red | Charcoal |
Awards | 2021, 2022 and 2023 | 2021, 2022 and 2023 | 2021, 2022 and 2023 | 2021, 2022 and 2023 |
- GTIN13: 9355973102444
Extra Information
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