Breville Barista Express BES870BSS (Brushed Stainless Steel)
Verifiedbreville.comMPNs: 393631, 4198 and BES870BSS153 reviews
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The worst thing is, the first thing i think every morning is how shithouse my coffee maker is. Starting every day with negative thought is not nice. I have a Breville Barista espresso machine. Its the 2nd one I have owned. The first was a gem for 15 years and then wore out I guess. Bought a new exact same last year. This one: - doesnt generate… Read more
enough pressure to make consistent espresso. The old one would max on the guage if the grounds were too fine, packed too tightly, over filled. This one, even slightly doing either of these means no espresso as guage only goes to half way. Under do any of these and the espresso is weak and tasteless. Even with the rubber cleaning pad in the puck it only goes to halfway on guage and this blocks the puck entirely and should max out the pressure. [See video] clearly somethjng is wrong with the pump or its designed with a relief valve to limit the pressure.
Even if done perfectly it is still inconsistent volume and crema. Breville is disinterested in rectifying and dont respond to emails even though contacted within its warranty period. - there is no pre wetting before "full" pressure. [See video] - the steam wand dial is very difficult to turn, two hands need sometimes. It doesnt feel right when it gets to any of the 3 positions, steam hot water or off. Again, breville disinterested and unresponsive.
I suggest another brand for similar price probably a better option these days.
Using the Breville Barista Express for the past few months has completely changed my morning routine. Before buying it, I used to rely on coffee shops for a decent cappuccino or latte, but now I actually look forward to making coffee at home every day. The machine strikes a great balance between being beginner-friendly and offering enough control… Read more
to feel like a proper home barista setup.
One of the first things I noticed was the built-in grinder. Grinding beans fresh right before extraction makes a huge difference in flavor, and the adjustment settings allow you to experiment with different beans until you find the perfect shot. It took a few days to learn the right grind size and tamping pressure, but once everything clicked, the espresso quality became surprisingly impressive for a home machine.
The steam wand is another highlight. It produces silky milk foam that works really well for cappuccinos and flat whites. At first, steaming milk felt intimidating, but the machine gives enough control to improve quickly with practice. Making latte art is still a challenge for me, but the texture of the milk is consistently smooth and café-quality.
The stainless steel design also deserves praise because it looks premium on the kitchen counter without feeling overly bulky. The controls are simple and intuitive, which makes daily use easy even early in the morning before fully waking up. Cleaning does require regular attention, especially after steaming milk or pulling multiple shots, but the maintenance process is straightforward once it becomes part of the routine.
What surprised me most is how much money it can save over time. While the initial price is definitely an investment, it quickly starts paying off if you normally buy coffee from cafés several times a week. More importantly, it adds a small ritual to the day that feels relaxing and satisfying.
Overall, the Breville Barista Express delivers an excellent home espresso experience with strong performance, attractive design, and enough customization to keep coffee enthusiasts engaged without becoming overly complicated.
I’ve been using the Breville Barista Express for 4 days and I’m genuinely impressed. As someone new to making coffee at home after relying heavily on automatic pod machines, it strikes a great balance between being beginner-friendly and producing café-quality coffee. The built-in grinder is convenient and lets you grind fresh beans for every… Read more
shot, which makes a noticeable difference in flavour. The steam wand creates smooth, silky microfoam that’s perfect for cappuccinos and lattes, and after a bit of practice I’ve been able to achieve excellent results.
The machine feels solid, looks great, and offers enough manual control to improve skills without being overwhelming. Cleaning is straightforward, and the maintenance reminders are helpful.
If you’re looking to move beyond pod machines and learn the art of espresso without spending thousands on commercial equipment, the Breville Barista Express is an excellent investment. It has completely changed my coffee routine, I no longer want to have coffee from cafes since this coffee taste exactly the same.. highly highly recommend
Reviews with attachments
We bought this during covid 19 lockdowns so 4/5 or so years ago. We researched models and prices before we bought and this suited our needs and was within our budget. It's been great and gives us that "barista" made coffee experience. Once you get the grind setting right it's very simple to use. A friend of ours recently visited us from the… Read more
USA. She loved it so much she bought one when she returned home lol.
We enjoy ours and use it regularly.
Love my Breville Barista Express – I would highly recommend the Breville Barista Express as a beginners machine. I have had my Breville Barista Express for several years and It has been a great learning experience for me. You have to be willing to learn the basics if you want great espresso. Purchasing a coffee scale and weighing your coffee beans before grinding and during… Read more
extraction will help you to dial in your coffee. I have also upgraded my grinder.
Maintaining the machine is relatively easy, it has a clean/descale light which comes on when it needs cleaning. I follow ‘Hoons Coffee’ on YouTube for Breville cleaning tutorials. I am now using the program mode and dialling in great shots.
My perfect wake-up call – This machine has such an effective grinder So quick to make a perfect coffee Every time I 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
My everyday life saver!! – What an amazing machine!! We bought ours over 9 years ago and its still going strong! Its a little pricey but such a fantastic investment. We were a bit suspicious at first because the grinder is inbuilt... thinking what would happens if there's an issue with the grinder...but after using it for many years, I can guarantee its nothing to worry… Read more
about.
Love the size of the water tank, which means you don't constantly have to refill it if you use it a lot. Its easy to set up the grind size and the pouring time if you prefer a manual set up instead of automatic one. We also love the option of manually selecting the amount of ground coffee we can get, but there's also a 1 shot/ 2 shots automatic set up.
The little pushing tool is great to press you coffee down, and only after many years I've realized its attached to the machine with a magnet!!! Better late then never! My husband likes to detach it when he presses his coffee... I'm used to doing it while still attached...lol!
The wound for frothing the milk is a little short in my opinion, so we keep our machine next to the sink but its not a big issue. Love the gauge showing the level of extraction, it helped us making the perfect coffee when we started using it. It has a surprisingly great pressure for such a small machine so it make frothing the milk and getting the right extraction very easy.
The tray is easy to empty and clean and I love the little thingy "empty me"coming up when you need to empty it...so no mess! The whole cleaning kit included is great and the "clean me" light is good to remind you to do it regularly...even though I sometimes take it a bit personal.
I found the original water filters and cleaning tablets a bit pricey to purchase but I found some compatible products on e-bay that come in bulk.
Over the years, we only had to get it serviced once for a minor issue with the compressor, but there isn't a machine built for ever anyway and even the repairer told us, once you find a great coffee machine, stick to it!
Positive reviews
We brought this machine in 2019 and have been nothing but pleased with it until the last month or so when it doesn't always stop when running the shot. Makes great coffee, gives good crema and always tastes good. Yes, the frother might take a little while but let's be honest it's not a commercial machine. We use the machine every day for… Read more
minimum of 4 coffees and if going away in the car take it with us as gives consistently good coffee. Was surprised when reading other reviews that it has stopped working after a short time. Maybe the new ones are not as good which will be disappointing when it gets to the time to buy a new one.
Great Coffee machine – It's manual, you have to warm your own milk, no automatic grinder / compression, filter changes, manual descale cleaning.... but it's like going to the pub and going the safe option (parma) as you know there are fancier looking options on the menu but they are never actually going to taste that good. It's a solid and reliable machine that makes… Read more
the whole process of making a coffee properly and consistently a bit of art/effort. To the extraction of coffee crema you can get, to the swirl of the milk and how it will taste etc.
We have had this machine for 6 years+ and it works as well as it did day 1. This is likely due to meticulously cleaning and maintenance of the machine and ensuring the water level never drops below the minimum mark.
We use Axel coffee beans and get the right extraction every time and the coffee tastes great. Our friends have a similar machine but they don't distribute the grinds properly and compress the grind right for <15sec extraction + plus the milk just doesn't taste quite the same, in other words, the machine is only as good as the user who drives it. So if you're not the type to care about these things and want a machine to produce the correct grind, weight, compression every time, then spend the extra $1,000 for the automatic elec soulless coffee machines.
For us though, we like the fact we are able to produce perfect coffee every time and it's because we understand our machine, coffee and milk.
Great machine however gauge failed – Had this machine and fix these myself for friends and family. Cons: A lot of darker roast require below zero on the grinder. Some mediums require 0-1 setting. Had to pull the grinder apart and relocate the bur adjustment and now most grind settings are 5-6 now. Also had the guaye fail but i replaced that at a cost of $32 Very loud grinder.… Read more
Needs a ceramic grinde
Pros: Makes a good Crema. Premium quality compared to sunbeams similar branded machines. Quality finishes. Quality components and materials. Easy to clean.
Negative reviews
I bought this machine in Nov 24. Had trouble getting the brew right, and in the end found the unit was failing Breville high Pressure test , which is on youtube and breville website When unit came back, it had scratches, authorised Breville repairer in Sydney, and Good Guys Kotara was kind enough to replace with a new ( luckily I had taken out… Read more
Gold cover) New machine same fault, fails high pressure test. So back to repairers. Guess what, it comes back with scratches again, and a few dents. Machine replaced again, and guess what, new machine fails high pressure test GG offer to give me new, but I declined, saying that I need this resolved and there is no faith in new machines. Unit comes back, yes you guessed it, with scratches. Luckily most scratches were on the drip tray, so I swopped tray only. Now the high pressure test still fails, needle goes off scale on high end, but I am using it as I have been without good coffee for so long It is easier to get good brew now as the pressure is higher, but after testing both low and high pressure, this machine goes back if not tests fails. I recommend owners pressure test their machines, and if it fails, and unit is under warranty, send it back for repairs. Maybe then Breville will get processes and quality checks right in the factories, so that new machines are correctly set for pressure
The machine is OK when working but they don't last long. Breville refused to comply with ACL on my first machine. Against my better judgement I bought another with a discount direct from Breville and I was meant to also receive some free items from a promotion- which I never received despite following up. Now the flow meter is faulty which also… Read more
happened on my first machine which was repaired.
Their support is terrible I can't lodge any tickets, their online Salesforce platform coming up with system error message.
Another irony they require a "batch code" and provide an image where to find it but my machine had it stamped in a different location with no ink so almost invisible.
I'd avoid Breville they take customers for mugs. No wonder they're so profitable.
I've heard back from Breville but as yet unresolved, the tone of if so far is it's my fault for taking too long to complain. The communication is via email instead.
Find out how Breville Barista Express BES870BSS (Brushed Stainless Steel) compares to other Semi-Automatic and Manual Coffee Machines
Know better, choose better.
Love making a latte at home with fresh beans. Purchased the coffee machine and was great for a while. 9 mths in and it started playing up. Press two cup strength coffee and would fill cup if i didnt turn off manually. This was intermittent, work one day not the next. Breville dont replace only fix. Took back to good guys and were sending off to… Read more
be fixed. Phoned GOODGUYS 2wks later to see if any updates and they forgot to send off. Not happy. So 3 wks and got machine back only to it stop working again 6 wks later ( same problem). Good guys wanted to send off again to be fixed but after discussions was given a new machine which only lasted 3mths and same problem as last time. Never again will I get a breville coffee machine. They are total waste of money.
Recent reviews
Ok but requires patience and tweaking – It's so so. It can certainly make a decent coffee if you have the patience to tweak things to your preferences. I find that results vary wildly from one bag of beans to the next - so it always needs some adjustments. But that is the nature of manual espresso machines I suppose. When it's good it's a bargain - but when it's bad the coffee is… Read more
dishwater.
I also had the issue with the seal on the group-head failing under warranty. Was a simple fix and had been fine since until the same issue came back a couple of years on. Had to take in for repair.
If you love tweaking and have patience - it's a go. If you want consistency with no effort - go for an automatic machine.
Barista Express? More like Barista depress – I’ve been disappointed with the Barista Espresso Coffee Machine due to recurring issues with the group head seal and poor performance. The seal began failing after just two months, and I’ve replaced it eight times since then—far more frequently than acceptable. Even with a new seal, the group head is loose, leaks, and cannot maintain proper… Read more
pressure, making it impossible to produce a decent coffee. I've since learnt there is a common fault, where threadlock was not applied to the group head screws, over time allowing them to losen to a point where no matter what the group head and portafilter will never form a proper seal. Customer service was unhelpful, insisting I send the machine to a repair center and cover the costs myself.
I’ve lodged a complaint with the ACCC, as this product doesn’t meet basic quality or durability standards. I cannot recommend it until these issues are resolved.
Full Refund after 3 years, but I had to work hard to get it – We purchased on sale $699 rrp $1199 this coffee machine as a back up and holiday machine. We used it on about 5 occasions over 3 years; cleaning it carefully after each use. On the 6 occasion the machine did not turn on. I took it back to Briscoes with receipt showing it was purchased 3yr 3 mths earlier. About a week later Breville wanted $75 to… Read more
inspect it. I said no, Consumer Guarantees Act. Briscoes said they would cover it as goodwill. Another week later Breville said $275 to repair. I said no, Consumer Guarantees Act. Briscoes said they would cover it as goodwill. Consumer Org said I should try for a refund. I phoned Briscoes and said I wanted a refund. After consultation with the manager, the customer service person said ok come in and get a a refund. $1200 indicates a certain quality and in turn a certain length of service expeced. Consumer Org said 3 - 5 years. Briscoes and Breville both tried to make me pay for services that are covered by Consumer Guarantees Act. There is no such thing as goodwill; they are both legally obliged to comply with the Act. Be prepared to resist their demands to pay by quoting "Consumer Guarantees Act" . It seemed to help my situation by referring to Consumer Org as well. This machine may be fine if used every day, but it does not seem to store well for several months between uses.
Lasts just over 2 years – Just over 2 years old and now no pressure from the group head Quoted approx $350 to repair by the breville approved repairer with a 3-4 weeks time frame I have had a Bosch coffee machine verocup lasting years and over 16,000 coffees I won’t be purchasing another breville coffee machine again as unreliable and for the life cycle of the product too expensive Show details
Plastic 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… Read more
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 effective 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… Read more
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.
An 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 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… Read more
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
Find out how Breville Barista Express BES870BSS (Brushed Stainless Steel) compares to other Semi-Automatic and Manual Coffee Machines
Know better, choose better.
Broke then refunded sadly – We never had an issue with our Barista until 3 months out of warranty. At this point the group head seal blew out causing hot steam and water to go everywhere. I assessed and replaced the seal and put some loctite on the bolt so it would not occur again; yet it kept occurring. The issue is, I believe, that the plastic around the group head wears… Read more
out and warps over time causing the seal to eventually blow out as the portafilter is no longer locked in tight enough - this also happened to a friends one; yet years later. I then took it to JBHI FI and stated that even though it is out of warranty, consumer law states that we should get fair use time out of a product, after I stated this they sent it off for repair. After 3 months it was still not repaired as the company who repairs them were just slack and not communicating with JB... I then requested a refund as the time frame to repair was not fair and reasonable, JB gave the refund and were professional and helpful throughout. My next purchase may be another Breville, but one with an alloy group head like the Dual Boiler. Sad really, as we did love it as it was working.
Great machine with one bad flaw – Having owned 2 of these I have found they work extremely well for the first year or two. After that they begin to leak around the group/shower head, the coffee deteriorate and then they blow the group head seal. Another early indication of the problem beginning is when the handle holding the filter basket starts stopping beyond the 90 degree mark… Read more
when attaching it the group head showing it is becoming loose. After replacing half a dozen on my first machine, the same thing started happening less than 2 years into the second so I began looking for a solution. It turns out the problem is an assembly issue - the 5 bolts securing the group head to the chassis become loose (I think they were loose from the start on the second machine). Taking it apart and tightening the bolts fixed the problem - it took over 2 hours of work with help from the internet. When it started happening again I repeated the fix but this time put thread locker liquid on the screws. This is what should have been done on the original assembly. Looking on the internet heaps of people have the same issue. It would be a very simple fix for Breville so why don't they do it?
When working properly the coffee tastes great and it is easy to use.
Every morning I wake up looking forward to making coffee on this machine. Love it! – This coffee machine has been the best investment. I’ve had it for about a year and love everything about it. It is easy to clean, easy to use (after some initial playing around with the grind) and makes an excellent cup of coffee. My specialty is silky smooth milk - I appreciate the wand on this machine, I can’t stand the thicker ones - and just generally love using it on a daily basis. And we’ve saved a lot in takeaway coffee…highly recommend!! Show details
Disappointed - DO NOT BUY – Disappointed - DO NOT BUY I purchased one and after only 7 months the grinder ceased working. It stopped completely. I was required send it in for repairs and after 3 weeks the machine has still not been looked at. I contacted Breville and while they did reply to my email, it got me nowhere. Bad quality device and poor and slow service of the… Read more
warranty company. I regret buying one of these and would not ever buy a Breville product like this again.
The best present I've ever bought – I asked my wife recently what the best present I've ever bought her and she said it's this coffee machine! We upgraded from a Delongi and the difference is night and day. I had read some reviews about some units leaking and was concerned but can honestly say after 12 months of double daily use, we haven't had a single issue! We've cleaned it as… Read more
needed and the machine has worked really well. It makes a great coffee, and is definitely more capable than my abilities (hence why the wife makes most of the coffee haha!)
Would buy again and very happy with the purchase
Broke just out of warranty! – Bought this machine for my husband for Father's Day 2021 and we loved it. He maintained it according to instructions but only three weeks out of warranty, the grinder stopped working and dispensing coffee. He duly ordered and replaced the appropriate parts, but it still doesn't work and in fact, is worse. Pretty disgusted as this machine was not cheap. Show details
LOVE IT , but it's let me down – I have been very happy with my machine, enjoying coffee that seems to me almost as good as professional barista made coffee until it started, not long out of warranty, diluting the crema with hot water overflowing from the group head over the filter basket and into the coffee. After examination I thought it might need a new group head gasket seal.… Read more
I called the customer service number and ordered 2 new gaskets then installed it. Unfortunately the problem still persists and is even worse . I think there must be a fault in the group head somewhere and my lovely machine is unusable and I miss my coffee. I have tried to contact Breville by email to discuss this but am not getting any meaningful response.
Had 2: both had major faults in under 16 months – My first unit failed at 13 months and the retailer graciously sent it away for 'repair' at no cost. It came back with the same fault (displayed in a video posted here by another user, FIRMIN C); inability to build pressure. The retailer replaced the unit. The second unit made it to 15 months and has now faulted as well: this time, the group head… Read more
seal blows out, spewing brew water out over the portafilter. The seal looks in perfect condition and I make at most 2 coffees a day on it. I've removed the shower screen and the seal, cleaning everything and replacing it carefully several times now. No change. This time the retailer won't help.
Faults happen and they're inconvenient, but worse is that Breville have been unresponsive in my support query. Ignore the "We're an Aussie company" marketing; their products are low quality and their support is non-existent.
Great machine but developed a leak after 18 months – I purchased my BES870 about 4 years ago from Harvey Norman for $649. I am very satisfied with it on the whole. It has been producing about 4, great, double shot coffees a day, on average. It’s really easy to set up using the operating manual and there are plenty of ‘how to’ videos on YouTube for guidance on using this machine. I really only need… Read more
to adjust the grinder fineness and duration settings when I change bean brands. I would give it 5 stars but the grinder makes a small bit of mess and after about 12-18 months it developed a small water leak on the steam wand side of the machine (a common fault apparently. I have found a YouTube video that explains how to repair it). I would probably pay a couple of hundred more for the ‘Impress’ version if I needed to replace this machine.
Good Value for the Money – This is my second machine, first one actually had an electrical fault which Breville replaced without an issue. We have been using this machine for the past 4 years without an issue, the espresso comes out decent and the machine overall is very easy to use. Downsides of this machine are definitely the grinder and the steaming pressure but it's a very good buy considering this machine can be gotten under $500 on special. Show details
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