Breville BarVista BES200

Has NEVER made a decent cup of coffee – I was really excited to receive this as a gift and couldn't wait to try it. Sadly 10 years later it's still gathering dust on my benchtop. I have read and re-read all the suggestions. I've read numerous Art of Coffee-Making articles. I have experimented with tamping, I have experimented with different brands, I have experimented with different… Read more

grades of grinding. I even bought a coffee grinder to try grinding the beans myself.

NOTHING has made any difference.

It starts off perfectly with a rich, dark stream but in seconds (like about 3-4) it turns to muddy water. I know espresso is meant to be like “a shot” (ie: not a full cup) but I don't even get enough for a shot. (I'd need to repeat the process five times to get anywhere close).

On the occasions where I have used it (back in the days when I was still determined to persist and not disillusioned) I’d always have to augment every cup with a spoonful of instant (that's how weak it was).

And that completely defeats the purpose.

In the end it just seemed an enormous waste of a very expensive commodity.

Unless you have big bucks to stump up for an expensive machine, you'd do better with a plunger. At least the results are fail proof (unless someone comes along and pushes the plunger to the bottom before it’s had time to steep. Then said-dufus needs a big slap and a lecture about why you don't do that).

Its’ construction is okay, it's pretty easy to take apart and clean. It can be a little noisy in an early morning household with people still sleeping. The milk frother works okay (& you get better at that with experience). But the main attraction - the coffee - is undrinkable.

So what's the good of it?

I even took the two containers that hold the coffee back to Harvey Norman thinking they might be at fault (they look like they're meant to be perforated throughout but there's only one tiny single hole. I thought maybe the manufacturing process had gone awry, but no, that's the way they're meant to be).

In the end I gave up.

I realise that its’ price point is at the lower end of the scale but even the cheapest toaster does what it was designed to do.

Excellent for the price – I bought this machine cheap. As an ex-barista the machine is a bit time consuming to produce a cup but does the job well. I am able to do latte art and get my espresso shots. Maintaining the machine is real easy. All in all this machine does what it's meant to do and does it well. This machine is a real bang for you buck! *Note the 5 stars are based on its priced and ability to make a latte.  Show details

Was a great machine – Very good coffee, not that much crema. It's easy but time consuming. Then it did not work and was leaking ll the time. I don't really know why. Such a shame it could not be used now and the parts are hard to find, or there is no service centre where i am. huhu

Love my Barvista – I have had my unit now for around three years. Not a heavy coffee drinker, just one cup at Breakfast. Just love my unit. Yes, it is a bit noisy, but can put up with that as the coffee is great. Would definitely recommend. Does the job for me and would recommend this Breville to others.

Good for 15 months use – First the good, when it was working as expected produced great coffee & the milk frother provided quick and efficent steam. Easy to clean. The bad is 15 months later the unit leaks when brewing coffee i think a seal has failed under pressure from the water heater. Coffee maker is noisier than previous barvista models. Good coffee Unit failed 15… Read more

months after purchase. You will need to daily empty the water catch tray else the coffee maker will leak coffee remnants and water where located

Great cheap unit if you want to reduce trips to the cafe. Repair tip included – In operation at home since 2009. No breakdowns, reliable, coffee as good as the brand and maker so its improved over the years. Only just replacing the brew head seal in 2013. Replacement: drain the unit, remove tank, get squat Philips head, turn unit upside down on towel and with Philips head press down hard and turn to remove the water steam… Read more ·  5

filter connector screw, don't bur the screw head. Prise up the metal and seal. Clean metal and seal as mine was very juncked up. Replace seal then metal, screw down. (Parts from spares.bigwarehouse.com.au). Simple, small, hot frothy milk and good coffee with practice. Noisy.

Cheap and simple – I bought this in the boxing day sales and got it at almost half price, but at even at full price this machine is reasonably inexpensive. I was sick of spending $5 a day on coffee and just wanted to be able to make a decent cappuccino at home without spending a fortune on a machine. This machine is just a basic machine with none of the bells and… Read more

whistles that some of the others have but it does the job. It makes a decent coffee and froths the milk well.

It's simple and easy to use. There's very little that you need to know. Basically put in the one or two cup filter, pack the ground coffee beans in, attach the filter holder to the machine and twist the knob. I always used the two cup filter for a single cup because I like a strong coffee. To froth the milk is just as easy. Put the milk in the metal jug, put it under the frother nozzle and submerge in the milk. Turn the knob and watch as it froths. It has a large water tank so you don't have to refill it as frequently as other machines.

However it is really noisy, like you almost need earmuffs on, noisy. I wasn't prepared for that and at first I thought maybe it was broken but no, that's just how it sounds.

I had this machine for two years and used it maybe 3 or 4 times a week, so by no means a heavy user. One morning I went to make a coffee and the heating element was busted. There was no warning either. Just one day it worked and then the next it didn't. I was informed by a repairer that it would cost more to fix than to buy a new one so that was then end of it.

These machines are cheap and easy to use but they're not built to last. I would recommend this machine if you are a light coffee drinker, one cup a day but any more than that and I doubt the machine will last. inexpensive, does the job, easy to clean, really noisy, breaks down, won't last

All of what been stated and more – As already reported. Jack-Hammer quietness (are you making coffee or cutting a hole through the concrete slab?). Stiff main knob. Bottom tray fills with water quickly, so you gotta keep a close eye on it. You have to "fiddle" to get a good coffee. The water flow rate is too fast so I need to turn it off and on to get the effect of a slower flow… Read more

rate. The seal has gone and sprays hot water at me like a ferral cat. Must be at least 2 years old now. Bought it to replace my $50 Aldi unit.

Of most concern is it draws a small amount of power (electricity) when TURNED OFF at the machine.

June 21 2016 - update.

Two weeks a go it stopped making steam and water pooled under the machine. I pulled it apart (special tools required). Corrosion made getting some screws out a problem. The problem was a small "O" ring on the water pump that feeds the steam maker was leaking. I pulled it out cleaned it and replaced it and that was enough to stop the leak and get the machine working again. Unless you have time, patience and an acute sense of electrical safety when it stops working it's "Tip Job".

June 2017 - update

Now it has tantrums and refuses to cooperate, Turn it on and it continuously pumps water into the bottom/overflow tray, After a litre or two it will calm down and cooperate, There appears to be 2 pumps. The first pumps water from the reservoir to the heating-block and high pressure pump. The second creates the pressure to push the water through your coffee. Its the first one that's gone mental. The problem could be poor electrical connections or a pressure or temperature sensor malfunction. The real pain is that on occasion (one day in 5) it will operate correctly.

I will pull it apart - again, but this time i will cut a large opening the back of the machine (which is normally covered by the water tank) to gain easy access to the pumps. I suppose I could buy a new one but SHE who holds the key to to the Sporran says no. Lasted longer the the Aldi Machine All I have written above

Great coffee but problem with stiff knob – This machine makes great coffee and crema. However, I find the middle knob that switch from coffee to frother sometimes so stiff that I cannot turn it. This machine frothes the milk to perfection. I purchased this machine about 2.5 years ago, no leaks yet but I too baby my machine. When I upgrade my machine it will be with another Breville.… Read more

Makes great coffee, for an inexpensible machine. The large knob is v ery stiff and sometimes almost impossible to turn.

You get what you pay for – This machine was a nightmare to own! I had just graduated uni (2007) so thought I'd treat myself to this espreso mchine as Breville used to have a good name in my family... How wrong I was with THIS product. Incredibly loud- I worried our neighbours over the road could hear it at 6am! Doesnt make water hot enough and often leaked water … Read more

Pressure through coffee was never right despite trying different grinds

I persisted and eventually it just stopped working altogether!

Perhaps they've improved it since then, but I'd recommend looking elsewhere!

Bad warranty, breaks down often, extremely loud!

Frustrating – This is the second one of these machines over the years and have had this one over 12 months and I think the seal is broken as has started spitting everywhere except in the cup? From spare parts website I ordered new seal ($12 plus postage so $19) then had to buy phillips head screwdriver ($16) but myself and housemate don't have the strenth to… Read more

unscrew the existing screw to insert the new seal. So now am looking at new machine or paying handyman many $ to fix it! Was very good up until started playing up. Good for the price, under $150 Cannot unscrew to insert new seal

Good enough for the price – After reading some of the other reviews Im glad I havent had any water leaking seal issues (touch wood) unless this was an issue with ealier makes of this model. As seems to be the common complaint about this I too have to agree that it is rather noisy and that is without using the milk frother. My parter would love a cuppa first thing in the… Read more

morning before going to work but as he gets up so early I can never use it in fear of waking up our baby. I dont over like using the milk frother on it and have since bought a separate automatic milk frother which Im totally in love with and takes the guess work out of making perfect hot frothy milk every time. For the price its ok and does the job good enough I guess. Would be good if you could try before you buy though. My advice is, to buy one that is recommended to you and that is tried and tested before you part with your money. Price was first attraction, looks neat sitting on kitchen bench, makes reasonable coffee Very noisy compared to others, didnt like the milk frother and bought a separate automatic one. Water tank could have been a bit bigger

OK – If you have never made espresso before then this is a reasonable entry machine to buy. Don't expect to make great espressos from it, but you can get good to the occasional very good extraction. Make sure you go to some espresso sites and read up about why you should depressurise your basket (cut the bottom layer off). Pressurised baskets might… Read more

enable you to get crema from stale coffee, but the taste suffers badly. Make sure you rip off that stupid rubber nozzel. It makes nothing but badly overfrothed milk. With a little practice, just using the single hole at the end of the steamer arm gives much better results. Having a thermoblock to heat water, makes sure that this machine will struggle when trying to keep the extraction temperature of the water just right (around 92C). So the quality of the extraction will vary accordingly (not the only factor of course). Make sure you read up about how to really make good espresso, there are plenty of sites out there that will show you how. Also, throw away the plastic tamper and get a proper metal one. The plastic one just can't give you a good level tamp.

Buy this machine if you have always wanted to give espresso a try without spending hundreds of dollars. As a machine to give you that experience it is good. Just remember that it has limitations (as all cheap espresso machines do). If you find that you enjoy making espresso, then you can always upgrade to something better like a Silvia (around $700). You can't argue about the looks. In black & stainless it looks the part. Fairly large water capacity. Can buy it fairly cheaply. Removeable spill tray is good. Steams milk pretty well. The pressurised baskets are rubbish. Cut the bottom layer off to depressurise them and they work well. Rubber nozzel on steamer is rubbish. Take it off and you can get some pretty good micro foam. Portafilter is aluminium. Shower screen is concave. Flat would have been better. Keeping the temperature constant from a thermoblock is impossible. Horrible plastic tamper.

OK – I've had it for about a month now, it makes good microfoam with practice (take the rubber thing off, it's awful). You get what you pay for and this machine doesn't produce the best extraction without a lot of practice. This is probably a good option if your new to espresso making, or just sick of $5 cafe coffee. Price, it's the cheapest in the… Read more

shop. Beats going to expensive cafes. The "dual layer crema system" is really just a presurized basket. Get a new basket or drill the bottom hole out. Rubber froth-aid, just take it off. Tamper seems to small for the basket size. The baskets it comes with will clog up if you use a fine grind.

Very poor product that leaks water – The machine is VERY loud which is not ok with me. i have to wait until my daughter wakes before i make coffee. After 8 months the coffee machine stated leaking (gushing) water out of the bottom. The water will drain from the tank within 30 minutes regardless of whether it is on or off. Very annoying because now i have to empty the tank after I… Read more

use it.

I expect any product to last longer than 8 months. I will not buy a cheap Breville coffee machine again. I would return it but I lost the receipt. So now i have to buy another coffee machine (not a Breville though) inexpensive, simple to use, coffee is ok uncontrollable water leak, VERY loud to operate

I love it – I don't mind it's a bit noisy, some of the automatic ones are even noisier. It does a perfect coffee with a thick crema and this is what I need. I love it. It's cheap and does the same job as it would do an expensive one.

Good – A great little machine, it's pretty basic (you can't do coffee and froth milk at the same time) but it makes great coffee and it's still going after 4 years so that has to say something about the quality. I know lots of other reviews have had issues with seals etc, but we keep it in good, clean condition, use descaler and always clean it and… Read more ·  1

purge it after each use and it's just fantastic. I love my little BarVista- the best present I think I've ever been given! I've made 2 coffees every morning for the last 4 years and never had a spot of bother with it. It is a little noisier than other machines I've seen and it does take a little longer, but hey, overall I love it!

Bad – This brand has gone down in my opinion. It's a pity these machines aren't made to last - landfills are full enough. Easy to use and produced a satisfying coffee. The water tank (clumsy and clunky), the very noisy frother, and the fact that the machine died on me after less than a year's use, making 1 coffee per day. I'm seeking answers and hoping… Read more

I can fix rather than ditch the thing. It heats up, but neither the brewing nor the steaming functions work. Will I buy another Breville if necessary? I'll be thinking twice and checking out other brands.

Good – We bought this one as our first home espresso machine over a year ago and it's still going strong. I was initially reluctant to buy a coffee machine thinking they were way too expensive for the amount of coffee we drink and also thinking they took up way too much precious bench space in my kitchen. This was before finding this great little… Read more

machine. It was not expensive to buy and takes up only a small amount of space. We are not coffee connoisseurs by any means but happen to think that our little BarVista makes fantastic coffee, sometimes much better than those we pay a fortune for when out and about. Inexpensive to buy, makes great coffee. Is very loud and I personally didn't like the rubber milk froth enhancer that came with it. We just don't use it and it works perfectly.

Terrible – Overall thought! Warning to the buyer! DO NOT BUY BREVILLE ESPRESSO MACHINES THEY ARE DANGEROUS AND BUILT LIKE CRAP. Our household is now free from all Breville appliances and the nightmare is now over. It looked impressive and it appeared to look like it was well built. How wrong was I ? When we bought this machine new, it worked for 3 Months,… Read more

then it started to leak water everywhere. we took it to the repair shop for warranty, they replaced the machine with a new one and this new machine lasted until the warranty period ran out, then it too started to leak everywhere. Now that this machine is out of warranty I had no other option but to throw it in the recyclable bin. Funny enough, one of our relatives knew the issues we've had with the Barvista, they found a new in the carton Barvista which they purchased from Ebay. We of-coarse were very grateful and we thought we must have been so unlucky to cop two dud's, one after the other. So we happily used our third Barvista for a period of 4 Months and this time the fault was entirely different. What this machine did was developed an internal leak which made our circuit breakers trip, if it wasn't for the security of our circuit breakers, Me or my wife would have gotten electrocuted from this piece of CRAP that's not only dangerous, this model should not be allowed to go out to the consumer and Breville should be banned from building such crappy espresso machines.

Bad – Well just had my second one die. First lasted 9 months which they replaced and 2nd lasted about 18 months - last 4 months I had it at work making 3 coffees a day so it paid for itself. However the internals are not as good as the externals - the second one now doesn't heat up and it just spits water when turned to the frother. The first one heated… Read more

up but the pump died. It's annoying to just throw away something that should last 3-5 years. I'll just use the stove top espresso jug ...makes a good strong coffee and nothing can break except the handle, then it's only $20 to buy a new one. It's a shame because the BarVista does make a nice coffee. Stylish, makes a decent coffee, easy to clean Keeps breaking down, noisy, seals are not the good, plastic tamper

Excellent – Fabulous value for money. You can't tell me that the machines which cost 10 times as much make coffee which is 10 times better! Have been using it daily for 6 months now, with no problems whatsoever. Recommend it! So cheap to buy and what a little winner it is! Makes fabulous coffee and really easy to use. Small footprint - great for crowded kitchen benches. Noisy and the group head is a bit difficult to twist into place.

Bad – I'm reading up on these because I want a replacement machine - I wouldn't buy another of these machines at this price. What i really want is a Breville SP2 but they stopped making them - probably because they were simple and my last one lasted for six years. When it works it makes acceptable coffee with a nice crema, particularly once you find a… Read more

coffee that works with this particular machine. I had the first one replaced under warranty - it just stopped heating the water. The second one only lasted a year and has now blown a seal internally.

- The baskets don't like a grind that's too fine - or too coarse - they block up and just dribble

Good – This is a good looking, compact system which as first time users we have found a really enjoyable addition to our kitchen. It is pretty easy and quick to use, makes a lovely thumping sound as the water pulstates through the coffe and the steam hisses out the milk frother. It allows some personal flexibility to get the crema just right so it feels… Read more

like you are adding your own touch to your coffeee experience. Certainly probably a bay-level entry to the world of gourmet coffee making, but it is a very safe and tasty way to do so. As our first ever coffee maker, we have fallen in love. Very easy to learn, easy to clean, allows us to experiment. Had to upgrade to a stainless steel tapper as the plastic one just wasn't hearty enough.

Bad – Gave up with this and upgraded (haha not so clever) to a Sunbeam Cafe Latte (see other reviews). Ironically unlike most others I found the rubber doodad on the steamer very good and the operation was reasonably quiet. Possibly with a consistent grind and more thorough cleaning the seals may have lasted a bit longer though with any machine the… Read more

seals will give out after 6 months to a year and then you are in trouble. Good first machine to play and learn with before you upgrade. Machine replaced twice in the warranty period as the seals gave out and coffee leaked all over the place.

Terrible – Don't buy this product. The protafilter is made from cheap aluminium and there is a problem with the manufacture. I purchased one of these 6 months ago and after every use the portafilter had a wierd coating of darkish deposits (not coffee). Who knows what it is but I'm sure it wouldn't be good for you to ingest. It's a pity becuase the product design is good. Cheap (price) Cheap (Quality)

Terrible – water temp.too cold and No back up service to talk to.Absolute junk.Have tried other brand with good results. appearance terrible coffee maker compared with other brands tried.