Breville BES870XL Barista Express Espresso Machine Review

You must have realized that Breville BES870XL Barista Express Espresso Machine is attracting lots of recommendation of late, haven’t you?

Most reviewers and coffee enthusiasts claim that this unit brews better shots of espresso than most of its expensive competitors.

Can this REALLY be true?

In my experience with coffee machines, they tend to offer a good deal with a higher budget.

So, what’s so good about the Breville Barista Express?

That’s exactly what we’ll be finding out in the next couple of minutes. So let’s fire away. But hang on a minute, what makes a good coffee machine?

Breville Barista BES870XL Espresso Machine Review

Breville is one of the go-to brands for anyone looking for the best coffee makers made in USA. Besides espresso machines, this brand also boasts some of the best dough mixers and juice mixers too. Breville Barista BES870XL Barista Express Espresso Machine doesn’t fall far from these.

Our Rating: (4.3 / 5)

What do people love about this Breville coffee maker?

Dimensions- will it fit on your kitchen or office tops?

Breville Barista measures 16 inches tall and 13.5 inches wide. Again, it has a depth of 12.5 inches. These dimensions bring it closer to most standard drip coffee makers.

Aesthetics play no role in how great a shot of espresso comes out. But we all want a unit that we’ll be proud of on top of our shelves, right? So if looks also matter to you, Breville BES870XL Barista Express Espresso machine may please.

Speaking of aesthetics, this model offers you 3 selectable colors

• Stainless steel
• Black
• Red

Unfortunately, it’s somehow how at 23 pounds. So you’ll probably consider placing it at a permanent location that won’t require regular repositioning.

Let’s get down to how it performs.

Breville BES870XL Barista Express Espresso Machine Features

• Onboard Conical burr grinder plus half-pound bean hopper
• Dials to select the size of the grind and the amount
• Hands-free grinding cradle
• Integrated filter size button

Specifications

• 67 fl. Oz water reservoir (removable)
• 54mm stainless steel portafilter
• 54mm tamper
• 15 bar pump
• 1600w power required
• 360-degree swiveling steam wand

As you already know, the Barista Express BES870XL is a semi-automatic espresso machine. It features an integrated grinder that grinds the instantly before brewing.

Why does this matter?

You see, coffee tastes when brewed fresh. According to the National Coffee Association of USA (NCA), you should grind your coffee just a few minutes before brewing. This is because coffee starts to lose its flavors immediately after grinding.

The Grind

Speaking of freshness, Breville BES870XL features a conical burr grind. Now this is another biggie feature with this espresso maker. NCA also recommends going for a burr grinder due to its consistent grinds. If you’ve been using a blade grinder, you’ll be surprised at what a conical burr grinder can do.

Brew just the taste that you want!

The size of the coffee grind is quintessential to the flavor of your cappuccino. If you like strong shots, you’ll probably want to go for course grounds. Luckily, Breville BES870XL Barista Express Espresso Machine offers you a dial to select how coarse or fine you want the grounds.

In addition, you can also select the amount of coffee grounds to be used for each cup. This is an incredible feature especially if the machine will serve espresso lovers with varying tastes. This feature also helps in minimizing wastage since only the required amount of beans is ground according to the preset single or double shot filters.

To make the process easier for you, Breville BES870 also automatically drops the ground coffee into the portafilter.

What’s more? The Barista Express also boats a 54mm tamper that eliminates the need for manual tampering. Worth pointing out, this tamper has expert tamping control. This ensures that the water passes through the coffee as required.

As such, there are minimal chances of over-extracted or under-extracted coffee flavors.

How much water can it hold?

Breville BES870XL Barista Express Espresso Machine features a 67-fl oz removable water reservoir. What makes this so special?

Let’s just agree that nothing sucks than trying to fill a 2-liter water tank with a cup. Things get worse if the machine is in one corner and the tap on the other side of the kitchen. With a removable reservoir, you can easily take the tank to the tap, refill it and mount it back on the machine.

Brew your espresso like a real Barista

What most people love about the Barista BES870XL is that it’s designed to offer you barista-like espressos from the word go. Take its 1600w power requirement. This is an improvement from Breville’s previous release, the BES860XL that uses 1450w.

What this means is that the BES870XL Barista heats water much faster than the 860. In addition, this model is 110V/60 Hz. This means that you can use it virtually anywhere in the USA.

Breville BES870XL Barista Express Espresso Machine uses an integrated stainless steel Thermocoil heating system for accurate water temperatures. But here’s the kicker: It also boasts Auto Purge function. This automatically adjusts the water temperatures after steam. This feature ensures that each shot is brewed at the right temperatures.

To ensure super quality, this espresso machine uses a 15-bar Italian pump. This pushes the water through the ground coffee at the right pressure to enhance successful flavor extraction. This is further enhanced by the dual-wall pressurized filters that automatically regulate the pressures inside the machine.

How easy is it to clean the machine?

This is probably why most espresso lovers recommend this machine so highly. Breville BES870XL has a clean-me light that shows when you need to clean the system. It also has a removable drip tray with 2 compartments for both dry and wet spills.

Again, all the parts that require cleaning are easily removable. That’s not all. You also get a cleaning kit for the machine that includes some tablets, discs, and a brush.

Breville BES870XL Barista Express Espresso Machine PROS

Cons- what might you not like about this machine?

Best Espresso Machine Buying Guide

In your search for the best espresso machine for home, the first thing you do is to narrow down your choice to the machine that meets your needs. There are 4 types of espresso machines;

Manual Espresso Machines

These machines are just that; manually-operated. They leave almost all the work to the user. The freedom to control all the variables has its upsides and drawbacks. What’s good about them? First, it’s easier to get exactly what you like since you become part of the process.

On the other hand, if you’re amongst those who are ALMOST late for work every day, these models aren’t yours. You’ll need to spend a good time on it each morning for a single shot of espresso. Again, these units require a high degree of skills. So pulling a great shot isn’t a guarantee always unless you master the skill.

Semi-automatic espresso machines

These are the most popular models. They allow you some degree of manual control but have an electric pump. That said, they are easier to use and much faster than manual espresso machines.

Their major drawback is that the best models tend to get into the thousands. But guess what? This is where the Barista Express Espresso machine makes its kill!

Fully-Automatic espresso machines

Fully-automatic espresso makers are step-up from the semi-autos. These units measure the amount of water that goes into your espresso. As such, you have one less task to carry out. However, this also means less control over your shot’s taste. In addition, more electronics means a higher probability of breaking down.

Super-automatic espresso machines

These are also known as bean-to-cup machines. They are sophisticated units that carry out the whole process of brewing. Most of them have a built-in bean grinder. All you do is fill the coffee compartment and hit ON. They grind the coffee beans, fill the filter basket, brew the coffee, and clean themselves. Sounds impressive, right?

But before falling for these, do know that attract a higher price tag. However, there exist some models that cost a few hundred dollars.

What other features should you keep in mind?

Durability and warranty

It’s pretty obvious that you want an espresso machine that you can hang onto for several years, right? So how do you pick out a model that will endure from a bunch of knock-off units? First, understand what other buyers have to say about the particular espresso maker. Secondly, consider its warranty.

Size

I mean 2 things here. First, consider the size of the entire unit in relation to the available space. You see, some machines can be darn huge for your kitchen tops. So pay attention to the machine’s dimensions before ordering.

Second, consider the size of the water reservoir too. This depends on the number of coffee lovers in the house and the number of cups that each user can take in one sitting.

Ease of cleaning

One problem that plagues most coffee machines is the ease of cleaning. Obviously, a machine with more parts might be a pain to clean. But it doesn’t always to be hectic. Consider what is involved and enquire from previous buyers too.

With that, let’s see what all this fuss about Breville BES870XL Barista Express Espresso Machine really is. Shall we?

Conclusion

Breville BES870XL Barista Express Espresso Machine is a reliable coffee machine, especially at its price. You only need to set your expectations right. Sure, this espresso machine will make messes at times. And the reservoir isn’t the largest on the planet.

But here’s the deal: You get a machine with high-end features, excellent durability, and great-tasting espressos at a fraction of what premium espresso makers cost. For comparison, most users have launched serious complaints against DeLonghi ECAM22110SB, and the ESAM3500.N Magnifica both which are thought to be some real badass espresso makers.

What’s the bottom line? If you are looking for good value for your bucks, Breville BES870XL Barista Express Espresso Machine might the way to go.