We tested Barista Express espresso machine for 4 weeks in our espresso “lab”. Here is the gist of our first-hand experience:
🧐 Short review: The Breville Barista Express is one of the best all-in-one espresso machines we’ve used for beginners and intermediate users who want café-quality coffee at home without buying a separate grinder.
It delivers consistent espresso, excellent milk frothing, and a very forgiving learning curve. Overall, Barista Express comes for a reasonable price. And, it looks great in any kitchen.
Read the rest of our review to see how it performed in our test, all the pros & cons, best alternatives, best price and more.
Breville Barista Express – Quick Overview
Real-World Performance
As mentioned in the intro, we’ve had an opportunity to play around with Barista Express for some time. And to be honest, it left it’s mark as one of our favourite espresso machines on the market today.
Espresso Quality
One of the things that we LOVE about the Barista Express is that it produces consistent and forgiving espresso.
The pressure and temperature stability make it difficult to completely ruin a shot, which is why we think it works so well for beginners.
While it doesn’t replace a high-end prosumer setup, we’ve had shots from this machine that easily match — and sometimes beat — café espresso.
Built-In Grinder (The Main Selling Point)
The built-in grinder is the main reason we’d recommend this machine to most people.
What we like:
- Freshly ground beans for every shot
- Simple grind adjustments
- No extra equipment or counter space needed
What we don’t:
- The grinder can’t be upgraded
- Limited fine adjustments for advanced users
For most home users, we think the grinder is more than good enough for several years.
Milk Frothing
We’ve been very happy with the manual steam wand.
- Strong steam pressure
- Easy to learn
- Capable of proper microfoam once you practice a bit
If you drink milk-based drinks regularly, this machine performs very well.
Breville Barista Express – Pros & Cons
👍 Pros
- Beginner-friendly espresso machine
- Built-in grinder saves space and money
- Great espresso quality once dialed in
- Strong build quality
- Strong resale value
- Large user community & support
👎 Cons
- Manual milk frothing (not automatic)
- Grinder is good, not “pro-level”
These trade-offs are exactly what we’d expect from a machine in this category.
If you mind them, check out the “Pro” version in our alternatives section below.
Best Alternatives We’d Consider
🔹 Breville Barista Pro
- Best for: Speed & convenience
- Grinder: Built-in (improved)
- Milk Frothing: Faster steam system
- Skill Level: Beginner+
- Price Range: $$$$
Our pick if you want to stay with Breville but want faster heat-up, better steam system and a slightly better grinder 👉 See Breville Barista Pro on Amazon
🔹 Gaggia Classic Pro
- Best for: Full control & upgrades
- Grinder: Requires separate grinder
- Milk Frothing: Pro-style manual wand
- Skill Level: Intermediate → Advanced
- Price Range: $$
What we’d choose for full control and future upgrades. You’d need a seperate grinder, but you get a slightly better espresso setup 👉 See Gaggia Classic Pro on Amazon
Final Verdict – Would We Buy It Again?
If your goal is great espresso at home without turning it into a full-time hobby, the Breville Barista Express is absolutely worth it.
For beginners and most home users, it’s one of the safest espresso machine purchases you can make in this price range. And as we said, it looks really great in any kitchen!
FAQ
Is the Breville Barista Express good for beginners?
Yes. Based on our experience, it’s one of the easiest espresso machines to start with. If you plan to get it, make sure to read our guide and learn how to use the espresso machine (we used Barista Express to create the guide!).
Can it really make café-quality espresso?
Yes, especially with fresh beans and proper grind adjustment. For high-quality espress shots, we highly recommend Lavazza Il Filtro Classic Dark Roast.
How long does Breville Barista Express last?
With basic maintenance, I’ve seen many users get 5–7+ years of reliable use.
Testing approach: Hands-on use, long-term owner feedback, and comparison with direct competitors.
