Breville KC34341 BES870XL Barista Express Espresso Machine, 18/8 Stainless Steel

I've had this almost two years now, so I figured it was time for a proper review. If you don't want to read my in depth review but just my quick opinion and are in the market for a semi-automatic espresso maker (with grinder!), you can't beat this machine for the money it costs (especially here compared to a department store). It comes with a satisfactory grinder (anything better itself will cost you hundreds of dollars on its own), and an easy to use (and learn) espresso maker which makes good espresso, latte's, etc. (assuming you don't use garbage beans of course). Its been nearly two years and I've yet to have a problem and still works just as good as it did the day I got it. I'll start with the cons, because there aren't many and they are very minor, picky issues. The grinder: I find the size setting to be slightly misleading. I'd assume you could use the full range of grind sizes, but anything less than a 4 you'll have trouble pulling a shot with the proper pressure. Over time I've found I've needed to reduce the grind size more and more, but that could be to poor (lack of) regular cleaning habits because I'm lazy. The pressure gauge. There's an "espresso range" on it which you may think anywhere in that is OK. Its not. To get a good pull you'll need to make sure it starts around at least "12:30" and ideally about "1:00" if you treat it like a clock (pointing straight up would be 12:00). Once you get a feel for the grind and how much tamp pressure to use, you'll be able to do this with regular ease after a couple weeks of use (assuming you mainly stick with one type of espresso). The port-a-filter. Its not standard sized so it may be hard to replace. No big deal. Those interested in this probably have more "professional" machines anyways and aren't in the market for this. Now onto the good things: If you've never used a steam wand before, this is probably a good machine for you. Enthusiasts may say its not good or powerful enough, but its great to learn on. Its not a "double boiler" machine where you can froth milk and do the espresso at the same time, but for starter home use its great. Those double boiler machines start at 2-3 times the price of this. If you only make lattes for yourself a couple times a day (like me), its perfect. Because its doesn't use a boiler, its a little slower. That actually makes it EASIER to make perfect milk for the novice (also like me!). By the time I'm done making a latte, I've probably spent about 3 minutes. That's about 6 minutes out of my day which is quicker than waiting forever at st*rb*cks for something worse. The grinder: Its built in. Enough said. Clean it out once in a while and you'll be fine. Making espresso: You can adjust the temperature within 4 degrees of 200f (the factory setting). Adjust according to your taste and beans you are using (I'm not an expert, there's a ton and probably too much info out there on the subject). I keep mine at 202 as it brings out slightly better flavor for the standard bean I use. If you're using relatively fresh coffee beans, you shouldn't have much trouble pulling a decent shot. Maintenance/cleaning: its easy to use the cleaning cycle. Don't buy the cleaning tabs or descaling solutions. Buy Cafiza tabs as they will cost you a fraction of what the Breville ones cost for regular cleaning. Dezcal can be bought for descaling also with the same cost difference. The drip tray is dishwasher safe (top shelf). I put mine in about every two weeks. In between that, I give it a good rinse when the tray is full to get rid of any grime that may have built up. If I get 2 more years out of this, I'll be extremely happy. I've already gotten back my return on investment.

The Breville Barista Express has been fantastic for me. It works flawlessly right out of the box and feels very well built. There’s a lot to learn with it, but once you get the hang of it, it’s extremely rewarding. I mostly use the double wall cup for my coffee when I’m not using the built-in bean grinder, and it produces consistently great espresso. The controls are intuitive, the steam wand works well for frothing milk and getting it hot, and cleanup is straightforward. It’s definitely an investment, but for anyone serious about making quality coffee at home, it’s worth every penny. A really solid machine that makes morning coffee something to look forward to. That storage bin that goes behind the drip tray is kind of annoying though since it gets splashed from the steam and boiler drip.

This is our first espresso machine. We love the professional look of this product and its easy to keep it clean. I like the little pop up sign when the drip tray is full. We have had it for just over a month and only now really starting to understand how to use it properly and pull perfect shots and get the milk frothed properly, thanks to a number of good instructional videos on line. It's still a bit hard to predict how it's going to come out as small variations in puck compression etc can make a difference and I'm working on my cappuccino art skills. The machine heats up quickly, but it's recommended to turn it on in advance and warm the cup on the top grill. My daughter LOVEs the frother for the most amazing hot chocolate using ordinary carnation hot chocolate powder. This is a great machine if you want the satisfaction of pulling your own shots and frothing your own milk. I am really happy we didn't buy a fully automatic, where's the fun in that? I am also very happy that it has a built in grinder but wish that a water line could be installed to replace the tank. We unknowingly ran out of water once because it was hard to see the water line, but other than that I don't know enough about other machines to say anything bad. We still have our regular coffee maker along side this one for the daily grab and go.

I was looking to get a expresso machine for a while and saw this on deal during sale. I was about to get Hibrew but for the price Breville Barista Express was available it was a no brainier. Overall excellent performance and fast delivery by Amazon and Latteholic. They even gave a free bag of beans inside the box.

Esta cafetera destaca por su sólida construcción y funcionalidad. Incluye un molino ajustable que permite personalizar fácilmente la molienda según tus preferencias. Su uso es sencillo, con un adaptador que asegura que el café molido quede dentro del portafiltro sin derrames. El vaporizador de leche hace un trabajo decente, suficiente para la mayoría de los usuarios. Aunque existen opciones con un rendimiento superior, suelen ser significativamente más costosas. Además, incluye filtros específicos para preparar café de máquina regular y te permite elaborar espressos simples o dobles con facilidad. El depósito de agua tiene una capacidad de 1 litro e incluye un único filtro. Por ello, es recomendable adquirir un kit adicional de filtros para prolongar su utilidad. Algo a tener en cuenta es que la máquina desperdicia algo de agua, acumulándola en un contenedor interno que avisa cuando está lleno. Sin embargo, este depósito requiere vaciarse cada 10 o 15 espressos, lo que podría ser un pequeño inconveniente. Llevo un año utilizando esta cafetera y estoy muy satisfecho. Me gusta especialmente que es fácil de mantener limpia y que incluye un tamper magnético para compactar el café, lo que le da un toque elegante y funcional. En resumen, una excelente compra que combina calidad, diseño y practicidad a un precio razonable.