Breville BES870XL Review (Barista Express Espresso Machine)

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Enjoying quality coffee at home used to involve a drive to the local café, but with Breville BES870XL, the Barista’s Express Espresso Machine; it’s now possible to brew it right in your own home.

This ground-breaking product can produce single or double shots of espresso with each brew and it’s loaded with options such as an adjustable grind feature, an integrated tamper, a stainless steel jug and a steam wand to create microfilm milk for added flavor and artistic flare.

It’s more expensive than your average coffee maker, but it allows you to create a little cup of heaven in your own kitchen. This is an Espresso machine with a great reputation that’s well deserved and it’s available at the lowest price on Amazon for a quality machine in this category.

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We’ve looked at all of the features of the BES870XL in detail in our review below.

CoffeeVerdict Breville BES870XL Review Criteria

• Ease of Use of the Breville Express 
• Rating the BES870XL for Durability
• Quality of Coffee and flavor Produced by the BES870XL
• Options on the Barista Express
• Cleaning the Breville Express Espresso Machine

We believe these are the most important considerations when purchasing any coffee machine – even more so when it’s a specialty product such as an Espresso machine. In each of the areas we’ve reviewed, you’ll find answers to common questions as well as some that might not be so obvious.

Rating a product in key areas makes it easier to make a purchasing decision and we’ve done that for you as well. On a scale of 1 to 100, we rated the Breville the Barista Express for durability, ease of use, quality of coffee flavor and brew strength, extra features and how easy it is to clean. In all categories, this machine performed well. Here’s how we scored it:

Breville BES870XL Performance Ratings:

Award-Winning Espresso Machine BES870XL

After extensive consideration, we found that the Breville the Barista Express compares favorably against the competition. This is a quality product that makes great coffee. That’s why we selected it as our top pick for grind and brew coffee makers.

Ease of Use of the Breville Express 

The Breville Express is a well-designed and user-friendly grind and brew coffee maker. The front display features large buttons with individual backlights that makes it easy to confirm that it’s operating correctly. 

Instead of trying to cram everything on the front display, the manufacturer has made good use of the sides of the machine as well – on one side you’ll find the grinding controls and on the other the control knob for the steam wand. It doesn’t take long to get comfortable with the controls and every function is clearly explained in the manual. You’ll be up and running, making great coffee just a few minutes after opening the box.

Rating the BES870XL for Durability

While the BES870XL is reasonably priced for a home espresso machine, it’s still a significant investment compared to standard coffee makers. You want a machine that’s built to last and that’s what you get with the Barista Express. This machine features a durable stainless steel design and each part is designed to stand up to daily use without noticeable wear and tear. A 1-year limited warranty also comes standard with this machine.

Quality of Coffee and flavor Produced by the BES870XL

The number one reason most consumers purchase a home espresso machine is that they want café quality espresso at home. The Barista Express consistently delivers high-quality espresso, cappuccino or lattes with every brew. 

It takes no more than a minute or two to complete the entire process and each pour is of the highest standard. The machine grinds the coffee to a fine powder every time and it measures and delivers the correct volume of water with every cup. There’s very little waste material left behind and you never have to worry about the grinds finding their way into your cup.

Options on the Barista Express

This Breville espresso machine has all of the key features expected in a quality home espresso machine at the lowest price on Amazon possible. We reviewed all aspects of its operation and found all of the features we’d expect.

There’s a side grinder adjustment switch on the side that allows you to quickly switch between fine or coarse grinding depending on your preference. The hopper holds ½ a pound of beans at a time and the water tank, located at the back of the machine, can hold up to 67 ounces.

The tamper slots in on the left side and we like the fact that it’s magnetic so that you don’t have to worry about losing track of it. Next to the tamper is the portafilter and you can choose from 4 different filter baskets – a single and double cup single wall basket and a single and a double dual-wall basket.

On the left side of the main control face you can choose between single or double dose grind amounts and there’s a center pressure gauge that’s easy to follow. When the gauge is in the middle grey area it makes the ideal espresso shot and this is all well explained in the manual that comes with the machine. In our review, we found that the Barista express waits to begin pouring until the gauge was in that grey area.

Once you’ve selected the size of your grind you simply push the portafilter into the slot and it engages a button at the back which begins the grinding process. It takes less than a minute to grind and then the portafilter can be easily removed for tamping. 

From there it’s just a matter of slotting the portafilter into the brew slot, selecting the button on the top right for 1 cup or 2 and waiting a few seconds for the brewing process to complete. 

If you’re planning on making a latte you can then use the steam wand on the right side of the machine which quickly steams water for frothing your milk – a stainless steel milk container is also included for this part of the process. Everything feature you need to make the ideal cup of espresso, cappuccino or latte is included with this machine.

Cleaning the Breville Express Espresso Machine

The BES870XL is easy to clean and it includes cleaning discs and tablets with purchase, as well as a cleaning brush that’s the ideal size for accessing any hard to reach areas of the machine. Cleaning the drip tray is also straight-forward – it simply slides out of the slot at the bottom and the grilles are removable to make things easier. The only issue with cleaning this machine is that it can be a little time consuming if you want to do a thorough job.

What We Liked Best About the Barista Express:

• Ease of Use – the manufacturer’s manual that’s provided with this espresso machine is great but you’ll hardly need it. In our BES870XL review, we found each feature we were looking for was easy to find and well labeled.
• Range of features – the Barista Express has every feature you need to make a great cup of espresso. Each step is simple and quick, from grinding, to tamping, to brewing and steaming.
• Durable Design – The stainless steel used in this machine is not only nice to look at, but it also makes the product highly durable.

Breville BES870XL Review Verdict

The Breville the Barista Express is our top pick for the best grind and brew coffee maker. This machine is well designed, with all of the key features we were looking for and it’s priced affordably. In our review of the BES870XL we were impressed with the quality of coffee it can produce on a consistent basis and we appreciated its simplicity.

Frequently Asked Questions