Breville Barista Express: geni.us/1HoQc Breville Barista Pro: geni.us/VG0XE (Affiliate links)

took me a good while to notice the Barista Pro is just an overlayed image

I spent everyday for 2 months considering buying the Breville Express as it would be my first coffee machine. I ended up making the purchase 3 weeks ago. Can say I have no regrets. I wasted about 500g of coffee to get the right extraction. In the end, my coffee is the best in town, I'm yet to find a better cup. I love this machine, I love my coffee!

Thank you for your review. It's nice to hear that you've had your machine for 4 years, signs of a well-built machine. I was going to get the pro, but I appreciate that you brought up how 15 seconds saved on steaming and instant hot water aren't really worth the extra dough. I also agree that the pressure gage should have stuck around

I own both in 2 diff houses we own, and I much prefer the PRO event hough our Express does a fine job, I hate the slow boiler on it. I don't really miss the gauge, and I appreciate the timer especially when tweaking new beans or switching from single to double shot filters. I use a mech watch but having it there synched with the infusion is nice. Thanks for the review will help a few friends decide by themselves.

Because no one talks about the most significant differences? I have the 2 machines at the moment, and I am debating which one to choose, I will mention advantages and disadvantages that I have observed: Barista Express in favor. In 15min more than ready to be used. The most important differences that I observe: Barista Express 1-Ready to use in 15min with portafilters already hot. (Very important to me) 2- The temperature of coffee extraction is 73 degrees Celsius against 65 of the PRO, the water also comes out hotter in BE 3-Durability, due to having less technology, it is a machine that will last longer, I have heard that the Barista Pro (BP) has had many failures, and if they do not make a guarantee, it is a product that you will have to replace faster, since the repair cost is much higher. I'm really almost determined to get the BE even though I know I'm going to miss the speed and power of the Milk steam of the BP. My impression when trying Barista PRO was that the cream was extremely good, but I did an experiment, I used the BP grind and shot from BE the cream came out almost as good as in BP, so I think it's just a matter of finding the perfect grind in BE The advantages that I find in BE are really more important to me. Practicality (I don't have to spend time and filtered water to heat the portafilter). DURABILITY and TEMPERATURE

I for one love the analogue pressure gauge. Since I roast my own coffee I am constantly changing out beans and it is a far quicker way to dial in a grind than timing shots etc.

Thanks for confirming my decision. Just got mine 2 weeks ago. I'm an absolute novice. Having weird hiccups like... 18g of coffee (pre-measured with a scale and dumped into the grinder) will always way overflow out of the portafilter. The Breville rep said it had to do with grind size but I'm dubious. I've wasted an entire bag of beans just trying to get the pressure gauge to move at all. Very grateful for all of the guidance from this youtube family.

Totally agreed. The express still the best bang for ur buck. Thx for the video, now i made up my mind

This is the cleanest review I have ever seen on KZfaq. Well done and I await more content. Some of the things that make this video superb are the clean white backdrop. Both products in clear view and the narrator cleanly dressed with his head out of the shot. Why because our focus shouldnt be on him but rather the products he is reviewing. Appropriate hand actions further direct our attention. The only thing I would improve is a few more action on shots of the comparisons. When you say the steamers are about the same maybe a shot of bot products steamers. All around well done and I await further content.

I got the barista pro and love it. Reviews were solid on it and it really delivers. I'm completely new to making coffees, so when I look at the express, I just felt intimidated. The price difference was gone via boxing week. So I'm a happy man

There is also another significant difference. I'm using it in a car with an inverter and for me this is a major difference: the newer one uses 1100W, the old 1850W. And the newer is few mm shorter, another plus for me. Cheers

The Thermo Jet, 30 grind settings, four holes on the wand, instant temp adjustment and built in timer makes it worth the $100 difference.

It's like having a digital watch vs an old school analog watch for the display... Let's find out what under the hood! Thanks for the video.

Wow !!! Thx. I was looking to "maybe" upgrade for the Pro, already owning an Express. I had purchased a Bambino, really not happy with it, brought it back and changed it for the Express. I still do not regret it. I will keep my Express.

Thank you headless man. Very informative! I used to have 870 series and I found the pressure guage very handy. I plan on upgrading...

due to an excellent discount I got the barista PRO at the same price as the Barista Express Now, I have both machines at the moment, and I am debating which one to choose, I will mention advantages and disadvantages that I have observed: Barista Express in favor. In 15min more than ready to be used. The most important differences that I observe: Barista Express 1-Ready to use in 15min with portafilters already hot. (Very important to me) 2- The temperature of coffee extraction is 79 degrees Celsius against 65 of the PRO, the water also comes out hotter in BE 3-Durability, due to having less technology, it is a machine that will last longer, I have heard that the Barista Pro (BP) has had many failures, and if they do not make a guarantee, it is a product that you will have to replace faster, since the repair cost is much higher. I'm really almost determined to get the BE even though I know I'm going to miss the speed and power of the Milk steam of the BP. My impression when trying Barista PRO was that the cream coffee was extremely good, but I did an experiment, I used the BP grind and shot from BE the cream came out almost as good as in BP, so I think it's just a matter of finding the perfect grind in BE The advantages that I find in BE are really more important to me. Practicality (I don't have to spend time and filtered water to heat the portafilter). DURABILITY and TEMPERATURE Advantages of the Pro automatic cleaning empty tank indicator power to froth milk Best for cappuccinos Disadvantages DOES NOT HEAT PORTAFILTER (Which forces you to take a free shot and waste water, and also counts as a shot in the computer and you will have to descale faster) Durability. Due to more modern technology there are more factors that can fail. Extraction temperature lower than that of BE approximately 10 degrees Celsius less at BP In my house there are some lights that blink at the time of extraction. But this may be due to my electrical installation or the quality of the lights.

Many point out that the breville 878 does not have a pressure gauge, but the 878 has a watch. With a little more knowledge, we can use the time to adjust the quality of the Esopresso. I think the amount of extraction over time makes the esopresso more accurate than the presence or absence of a pressure gauge.

Upgraded from the breville DieCast from early 2000 to a Barista Pro at the start of the summer. Love this machine....makes a great cup and so much control!

The barista Express looks like a beautiful machine. I'm really thinking of buying one but the price is swaying me to continue brewing coffee home. Someday, someday...

What a genuine review! Rare to see such reviews on the net! Well done and keep them coming. Much love from Toronto.

Upgraded to the pro from the express. Reason was the grinder and frother. The express is great, just see the pro as my forever machine now with the minor fixes.

I actually like heating the milk more slowly, makes the milk a lot creamier and finer. I'm not into latte art but i do appreciate those that due it, just to much effort first thing in the morning and I like drinking it rather then looking at it. Whish you would have demoed the steam wand on the Barista Pro rather then the Express. I also agree with having the pressure gauge I like being able to see if I can get the same pressure for extraction every time.

So just run a shot of just water to warm it up then? or am I missing something. seems like an easy solution to get the filter up to temp without waiting 20 minutes

You are very professional and very well spoken in demonstrating the product(s) description is on point… “STELLAR OF A JOB”!

Thank you for the intelligent, important pros and cons and what is really important...not just making espressos or lattes. Also thank you very much for mentioning the grinder and size. I am lurking and will be for a while until I take the plunge.

IMO: upgrading to the Oracle is definitely the way to go. Don't mind the price. You spend more by buying coffee out in coffee shops. It adds up in no time!

Corono virus lock down and 3 month of WFH meant we had to buy a coffee machine. To my surprise in here Melbourne (Australia), almost every electrical goods shop had run out of popular models. Finally on the 6th store I walked, there was one last in stick of the Barista Express BES870 black model. Now WFH is much more enjoyable.

Nearly bought Pro, but after your video not now! Thanks, very helpful ;)

Really helpful mate. Answered all the questions I had. My parents have the bariesta express which I love and was considering getting the pro for myself. Now will just go for the express. Thanks 👍

Great comparison! Very happy with my Barista Express

Thank you ! This video very helpful. I am a newbie to espresso machine. I bought the express still in da box. After watching ur video i am exciting to use it.

The big plus to the Pro is the 9bar pressure. I believe the new expresses do the same now, according to their web site anyways. As I have an older express that runs 12-15 bar pressure, I believe it’s worth the upgrade. I really pondered getting a dual boiler but truly for my house, I don’t need the faster work flow. I roast my own coffee and I can honestly say I pull way better espresso shots than the big coffee shop chains

If you want to heat up the group head just run it under hot water

Tbh was hoping the Pro would of had a better grinder Vs the original. Yes the display is nice but changing temperature wasn't hard on the original. All in all there's no game changer made to the Pro that makes it a better machine. Already got a digital timer as in my phone. Currently using a Sage DTP and Pro grinder. Was looking at Barista Pro as a upgrade and space saver. After this it'll be the original or sit on my hands for another year and go for the dual boiler with a Niche Zero grinder.

Thank you for the concise video. It’s currently a $100 price difference, but doesn’t seem like worth the upgrade to me either. Especially since it gets rid of the pressure gauge. And I actually prefer to not have a digital display. I like the extra physical buttons rather than toggling through a digital display. Although I like the fact there are many different color options on the pro.

2:00: it need not take anywhere near that long. Immerse your portafilter and holder in hot water, it’s ready in seconds. You can even use the steam wand for this purpose. 6:55: so for an extra hundred bucks, you expected not only improvements in heating and in convenience features and in grind resolution BUT ALSO improvements in grind quality and portafilter size? I can see wanting those improvements, but I can see where Breville imagines that the improvements you’ve gotten for a hundred bucks are worth the price difference

So I decided to watch this because this is the second time I have to send the Express back to Breville, they offer for $297 plus tax and shipping a repair or a new machine, well a year and a half ago I had this issue with my previous one and now again. So I did not want to spend the $297 again, instead I bought the Pro and to my surprise I have found that Breville offers only 1 year warranty for the Express while they offer 2 years for the Pro. I haven’t used the pro yet but all considered maybe the upgrade is worth it, not because of the product only but because they offer a 2 year warranty, I hope this one won’t break as the Express but if it does at least it will be covered for 2 years instead of 1 year.

When my express broke down after 6 years and was not worth fixing, i had this exact dilemma. I chose to buy another express for these same reasons that you just outlined. The pressure guage was very important to me as well.

I've found that on the Pro, no matter how long you leave it on, it won't get hot on its own. You have to run a couple of blind shots to heat everything up.

Very good and fair vlog. Even pros monitor gauges and the exclusion on the Pro is noticeable. The timer is a nice addition but then what would I do with all my espresso toys? Lol. I need to add that the hot water spout has been moved from the right side more toward the centre of the unit. Less spillage on countertops. Cheers from Canader eh!

I'm still a little confused on the difference in portafilter size. How does it change the ultimate taste/quality? How much can you tell the difference between a shot with the smaller portafilter and lower quality grinder vs a more commercial one? Since these machines are a pretty penny, I want to make sure I'm making the right decision! PS I'm upgrading from a SMEG espresso maker :)

Well played. Took me awhile to realize the Barista Pro is only an image.

So, here’s my dilemma, I’ve the BBE for a year now, I’ve got really into coffee and have bought everything you could imagine for a 54mm portafilter, calibrated tampers, levers, distribution tools, dosing funnels etc. Range on grinder is my biggest grip with the BBE. I’ve been pulling pre-infusion only shots for ages now so that has sorted out the channeling issues. I could also do the OPV mod on the BBE. I’m not an espresso drinker, if it’s a good shot, I make a piccolo / flat white, if it’s just ok, I make a latte!! ‘Upgrading’ to the BBP is relatively inexpensive as I could just sell my BBE, upgrading to the Niche grinder and a BDB is a considerable investment. Should I just upgrade to the BBP now to have a little bit more control, available grind size and fun, then if I feel in another year or so that I want to take it further, then upgrade the grinder, then a year later upgrade to the BDB?? Would the expensive upgrade make my flat white taste that much better?? Slightly long winded but I hope you understand my conundrum. Advice, guidance, perspective all welcome.

I've had my barista express for a little over a year. No major issues with it. Eventually, I'll move up to a HX machine, but only after the Express dies on me.

Well you can run a blind shot there fire heading the group head wait another 3 secs pull your shot. You dint need 10 15 minutes anymore. That’s old. Plus thermo jet will last longer than thermo block plus you will have more power on a thermojet than a block. The block only has a small channel at a time fir water to flow unlike the jet that has the whole Coil to optimum temp. I do agree with the grinder though your right. I agree with the video. Don’t upgrade unless you get great price on it.

I purchased the Barista express 3 days ago and it is making the most delicious frothy shots. 😍

Ok why the heck wouldn't you turn both steam wonds on to show us the difference in heat up time??

I originally had the barista express, then bought the touch. Now I have a rocket Giotto. The difference is obviously stark from the Breville/Sage appliance’s to the rocket machine. Having said that the touch was not in any way worth the money mainly because of the heating system. It does not keep the brew head warm and therefore locking your portafilter into it makes no difference and it needs to be heated separately. The express at least keeps your portafilter warm. Really annoying having to heat the portafilter separately. The express is worth the money but nothing else in their lineup is. For the same price as an oracle you can get a prosumer espresso machine. Also I would add the myth about steaming milk in prosumer machines is indeed that. More steam power equals more control. I can steam milk in about 10-15 seconds on my rocket compared to a tedious minute on one of these machines. I will admit the touch automatic steamer is handy but I still get better results on my rocket.

You haven’t touched the Pro! We would have loved to see it working. Unless...

Thx for such an elaborated analysis and comparison!❤

Thanak for this comparison buddy. Your channel is gr8. Please continue the same way. 👊🏼

Great machine for the price - had it over a year and no issues

thanks. I can sleep easy with my lust for the express

It is crazy that the price has gone up on the Barista Express, I paid 530 for it on Amazon back in 2017.

I don't mind the $100 difference but in my country, the difference is $275! that's crazy. I think I am going to go with the Express

I’m looking to buy my first espresso machine and I really appreciated the comparisons between the two. I was surprised to hear you state that each machine takes 15-20 minutes to fully heat up. I haven’t seen that mentioned in any of the other reviews I’ve watched. I apologize if this sounds redundant but does that mean you have to turn the machine on and wait for 20 minutes before you can use it

uh...u can run blank shots on both to heat the portafilter

We went back just 4 days ago from the pro to the express. Milk frothing didn't work, it leaked and simply didn't deliver. Maybe we got a dud, but even though the Express is louder, slower and more clumsy, it still provides better coffee and milk frothing.

Great video I was on the fence for both as they are on sale €499 for the express and €649 for the pro. Seems like the express could be the way to go…

Where I live the price difference is roughly a $100, so I’m fine with spending up even for the slight differences. I’ve read a lot of reviews mentioning that the new machines like the touch and pro have temperature problems. Is that a big issue with these? Wondering if I should stick to the tried and tested Express. Maybe it’s just that you hear about the bad apples than all the positive reviews. Any thoughts?

Thanks for this video.. looking at getting the barista express for a while and saw the pro version and had no idea what to do lol

What a helpful review, with clear and useful details. Thank you.

Thanks for honest and straight-forward reviews. Help me make my decision!

thanks for the review this further reassured us that by picking the barista express to buy today we made the right choice

With black friday deal, the price difference was about $250. Not sure if its worth paying $250 more for Pro

Such thorough, detailed reviews!

very good review. for the price point in the uk, £750 I can get a gaggia classic and a decent grinder. however, the express could be a better fit for what my circumstance which is I am not chasing espresso perfection but good espresso. I am upgrading from a delonghi that costs £180 so going to the express should be noticeable improvement. 👍👍

subscribed because I have the Express and I found your video to be an honest review. Please consider doing a Juicer review if you are into that sort of thing. I'm looking at the "Big Squeeze" juicer from Breville

Thanks for you honest review and opinion. I'll stick to my Express.

Great video. If it was your first purchase (I understand that it’s not a great upgrade option) would you choose the express or the pro?

Coffee newbie here: you need to warm up the metal portafilter for 20 minutes? What? How is this done?

some other videos mentioned the 'finer adjustment resolution' desired for the express model is achievable by removing the basket and grinder burrs at the top and making a finer adjustment there - have you done this or utilised this in your personal brewing?

If you pull a shot without coffee with the portafilter in it, is it possible to cheat the waiting time it takes to warm up ?

Can't really thrust the review if they didn’t have both physical machines

There is an Oster Barista Pro in the Latin American market. Would you say it's the same machine with just a different name?

So, given that you don't like the quality of the grinder, would you recommend to get one of the Breville Espresso makers without the built-in grinder? It seems that there is one available (don't know the model name now) that looks almost exactly the same as the Express, and is priced, so there would be a few (seemingly better) dedicated grinders that are available to complete the package for a similar price. Or is there some other advantage to having the grinder integrated?

You can warm up the portafilter etc much much faster on the pro than the express. The water comes to temperature much faster at 3-4seconds on the pro due to the Thermojet. So you can just run a blank shot through the portafilter and boom it's warm. Take it out, wipe it and ready to brew. That erases any nonsense about the two taking the same time to warm up. Barista Pro is better than the express. I think your conclusions are wrong.

Great video, fun and informative, superbly done, helps a lot in which one to get and value for the money. Thank you

Excellent compare and contrast

thank you for your review, well done!!

The retail price is actually almost the same now, so if you don't have either one of them, go for pro

I got same price for both, but 3 things I concern about the PRO: DURABILITY, the temperature is not hot enpught in the PRO , and the portafilter does not heat up, it has to be heated manually. what for me is a real annoyance, waste of time and water. Someone who has the PRO for more than 2-3 years and has not had failures?

Thank you for the review. How would you compare the Express vs the Touch? Deciding on either model at the mo'. Otherwise, do you have a recommendation for a 58mm type model? Or does the cost of such a machine go up a lot?

Extremely helpful review! I will stick to my Express.

Just wondering ,Can barista express makes nice cappuccino foam?

Does the Express ever go on sale? I was hoping it would drop a little bit on Prime Day, but it didn't.

My mans definitely biased and forgot about the retractable cord on the Pro. Another nice touch.

Great review! What do you think about the Barista touch? I’m between the Barista touch and the Barista pro. Thanks in advance.

This was very helpful, thank you!

Is there a difference in terms of performance between Breville Barista Express Black, the Stainless and the Red? I find that the Black version is a bit cheaper in my location.

Great comparison, how about a barista express vs barista touch comparison?

Thank you for the detailed review! helped me alot

What if you flush the portafilter with hot water? Would that not speed things up? I want to also add. I have the XL version of the Barista Express and in the manual it allows for physical adjustment of the upper burr. So there is actually two places you can adjust the grinder for very precise grinding. This is a newer model, so it may have not been possible in the older one.

What do u recommend then?

I'm interested to know if you actually used the Barista Pro or based your decision on the key features without using the model. You didn't have one for the video and used a stock image overlaid, so just wondered. Not saying that invalidates your opinions, just alters them slightly.

Very helpful info, thank you for sharing ☕

Does the Oracle Touch use the same grinder as these or is it better?

Great review, is their another brand that is as good as the express that does have the bigger potafilter better grinder? Thank you

Do you recall the colours of these two machines? I'm wanting a matt black express....