Thank you for watching, comments welcome! Product links in the description above 👆🏻 Check prices here: geni.us/BrevilleEspressoMach (Breville/Sage affiliate link) Full Barista Express Video: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/lb6XdcSksbHGc5c.html Full La Specialista Video: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/aLmlobaCyZrVpqc.html

We have had the Breville unit for almost 10 years. It started leaking 2 years ago, and I pulled it apart and replaced an o-ring on the pump output. A few months ago the pump started siezing, so I ran vinegar through it and it fixed. SO all in all, been a very reliable machine that produces consistent good results. Go Australia!

Great video! I received the BBE as a Christmas gift and love it. It actually came with a funnel which allows me to grind into my portafilter without making a mess.

Thanks for the best review ever! Just start learning about it.

Great video! It was concise and hit all the really relevant points.

Thank you for this comparison, it helped me A LOT with my decision!!

I have owned my Breville Barista Express for 2 years now and love it. On days I forget to pre-heat the portafilter, I just run a blank single shot through it and wipe it out. I also purge the head after pulling my shot and it flushes out those grounds that get sucked up. Great review, I always wondered if that Delonghi was any better and now I know I made the right choice!

Your skill at operating machines from behind them is honestly amazing lol

You are correct about the cleaning of the drip tray in the Breville. Clean off residue with just a cloth and a quick wipe

Tom! Love your Espresso Machine Videos. The technical comparisons are so informative and helpful. Your videography has excelled too. Thanks. Blessings ☕☕☕☕

Awesome review, thank you

Thanks👍🏼 very informative! 👏🏽

Thanks for this great comparison.

That was, definitely, the most complete video I ever saw about barista machine and their cost benefit. Congratulations! 👏🏻

Very professional comparison video. It gives me some idea which one I should go for.

Thanks! You helped me decide.

We use the La Specialista in the second year now. We were not able to set the machine up for a good espresso and a good "coffee crema" at the same time. Since I bought an external mill for my espresso everything is just fine. The grinder of the La Specialista is now used for "coffee crema" only. The external mill holds another type of beans and is grinding much finer for espresso. Temping is done in both cases with the build in temper of the DeLonghi. I like the speed and ease of use of the La Specialista - and of course the quality of the coffee.

I've had the Barista Express for about 8 years now and love it. That said I had to replace the pump recently. Not a huge deal. $32 from Amazon and about 2 hours of learning how and doing it. Back to good Americanos in the morning out on the deck.

Quite useful! I’d love to see all those results into a final matrix of results 🤓

Very well made and informative, thanks!

That constant temp in sage its the real deal when it comes espresso, for me its worth every money. Cheers ✌️

Well done !

Great, exactly what I needed!

Thanks for this. My decision was made as soon as you compared the grinders 2 minutes in. I just need someone to buy me the Sage/Breville now.

I bought the Breville Express in solid stainless steel for $1,000 (Canadian) and I LOVE it! I agree that the (only) downside is running out of water mid stream but you learn quickly to check the water levels more regularly. I had to justify spending that kind of money for a coffee machine but if you love your coffee and can afford it, go for it!

Thanks a lot, it's a really interesting good review. Please continue.

I find it funny this video came out after we just talked about delonghi in a different video. Great comparison, I had the same issues when i had to upgrade my espresso maker and it looks like we were using the same checklist on features! Excellent video!!!!

Tom, Thank you fo your illuminating review. I noticed that there is also a Breville Barista "Impress" model for $200 more than the Barista Express. The Impress has dosing controls and some "automatic tamping mechanism. I hope that someday soon you might be able to compare these two fine Breville (or Sage) machines. Either one is a sobering investment. However, if there is a favorable difference with an extra $200 we apprentices might consider making the extra investment.

Tom - Excellent video. I received a Barista Express for Christmas after my Sunbeam Cafe Series dual pump machine finally died after 10 years of gallant service. I’ve found it to be an excellent little machine. Very consistent and well performing machine. I was initially worried about the integrated grinder but have found it to be very good. All of the positive points you detail are true. My negative points are no low water indicator, no dual pump for simultaneous extraction and milk texturing and time it takes for the steam wand to engage. However all of these points are overcome with the price and some minor work arounds. One minor update for you is that in Australia Breville ship the machine with a grinder extension to reduce with a dosing funnel to reduce mess. Thanks and keep up your excellent work ☕️

Bought the Breville after watching this review. Thank you....

One very key point is the temperature stability during the brewing stage. I am surprise to see that Delonghi didn't realize about this very basic thing. This is the main killer especially for coffee savvy folks !!!

You're not lazy Tom, you're efficient !

My BBE preheats (water) in about a minute. So, rather than wait longer for the brew group & portafilter to heat, I pull a blank shot while I’m grinding the beans. That water - and the drip tray contents - later gets used to water plants. No waste!

There it is! Thank you Tom

Currently the Delonghi is nearly £200 cheaper than the BBE in the UK but I still bought the BBE which is called Sage on my model. Thanks for the comparison.

Awesome, taaaaanks very mucho gracias

On the hunt for black friday deals and had my eye out on DeLonghi for a long time. Came here to make final check and found BBE or SBE as here it is Sage ... Anyway ... Sage is almost 220€ cheaper than DeLonghi so i'm taking the plunge! Thanks for your nice video and detailed explanation.

thanks!

Thanks! I loved the comparative and the thoroughly review of different aspects of both machines. I have always liked the price-quality relationship of the Delonghi espresso makers but in this case Sage clearly wins. By the way… have you been able to remove the plastic insert of the la especialista portafilter? I am not sure it can be done.

I bought an original Barista Express over 10 years ago shortly after Breville first released them. Not much seems to have changed in that time besides the change from a square to round bean hopper, and stamped plate for the drip tray instead of the originals wire mesh (which I prefer as it doesn need to be wiped every time). Sadly, it started leaking not long ago and killed a solenoid in the process. I bought the parts, but then found I couldn't pull apart the fittings that have leaked due to being locked in place from corrosion, so it may have had its day. The steam wand is definitely the Achilles heel of these machines and could be more powerful, so a bit disappointed they haven't improved it. Regarding the tank, I don't see it as a big issue to not have a sensor. Just check the level before you start, which is easy to see from the sides. Good review, I had wondered about the Delonghi, but here in Australia they're more expensive, so a Breville is a strong possibility as a repeat purchase.

wow, I bought the delonghi la specialista back in december but if this video was up I'd have definitely reconsidered and bought the barista express >.

@Tomscoffeecorner, thank you for the very detailed and useful information. I wished I had found you a year ago. I got a delonghi la specialists as a birthday present nearly 2y ago. I make one coffee a day plus 4 more a week for friends. Already used a bottle and a half of descaling. And from the first time I did descaling the last step- rinsing didn't stop. I had to add more water and continue longer. I do put max water for the rinse and this happens every time. Last time, I was in a hurry and I just turned it off. Next day when I turn it on it was still flashing red for descaling and I let it rinse till the water is all gone. I was trying to keep the ok button down hoping to cancel the rinsing but then I realized that it can only cancel the descaling not the rinse Then I made long espresso and the pressure went to the max red- end. It dropped very little coffee. After that the machine started leaking underneath. I changed the grinder from 5 to 2. When I run without filter, just water and no pressure, it doesn't leak. Do you have any suggestions or ideas what to do? I'm not sure if it's under warranty. Thanks. @TomsCoffeeCorner

Well done ! 🙂

This is just what I've been looking for thank you! Do you find there's much difference in the temperature of the shot once it's made? I'm also interested to know how hot these machines can make milk based drinks such as lattes?

very nicely made review! no surprises, breville is king of home all in ones

Owner of the Breville Touch Machine for home use. Its used 3 times a day, seven days a week for 3 years now and still running strong!

The showdown! 🥳🥳

ordered right before Christmas, i got the Arte for $499. looked at the breville but it was hundreds more. enjoying the Arte by the way.

Great video g

The only thing I thought might be nice for the Breville is the water level meter. Though we are so accustomed to checking that before we even start it wouldn't be that helpful. But for new owners, might be good.

In México, the Breville price is higher than the Delongui price (1000 vs 600 dlls) , and the after-sales service is bad. Their reviews on the sales pages refer to many problems and few solutions in terms of maintenance. I am learning a lot from you, greetings

Great review, I've tried douzaines of machines over the years. The most important things are quality of the grinder and the temperature stability. Without those two elements, it gets complicated to dial-in the perfect shot (extraction). I would go for the Breville even if the Delonghi was much cheaper. If you want an Americano, you don't need a special button, just make an ultra long espresso. The Delonghi will do nothing besides letting more water run depending on the beverage you choose, it's not really a magic feature. Again great review Tom.

This is our second K-Classic. We had our first one for many years, so when we had to replace it, we wanted nothing else but this exact kzfaq.infoUgkxBrV-RbF5Nk0Rlt9i15aao-YMzqzTG8Vf model. We use it for about three people everyday in the morning. The taste and quick brew is one of the reasons we like it so much. There are so many choices of brands of coffee that we would grab what was on sale and test the different brands from there. I would definitely recommend trying different brands of coffee to find the ones you like the most because there are brands that quite frankly taste horrible.

Hi, great video! Would be great if you could refract the espresso's to see which machine actually extracts better.

Dials coming off 2 Delonghi machines in the shop was enuff to scare me away! Got the Breville :)

You brought value.

Got the barista express for nearly 2 years now and it is an amazing machine. There is a reason why is still on the market for so long and it is the best seller for the semi-manual machines bean-to-cup. I drink espresso everyday and I can always pull great shots. Honestly in that range of price/budget I wouldn't even think an alternative. The only issue with the barista is that you need to wait at least 5-10 minutes so the machine goes in temperature... not a big deal for me, because if you love coffee you are not really in a rush and you can afford 10 minutes to switch and do something else, then get your coffee. If you can't probably this machine is not for you.

Thanks for the comprehensive review! Recently I paid a visit to a local retailer and spoke with the service technician there. He walked me to the service department and showed me the rows of Breville machines waiting to be serviced or parted out. Needless to say he didn’t give them a high recommendation. Unfortunate, they do seem to have everything you’d want in a semi automatic. Other than perhaps quality of parts or manufacturing issues…

My barista express does not take anywhere near that long to start steam, I would say about half that. that being said, I do steam basically strait after pulling a shot, so maybe the heater is already a lot warmer. (i did see the note in the video about the 20-30 depending on usage, so less of a point i guess) the downsides to the La Specialista are a bit hard to dismiss, the grinder is the biggest one in my opinion. the level sensor is nice, I wish the breville had it, but its not a major issue. I really like how breville stand behind their products, on my second bag of beans I had a foreign object that I missed when filling the hopper that lodged in the grinder and shredded the gears inside (the foreign object looked like it was perfectly shaped to break a grinder). I contacted both the bean manufacturer and breville, the bean company basically did not believe me and wanted me to provide the object, which I could not as it was jammed in the machine. breville booked me in for a 'free quote' to diagnose the issue with instructions to the repair shop to pull the machine down and provide me the object (free of charge), I took it in, they a day later they said they had the object out and what the issue was and that they were waiting on parts. I asked how much it would cost and they said breville authorised the repair for free. have not had another issued with it in 3 years. took me 6 months with the bean manufacturer to get them to do anything. If my barista express were to die, I would probably not buy another one, but thats only because I would probably upgrade to a 'prosumer' level machine with separate grinder. not because the machine is bad in any way, I love it and use it every day. I do not see myself replacing it until it does eventually kick the bucket (unless I come across an unbeatable deal on a better machine. thats unlikely to happen).

Love it, great video! Defenitely solved my dpubts about the barista express. Quick question: is the grinder really robust or you still recommend buying a premium grinder i.e. a Comandante? Thanks!

I purchased a barista express on sale today and it came with a dosing funnel in the U.S😊

Very good

I see you went through the motions of giving the Delonghi a "fair" deal but it was never going to make the grade, was it? 😁😁 I wholeheartedly agree though! I have had the Barista Express for 2 years now and as a result I look forward to waking up every morning for my coffee!!😍

this came like almost 2 months late for me... Anyways, I'm still happy with my Delonghi machine. I think I inclined for it mainly because I had it available in my country (unfortunately, the Breville is not sold here in Argentina). Nevertheless, great video.

The DeLonghi is about $70 cheaper here in Australia but I'm still going to go with the Breville.

Cheers so much I might get Breville who knows I'm pretty tight 😂❤

Only complains and not really complains I have about my barista express is that I wish I was double boiler and the wand a bit longer other than that is an amazing entry level machine and once u get used to it the only reason to upgrade or change is if it ever breaks

Thank u for ur videdo. What about the quality of espresso?

Breville being Australian company really shows in their understand of making proper coffee machines

Hi, great review! Have you tested the Barista Pro, too? How does it compare to the Express, especially in terms of heat development and preheating the shower and filter?

If you like playing with coffee all different tamping tools ect get the grinder Pro and a bambino plus .. better grinder and more compact machines

Tom, I have had the Barista for a couple of years and my mother has had the de Longhi- and have come to the same conclusions. The Breville is easier to dial in the grinder, the head is warmer, it pulls better shots most times, and is easier to clean. The de Longhi water tank seems to need filling less often, but the grinder of a pain to clean. In terms of reliability, zero issues with the Breville (it gets hammered with 4 adults) but my mum is on her second de Longhi. She did try a Barista but did not Like it….

Hi I bought a Delonghi Elita explore however I find my coffee does not come out super hot specially the ones with milk. I have hard time controlling the heat temperature specially the drinks with milk. Would you recommend coffee machines with a milk steaming wand?

I dont have the delonghi but just run a couple shots of water through with the portafilter in place to heat it up before making your espresso

Thank you Tom for the review and the thoroughness! I've just subscribed to your channel. Already from the brand reputation, I felt Sage/Breville Barista Express was a better choice compared to La Specialista Arte. You didn't hesitate which to pick, if the price were the same. But if I'd tell you that right now the Barista Express costs 655 euro and La Specialista Arte 412 euro (thanks to a coupon that gonna expire soon), you would suggest me to buy DeLonghi or to buy Barista Express anyway (maybe when it is gonna cost 500 euro in Amazon again)?

May you do an updated comparison video breville versus the brand new KitchenAid ® Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine pretty please?

I would love to see you, do a test with De'Longhi EC9355.M2.0.

I would like to know what you thought of the flavor of the espresso shot that each appliance produced. I often see in these reviews and in videos an espresso machine or press produce a cosmetically pleasing shot, but what does it taste like? A beautiful looking shot can still taste bitter AF or sour. Ultimately, the deciding factor for either machine is whether or not I can make minor user-friendly adjustments to espresso making (grind size, dosage, brew temp, etc) that will yield a shot that is enjoyable to my flavor preference. I have an earlier model DeLonghi La Specialista and I find that I have to make minor espresso-making adjustments with each breed or roast of coffee that I add to the grinder hopper.

Tyvvvvm🥰

Would like a comparison between the Barista Express and the Cyetus CYK7601

making big deal for Brew Group Temp Test however, u can always run an empty shot which will be needed on both machines since even 61 is low

Hi Tom, in Delonghi La Specialista, if the portafilter is heated, is brewing temperature will be stable? 10:46

The breville case is also plastic made, but is covered in a metal sheet. Better grinder with much more step positions(the impress has more up to 30 ), pid control with temp +4 -4 celsius depending on how darker your coffee is, if you hold your finger on the cup button the preinfusion function will be set on manual meaning thay you can control how long u want to take, 3way solenoid valve, overall a better product than the delonghi. The grinding, Brew temp stability and the pressure extrsction are the most important when it comes to espresso quality

Would have loved a blind-taste-test. That is a important part of a comparison

Got my Arte on discount with only 350$ and i love it

Thank you for your video, I’m absolutely new to the space but I’ve always loved coffee. Could you please answer my questions? - I have been having pod coffees and do you think I’ll be able to tell the difference and love the actual espresso? - breville is about $400 more expensive $1000 vs $630 at where I live, do you think it’s worth it? - I see that specialista isn’t recommended much, would you say it’s a bad machine or is it just not perfect enough for actual coffee folks, do you still recommend that machine for me? Or should I save up and get the express but I might also end up not buying anything because it’s too expensive. Thank you!!!❤

Hello Mr Tom. I hope you can reply my question below. I just started to love drinking barista coffee a few months back. Normally I just do americano instant coffee or 3-in-1 coffee. I am thinking to buy a machine just for myself use everyday (1-2 cups per day). I love latte. Which machine do you recommend? Cheap but good quality coffee. Thank you very much.

Hi Tom, Thank you for the great machine comparison review. Considering that on average the Sage/ Breville machine is £300 dearer than the Delonghi in the UK, would this fact change your decision. I admit that the Sage is a great machine but it is reflected in the price. Regards, John 👍🏻

Интересно, спасибо

it would be very interesting to evaluate the coffee machines also on the maintenance side. How easy it is to open them and change the water pump or the thermo valves (these usually need to be replaced after 5 years)

Good informative video. What are your thoughts on a Sunbeam machine with similar features? Thanks

Another great comparison by a coffee expert. Breville Barista Max do you recommend this one? My delonghi is broken and amazon will refund me. I'm thinking or to buy one with grinder or sage bambino. Until 400€. Bambino and jx pro is a good match?

Love my Breville!

Thank you for your comparison very helpful and I think I will get the sage barista does have hot water?

Water sensor is just one more thing to go wrong. The sensors loose their magnetism remarkably and the sensor internally won’t read the water level. Just had the same problem on my automatic and the machine then would just not operate as a consequence until we worked out it was just the floating magnet, not the sensor inside the unit. I was surprised.

i wish this had of released before christmas lol. went with delonghi over breville

I will like. I will share Tom 👍❤️🙏

I had the two machines by Warranty, I returned the Delonghi. the best beeville

Can't wait till Breville comes out with a double boiler. Probably adds a fair amount to the cost but would be a nice timesaver.

I watch this video after getting the specialista. Oh well I still love it lol