With a half-pound hopper and double or single walls for selecting the appropriate sizes of beans to grind, Breville BES870XL Barista Express Espresso Machine seems worth the financial commitment. With this review, I attempt to make a thorough analysis of this popular espresso machine by Breville. My mission is to find out why it’s one of the bestsellers and determine if there are any weaknesses that you need to take into account before buying. And more important than anything else, I want to find out if it’s worth the price it’s selling for.
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This review presents the technological features that make this one of the most essential espresso machines to use when preparing that steaming glass of coffee from the comfort of your home. These particular stats include a grinder with diverse settings, a pump that regulates the heat of the steam to provide the right aroma and a sprinkling head that sprays water throughout the beans’ surface.
Table of Contents
Breville BES870XL Barista Express Espresso Machine Key Features
The Benefits of the Internal Grinder
Essentially, the most aromatic beverage that you can make with any coffee-brewing device is one in which the grinding process happens right before the table service. This is why Breville BES870XL Barista Express Espresso Machine scores with its ready grinder that has the following benefits:
It squeezes out the juice out of the beans in a matter of seconds, ensuring that they do not lose their freshness. It also gently crushes the beans into fine particles. However, you can optimize on the size of this by adjusting to the right settings, which can range from fine to coarse.
In short, this machine allows you to use beans that have just come off the garden by automatically converting them into particles. These finally create the final frothy liquid when they mix with the steaming water. In less than sixty seconds, under the right temperature, the beverage is usually ready for drinking.
A 15-Bar Pumping Feature and Heat Regulator
Another benefit of Breville Barista Express is its pump as well as heat regulator, whereby the latter uses thermocoil technology. The heat regulator comes with settings for adjusting the degree of heat so that the water does not either overheat or fail to produce enough steam to provide the right aroma. Other supporting accessories include:
A filter receptacle that receives the lees of the crushed beans that soon hardens up due to the fast drying role of the filter. This means that you can easily remove the dried stuff and dump it after the coffee is ready. There is also a cup warmer at the crest of the device. The device features a sprinkler that helps to spray the water over the entire surface area of the extracted fine particles that form the espresso coffee.
Specifications
| Manufacturer | Breville |
| Model | BES870XL |
| Depth | 12 inches |
| Width | 13.25 inches |
| Height | 16 inches |
| Item Weight | 29 pounds |
| Case Material | Brushed Stainless Steel |
| Water Tank Capacity | 67 oz |
| Portafilter Size | 53 mm |
| Programmability | Dose, Shot Time, Temperature |
| Boiler Material | Stainless Steel lined Aluminum |
| Cup Clearance | 4 inches |
| Power | 1600 Watts |
| Voltage | 110 – 120 Volts |
| Cup Warmer | Yes |
| Solenoid Valve | Yes |
| Boiler Design | Thermocoil |
| Brew Time | 60 sec |
| Steam Time | 70 sec |
| Portafilter Types | Pressurized & Non-Pressurized |
| Water Sources | Internal Tank/Reservoir |
| Material | Stainless Steel |
| Aroma | Yes |
| Auto On | No |
| Auto Shut Off | Yes |
| Pods | No |
| Warranty | 1 year |
Weaknesses
In as much as the Breville BES870XL Barista Express Espresso Machine has advanced technological controls, it also has one shortcoming that may actually double up as a benefit. This is the multiplicity of dials especially those for selecting the size of beans to grind. Though it provides a versatile choice of fine or large particles for the virtuoso, the dials may confuse new users.
Apart from this, there are also some details that could have been designed better, like the hot water dispenser. You will also have to be very diligent with the cleaning routines. It’s enough to miss a few for parts of the machine to stop functioning like you expect them to.
Also pay attention to the dimensions of the machine so that it fits into the space where you plan on placing it.
A few more facts before you decide whether to buy or not
- You will receive everything you need to start brewing espresso as soon as it arrives at your house;
- If you want to make sure it’s kept in best form, clean the filter basket and portafilter assembly after every use. You van also run a cycle with plain water so that it cleans coffee remnants, whenever you feel like it’s the case.
- Remember, this is not a commercial espresso machine. If you brew more than a dozen or two espressos a day, you should take a look at a professional machine. But my guesses are this will be enough for most households.
Is the Breville BES870XL Barista Express worth your consideration?
In a nutshell, Breville BES870XL Barista Express Espresso Machine has all the technology that one needs to make a refreshing, frothy cup of coffee at one’s kitchen. Not only does it program the volume of the cups to use per preparation session, but it comes with gauges for measuring the pressure during the filtering process. It has also an automatic maintenance meter, which informs one when to clean the machine, with all the paraphernalia to do the task available as a part of the purchase.
Read my Breville BES870XL vs De’Longhi ESAM 3300 comparison review to see how this espresso machine compares to the competition.