Best Espresso Machine Reviews
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Breville BES860XL Barista Express Espresso Machine with Grinder






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- List Price: $799.00
- Avg. Starting: $523.00
Buyers Guide
"Look Mom no hands, I'm a barista!"
And you thought you'd never become a rock star? Ok, so you might not become a platinum recording artist, but you can be a rock star barista with the Breville BES860XL Barista Express Espresso Machine with Grinder. If you want to pull with the best the Breville BES860XL Barista Express will have you doing just that! This machine literally rocks out cup after cup of brewed perfection. You'll forget all about the cafe giants like Starbucks, McDonald's and Dunkin Donuts. You'll be your own Barista right at your kitchen counter!
The Breville BES860XL Barista Express Espresso Machine with Grinder rocks, it soars, it friggin RULES!! But let's not get ahead of ourselves, let's go through each of it's gleaming features and then you decide.
Take your brews to the next level with a built-in grinder allowing you to turn your favorite coffee beans into a hot cafe quality espresso in under a minute. Tired of guessing with grind size? The Breville BES860XL Barista Express Espresso Machine with Grinder features two presets dials that will allow for easy brews configuration time after time. You can opt to fully customize a cup, or use the pre-programmed presets. Plus, you'll have the ability to produce high quality, great tasting brews with the removable tamper with tamper guidelines to help your grounds compress to perfection.
- Integrated conical burr grinder and half-pound bean hopper: stainless steel conical burrs optimize extraction of flavor from the bean by maximizing the surface area of the grinds. Use freshly ground beans for every shot for more full espresso flavor. Hopper has locking system for easy removal, storage and transfer of coffee beans.
- Grind size and grind amount selector dials:choose among grind settings from fine to coarse and adjust the amount of freshly ground espresso dosed into the filter basket.
- Filter size button:indicate whether you are using a single- or double-wall filter basket and the grinder will dispense the required amount of ground coffee for the appropriate filter type.
- 54mm tamper:for expert tamping control. With magnetized storage, but removable for easy tamping.
- Hands-free grinding cradle:push portafilter into cradle and freshly ground espresso will be dispensed directly into the filter. Grinder automatically stops when the indicated amount has been dispensed.
- 54mm stainless steel portafilter:with commercial style spouts.
- 67 fl. oz. removable water tank:top-fill tank with replaceable water filter to reduce impurities and scale.
- Volumetric control:preset 1 and 2 cup volumes, manual over-ride, or reprogrammable shot volumes.
- Espresso pressure gauge:monitors espresso extraction pressure.
- Thermocoil heating system:integrated stainless steel water coil accurately controls water temperature.
- Clean me light:indicates when a cleaning cycle is required. Cleaning kit included.
- 360-degree swivel action steam wand:for effortless milk texturing.
- Auto purge function:automatically adjusts water temperature after steam for optimal espresso extraction temperature.
- Removable drip tray: partitioned for both wet and dry spills, with 'Empty me!' indicator for when it’s full.

Video Review
"While simplistic in design this machine is great for beginners or barista's."
Rated almost five stars among consumers this espresso machine is top of the line! It's a favorite for performance and taste quality.
The Good
- Easily programmable.
- Designed in Italy, the De’Longhi makes for the best looking little countertop espresso and cappuccino machine. Its sleek design will fit perfectly next to your toaster or just about anywhere at this size.
- With an ample sized water reservoir you’ll enjoy cup after cup without interruption.
- The steam wand is known for creating an exquisite espresso.
- Customer service is great!
The "not so good"
While this machine has many bonuses and has received a lot of positive comments. Some things that many didn’t care for were:
- The grinder seemed to be a concern to some, while others had no concern.
- Will need to be cleaned to maintain functionality. Yes, I know, who wants to clean?! But if you want this little gem to stay in tip top condition you’ll need to, yes, actually clean it out every so often.
- Pressure was reported to weaken on some models after years of use.
What comes in the box
- Product Dimensions: 11.5 x 14.5 x 13.2 inches ; 9 pounds
- Shipping Weight: 29 pounds
Product Specifications
Compare Breville Barista Express with other models:
Model | Dual Boiler | Barista Express | Infuser |
---|---|---|---|
Dimensions | 16.25"x15"x15" | 13.25"x12.5"x14.5" | 10.25"x12.5"x13.25" |
Weight | 30 lbs | 23 lbs | 17 lbs |
Heating system | Dual boilers, stainless steel | Thermocoil, stainless steel | Thermocoil, stainless steel |
Temperature control | Electronic PID (for better temperature stability) | Electronic PID (for better temperature stability) | Electronic PID (for better temperature stability) |
Pump | Dual Italian pumps | 15 bar Italian pump | 15 bar Italian pump |
Wattage | 1700W | 1450W | 1600W |
Water tank | 84 fl. oz. top-fill and rear-fill | 67 fl. oz. top-fill with handle | 61 fl. oz. top-fill with handle |
Water filtration | Yes, 1 year supply | Yes, 1 filter | Yes, 1 filter |
Pressure gauge | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Accessories | 2 x 58mm dual wall filter baskets, 2 x 58mm single wall filter baskets, 58mm integrated tamper, stainless steel milk jug, cleaning tool, cleaning disc and tables, allen key, water filter holder and filters, coffee scoop | 2 x 54mm dual wall filter baskets, 2 x 54mm single wall filter baskets, 54mm integrated tamper, stainless steel milk jug, cleaning tool, cleaning disc and tables, allen key, water filter holder and filter, coffee scoop | 2 x 54mm dual wall filter baskets, 2 x 54mm single wall filter baskets, 54mm integrated tamper, stainless steel milk jug, cleaning tool, cleaning disc and tables, allen key, water filter holder and filter, coffee scoop |
Pre-infusion | True low pressure (gradual ramp up) | Triple prime (3 burst full power) | True low pressure (gradual ramp up) |
Volumetric control | Preset, manual over-ride or reprogrammable | Preset, manual over-ride or reprogrammable | Preset, manual over-ride or reprogrammable |
Dry puck feature? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Auto purge? | Not required | Yes | Yes |
Steam wand | 360 degree swivel, 3 hole tip | 360 degree swivel, 1 hole tip | 360 degree swivel, 1 hole tip |
Hot water | Yes, dedicated outlet | No | Yes, dedicated outlet |
Cleaning alert | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Concealed storage tray | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Breville assist plug | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Other | Over-pressure valve (OPV), actively heated group head, heat exchanger (HX), programmable extraction temps, programmable pre-infusion, backlit LCD, espresso shot clock, auto start, audio alerts (high, low, mute), drop down swivel foot | .5 lb bean hopper, conical burr grinder, grind size dial, grind amount dial, hands-free grinding cradle | |
Housing | Stainless steel; parts that come in contact with water, coffee, and milk are BPA free | Stainless steel; parts that come in contact with water, coffee, and milk are BPA free |
Dimensions (H x W x D in inches): | 13.25 x 12.5 x 14.5 |
Weight (in lbs): | 23 |
Watts: | 1600 |
Pump Pressure (bar): | 15 |
Cup Warmer: | Yes |
Dump Box Capacity: | |
Water Tank Capacity (oz.): | 67 |
Removable Watertank: | Yes |
Coffee Bean Capacity: | |
Pressure Gauge: | Yes |
Cleaning Alert: | Yes |
Price: | $$$ |
Where to get the best prices
Buyer's Tips
- Find the top rated product.
- Read the reviews.
- Read Reviews
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