Reddit reviews Breville the Barista Express Espresso Machine, BES870XL

I have both a latte / espresso machine at home and I prefer lattes to black coffee at the shops too, so I'll do that math:

I pay 4.50 and give a 1$ tip when I get a latte in the morning, so that comes out to 2007$ a year

Assuming I steam 6oz of milk, that makes a half gallon of good milk (clover, organic, etc) into about 10 lattes. So 10 lattes costs about $4.19 in milk or 0.41$ per latte or 150$ per year

I buy the expensive coffee, which is $17 for 12oz (blue bottle), and do double-shots, which is roughly 15g of beans, so the bag (340g) lasts about 22 lattes, or 0.77$ per latte or 280$ per year.

So a top of the line home-made latte (best milk, coffee) every single day will be roughly 430$ per year,
while going out to a nice cafe (La Boulangerie de San Francisco was my reference for 5$ lattes) will run you 2007$ per year, meaning I save roughly 1577$ a year by making lattes at home or 5.5$ versus 1.18$.

Thus, if you like fancy coffee, within less than half a year this baby pays for itself - also, steaming milk / pulling espresso in the morning has become as much of a wake-up ritual as the coffee itself, and I much prefer it to standing in a line - plus, now that my girlfriend lives with me, that savings number is roughly doubled.

A breville espresso machine. My husband and I just moved back to the US from Europe. We are keeping our place in Europe and we decided we just couldn't go without having one of these so now we have one in each location. It's so frivolous but SO worth it. I use it at least twice daily.

You might have to make your own caramel. You could certainly try the Torani caramel sauce and see if it has the flavor you're looking for.

Buying something like this might get you the espresso and milk you're looking for. Or a Sette 270 and a Gaggia Classic machine (upgrade the steam wand for $30 or so) if you don't mind a separate machine for grinding.

You'll get better-quality shots (and milk) out of a semi-automatic than a superautomatic. If you're set on an all-in-one solution, have a look at the Breville Barista BES870XL

Is this the BES870XL?

Unbelieveable deal at $450

Get a breville and grind the beans separately. Having a machine that does both is risky, because if any part breaks you are kind of screwed. That being said, http://www.amazon.com/Breville-BES870XL-Barista-Express-Espresso/dp/B00CH9QWOU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1427815454&sr=8-1&keywords=breville+espresso
is a work horse and I would suggest it to anyone.

Decided to check out thebay.com... did a quick/dirty search for a mid-end espresso machine, found a Breville BREBES870XL on their site and one on Amazon.ca

Thebay.com Regular $799, on sale for $680 + $30 express shipping.

Amazon.ca Regular price $799, on sale for $599, Free shipping for Amazon Prime members.

Since both The Bay and Amazon are owned by American companies, I feel no particular reason to spend and extra $111 with The Bay just because the US private equity fund that owns them is trying to squeeze my "national pride" for a few extra bucks.

Don't know if this helps but I see the stainless steel on sale for $459.99 on Amazon right now. https://www.amazon.com/Breville-BES870XL-Barista-Express-Espresso/dp/B00CH9QWOU

We got a nice one for our engagement gift, let me ask my fiancé the brand of it: Edit it’s a Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine, BES870XL https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CH9QWOU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_m31RDbK8GYJAR

For twice your budget (just under $600) you can buy a Breville Barista Express. My brother-in-law has one and he won't shut up about how great it is. It produces nice espresso and is a fully automatic. I'm not sure how involved the maintenance schedule is, but if it's anything like their dual boiler, parts can be replaced and their tech support is actually helpful and very knowledgeable (I had to use them for my dual boiler).

you can check out the reviews on Amazon.

If you're willing up your budget, this might be what you're looking for.

https://imgur.com/a/Vom8lPv

This is what the current set up looks like. I have some saucers/cups from a great company out of Los Angeles NotNeutral. They're designed wonderful, it's been hard finding a consumer maker of more modern designed espresso cups and they've got some great design. After that is a Breville Barista Express. I'm pulling an espresso blend from a UK roaster called Redemption Roasters. Aside from the quality beans they have an amazing ethos and company vision, highly recommend all coffee lovers read up on what they do and how they do it.

Also pictured is the Behmor 1600 Roaster. I have been learning how to roast and the folks over at r/roasting have been an incredibly help. I am usually pulling single origins that I have roasted myself but I'm leaving for vacation soon and a friend was kind enough to gift me the Redemption beans!

Are you in the US? IF so, $450 for a used Barista Express is a rip-off. You can get it brand new with a warranty for $479.

I have a BE and the grinder is definitely it's weakest link. You can read more about my experience with it here. I eventually gave up on its grinder and got a Kinu M47.

If your budget allows it, I would recommend you get the Silvia (or Gaggie Classic or Breville Infuser) with a good grinder: Lido E or E-T/Feld2/Helor 101/Kinu M47 for a hand grinder or Sette 270 for an electric.

Edit: fix typo in price

You can get something like this for around $300-400 used, and it is pretty good for the price.

The problem is that you can't really buy preground espresso, and espresso grinders start at $300 so finding a setup for $100-200 is nearly impossible.

That said, if you really must have decent espresso for under $200, get this Delonghi for $90 and a Hario hand grinder for $25. You'll have decent espresso, but it will be a lot of work.

Bro if you can spend 1500CAN rancilio isnt worth it.. its great build but alot of wait between each action..

here is a few options i gathered for you.. browsed alot to get best rates and sale prices for you.. all prices in CAD

Espresso

• Breville Barista Express $600 (comes with buildin Grinder)
  
  
• Breville Dual Boiler espresso 1300$
  
  
• La Pavoni Europiccola $1060
  
  i have selected afew grinders for you, u can adjust your budget accordingly and what suits you..
  
  Grinders:
  
  
• Breville SmartPro $240
  
  
• Gaggia MDF $400
  
  
• ROK GRINDER $400
  
  
• Barazta Preciso $400
  
  
• Barazta Sette $530
  
  P.S if you can spend upto 2500CAD than u can get really awesome setup.. Rocket Appartamento $1900 with Baratza Sette 270 $530

I think you are thinking of this version

I got this one a week ago and am pretty happy with it:
http://www.amazon.com/Breville-BES870XL-Barista-Express-Espresso/dp/B00CH9QWOU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449843032&sr=8-1&keywords=breville+870xl

The restaurant I run has a La Marzocco Linea that I'm used to, so that somewhat qualifies me as a fancy coffee asshole.

Buena maquina de cafe. El buen cafe es buen cafe, nada de lattes, starbucks, espumita, crema y esa gilada. https://www.amazon.ca/Breville-BES870XL-Barista-Espresso/dp/B00CH9QWOU/ref=sr_1_1?tag=&s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1502206150&sr=1-1&keywords=Barista+Express

You've got a few options. But first, you need to figure out if you like specifically iced americanos or if you're just looking for some really good iced coffee.

If you're just looking for really good iced coffee, I'd buy a Toddy. I know, it doesn't do espresso, but you can brew large batches of concentrated coffee and water it down and add ice and you've got some really great iced coffee. It's worth a shot if all you're wanting to make are iced americanos.

There are also a ton of other ways to make iced coffee but I find the Toddy is my favorite.

If you really want specifically iced americanos, I'd look into a Breville machine. They are cheaply priced and can give you a ton of options if you ever want to try doing lattes and stuff at home. There are better machines but I'm not sure what your budget is. This one has a grinder and a steaming wand as well and it's only $600. It's a good machine for home use especially if you've got a tighter budget.

I've been using the Breville 870 for about 14 months now and I do not regret the purchase. It is currently $570.

I know you're looking for something under $500, but if you could save a little more, this would be an a great espresso machine to get. The steam wand would be stronger, which would allow you to get micro foam for latte art. Also, it has a decent grinder for espresso, which is SUPER important. You don't just want a "decent grinder", you need a grinder that will grind good for espresso.

https://www.amazon.com/Breville-BES870XL-Barista-Express-Espresso/dp/B00CH9QWOU/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1524237611&sr=1-2&keywords=brewville

Oh nice!

My buddy has one of these which I’ve been able to use several times. The cleaning procedure is extremely simple too. I’m thinking about getting one...

If you look around for a bit on Amazon and wait for a warehouse deal to pop up, you can find a Barista Express for around $325 in "Used - Acceptable" condition (which normally just means it has no box and some scratches). Here is the page to look at.

I got one a while ago for that price. It has a grinder built in and is a good machine. The grinder isn't the best and the machine is just entry level, but for the price I don't think you can find anything that can get an OK shot for that price.

Amazon has a 4 year extended warranty through Assurion for like $30 as well if you care about those things.

How much are you looking to spend? If he doesn't currently have an espresso machine this is a great starter:

https://www.amazon.com/Breville-BES870XL-Barista-Express-Espresso/dp/B00CH9QWOU

I picked one up and it gets daily use. Nothing too fancy but it gets the job done. My wife and I are very happy with it.

Thanks for the suggestion! From what I gather these look pretty much hands-off, and he really enjoys the whole process. I think I’ve decided on this Breville.
Breville the Barista Express Espresso Machine, BES870XL https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CH9QWOU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_y3ZSDb8BSXDCB

What he said. Breville has an all in one with a grinder. Save up for this guy.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CH9QWOU/ref=asc_df_B00CH9QWOU5146648/?tag=hyprod-20&creative=394997&creativeASIN=B00CH9QWOU&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167136162413&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16366125409702049663&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031808&hvtargid=pla-272351054622

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00CH9QWOU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_te7ZDbNHXQQYP

This is the one I have

Thank you! I have a Breville Barista Express and typically try to go for a more microfoamy texture using whole milk. I aim for 140-145 Freedom Degrees and not too much bubbling on top. I have found that, while the milk does come out nice and glossy, it is missing the thickness that allows me to do stuff like latte art. Do you have any advice on that? In theory the wand on that machine should be able to do it but I have also been told otherwise.

A good espressomachine is not cheap, but you can get some decent ones from around $300 and up. If you have the money I'd suggest something from the Breville Barista Express series.

However, if you only want to get better coffee than from a Keurig there are several alternatives for around $100. Check out the De'Longhi EC155 as an example.

If you really want good coffee you also have to invest in a grinder. The Breville BES870XL Barista Express is a good machine with a built in grinder and despite the price(which is to consider very low for such a machine) it will blow your mind.

https://www.amazon.ca/Breville-BES870XL-Barista-Express-Espresso/dp/B00CH9QWOU/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=breville&qid=1559003342&s=gateway&sr=8-3

​

Has a built in grinder, is in your budget, can make good americanos if espresso is not their thing, decent cappuchinos. Its not the greatest machine in the world, but it may do the trick.

Lasting impression= every morning when I fire up the coffee maker

Do I like coffee - yes

Not sure if it was clear - but I already have the Encore. It's served me well for the last ~2 years. I'm only needing to buy the espresso machine currently. Would it still not be worth it to try for a bit with the encore? My girlfriend's tryin to put me on a budget, so at least if I buy the espresso machine first, and I can't pull good shots from it, I could then convince her I have to buy a new grinder. She drinks and enjoys coffee as well so I'm sure I could make that purchase easily.

edit: how are the incorporated grinders in machines? i.e. Breville BES870XL Barista Express Espresso Machine While being slightly above budget for new, I wouldn't have to buy a grinder for it potentially.

I gave up going to Tim Hortons because 99% of the time, THEY CAN'T EVEN GET A SIMPLE DOUBLE-DOUBLE RIGHT.

How unprecedented is that I can go to the same Tim's every morning and they fuck a medium double-double up EVERY TIME?!

Enough of that shit. Their coffee already tastes like shit and I was giving them the benefit of the doubt because they were so close and I needed caffeine every morning. Now we just make it at home, where I can count on it being done properly.

For everyone here who's still stuck in a rut, buying coffee from Tim Hortons every morning on the way to work, here's some advice buy this thing:

https://www.amazon.ca/Breville-BES870XL-Barista-Express-Espresso/dp/B00CH9QWOU/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=breville+espresso+machine&qid=1550088476&s=gateway&sr=8-2

Yes, it's expensive but it pays for itself pretty quick when you're not spending that money at fuckin Tim's every morning.

Wait! A lakh? What type of coffee are you specifically looking for? Look, I am an addict myself. I buy my beans, roast them grind them and make a single cup of espresso each time, but I didn't have to spend a lakh for that.

Do you want to just show off in your pad that you've got this Italian espresso machine? Then you can start with something like this.

Oh my gosh the Ninja is terrible. Classic example of "tries to do everything, succeeds at nothing".

Breville machines are a pain in the butt to deal with repair-wise (it's like a cell phone, ship everything back to headquarters) but while they are working they have a lot of features for a pretty good price. Unfortunately still above your price range though. This is the Breville grinder-integrated unit (still requires the user to do manual tamp and portafilter extraction):

https://www.amazon.com/Breville-BES870XL-Barista-Express-Espresso/dp/B00CH9QWOU/

Super automatics aren't necessarily pricey-pricey, but obviously the nice ones are. However, even the cheaper ones (Saeco XSmall, Gaggia Brera) are unfortunately above your $300 limit. Whole Latte Love has a refurb XSmall super-automatic for $199:

https://www.wholelattelove.com/refurbished-saeco-x-small-v2-espresso-machine

So that grinds, makes espresso, but the frothing isn't automatic, so they'd have to get their own milk pitcher in there.

So I have been looking on Amazon. Nespresso makes you buy their capsules? Is this only for that brand? What do you think of this?

https://www.amazon.com/Breville-BES870XL-Barista-Express-Espresso/dp/B00CH9QWOU/ref=sr_1_6?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1511490052&sr=1-6&keywords=espresso+machine

It looks like "super automatic," what are the pros and cons of that?

I LIKE RARE. The juices better be pooling out as soon as I stick a fork in it. Medium rare is also delicious! If my steak is well-done, then No soup for you!

Kitchen Related

I'm agree with the coments. Breville it's good option. I found Breville BES870XL Barista Express Espresso Machine interesting however the cost is about 590. But at Amazon now for 529 https://www.amazon.com/Breville-BES870XL-Barista-Express-Espresso/dp/B00CH9QWOU
At this article few more reviews including Breville http://jonsguide.org/best-home-espresso-machine-reviews/

Semi snob here. After a trip to Europe, I couldn't drink regular pre ground instant coffee anymore.

Initially I invested in one of these and would grind the beans and brew my coffee in the morning.

After my right arm started to resemble Popeye's, I splurged on one of these babies which I've been using ever since. Grinds the right amount of beans for you, makes the steamed milk, and has a filter for the water. Had it for over two years, no complaints.

I’ve never used a bean to cup machine, but Breville makes one that is pretty popular and has good ratings. Plus, it has a steam wand! It’s called the Breville BES879XL (amazon link: Breville BES870XL Barista Express Espresso Machine https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CH9QWOU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Wph4AbW65HSPC)

save more and get honestly you will want to spend the majority on the grinder https://www.amazon.co.jp/%E3%80%90%E4%B8%A6%E8%A1%8C%E8%BC%B8%E5%85%A5%E3%80%91Breville-BES870XL-%E3%83%90%E3%83%AA%E3%82%B9%E3%82%BF-Express-Espresso-%E3%82%A8%E3%82%B9%E3%83%97%E3%83%AC%E3%83%83%E3%82%BD%E3%83%A1%E3%83%BC%E3%82%AB%E3%83%BC/dp/B00CH9QWOU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1510030616&sr=8-1&keywords=breville

https://www.amazon.co.jp/%E3%83%87%E3%83%AD%E3%83%B3%E3%82%AE-%E3%82%A8%E3%82%B9%E3%83%97%E3%83%AC%E3%83%83%E3%82%BD%E3%83%BB%E3%82%AB%E3%83%97%E3%83%81%E3%83%BC%E3%83%8E%E3%83%A1%E3%83%BC%E3%82%AB%E3%83%BC-%E3%82%A8%E3%82%B9%E3%83%97%E3%83%AC%E3%83%83%E3%82%BD%E3%83%9E%E3%82%B7%E3%83%B3-EC152J-%E3%83%96%E3%83%A9%E3%83%83%E3%82%AF%C3%97%E3%82%B7%E3%83%AB%E3%83%90%E3%83%BC/dp/B0047C8856/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1510030796&sr=8-8&keywords=delonghi%28%E3%83%87%E3%83%AD%E3%83%B3%E3%82%AE spend rest on good grinder