Breville Barista Express
Exact average 84.3 · 5 printed, 4 estimated · printed scores only: 86
Image: BrevilleThe Barista Express puts a burr grinder, a steam wand and good manual control in one machine. Critics like its espresso and its value as a complete setup, but it takes practice, and its grinder is slower and less flexible than a separate one.
Reviewed by Home Grounds, Tom's Guide, TechRadar and 6 more
The catch: A learning curve, and a basic grinder.
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What 9 critics said
Highest score first · all converted to 0–100- 94Home Grounds
A best-selling all-in-one espresso machine with a built-in grinder that offers excellent value for beginners and enthusiasts, with only build and grind-range quibbles.
Read Home Grounds review - 90Tom's Guide
An Editor's Choice that makes excellent espresso and froths milk well, and the whole office loved it.
Read Tom's Guide review - 90TechRadar
A good all-in-one machine that produces intense espresso and good milk once dialed in, but it costs a lot and takes trial and error.
Read TechRadar review - 80Expert Reviews
An all-in-one package that delivers excellent espresso and well-textured milk, recommended with only minor grumbles about the grinder and slightly hot coffee.
Read Expert Reviews review - 77TechGearLab
The testers rank this all-in-one espresso machine first in their group, praising shot quality, a standout steam wand and plenty of control.
Read TechGearLab review - 89est.Woman & Home
The reviewer is delighted with fast, fresh, cafe-style coffee at home and strongly recommends the machine.
Read Woman & Home review - 85est.CNET
Named best overall in a 20-plus machine test, praised for solid performance, features and reasonable price.
Read CNET review - 83est.The Coffee Chronicler
After three months of use the reviewer calls it a solid, practical first espresso setup, with decent shots and easy temperature control.
Read The Coffee Chronicler review - 71est.Epicurious
Described as a very good machine that nevertheless lost out to a rival, mainly due to caution about built-in grinders, a weaker steam wand and a light tamper.
Read Epicurious review
"Est." means the outlet printed no score, so we estimated one from its verdict and checked our estimates against ratings outlets print. How we check estimates
What critics praise most
What critics dislike most
Other espresso machines critics rate highly
Common questions
Is the Breville Barista Express worth it?
Most critics think so: 8 of 9 recommend it. A learning curve, and a basic grinder.
Do critics agree about the Breville Barista Express?
Broad agreement: scores range from 71 (Epicurious) to 94 (Home Grounds), a spread of 23 points across 9 reviews. Most reviewers land fairly close together.
What do critics dislike about the Breville Barista Express?
Grinder (3 of 9 reviews), Learning curve (2 of 9 reviews), Price (2 of 9 reviews).
What is the best alternative to the Breville Barista Express?
The Breville Barista Pro (critic score 86), best overall.