Barista Pro Espresso Machine BES878BSS, Brushed Stainless Steel

Our Breville Barista Pro delivers the best shot/s of espresso I've come across, at home or outside the home. I only make double shots using 16gm of ground coffee as more than that doesn't appeal to me. In Italy, an 8gm shot is the norm, never a double. But, there is the single shot basket/s that come with the Pro, but really, they don't work as well as the double shot basket. It all has to do with the shape of the basket to a large degree. We are 9 months into our use of the Pro. So far, everything is working well, though I do not use the steaming wand. Only one of us wants an occasional cappuccino so we let a separate milk foaming gadget do that chore. So, no latte art here, just great espresso! I do follow the regular maintenance as described in the owner's manual. Very important if you want the machine to performs at its best. So easy to clean the drip tray compared to previous machines we've had over the years. And the mirror polished stainless steel is easy to keep that way with regular wipe downs. The internal, Baratza grinder is fantastic and also, keep it cleaned on a monthly to bi-monthly basis using Grindz pellets. I'm not super fast, but I can have a double shot of espresso ready to enjoy in about 4 1/2 minutes from startup to finish. Not bad! As far as the coffee I use, well, I'm also a do-it-yourselfer in that regard. I roast green coffee beans to just about city roast to city roast plus. Usually my espresso beans, when finished roasting, develop just a tiny speck of oil on the surface of the bean. Nothing you would consider oily and shiny though. The resulting pull is nothing but silky, delicious espresso. I don't understand all the horror stories people have been experiencing with their purchased Barista Pro's unless they have been purchasing from shady retailers. I have nothing but praise for the Barista Pro. I will update this review occasionally to keep a running review/useage experience for all to see. Yes, I would say the Breville Batista Pro is a good value and I highly recommend it.

I've had a few different espresso machines over the last decade, and have tried and returned a couple as well. This one is, by far, my favorite machine for several reasons. Throughout the review I will reference differences primarily with the Barista Express, as that is one that I had for some time as well. The overall appearance of the machine looks good. I have the stainless steel version, and it looks sharp and well built. Breville is the only company I know that has the magnetic tamper holder underneath the top of the unit, and it's a nice touch. A place to put the tamper, and always know where it is. Also, the tamper is a nice metal one, rather than the thin, light plastic many other brands use. I also like that most, if not all, of what comes in contact with hot liquids is metal rather than plastic (though the portafilter does have some plastic, but I use a naked bottom portafilter as stated below). I kind of like the ease of the automatic machines that grind, tamp, and pull the shot, but the plastic group head makes me a bit uncomfortable. I try to minimize hot foods and liquids contacting plastic as much as possible. If plastic particles can leach out of water bottles, then heated plastics most likely will leach more. As far as performance, I will touch on the grinder, pulling of the shots, hot water spout, and very importantly, the steam wand: I have seen some complaints about Breville's grinders, and I don't understand why. Granted, I do believe that most of the complaints come from people who are much more advanced in their coffee preparation and understanding than I am. Nevertheless, I do find the grinder to do a good job. It has fine adjustments that you make with the dial on the left of the machine, plus larger scale adjustments that you can make with the grinder itself under where the bean hopper sits. I wouldn't say the larger adjustments are super easy, but definitely doable if you follow the directions. I've made a single adjustment on the grinder itself and only rely on the fine adjustments other than that. As a side note, I saw on an instructional video by another reviewer that you want to make the fine adjustments while grinding to prevent getting anything stuck. I'm not sure if this is necessary but I do it just in case. I am impressed by how little of a mess the grinding makes. The dosage amount and grind size is consistent once I dialed everything in and left it there. Plus it's easy to switch from single to double dose. Pulling shots is rather straight forward as well, but does take time getting things right. As far as getting it right, that's more dependent on the size and dosing of the grinds as well as the tamping force, but you see the results during the shot pull. I don't use the included portafilter because I've always liked the appearance of the naked bottom portafilters, so I found one on Amazon that's sized for this machine. The naked bottom ones look cool pulling the shot, but make a bit more of a mess than the standard portafilter, and are a little less forgiving than the included one. With a fairly good grind size and amount, you can get good consistent shots. With my Barista Express, I noticed that the second pull was usually more bitter and not as good tasting as the first shot, if pulled within a few minutes of each other. With this machine, I can pull a double shot, steam the milk, then pull another double shot without any issues or difference in taste. The Barista Pro also has the three second heat up time vs the thirty second or so on the Barista Express, which isn't a huge deal itself but I believe the newer heating unit is more advanced and allows for the better second pull. The hot water spout is angled and can dispense right into the cup after the shot is pulled without having to move the cup to a different location. Also, I like the angled spout versus the one on the Barista Express. As far as the steam wand, it doesn't seem like there is much advertised or discussed about the improvements of the steam wand versus the Barista Express, but in my opinion, it is far more powerful. I had a lot of difficulty getting the correct texture of milk for latte art, but with the Barista Pro, the steam wand seems much more powerful, faster to steam the milk, and can more easily achieve that proper texture and consistency for good latte art (my latte art isn't very good, but I'm going to blame that on my skills rather than the steamer). For fairness, I will say that my skills have improved some since having the Barista Express, but I definitely feel a significant difference with this steam wand. Such that I feel that alone makes it worth the increased price compared to the Barista Express. I have also tried an automatic machine. I would say that the automatic machines are easier to use, less of a learning curve (though there is still somewhat of a learning curve) and most give you the option to make a regular drip coffee as well. They don't usually have as good a shot pull or taste as a unit like this one, and personally I like the "artsy" part of going from grind to shot manually. To conclude, I would definitely recommend this machine to anybody who is looking for very good espresso drinks that are better than what you will usually find in coffee shops, at the comfort of your home. If you're willing to learn how to use the steam wand well for lattes and cappuccinos, I feel this machine is better than the Barista Touch, and better than other machines in this price range. Within a few months, the machine pays for itself versus getting a latte a few times a week at a coffee shop.

I bought my machine about a year ago, and after a youtube video i was enjoying great coffee, the machine is amazing, it comes with everything you need to start, you will have to purchase some cleaning supplies, but you get supplies to clean it the first time, so you have to time to learn, what you need, coffee is amazing out of the box, and there are a lot of videos in youtube to customize your experience, and what not…:) The machine is well built solid, and its very ergonomic, everything fits and its there for a reason. My machine failed after almost a year of a lot of use, and i mean a lot of use, contacted support, had a shipping label in my email about 24 hours later, no fuss, no nonsense crap, i sent it, they repaired it, got it back and enjoying my coffee, life is good!

This was used and I had to call to dial in internal grinder burr - customer service was 5 star. Did a video call with them and went thru the coffee prep n pour. Was super helpful and the machine is great. Love it. What I am using with lavatza medium 5/10- Burr setting 6 Grinder at 15 14 sec grind time Turned water temp to max Push button Perfecto.

I have had my Breville for 2.5 years and overall it has been a great experience. The machine is very easy to use - a beginner can make an excellent latte in minutes - but you can also play with various features to suit your particular espresso and latte style. I especially like how this machine heats up immediately - no waiting for coffee! Want it now? You got it! NEW feature - the small funnel that comes with it now keeps all the grounds in when. it comes out of the grinder so no mess - fabulous! How am I able to compare the new machine with the slightly older one? Well . . . I have been very happy with this machine . . until just recently - I cannot tell a lie - we had a rocky spell, Breville and I. But as they came thru for me I the end, I have raised my review back up to a 5. technically, due to the fact that it happened, perhaps I should have put a 4.5, but that isn't possible. What happened was my machine just stopped working. I called support and the representative did a video chat with me to try to fix it on the spot. It was great that they could run me thru the different "fixit things" to try right over the phone, but eventually it became obvious that it needed something more than advanced cleaning. They were very prompt - they sent me a box to ship it in just like a day - super fast. A couple days later they then sent an e-mail with a quote and I decided to spend the money because I really really love this machine. It wasn't cheap - but shipping was included so really not bad over all. And I wanted the professionals fixing it, not me trying this and that off of a DIY YouTube video and getting no where. So they fixed it and sent it back super fast - BUT - sadly, in their haste to get it back quickly to me, the technicians shipped it in a wet condition, and when it arrived it stunk and had rust marks on the face plate! Yikes. I was very very upset as it was not at all in that condition when I sent I to them. I had waited a couple days to send it and let the machine dry out on purpose. I can only think that it was an inexperienced technician who was trying to get it back to me super fast who made this mistake, and hopefully they are taking steps so this never happens to anyone else again! Initially they did not offer me any sort of compensation for this mistake - even tho having these blemishes was really upsetting and really spoiled the art factor of this machine - cause really - it is beautiful looking - it isn't just an old coffee maker - it is a show piece in your home! I have mine proudly on display and serve coffee to all my guests! It looks fantastic on my counter! So when they did nothing for me I wrote my review detailing what had happened and lowered my rating to a 3. And then magically, someone at Breville either listened to what I told the representatives, or saw my review or I don't know - but they suddenly did the right thing and approved a replacement machine! At no cost to me. I was ecstatic. Breville did right by me. It actually brings tears to my eyes cause I bought my original machine with money my Dad left me when he passed away. Otherwise it was really out of my price range. So thank you Breville - you warmed my heart and corrected your mistake and for that I give you 5 stars! You did the right and ethical thing. You can trust this company.

I bought the Barista Pro as an anniversary gift for my wife, and when the machine actually worked, the espresso was incredible — easily better than Starbucks and our local shops. We were excited and genuinely wanted to love this machine. Unfortunately, the excitement didn’t last. From the beginning, we dealt with major inconsistencies: unstable water temperature during extraction, a steam wand that struggled to stay hot, and a hot water dispenser that delivered different amounts every time. The steam knob also became unresponsive unless we restarted the machine. Getting a consistent shot was almost impossible. Customer service was slow, but we tried to be patient. After a month of troubleshooting and waiting, we finally sent the machine in for repair. When it came back, it was dead on arrival. The hot water dispenser was still inconsistent, and the machine wouldn’t even run a blank shot — no water came through at all. We attempted a flush cycle, but nothing. The steamer worked, but the core issue was never fixed. We even recorded videos in case support needed proof. At this point, the machine is performing worse than when we shipped it out. After all the time, energy, and wasted coffee, it’s hard to justify the price or the brand reputation. We haven’t posted reviews anywhere until now because we wanted to give Breville a fair chance, but this experience has been extremely disappointing. When this machine works, it’s fantastic — but ours rarely did. And after a failed repair, we’re left unsure about continuing with the brand at all. To be continued......

After all the positive reviews, I was looking forward to brewing my own lattes. The machine arrived promptly as scheduled. I unpacked everything, removed all the plastic, tape, etc. I rinsed all the components like the frothing cup, tamper, portafilter, water tank, etc. I soaked the water filter for 5 minutes, installed the water filter into the water tank and filled the water tank with water (below the max line). Then I powered on the machine and tried the initial flush after putting a mug under where I would expect the water to come out. 10, 9, 8, repeated beeping and reset back to wanting to do a flush. I tried a few times, tried with the bean hopper and without, with and without the portafilter attached. Nothing... The instruction manual makes no mention of such an error condition or what to do. Online, I found some references to the flush requiring the portafilter and others arguing it doesn't. Often I have seen people say this indicates a dead machine... So, basically, DOA... **Jun 6 update**: after waiting about 1 hour for Breville support, and working with support for about 15 minutes, they indicated I need to send the machine (just the shell, not the water tank, etc) via UPS, then wait for receipt, then they will send a new machine to me. Currently, it looks like my 2 day Amazon order is basically turning into a 2 week exercise. Hopefully, the new machine will be worth it. I'll post an update when I receive the replacement. **Jun 14 update**: I received my replacement unit. It worked right out of the box. Of course setup was faster this time since I already knew what to do. As for the quality of the machine, I am still working on making a good espresso (haven't perfected the crema). Also, be aware that the steamer outputs a couple seconds of water initially, so I recommend using a cup to put underneath until steam starts coming out, then start frothing the milk. The steam wand stops after awhile, whether or not the frothing is complete (if you buy a larger frothing cup, it won't always be complete). The portafilter sometimes is hard to get on and you certainly want to get a dosing funnel for the portafilter. I am also purchasing a bottomless portafilter for the machine so I can more easily customize the settings. **Jun 19 update**: After trying several times to make a decent espresso and latte, I finally figured out it was the beans I had. Don't expect a decent espresso if you have older beans (even if they made a decent drip coffee and came from a coffee shop). Also, Starbucks beans are "old" the day you buy them. I have to find a decent local roaster, but at least the Lavazzo Barista Perfetto beans I ordered recently produced a richer coffee with some crema (even though I have no idea when they were roasted either). I also found it is better to weigh the beans and grind the full amount rather than use the timed grinding amount. Overall, I see I am in for a lot of experimentation, but now that I got my first semi-decent espresso (far better than you can buy at Starbucks), I know this is a good machine. Overall, I am raising my review to a 4 star (not quite as good as the "pro" machines I am used to at work in our micro-kitchens, but certainly better than the DOA unit, and customer service was pretty good). However, for the price-point, I am not sure I am going to get a better machine without spending several thousand to get the features like "instant" steam (without dripping water) and being able to froth your milk concurrent with the "extraction".

I've used mine an average of twice per day for 3 years (purchased Sept. 2022). It has been durable and I've had zero problems as long as I keep up basic maintenance, which is VERY easy. The cleaning tool can be used as a wrench to remove the steam nozzle. It takes less than 2 minutes to remove it, poke the holes with the pin, blow it out backwards to eject any debris, rinse it in a cup of water, and reinstall. I do that about once a week or whenever flow seems restricted. Then it's good to go! I use tap water through a Brita pitcher (charcoal filter removes chlorine for taste) and then through a resin filter in the Breville tank (resin removes minerals to reduce scale). I run the Flush cycle when it asks for one, and I run a Descale cycle with vinegar or Dezcal every 2 months when I change both filters. The result is delicious coffee whenever I want it. It's pretty easy to dial in good espresso. I make sure I don't overload the basket (between 18 and 20 grams depending on the beans) and then dial in the grind size to get a shot that takes about 30 seconds to get a 2:1 ratio. I use a 0.1g scale to measure dosing so it's consistent every time. It may sound like a lot, but the effort is really minimal and it's absolutely worth it!

Absolutely love it.

Lo pensé mucho para animarme a comprar una máquina como esta. Considerando que la máquina tiene 2 años de garantía (es decir, al menos debería durar eso funcionando bien), el costo por taza es menor que en un local especializado o de marca reconocida (y no necesariamente bueno) y tengo oportunidad de disfrutar de una buena taza de café todos los días. En su rango de precios, es difícil conseguir algo mejor. La Breville Barista Pro cuenta con una bomba italiana de 15 bares, un aceptable sistema de calentamiento (ThermoJet) con el cual no hay que esperar demasiado para poder preparar la primer taza de café, y un molino aceptable, considerando que viene integrado en la máquina. Es lo suficientemente automatizada para controlar las principales variables en el proceso de extracción, a la vez que lo suficientemente manual para permitir mejorar la técnica personal de preparación; antes de brincar a una máquina más profesional (y mucho más cara), si es lo que se desea. Esta máquina es un poco inconsistente durante su proceso, lo que dificulta obtener siempre los mejore resultados, pero, en este precio, creo que no se puede encontrar algo que brinde mejores resultados. Así que, para empezar, es una buena alternativa. Otra buena opción, posiblemente mejor en cuanto a la extracción, podría ser una Gaggia Classic Pro emparejada con un buen molino. Pero no me animé a tomar este camino porque, al menos en México, no vi que sea muy factible el poder hacer válida su garantía. Por lo mismo, con las máquinas Breville, hay que tener cuidado de comprarla solo si es vendida directamente por Amazon México, no Amazon EEUU por un tercero desconocido, y que no vaya a ser una máquina reacondicionada. Al recibirla, hay que registrarla en la página de Breville México; con eso te aseguras de que la garantía de tu máquina esté vigente. Para poderle sacarle el mayor provecho, esta máquina requiere un cierto nivel entendimiento de lo que se está haciendo; pero el poder disfrutar una buena taza de café cuando lo desees - y no solo una regular, por tomar café - para mi lo vale. Si ajustar varias cosas para buscar preparar el mejor café posible no es lo tuyo, te pueden venir mejor las versiones "touch" de estas máquinas, pero, si solo tomas café americano, igual te puedes quedar con una máquina de goteo y sería mucho más barato. Para poder preparar una buena taza de café se requieren 3 cosas: Un buen café en grano, un buen molino de café y una buena máquina para realizar la extracción. El molino y la máquina de extracción son suficientemente buenos para empezar a profundizar en el mundo del café, pero, si no utilizas un buen café, no tendrás buenos resultados. Para tener el mejor precio, hay que estar cazando las ofertas en Amazon. La puedes conseguir hasta en un 25% menos que su precio de lista en la página de Breville México, vendida directamente por Amazon y sin ser reacondicionada. Eso si, hay que comprar varios accesorios para tener mejores resultados.

Was intimidated at first with all the pieces and learning curve to get the right grind, dose, pulling a perfect shot, and steaming the milk. After two weeks and watching some YouTube videos, it’s second nature. Pros: intuitive to use, fast heat up, makes delicious coffee! Cons: pricey, but worth it for our family of 4 coffee drinkers. So far it’s been great once we got our adjustments made with some trial and error. Highly recommend! Update: it’s been nearly 4 months since owning this machine and my barista skills have improved! Able to pull good single and double shots, everything works great, and my latte art has improved too. Orange cup is 4 months later! Note: I have since purchased leveler/tamper, new pitcher and barista cloths from Amazon.

I've had an older version for the last 7 years, and it still works great, I needed one for my office so I decided to purchase a new Breville. I have no regrets it does everything my old one did except better. I look forward to my Americano's every day and my clients loves the Espressos and Cappuccinos. I even figured out how to make cool designs with the milk foam.

Me encantó la máquina expreso. Muy fácil de manejar, aunque me costó un poco entender toda la teoría para hacer un buen expreso (preparación de la pastilla, calibracion, etc). La máquina de expreso funciona como debería, no tienes que esperar mucho para que se pueda usar. La calidad de los materiales es increíble (acero inoxidable). La verdad considero que hice una buena compra.