they seem to have this mantra that “hot coffee” is better than “good coffee”.
i cant stand how hot they make their drinks. you cannot enjoy them.,
Hi! Have you ever tasted it before? What is the brand of beans? Does it depend on the machine? Got this one
Thanks in advance
Everything I have received from b&w is very good
Opinions on Breville Express 870XL?
Depends on what you’re looking for. The Barista Express is an overall great machine that makes decent espresso. Main criticisms - the built in grinder may not grind fine enough for some coffees and the 54 mm portafilter feels like a toy compared to a standard portafilter.
I previously had a Breville Dual Boiler (before switching to a Rocket) and Breville definitely nails some convenience features - easy access water tank, built in swivel wheel, tamp holder, etc. But if you wanna go deep into the espresso rabbit hole, you might outgrow the Express.
Not planning to go deep, and we can get open box but unused Barista Express 870 for $200. We have a grinder if the built-in doesn’t work with a specific coffee. Seems like too good of a deal to pass up. We like the Nespresso original but even with pod recycling it seems like a lot of environmental waste and extra cost. The Barista seems to strike that balance of convenience and upping our espresso game.
For 200? I would not hesitate. Breville make decent machines,.that are not meant to last as a classic espresso machine. That said, if you take care of it, the machine should last you a long time! Enjoy!
Right?!
Even if it last 3 or 4 years you can learn for not much money if you like the espresso at home life. At that time you can chose to upgrade
HAHAHHA:) Cheers
Our 6-year-old K75 died recently. Typical with those, the air pump went out on it. So I looked into the new ones and went with the Elite. There were way more positive reviews on different websites, so I pulled the trigger and went for it.
Quality seems to be much higher than on our old one. It just feels more solid, the bale is actually made of metal on the Elite, it was plastic on the K75. It’s smooth operating and just feels solid.
Did you end up purchasing it? I have this same exact machine and I’ve been using it almost every single day for the last 4.5 years. Overall, it’s a pretty good espresso machine
Pros: It’s been a reliable, no fuss machine that makes pretty good espresso. I do the regular suggested maintenance / cleaning and the only part that has been replaced is the main group head gasket. Very inexpensive and a couple minute repair. Find a type of coffee you like and works with the grinder / machine and it should be very consistent. I’ve struggled to get good espresso with oily beans and this machine.
Cons: after using it for a while, you will may want to upgrade to something “better”. The steam boiler is pretty weak. You can make milk based drinks, but since it’s only a single boiler I usually pull my shot first, leave it on the warming tray and then steam the milk. Most likely user error, but I find texturing the milk to be inconsistently difficult. The built in grinder works, but is not best in class. A stand alone high end grinder would most likely improve the coffee coming out of this machine. Also, my preprogramed shot timer no longer works meaning I pull all shots manually. 18g of coffee into the grinder, push the button, weigh 36g of espresso out, push the button again to stop the machine (if i don’t, the machine will never stop) - small problem.
Yes, bought it and my wife is in the process of rearranging the kitchen. When that’s done we will try it for the first time!
Thanks for the review, are you buying beans from a local roaster? Any opinions on widely available beans from Lavazza, Pete’s, Starbucks, etc?
dont buy supermarket beans if you can avoid it.
I have used Petes and they are decent. The Major Dickarson’s its dark roast but VERY oily. I would suggest against it. At least they have the roast date on the label…so thats a plus.
For the past 2 years I have been using a local roaster. I now use medium roast and its a MUCH better experience.
I recommend looking for maybe roasters based on your area and try some of them.
If its drive distance, I would go there since many offer tasting of different beans so you can maybe find what you like. Even if they don’t offer that, you could establish a relationship and more than likely they will hook you up with new things when they come. This has been my brother experience with the local roaster. He buys 3 pounds every months (two for him, one for me) and they usually fill the big bag to the max and not even care about weighting it any more.
The question about readily available is for emergencies lol. There are a lot of roasters in the metro area, but only a few nearby.
for emergencies I like Pete.
They have the date of roasting… which is better than what Starbucks do. So maybe find a medium roast you like and just know that in case you need to buy…
You’re welcome! I think you will enjoy this machine. Provides pretty good espresso and IMO is a good stepping stone to see if this is something you want to take more seriously. Like I said, I am still using mine after 4.5 years and I am happy with it.
As for the coffee, yes I am using a medium roast from a local roasting company which owns and operates a few coffee shops while being a small batch roaster. Local to me and a number of coffee shops carry their brand. They also offer online orders and shipping which is nice as I can usually get a fresh bag within a day of being roasted and never have to leave home. I am sure you could find something very similar where you’re located. I’ve tried Lavazza and Starbucks, but find them to be oily or difficult to get good consistency out of them.
agree with @Joelrivera , avoid the supermarket beans especially with this machine. I would also agree that the dark or very dark roasts are too oily and I have never had good success with this type of beans while using the Barista Express.
Took me a while to find what I liked and what works well. I still try other blends or brands of coffee, but I also go back to my original. Once you find something you like and works well, I can get really good consistency which is ultimately my goal.
Yeah I watched some videos and understand the need to tweak grind size based on the beans. Guessing we are going to try a bunch of different local roasters and then settle on one we like. My favorite right now is Nespresso Palermo original, a longo shot even though it’s sold as espresso shot, and Aerrocino foam/milk using 2% (we also use half and half).