Breville Barista Express BES860XL machine with grinder

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 11.5 x 14.5 x 13.2 inches ; 9 pounds


• Shipping Weight: 29 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)


• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.


• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.


• ASIN: B002S51RQG


• Item model number: BES860XL
  

By : Breville
Price : $599.95
You Save : $200.04 (25%)

Product Description

With its integrated conical burr grinder and dosing control, The Barista Express delivers the optimum path from espresso bean to thick crema in less than two minutes. Non-pressurized cafe style single-wall filters allow for experimentation of grind size, grind amoung and tamping pressure to explore the art of espresso. Pressurized dual-walled filters help beginners by delivering smooth crema every time. The integrated tamper with magnetized lock in storage allows you to tamp to your preference while attached to the machine or the counter

 

Breville Barista Express BES860XL machine with grinder

 

Product Features

• 15 Bar Italian-designed Thermoblock Pump


• Sealed bean hopper with 8oz capacity


• Integrated conical burr grinder


• Removable 67oz water tank with water filtration system


• Programmable or manual settings

Customer Reviews

I spent my Christmas 2009 reviewing expresso machines. I had just returned from a trip to Europe and finally was going to fold and get an expresso machine. I missed the expresso from Italy and France. 1oz of crema delight.
So, I liked the Breville from all the reviews but was worried about some of the negativity on the "wet puck" I had read. All the reviews mentioned excellent coffee though, so it was on my short list.
Then I saw the Breville BES860XL, also known as the Barista Express Programmable Expresso. From the looks you can tell this unit has exchanged the hot water dispenser for a bean grinder. This unit is a fully automatic expresso machine with the super automatic feature of grinding a pre-measure of beans for your brew. Note, it is not a super automatic machine as you still need to manually mount the portafilter into the group head, and clean the filter afterwards. This is as automatic as you will want to go if you want to really control your coffee.
But, let me walk you through the pleasure:
1. the box. this has excellent graphics -- even as you open, the getting started guide and pictures guide you along. The unit removes easily.
2. The tamper is magnetically held in place on the front of the machine -- you can use it in place or remove for manual tamping.
3. New: -there is a dry puck feature now for all the fussy reviews -- this removes excess water so you get, a dry puck
- an excellent burr grinder -- you can dismantle this for cleaning, and it has a wide range of control
- for those that previously complained about the "cheat" dual wall filters -- the unit comes with single and double dual wall AND single wall filters
- there is a hideaway storage tray to hold all the small goodies
4. Steaming -- excellent steam temperature and pressure -- works very well with the provided frothing jug, very minimal excess water to start
5. The real test. I am using the dual wall filters, and the Illy whole expresso beans I got from Italy were made into pure heavenly expresso. Nice crema. This is the real thing.
This is one finely engineered machine. From a mechanically inclined electrical engineer to the folks at Breville: you have created an exceptionally functional piece that does the job. Did I mention it is beautiful on the counter as well? I have it on an island, no bad sides.
Drawbacks: none. BUT, when making a real expresso shot, make sure you pre-warm your demitasse. Otherwise the expresso will heat up your cup and your coffee will not be hot. I run a water cycle first into my cup to heat up the group head and the cup.
In my opinion this is the best buy in the market under $1500. At the office, daily I use a super automatic machine that is at that top end.

The Barista Express is Breville's newest (and most expensive) offering in its line of espresso machines (which includes the Breville 800ESXL Commercial Espresso Machine and the BES830XL Die-Cast Programmable Espresso Machine). It is a semi-professional machine designated for the "aspiring barista" and the "beginner."
The major selling points of the Barista Express are:
(1) patented dual-wall filters to help novices make a respectable cup of espresso without a lot of fuss. Breville has also included regular (single-walled) filters to allow a user the freedom to craft a cup of espresso like a professional barista would.
(2) the integrated burr grinder
A burr grinder (as opposed to a blade grinder) is ideally suited for grinding coffee beans because they generate less frictional heat than a conventional blade grinder. (Excessive heat degrades the quality of coffee beans. See Breville BCG450XL Conical Burr Grinder)
(3) coffeehouse-quality espresso right in your own home in under 2 minutes flat.
My experience with Breville Barista Express has been mostly positive. I'm especially impressed by how easy it is to make a delicious-tasting cup of espresso! Here's a detailed assessment:
- Single-Wall and Dual-Wall Filters
Breville has included 2 types of filter: (1) the single-wall filter and (2) the double-wall filter. Each type of filter comes in 2 sizes (single-shot and double-shot) -- for a total of 4 filters.
Single-Wall Filter (Non-Pressurized Filter)
With the single-wall filter, getting the tamp pressure and grind size just right are of paramount importance for making a good cup of espresso. Under-extraction results in a watered-down espresso with little creama (foam head). The espresso will also taste a little sour. Over-extraction, on the other hand, makes the espresso overly bitter. I'll tell you, I have ruined many a cup of coffee because of under-extraction or over-extraction. Getting it right will take a lot of patience, practice, and experimentation.
Dual-Wall Filter (Pressurized Filter)
I really appreciate the dual-wall filters Breville has included in the package for a beginner who is unsure of the "right" ground size or tamp pressure to use. The dual-wall filter helps to give a beginner a leg up on making a good cup of espresso without having to worry too much about the intricacies involving coffee ground size and tamp pressure.
A commonly reported problem that's noteworthy is that the single hole on the lower wall sometimes gets clogged up (although I haven't encountered the problem thus far). Breville advises the use of a pin to unclog the filter.
- Coffee Temperature
The ideal temperature of the water for extraction is between 195 F to 202 F. However, the water temperature reaches only roughly 185 F on my machine. There are no adjustments that allow you to increase/decrease the temperature of the water.
- Bean Hopper ; Conical Burr Grinder
The bean hopper coffee that feeds the burr grinder has a supposed 8oz capacity. In practice, I find that it will only hold about 6 oz (it takes about half of a 12-oz bag of Peets coffee). A real plus to the hopper is the edges of its lid are lined with rubber to ensure a tight-fitting and airtight seal, so the coffee beans won't degrade as a result of oxidation.
The grind size of the burr grinder is adjustable, from very fine (for espresso and Turkish coffee) to coarse (recommended for espresso extraction with a dual-wall filter). The grinder delivers very evenly ground coffee (no lumps).
The only complaint I have about the hopper is as it empties out, the coffee beans in it occasionally need a little help to make them fall into the chute leading to the burr grinder. This happens more often with "oily" coffee beans.
- Magnetic Tamper
The magnetic tamper allows you to either (i) tamp on the counter (like a professional barista does) or (ii) do your tamping "on board" (with the tamper magnetically affixed to the machine). I really like that you're able to store the tamper on board when it's not in use, so it's within easy reach and it won't get lost.
- Programmable
I like how easy it is to program the amount of espresso dispensed into both the Single Shot and Double Shot buttons. For example, to program the Double Shot button, all you do is press the Program button, press Double Shot button, and press Double Shot button again to stop the extraction once you get the desired amount of espresso. Thereon, the Double Shot button will dispense the preprogrammed amount of espresso every time you push it.
- Steam Wand
The steam wand produces perfectly textured milk. You can use an included attachment if more froth is desired.
- Design
The Barista Express is a beautifully designed machine that simply oozes class and quality. The exterior is stainless steel except for the water tank, the bean hopper, the drip tray, the knobs, and a few other smaller parts (all of which are made of plastic).
- Easy Cleanup
Clean-up is easy:
Give the portafilter a good tap to expel the ground. The ground should pop right out (the used ground should resemble a brownie if you've gotten the grind size and tamp pressure right). Give both the filter basket and the portafilter a quick rinse and you're done.
Empty the drip tray when it says "Empty me" (a small float atop the drip tray gets upturned to display an "Empty me" sign when the drip tray is just about full) -- a very nice touch.
Make sure the steam wand is wiped down immediately after use.
- Get Started Right Away
Everything you need to get started right away is included: filter baskets, milk jug, tamper, carbon water filter, and frother attachment. You probably want to get some espresso cups and a thermometer if you don't have them already.
---
Despite a couple of issues, I like the Barista Express. Would I recommend it? Well, it depends.
If you're looking for an convenient, no-brainer way to make good cup of espresso (or any espresso-based beverage, such as Latte, Cappuccino, and Mocha) - the Barista Express may be your ticket. It consistently churns out a good cup of espresso when you use the dual-wall filter, which works in tandem with the preprogrammed dual-wall settings. In addition, the burr grinder, which doesn't normally come integrated in professional machines, is a definite plus.
However, if you're into the art of making espresso (like a true barista), there are other good machines within the same price range you might want to look at first (one of the most popular machines is the Silvia Rancilio Espresso Machine).
There you have it. The above are some important considerations you might want to take into account before you make a purchase decision.
---
[Update October 5, 2011]
4 months after I acquired this espresso machine, it began leaking water. The water must have shorted out the electronics because the unit stopped working altogether shortly after. For months, my machine fell by the wayside, until I contacted Breville about getting it fixed. I was pleasantly surprised at how promptly they responded and how helpful the customer representative was. About 1 week after I contacted them, I received a brand new unit. Great job on the customer service, Breville -- Thank you. You've definitely won me over.

 

Breville Barista Express BES860XL machine with grinder

 

View