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Breville Barista Pro vs. Express: Which is worth it?

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Breville has long been a brand of kitchen appliance manufacturers. Today they are a global icon in the industry and are trusted by millions of customers worldwide. However, customers may find it challenging to choose the right one that best suits their needs with so many products on offer.

Breville Barista Pro vs. Express

The situation gets more complicated when comparing two outstanding products that deliver most of the same features and functionality. To help you tell such products apart, we’ve put together this review comparing the Breville Barista Pro vs. Express, two coffee machines of a world-class standard by the same brand.

Breville Barista Pro vs Express

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What is the difference between Barista Pro vs. Barista Express?

 

Features

Barista Pro and Barista Express

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Barista Express

The first difference you will notice between the Breville Barista Express and the Barista Pro espresso machines is the subtle but noticeable difference in appearance and design. The Barista Express machine uses a scale and needle pressure gauge to measure temperature and indicates when the optimal level has been reached using the “espresso range” label.

 

Barista Pro

Contrastingly, the Barista Pro machine uses a digital temperature control using an LCD screen and digital display. This display allows you to adjust the grind settings, grind size, and cup size of your espresso shot in a seamless fashion. The intuitive interface of the Breville Pro espresso machine is the most significant advantage it has over the Express, but the battle is far from over.

 

Cost

Breville BES870XL Barista Express Espresso Machine, Brushed Stainless Steel

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Barista Express

Breville Barista Express vs Pro

In the Breville Barista Express vs. Pro battle, the Express secures a notable win regarding affordability. As such, you may want to get to know your budget a little better before deciding between the two, as this aspect alone often proves to be a deal-breaker for many.

 

Barista Pro

Breville Barista Pro or Express

Despite being the more expensive option in terms of price, there is a reason the Barista Pro is a more pricey machine. Better technology always costs something, and the Pro incorporates this into its LCD interface for a fancier and more modern solution to coffee making. Hence, (understandably) jacking up the price.

 

Steaming Performance

 

Breville BES870XL Barista Express Espresso Machine, Brushed Stainless Steel

 

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Barista Express

The Barista Express espresso machine comes with a powerful steam wand that allows you to heat up and froth milk to the optimal desired temperature. So in addition to optimizing your milk to top up your favorite coffee drink, you can also create beautiful latte art for a true cafe experience.

 

Barista Pro

The Barista Pro also comes with this powerful manual milk wand but excels with the LCD display. The digital display enables you to accurately measure the grind size before the brewing process, allowing you to determine how much milk you wish to steam more accurately. The performance of the steam wand is the same for both Breville espresso machines.

 

Water Tank Capacity

 

Barista Express

The water reservoir has a capacity of 67 ounces and comes with a water filter, allowing you to brew many cups of coffee or espresso before a refill is required.

 

Barista Pro

The Pro also has a water reservoir of 67 ounces and a water filter like the Express. The two machines are equal on this front, with no tracking system included in the display screen to measure this water tank. To the next battle!

 

Pump System

Breville BES870XL Barista Express Espresso Machine, Brushed Stainless Steel

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Barista Express

The Barista Express espresso machine uses a 15 bar pressure Italian pump system, allowing water to pass evenly through the coffee grounds during the extraction process. Before this, the machine uses 9 bar pump pressure to pre-infuse the coffee grounds with the water, allowing for the taste to be locked in. The result is a rich and viscous espresso that is both smooth and bold in flavor.

 

Barista Pro

The Barista Pro espresso machine uses precise espresso extraction via Digital Temperature Control (PID) to deliver water at the right temperature, that is, -/+2 degrees Celsius. Like the Express, 15 bar pressure is also used, and a pre-infusion process of 9 bars to soak the grinds initially before building up to coffee extraction.

breville barrista pro control panel

Espresso Performace

Breville BES878BSS Barista Pro Espresso Machine, Brushed Stainless Steel

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Barista Express

In terms of producing great-tasting espresso, the Express uses a high-quality burr grinder with a bean hopper capacity of 1/2 lbs to freshly grind your coffee. Then, using the pressure gauge provided, you can accurately control the size of your grind and achieve the perfect brewing temperature. Giving you maximum control over your ground coffee, temperature, and steam gauge, you are left with a well-rounded machine that is enough to impress both coffee experts and everyday coffee lovers alike!

 

Barista Pro

Indeed, both machines use the same sized bean hopper and the same conical burr grinder for the Breville Express and the Breville Pro. The difference lies in the accuracy at which you can adjust your grind with the Barista Pro, and once again, the digital display comes in hot here.

Unlike the Express, the Barista Pro allows you to more accurately measure the size of the grind right down to the milligram, which is all made possible with the Barista touch display. As such, coffee enthusiasts that take on the Pro coffee machine have an added edge over the Express in crafting themselves a perfect shot of coffee.

 

Additional Features

Breville BES870XL Barista Express Espresso Machine, Brushed Stainless Steel

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What does the Barista Express come with?

  • Pressure gauge display
  • Thermocoil Heating System
  • Razor Dose Trimming Tool
  • 54mm Stainless Steel Portafilter
  • 1 & 2 cups Single & Dual Wall Filter Baskets
  • Coffee Scoop
  • Integrated Tamper
  • Built-in grinder
  • 16 fl oz Stainless Steel Milk Jug
  • Cleaning Disc
  • Brush Tool & Allen Key
  • Water Filter & Filter Holder
  • Tablets
  • Instruction booklet

 

What does the Barista Pro come with?

  • LCD digital display screen
  • Innovative Thermojet Heating System
  • Razor Dose Trimming Tool
  • 54mm Stainless Steel Portafilter
  • 1 & 2 cups Single & Dual Wall Filter Baskets
  • Coffee Scoop
  • Integrated Tamper
  • Built-in grinder
  • 16 fl oz Stainless Steel Milk Jug
  • Cleaning Disc
  • Brush Tool & Allen Key
  • Water Filter & Filter Holder
  • Tablets
  • Instruction booklet

 

Warranty

The Breville Barista Express comes with a 1-year limited warranty. The Breville Barista Pro comes with a 2-year limited warranty.

 

Who is Barista Pro best suited for?

Breville BES878BSS Barista Pro Espresso Machine, Brushed Stainless Steel

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The Breville Barista Pro is best suited to those looking for a seamless experience when making espresso and coffee. However, it would also highly suit someone who seeks optimal espresso extraction using the perfect amount of coffee beans. This is because the sophisticated display screen gives you the ability to measure your coffee grounds right down to the milligram.

Additionally, the new thermojet system creates a faster heat-up time, allowing you to reach the optimal brew temperature in just three seconds. Thus, the Barista Pro is perfect for customers looking for a faster brew via a dedicated hot water system. In addition, it delivers full flavor promptly for the perfect cup of espresso every time.

 

Who is Barista Express best suited for?

The Breville Barista Express espresso machine is, first and foremost, the more affordable between the two Breville machines. In addition, while both machines feature optimized temperature and brewing functionalities, the Express uses a simple gauge instead of the sophisticated LCD controls of the Pro. This allows for a more simplistic design than the Breville Barista Pro espresso machine.

Coupled with the price factor, these are the most obvious reasons you may prefer this machine over the Pro espresso machine. In addition, while the Express does not boast the same 3-second thermojet heating system as the Pro does. You are likely to find the Express thermocoil water heating system more effective in delivering the minimum heat requirements on time.

Finally, the Express is less bulky when you compare the steam wands of the two machines. Something to take into account based on your personal preference.

 

Which is Right for You?

Depending on your preferences, goals, and budget, either one of these espresso machines could prove to be an excellent fit for you. In fact, it’s likely that whether you go with the Express or the Pro, you will still experience a higher quality of coffee making through the outstanding features of either.

As mentioned, go for the Breville Barista Pro if it is within your budget and if you prefer a sophisticated control panel over a simplistic one. On the other hand, you may prefer the more affordable Breville Barista Express espresso machine for a simpler control panel and a more budget-friendly machine.

 

Breville Barista Pro vs Barista Express FAQ

Breville BES878BSS Barista Pro Espresso Machine, Brushed Stainless Steel

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Is Barista Pro better than Express?

The Barista Pro provides a more modern experience to the brewing process. It does this by incorporating a seamless LCD control panel that makes adjusting your grind sizes and brew temperatures simple to do. However, while some may note it as “better” than the Express, others will argue that the Pro fails to provide a more straightforward mechanism to brewing and to adjust your coffee temperature. They might also note that it is lacking in the affordability department.

 

Is the Breville Pro worth it?

The Breville Pro could prove to be a worthy purchase for the right buyer. With 2 years of warranty and a 4.8-star rating on Amazon by over 1,000 reviews, it’s guaranteed to deliver plenty of bang for the buck.

 

Which Breville Barista is best?

One’s definition of “best largely determines the best Breville Barista.” I can say for sure that the Pro delivers a more seamless and accurate coffee-making experience. At the same time, the Express machine makes things simple with a pressure gauge and dial to monitor temperature and grind sizes.

 

What is the difference between the Breville Express and Pro?

Breville BES878BSS Barista Pro Espresso Machine, Brushed Stainless Steel

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The main difference lies in the control panel and the water heating elements. The Pro uses a thermojet heating system and an LCD control panel while the Express uses thermocoil mechanisms and a pressure gauge.

 

Is the Barista Pro better than the Express?

The Barista Pro is better in terms of its fast heat-up time and its incorporation of technology into its coffee ground and cup size customization. The Express utilizes a steam pressure gauge system for a more straightforward design but is also more affordable.

 

Is Breville worth the money?

Millions of customers worldwide can attest to the quality of Breville espresso machines in delivering the perfect espresso. The Breville Barista Express espresso machine is rated a huge 4.8-stars on Amazon by over 15,000 global reviews, making it a well-validated, high-quality, and verified choice. In addition, the incorporation of LCD digital displays is rare for most espresso machines, which is what makes the Breville Barista Pro worth the extra money.

Breville BES870XL Barista Express Espresso Machine, Brushed Stainless Steel

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Breville Barista Pro and Barista Express: Should You Upgrade?

Breville BES870XL Barista Express Espresso Machine, Brushed Stainless Steel

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Indeed, when you look at the Breville Barista Express vs. Pro, it can be daunting to pick between the two, especially when you aren’t super clear about what you want or your budget. Both machines use heavy steel in their manufacturing and are finished with a beautiful brushed stainless steel look. Nevertheless, you need to be able to choose when the time comes, so here are my final thoughts on the topic of Breville Barista Express vs. Pro.

The Barista Express is a fantastic machine in delivering quality espresso via a grinder, filter, and dedicated hot water spout that provides the perfect barista touch to your coffee-making experience. The design of the pressure gauge and the button-based control panel make this espresso machine simple in design but fierce in its delivery. The best part that is you can have all of this at an affordable price, available through the Breville online store via Amazon.

In the discussion of Breville Barista Express vs. the Pro, you must take note of the different functions available in each. The Pro differentiates itself from most coffee machines by using an LCD display and a thermojet heating mechanic to brew coffee at record-breaking speeds. Of course, these additional features don’t come for free, so expect to pay more than the Express by a couple of notches.

Thus, the Breville Barista Pro vs. Barista Express debate comes down to your budget and goals, as most things do. Do you yearn for super speedy brews and are willing to pay extra for more control over your coffee taste? Go for the Breville Barista Pro. Are you after a cheaper machine with a simpler design that delivers similar results? Go for the Breville Barista Express.

Breville BES878BSS Barista Pro Espresso Machine, Brushed Stainless Steel

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