Have been waiting a few months for the stainless steel model (BES878BSS4JAN1) to go on sale (RRP $999).
At the time of posting:
You may be able to get the retailers to go lower in store.
Why would it make better expresso?
30 grind settings on the pro, 15 on the express
Thank you!
Because it uses that 9 3/4 platform
You're a barista, Harry.
Which beans do you use? (Supermarket bought / local roaster / dark / medium / arabica / robusta / mixed 😅
Can't go wrong with the base aldi beans
Yeap using these from time to time. They’re really good
Aldi are great for the price, best supermarket beans IMO.
Don't need to worry about wasting a bit if dialing in the grind.
Lime Blue is also good for something more upmarket, grab some when 40% off. The 1kg bags freeze very well.
I prefer the Single Origin versions from Aldi. Columbia is the best, followed by Brazil.
Yeah I think it goes Medium roast > Columbia > Dark > others (personal preference of course, but was in an old thread somewhere). The lime Blue still works out well (maybe double the cost at worst, when $40% = $75 for 5kg delivered.
@TEER3X: Yes will get it next time. The thing is Matt, the best ones are the freshest ones. Check all the dates on the cnts
Also bought this and have been very happy with the coffee it makes. This is a pretty good price point.
Have had it for 2 years. Great beginner machine, but I feel it's time to upgrade to something better
Highly recommend the lelit mara x v2 and a eureka grinder. Coffee machine is on sale atm for eofy. I just bought one in a beautiful white powder coat and couldn't be happier. Upgrading from a sunbeam barista Max and couldn't be happier. I went with the eureka specialita grinder
Far better espresso and steaming of milk. Setup is about 3k. Could get it a bit less if you go with stainless and a eureka silenzio (manual timer vs electric with two timers on specialita and slightly smaller burrs) but a great grinder none the less. Baratza sette 270 is also great and cheaper but loud.
Speed controller/ dimmer on the pump.
I enjoyed this machine till my ex took it in the divorce.
I bet its not only thing she took 🤨
Now that you mention it, I haven't seen my dignity in a while…
Have been super happy with this machine, makes great coffee!
Love this machine. I am currently using the Breville smart grinder pro. Looking to upgrade - can anyone provide any worthy recommendations under $500 AuD?
Is that necessary? I have the same and still pretty happy with it.
Eureka mignon, df54 or varia vs3
Baratza sette 270 if you can stretch it a bit. Gives you 3 timer settings which is super helpful for the different portafilter sizes, I.e. Single, double and triple. Doesn't seem like a big deal but it does help with consistency and ease of use over time. The machine is loud, but also very fast. For e.g. a double shot on this grinder at work is 7.45 seconds, vs my eureka Mignon specialita which take about 11 seconds but is quiet.
Grind is excellent and makes very little or no mess
Lol then you'll need a better coffee machine and so on.
Sounds like a good match, most of the difference is in technique and care. Get a WDT tool if you don't have one, may be some other mods you can do as well or get nicer beans (than supermarket if not already).
That Eureka sounds ok for the price, the problem is you can spend $500-700 on a grinder and they all have their various issues so wouldn't bother chasing perfection.
What’s the best machine if you don’t need grinder?
Dual boiler
If you already have 54mm accessories and want to continue using them, then check out Bambino Plus.
Otherwise the Dual Boiler is a good step up, however, it takes few minutes to heat up, not seconds.
Thank you 🙏
Do you mean in breville? Or just any many machine?
Can be any machine really :)
For your budget, Breville dual boiler
Isn't it better to wait for dual boiler for hit sub $900 on sale and you have a overall superior machine in every way
Yes
It's not hitting sub 900 anymore
Incorrect. This machine does not have a heated group head.
I've had this machine for 2 years - I drank instant before that. And I've just spent a couple of days at a mates place, with a machine with a heated group head and I cant get over how much better it was.
TLDR: never upgrade from instant coffee and you will be happy.
how is this one compared with 876?
Bought this one at $699 black friday sales JB HI FI. Used 15% off gift cards and check out lass took $10 off cos my perks voucher wouldnt scan. V happy at $560
For coffee nerds i buy Lime Blue when 40% off never changed the grinder out of the box. At setiing 15 i get perfect shot.
Bought it for $400 from DJ (display model) and was able to claim some freebies from a promo
Did they give you a medal as well?
My setting is 19 over 16 secs perfect crema, always buying Lime Blue too which is awesome
Interesting isnt it. Mate of mine has it at 5.
I can go from 12 to 20 depending on weather
Relative to where the top burr is sitting. So numbers on the side are irrelevant without quoting top burr setting as well.
@tunzafun001: Exactly. Also every different bean, roast, batch age, storage method etc all affect the correct grind number for the perfect shot!
We run at least one caff and one decaf pack at a time, so we use a single dose hopper. And because the settings are different between whatever we have at the time, plus changing slightly throughout the life of the packs, I stuck blackboard paper and a chalk holder to the inside of my coffee cupboard door so we can record our current settings/predictions after each shot.
That way we both benefit from the insights of the last person who used a given bean when the other person wasn't around. Since doing this we hardly ever pull a bad shot now and we're not wasting beans.
Lime Blue is good stuff, been getting the Brazil São Paulo Single Origin.
Like others said wouldn't worry about the actual number on the grinder, it should be adjusted to suit the shot time for the weight in/out.
(I know Brevilles and Sunbeams are considered idiot proof but the actual number doesn't matter as long as it grinds fine enough).
Yes, focus on the actual grind, not the number.
But…need to be careful with the Breville (shower screen is a bit rubbish), so can channel easily.
Use an open bottomless filter to make sure there are no "squirties"
@tunzafun001: Yeah my cafe series grinder almost as fine as it goes, haha.
I like machines with full-size standard group heads (got a Gaggia classic with bottomless portafilter, upgrades nanotech screen etc).
3% cash back from Cash Rewards would make this $774 (off the $798 price, not the "price beat" $788, which invalidates the cash back)
upvote coffee!
You'd get better coffee from a bambino and a better grinder. Built in grinders have a pretty low peak.
Agree 100%
This or the Express Impress? Will be my first Coffee machine if that makes a difference so i don't have any Coffee Gear that i may or may not need. Ideally i wanted a Black unit but if it means getting a bargain i'm ok with Stainless.
As a Barista Pro owner, I'd suggest the Express Impress maybe the better starter to fit your requirement of not collecting coffee gear that you may or may not need
the espress impress is a more rounded starter machine with the lever tamper
The Barista Pro is perhaps more geared towards if you are ready to get your hands on with a more enthusiast mindset
the principle reason is they use 54mm portafilter and it's not the 58mm industry standard, if either one of them actually uses the 58mm portafilter, it would be the better option
A tip as an owner is: get a bellow for the hopper as you won't have a separate grinder, pump the grinder retention out of the built-in grinder. The built-in grinder is good enough to get you started and you probably be wanting more after you are initiated.
I saw some internet folks mentioned the black color variant scratches easily.
I went with the impress. I'd highly recommend it.
Yes, every coffee connoisseur will talk about puck preparation until the cows come home but every review I watched or read about the Impress' tamping, said the even water flow through the puck was impressive.
The benefit of the Impress is the more efficient workflow. It grinds the right amount of beans and you can tamp perfectly, every time without any mess. For my skill set, and my needs it's perfect.
It's definitely not a gimmick, it works very well.
The Pro does have a faster steam wand but the time you save using the in-built tamper negates this anyway.
In any coffee machine, you're going to have a learning curve.
There's a bit of an art to dialling in your beans/coffee machine, puck preparation and milk frothing.
Here's some videos that helped me get started:
Dialling In Coffee:
https://www.tiktok.com/@riverina.fresh/video/737206391852656…
https://www.tiktok.com/@alternativebrewing/video/72206558532…
Milk Frothing:
https://www.tiktok.com/@goldenbrown.coffee/video/71872478480…
https://www.tiktok.com/@goldenbrown.coffee/video/73241545329…
I have this machine and it is a work horse.
We have this but the burrs got worn out within a year and alot less grind was coming out, at least Amazon sent us a new machine no questions asked
I recently replaced my 10yo Breville Barista Express with this machine, couldn't be happier. I feel it makes better espresso, and seems to steam milk much faster than my old machine. I would highly recommend it.