Most kitchen gadgets get replaced the moment something newer shows up. Coffee makers especially live on borrowed time, cycling through trends like fast fashion with a heating element. So when one espresso machine quietly remains one of the best sellers in North America for over a decade, something unusual is happening.
Price: From $664.49
Where to Buy: Amazon, Breville
The Breville Barista Express isn’t flashy. It doesn’t connect to your phone, it won’t remember your favorite drink, and it hasn’t gotten a dramatic redesign since it launched. You won’t find a touchscreen or a TikTok-friendly interface anywhere on the brushed stainless steel body. What you’ll find instead is a machine that understands exactly one thing: the distance between whole beans and a properly pulled shot should be as short as possible. That single idea turned out to be worth more than every smart feature its competitors have tried.
The reason it works comes down to the built-in conical burr grinder. That’s the feature that separates it from nearly everything else at this price. Most sub-$1,000 espresso machines expect you to buy a separate grinder, which means another $200 to $400 on the counter and another variable to manage every morning. Breville collapsed that entire equation into one footprint that measures just 12.5 by 13.8 inches. Smart move for anyone who doesn’t want their kitchen to look like a coffee lab.
The Barista Express built-in grinder changes everything
A dial at the top gives you sixteen grind settings. You pick your size, twist a knob to control how much coffee drops in, and hit one button. Grounds fall right into the portafilter. No mess, no second machine needed.
Breville throws in two kinds of filter baskets. One type is forgiving if you’re still learning. The other gives you full control once you know what you’re doing. Most machines at this price don’t bother with both, so that’s a nice touch. The portafilter itself is 54mm, bigger than what cheap machines use but smaller than the 58mm you’d see in a coffee shop.
The machine soaks the grounds with low pressure first, then kicks up to full strength for the actual shot. Temperature stays locked in instead of bouncing around between cups. All of that happens inside one housing, which is a surprising amount of work for something at this price point.
A steam wand on the right side handles milk. You control it with a knob, and it’ll get you decent microfoam with a little practice. One catch: since there’s only one heating element, you have to wait about 30 seconds between pulling a shot and steaming milk. Small tradeoff for the counter space you save.
What the Barista Express espresso machine includes for $700
The Barista Express ships with more accessories than most people expect from a box this size. A Razor dose trimming tool scrapes excess grounds flush with the portafilter basket. An integrated tamper folds out from the machine body, eliminating one more loose tool from the counter. A stainless steel milk jug, dosing funnel, cleaning tablets, water filter, and brush round out the kit. You could unbox this at noon and pull a respectable shot before lunch ends without buying a single additional item.
Brushed stainless steel construction holds up well over years of daily use. Coffee oils stain plastic housings quickly, but the metal surfaces wipe clean with a damp cloth and develop a subtle patina over time rather than looking worn. At 22 pounds, it sits firmly on the counter without shifting during extraction. The pressure gauge on the front panel gives real-time visual feedback on where your shot falls in the ideal extraction range, turning every morning pull into a small diagnostic moment that builds your instincts.
Where this home espresso machine shows its age
The water tank holds 67 ounces and slides out from the back, which means you’ll need a few inches of clearance behind the machine. In tight kitchens, this turns into a small hassle every time you refill. Breville’s newer machines have moved to side-access tanks, and you notice the difference immediately when switching between models. It’s the kind of design choice that reveals when the original engineering happened.
Grind retention is the other honest weakness. Some ground coffee stays trapped inside the chute between the burrs and the portafilter, which means your first shot of the day uses slightly stale grounds from yesterday’s last grind. Dedicated home baristas solve this by purging a small dose before their first pull, but it’s an extra step that Breville’s newer Barista Express Impress handles better with a redesigned grind path. If you’re the type who notices subtle staleness in espresso, this will bother you.
The 54mm portafilter limits your upgrade path. Most upgrade accessories like precision baskets, bottomless portafilters, and distribution tools are built for the 58mm standard. You can find 54mm accessories, but the selection is thinner and the options less refined. Noise during grinding also runs louder than expected, enough that early morning shots in an apartment with thin walls become a negotiation with housemates. It’s not a dealbreaker for most home users, but the machine has a ceiling that serious enthusiasts will eventually bump against.
Who should skip the Breville Barista Express
If you want automation, this isn’t it. The Barista Express requires you to grind, dose, tamp, pull, and steam manually. Every step involves a decision. People who want to press one button and walk away should look at Breville’s Barista Touch or a super-automatic from De’Longhi or Jura. Those machines cost more and strip away the learning curve entirely, which is exactly the right trade for anyone whose morning priority is speed over craft.
Price: From $664.49
Where to Buy: Amazon, Breville
Anyone already deep into specialty coffee with a dedicated grinder, WDT tool, and 58mm setup should skip this entirely. The built-in grinder won’t match a standalone Eureka or Niche Zero, and the 54mm portafilter will feel like a step backward. The Barista Express is built for the space between casual coffee drinker and committed home barista, and it owns that space completely. The sales numbers make the case better than any review ever could.
INIU Mini Portable Charger, Small 45W PD Power Bank, 10000mAh USB C in&Out Fast Charging Pocket Size Battery Pack, Travel Essentials Powerbank for iPhone 17 16 15 14 Pro Air, Xiaomi, Samsung S24 etc
(as of February 24, 2026 07:38 GMT -06:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
