June 2011

Breville Espresso Machine Review: Barista Express BES860xl

Scouting around Amazon as I do of a lunch time, spying on espresso machines, I noticed this Breville espresso machine had a substantial 49 240 customer reviews and almost 100% from them all.

This Breville Barista Express is like the big sister of the smaller, cheaper and ever popular (and cheaper) Breville Cafe Roma.

What have I been missing out on here?

An espresso machine with a grinder that’s what. Also referred to as an automatic espresso machine and all for less than $600 with free shipping.

(Amazon’s discount prices change daily so check out the sale price for this item right now by clicking here.)

Breville Espresso Machine Review – Let’s dig a bit deeper

There is just something about a beautiful machine, in this case the Breville Barista Express that just, well, makes me suspicious.

Now stay with me here, I know it makes sense that the maker of these machines go out of their way to create a work of art, after all I think we are all in agreement that the end product, the perfect shot, is after all an artful thing.

It’s when they start adding all kinds of un-needed gizmos and screens and whatnot that it starts to become a mess. Fortunately for us, this is not such a machine.

Look at it. It’s lovely. My favorite piece, the draw pressure gauge, oh but it’s attractive. So is it in fact the ultimate espresso machine for your hard earned money? Well, I don’t know, but since you asked, follow along and let’s try and find out.

Ok, before I get ahead of myself let’s take a closer look shall we?

THE BREVILLE BARISTA EXPRESS ESPRESSO MACHINE

I mentioned before that the Barista Express is beautiful. While this may be subjective, it is hard to argue with stainless steel, a clear top fed bean hopper, and the symmetrical face not to mention that lovely analog pressure gauge. I’m not a fan of digital screens at all.

In the same way that an elegant analog timepiece is considered by most to be a suggestion of class when compared to a digital watch, in my opinion at least going the extra mile to include the “proper” indicator on an otherwise classy machine pays dividends.

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING

From my research, the opinions of those who own this machine are very well expressed. It would appear that the average buyer of this machine is very well thought out, methodical and informed which is to be expected when you consider that this is not an inexpensive machine. In other words, I don’t take their opinions lightly, and it wasn’t always pretty. That said I came away with a positive impression of how this machine operates and what can be expected in terms of performance.

A number of times it was mentioned that a pre-heating of your demitasse, as well as a pre-heat of the group head was critical for some users. Just running a water cycle into your cup before starting will kill all the birds that you need to kill with one stone. Other things cited were the necessity to keep the machine, and included grinder absolutely clean.

The grinder, one person stated, was difficult to clean. This can be off-putting to people who don’t have the time or patience but if you are the meticulous type like me, this can be a positive attribute. Oily beans and any accidental drops of water in the bean hopper can create havoc too, so you’ll do well to keep that in mind. Beans with high oil content are preferred by many, but a middle ground of 1:1 ratio oily beans/dry roast was found.

With all of the complaining out of the way, I can finally let you in on the good news. The machine makes FABULOUS espresso. According to every consumer report that I reviewed the customer found that the machine made either incredible espresso straight away or that with some practice they learned the machine and then got proper results.

One thing that I read that I liked in particular was that the switchgear, that is to say the buttons and knobs and whatnot were pleasing to the touch. So often, this is not the case. Honestly, the worst thing in my opinion, maybe even worse than bad espresso, is when you push a button or switch and the machine scoots across the countertop.

Oh, do I hate that. I’m happy to report that this is not the case here.

IS THERE A WARRANTY?

One year limited warranty. Extended warranties are available from participating websites.

THE BREVILLE COMPANY

Breville was founded in 1932 and is based in Sydney, Australia. They also maintain a U.S. office in Los Angeles. Their basic design theory is to “…engineer kitchen tools to deliver commercial quality performance that looks great and are easy to use. We are passionate about listening to what obstacles the home chef encounters and creating a simple solution.”

I would have liked a more thorough background on the company, Breville has been around for some time, and I for one would like to hear their story. They appear to be a fairly active company with a Facebook & Twitter presence.

BREVILLE MISSION STATEMENT

“To design the best kitchen tools in the world.”

Simple, if underwhelming, from here they go on to list the other products that they make; juicers, coffee makers, blenders etc… To my knowledge Breville does not make commercial products, for those who care about such things.

EXPLORING THE COMPANY WEBSITE

The website is straightforward, and has links to their Facebook & Twitter pages, but what I want to focus on here is their “Living Manual” area.

It’s obvious from their video production quality and extensive depth that this is the meat & potatoes of the site. The layout is clean, and there’s no question that they have put time and thought into this.

I’m not sure if they meant this as a selling point, or just for owners but either way it’s great, and you’d be missing out if you owned the machine and didn’t find your way here.

Under the table of contents, you will find:

SET IT UP

  • Disassemble & Wash
  • Reassemble
  • Prime the Machine
  • The Brew Function

USE IT

  • Water Flow
  • The Right Temperature
  • Making Espresso
  • The Wet Puck
  • The Coffee & Its Grind
  • Tamping the Coffee
  • Making Cappuccino & Latte
  • Froth vs. Foam
  • The Stream Wand
  • Steaming/Frothing Milk
  • “Pull, Steam, Froth” Video
  • Latte Art
  • Recipes

CARE FOR IT

  • After Every Use
  • As Needed
  • Inbuilt Cleaning Cycles
  • Two Months: Replace Water Filter
  • Three Months: Decalcify
  • Conical Burr Grinder

KEEP IT UP

  • Troubleshooting
  • Technical Specifications
  • Safety Instructions
  • Accessories & Replacement Parts

There are some videos here and some animated thumbnails. You will also find a really neat screen that shows the Barista Express with boxes over the features of the machine, when you place your mouse cursor over one of the boxes you get a pop-up that explains what that feature does. The page is interactive, it’s in the beta stage but it seems well polished and full of info, check it out.

WHAT’S IN THE BOX?

The Barista Express comes with a decent kit of accessories; many machines come with almost nothing so this is rather refreshing.

  • Dual Wall – Single Shot Filter
  • Dual Wall – Double Shot Filter
  • Single Wall – Single Shot Filter
  • Single Wall – Double Shot Filter
  • Portafilter
  • Frothing Jug
  • Froth Enhancer
  • Steam Wand Tip
  • Cleaning Tool
  • Hexagon (Allen) Key
  • Coffee Spoon
  • Bean Hopper
  • Bean Hopper Lid
  • Tamper
  • Cleaning Brush
  • Drip Tray
  • Drip Tray Grille
  • Storage Tray
  • Rubber Cleaning Disc
  • Espresso Machine Cleaning Tablets
  • Water Tank
  • Charcoal Water Filter Holder Handle
  • Charcoal Water Filter
  • Charcoal Water Filter Mesh

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:

WEIGHT

The Barista Express weighs in at 24.7 pounds which is nice; this should keep the machine from doing the aforementioned, dreaded countertop slide.

WATER TANK & BEAN HOPPER CAPACITY

The water tank holds 67 oz. and features a charcoal filtration system. The bean hopper holds 8 oz. of beans.

*Note- I read a couple of times that the hopper would benefit from walls that were a little “steeper” as the beans sometimes do not gravity feed as well as they could.

WHAT ABOUT THE PUMP?

The pump is listed as 15 bar designed and made in Italy. This should be more than capable for our purposes.

IS IT STURDY?

Their site only says stainless steel housing. Shame really, I’d like to know more about that switchgear and hopper. The buttons and dial on the side appear to be stainless, but I’m not sure. I’d also like to know if the bean hopper is made of glass or plastic and if the cover of the draw pressure gauge is glass or plastic as well. To me these things play a big role in quality.

HOW BIG IS IT?

The Barista Express measures in at H 13 1/4” W 11 1/2” D 14 1/2” placing it in the mid-size category.

*NOTE- In depth specs on this machine are not available.

WHERE CAN I GET THE BEST PRICE FOR THE BES860XL?

As usual, my research showed that Amazon have the best deal

FINAL WORD

In reviewing what has been written here I want to emphasize that the opinions of those who own this machine are objective. The overwhelming opinion is that it is a four to five star product capable of espresso and associated beverages that rival anything else, and while there are some quirks, I can’t help but root for this machine.

The Breville Barista Express is countertop jewelry; works very well, is useable by both the beginner and the experienced enthusiast and is relatively affordable. You may have noticed, or maybe you haven’t, but I am a little picky when it comes to espresso makers, and I am in fact in the market for a new one.

Therefore, suspicions appeased, and artsy design confirmed (did I mention that gauge?) this could be my next maker.

Top 7 Best Espresso Machines

These are the espresso machines which we think are worth considering. We have detailed reviews of all these machines on this website. Click on the links at the side to get more information.

We’ve included at least one of each type. A lever machine, 4 semi-automatics, a super-automatic and a Nespresso pod machine.

Nespresso D120-US-BK-NE CitiZ Automatic Single-Serve Espresso Maker and Milk Frother, Limousine Black The Top Rated Machine Nespresso CitiZ Automatic Espresso Maker: This is the top rated machine on Amazon and with good reason. It produces excellent hot espresso in 30 seconds. It’s easy to clean and use. The milk frother is awseome and a fantastic gadget in itself. The coffee in the pods is hermetically sealed for freshness. The only drawback is that you’re tied to buying pods from Nespresso meaning you can’t experiment with other coffees.
Our Favorite Breville Barista Express BES860XL machine with grinder: Just look at this baby! It’s gorgeous. And at 28 pounds it’s a nice heavy machine which we really like. It has an integrated grinder so you can put your beans straight in the top and it will grind them for you. Also nice is that you can use it manually or program it for a future brew. At under $600 it’s not cheap but you’d never have to buy another one.
Out Second Favorite (cheaper)Delonghi EC702: This is a very popular espresso machine and the best seller amongst our visitors. With stainless-steel boiler and 15 bars of pump pressure it’s a well specced machine. It regularly gets 5 star reviews at Amazon from happy customers. Much better looking and sturdier than it’s little sister the EC155, the EC702 is probably one of the best under $200 machine on the market today.

Best Budget Machine Delonghi EC155: This is Delonghi’s best seller, probably because it’s their cheapest model. At under $100 you get a 15-bar pump-driven espresso machine with durable stainless-steel boiler. It’s a good starter machine for people dipping their toes in the espresso world.

Best Automatic Espresso Machine – DeLonghi ESAM3300 Magnifica: This bestselling automatic machine lets you press one button and it’ll grind the beans and make the espresso for you. You can also set the timer so that your coffee is ready for you in the morning. They have a special “Cappuccino System” frother which mixes milk and steam to make the perfect cappuccino. Beware though some people have reported build quality issues. Read more reviews here.
Best Lever Espresso Machine–La Pavoni Europiccola: A fabulous looking lever machine. But remember, you’ll need to be willing to apply the pressure with your own arm to get that espresso flowing. Hand lever machines like this are for the real espresso enthusiast. If you’ve been through the machines in the other price ranges then consider this one for around the $800 mark.
Best For Quality and Sturdiness Rancilio Silvia Espresso Machine Version 3: This is a real espresso machine and at 32  pounds one of the heaviest. Made of quality steel and brass it is a life-long machine. You’ll have to grind your own beans and make a very fine powder for it to create the best espresso but they have a companion burr grinder especially for you. Not cheap but the real deal.

DeLonghi BAR32

Rancilio Silvia Espresso Machine Review

I spotted the Rancilio Silvia Espresso Machine on Amazon a while back and noted that it had 21 customer reviews and they were 99% positive. I liked the simple elegance of it’s looks so I dug a bit deeper.

Apparently it can be found in British Prime Minister David Cameron’s kitchen so it’s possible that many heads of state have sampled the espresso from this machine.

Buying an espresso machine, especially one that is not, shall we say, bargain basement priced can be daunting, but with a little research and effort finding a great one can be easy.

Here we will focus on the Rancilio Silvia Espresso Machine. As a matter of full disclosure I’ll tell you up front I do not own one of these machines, however I have owned a number of espresso machines and am an experienced review writer and researcher. So without further ado…

Rancilio Silvia Espresso Machine – In Depth

The first thing I like to look at is the company that makes the product reviewed, take a look at their background and check out things like customer service and warranty options if available.

Who Are RANCILIO?

Rancilio is a premium product manufacturer they do not make junk so that helps right off the bat, no need to pare down and whittle through the low end models to find top quality. I assume if you are reading this you are in the market for a truly great machine.

Rancilio has been building excellent espresso machines since the 1920’s They claim extensive research and development and continual product advancement keeping the end user in mind. One interesting note is their claim that they maintain an extensive network of distributors and that all of them are trained at the “Rancilio Technical Institute”.

There they get instruction on proper, prompt and dependable customer service as well as an apparent inventory of spare parts for servicing machines. My guess is that this is really for the very expensive business class machines that they also sell. The fact that they even make super high end business class machines is great because technology, just as in many other industries such as automotive racing “trickles down” and benefits the home or end user. Neat.

For A Rancilio Machine It’s Cheap

The Silvia model itself is part of the “Home” line that Rancilio makes. This would place it at the bottom of their line in terms of price. This is a good thing, in the same way that it’s better to buy the least expensive home in the best neighborhood that you can afford. Make sense? You get the idea.

What Are People Saying About It?

Read real customer reviews here

In looking around the web I read what others who own the machine are saying about it, and I have come away with is pretty much what I expected. This maker is great! They cited its ease of use and its ability to make espresso that is comparable to what you would find at your local shop.

The only advice I found is to have your coffee/espresso ground correctly, in this case the person recommended Starbucks. Rancilio, by the way, sells a grinder called Rocky and I suspect it is quite capable of grinding coffee perfectly. There is even a Rocky/Silvia combo deal available.

Warranty

I was unable to find any warranty information on Rancilios website; however, I did see one site listing a one year manufacturers warranty on the machine. I also noticed some websites offering one free year warranty and free shipping.

Helpful Videos From Rancilio

The Rancilio website features a short video clip showing a person opening the box; I’m not sure why they included this on their site but it is there if you can’t figure out how to do so on your own. From there you have a list of videos to watch that are actually pretty cool, it’s a nice touch you don’t see other manufacturers going to the trouble to do.

  • Opening the Silvia
  • Unpacking
  • What’s Inside
  • Quick Tour
  • Control
  • Main Power Switch
  • Element Indicator Switch

…… and a lot more besides.

As you can see, Rancilio has gone to great length to make sure you understand how their machine is properly used and how to get the most out of it.

To be honest, I’m pretty impressed and other manufacturers could learn a thing or two from this level of customer care.

In fact, come to think of it, a lot of these video instructions would be useful to any espresso machine owner… Shhh…

Not Too Big, Not Too Small

The basic dimensions of the machine (H 13 2/5” W 11 2/5” D 9 3/10”) place it in the mid-size category pictures of the machine show it with six espresso demitasse cups sitting on top.

Reassuringly Heavy

Weight is considerable at 30.4 lbs. which I really like. Unless the bottom is filled with rocks, which it isn’t I assure you, this is usually an obvious sign of quality. There doesn’t appear to be much plastic on this machine so the weight makes sense, which leads us to…

Quality All-Stainless Steel

All stainless. Very nice indeed. This includes the housing and the drip tray and grid. It’s a lovely machine to be sure.

Very Durable Boiler – Made of Brass!

One of the most important parts of an expresso machine is the boiler. You really want this part to last a long time. In the Silvia, the boiler is made of brass, runs at 952w, and is has a volume of 12 oz. Being made of brass means it will be much more durable than the normal aluminum or steel boilers that you usually get in machines. Brew group is also brass and functions via three way solenoid.

Can It Take Pods Too?

Commercial type and chrome plated brass, weighs 17 oz., filter basket capacity is single and double shot. *Of note- The filter is pod capable with a pod adapter.

What Are The Controls Like?

Rocker switches, which I prefer. No displays, and non-programmable. Does include a back pressure relief valve for safety which is great and expected, also includes burn out protection.

What About The Steam Wand?

Made of stainless steel, but no frothing adapter. The height off counter is 4”, this is pretty typical, although I prefer a little higher. Four inches should be perfectly fine however. Length of frother comes in at 3 ½”.

Large Water Reservoir

Capacity of 74 oz. is excellent and top is removable. Also includes a hot water dispenser feature, which is nice.

These features are fairly typical for this style machine and price range. What stands out again is the apparent customer service and attention to detail. I like that you can add an optional ESE (easy serve espresso) pod adapter kit, which adds a dimension to the machine the many others do not have the possibility for.

What’s In The Box?

  • 1  Cup Filter
  • 2  Cup Filter
  • Measuring Scoop
  • Coffee Tamper

FINAL WORD

Overall I would love to buy this machine for myself. After writing this review and doing a little research I’ll admit I’m intrigued. The quality looks pretty excellent, the customer service looks outstanding. And as is typical in high quality machines, operation is simple, straight-forward and without a lot of unnecessary features that no one would use anyway.

I think that if you are in the market, this is definitely worth your consideration and it’s pretty obvious where your money is going. This can’t always be said, and from this reviewer anyway, is pretty high praise indeed.

Where Can I Buy The Rancilio Silvia Espresso Machine?

The best deal I could find was at Amazon. I like them becuase you usually get free shipping and excellent customer service with no questions asked returns. Click here to check out the Rancilio Silvia at Amazon.