Tom's Guide90
The Breville Barista Express is a top-tier espresso machine that consistently delivers high-quality coffee and excellent milk frothing.
Breville Barista Express
5 expert reviews#2 in espresso machinesChecked 1 Nov 2026
Quick answer
The Breville Barista Express has a critic score of 84 out of 100 from 5 professional reviews, and 5 of them recommend it. It ranks #2 of 3 espresso machines we score. Critics praise its espresso quality and easy to use. The most common complaint is learning curve.
Reviews checked 1 Nov 2026
Image: BrevilleWith a built-in grinder
Our verdict
The Barista Express puts a burr grinder, a steam wand and good manual control in one machine. Critics like its espresso and its value as a complete setup, but it takes practice, and its grinder is slower and less flexible than a separate one.
The catch: A learning curve, and a basic grinder.
Critic agreement: Medium
Scores run from 77 to 90
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What do critics say about the Breville Barista Express?
TechRadar90
The Barista Express is a highly capable mid-range machine that offers excellent control and produces high-quality espresso, provided the user is willing to invest time in learning the manual process.
CNET85est.
The Breville Barista Express is the top recommendation for most users due to its excellent balance of performance, feature set, and value.
Expert Reviews80
The Barista Express is a highly capable all-in-one machine that justifies its price through excellent espresso quality and robust manual control.
TechGearLab77
The Breville Barista Express is a top-tier, user-friendly machine that excels at producing high-quality espresso and microfoam.
Scores are converted to 0–100. "est." means the outlet gave no number, so we estimated one from its verdict. How we score
What critics praise most
Espresso quality4 of 5
Easy to use2 of 5
What critics dislike most
Learning curve2 of 5
Grinder2 of 5
Price2 of 5
Alternatives
Not sure about the Breville Barista Express?
Common questions
Is the Breville Barista Express worth it?
Most critics think so: 5 of 5 recommend it. A learning curve, and a basic grinder.
What do critics dislike about the Breville Barista Express?
Learning curve (2 of 5 reviews), Grinder (2 of 5 reviews), Price (2 of 5 reviews).
What is the best alternative to the Breville Barista Express?
The Breville Bambino Plus (critic score 87), best for beginners.