The Breville BES870XL Barista Express and the BES878BSS Barista Pro are two of the best home espresso machines available, but they cater to very different users primarily through their interface, heat-up technology, and price. The Barista Express features a classic analog pressure gauge for hands-on control, while the Barista Pro utilizes a modern LCD screen and a ThermoJet heating system that's ready in just three seconds.
Here's a complete comparison from Breville to help you decide which machine is the right fit for your morning coffee routine.
Breville BES870XL Barista Express
The Barista Express is a fan favorite and a true modern classic in the world of home espresso. It's an all-in-one machine designed for the aspiring home barista who enjoys the ritual of making coffee, offering manual control over the entire process from grinding the beans to extracting the perfect shot.
- What it is: A semi-automatic espresso machine with an integrated conical burr grinder and manual controls for hands-on brewing.
- Key features: Built-in conical burr grinder with dose control dials, analog pressure gauge for extraction feedback, powerful manual steam wand for milk frothing.
- Price: Around $600 to $700, making it a more accessible entry into premium home espresso.
- Style: Classic, robust, and slightly retro design with prominent dials and a pressure gauge. Fits well in traditional and modern kitchens alike.
- Materials/Construction: Durable stainless steel housing that feels solid and is built to last.
- Pros: Excellent value for an all-in-one machine, analog pressure gauge is great for learning espresso theory, proven and reliable track record, gives you full control over the process.
- Cons: Slower heat-up time than newer models, has a steeper learning curve to get consistent results, requires more user skill to dial in shots correctly.
The Barista Express is ideal for the dedicated coffee hobbyist who wants to learn the fundamentals of espresso making and values a hands-on, tactile experience.
Shop this product: breville.com/us/en/products/espresso/bes870.html
Breville BES878BSS Barista Pro
The Barista Pro is Breville's forward-thinking evolution of the all-in-one home espresso machine, focusing on speed, precision, and ease of use. It swaps the analog controls of its predecessor for an intuitive digital interface and features a groundbreaking heating system for near-instant readiness.
- What it is: A high-performance semi-automatic espresso machine with a digital LCD interface and an ultra-fast ThermoJet heating system.
- Key features: Integrated conical burr grinder, LCD display for grind size and shot timer feedback, exceptionally fast 3-second heat-up with the ThermoJet system, more powerful steam wand for microfoam milk.
- Price: Typically ranges from $700 to $900, reflecting its advanced technology and features.
- Style: Sleek and modern, with a minimalist look and a high-tech feel thanks to its digital screen.
- Materials/Construction: Premium brushed stainless steel build, similar in quality to the Express but with a more contemporary finish.
- Pros: Incredibly fast heat-up time for coffee on-demand, the LCD interface is user-friendly and simplifies the brewing process, provides more consistent shots with less effort, enhanced steam performance.
- Cons: More expensive, lacks the classic analog pressure gauge that some enthusiasts prefer, some find the digital interface less engaging than manual dials.
This machine is perfect for the busy coffee lover who demands cafe-quality results with speed, consistency, and a modern, convenient workflow.
Shop this product: breville.com/us/en/products/espresso/bes878.html
Breville BES870XL vs. BES878BSS Comparison
Interface & Ease of Use
The most significant difference lies in how you interact with each machine. The Barista Express is all about analog control, it uses dials to set your grind dose and a prominent pressure gauge to give you real-time feedback during extraction. This is excellent for learning what a good shot "feels" like and diagnosing issues, but it has a considerable learning curve.
The Barista Pro simplifies this with a clear LCD screen. It guides you through the process, shows a shot timer, and uses digital controls for more precise grind adjustments. This makes it easier for beginners to get consistent, repeatable results right away, though it abstracts some of the raw feedback you get from an analog gauge.
Heat-Up Time & Performance
Here, the Barista Pro is the undisputed winner. It features Breville’s ThermoJet heating system, which brings the machine to the optimal extraction temperature in just three seconds. This is a massive improvement for anyone who wants a quick coffee in the morning without waiting.
The Barista Express uses a traditional thermocoil system that takes a minute or two to properly heat up. While not a deal-breaker, the near-instant performance of the Pro feels much more modern and convenient for daily use. The Pro also boasts a slightly more powerful steam wand, enabling quicker and better milk texturing for lattes and cappuccinos.
Design & Aesthetic
Your choice here will come down to personal style. The Barista Express has a classic, almost industrial aesthetic with its visible pressure gauge and rugged stainless-steel build. It’s a timeless design that proudly displays its mechanical nature.
The Barista Pro leans into a sleek, 21st-century look. The digital interface creates a cleaner, more minimalist countertop presence. Both machines have a similar footprint and are built with high-quality stainless steel, but their visual energy is entirely different: the Express is a workhorse, and the Pro is a piece of technology.
Price & Value
The Barista Express generally costs $100 to $200 less than the Barista Pro. It offers fantastic value, providing an entire cafe setup - grinder and all - for a reasonable price, especially for someone willing to invest time in learning the craft.
The higher price of the Barista Pro is directly tied to its advanced technology. You're paying for the incredible speed of the ThermoJet system, the convenience of the LCD screen, and the enhanced consistency it provides. For many, saving several minutes every morning is well worth the extra investment.
Which One Should You Choose?
Both the Barista Express and Barista Pro are excellent machines, but they shine for different kinds of users.
Choose the Breville BES870XL Barista Express if:
- You want to truly understand and master the art of making espresso from scratch.
- You enjoy a hands-on, analog experience and find the process of brewing coffee rewarding.
- You're working with a slightly tighter budget and want the best possible value in an all-in-one machine.
- You appreciate a classic, cafe-inspired design on your countertop.
Choose the Breville BES878BSS Barista Pro if:
- Speed and convenience are your top priorities, you need great coffee fast.
- You prefer a guided, digital experience that helps you achieve consistent results with less guesswork.
- You are willing to invest more for cutting-edge technology and a more powerful steam wand.
- You want a machine with a sleek, modern aesthetic that matches your kitchen.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main difference between the Breville Barista Express and Barista Pro?
The three main differences are the user interface, heating system, and price. The Pro (BES878BSS) uses a modern LCD screen and a 3-second ThermoJet heat-up system. The Express (BES870XL) uses classic analog dials, a pressure gauge, and a traditional thermocoil that takes a minute or two to heat up.
Is the Barista Pro worth the extra money?
If you value speed and consistency, yes. The 3-second heat-up time is a remarkable quality-of-life improvement for daily use, and the LCD screen makes dialing in shots much easier for beginners and experts alike. If you enjoy the craft and are on a budget, the Express offers better pure value.
Which Breville machine is better for beginners?
The Barista Pro is arguably easier for a beginner to get consistent results with quickly because of the guided digital interface. However, the Barista Express is better for a beginner who wants to truly learn the craft, as the analog gauge forces you to understand the relationship between grind size, dose, and pressure.
How good is the built-in grinder on these machines?
Both models use a high-quality stainless steel conical burr grinder that is perfectly capable of producing grounds fine enough for espresso. They offer a great all-in-one package, though standalone grinders offer more micro-adjustments.
Can you make lattes and cappuccinos?
Absolutely. Both machines have powerful steam wands that can create the silky microfoam needed for latte art and rich cappuccino foam. The Barista Pro's steam wand is a bit more powerful and heats up faster.
Does the Barista Pro have a pressure gauge?
No, the Barista Pro does not have a visible, analog pressure gauge. It relies on its digital shot timer and pre-infusion settings to help you control and time the extraction, providing feedback through the LCD screen instead.
How long does the Barista Express (BES870XL) take to heat up?
The Barista Express takes about a minute to fully heat up and be ready for extraction, plus a bit more time to get the steam wand up to temperature if you are making a milk-based drink right after.
What are the differences in maintenance and cleaning?
The day-to-day cleaning process (purging the group head, wiping the steam wand, emptying the drip tray) is very similar for both. The main difference is that the Barista Pro's LCD screen provides on-screen alerts when it's time to run a cleaning cycle or descale the machine, which is a helpful reminder.
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