Deciding on a new premium appliance from Breville often comes down to a choice between upgrading your coffee game or enhancing your culinary toolkit. The Breville BES870XL Barista Express and BES878BSS Barista Pro cater to home baristas, with the key differences being the Pro’s faster heating system, digital interface, and higher price. By contrast, a Breville Stand Mixer is a versatile workhorse for an entirely different purpose: baking and cooking.
Here’s everything you need to know to choose the right Breville appliance for your kitchen, passion, and daily routine.
Breville BES870XL Barista Express
The Barista Express is one of the most popular all-in-one espresso machines for home use, providing everything you need to go from bean to espresso in under a minute. It’s celebrated for balancing manual control with user-friendly features, making it the perfect machine for aspiring baristas who want to learn the craft of making excellent espresso without being overwhelmed.
- What it is: A semi-automatic espresso machine with a built-in conical burr grinder and manual steam wand.
- Key features: Integrated conical burr grinder with dose control, Thermocoil heating system, analog pressure gauge for extraction feedback, and a 360-degree swivel steam wand for milk frothing.
- Price: Around $700-$750
- Dimensions: Approximately 12.5" x 12.6" x 13.1" - relatively compact for an all-in-one machine.
- Style: Classic and industrial, with brushed stainless steel and a very visible pressure gauge that gives it a professional cafe look.
- Pros: Excellent value for the price, includes everything you need to start making cafe-quality espresso, durable build quality, hands-on process is great for learning espresso techniques.
- Cons: Slower Thermocoil heating system takes a minute or two to warm up, has a steeper learning curve for absolute beginners, steam wand is powerful but takes practice to master.
This machine is ideal for the espresso enthusiast who enjoys the process and wants a perfect blend of convenience and control without paying top dollar.
Shop this product: breville.com/us/products/espresso/bes870xl-the-barista-express.html
Breville BES878BSS Barista Pro
The Barista Pro is the sleek, fast, and modern successor to the Barista Express. It takes the same all-in-one concept but enhances it with proprietary technology for significantly faster performance and a more intuitive digital experience. This machine is designed for the home user who values speed, precision, and a user-friendly interface as much as the quality of the final espresso shot.
- What it is: An advanced semi-automatic espresso machine featuring an integrated grinder, rapid heating system, and an LCD screen for precise adjustments.
- Key features: ThermoJet heating system heats up in just 3 seconds, intuitive LCD interface displays grind and extraction progress, 30 grind settings (compared to 16 on the Express), and a more powerful steam wand for professional microfoam.
- Price: Around $800-$850
- Dimensions: Approximately 13.9" x 13.5" x 16" - slightly larger than the Express.
- Style: Clean and contemporary. The brushed stainless steel finish is complemented by a digital display, giving it a more modern and streamlined look.
- Pros: Extremely fast heat-up time is perfect for busy mornings, the LCD screen makes dialing in your shot much easier, amazing steam performance, offers a wider range of control.
- Cons: More expensive than the Barista Express, some purists may miss the tactile, analog feel of its predecessor, the digital interface means one more screen in the kitchen.
The Barista Pro is for the serious home barista who values speed and convenience and is willing to invest a bit more for a premium, user-friendly experience.
Shop this product: breville.com/us/products/espresso/bes878bss-the-barista-pro.html
Breville Stand Mixer
Shifting gears entirely, the Breville Stand Mixer is a powerhouse for the home baker and chef. While the espresso machines perfect your morning coffee, this appliance is designed to handle everything from delicate meringue to tough bread dough. It’s built on Breville’s principles of smart design and durable construction, making it a reliable workhorse for a wide variety of kitchen tasks.
- What it is: A high-performance stand mixer created for home baking and cooking applications.
- Key features: Powerful motor, multiple speed settings, a large capacity mixing bowl, and typically includes standard attachments like a whisk, dough hook, and scraper beater.
- Price: Around $300 - $400
- Dimensions: Approximately 11.4" x 16.7" x 14.8" - requires a dedicated spot on the counter.
- Style: Robust and stylish with a classic stand mixer silhouette in a high-quality die-cast metal finish that feels professional and durable.
- Pros: Incredibly versatile for thousands of recipes, strong and consistent motor performance, built to last for years, a more budget-friendly investment compared to the espresso machines.
- Cons: Serves a completely different function from the coffee machines, its large footprint takes up significant counter space, can be heavy and difficult to move frequently.
This appliance is the perfect choice for the avid home cook or baker who wants to upgrade their culinary capabilities with a dependable and powerful machine.
Shop this product: breville.com/us/products/mixers/bem600xl.html
Breville Espresso Machines vs. Mixer Comparison
Espresso Performance (BES870XL vs. BES878BSS)
The clearest difference between the two espresso machines is speed and interface. The Barista Pro’s ThermoJet system is ready to pull a shot in three seconds, a massive improvement over the Barista Express’s Thermocoil, which takes about a minute. This makes the Pro superior for anyone in a hurry.
The interface is the other major differentiator. The Barista Express relies on an analog pressure gauge and manual dials, which is rewarding for those who want to feel connected to the process. The Barista Pro’s LCD screen provides clear visual feedback on grind size, shot time, and more, making the process of dialing in a perfect shot much more guided and repeatable, especially for beginners.
Kitchen Versatility (Espresso Machines vs. Mixer)
Here the comparison is simple: specialization versus versatility. The Barista Express and Pro are specialized machines that do one thing exceptionally well: make espresso and espresso-based drinks. They can replace a daily $5 latte habit and give you barista-level control at home.
The Breville Stand Mixer, in contrast, is the kitchen’s jack-of-all-trades. It can knead dough for pizza and bread, whip cream and egg whites for desserts, combine batter for cakes and cookies, and shred chicken with the right attachment. Its value comes from the sheer breadth of culinary tasks it opens up. If your passion lies in baking and cooking rather than coffee, the mixer is the more versatile investment.
Price & Value
The Breville Mixer is the most affordable of the three, typically priced between $300-$400. Its value is measured in its utility across hundreds of recipes and its long-lasting, durable build. Among the espresso machines, the Barista Express ($700-$750) presents an excellent value for a complete bean-to-cup solution. The Barista Pro ($800-$850) justifies its higher price tag with next-gen speed, digital convenience, and improved steam power, making it a worthy investment for those who prioritize performance and ease of use.
Dimensions & Footprint
All three appliances have a substantial presence and will claim a dedicated spot on your countertop. The Barista Express is the most compact of the trio, while the Barista Pro is slightly wider and taller. The Breville Mixer has a deep footprint and is quite heavy, designed to remain stationary. Before buying, measure your available counter space and consider any height limitations from upper cabinets.
Style & Construction
A hallmark of the Breville brand is premium construction, and all three appliances deliver. They heavily feature brushed stainless steel (or die-cast metal for the mixer), giving them a durable, professional feel. Style-wise, the Barista Express has a classic, almost industrial charm with its analog gauge. The Barista Pro is modern and sleek with its digital display. The Stand Mixer is timeless, fitting well into traditional or contemporary kitchens alike with its muscular, functional aesthetic.
Which One Should You Choose?
Your choice depends entirely on how you want to enhance your time in the kitchen.
Choose the Breville Barista Express if:
- You want to get into the hobby of making espresso and enjoy a hands-on learning process.
- You’re budget-conscious but still want a high-quality, all-in-one machine.
- You appreciate the feedback from a classic analog pressure gauge.
- You don't mind waiting a minute or so for the machine to heat up.
Choose the Breville Barista Pro if:
- Speed is a top priority, and you want coffee instantly.
- You prefer an intuitive digital display to guide you through the process.
- You want a more powerful steam wand for creating luscious milk foam.
- You are willing to pay a premium for convenience and cutting-edge technology.
Choose the Breville Stand Mixer if:
- Your primary hobby is baking or cooking, not coffee making.
- You need a versatile appliance that can handle dough, batter, and creams.
- You prioritize durability and powerful motor performance for tough jobs.
- You already have a coffee setup you love and are looking to expand your kitchen capabilities.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the main difference between the Barista Express and Barista Pro?
The three main differences are the heating system, the interface, and the price. The Barista Pro uses a ThermoJet system that heats up in just 3 seconds, while the Express uses a Thermocoil that takes about a minute. The Pro has a modern LCD display for easy control, while the Express uses analog dials and a pressure gauge. These upgrades make the Pro about $100 more expensive.
Is the Barista Pro worth the extra money over the Express?
If speed and convenience are important for your daily routine, then yes. The instant heat-up time and intuitive digital screen make the brewing process faster and more foolproof, which many users find is well worth the extra cost. If you enjoy the craft and don't mind the wait, the Express still produces outstanding espresso for less money.
Are these Breville espresso machines good for beginners?
Yes, both are excellent choices, but for different learning styles. The Barista Express is fantastic for beginners who want to truly learn the craft of pulling a shot. The Barista Pro is more forgiving for beginners thanks to its digital guidance, making it quicker to get great results.
Can a Breville Mixer make coffee?
No. A stand mixer is designed for mixing, kneading, and whipping food ingredients. It has no heating element or water pump and cannot brew coffee or create espresso. It exists in an entirely different appliance category.
How much counter space do these appliances need?
All are designed for home countertops but require a dedicated space. The Barista Express is the most compact espresso option. The Mixer is heavy and often needs a permanent home. Always check the official product dimensions and measure your space, paying close attention to the clearance needed under overhead cabinets.
How long do these Breville machines last?
Breville appliances are known for their durable construction and can last for many years with proper care. For the espresso machines, this means regular cleaning and descaling is crucial to maintain performance. For the mixer, it means following capacity guidelines and cleaning after each use.
Which Breville machine offers better value?
Value depends on your hobby. For a daily coffee drinker, a high-quality espresso machine can pay for itself in a year by eliminating cafe runs. For an avid baker, a durable stand mixer is an invaluable tool that saves immense time and effort, making its value clear over thousands of recipes.
Do the Breville Barista Express and Pro have a built-in grinder?
Yes, both the Barista Express and Barista Pro are all-in-one machines, which means they have an integrated conical burr grinder. This is a key feature that simplifies the setup and ensures you are grinding beans fresh for every shot, which is critical for flavor.
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