Best Breville Espresso Machine: Top 10 Choices

Last Updated:

Fluent In Coffee is reader-supported. We may earn a small commission if you buy via links on our site. Learn more

breville espresso machine

In a hurry? Our top pick for the best Breville espresso machine is the Barista Express.

When it comes to making espresso, precision is everything.

But your skill is worth little if the machine does its part of the job sloppy.

If you’re looking for a reliable product, you need to start with a reliable brand, like Breville.

The brand has a rather impressive line of espresso makers that are durable, easy to operate and have some of the most innovative features.

But with such a wide line of products, how do you pick the right one? 

I was wondering the same thing, so I did thorough research on all of their models. In this article, I’ll share with you the best Breville espresso machine, as well as close follow-ups.

Let’s jump straight in! 

Best Breville Espresso Machine: Our Top 10 Choices

Breville Barista Express

The Barista Express is one of the brand’s top seller models, and for a good reason. It gives you everything you need to be an at-home barista.

First, it has a built-in conical burr grinder that grinds just the right amount you need at a time. What’s more, it also lets you choose the size of your grind. Since your machine does all that, there’s no need for buying a separate grinder.

This model comes in two colors, black and steel. Both options have a beautiful shiny finish and will stand out in any part of the kitchen.

Since the machine comes with a manual steam wand, that means you’ll have to practice your frothing game. But while it takes a bit of learning at first, a manual wand gives you better control of the final result. Plus, it allows you to make cool latte art.

Pros

  • The built-in burr grinder lets you choose the grind size and amount, so you can always make just the right amount of coffee you need at a time
  • Two color options allow you to match the machine with your kitchen color scheme
  • This is one of the more affordable Breville espresso machines, so it won’t break your bank as much as other models
  • The dry puck feature releases water pressure from the grounds, so they clump up for easier disposal

Cons

  • The hot water outlet is on the right side of the portafilter, so you have to move the cup when making Americano
Check Current Price

Breville Infuser 

Looking for a mid-range machine that offers some of the more important features usually found in more expensive models? Then the Infuser is a really good pick.

Why is this machine named the Infuser? Well, that’s because it has a pre-infusion feature. What it does is it gradually increases pressure at the start, which ensures your coffee is evenly extracted. 

Of course, to achieve perfect extraction you also need to heat the water at the right temperature. This model has a digital PID temp control that lets you do just that.

What’s more, there’s an auto-purge option that allows you to extract espresso immediately after using the steam function. The auto-purge prevents water from getting too hot from steaming and thus burning your coffee beans. 

This means that you can make tons of espresso cups one after another, all brewed at the same temperature.

Pros

  • Cleaning and Drip Tray alerts let you know when it’s time for maintenance, so you can’t forget to do it regularly
  • The dry-pick feature removes excess water from the filter basket and turns the grounds firm and dry, so they’re easier to clean up
  • Comes in three colors (steel, black and cranberry red), so you can choose the one that suits your kitchen design the best
  • You can reprogram shot volumes so that they’re as strong as you like

Cons

  • Not as easy to operate as most Breville models, so you’ll probably have to flip through the manual at first
Check Current Price

Breville Bambino Plus

This model is designed for small kitchens and RVs. With a dimension of 12x7x12 inches, you can fit it on even the smallest counter space.  

The Bambino Plus might be small, but it’s pretty powerful. It has all the important features for an optimally extracted cup of coffee. These include PID temperature control and low-pressure pre-infusion. These assure you’ll always make a cafe-style espresso. 

What’s more, it also features the brand’s newer model of fast heater. This means it reaches the right temperature in just three seconds. In other words, you’ll have your cup of coffee ready in no time, which is quite handy in the morning.

This model comes with an automatic steam wand, so you can make your foam hands free. There are three heat settings and three milk texture settings, so you can make your coffee different every time.

Pros

  • The small footprint makes this model great for small and crowded kitchen counters
  • A quick heating system allows you to brew your coffee within a blink of an eye
  • The automatic steam wand lets you adjust the milk temperature and texture to make coffee exactly as you like it
  • Being so affordable, this model doesn’t hurt your wallet as much as other Breville machines

Cons

  • This is an entry-level machine, so it lacks some features pro baristas would make use of
Check Current Price

Breville Dual Boiler

As the name suggests, this model features two boilers, one for hot water and the other for steam. Having two boilers means you don’t have to worry about refilling water that often.

What it also means is that you can froth your milk and brew espresso at the same time. Sure the whole espresso-making process isn’t that long anyway, but every minute counts. Especially in the morning when you’re in a rush to get ready.

Speaking of which, this model features a turn-on time. This means you can set it to heat up just before you wake up in the morning, so that you can brew right away.

I also love the fact that this machine has a dedicated hot water outlet. This allows you to make an Americano or simply grab a cup of hot coffee to make tea.

The Over Pressure valve is another cool feature. What it does is limits the maximum pump pressure. This, along with digital temperature control, prevents your coffee from getting over-extracted. 

Pros

  • A dual boiler system allows you to make both espresso and steamed milk at different temperatures, so you’ll always have a perfect cup of coffee
  • Auto Start setting lets you preheat the machine at a set time, so you can set it to be ready when you need it
  • Features a descaling function, which makes cleaning a piece of cake
  • With a water tank of 84 ounces, you can make a lot of espresso without having to refill

Cons

  • It’s quite expensive, so it might be too much of a splurge for a casual coffee aficionado
Check Current Price

Breville Oracle

This model is practically your personal home barista. In other words, it’s super-automatic and does everything required for a perfect cup of java.

The conical burr grinder grinds, doses and tamps freshly ground coffee straight into the portafilter. 

The only thing that’s left for you to do is to move the portafilter on the brewing side, and choose how many cups you want to make. Then press the start button and watch the machine perform magic. 

The Oracle has all the important features. These include digital temperature control, low-pressure pre-infusion and the Over Pressure valve. Together, these features make sure the grounds are optimally extracted, and you always get the best results.

Since it’s a fully automatic machine, it also makes microfoam for you. But you can select the desired milk temperature and texture, so the final result is just as you like it.

And if your coffee of choice is Americano, then you’ll love the one-button brewing. With a single press of a button, the machine makes a double espresso and tops it with hot water.

Pros

  • From grinding to tamping, the machine does all that without your help, which is quite useful when you’re multitasking in the kitchen
  • The dual boiler allows you to brew and steam at the same time
  • The automatic steam wand allows you to adjust the milk temperature and texture to suit your taste
  • The wand automatically cleans itself after each use, so you don’t have to worry about cleaning or unclogging

Cons

  • The machine is pretty bulky, so it’s not a great choice for small kitchen counters
Check Current Price

Breville Oracle Touch

This model is an upgrade to the popular Oracle. It has everything its older brother has, plus some cool new features.

The first thing that stands out is the 4-inch color touchscreen that’s easy to use. Just swipe left or right until you find the type of espresso drink you want to enjoy. 

Of course, you can also modify each drink to your personal taste. The Oracle Touch lets you adjust the strength, milk texture and temperature just how you like it. Plus, you can also save up to eight personalized drinks.

Since it’s a super-automated machine, there’s not much you need to do in terms of making coffee. Just add your coffee beans and let the machine do the rest. 

Sure, the machine also has other important features, such as digital temperature control and an Over Pressure valve. These make sure that you can’t make a bad cup of coffee, even if you try.

Pros

  • It does everything automatically from grinding to tampering, so you don’t have to do everything by yourself
  • The touchscreen is large and straightforward to use
  • With different adjustment options, the machine lets you make coffee exactly how you like it
  • Thanks to a dual boiler system, you can brew coffee and steam milk at a different temperature, which assures you get a perfect cup of coffee

Cons

  • It’s very expensive, so it’s not a great option for someone who’s just started making their own coffee 
Check Current Price

Breville Duo-Temp Pro

The Duo-Temp Pro is all about balance. For a rather affordable price, you get all the necessary features for making great espresso at home.

The name of the model is a wordplay for the auto-purge feature. What this does is it drops the temperature as soon as it’s done steaming, so that espresso brewed right after doesn’t get over-extracted and bitter. 

So even though it doesn’t have a dual boiler, this machine manages to make your steamed milk and coffee at different temperatures. This assures you always get the perfect cup.

This model is great for those who want to learn how to make espresso. With two buttons and a single knob, using the machine is pretty straightforward. And thanks to the pre-infusion feature, you’ll surely get an optimally extracted coffee each time.

For a rather compact espresso machine, the Duo-Temp Pro has quite a large dripping tray. Plus, there’s an indicator that will let you know when it’s time to empty it, so you don’t have to do that as often.

Pros

  • It’s one of the more affordable Breville models, so it’s great for newbies and those not willing to break the bank
  • The auto-purge feature allows you to brew espresso after steaming milk without getting a burnt cup of coffee
  • With a single knob and two buttons, this is one of the easier models to operate with
  • The compact design makes this machine great for small kitchens

Cons

  • There are no adjustment options, so you can’t play around with different results
Check Current Price

Breville Barista Touch

The Barista Touch is a great machine that allows you to experiment with your coffee settings without spending your whole paycheck to buy it. 

This model doesn’t have a dual boiler, so you can’t make espresso and froth milk simultaneously. 

But it does have a fast heating system, so it only takes three seconds to achieve optimal extraction temperature. In other words, you’ll have your coffee within a blink of an eye anyways with this machine.

It also features a built-in burr grinder, so you don’t need a separate machine for that. 

The touch screen makes making coffee rather simple. Adjust the coffee strength, milk texture and temperature to your preference. Then, enjoy hands-free coffee making. There are other things you can do in your kitchen in the meantime.

If you want to be even lazier, you can save up to eight personalized coffee profiles. These allow you to make your favorite cup of coffee with a single finger press. 

Pros

  • With so many drink adjustment options, you can make your coffee exactly how you like it
  • The machine features a burr grinder, so you’re killing two birds with one stone
  • ThermoJet heating system extracts your coffee in just three seconds, so you practically have the drink ready in a heartbeat
  • Personalized coffee profiles let you save up to eight of your favorite custom drinks

Cons

  • It has a quite large footprint, so it might not fit on small counters
Check Current Price

Breville Cafe Roma

If you’re an aspiring at-home barista, don’t get frustrated by the high prices of espresso makers. The Cafe Roma is a good example of a really high-quality entry-level machine that doesn’t break your bank.

Obviously, an affordable espresso maker can’t have all the bells and whistles that you see on professional machines. But it has all the features required for making proper espresso.

Being an entry-level model, the Cafe Roma is designed to be easy to use. There’s a single selector dial that allows you to set the machine to brew or steam. It doesn’t get simpler than that?

The model features a manual froth wand, so you’ll have to learn how to use it. But that won’t take more than a few tries. What’s more, manual frothing gives you more control over how your coffee turns out.

There’s one thing to keep in mind. This espresso maker is amazing for beginners as there’s practically no room to “mess up.” But if you’re no longer a newbie, this machine won’t satisfy your needs.

Pros

  • Much more affordable than other models, so it’s suitable for beginners
  • A compact blueprint makes it great for small counter spaces
  • A single dial makes this machine pretty straightforward to use
  • It’s made of stainless steel, like more expensive models, so you can rest assured the machine will last you a very long time

Cons

  • The machine doesn’t have all the fancy features pro baristas use
Check Current Price

Breville Barista Pro

The Barista Pro is one of the newer models in the Breville line. The brand took their all time favorite model Barista Express and made a few tweaks here and there. For a bit more money, you get some cool features that make brewing a perfect shot even easier.

Just like the original, the Barista Pro also features a conical burr grinder, so you can use a single machine for both grinding and brewing coffee. 

It also has digital temperature control as well as low-pressure pre-infusion, so you don’t have to worry about over extracting your coffee. 

The major upgrade is the LCD screen that shows grind size and time, as well as grinding and brewing animations. The visual guide lets you know exactly what step of the brewing process you’re on.

The Barista Pro is also faster than the original model. It feature’s an ultra-fast heater that reaches the right temperature within three seconds.This means you can make espresso for all of your guests in just a few minutes. 

Pros

  • ThermoJet heating system allows you to make espresso in just a few minutes
  • Thanks to the LCD screen, you can always see where you are in the brewing process
  • The hot water spout is pointing towards the cup, so you don’t have to move it when making Americano
  • The dose control lets you choose the right amount of grind for every cup of coffee

Cons

  • The grinder can be quite loud, which is not something you might want to listen in the morning
Check Current Price

Buying Guide – How To Choose The Right Breville Model For You

At the first glance, all of these espresso makers seem pretty similar

And sure, most of them share a lot of the same features. But it’s the little things that set them apart. 

Here are some things to pay attention to when picking the right model.

Manual VS Automatic

The first question you need to ask yourself is – how engaged do you want to be in the espresso-making process?

If you want to improve your barista skills, then manual is the way to go. With the manual machine, you’re doing everything yourself. Getting the right cup of coffee requires precision and practice. But the final result is well worth the learning curve.

Pro baristas swear by manual machines, as they have complete control over the entire brewing process. 

But I’m not going to lie, doing everything from scratch can be tiresome. And sometimes, we just don’t have enough time.

If you don’t care much about the brewing process, an automatic espresso maker is a good alternative. You just need to press a few buttons, and the machine will pull the shot for you. 

Certain models go even further, grinding and tampering with coffee grounds. This type of espresso machine is considered super-automatic, meaning it literally does the whole job so that you don’t have to. 

Super-automatic machines save you time and effort, but at the expense of adjustability. In other words, they don’t offer that much control over the brewing process.

Finally, there’s the middle ground – a semi-automatic espresso maker. This type of machine works with a press of a button, just like an automatic version. 

But the only thing that’s different is that you actually need to pull the shot. This means that you still have to be engaged in the brewing process. Plus, shot pulling takes a bit of practice.

Related reading: Best Semi Automatic Espresso Machine: Top 8 Choices

Built-In Grinder

Many Breville models feature a built-in conical burr grinder. This means that a single machine both grinds the beans and brews the coffee grounds. 

Grinding your beans right before brewing will give you the most flavorful cup. I’m not exaggerating. The grounds can lose a noticeable amount of flavor in just ten minutes! Well, a built-in grinder assures no minute gets wasted.

What’s more, a built-in grinder saves you the need of having two separate machines. And instead on wasting money on two different products, you can actually invest it all into a high-quality automatic coffee maker instead. 

Plus, a 2-in-1 machine is a space saver on your counter, isn’t it?

Of course, if you already own a grinder, there’s no need to spend more bucks on a machine with an unnecessary feature. 

Footprint

Imagine spending half of your monthly paycheck on a machine that can’t even fit on your counter. It will probably end up stored in a box underneath the counter, collecting dust.

Luckily, Breville machines come in different sizes, so you can make the choice depending on how much counter space you have. 

Related Reading: What Is The Best Cappuccino Machine?

Maintenance Features

Ideally, you should clean your machine after each use. You also need to empty out the dripping tray once it fills up. Furthermore, descaling should be on your schedule once a month to keep the espresso maker in good shape.

But just because cleaning is something you need to do on a regular basis, that doesn’t mean it’s fun. Luckily, many models have certain maintenance features that make your job a bit easier.

So for instance, the Breville Dual Boiler has an alert button that tells you when it is maintenance time. Likewise, it features a digital program that guides you through descaling step-by-step.

Several models come with a dry-pick feature, which removes excess water from the filter basket after making espresso. This makes the grounds become dry and clumped, so they’re easier to dispose of.

FAQ

Still not sure about Breville espresso machines? 

No worries, I have you covered. In this section, I’ll answer some of the most common things people are wondering about Breville machines.

Are Breville Espresso Machines Worth It?

When it comes to espresso machines, Breville is a brand at-home baristas often go to. The brand is well known for making durable and reliable espresso makers, but without the instance price tag that goes along.

Which Breville Machine Is The Best?

The Barista Express is the model that stands out the most as the perfect all-rounder. It’s a semi-automatic machine that has some great features, like a burr grinder, dose control and a hot water valve. 

It has enough functions to let you adjust your coffee, but not too many to overwhelm and confuse a beginner. 

Plus, it’s one of the more affordable Breville models, along with the Barista Pro.

How Long Do Breville Espresso Machines Last?

An espresso machine requires regular maintenance and proper use, or else it can malfunction easily. But with proper upkeep, you can expect your machine to last you more than five years. 

Of course, if a product has a manufacturing defect, it can break down regardless of how you take care of it. But these defects become obvious soon after you start using the machine.

Luckily, Breville products come with either one or two-year warranty, so you can rest assured you’ll get your money’s worth. Or at least your money back.

To Sum Things Up

Breville has some of the best espresso makers on the market today. 

But it’s the Barista Express that takes the title as their number one machine. 

It’s affordable, easy to use, and gives optimally extracted coffee each time. 

What’s more, it also comes with a burr grinder. 

It gives you everything you need to make a perfect cup of espresso.

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

As you found this post useful...

Follow us on social media!

We are sorry that this post was not useful for you!

Let us improve this post!

Tell us how we can improve this post?

Photo of author
Viktoria Marks
Viktoria is a writer and a journalist who can't imagine sitting by her computer without a large cup of java in her hand. She loves sampling coffee from all over the world as much as writing about it.