I've had this almost two years now, so I figured it was time for a proper review.

If you don't want to read my in depth review but just my quick opinion and are in the market for a semi-automatic espresso maker (with grinder!), you can't beat this machine for the money it costs (especially here compared to a department store). It comes with a satisfactory grinder (anything better itself will cost you hundreds of dollars on its own), and an easy to use (and learn) espresso maker which makes good espresso, latte's, etc. (assuming you don't use garbage beans of course). Its been nearly two years and I've yet to have a problem and still works just as good as it did the day I got it.

I'll start with the cons, because there aren't many and they are very minor, picky issues.

The grinder: I find the size setting to be slightly misleading. I'd assume you could use the full range of grind sizes, but anything less than a 4 you'll have trouble pulling a shot with the proper pressure. Over time I've found I've needed to reduce the grind size more and more, but that could be to poor (lack of) regular cleaning habits because I'm lazy.

The pressure gauge. There's an "espresso range" on it which you may think anywhere in that is OK. Its not. To get a good pull you'll need to make sure it starts around at least "12:30" and ideally about "1:00" if you treat it like a clock (pointing straight up would be 12:00). Once you get a feel for the grind and how much tamp pressure to use, you'll be able to do this with regular ease after a couple weeks of use (assuming you mainly stick with one type of espresso).

The port-a-filter. Its not standard sized so it may be hard to replace. No big deal. Those interested in this probably have more "professional" machines anyways and aren't in the market for this.

Now onto the good things:

If you've never used a steam wand before, this is probably a good machine for you. Enthusiasts may say its not good or powerful enough, but its great to learn on. Its not a "double boiler" machine where you can froth milk and do the espresso at the same time, but for starter home use its great. Those double boiler machines start at 2-3 times the price of this. If you only make lattes for yourself a couple times a day (like me), its perfect. Because its doesn't use a boiler, its a little slower. That actually makes it EASIER to make perfect milk for the novice (also like me!). By the time I'm done making a latte, I've probably spent about 3 minutes. That's about 6 minutes out of my day which is quicker than waiting forever at st*rb*cks for something worse.

The grinder: Its built in. Enough said. Clean it out once in a while and you'll be fine.

Making espresso: You can adjust the temperature within 4 degrees of 200f (the factory setting). Adjust according to your taste and beans you are using (I'm not an expert, there's a ton and probably too much info out there on the subject). I keep mine at 202 as it brings out slightly better flavor for the standard bean I use. If you're using relatively fresh coffee beans, you shouldn't have much trouble pulling a decent shot.

Maintenance/cleaning: its easy to use the cleaning cycle. Don't buy the cleaning tabs or descaling solutions. Buy Cafiza tabs as they will cost you a fraction of what the Breville ones cost for regular cleaning. Dezcal can be bought for descaling also with the same cost difference. The drip tray is dishwasher safe (top shelf). I put mine in about every two weeks. In between that, I give it a good rinse when the tray is full to get rid of any grime that may have built up.

If I get 2 more years out of this, I'll be extremely happy. I've already gotten back my return on investment.

VAT non comprise malgré le descriptif (293 euros à payer en France), la machine à café ne fonctionne qu'aux US, en 120 volts. Rien n'est mentionné dans le descriptif.

The quality and given techs are good. Thank you

I’ve had this product for 7 years now, and I’ve had absolutely zero issues. I use it daily, as does my roommate, which adds up to at least 4 oz of espresso per day. Hands down, this has been the best espresso machine I’ve ever owned! 10/10, would recommend.

In terms of maintenance, I usually run a cleaning cycle every other time I refill the hopper. I could definitely be better about descaling 😅—the recommendation is every three months, but I typically do it twice a year. Changing the filter is easy, and replacements are very affordable.

Brewing is simple, and the espresso quality is amazing. It’s so easy to use that I can usually teach a friend, and they’re able to pull delicious espresso right off the bat within a few tries.

High-quality beans make a huge difference—support local roasters!

One caveat: the steam wand isn’t as powerful as commercial machines, which is to be expected from a home water-tank model. It took me a little time, but I eventually figured out how to do latte art with it.

When I first bought this machine, I purchased a large pack of Cafiza cleaning tablets and a 24-pack of descaling powder. After seven years, I’m only now running out of descaling powder—hence this review 😄.

This machine is a beast! I’m blown away by how long it has lasted. The memories of late-night espresso martinis or rainy mornings with a perfect latte have been such a joy. If you’re on the fence about durability or longevity, I hope this review gives you some peace of mind.

Esta cafetera destaca por su sólida construcción y funcionalidad. Incluye un molino ajustable que permite personalizar fácilmente la molienda según tus preferencias. Su uso es sencillo, con un adaptador que asegura que el café molido quede dentro del portafiltro sin derrames.

El vaporizador de leche hace un trabajo decente, suficiente para la mayoría de los usuarios. Aunque existen opciones con un rendimiento superior, suelen ser significativamente más costosas. Además, incluye filtros específicos para preparar café de máquina regular y te permite elaborar espressos simples o dobles con facilidad.

El depósito de agua tiene una capacidad de 1 litro e incluye un único filtro. Por ello, es recomendable adquirir un kit adicional de filtros para prolongar su utilidad. Algo a tener en cuenta es que la máquina desperdicia algo de agua, acumulándola en un contenedor interno que avisa cuando está lleno. Sin embargo, este depósito requiere vaciarse cada 10 o 15 espressos, lo que podría ser un pequeño inconveniente.

Llevo un año utilizando esta cafetera y estoy muy satisfecho. Me gusta especialmente que es fácil de mantener limpia y que incluye un tamper magnético para compactar el café, lo que le da un toque elegante y funcional.

En resumen, una excelente compra que combina calidad, diseño y practicidad a un precio razonable.

Update 9/19/2020-- The machine continues to may fantastic coffee. Enjoying some right now. One of our most used small appliances during the pandemic. Will never go back to SB again. It compares very poorly to what I can make at home now. Have run the descale cycle once because the light turned on, but I think it is set to turn on at a certain number of cycles rather than based on actual scale build up since we use RO water and scale build up is minimal. In any case, certainly does not hurt. Another tip I've got is to get yourself some disposable earplugs and set them next to the machine. The decibels during steaming can be really high and they hurt my ears. I also keep a quick read thermometer on the machine to know when my steamed milk is at the temp I like.

Update 6/17/2020: This has ended up being one of my favorite birthday presents I gotten in years. Prior to owning the machine my family had a $100/week Starbucks habit. Since purchasing this machine 4 months ago, we've spent maybe $40 at SB. With COVID19, we've been at home and using this machine several times per day. The coffee it makes has only gotten better as we've learned to calibrate it. It has more than paid for itself in a few short months. It is well designed. We drink mostly Americanos so the hot water dispenser with automatic shut off is one of my favorite features. We were able to reprogram the machine to raise the water temperature very easily. The only glitches have come with the grinder which is a bit temperamental with certain beans, but these have been minor. The coffee the machine produces is delicious with a good amount of crema. I run a cleaning table through the machine about once per month, but because we have a reverse osmosis filter on our tap, we have had no need to descale. I highly recommend using reverse osmosis filtered water in the machine to cut down on internal build up. The machine is fairly easy to clean and has a lot of nice touches like the little float indicator that tells you when you need to empty the drip tray. We also like the ability to calibrate shots. I am raising our review from 4 to 5 stars since it seems that our poor experience with the first machine we received was just luck of the draw and we really have no complaints with our current machine. It is wonderful!
Update: 2/18/2020 Amazon agreed to swap out the lemon (see original review below) for a new Breville Barista Express. It arrived today. I set it up and ran two cleaning tablets (3 cleaning cycles) before I even tried to make my first cup of espresso. I let the machine warm completely and set the grind size at 5 as suggested. Pulled my first shot and the new machine performed perfectly with the pressure reaching and staying in the middle of the gray extracting zone as it should. The shot was smooth with beautiful crema. I took the opportunity to program this shot so that it would be exactly 1 oz using my little espresso cup. I then pulled a double shot and did the same thing programming the machine to fill two of my espresso cups. Again the pressure was perfect at the level 5 grind size setting and the coffee is absolutely delicious with a beautiful smooth crema. Apparently the first machine I received was a dud. I'm glad Amazon allowed me to swap and will be sending the old one back tomorrow. I've changed my rating from 1 to 4 stars. If the new machine continues to perform as it did in its maiden voyage, I will revisit the rating and perhaps raise it to 5 stars. I highly recommend that anyone who buys one of these start off with a couple of clean/descale cycles before trying to make coffee. Save yourself a headache and a lot of wasted coffee.
Pros: Very attractive and sturdy. The hot water dispenser is super convenient for making Americanos which is what I drink. I now don't have to heat up a separate kettle of hot water. It's great. The built-in grinder is really nice and its automatic function that also allows manual operation is convenient. The programmable temperature and shot amount adjustments are great.
Cons: Because it takes so much water to keep the machine clean and operating well (it flushes itself after each use of steam or hot water) the water receptacle has to be refilled OFTEN (around every 3-4 coffees for me). I wish the machine had a bigger water tank. The drip tray also needs to be changed fairly often because the machine flushes itself, but this is does not bother me as much and it is not as often as the water tank. The grinder amounts tend to fluctuate and I'm still trying to figure out what adjustments or cleaning will might fix this. I'm not impressed with their customer service. When I tried to get help for the first unit I purchased (which ended up being defective), it took a couple of days to get a response and then that was an email with the exact same information contained in the user's manual (I guess the assumption was that I had not read it) along with a flat dismissal that there could be anything wrong with the machine. Thankfully, Amazon dealt with the problem quickly by replacing the machine so I did not have to rely on Breville. I hope that I have a better response if I ever need to contact Breville in the future.

Original review:
I've wasted almost a pound of coffee over the past day trying to get the pressure on this machine to the "espresso" level that the instructions say is required. The machine will not go beyond the "pre infusion" level. I have cleaned it with the cleaning tablet as suggested in some of the reviews and I have adjusted the grind fineness and grind amount to every combination I can think of. Both settings are currently at the maximum levels. I've tamped the coffee harder and also used less pressure. NOTHING works. Like I said, I grew up with espresso as it is a daily drink in my culture. When I was little, my mom made it a the little stovetop espresso pot. My last espresso maker was a $79 Mr. Coffee that lasted almost 7 years and made very decent coffee with a nice crema everytime. No fuss. Then it finally broke and I can't find that model. I didn't want the new models with milk receptacles. Yuck! Anyway, I thought, well if I'm going to spend over $200 on Mr. Coffee, why not just splurge and get the Breville. The coffee I've so far gotten from this machine is thin and acidic and has almost no crema. As I've said, I have tried everything suggested. The pressure gage only reached the correct level on two shots after I had just cleaned it and then it went back to barely registering. IT SHOULD NOT BE THIS DIFFICULT TO MAKE A DECENT CUP OF COFFEE! Right now I feel like all these 5 star reviews are a product of the psychological phenomenon that happens with very expensive wine, where people report it tastes better because they don't want to seem stupid for paying so much and not liking it. I will update if it turns out I'm just missing the magic key to having this thing not be a ridiculously expensive pain in my coffee loving butt. But I'm not feeling hopeful.

I am delighted with my Breville Barista Express. The machine has excellent quality and allows coffees to be prepared with flavour and texture like those in a cafeteria. The integrated grinder is very precise and adjustable, and the milk foam is perfect for cappuccinos and lattes. It is easy to use and clean, ideal for beginners and more discerning coffee lovers alike.

I was looking to get a expresso machine for a while and saw this on deal during sale. I was about to get Hibrew but for the price Breville Barista Express was available it was a no brainier. Overall excellent performance and fast delivery by Amazon and Latteholic. They even gave a free bag of beans inside the box.