Breville Barista Express BES870XL vs Breville Barista Pro

The verdict

Breville Barista Pro is the better buy on our scoring, 7.6 to Breville Barista Express BES870XL's 6.4. It leads on shot quality & extraction and build quality & durability.

Breville Barista Express BES870XL costs $156.96 less.

Who each one suits

Breville Barista Express BES870XL

Somebody buying their first proper espresso setup who wants the grinder in the same box

Scores higher on value for money.

Breville Barista Pro

Home baristas who want a fast, all-in-one espresso machine with an integrated grinder and minimal wait time

Scores higher on shot quality & extraction, build quality & durability, steam power & milk texturing.

How they score, criterion by criterion

Both are scored the same way against the rest of their category, from what their makers publish. The weight is how much each criterion moves the total. How the score works

CriterionWeightBreville Barista Express BES870XLBreville Barista Pro
Shot Quality & Extraction22%8.59.2
Build Quality & Durability16%7.68.2
Steam Power & Milk Texturing16%6.06.5
Maintenance & Cleaning12%5.010.0
Workflow & Ergonomics12%5.08.1
Ease of Use & Learning Curve12%4.74.7
Value for Money10%6.56.4

What each one costs

Price$692.99$849.95

Where they differ

Every specification the two makers publish differently. Everything they match on is in the full table below.

Breville Barista Express BES870XLBreville Barista Pro
Brand founded—1932
Based in—Sydney, Australia
Price$692.99$849.95
Best forSomebody buying their first proper espresso setup who wants the grinder in the same boxHome baristas who want a fast, all-in-one espresso machine with an integrated grinder and minimal wait time
What sets it apartAn integrated conical burr grinder and PID temperature control in one machine, so the grind and the shot are tuned togetherThermoJet heating system reaches extraction temperature in 3 seconds and integrates Baratza European precision conical burrs with 30 grind settings in a single countertop unit.
Compared with—De'Longhi La Specialista, Gaggia Classic Pro, Jura E8
Body MaterialStainless steelBrushed stainless steel
Boiler Type—ThermoJet heating system
Bottomless Available—✓
Built in Grinder✓✓
Colour Options—Brushed stainless steel, Black Truffle, Sea Salt, Damson Blue, Black Stainless Steel, Olive Tapenade, Oyster Shell, Royal Champagne, Smoked Hickory, Red Velvet Cake, an Aboriginal Culinary Journey
Machine TypeSemi-automatic espresso machine with an integrated conical burr grinderSemi-automatic espresso machine with integrated grinder
PID control✓✓
Plumbable—✕
Portafilter Material—Stainless steel
Portafilter Size—54 mm
Power1600 W1680 W
Pre Infusion✓✓
Pressurised Basket—✓
Pump pressure—9 (extraction pressure); 15 bar pump
Pump Type—15 bar Italian pump
Shot Timer—✓
Steam Wand TypeManual steam wand for hand-textured microfoamManual steam wand
Warm-up time—3 s
Warranty1 year2 years
Water Tank—2 L
Weight10.0 kg9.49 kg

Pros and cons

From each full review, written from the same published facts as the scores above.

Breville Barista Express BES870XL
  • +An integrated conical burr grinder that doses on demand, so beans go from hopper to basket in one action
  • +PID temperature regulation and low pressure pre-infusion
  • +Stainless steel with a 1600W element, and a one-year warranty
  • +$692.99 for a grinder and machine together, just under the $699.99 category median
  • −A manual steam wand: milk is textured by hand
  • −One year of cover, where the Barista Pro and Touch publish two
  • −10kg, the heaviest machine in this category
Full Breville Barista Express BES870XL review →
Breville Barista Pro
  • +A 3-second warm-up from the ThermoJet system, against roughly 120 seconds on the Mattino
  • +A 30-setting hardened steel conical grinder, PID, and an LCD shot clock
  • +Low pressure pre-infusion then 9 bar extraction, with single and dual-wall baskets and a bottomless option available
  • +A 2 litre tank and a two-year warranty
  • −$849.95 against a $699.99 median
  • −A manual steam wand, where the Barista Touch at $987.99 automates it
  • −Not plumbable, so the tank is filled by hand
Full Breville Barista Pro review →

Every specification, side by side

Breville Barista Express BES870XLBreville Barista Pro
The maker
Brand founded—1932
Based in—Sydney, Australia
Price
Price$692.99$849.95
Who it suits
Best forSomebody buying their first proper espresso setup who wants the grinder in the same boxHome baristas who want a fast, all-in-one espresso machine with an integrated grinder and minimal wait time
What sets it apartAn integrated conical burr grinder and PID temperature control in one machine, so the grind and the shot are tuned togetherThermoJet heating system reaches extraction temperature in 3 seconds and integrates Baratza European precision conical burrs with 30 grind settings in a single countertop unit.
Compared with—De'Longhi La Specialista, Gaggia Classic Pro, Jura E8
Specifications
Automatic milk frother✕✕
Body MaterialStainless steelBrushed stainless steel
Boiler Type—ThermoJet heating system
Bottomless Available—✓
Built in Grinder✓✓
Colour Options—Brushed stainless steel, Black Truffle, Sea Salt, Damson Blue, Black Stainless Steel, Olive Tapenade, Oyster Shell, Royal Champagne, Smoked Hickory, Red Velvet Cake, an Aboriginal Culinary Journey
Machine TypeSemi-automatic espresso machine with an integrated conical burr grinderSemi-automatic espresso machine with integrated grinder
PID control✓✓
Plumbable—✕
Portafilter Material—Stainless steel
Portafilter Size—54 mm
Power1600 W1680 W
Pre Infusion✓✓
Pressurised Basket—✓
Pump pressure—9 (extraction pressure); 15 bar pump
Pump Type—15 bar Italian pump
Ships toUSUS
Ships to NoteConfirmed on Amazon US, which is where this link points. Availability in other Amazon stores has not been checked, and a regional store may substitute a different product.Confirmed on Amazon US, which is where this link points. Availability in other Amazon stores has not been checked, and a regional store may substitute a different product.
Shot Timer—✓
Steam Wand TypeManual steam wand for hand-textured microfoamManual steam wand
Warm-up time—3 s
Warranty1 year2 years
Water Tank—2 L
Weight10.0 kg9.49 kg

Breville Barista Express BES870XL vs Breville Barista Pro: common questions

Which is better, Breville Barista Express BES870XL or Breville Barista Pro?

Breville Barista Pro scores 7.6 against 6.4, both computed from published specifications rather than opinion. Breville Barista Express BES870XL is still ahead on value for money.

Is Breville Barista Express BES870XL or Breville Barista Pro cheaper?

Breville Barista Express BES870XL starts at $692.99, and Breville Barista Pro at $849.95.

Who is Breville Barista Express BES870XL for?

Somebody buying their first proper espresso setup who wants the grinder in the same box

Who is Breville Barista Pro for?

Home baristas who want a fast, all-in-one espresso machine with an integrated grinder and minimal wait time

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