Breville Barista Express BES870XL vs La Marzocco Linea Micra
Ahead
The verdict
Breville Barista Express BES870XL is narrowly ahead, 6.4 to La Marzocco Linea Micra's 6.3. It leads on build quality & durability and ease of use & learning curve.
Breville Barista Express BES870XL costs $3,807.01 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 build quality & durability, ease of use & learning curve, value for money.
La Marzocco Linea Micra
Commercial-grade temperature stability from dual boilers and an integrated group, in a machine small enough for a home counter
Scores higher on steam power & milk texturing, maintenance & cleaning, workflow & ergonomics.
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
| Criterion | Weight in category | Breville Barista Express BES870XL | La Marzocco Linea Micra |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shot Quality & Extraction | 22% | 8.5 | 8.5 |
| Steam Power & Milk Texturing | 16% | 6.0 | 8.5 |
| Build Quality & Durability | 16% | 7.6 | 6.4 |
| Maintenance & Cleaning | 12% | 5.0 | 7.5 |
| Ease of Use & Learning Curve | 12% | 4.7 | 2.7 |
| Workflow & Ergonomics | 12% | 5.0 | 6.9 |
| Value for Money | 10% | 6.5 | 1.1 |
What each one costs
| Price | $692.99 | $4,500.00 |
Where they differ
Every specification the two makers publish differently. Everything they match on is in the full table below.
| Breville Barista Express BES870XL | La Marzocco Linea Micra | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $692.99 | $4,500.00 |
| Best for | Somebody buying their first proper espresso setup who wants the grinder in the same box | Commercial-grade temperature stability from dual boilers and an integrated group, in a machine small enough for a home counter |
| What sets it apart | An integrated conical burr grinder and PID temperature control in one machine, so the grind and the shot are tuned together | — |
| App Connected | — | ✓ |
| Body Material | Stainless steel | — |
| Boiler | — | 2 |
| Boiler Type | — | Dual boiler: 0.25 l coffee boiler and 1.6 l steam boiler |
| Brew Activation | — | Brew paddle working an electric switch |
| Built in Grinder | ✓ | ✕ |
| Colour Options | — | Blue, Brushed Stainless Steel, Crème, Light Grey, White, Black, Stainless Steel, Red, Light Blue |
| Made in | — | Italy. La Marzocco USA states Handmade in Florence across its site, though not on this machine's own page |
| Dimensions | — | 292 x 457 x 330 (W x D x H), published as 11.5 x 18 x 13 in |
| Hot Water Spout | — | ✓ |
| In Box Accessories | — | 14 g and 17 g baskets, cleaning basket, convex tamper, convertible portafilter, Purocaf cleaning solution, 12 oz pitcher, installation and user guide |
| Machine Type | Semi-automatic espresso machine with an integrated conical burr grinder | Semi-automatic dual boiler home espresso machine with an integrated group head, a scaled-down Linea Classic S |
| PID control | ✓ | ✓ |
| Plumbable | — | Optional; the self-contained 2 l reservoir means plumbing in is not required |
| Portafilter Size | — | 58 mm |
| Portafilter Type | — | Convertible portafilter that changes between single spout, double spout and bottomless |
| Power | 1600 W | 1600, at 110 V |
| Pre Infusion | ✓ | — |
| Pump Type | — | Rotary vane pump |
| Ships to | US | — |
| Ships to Note | 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. | — |
| Steam Wand Type | Manual steam wand for hand-textured microfoam | Manual insulated steam wand, cool to the touch |
| Warm-up time | — | 300, published as about 5 minutes on La Marzocco's own Linea Mini against Linea Micra comparison rather than on the product page |
| Warranty | 1 year | 1, published as a 12 month parts and labor warranty |
| Water Tank | — | 2 L |
| Weight | 10.0 kg | 19.1, published as 42 lb |
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
La Marzocco Linea Micra
- +Two boilers, a 0.25 l coffee boiler and a 1.6 l steam boiler, so brewing and steaming never compete.
- +PID control with full temperature adjustment, and an integrated group that La Marzocco credits for commercial-grade temperature stability.
- +La Marzocco Home app for temperature, auto-backflush and a daily on and off schedule.
- +A convertible portafilter that changes between single spout, double spout and bottomless, plus a hot water spout and an insulated steam wand.
- +Nine finishes on La Marzocco's US page, from Stainless Steel and Black to Red, Light Blue and Crème.
- −$4,500.00 is the highest price of any espresso machine on this site, and it does not include a grinder.
- −La Marzocco's US page does not publish pump pressure or a warranty period.
- −Baskets are 14 g and 17 g only, so anyone dosing 18 g or more needs to buy a larger basket.
- −The 0.25 l coffee boiler is small, which suits a home but is not built for making drinks for a crowd back to back.
Every specification, side by side
| Breville Barista Express BES870XL | La Marzocco Linea Micra | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ||
| Price | $692.99 | $4,500.00 |
| Who it suits | ||
| Best for | Somebody buying their first proper espresso setup who wants the grinder in the same box | Commercial-grade temperature stability from dual boilers and an integrated group, in a machine small enough for a home counter |
| What sets it apart | An integrated conical burr grinder and PID temperature control in one machine, so the grind and the shot are tuned together | — |
| Specifications | ||
| App Connected | — | ✓ |
| Automatic milk frother | ✕ | ✕ |
| Body Material | Stainless steel | — |
| Boiler | — | 2 |
| Boiler Type | — | Dual boiler: 0.25 l coffee boiler and 1.6 l steam boiler |
| Brew Activation | — | Brew paddle working an electric switch |
| Built in Grinder | ✓ | ✕ |
| Colour Options | — | Blue, Brushed Stainless Steel, Crème, Light Grey, White, Black, Stainless Steel, Red, Light Blue |
| Made in | — | Italy. La Marzocco USA states Handmade in Florence across its site, though not on this machine's own page |
| Dimensions | — | 292 x 457 x 330 (W x D x H), published as 11.5 x 18 x 13 in |
| Hot Water Spout | — | ✓ |
| In Box Accessories | — | 14 g and 17 g baskets, cleaning basket, convex tamper, convertible portafilter, Purocaf cleaning solution, 12 oz pitcher, installation and user guide |
| Machine Type | Semi-automatic espresso machine with an integrated conical burr grinder | Semi-automatic dual boiler home espresso machine with an integrated group head, a scaled-down Linea Classic S |
| PID control | ✓ | ✓ |
| Plumbable | — | Optional; the self-contained 2 l reservoir means plumbing in is not required |
| Portafilter Size | — | 58 mm |
| Portafilter Type | — | Convertible portafilter that changes between single spout, double spout and bottomless |
| Power | 1600 W | 1600, at 110 V |
| Pre Infusion | ✓ | — |
| Pump Type | — | Rotary vane pump |
| Ships to | US | — |
| Ships to Note | 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. | — |
| Steam Wand Type | Manual steam wand for hand-textured microfoam | Manual insulated steam wand, cool to the touch |
| Warm-up time | — | 300, published as about 5 minutes on La Marzocco's own Linea Mini against Linea Micra comparison rather than on the product page |
| Warranty | 1 year | 1, published as a 12 month parts and labor warranty |
| Water Tank | — | 2 L |
| Weight | 10.0 kg | 19.1, published as 42 lb |
Breville Barista Express BES870XL vs La Marzocco Linea Micra: common questions
Which is better, Breville Barista Express BES870XL or La Marzocco Linea Micra?
Breville Barista Express BES870XL scores 6.4 against 6.3, both computed from published specifications rather than opinion. La Marzocco Linea Micra is still ahead on steam power & milk texturing.
Is Breville Barista Express BES870XL or La Marzocco Linea Micra cheaper?
Breville Barista Express BES870XL starts at $692.99, and La Marzocco Linea Micra at $4,500.00.
Who is Breville Barista Express BES870XL for?
Somebody buying their first proper espresso setup who wants the grinder in the same box
Who is La Marzocco Linea Micra for?
Commercial-grade temperature stability from dual boilers and an integrated group, in a machine small enough for a home counter
Keep comparing
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More La Marzocco Linea Micra matchups
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