Breville Barista Touch BES880BSS vs Lelit Mara X V2 PL62X
Ahead
The verdict
Breville Barista Touch BES880BSS is the better buy on our scoring, 7.6 to Lelit Mara X V2 PL62X's 6.6. It leads on steam power & milk texturing and ease of use & learning curve.
Breville Barista Touch BES880BSS costs $711.96 less.
Who each one suits
Breville Barista Touch BES880BSS
A household where more than one person makes milk drinks and nobody wants to learn to steam
Scores higher on steam power & milk texturing, ease of use & learning curve, workflow & ergonomics.
Lelit Mara X V2 PL62X
Someone ready to learn espresso properly who wants dual-boiler-like steam from a compact heat exchanger machine
Scores higher on shot quality & extraction, build quality & durability.
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 Touch BES880BSS | Lelit Mara X V2 PL62X |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shot Quality & Extraction | 22% | 6.5 | 8.1 |
| Steam Power & Milk Texturing | 16% | 7.5 | 6.5 |
| Build Quality & Durability | 16% | 8.2 | 8.7 |
| Ease of Use & Learning Curve | 12% | 7.3 | 3.3 |
| Workflow & Ergonomics | 12% | 8.8 | 6.9 |
| Maintenance & Cleaning | 12% | 10.0 | 8.3 |
| Value for Money | 10% | 5.6 | 2.9 |
What each one costs
| Price | $987.99 | $1,699.95 |
Where they differ
Every specification the two makers publish differently. Everything they match on is in the full table below.
| Breville Barista Touch BES880BSS | Lelit Mara X V2 PL62X | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $987.99 | $1,699.95 |
| Best for | A household where more than one person makes milk drinks and nobody wants to learn to steam | Someone ready to learn espresso properly who wants dual-boiler-like steam from a compact heat exchanger machine |
| What sets it apart | An automatic steam wand that sets milk temperature and texture, so the milk is not a skill you have to acquire | — |
| Automatic milk frother | ✓ | ✕ |
| Bean hopper | 227, published as 1/2 lb | — |
| Body Material | Stainless steel | Brushed stainless steel |
| Boiler | — | 1 |
| Boiler Type | ThermoJet heating system | Heat exchanger, 1.8 l AISI 316L stainless steel |
| Brew Modes | — | Two, selected by a mode button: Xmode coffee and Xmode steam. Lelit names them and does not publish what each one does |
| Built in Grinder | ✓ | ✕ |
| Burr Material | Hardened steel, conical | — |
| Colour Options | Brushed Stainless Steel, Black Truffle, Sea Salt, Damson Blue, Black Stainless Steel | Brushed Stainless Steel, Black, White |
| Made in | — | Italy |
| Custom Drinks Saved | 8, which can be named | — |
| Dimensions | 399 x 320 x 315, published as 15.7 x 12.6 x 12.4 in | 225 x 520 x 355 mm |
| Dose Grams | 18 | — |
| Extraction Pressure | 9, which Breville calls a high pressure extraction after a low pressure pre-infusion | — |
| Grind steps | 30 | — |
| Hx Detail | — | Double probe HX System with thermosyphon circulation, which Lelit describes as patent pending |
| In Box Accessories | — | Four IMS filters: a 9 to 11 g single, a 14 to 18 g double, an 18 to 21 g double and a blind filter for backflushing |
| Machine Type | Semi-automatic espresso machine with an integrated grinder and a touchscreen | Semi-automatic heat exchanger espresso machine with an L58E group |
| Milk Temperature Range | 104F to 167F, adjustable | — |
| Milk Texture Levels | 8 | — |
| PID control | — | Temperature configuration button with Warm, Hot and Extra Hot settings |
| Portafilter | 54 mm | — |
| Portafilter Size | — | 58 mm |
| Power | 1680 W | 1250 W |
| Pre Infusion | ✓ | ✓ |
| Preset Drinks | 5 | — |
| Pressure Gauge | — | ✓ |
| Pressurised Basket | — | ✕ |
| Price Note | — | Lelit's own page shows no price; $1,699.95 is an authorised dealer's price |
| Pump pressure | 15 bar | — |
| Pump Type | — | Vibration pump, described by the maker as silent |
| 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. | — |
| Starting Price Note | — | $1,699.95 on Lelit's own US store. Its international page shows no price at all |
| Steam Wand Cleaning | Automatic cleaning function for the steam wand | — |
| Steam Wand Type | Automatic | Anti-burn multidirectional steam wand |
| Tamp Type | Manual, with a removable magnetic tamper | — |
| Warm-up time | 3, which Breville publishes as the ThermoJet system reaching extraction temperature | 1440, published as 24 minutes |
| Warranty | 2 years | 1 year |
| Water Tank | 1.98, published as 67 oz | 2.5 L |
| Weight | 9.9 kg | 18.5 kg |
Pros and cons
From each full review, written from the same published facts as the scores above.
Breville Barista Touch BES880BSS
- +Hands-free milk texturing with 8 texture levels and a temperature you choose between 104F and 167F.
- +A 30-setting hardened steel conical grinder built in, dosing to Breville's stated 18g.
- +ThermoJet heating that Breville publishes as reaching extraction temperature in 3 seconds.
- +Two-year warranty, double the one year Breville gives the Barista Express and the Infuser.
- +Five preset drinks plus eight you can create, name and save.
- −$999.95, which buys a super-automatic that also pulls the shot for you.
- −A 54mm portafilter, not the 58mm commercial size, so accessories are less interchangeable.
- −The tamp is still manual, so the one step most likely to ruin a shot is left to you.
- −Breville publishes no pre-infusion pressure and no shot volumes, only the 9 bar extraction.
Lelit Mara X V2 PL62X
- +A 1.8 l AISI 316L stainless steel heat exchanger boiler, so brewing and steaming are both ready without waiting between them.
- +Warm, Hot and Extra Hot temperature settings on one button, simple enough to use from day one.
- +IMS precision baskets for single, double and 18 to 21 g doses, plus a blind basket for cleaning.
- +Double manometer showing pump and steam pressure, and mechanical pre-infusion.
- +Brushed stainless steel body, made in Italy, in a compact 225 mm wide footprint.
- −Lelit states a 24 minute warm-up, far longer than a thermoblock or ThermoJet machine.
- −No grinder, so a capable espresso grinder has to be budgeted on top.
- −An authorised dealer lists a 1 year warranty, shorter than the 2 years common on automatic machines, and Lelit's page does not state one.
- −Three temperature positions rather than a numeric readout, which limits fine control.
Every specification, side by side
| Breville Barista Touch BES880BSS | Lelit Mara X V2 PL62X | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ||
| Price | $987.99 | $1,699.95 |
| Who it suits | ||
| Best for | A household where more than one person makes milk drinks and nobody wants to learn to steam | Someone ready to learn espresso properly who wants dual-boiler-like steam from a compact heat exchanger machine |
| What sets it apart | An automatic steam wand that sets milk temperature and texture, so the milk is not a skill you have to acquire | — |
| Specifications | ||
| Automatic milk frother | ✓ | ✕ |
| Bean hopper | 227, published as 1/2 lb | — |
| Body Material | Stainless steel | Brushed stainless steel |
| Boiler | — | 1 |
| Boiler Type | ThermoJet heating system | Heat exchanger, 1.8 l AISI 316L stainless steel |
| Brew Modes | — | Two, selected by a mode button: Xmode coffee and Xmode steam. Lelit names them and does not publish what each one does |
| Built in Grinder | ✓ | ✕ |
| Burr Material | Hardened steel, conical | — |
| Colour Options | Brushed Stainless Steel, Black Truffle, Sea Salt, Damson Blue, Black Stainless Steel | Brushed Stainless Steel, Black, White |
| Made in | — | Italy |
| Custom Drinks Saved | 8, which can be named | — |
| Dimensions | 399 x 320 x 315, published as 15.7 x 12.6 x 12.4 in | 225 x 520 x 355 mm |
| Dose Grams | 18 | — |
| Extraction Pressure | 9, which Breville calls a high pressure extraction after a low pressure pre-infusion | — |
| Grind steps | 30 | — |
| Hx Detail | — | Double probe HX System with thermosyphon circulation, which Lelit describes as patent pending |
| In Box Accessories | — | Four IMS filters: a 9 to 11 g single, a 14 to 18 g double, an 18 to 21 g double and a blind filter for backflushing |
| Machine Type | Semi-automatic espresso machine with an integrated grinder and a touchscreen | Semi-automatic heat exchanger espresso machine with an L58E group |
| Milk Temperature Range | 104F to 167F, adjustable | — |
| Milk Texture Levels | 8 | — |
| PID control | — | Temperature configuration button with Warm, Hot and Extra Hot settings |
| Portafilter | 54 mm | — |
| Portafilter Size | — | 58 mm |
| Power | 1680 W | 1250 W |
| Pre Infusion | ✓ | ✓ |
| Preset Drinks | 5 | — |
| Pressure Gauge | — | ✓ |
| Pressurised Basket | — | ✕ |
| Price Note | — | Lelit's own page shows no price; $1,699.95 is an authorised dealer's price |
| Pump pressure | 15 bar | — |
| Pump Type | — | Vibration pump, described by the maker as silent |
| 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. | — |
| Starting Price Note | — | $1,699.95 on Lelit's own US store. Its international page shows no price at all |
| Steam Wand Cleaning | Automatic cleaning function for the steam wand | — |
| Steam Wand Type | Automatic | Anti-burn multidirectional steam wand |
| Tamp Type | Manual, with a removable magnetic tamper | — |
| Warm-up time | 3, which Breville publishes as the ThermoJet system reaching extraction temperature | 1440, published as 24 minutes |
| Warranty | 2 years | 1 year |
| Water Tank | 1.98, published as 67 oz | 2.5 L |
| Weight | 9.9 kg | 18.5 kg |
Breville Barista Touch BES880BSS vs Lelit Mara X V2 PL62X: common questions
Which is better, Breville Barista Touch BES880BSS or Lelit Mara X V2 PL62X?
Breville Barista Touch BES880BSS scores 7.6 against 6.6, both computed from published specifications rather than opinion. Lelit Mara X V2 PL62X is still ahead on shot quality & extraction.
Is Breville Barista Touch BES880BSS or Lelit Mara X V2 PL62X cheaper?
Breville Barista Touch BES880BSS starts at $987.99, and Lelit Mara X V2 PL62X at $1,699.95.
Who is Breville Barista Touch BES880BSS for?
A household where more than one person makes milk drinks and nobody wants to learn to steam
Who is Lelit Mara X V2 PL62X for?
Someone ready to learn espresso properly who wants dual-boiler-like steam from a compact heat exchanger machine
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