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Business Insider
23-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
The best Breville espresso machines
Perfecting a home-pulled espresso shot is no easy feat, but Breville offers a wide range of machines that give varying degrees of assistance, whether you're just starting out or looking to upgrade your setup. With thoughtful design, quality components, and a range of automation options, Breville stands out in the prosumer space for striking the right balance between ease of use and café-level performance. As a barista and coffee roaster, I've worked with a wide variety of espresso machines both at home and behind the bar. I've reviewed several Breville machines for Business Insider, including the entry-level Bambino and the tech-forward Oracle Jet. For this guide, I've compared a range of models to help you choose the best Breville machine for your budget and experience level. For most people, the Barista Pro offers the best value and performance. If you're just getting started, the Bambino is an affordable and reliable option to learn the ropes. Breville makes great espresso machines, but there are plenty of other worthy options out there. For more of our top picks, check out our guides to the best espresso machines and best budget espresso machines. Our top picks for Breville espresso machines Best overall Breville Barista Pro Equipped with Breville's Smart Grinder Pro and everything you need to make espresso save for the beans, the Breville Barista Pro is among the easiest and fastest ways you can get a close-to-café-quality pour at home. Check price at Amazon Check price at Best Buy Check price at Williams Sonoma The Barista Pro offers the best combination of performance, features, and value in Breville's lineup. It comes equipped with a built-in Baratza conical burr grinder with 30 grind settings, lightning-fast heat-up speeds thanks to Breville's ThermoJet heating system, and precise dosing. It was a close call between the Barista Pro and the Express Impress, which is about $50 less, but the Pro ultimately wins out thanks to its higher-quality grinder with more adjustment steps. That extra precision goes a long way when dialing in your shot. The steam wand is fully manual, giving you complete control over milk texture, and the intuitive LCD screen provides straightforward controls for grinding and pulling shots, including dosing presets for single and double baskets that can be adjusted to taste. While the Pro doesn't automate tamping like the Impress line, the improved grinder and dosing precision give you everything you need to fine-tune your espresso. The ThermoJet system recovers quickly between shots, and cleaning is simple with on-screen maintenance prompts. It's an ideal machine for anyone who wants to grow their skills and values speed and control, without going fully automatic. Best budget If you're looking for a more affordable way to start making espresso at home, the Bambino is Breville's most budget-friendly machine, and one of the best values in the category overall. It doesn't come with a built-in grinder or any automation for dosing or milk frothing, so you'll need a separate grinder and a bit of patience. But once your setup is dialed in, the Bambino consistently pulls smooth, full-bodied shots. Its compact footprint makes it perfect for small kitchens, and the simple four-button interface is intuitive right out of the box. The manual steam wand is surprisingly powerful for its size and can produce both traditional cappuccino foam and silky microfoam with a little practice. For beginners who are open to learning a hands-on workflow, the Bambino is a fantastic entry point, and having a separate grinder leaves room to upgrade without needing to replace the espresso machine itself. Best splurge Dialing in espresso — the process of tweaking variables until you get the perfect brew — is one of the steepest learning curves in home brewing, and the Oracle Jet makes that process feel intuitive and approachable. When I tested the machine, I was impressed by how well the touchscreen interface walked me through every step, from grind adjustment to extraction timing. The Oracle Jet automates dosing, tamping, and milk steaming, and it includes preset recipes for classic drinks like lattes, cappuccinos, and flat whites. While you still need to adjust the grind size manually, the Oracle gives real-time feedback to help you get within the ideal brew time range. The built-in grinder features high-quality Baratza burrs with 45 fine-tuning steps — enough range to dial in everything from light to dark roasts. For anyone who wants café-style drinks without the research rabbit hole, the Oracle Jet removes most of the guesswork and delivers consistent, delicious results. Best for advanced users Breville Dual Broiler The Breville Dual Boiler is a high-performance espresso machine designed for advanced users who want full control over their coffee workflow. With dual heating elements, PID temperature control, and a customizable interface, it delivers café-level precision for brewing and steaming simultaneously. Check price at Amazon Check price at Breville Check price at Sur La Table What we like Dual boilers allow simultaneous brewing and steaming Highly customizable settings for temperature, shot timing, and volume PID temperature control ensures stability and precision If you want full control over every part of your espresso workflow, the Dual Boiler is Breville's most capable and customizable machine. Unlike Breville's ThermoJet-based models, this machine features two separate heating elements for brewing and steaming, which means you can pull a shot and steam milk at the same time without waiting for temperature recovery. (To learn more about the difference between a boiler and Breville's ThermoJet heating system, check out the FAQ below.) It also includes a pressure gauge and PID-controlled temperature adjustments. The minimal LCD interface gives you access to customizable shot timing, brew temperature, and volumetric settings, making it ideal for experienced users who like to fine-tune their espresso. The lack of a built-in grinder is actually a plus here: you're free to pair it with a grinder of your choice and upgrade over time. If you're chasing the kind of precision you'd find in a café setup, the Dual Boiler gives you the tools to get there. Every Breville espresso machine, compared Breville makes 11 different espresso machines, ranging in price from $300 to $2,800. The lineup spans a wide range of automation, from fully manual to nearly hands-free, and can be overwhelming to sort through. The Barista models come with a built-in grinder, the Impress line adds assisted tamping, and the Oracle machines offer advanced automation with touchscreen controls. We've broken down the key differences between each model below. Model Best for Price Built-in grinder Digital interface Heating system Milk frother Tamping Dosing Bambino Budget-conscious, hands-on users $299.95 None None ThermoJet Manual Manual N/A Bambino Plus Hands-on users who want easy milk steaming $499.95 None None ThermoJet Automatic Manual N/A Barista Extress Hands-on users who want an all-in-one and mild control over grind settings $699.95 Breville burrs, 16-step adjustment None Thermocoil Manual Manual Manual Barista Express Impress Beginner to advanced users who want an assisted workflow $799.95 Breville burrs, 25-step adjustment None Thermocoil Manual Automatic Assisted Barista Pro Beginner to advanced hands-on users who want more control over grind settings $849.95 Baratza burrs, 30-step adjustment LCD ThermoJet Automatic Manual Assisted Barista Touch Beginner to advanced users who want a guided, semiautomatic workflow with touchscreen convenience $999.95 Breville burrs, 30-step adjustment Touchscreen ThermoJet Automatic Manual Automatic Barista Touch Impress Beginner to advanced users who want more control over grind settings and more automated workflow $1,499.95 Breville burrs, 30-step adjustment Touchscreen ThermoJet Automatic Automatic Automatic Dual Boiler Advanced hands-on users who want room to tinker with the machine $1,599.95 None LCD Dual boiler Manual N/A N/A Oracle Jet Absolute beginners to advanced users who want automation and quality $1,999.95 Breville burrs, 45-step adjustment Touchscreen ThermoJet Automatic Automatic Automatic Oracle Intermediate to advanced users who want expedited workflow and simultaneous brew and steam $2,199.95 Breville burrs, 45-step adjustment LCD Dual boiler Automatic Automatic Automatic Oracle Touch Absolute beginners to advanced users who want near-full automation and simultaneous brew and steam $2,799.95 Breville burrs, 45-step adjustment Touchscreen Dual boiler Automatic Automatic Automatic FAQs What's the difference between Breville's ThermoJet, Thermocoil, and traditional boilers? Breville's ThermoJet system flash-heats a small volume of water in just 3 seconds, allowing for near-instant startup and quick recovery between brews. It's the fastest and most energy-efficient heating system in Breville's lineup. The Thermocoil system, found in slightly older models like the Barista Express, works similarly by heating water as it flows through a metal coil inside an aluminum block. It's slower to heat up (about 30 to 60 seconds) and less efficient than ThermoJet, but it still offers decent thermal stability for home use. Traditional boilers heat a full reservoir of water and take longer to warm up, but they offer greater thermal stability, especially when pulling back-to-back shots or steaming milk. A single boiler machine uses the same boiler to heat water for both brewing and steaming, which means you can only do one at a time. After pulling a shot, you have to wait a few seconds for the machine to come to temperature before steaming milk (or vice versa). A dual boiler, on the other hand, has separate boilers for each task, so you can brew and steam simultaneously. How long do Breville espresso machines typically last? With regular maintenance, Breville espresso machines typically last 5 to 10 years. All models come with a minimum 1-year warranty (most have 2 years), and replacement parts are available for repairs. Machines like the Dual Boiler, which are more modular and serviceable, may last even longer with proper care. What kind of maintenance is required for Breville machines? You should backflush your machine regularly (with the included cleaning disc), purge and wipe down the steam wand after every use, and run the built-in descaling cycle periodically, depending on your water hardness. Breville includes descaling solution and other cleaning tools with most models, and even entry-level machines come with clear instructions to help keep everything running smoothly. Are Breville espresso machines good for beginners? Yes. Breville machines are designed with accessibility in mind, and many models, like the Barista Express Impress and Oracle Jet, offer guided workflows and automation to help beginners brew great espresso with minimal trial and error. Even the more manual models like the Bambino are easy to set up and come with all the tools you need to get started. Should I get a single or dual boiler model? For most home users, Breville's ThermoJet and Thermocoil machines are more than enough; they just require a quick wait when switching between brewing and steaming. If you want to steam milk and brew at the same time or fine-tune your shot with more precision, the Dual Boiler is worth the investment.
Tom's Guide
26-05-2025
- Business
- Tom's Guide
The Breville Barista Pro espresso machine is shockingly cheap today — get that caffeine
If you're in the market for one of the best espresso machines, you know they're pricey. You are also probably aware that Breville makes some of the most beloved espresso machines money can buy — the Breville Barista Pro among them. Right now, you can save an impressive $250 on the Breville Barista Pro espresso machine, bringing the price down to $599. While that might sound high, considering the $849 price tag it usually carries, you can't help but be impressed with this all-time low price. This high-end espresso machine has been well-reviewed by Amazon shoppers, with many citing how good the drinks it produces end up. The nifty screen makes fine-tuning the grind and other aspects of your coffee easier than some other machines, and the built-in grinder will save you more money because you won't need to buy one separately. This espresso machine has a cool LCD with grinding and extracting progress animations so you can tell how your drink is coming along. It takes the guesswork out of the process, which is critical for newer espresso makers. Of course, the screen doesn't make everything automatic, as the powerful steam wand lets you fine-tune the milk foam to your exact preferences. Just like when you head to your local Starbucks and tell them how much foam and steamed milk you want, you can do that yourself. I have the Barista Express Espresso Machine and I love it. It's not quite as nice as the Barista Pro Espresso Machine on sale today. In fact, I wish I had held out for this deal, as the screen would have made learning to make a good drink a little easier (I've mostly figured it out now, but there was a learning curve for sure). Either way, with the all-time low price, anyone who's been on the fence about getting a good espresso machine can rest easy knowing they're getting the best possible deal. And if you want more Memorial Day deals, check out our live report covering the biggest sales and deals as they happen.
