Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine BES870XL. Brushed Stainless Steel

I stepped up from a $50.00 machine to this and absolutely love it. Worth the money and my espresso I make is as good as any place I used to pay for. Down side is I can’t sleep due to all I drink now. lol

After watching 100s of reels featuring this beautiful machine, I decided to bite the bullet. While I probably already have many years worth of microplastics in my body due to K-cup use, I like to pretend that my daily Breville homemade lattes have cured me. If you’re intimidated by the thought of having a somewhat professional style espresso machine, no worries. There are tons of tutorials on YouTube and social media and you’ll be a home barista in no time. It’s very easy to use - and clean. Like any other appliance, it’s important to keep it clean and well maintained and it’ll last for years to come.

I dragged my feet on making this purchase for the long time. To say my wife and I love coffee is a huge understatement. I had been looking for and researching espresso machines for months, and finally decided on the Breville and I made the best decision. It does take some getting used to in order to learn all the functions of the machine. It does not take up too much room and the build quality seems to be top notch. The capacity is great and we have made about 8 drinks and only gone through 1/4 of the espresso beans and maybe half the water in the tank.

But let's get to the important stuff. The coffee. The espresso is absolutely amazing. I had to play around with the grind size, and amount a little bit in order to perfect it, but once I did, our espresso's are perfection. It's like an art now making a great latte and I love that, as it makes you enjoy your coffee all the more. If you are dragging your feet on this, stop waiting and go for it.

Just because it is such a huge investment, I did purchase the three year warranty. It was less than a 10th of the cost of the machine, so I feel like it will be worth it in the event anything does happen.

What a joy! Espresso drinks made easy. I've had this machine now for just over 9 years. Still going strong. Not one problem. I have other Breville brand appliances. Top of the line. Pay more get more!

First of all , we love the machine. Great coffee and we are saving tons of money compared to going to Starbucks. The bean hopper can be a little fussy feeding the grinder. A quick stir of the beans is usually enough. The steam switch went bad to the point we have to hold it in place. We are working with customer service and things seem to be going smoothly. Will update when it is resolved.
UPDATE-We sent the unit back after they sent us packing material and a pre-paid shipping label. Less than 2 weeks later, a repaired unit showed up at our door. 5 star service. 5 star review.

Worth Every Penny, in my opinion! Purchased in December 2024 and not knowing anything about Espresso Machines, I wanted to wait before leaving a review. First, I am not a Barista, but my wife and I do frequent coffee shops, and we were tired of paying $7 for a Latte. After a little research and a little practice, this machine has paid for itself in less than 2 months. We wake up and enjoy our Lattes every day and our friends enjoy it after dinners or at partys. This Machine is easy to learn and maintain. 5 stars all the way!!!

I can't praise this espresso maker enough! I did take me a couple of days to dial in the correct amount of grounds and grind size, but once I nailed it each cup is absoulutely delicious. I'm using dark roast French coffee, very oily, so the beans sometimes get caught up in the grinder, but overall this machine is a game changer.

Perfection at this price point!!. After trying different coffee, machines and graduating from French press to a aero press to a Moka pot, and various other machines, I finally settled on the Breville. What set the Breville barista apart , is that for this price point it produces a perfect cup of espresso, the built-in grinder and the ability to dial-in the dosage and the settings, make brewing a perfect cup of espresso, specially a consistent cup of espresso at breeze. The built-in pressure indicator guides even a novice on how to correctly pull that perfect shot. I have used this machine for over two years now, and I have absolutely no complaints. Most importantly, a machine can only go so far ….and it’s the quality of the beans and the freshness of the beans that is far more important to the final taste.

so do yourself a favor and buy the this machine. If you want a better cup of coffee, you might have to spend twice or twice this price point.

This machine has spoilt me to the extent where very rarely can I find a cup of coffee outside that even comes close to what I can brew at home. It will pay for itself in less than a year.

I was hesitant to buy this. I have had a Rancilio for the last 10 years. I was definitely impressed with its lasting power, and I thought about buying another one. But at almost half the price, this machine certainly intrigued me. I am SO glad I bought this.

I would definitely recommend buying a scale that can measure in grams to then10th of a gram, just so you can dial this machine in. Realize that different beans will require different adjustments to the settings.

It took me about three shots to dial in to the right amount of espresso. The combination of bean weight to espresso weight, as well as the timing of the shot and the pressure, are all important. It may sound complicated, but there are LOTS of videos out there that make it easy to understand. You can also download the BILT app and find this machine. It has step by step instructions for everything!

So, after three shots and getting dialed in, OH MY GAWD! This thing made the best espresso I have ever had in my life. My wife was stunned as well. I LOVE this machine. And honestly, dialing it in is pretty fun. I recommend this Breville without hesitation.

Why I Purchased: The espresso machine was purchased to provide coffee shop-quality drinks at home during COVID. It was recommended based on web reviews, and the features suited our needs with a built-in grinder.
Pros:
All-in-One Functionality: The integrated grinder included with the machine is efficient. Freshly ground beans have a noticeable difference in flavor, and it minimizes countertop clutter. It is convenient for grinding two types of coffee beans and grinds.
Cafe-Quality at Home: This machine produces rich, flavorful espresso shots with crema.
Intuitive and Customizable: The Barista Express is user-friendly and allows adjustments to grind size (even micro adjustments), dose, and extraction time for optimal results.
Cons:
Learning Curve: Mastering espresso with this machine requires time and practice, with some initial imperfect shots.
Noise: The grinder can be loud, which may be disruptive for light sleepers or kids during nap times.
Maintenance: Regular cleaning and maintenance are required to keep the machine functioning well, adding extra effort to the routine.
Final Summary & Recommendation (5 Stars):
The Breville Barista Express is an effective espresso machine that enhances the home coffee experience. Its integrated grinder, ability to produce high-quality espresso, and customizable settings are beneficial. Despite the learning curve and noise issues, the machine's capabilities outweigh these drawbacks. For those seeking quality, customized coffee drinks at home, the Barista Express is a worthwhile investment.

I absolutely love my Breville Barista Express! I now enjoy lattes right at home and look forward to it every morning, it truly makes me happy. I now have less of an urge to order fancy drinks at the coffee shops. Also it’s fun to show it off to guests and family when they visit, they always get excited when I offer them a latte in the morning!
I was eyeballing this machine for a long time before buying, got it for $560. It goes on sale every now and then, so I’d suggest waiting and not paying the $750 price tag. It’s a lot of money but in the long run it’s worth it and you’ll get a lot of use out of it if you’re a coffee lover. If you frequent coffee shops often needing that special coffee fix that makes you happy and functional, over time this will pay for itself if it helps you stray away from the $6-$9 fancy drinks! You’ll be able to make those drinks right at home.
At first, it was very difficult to operate and all my espresso shots were coming out awful, the needle never within the right espresso range and coming out way too fast. Beans have to be the right grind size (which you will have to play around with it every time you buy new beans, with trying many different beans I’ve always stayed on the finer grind size between 1-3) and the tamping has to be the right amount of pressure. But it just takes time, practice and patience, eventually it just becomes natural so don’t worry!
I’d expect it to last a long time with the proper cleaning and care. I’ve had it about 2 years and use it usually 4-5 days a week. It will let you know when it needs to be cleaned or descaled, it comes with a couple tablets to clean it with and a descaling packet (which it hasn’t notified me yet about needing to descale). I use Reverse Osmosis water always, so I never felt the need to insert the water filter. And I’d recommend every so often cleaning/brushing out the built up grounds in the grinder.
It looks very aesthetically pleasing, pairs perfectly with my Breville Smart Oven. Looks and feels great quality. I had a cheap Delonghi espresso machine before to start out with but quickly grew eager to get a better machine. Very happy with my upgrade!

To save some of you a bunch of reading, I'll cut to the chase first: I knew nothing about making good espresso drinks before buying this machine, and after a year and a half I still use it everyday, and I absolutely love it.

A bit of background. I grew tired of the daily trips to the cafe for an espresso, and doubly so with the cost. Drink plus tip was usually around 10 dollars a day, at least 5 days a week. I wanted to make my own, but I knew absolutely nothing about extracting espresso, the machines, or any of the science-y stuff behind it. I did a TON of research on machines, as there is a fairly wide variety of options for the consumer. I was initially put off by the cost of some of the upper tier machines, but after some digging, and learning, I found The Breville Barista Express (BBE) which seemed to be a well made machine, with great reviews, but still pretty expensive for a "coffee machine". Of course, my perspective on that has changed considerably.

Review!

The machine is well made. I can say for sure that it's durable, and probably built to last longer than the parts inside of it. Fairly heavy, but perhaps more just given its shape, and how the weight is distributed. I, personally, like the aesthetic of the machine in black, so I chose the black model. At first glance and a once over, you'll notice that it's not a cheaply made product, and already begin to feel better about the cost.

The control panel was more user-friendly than I had initially thought. I absolutely believe they had the novice in mind when designing the interface. Although the controls are pretty straightforward, and explained in the user manual, some people learn processes better by seeing rather than reading, and I'm one of those people. If you are also, Breville produced a series of how-to-use videos on their youtube channel, and I also believe they are on Breville's website as well. These videos are very to-the-point, and incredibly helpful learning the ins-and-outs of the various options on the machine. They absolutely give the end user plenty of support with regard to understanding how to use the machine. For people, like me, who knew nothing about espresso machines, it was nice SEEING the steps and process in real time.

Customer Support is fantastic. After about 3 months of having it in the house, a large industrial staple found its way into the grinder. Presumably from a bag of beans. Tbh I'm not sure how it got in there. In any case, it messed up the grinder so bad that I had to send the machine into Breville for repair and service. I had called their number, and the CSR asked for some general details, and without any fuss, sent out return packaging, which I received in 2 days, I shipped it out the day I got the packaging, and my machine was returned to me, in working order, without cost, 7 days later.

The machine isn't without shortcomings, but in my novice opinion, they're pretty minor.

1. The water reservoir is pretty small.
2. A second portafilter would be a terrific add. (bought a second on ebay)
3. Drip tray doesn't hold much.
4. Steam/hot water knob design could use improvement with a bit of leverage. (3rd party options)
5. Should come with a dosing cup that fits the portafilter (3rd party options)

All in all, the machine is fantastic. I am by no means an expert, but my drinks are good enough to keep me from going to cafe everyday, and my wife also seems to enjoy them.

One note for novices, this machine does simplify the process, but there is still some required learning you will need to do in order to get the best results out of this machine. It isn't hard, but will probably take you a half a bag of beans to really dial in, and get right.

Cheers!

This $800 investment will save you so much money in the long run.... over the course of 4 years you can save A TON. (up to 10k+ if you have 2 $7 drinks everyday)

Only 1 coffee every work day is 5 coffees a week.
52 weeks is 260 coffees a year.
Most people spend avg $7 on a latte.
Thats $1820 a year on just coffee.
Most people have a coffee every SINGLE day ($2548/year), and some people have 2 per day ($5096/year)

Lets say you buy the machine:

Lets say you go through 2lbs of coffee a month, ($312/year at 13 dollars a pound.)
Lets say you go through 3G of milk a week ($180/year at 5 dollars a gallon)
Lets say you use one Torani syrup a month ($84/year at 7 dollars a bottle)
Lets say you splurge and spend an extra $500 on coffee gear and upgrades.

You're only in the hole $1876 on the year and thats having one coffee EVERYDAY (7 days a week).
Thats the same price youd be paying if you only have one a day M-F including the cost of the machine......

I'm sorry but if you're not into the math, then you need to see how beneficial this can be for you!!!!

I'm a very well practiced barista and have been so for about 7 years now. I started in San Francisco coffee shops adjusting shots and making latte art for the majority fo those years and have learned all the ins and out about procuring divinely good coffee on professional, completely adjustable systems.

This home machine will be your best friend, barista or not.

For those who know the coffee world already, and know the anatomy of a good shot and how to make exquisite microfoam, this machines got everything you need; besides the capability of steaming milk WHILE you pour your shot..... (In my eyes this is the only flaw of this machine for a trained professional.)

If you are BRAND NEW to espresso making at home, this machine will be a doozy for you for AT LEAST a month if you want to seriously learn how to make, adjust, fine tune and WOW with your espresso and latte art abilities. Latte art IMO takes over 1000 cups to get down, and that doesn't count the few days you over-steam your milk and its too thick to get anything finer than a grape sized dollop of white foam on your espresso. This machine will pull one shot good and the next shot bad UNLESS you keep all your variables the same. It should be a little intimidating, but the learning curve is worth it, and after that month and a few Youtube videos on espresso anatomy and how to tell a good shot, you'll laugh at the thought of getting a Starbucks latte.

I highly recommend getting a secondary tamper for the machine, the one provided is flimsy and can lead to different tamps everytime you use it.

I recommend getting a 2 in 1 54.5MM distributor and tamper like FreeFish or Crema (the one I have).

This style of tamper is infinitely adjustable by a screw-type mechanism and will give you THE EXACT same tamp everytime, as the rim of the tamping side sits on the rim of the portafilter, stopping it at a fixed distance, insuring you tamp with the same depth and pressure everytime. This too. will especially help novices consistency....and for pros, they know it cuts the need to be EXTRA attuned to your tamp everytime.

Overall I've had the machine for 4 years now and plan on letting it go sometime next year when I move. I want a Breville dual boiler so i can pull shots and steam milk at the same time like I'm used to in my coffee shops....but ideally I would use this thing till the day it died on me (and then id fix it).

But my vote is a vote for YES!!!

an awesome espresso machine for first time home baristas. overall this machine is great but has just a couple of shortcomings which are easily mitigated. first off it has a premium feel to it. no flimsy plastic or cheap construction, it feels solidly built. i got the stainless version and it fits in perfectly with the rest of my stainless kitchen.
As for the device itself. pros: large capacity water reservoir. plenty of grind settings (ill go over my setup after listing the pros/cons) conical burr grinder (fully auto with selecting the dosing amount or manual ability) single and double wall portafilters (for both 1 and 2 shot sizes double wall for pre ground espresso-yuck) 15 bar pump, and a pressure gauge for letting you see where you are when it comes to seeing how you did on puck prep. it has the ability for programming the shot duration so you can get the perfect 1:2 ratio (18g espresso into 36g of finished product in ~25 seconds - this is what you are aiming for when dialing in your settings...)
Now for the cons which are few: its not a double boiler system so you cant steam milk while you are pulling a shot. its not the thermojet heater which has a 3 second heat up time (seriously no biggie) the steaming power is not that strong- while it steams milk just fine its not super fast like if you go to a cafe and they steam it for all of 3 seconds and its done. it will take about 60-70 seconds to get it to microfoam and be at the right temp. (for this reason i steam milk immediately prior to pulling the shot so the espresso isnt sitting there waiting for the milk and cooling off). the manual tamper that comes with the unit is pathetic. they tell you how to use it but there i've found there is a steep learning curve with it as you have to have the right amount of grounds, right tamping pressure applied, AND you absolutely must have a level tamp otherwise you will get channeling and will pull an uneven and ultimately sour shot. i think i did 4 correct shots out of 15 made that were enjoyable. they were all "drinkable" but using the provided tamper only 4 of them tasted good and i would consider serving them to other people. as i said these problems are mitigated. the milk frothing taking longer than could be. boohoo deal with it honestly its really NO BIG DEAL... take your time do it right and get that pro barista microfoam and do some latte art if you want (i tried to do the art, im not artist and suck at it so i gave up lol i find it stupid and would rather put my effort into making a great tasting drink which is about to go into my stomach and not an art museum). as for being a single boiler system and not being able to pull a shot and steam milk at the same time no big deal as i said before i do the milk prior to making the espresso and thats it if you are making multiple drinks then it will just take a little bit longer which again is no big deal. if you drink straight espresso or americanos or any non milk drink this is a moot point. the puck prep is made easier by #1 weighing out 18-19g of espresso putting that into the hopper (dont fill the hopper all the way up because you expose the beans to air and oxidize them you want to store them in as much of a vaccuum as you possibly can.) #2 using 3rd party accessories prepare the puck- (CREMA BRAND dosing funnel and CREMA distribution/palm tamper tool [which you have to calibrate once]) you evenly distribute the grounds to a flat/level surface (with the distributer side) and then tamp it with the tamping side (using your palm to push down on it) once calibrated you get a perfect puck and a consistent shot every single time. you can find youtube videos on how to calibrate the distibution/tamping tool these devices make espresso idiot proof right off the bat.

my setup:
Illy classico whole bean...
grind setting #5
19g beans -> 19g ground -> 36g liquid in 26 seconds. (using single walled 2 shot PF)
steamed half and half
Crema dosing funnel
Crema distribution tool (distributor set all the way at the base, tamper calibrated as per youtube videos)

overall this is a great machine that is easy to use once it is all dialed in (which has to be done with any espresso maker btw) and it pulls consistent great tasting shots each time. as for taste start at the baseline and customize from there which is totally doable with this unit. obviouslyt you can try different beans but you will need to dial it in again because beans have different strengths etc stuff not having to do with the machine. get it, i like it, and it gets rave reviews.

I have to preface this review by pointing out that I'm not a coffee guru. Not an expert barista. Not schooled in the art of espressos. So with that in mind, take this as pure opinion from a frugal consumer who loves coffee house coffees, cappuccinos and lattes, but hates coffee house prices.

I bought this machine because over the years I've purchased coffee makers, moka pots, etc., trying to up my coffee game but never quite getting the same result as those coffee house drinks. The closest I've come so far is the moka pot, but it's still not quite there yet. Granted, those coffee houses have espresso machines that cost thousands of dollars. Hey! I like coffee as much as anyone, but not THAT much. I refuse to pay that amount, even if I have the means. It's not how much you make. It's how much you keep. Right? Anyway, I chose the Breville Barista Express because 1) I love their products and they've been reliable for me over the years. And 2) this model has enough power and features at a reasonable price for someone who is no expert. I bought this model for $599.99 + tax on a Black Friday sale (not a huge one, but still) because it's the only amount I could stomach to pay for a machine like this. Plus it was my Christmas gift to me. I have to say that it's been totally worth it! I suspect even those who are anal about their coffee would love this machine as well.

My first cappuccino on this thing was not great. In fact, it was horrid! It may have had something to do with the fact that I dislike reading instructions and barely made it through the quick startup guide. When will I ever learn? But I have the patience of a five year old on Christmas morning. I couldn't wait to get to it. So, after that first disappointing cup I watched a few videos on YouTube. Fine. More than a few. And I finally thumbed through the manual. The videos were more helpful when it came to creating the best cup. All the tips were valuable. And gradually I saw improvement until I got to what seemed like a good cappuccino. So far so good. But still not quite there yet. So I followed another tip and got better coffee beans. Oh dear! Now comes more tweaking. Because when you change to another bean the entire process starts over. Until finally, the cup I wanted and craved. Wow! What a difference.

I'm improving with each cup and small tweak. The grind, the amount, the tamp pressure, the amount of milk (or almond milk or oat milk), the amount of sugar, cinnamon or no cinnamon, etc. I had no idea how much actually went into a good cup of coffee. But I'm appreciating it more and more. And I'm getting spoiled. So much so that my other coffee machines (standard, Keurig, moka pot) are all taking a back seat and getting less use. Like none, lately. The other thing I appreciate more is the local barista in those coffee houses. I may not frequent them as much in the future. But I don't think I'll ever complain about the price again. I will gladly tip the barista. And I will simply enjoy the fruits of their labor.

KEY POINTS: The learning curve is real. Have patience. The end result is worth the effort and the cost of this machine. The absolute best tip I can give you is to wait the full 15-20 minutes it takes for all the elements of your machine to heat up before making your cup. It makes a huge difference if the coffee beans and portafilter are warm, but especially the water. Duh! The other tips are to read the manual and watch video tips from Breville and legit baristas. It all helps. Education is always good.

This espresso machine is a great buy for both the novice and the more experienced barista. It will pay for itself in the long run.

Now I'll go make myself a cappuccino. Happy 2022! #PeaceOnEarth #ItsTheLittleThings #Enjoy

Breville Barista BES870 12/22/2020

First off I'm no expert espresso maker, 12 yrs ago had DeLonghi espresso machine and made pretty good espresso for the time, as good as many drive through stands.

Well because of different work hours I just didn't have the time to use machine so went to drip machine.

Well my Son in law bought me a DeLongh ECP 3220 and even though it used Pressurized baskets it was ok espresso and I was hooked again and wanted a better machine.

I was looking at the Solis Barista Perfetta and a Eureka Mignon Notte Espresso Grinder at $708.00 on sale, but also had been looking at Breville Barista BES870 which had a lot more support on YouTube and internet then the Solis.

Picked Breville Barista Express on sale for $599.00 on Amazon.

There is a learning curve on pulling the right shot for the right coffee, on non pressurized baskets, I've only had my machine for five days.

I have found some coffee like Starbucks Winter roast I can pull a better shot with the Pressurized basket then with non pressurized basket (still working on this), with non pressurized basket I've got it down to a light sour taste, but once mix with milk in latte it was good.

I've found it easier to dial in my LavAzza Dek Decaf coffee, next coffee will be a local roasted Sumatra coffee.

There so much you can do to dial in your coffee with this Machine, shot time, Temp and grind, sometime it can be overwhelming, my advice is to write down, coffee name and type, grind settings, how much coffee in and how much coffee out till you find the right Balance. Remember you could do everything right and still pull a bad shot, do it again everything the same and get a great shot, remember this is an entry level machine, I've read and watch video's that to to get a machine that is consistent shots one after another you will have to spend four time as much on a machine, but if you want to experiment and just starting out this can be a great machine, pretty flexible.

There are many YouTube channels like Hoon's coffee and Lifestyle lab and many others for great info on Barista Express.

My only complaint right now is Grinder retention, sometime I have 1g hung up in grinder and other times it's right on, all I can say is keep it clean.

I've not had machine long (5 days) and don't know the reliability on it, but there are so many video's on maintaining it, I would highly recommended Breville Barista Express 870. For me I'm retired and having lots of fun with it. :)

***************************** Addition to first review *****************************************

I've had my BBE for almost a year now and the more I use it the better I like it, I've watch many youtube channels about using and getting the most out of the BBE which has help.

I've gotten caught up in watching some of these channel that say if you get a Better more expensive espresso machine you will taste the holy Grail of espresso coffee and to some that might be but so, if you do milk base drinks like me you can make a not so good shoot and in a milk base drink most the time it will taste fine.

I've bought a separate stand alone espresso grinder Eureka Mignon Facile and to me the espresso using it does taste brighter and cleaner but using the built in grinder and using WDT tool with the right grind and weight and using in a milk base drink I feel there is little to no difference.

So overall I would rate the Breville Barista Express 5 Stars for people just starting out or you just don't want to spend $3000 - 7000 on a high end espresso machine, think of all the different kinds of coffee you can buy with the savings on the BBE.

These are just my thoughts about the BBE so far so good :)

One thing a lot of people are missing the most right now is their specialty coffeehouse lattes and cappuccinos. Having burned myself out on drip coffee out my boring old coffee makers our household decided it was time to take the plunge into an espresso machine.

We vacillated between many brands and options but ultimately we narrowed our choice down to machines by Breville because they provided the most versatility and ease of use. We specifically chose the Breville Barista Express due to it's smaller design

I'm going to preface this review by saying an espresso machine is one of those things that you have to do the math on to decide if it's a worthy purchase for your home, between my partner and I we typically each have two lattes a day. If we were going to Starbucks that would be $3.65 each drink...if you add that up it's $14.60 a day *muffled scream into pillow* and that's before the tempting pastries and breakfast items. Needless to say, we were prime candidates for cutting out the daily Starbucks trip and just making our own drinks.
The espresso machine is something we spent weeks discussing and researching and we finally made the decision to go with the Breville machine.

FEATURES
This unit features a grinder, multiple portafilter cups, and a milk steamer/frother wand built into the machine. The grinder has adjustments for grinding your beans to a beautiful fine powder that helps with the pressurization process needed to make espressos rich and full of crema. The grinder is a burr type that is easy to clean and easy to understand, you simply select a grind amount between fine and course and go.
The espresso functions are simple, you have two options single shot or double shot, there's a button for each corresponding type. The unit heats up quickly and provides piping hot water within 30 seconds, enough time for you to pour your milk of choice in the stainless steel milk frothing pitcher. From this point you simply turn a dial on the side of the unit to the steam function inserter your steam wand and try to stimulate the milk into a gentle whirlpool motion, this process takes less than 2 minutes depending on how hot your like to steam your milk. This milk frothing process becomes second nature after the first couple of tries. I'm happy to share that almond milk frothed beautifully. The texture and microfoam with almond milk were both perfect and delicious tasting, traditional whole milk or 2% milk works fine as well.

EASE OF USE
My partner previously worked as a barista and knew general techniques, I on the other hand had no idea how to use the machine out of the box, the included manual is both detailed and straight to the point...even if you're a complete novice you'll still be making lattes and other popular drinks in no time.
The most intimidating part was the milk frothing process, but it's consistent and predictable and really easy once you give it one or two tries.

FLAVOR
This machine makes espresso shots that rival what I was getting at Starbucks, in fact when we made our first drink we were delighted at how much richer and cleaner tasting it was compared to what we were used to getting at Starbucks. Once you make your own latte it's going to be hard to drink anything else.
We also purchased sugar free syrups on Amazon at the same time we purchased the machine, for less than $40 we were able to get a variety pack of different syrups that take these coffee drinks to the next level.

CLEANING
Cleaning is simple, the bottom drip tray comes out like a drawer you simply dump the excess water out and clean it with soap and water. The steam wand can be cleaned with a microfiber cloth and the water that comes out of the unit. After we're done making our drinks for the morning it literally takes less than 3 minutes for cleanup.

FINAL THOUGHTS
I don't typically like to splurge on appliances like this, my partner really wanted this and convinced me it was a smart buy. I'm really glad he did because it's been invaluable in our home, it's used daily and hasn't let us down. This is one of those quality of life purchases that you just have to make if you regularly drink lattes, cappuccinos or iced coffee drinks. Breville includes everything you need except for the water, milk and coffee!

6 year update: Well, it finally happened. It broke beyond my ability to repair! Bad smell and funny sound happened while pulling a shot. Opened machine and could pretty quickly see one of the solenoids was burning up. Not sure what the cause of it is -- part failed? Triac failed and sent too much current to it? Water damage from leaking tubes? Bought a new solenoid for $20, but after replacing it the machine was leaking from pretty much every tube I had to disconnect. I couldn't be bothered to wait anymore and find a supplier for 5 o-rings of the right od/id size, so it's done. Bought a new Breville, this time upgraded a dual boiler one. New machine works great! This one did for many years too, so I'm still 5-stars happy with it even though it gave up the ghost. It was repairable for probably another $10, unless the triac was bad too; couldn't find a replacement for that triac. Anyways, wholly recommend this machine. It's a good value and makes good coffee, and is as reliable as can be expected!

5.5 year update: Still love this machine. Still working great. I like to read negative reviews on things I'm going to purchase, and have been surprised by some of the negative reviews. One of the higher upvoted reviews talked about the maintenance this machine requires. Yes, it does require maintenance. It's not a pod-style machine where the maintenance is nothing. There is a tray that you have to empty *and clean* pretty regularly. It gets a fine coffee buildup from the cleaning process, and will get pretty nasty if you don't clean it. The same with the water tank, the filter in the water tank, the two different cleaning cycles indicated by the lights, and the dried milk on the steam wand. It's not a one-button leave-it-dirty-AF thing like your microwave crusted in tomato sauce and butter splatter. If you don't clean it, it may break. Don't buy it if you can't take an extra few minutes to check water levels, wipe down the steam wand, clean the group head with a paper towel, or wipe the coffee oil out of the filter. If you can do that, I can't recommend this enough. At 5.5 years of at least 2 2-cup espressos daily, it's still going strong, still only one replacement gasket in it's life.

4.5 year update: We did have to replace the gasket, which was pretty easy. Barista Express didn't have the gasket in stock, but there are a number of compatible ones on Amazon. $8 or so. Otherwise still making the same great espresso on day 1600 as it did on day 1!

Update: Checking in at 3.5 years. This thing is still going strong, supplying my wife and I with delicious daily lattes. That's roughly 2500 quad lattes without breaking down! The gasket around the group head did pop out recently during one of the cleaning cycles, but didn't need replacement -- we were able to detatch and put it back together. The price has gone up 30% but it's still a steal. Back-of-napkin math:
1 cup milk per drink
20 grams of ground beans per drink
1/2 gal of milk costs $3.50 in my HCOL area
1.14kg of espresso beans is $15
That means each drink is 40 cents of milk and 26 cents of coffee beans. Maybe 10 cents of electricity? Another 4 cents of occasional vanilla or caramel flavoring? Our 2500 drinks have cost $2,000 plus the $500 for the machine, vs $12,500 if we'd walked to the nearby cafe every day. What a bargain!

We've had this now for 1.5 years. It is absolutely the best $500 I've spent in recent memory. It makes a fantastic espresso shot for us plebs. I'm sure true aficionados can find many faults, but for the Starbuck-going average Joe this will make an espresso on par or better simply because you can choose the beans. No plastic waste or expensive custom cups, and you can actually control all the little variables like grind and time and pack density. I get up 10 minutes earlier and prep our morning coffee, saving the $10/day Sbuck habit for two. I haven't done the math, but the cost of milk, beans, and electricity is probably less than half that. 100 days and it pays for itself, 450 days and we're $2200 richer than the alternative.

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.

Owned since Oct. 2017, no issues yet. Avg. of maybe 2 double espressos per day, steamed milk less often, so relatively low use. We have a whole-house water softener (and 5-stage RO filter for drinking water), so scale buildup is not an issue at all. I do run the cleaning tablet when the "clean me" light comes on. I did descale it once so far, but might not have been necessary (eg. our electric kettle doesn't build up any scale). We only use the non-pressurized filter baskets (tried the others, didin't see the point, harder to clean).

My best advice for an easy and consistent "Italian café style" espresso is to get a can of Illy medium roast beans. Especially if you're new to making espresso (actually in this case you may want to start with a can of ground Illy -- still tastes great and takes one major step out of the equation, and you then know the desired coarseness for grinding your own). This gets me a great espresso every single time. With local roasts (we have several roasters in the area I'd prefer to support instead of Illy) I found it is much more finicky... can change from cup to cup, and definitely from batch to batch. While I've gotten some great espressos from locally-roasted sources, with interesting flavors, I've gotten way more poor shots. With the Breville and Illy I can make a better (IMHO) espresso than any of the local shops can manage... honestly. Mind you we live in a small college town. I guess most ppl drink frothed milk with a little coffee and don't really notice the espresso part.

Don't try to grind a double all at once... a lot of it will overflow (wasteful and messy). I grind one shot, take the filter out, spread out the grinds and give it a couple taps on the counter to settle them, then grind the 2nd shot on top of that. Makes almost no waste or mess this way. I've found that the "half a double" grind amount is typically one click less than an actual single-shot grind (so eg. twice at 1 o'clock for double, once at 2 o'clock for a single).

Also forget the metal "leveler" thing they include... it's silly. Spread the grinds out in the filter with a finger edge. If the double filter is full to the brim before packing, you're good to go. The single filter should be a little under full before packing. After packing either filter, the metal rim on the press should be even with the top of the filter (as shown in the manual). Hardest part is making sure you're not tilting the press while pushing down, as it is easy to get a "cockeyed" pack. Again, watching the metal rim of the press vs. the filter rim is a good way to check that.

Low pressure can be a direct result of old beans -- really. Came home after a 2-week trip once and tried to make espresso with beans from an Illy can that had already been opened (and had made good coffee before trip). Couldn't get the pressure high enough, regardless of grind size or amount, or tamping. Even tried a cleaning. Opened fresh can of Illy, et voilá, good pressure again.

I didn't find any other accessories necessary (except eventually some cleaning tablets). You will want something on the counter to put the filter on while packing (and banging it to settle grinds) -- a folded kitchen towel works well. The space under the filter allows for a wide variety of drinking vessels (whoever suggested using paper cups... really? Wasteful and ruins the taste IMHO).

The grinder maybe isn't the best -- the grind is good. and can be set very fine, but would be better to grind based on weight instead of time. It's important that the beans are fed into the grinder consistently. Make sure they're spread out evenly in the hopper, and as someone else mentioned, tapping on the hopper while grinding may help (esp. if there aren't many beans in there). You can hear the grinder sound change when it is grinding beans vs. air. Regular cleanings help as well.

This is not a great machine for serving a party of people. Unless they like cold coffee, or you serve them all individually as the coffees are ready... the first ppl you serve will be done by the time you serve yourself. It's fine for a couple of servings, but beyond that it starts to get awkward. Especially if they want steamed milk.... you'd want the double-boiler model for that at minimum.

Overall very happy with this machine. I had never made my own espresso before owning it, but I certainly knew what I liked. This machine delivered, after a modest learning curve (and the Illy beans helped a lot).

I absolutely love this machine. With as many lattes as I drink, this will easily pay for itself within a year, inclouding the cost of beans, milk and cleaning products.

Notes: Make sure to keep up with all the regular maintenance. Ever day after I've made my coffee, I wipe the steam wand, purge it, then wipe again. Make sure to get into all the crevices around the tip and you'll never need to use the pin to clean out the tip. Once I've done that and poured my steamed milk, I purge the showerhead by pulling one shot into the empty mug (no filters). This keeps the showerhead clean of coffee debris and keeps the coffee tasting pure.

REMEMBER TO CHANGE YOUR WATER FILTERS. The filters should be changed every 60 uses or 2 months, whichever comes first. This wolill reduce how often you need to descale the machine, prolong it's useful life and provide better tasting coffees. You will still need to descale the machine every so often. The manual included is very helpful for keeping up with the maintenance (as well as pulling shots, making drinks and other useful tips) and you can also find instructions on their website should you misplace the manual. Gold tone makes pretty inexpensive replacement filters specific to this machine and they're available here on Amazon. I use them and am pretty happy with the results.

Do not let the water run out. Ever. This could cause serious damage to the machine. If you forget once or twice, you'll probably be just fine but check the water reservoir at least 1-2 times per week.

Clean the machine parts at least once a week. You may need to empty and rinse the drip tray 1-2 times a week (depending on frequency of use) but take it out and hand wash at least once a week. This is a good time to wash the tools and tool bin as well. Also, dont forget to take the coffee filters out of the portafilter and wash those as well. Over time, residue can build up underneath there. Also, the spouts in the portafiler twist off so you can clean them better. Clean out your parts, get in those crevices regularly and you'll be just fine.

Don't forget to clean the hopper and grinder. You should clean it out every time you switch to a new bean or at least every few pounds of coffee. The instructions in the manual are pretty easy and straight forward. I also use a clean, dry towel to wipe any remaining coffee and oils from both the grinder parts and the hopper. Do not wash in warm water as you could risk it not drying well and rusting or not being lubricated enough and over heating. Just use the included brush and clean, dry paper towels. You could also vacuum out residual coffee from the grinder to assist in cleaning, but I don't usually need to.

Also, remember that the stainless exterior is stainless plating. This means it can wear over time and not look as nice. The best way to handle this is to wipe it down with a damp cloth (once daily then more detailed once a week) and follow it up by drying it with a clean towel. This will prolong the exterior appearance. Also during your weekly cleaning, be sure to look under where the coffee and steam come out and clean around there. Milk, coffee and residue steam can splatter and build up so be sure to clean it as well.
The weekly cleaning sound intensive but really takes maybe 5 minutes.

Common issues: Keep in mind certain o-rings will need to be replaced over time. This is noted by Breville in the manual and on the website. There are two main places where you need to replace these: around the tip of the portafilter (where the spouts connect) and where the portafilter connects to pull shots.

Another common issue is that the machine will make a loud "buzzing" sound and/or leak water out of the bottom of the machine. This is a common issue and, when it does occur, usually happens around 6 months to a year. This generally occurs due to a broken solenoid valve. If your product is still under warranty, take a video and contact their customer service. Maybe suggest it's a solenoid valve and they are usually very good about fixing or replacing the machines and parts. If it is no longer under warranty and they will not resolve the issue (because sometimes they still will after the warranty period), there are many repair services that can fix this. If you are especially handy and brave enough to fix it yourself, you can usually find the replacement parts fairly cheaply online (not just the valve, but really ANY part that may need to be replaced). Again, if it's still under warranty do not go this route, as it will void any existing warranty. Also, if you don't know what you're doing, you could do more damage than good.

All-in-all, this is an amazing machine for this price point. There is a reason this machine is so popular and highly rated. There's a lot of customization available to you and it is a very good quality machine. I would not suggest any product below this machine and price point for your first machine as you'll likely be very disappointed in the results. Eventually you may want to upgrade to a more robust multi-thousand dollar machine, but this is great for the majority of consumers and is super user friendly. Use higher quality beans directly from the roasters and learn how to use the machine and make drinks and you'll be very happy with it. The quality is truly amazing for such a low cost espresso machine.

Side note: Whole Latte Love on YouTube is a great resource for additional reviews, tips and tricks and maintenance for this machine (and many more). It's also a great resource on how to pull shots, steam milk, pick types of milk and make many different types of drinks when you're just starting out or want to up your coffee game.

Fantastic espresso machine. You get your grinder (with adjustable dosage, and two dials to change the coarseness - the second adjustment is directly inside the grinder), pump, steam wand, hot water spout and a nice tamper all in one machine!
The accessories you get with it are great as well, you get the porta-filter holder (duh), 4 baskets (single and double serve with single walls and the same in double-wall setup), precision dosage razor, frothing pitcher and the cleaning kit. Really don't need much more than this, so if you're looking for a serious espresso machine with all included, this one is it. And the 1,500+ reviews and average over 4.5 stars just proves that.

I debated going with this one or something cheaper. I recently used to have a DeLonghi EC155. That thing started at 4.0 stars or higher, but now I see it lower, I understand why. For a first try of "espresso" coffee, it was okay. I put it in quotation marks, because it was more like a really strong coffee, didn't quite come across as espresso. Maybe I did it wrong. But anyway, I am not reviewing that machine here.

With this machine, there is one thing you need to realize (and a video review of Breville, or rather "Sage" as this brand is known in Europe) is this - with this machine, you're not only getting into serious coffee, you're probably getting into a hobby as well, or a new activity. If you are looking for a simple serve machine that prepares a great coffee with one push of a button, look elsewhere, like the Nespresso machines.
But, if you are looking for something that is a little more involved, gives you the desired control, allows you to experiment and pulls you into the world of coffee, this is it. There is a reason why you pay $2-2.50 for just an espresso at a coffee shop. It takes work, it takes skill and it takes time. Once you start pulling your own great (or good for me, I'm not at the "great" level quite yet) coffee, the sense of accomplishment along with a great drink at home feels nice.
I think it retails at around $560 right now. I put it on my wish list in August 2017 I believe and kept watching the price. Then I noticed it dropped below $500 for like a day and half and I ended up getting this machine for $460. I still would probably purchase it for $560, but man, what a deal.

Don't forget that cheap/stale beans just won't do. I mean, if you got a car for a race track, you probably wouldn't pour in regular 87 gas, no, you'd go with the premium high-octane stuff. Similar with this - you got an awesome, professional-like machine, then feed it quality beans. I mean, you can try to go cheaper, but if you get very oily and stale beans, the coffee will taste burnt and you'll end up spending more time cleaning the thing.

Pros:
1) Sense of control - there is so much experimentation you can do. I've had this for 3 months and I'm still at the beginning. I now froth milk in a decent way but boy, there is a lot to learn.
2) All-in-one - you don't have to get an expensive grinder, fancy wooden tamper and a milk frother. I mean, you could, but why would you, if you have that high quality all built into this one?
3) The supplied equipment - kind of goes with point number 2, but you get a frothing pitcher as well, you get multiple baskets and you get everything you need to get rolling (besides the beans).
4) Quality - it is all stainless steel and what isn't (and is plastic) doesn't feel cheaply made. It seems sturdy and high quality. I've had it for 3 months now, so far so good, so ask me in a few months if I still think so.
5) The display/indicators - it tells you when it wants to be cleaned. I spoke to their customer reps and this was their exact email response:
"I have confirmed with our technicians, they advised me it will actually come on after 300 shots, and unplugging the unit should not reset the counter. " You also have a dedicated button for filter size, you can let it automatically grind the specific amount of coffee you want - this brings me to one of the cons, however.

Cons:
1) As mentioned pro #5, the grinding amount is a bit of a pain. When coffee is ground, it tends to expand. If you let the machine grind the automatic amount, it overfills the basket (because the coffee expands) and you get grounds falling over into the tray. This may not be a design flaw, because when you tap the filter onto the counter, the grinds settle and you do have the right amount, it's just a mess though - someone slightly OCD like myself finds that hard to deal with. I just use the manual grind, I hold it in, let it fill half way, tap it to let it settle, grind some more and tamp. Time consuming, yes, but it's more fun and cleaner.
2) If you live in an area with hard water (like I do), be prepared for water spots all over that beautiful stainless steel - again, not a manufacturer's flaw, but worth mentioning.

I keep trying to think of other cons, but can't. That's when you know it's a good unit, when you "try" to think of cons just for the review and can't come up with any legit ones.

Again, if you want a great coffee machine that will feed (or create) a coffee hobby and make you want to experiment, source local beans and just overall make your own fantastic coffee, go right ahead. I'd say it's worth the money.
If you're looking for a morning/quick convenience of pressing a button and that's it, look elsewhere, this isn't for you. I would also like to say that this machine is my after-work or weekend espresso/play around machine, for my quick morning coffee I have a small Mr. Coffee steam machine (and a Cuisinart grinder).

Let me know if this was helpful, I'm open to any questions!

Despite some of the negative criticism sprinkled throughout this review, keep in mind that (1) I am giving this machine 5 stars, and now that I have spent a few weeks getting to know it (intimately), I love it - so much, that if a burglar broke into my house and stole it, I would order another one the same day - I have not been back to Starbucks since. All that being said, you NEED to read this review so that your machine does not frustrate you and so that you get the most out of it. Read on my coffee-loving friend:

1. I am a guy, who knew nothing about espresso machines before this. I am very mechanically inclined and don't usually read instructions. This was different - this machine is NOT self-explanatory and you NEED to read the instructions (which are well written, and even include a troubleshooting section). Don't get frustrated with this machine until/unless you have read (all) the instructions.

2. This is not a 'stand-alone' purchase ... this machine costs around $500 (give or take), you need to invest another $100 right from the start (preferably at the same time) to get the most out of it, enjoy it to the fullest, and not get unreasonably frustrated by making your own lattes and mochas.

3. The other things you REALLY should order at the same time (and all are available on Amazon) are:
a. ($29) 100-pack disposable 20oz. cups with lids and sleeves (sold by Yes!fresh). Trust me, you want to get these. It's only $0.29 per cup and are far more convenient that trying to clean out a million dirty coffee cups from your car/office each week. These are worth twice what they cost in the long run. And when your friends are over, you need not 'loan' them a nice coffee cup to go (which you may never see again) - just give them a paper cup to take with them.
b. ($5-15 for 25 oz. / $20-30 for 64 oz.) Torani syrups and sauces, AND the pump tops that go with them (always sold separately). IF you drink the same thing on a regular basis (like I do) such as a white chocolate peppermint mocha, buy the 64 oz. white chocolate sauce and not the smaller 25 oz. bottle.
c. ($14) Amazon Basics Cotton Washcloth - 24 pack - grey (the grey matches the espresso machine, but the color doesn't matter). Again, trust me, you want a nicely folded stack of these sitting next to the machine - you will use 1 each time you make espresso, and then it will be dirty and needs to be washed. At my house (3 people using the machine) we bought two 24-packs because we make so much coffee - two 24-packs is not too many for our house (I'm thinking about buying a third pack).
d. ($10 for pair of single shot size, $15 for pair of double shot size) Set of double-walled espresso shot glasses. Do NOT buy the rounded ones (ie: Cutehom espresso coffee cups) because they will not pour very well and drip all over the place (down the side) each time - very frustrating. Buy the JoyJolt Javaah Double Walled Espresso Glasses instead - you'll be glad you did in the long run. And, if you're planning to make mostly double-shot lattes/mochas, buy a set of Dragon Glassware 6 oz Espresso Cups (also double-walled) so that you don't have to keep fidgeting with the single shot cups to keep them in the right spot under the coffee dispenser. It's important to buy double-walled glasses for two reasons. First, it keeps the espresso hot while you're steaming your milk, second, it keeps you from burning your fingers when pouring the espresso into your coffee cup.
e. ($15) Breville BCB100 Barista-Style Coffee Knock Box. Again, TRUST me, you want this right next to your machine - the coffee grounds will start piling up quickly and you don't want your portafilter anywhere near a garbage can. This thing is a must.

4. Space requirements: This machine (and all that you want to go with it) will take some counter space - allow AT LEAST 34-inches of counter width to accommodate - slightly more is even better. You will from my picture, this is a 34-inch setup, and there is no room to spare.

5. Making espresso. After you read the instructions, here are some tips that they don't include to help avoid frustration:
a. When the beans are grinding, lightly knock on the top of the hopper lid (just like knocking on a door) so that the beans keep feeding down to the grinder (sometimes they get hung up - a light knock each time keeps this from happening). Do NOT overfill the portafilter (after tamping) or it will jam coffee grounds into the water outlet and could possibly damage the portafilter or locking guide. After the grounds are tamped down in the filter cup, the silver part of the tamper should be just hidden beneath the rim of the portafilter (the machine includes a tool you can use if you accidentally overfill the filter cup, but after a short while, you'll figure out how much to grind each time and the tool will not be necessary).
b. You ALWAYS want to watch the pressure gauge when making espresso. It NEEDS to be in the dark grey area of the pressure gauge (and ideally in/near the middle of the grey area) during the brew cycle, otherwise you are not making good espresso - rather, you are making either watered down espresso (not enough pressure) or not enough espresso which is too rich (too much pressure). There are two key things that affect pressure: the fineness at which the coffee is ground (which is adjustable) and the volume of grounds in the portafilter (also adjustable). Although there is a one or two shot size setting, I have found it best to do two, 1-shot grinds, tamping down the grounds in-between each single-shot grind. I have the grind (volume) setting on the 4th click setting, and I have the grind (fineness) setting on either 2 or 3 (play around and see what gives you the best results). IF the pressure is too low, then either your coffee is ground too coarsely, or your have not tamped it down tight enough, or the filter is not filled with enough coffee grounds, or a combination of any/all of these things. IF the pressure is too high, then either your coffee is ground too finely, or you have tamped down the grounds too hard (tightly), or a combination of the two.
c. IF using two, single-shot espresso glasses to collect a double-shot brew, keep an eye on them during the brew cycle and make sure they are centered under the espresso being dispensed (this can be avoided by using a double-shot size collection cup).
d. IF making a mocha or other syrup/sauce drink, pre-mix the espresso and syrup in the glass and stir thoroughly before adding the steamed milk.
e. Steaming milk is 1/2-art, and 1/2-science (seriously), and it does not come naturally. If you've never worked at a coffee shop and been trained to steam milk, do yourself a favor and watch a few good (short) YouTube videos on the proper way to steam milk. You will THANK yourself for taking 5-10 minutes on You Tube and learning the proper way to steam milk (and things to avoid). Understanding the steaming process will allow you to control the amount of foam on top and not make big mess.
f. Before you steam your milk, VENT the steam wand to remove the residual water from the boiler line (you don't want a few teaspoons of water in your milk). Vent the line, then turn the steam off ... wait 5 full seconds ... then insert the steam wand into the milk, then turn the steam back on. Hold the handle with your left hand, and place your right hand underneath the stainless steel milk steaming cup, when the cup is too hot for your right hand to touch (I mean really to hot to hold), keep the steam wand in and start counting along with the pump (which sounds like a metronome in the background ... dit ... dit ... dit ... dit ...). For a semi-hot latte/mocha keep the steam wand in the milk for 30 double-dits (don't start counting until after you can non longer touch the bottom with your right hand ... "and-one, and two, and three" and so on until you get to 30 (the equivalent of 60 single dits). For hot (but still drinkable) count to 40 double-dits, and for very-hot, 50 double-dits. Anything above 60 and you risk burning the milk (which will ruin the flavor and you will need to toss it out and start over). When finished, turn the steam off, and remove the steam wand from the milk about 3-5 seconds before it finishes blowing steam (to avoid having milk sucked back up into the steam line).
g. After you steam your milk, VENT the steam wand again to remove any milk that inadvertently got sucked up into the steam wand line and prevent any from making its way into the boiler. IF milk makes its way back into the boiler unit (because you failed to vent the line after use) you will DESTROY the boiler (permanently), in that, the milk cannot be cleaned out, will burn during the next use, and every cup of milk you steam in the future will have a burnt-milk smell/flavor - yuck! DO yourself a favor and vent the steam line religiously after each use - and make sure others who use your machine know that they can ruin it if they don't do so also! (there goes $500!)
h. The bottom tray is easy to remove, empty and clean (comes apart in 3 pieces). You should empty this every 2-4 days of use because it fills up despite you not pouring liquid into it - reason is, each time you finish using the steam wand or hot water dispenser, the machine auto-vents out the line from the boiler into the bottom tray (sneaky little devil) ... so even though you don't realize it, it's filling up a little with each use. (Fun fact - the hot water dispenser can be used for instant hot water to make tea!).

6. Cleaning up.
a. I unfold a clean washcloth each time I make espresso. When you tamp down the grounds, it will help avoid damaging/scratching your counter, and will catch the spill-over grounds (there will always be some spill-over).
b. When finished, use hot water (from your kitchen sink) to rinse the espresso cup(s), milk steaming cup, portafilter and filter insert (remove the filter cup from the portafilter each time you clean them), then use another clean washcloth to set them out to dry upon.
c. The washcloth used to make espresso: fold it in half, twice (into a square), and use the hot water dispenser (on the machine) to get one corner of the square wet with hot (boiling hot) water, then fold the square into a triangle so that the boiling water corner is exposed, then fold that triangle into another triangle around the steam wand and thoroughly clean the steam wand. It will take a little time and firm pressure - make sure the wand is clean so that you don't get nasty milk residue build up on your steam wand.

7. Keeping things stocked:
a. Milk. If your family uses milk for other things (cereal, baking, etc.) and up until now you have been a '1-gallon at a time' household, it's time to go up to a 2-gallon at a time household. Trust me - once you (and others in your house) discover the delicious lattes/mochas which are quick at hand, the milk will begin to disappear quickly (my house is now a 3-gallon at a time household with 3 people regularly using the machine).
b. Keep a spare box of to-go cups/lids on hand, when you open it, order another one - it is not cost prohibitive and you never want to be out of to-go cups in the morning.
c. Keep a spare bag of coffee beans on hand - also not cost prohibitive and if you run out of beans, well, there's no reason to ever run out of beans.
d. Keep a spare bottle of your favorite syrups/sauces. If you run out, all the fun is over.

8. Quirks and tips.
a. Keep a close eye (and refill often - like every morning) the water tank in the back (you need not pull it off each time, just take a 4-cup measuring cup and refill it when it gets 1/2-way down). Reason being, the machine is not smart like a Keurig - it has no sensor telling it when the water is out and it will run itself (to its peril) dry when the water runs out - this is not particularly good for the machine or the pumps.
b. Use top quality beans - I recommend buying 1 lb. bags of Starbucks Espresso Roast beans - whole, NEVER pre-ground. WHY would you spend $600 on a coffee bar setup and then use crap beans or pre-ground (aka: not fresh) coffee? When you use top quality Starbucks beans (I have no financial interest in Starbucks by the by - so if you prefer something else like Pete's or Dutch Bros., fine - but make sure you're buying whole bean bags of their Espresso Roast). 2-4 double-shot lattes/mochas per day will go through a 1 lb. bag of beans every 1-2 weeks.
c. Transitioning to decaf beans...? Nope, not easy, nor was the machine set up for an easy transition. To transition from regular espresso beans to decaf beans you must unlock the bean hopper and remove it - then pour the regular beans into a ziplock bag, then take your vacuum cleaner (I'm not joking) and vacuum out the remaining regular beans from the grinding gear mechanism, then replace the (empty) hopper - lock it in place, then fill it with decaf beans. We did this once at my house ... and will never do it again.

I hope you enjoyed my review and it helps you make awesome lattes and mochas!

Follow up: Oct. 2019,
Still going strong. No issues with the machine to date. Still looks great, works great. Daily use, 2-3 cups a day. Thousand+ cups made. I have been cleaning it regularly and descaling about every 6 mos (not hard water area). I have cleaned the grinder once and even that was probably not necessary. I didn't find a lot of buildup on the burs. I only grind fresh roasted unflavored beans, I was kind of surprised to not find any buildup on the burs, but hey, I'm not complaining. I would definitely buy this again.

Original Review:
A fine machine for the cost. I was not sure what to expect, but this thing is nice. For a home machine it kicks out a nice cup-a-joe!
Bottom line, this is a great machine. I have tried several and so far, short of a commercial unit, this is the one to get.

Not an automatic coffee maker. You have to learn how to use it. But if you are like me and don't mind a little hands on, and a little thinking you will love this machine. If you are looking for a 'push the button and have a cup of espresso', look elsewhere. You will need to adjust and adapt to the coffee beans you choose.

Pros:
Pump is powerful. Have not had any issue getting excellent extraction.
Heater is powerful. Heats up fast and not much waiting at all for a single boiler unit. I was initially debating on getting the dual boiler unit since almost all I make is cappuccino type drinks. However, the wait for steam is only about 10-15 seconds and at this point I can't see spending the extra cash. Plenty of steam!
If you like hot milk, or lots of foam, or somewhere in the middle, you are set. Once you get the hang of the steam wand, it is no big deal to make it how you like it.
Construction is solid. Materials seem high quality and sturdy. Has a good feel.
Grinder works just fine. As long as it doesn't break, we're good. The grind is consistent. I have used store bought and fresh roasted (same day) coffees. All grind just fine and make a good cup. I don't use the pressure filter, but have tried it out on some pre-ground coffee. It does fake out a nice crema. So if you don't want to bother with fresh beans and proper grind, you can still get a nice looking cup.
It is not 'automatic' as in brainless. One still needs to get the right grind and tamp for the beans you are using, but for anyone with a tad of experience you will be proudly sipping your efforts in no time. I find the results very consistent and repeatable. Once you are dialed in for a batch of beans, you don't need to mess with it.

Cons:
Mostly nits but some may find them more annoying...
The drip tray fills up very fast and if you wait for the little 'empty me' flag you waited way too long. Prepare for a mess. Just stay on top of it.
There are lots of crevices in the drip tray that you will never get clean. OCD people will not like this, but it's nothing you see and won't affect the operation at all.
The grinder does not feed itself well. It will run dry with beans in the hopper. You have to tap it or stir the beans to get them to drop in. Not a big deal though.
It is a tad on the messy side, but I really don't see any way around this. You will have grounds and drips and stuff around the work area. Again, I don't see any way to load the filter without a bit of a mess, but just know this is not a clean freaks operation.
You will have a perpetual gob of steamed milk on the steam nozzle in the little flat area that is there to thread it together unless you scrape it out every time. It's just a little space but again, if you are the OCD type you will notice it...
The drip tray finish scratches easily. Don't expect the work surface to stay pretty long. It will show use. No harm. Just not new looking...

Wish List:
I wish it had an option for a water line and a drain tube.
I wish the finish was a little more fingerprint and scratch forgiving.

Update May 2024: I purchased this machine in 2015. I've had it almost 9 years. It's now starting to have issues - the 1 cup pour does not stop at automatically any longer, and a few weeks later, the 2 cup pour started doing the same. I'll look into repair, but this is probably it for the machine.

Update July 2023: Still going strong!! Using it daily! I've followed their cleaning guide and decalcification guidelines and have had no issues!

Update June 2nd 2019: Still use it daily, and it's working well! It's now been almost 4 years! (Time flies when you're drinking good coffee :)

Update August-6-17: Still going strong after almost two years!

Original Review and Tips:

I love this thing. I've been using it multiple times a day for almost a year I think. Every day it makes amazing espresso, and as long as I keep it clean it preforms beautifully. This thing is also easier to maintain and requires less cleaning than other cheaper espresso machines I've tried.

A tip for anyone looking to make actual espresso at home, I recommend looking for a local roastery in your area. I use to buy bulk beans online like many people, but once I tried local whole beans and found a blend I liked, the difference was amazing. Bean choice is very important if you actually want to enjoy your espresso!

A few tips I picked up for using this machine:
1. A few people complained about the grind amount knob not going low enough. To counteract this, I changed the cup size to "Single" and increased the grind amount by turning the knob to the right. This gives me the perfect amount of ground coffee every time.
2. If the machine keeps going over or under on the pressure gauge, try cleaning the grinder. And remember to clean the grouphead with those desolvable tablets when the clean me light comes on!
3. You can get cheap replacement cleaning tablets here on amazon. I chose Urnex Cafiza Espresso Machine Cleaning Tablets here on amazon, and they work great!
4. You do not need to order a separate tamper, the one included is perfect.
5. The included frothing cup is small but works for me. Some might need a bigger one.
6. Do not underestimate the need for a burr grinder. Trying to make good espresso without one is like trying to hammer a nail with an inflatable hammer!

Some of the features I love (Pros)*
1) The grinder. I know many would rather use a separate burr grinder, but this thing works perfectly fine, and is easy to clean. Many complained about the coffee machine heating up the beans too much if you leave them inside the hopper, but I actually store my beans in a special container outside of the hopper, and use the included the scoop to pour in the beans when I grind them.
2) The frother is amazing. Much much better than cheaper machines.
3) Clean me light is awesome. Always reminds me to keep up on this things maintenance, and helps prolong the life.
4) The Stainless steel is beautiful. (It is not 100% stainless on the outside though, a little bit of plastic, see cons.)
5) The pressure gauge. Absolutely invaluable in making good tasting espresso. I would not recommend buying any machine without one. It really helps with learning and getting it right!
6) The included tamper is perfect.
7) Creates perfect pucks of coffee to dump out in the trash.
8) The hot water dispenser is an awesome addition!
9) Is an all-in-one, meaning I don't need to buy a separate grinder!
10) Just makes good coffee.
11) Great manual included for lots of useful information.
12) Has an automated cleaning cycle to clean the insides of the grouphead. Awesome!
14) Includes a beautiful copper dosing tool.
15) Includes tools to clean out the filters.

Some things that bother me (Cons)*
1)The top of the machine is plastic.
2) The bottom sides of the machine is plastic
3) The water tank needs to be refilled often, and it also thick plastic.
4) The bottom water catcher thing (sorry) needs to be emptied often, but its not too bad.
5) The coffee grind separator doesn't really seem to help much, but it does help keep it out of the water below and little bit, which keeps it from smelling!
6) Expensive, but to me, was a very worthwhile investment for how much coffee I was buying from the shop.
7) Can't seem to find inexpensive filters for the water tank, however, I use filtered water instead of tap.
8) The Lowest grind amount is too much on the "double" setting. QC Should have caught this! But not a deal breaker. See above for workaround.

*Might add more later as I think of them!

This thing is also great for making sweet frappicinos and iced drinks.
For caramel flavored drinks I use Hershey's Caramel Syrup (Edit: I now make my own caramel syrup! It's super easy!)
For vanilla flavored drinks I use Torani Vanilla Syrup that I get cheaply from a bulk wholesale store in my town.

For my sweet drink of choice I mix the two, add a double shot of espresso, 2% milk, and top with whipped cream and caramel syrup.

Nothing beats a great espresso in the morning!

Added tons of pictures.

Edit: It seems quite a few people had problems with the machine dying on them, If your machine died on your please comment on this review with any information you think may help, such as the level of maintenance you preformed while your machine was working, the brand of water filters and cleaning tablets you used, etc.

Maybe we can find a common cause of this defect!

We have had the unit for 8 months now, it's been through 4 cleaning cycles (2 descaling, 2 normal backflow), so I've 'tested' out most of the possible functions it has. We like it, a lot. If it dies this year, it is probably a break-even so far based on the number of times we've used it vice buying from coffee shops. At $5 a cup, you have to buy at least 120 cups to even do a simple break-even. Of course, using milk/substitute and other items at home adds to this cost. Assume that you have to run 200 cups at home that you otherwise would have bought elsewhere, and you have basically done a break-even. If you drive to get to the coffee shop, and buy other things, then it may save you a lot of money sooner. In my opinion, this unit easily costs less than what we would have done within a year.

The grinder seems to do a great job, and the dials to alter the size and amount, work well. I have had to clean it once since the grinds seemed to be working poorly, on Breville's recommendation, running rice through the unit, and then cleaning it (removing the screw from the top), helped.

We have not tried other machines, having been satisfied with the reviews, and price, of this one as listed. So far, just great results. We tend to do espresso drinks each time, meaning we use the grinder, frother, and espresso for each drink. The machine would likely last longer with less maintenance needed if you just did espresso, and used preground beans (or had a separate grinder), most likely.

Family of 2 (with kid), in general we probably push through 4-6 cups a day on average, and up to 9 max at times. If we have guests, maybe 10-12, but not often. While we would certainly have NOT been buying this many from the local brewhouse, the quality of the product is just great.

We choose to use almond milk exclusively as our base, and we make it ourselves, so the quality of the milk will never be that of the rich and creamy milk frothed up, but it is still amazing. This machine does a great job of grinding, pushing hot water, and frothing, so we get a cup that literally is as good as we ever had anywhere, and with the quality we want. Most coffee shops, when they do have milk substitutes, use poor quality almond milk anyhow, and it affects the taste. If you haven't tried making your own almond milk, it's extremely easy - don't bother unless you buy good almonds from Spain or California. Soak them (called sprouting), then blend 1 cup almonds to 4 cups milk. Then strain through a nut milk bag (or cheesecloth), and add 2-3TB honey, vanilla bean, pinch salt, cinnamon). Blend. Some folks have gently heated the almond milk on a stove which helps thicken it a bit, and actually makes it more of a milk consistency than the 'almond juice' that you get by just straining. Lots of different options, and chefs are still coming up with ways to handle this. But frankly, after doing the almond milk thing, we will not use anything else. Some folks also add some coconut creme to the mix, and it also thickens things a bit. There are excellent non dairy and healthy alternatives out there, and they work shockingly well.

We also pretty much gave up on buying beans from local brewhouses, we found the quality and taste not as good as we could do ourselves, so off we went and bought a small roaster (Fresh Roast SR700 Home Coffee Roaster), and frankly, this make the cycle complete - not only can we buy green coffee beans via amazon very cheaply, but we can also control how much we roast, and when we use them, making it a very turnkey and enjoyable experience.

I advise also buying the Knockbox from Breville - this is a great add on and helps you control the waste from the Portafilter. Great tool/wastebasket, and helps you inadvertently throw your grinds into the drain, not good if you have a septic system either!!

Agree with prior posters - use fresh beans, and consider roasting your own. The best bean we've found so far is the Colombian Huila (also sold on Amazon.com) - 5lb bag for $30 shipped. For about $6 a pound, you will have plenty of opportunity to find the roast level you want. Reason we like this particular bean (other than being available on amazon.com), when roasted to near or after second crack, it has a nice caramel/chocolate aftertaste to it. Not a bean expert here, but we've tried a dozen or so varieties, and for the price and availability, this is a really well priced and nice tasting bean. As mentioned before, we've done the local brewhouse roasted beans, and it's basically russian roulette, and we've yet to find an 'awesome' tasting bean from them. The breville has a multiple of ways you can alter the taste by changing the temperature, grind, and amount of water through the bean, but some beans just aren't suited for espresso, it seems. I'll let the experts deal with that - once we find one that is suitable, we work more on the base taste, which is mostly affected by the milk/milk substitute that you use, unless you are just doing straight shots of espresso.

We like the machine so much, it's worth considering taking with you on travel if you have the power, and way to store your own milk at your location. And yes, we've been at places with in-room espresso machines like the Ritz, which has in-room espresso from Nespresso, to places that have full kitchens with a variety of machines, and places with club level places that have fully automatic machines. We continue to be underwhelmed with the quality and taste that most places do. Yes, we've been in Italy and had the best espresso/cappuccino's, and they can't be beaten due to the location, ambiance, etc. This machine does a bang up job of that without the expense of travel - lol.

Frankly, Breville has provided a cost point and quality machine that is hard to beat. Other than my calling for help on a small grind question/issue, I have had no service issues yet.

From other posters, if there are substantial issues that start to creep up after the 1 year mark, it's kind of a cost tradeoff to consider paying $250 for a repair, or just buying a new one. I guess there is also a warranty you can buy if bought through Amazon, that goes up to 4 years, so that may be an option to keep it running longer, and truly have cost savings for many years to come.

I rarely write online reviews of products I buy, but I am so impressed by this machine I must share with people who are contemplating this purchase.

BOTTOM LINE:
This is an extremely good value for the price, and I would HIGHLY recommend this machine to anyone regardless of their experience level with making espresso-based beverages. Read on for more detail...

BACKGROUND:
I am very careful when buying products in this kind of price range, and thus do a lot of research before buying. This is especially true with something you can't truly "try before you buy". I read over 100 of the reviews on this product, and although there are some complaints the major theme is very positive. I have been using the Breville daily now for almost two months and feel I understand it's pro's and con's very well.

As a coffee person, my focus is on espresso, Americano, and lattes. I was never a drip-coffee person, but I have been a hardcore Starbucks latte guy for 6 years. I have talked at length to baristas over the years to get a more technical understanding of what makes great coffee, and previously owned a fully automatic machine from Saeco (about a $600 machine). When it came time to buy a new machine, I felt that I was ready to make the jump to a semi-automatic machine.

Lastly, I come from a technology background (e.g. Apple employee) and feel that I am a good judge of design, manufacturing, user interface, etc.

DESIGN:
This is an extremely well designed product. Every little detail, from the exterior & interior packaging to the controls on the front of the machine, is very thoughtfully done, well executed, and serves its intended purpose. From the beginning you see that it is a high quality product, and Breville spent money where it matters. The materials are visually appealing as well as sturdily built, with the kind of craftsmanship and heft you would expect from a much higher priced machine. Nice touches like having the tamper store in a magnetized hole in the top of the machine, having the top surface of the machine stay warm from the boiler to keep your portafilter and coffee cup warm, and creating a hidden accessories tray in the base of the machine are signs of top notch designers. Overall, the product is relatively compact and will fit into any size kitchen situation. Lastly, the user instructions are extremely well done and very helpful - READ THEM.

PERFORMANCE:
The espresso produced is extremely consistent, and only changes as your beans age (although a pretty small difference). The water boiler heats up very quickly and you will be drawing a shot less than 2 minutes after hitting the power button (part of this time is grinding the beans). The controls are easy to use, and the movable items such as the portafilter and steamer wand are holding up well and I have zero concern about long term reliability. The steamer wand, compared to my previous Saeco, seems to create much richer milk foam, which is important for lattes and cappuccinos. There are a number of "complaints" from people on these reviews about how difficult it is to get good espresso, but I can tell you my very first shot was good and has been ever since. I think these people are creating the wrong impression, as this machine is incredibly easy to use. However, it's critically important that you read the instruction manuals FIRST to help ensure you get it right. The grind level is the only thing you really need to set, and that will be personal preference to some extent but for my beans it seems best at 4. The other thing you control is how hard to tamp the grounds in the portafilter, and I will tell you that if you give it a good strong press (I use two hands on a hard flat surface), it will be just fine. Don't overthink this machine!

BEANS:
I strongly suggest you find a local shop that roasts their beans on-site so you can have truly fresh beans. You want espresso whole beans, and they need to be 100% Arabic and NOT the "oily" kind. Otherwise, you will gum up your grinder.

CLEANING:
Terrific design makes this a breeze to clean. The water and grounds catch tray just lifts out in one piece, and you can take everything to the sink without making a mess. A quick rinse and you are ready to put it back. One thing that cannot be avoided is that some of the coffee grinds will spill out of the portafilter during the grinding process, and may even fall off the coffee maker and onto the counter (or floor). I shake the portafilter mildly while its grinding to even out the grounds to minimize the mess, but even that doesn't eliminate it completely. The other mess creator is tamping the grounds and levelling off the dose size, this will cause grounds to be spilled. Up to you how to contain this, although I just turn the dosing blade upside down and use it to scrape the grounds off my counter and into a bowl I use to catch the grounds when I level the dose. Overall it is quite minor and requires less than 5 minutes of clean-up a day.

Its been a month since I have bought this machine. I have not worked every coffee making device out there but I have operated and tasted many. I had just lost my Deloghni magnifca super automatic machine after seven years of use. It was a pretty good machine for being a super automatic. But I have craved to get a real espresso machine and do a proper cappuccino. I have used french presses, Vietnamese phins, drip, siphon, and single serve kuerigs. Being in the Pacific NW you would except awesome cafe's everywhere, and you would be wrong. To get a good barrista that knows what they are doing, is slim to none. So with the exit of my super auto, I shopped for a good one. I kept coming back to the breville. Only knocks it was really getting was that breville was Australian and new to the game. I took the plunge and bought it, and I do not regret it.

So the good:
It comes with its own grinder. It not the best, but then again its no slouch. It can be taken apart and cleaned. My super never did that. What this means is that as you build up grounds on the Burr, you can pull it apart easily and clean it. It has a hopper that you can remove and place unused beans back in its container, that is just awesome, you can make decafe then switch to a new bean. A reviewer gave a good tip that when you first run it, start at the coarse then work it to fine when you start to grind, good advice. I word of caution from me, every different roast of bean will be a new setting for the machine. If you use a oily bean, then you might have to clean the burr a lot in order to get that fine grind. Also be prepared to go through a lot of coffee to figure out the right setting to get that perfect cup.
Temperature control. You can decrease or increase the temperature by 4 degree's, in 2 degree increments. Doesn't sound like much, but it can change the taste of your espresso.
Easy to program grind amount, and shot times.
It has a gauge to measure the pressure as it goes through the port a filter. It is a nice touch to be able to tell how things are working, several high price machine you have to feel it out and guess, this you can tell right away if something went wrong and you can adjust.
The steam wand is easy to use, the switch on the side is okay, my super did have a better control knob that you could control the amount of steam that came out, but this one is slow enough that its not that bad to operate.
Clean up is a snap, I really enjoy the fact that I can easily and quickly clean it up.
It has a water filter, where I live we have a high concentration of hard water, so having a second filter to go through is nice.
Parts. Breville has all the parts you can buy to fix your machine if they go out or need replaced. I am talking about new port a filters, rings, hoppers, water reservoirs, ect.
It is pretty, looks really good, makes you want to drink coffee.

The things that are not so nice:
You will go through a lot of coffee. This is most true when you first get the machine and try to figure out how to run it. There is a couple of way things can go down. 1) you drink every cup you make, I suggest you do this alone. Anyone around you will worry you are on something because you will be running at a 1000 mph on that much caffeine, no matter what your tolerance is. You will be wondering why everyone around you is moving so slow. 2) invite people over and watch there reaction to find out well you are doing on making that espresso.
Mess from the grounds. It has a tray, but for some reason my grounds always seem to go further then the tray. I placed a small dish under the grinder it that keeps it contained and its easily cleaned. You can also fill the port a filter, tamp, then fill a little more until you reach the proper level. I place a paper towel down and do the tamp on that, it catches the grounds that fall when tamping.
Don't expect a piping hot cup of joe. You can get it hot enough, by following their suggestions. I poor hot water in my cup before and do a single shot on a empty port a filter, that seems to do a good enough job.
My latte art is of clouds, mushrooms, cotton balls. I believe that is my malfunction though.

Overall, for the price (especially now) and the quality of espresso I am getting, its the top choice. Is it the best machine out there, no. But if you can afford those then I am not sure why you are reading things on amazon. Try different beans, they will taste different from what you are used to, each type will need different techniques to get the right pull. The Seattle best coffee bean, I only need to lightly tamp, the Vietnamese Civet I have to really press hard to get to the right tamp. I will trying several others as I go along, but I think that's the best part of this machine. And to the few people ( there is other things I would call you) about the California restrictions, in the manual it does say that the parts on the machine that does come in contact with coffee or water is BPA Free and there is no parts that will make you grow a third limb, unless you already have one. If you read the blasted bill you might figure out what it actually is saying, Anything with a grinder or power cord falls in this warning. I don't know about you, but I am not grinding bits of plastic in my coffee, and I am not sucking on the power cord, but if that's what you want to do, go for it.

For me, this has been a awesome buy, thank you for reading.