The Best Breville Espresso Machine in 2024: The 9 Ex Barista Picks

It’s no secret that Breville remains one of the most trusted brands of espresso machines worldwide. In fact, in 2021, reports revealed Breville to gain an overall 42% rise in its profits. 

Now, while I’m no crystal ball reader, my guess is that this boost isn’t likely to drop anytime soon, mostly thanks to this company’s great design. 

As an ex barista and proud Breville espresso machine owner myself, I know a thing or two about buying a good Breville machine. I’ve done the research and put together this guide to the best Breville machines on the market.

Why Pick Breville

Before we even start talking about the best Breville machines out there, let’s take a second to go over why you should pick Breville anyway. 

Well, for starters, these guys have a good track record of making great coffee machines. In fact, they’ve been around for more than 90 years!

Founded in 1932 in Sydney, Australia, Breville takes pride in creating sleek, minimalist, and sophisticated designs in its various range of kitchen and home appliances. 

It’s always easy to tell when a coffee machine is from Breville. With its iconic stainless steel design, Breville combines modern technology and innovation with years of experience and reputation. 

Breville coffee machines’ stainless steel design is also the reason for their durable and long-lasting build. Because of the material, they are easy to maintain and clean. And, of course, in the event that the machine does go on the fritz, the company offers a nice warranty for repairs. 

Besides the more technical aspects of why you should choose Breville, these machines make great coffee. 

The brand’s signature Thermoblock heating system and PID temperature control are designed to heat the water quickly without overdoing it. That reduces the risk of burnt-tasting coffee and helps fully extract the flavors of the beans. The result is flavorful brews that are consistently good. 

For those of us who like a good cappuccino, there’s also the exceptional steam wand to allow users to create beautiful latte art. The steam wand is capable of producing fluffy cappuccino foam as well as just steamed milk for lattes. 

Finally, Breville has also upped its game by releasing other innovative features to help you make the best-tasting coffee at home. We’ll get more into some of those innovations in a little bit.

Commonalities Between Breville Machines

Breville coffee machines are best known for brewing the third wave of specialty coffee. These artisanal coffee machines are either manual, semi, or fully automatic that combine different technologies to make your coffee taste delicious. 

But while there is a variety of models available, they were all created according to the Four Keys Formula:

• Achieving the right dosage of coffee grounds
• Having precise temperature control
• Authentic micro-foam milk
• Ideal water pressure 

Besides these ‘four keys,’ another thing similar across all Breville espresso machines is that each model comes with a set of cleaning essentials from the brand. Although you don’t have to use them, they’re helpful in maintaining your device so that it lasts for a good long while. 

Finally, Breville machines also all feature a signature design. Their stainless steel casing will make you wonder whether the two devices are of various models or the same! 

Comparing Breville Espresso Machines

Breville currently has eleven espresso machine models from different lines. Each lineup has its own unique features according to the various needs of home baristas and coffee drinkers. 

For instance, some of the machines are designed for beginners, with simple features and not a whole lot of ways to tweak your drink. Others are for people who have been in the at-home barista game for years, giving things like touch screens that let you personalize your coffee. 

Besides the features, depending on the lineup, the price range of different models also differs. There are top-of-the-line and high-end options if you’re willing to spend more. 

But, Breville offers a handful of machines as well for those on a budget. The good news is that they still contain outstanding features you’ll find useful. 

I’ve compared Breville espresso machines according to price range, heating system, grinder, display, milk frothing, and other reputable features. With all that, you should be on the right track to pick one that makes sense for you!

Best Breville Espresso Machines 2024

When it comes to choosing the best Breville machine, there are some that stand out more than others. However, it really all boils down to your personal needs, preferences, and experience level. 

Below, I’ve summarized nine of the best Breville espresso machines and why they stand out from the other models. I’ve also included their best features and drawbacks, so it’s easier to weigh the pros and cons of each Breville espresso machine. 

1. Breville Barista Pro

Breville Barista Pro was first introduced in the market in 2019, and it remains our best all-rounder from the brand.

Even though it’s one of the latest additions to the Barista line-up, most customers have proclaimed it to be one of their favorites because of Barista Pro’s outstanding features and excellent price range. 

What We Like

Barista Pro has the usual features of the Barista Express:

• Conical burr grinder with built-in dose control 
• Manual steam wand 
• Hot water tap

The built-in, conical burr grinder helps the coffee machine grind the right size of coffee beans with a single button touch. Plus, the machine’s manual steam wand generates enough pressure to ensure your coffee has the ideal microfoam with beautiful latte art. 

And while both Barista Express and Pro have a hot water tap, it’s more angled on the latter, which makes it more convenient. Moving the cup after pulling a single espresso shot is not needed anymore to add water. 

Aside from the angled hot water tap, Barista Pro has an upgraded LCD interface, making the model more user-friendly and easy to navigate. Even beginners are able to use this espresso machine because whatever you need, you can simply tap on the screen! 

Another upgrade is the machine’s Thermojet heating system which allows faster heat-up and recovery. Brewing takes three seconds, and pulling consecutive espresso shots is easy, even when several people desire to drink.

What Could Be Better

The only possible downside of Breville Barista Pro is its lack of a cup warmer. No cup warmer means your espresso shots can turn out to be not hot when you don’t flush prior.  

2. Barista Express By Breville

Breville Barista Express has long been a part of the brand’s best-selling espresso machines of all time. It’s been a crowd’s favorite for over a decade and remains a top contender for people who want optimal flavor extraction. 

What We Like

This famous coffee machine comes with a conical burr grinder capable of dose-control grinding. This means the Barista Express can grind coffee beans as requested and deliver precisely the amount you desire right into the portafilter. 

The best thing about this is that less mess is likely created, which means less cleaning! Barista Express also comes with a Grind Amount dial, allowing you to have complete control over the amount of dispensed beans per shot. 

Breville Barista Express has 16 grind settings, a 1600-watt Thermocoil heating system, and a PID temperature control. These features ensure maximum bean extraction, guaranteeing you get all the right flavors. 

Don’t forget that this coffee machine also features a low-pressure pre-infusion, which increases the pressure to achieve optimal flavor extraction. There’s also the auto-purge setting that allows the machine to adjust the temperature automatically after steaming. This makes the waiting time between brewing faster and more convenient. 

The steam wand of Barista Express is single-hole, which is good enough to create microfoams for cappuccinos and lattes. It also allows home baristas to practice their skill in making latte art. There’s also an additional hot water tap, ideal for teas and Americanos. But don’t forget that you still need to move your cup to the right. 

Lastly, it’s equipped with an analog pressure gauge and several buttons you can simply press while grinding and brewing your cup. It’s beginner-friendly and affordable, making it one of the most famous semi-automatic espresso machines. 

What Could Be Better

You must beware that this machine can be noisy, especially when frothing and grinding beans. This might be the only reason it’s not the best model to use in the morning. 

Also, Breville Barista Express does not have 24-hour programming or auto-brewing functionality. 

3. Breville Bambino

Veering away from Breville’s top-of-the-line models is Breville Bambino, best for people short on space.

This small but mighty coffee machine is more lightweight and affordable, but it still features the right technology for a complete coffee-making experience. 

What We Like

Breville Bambino can easily fit any space, so it’s a good option for tight kitchen counter spaces. With its latest Thermojet technology, this option is enough to brew your coffee at the right temperature with maximum flavor extraction. 

Moreover, Bambino has a 47-ounce water reservoir, which is pretty decent, especially when you’re living alone. The water capacity is enough to brew at least twelve espressos before refilling. 

With the manual steam wand, Bambino can also create a rich microfoam, ideal for drawing your favorite latte art. 

Like Barista Express and Barista Pro, Breville Bambino features a low-pressure pre-infusion setting to promote precise espresso extraction. The usual PID temperature control most Breville coffee machines are known for is also present, allowing Bambino to get ready in a few seconds. 

This semi-automatic espresso machine features a 15-bar Italian pump-based system, which is more ideal than steam-based systems. 

Bambino allows users to choose between a single-ounce or a double-ounce espresso shot. You can also manually program volume, especially when the machine needs reprogramming. 

Beginners can quickly learn how Bambino works because of its straightforward features. Plus, it’s more budget-friendly. 

What Could Be Better

There are no milk steaming presets on the steam wand. So you must educate yourself on this. It’s also best to look for tutorial videos on using the steam wand to avoid burning the milk. 

Another thing to consider is that this machine does not include a built-in grinder. You will need to purchase a bean chomper separately. 

4. Breville Bambino Plus

Another lightweight and affordable option is Breville Bambino Plus. It’s an upgrade from the Bambino model, making it a favorite choice among beginner baristas. 

What We Like

Measuring only a little less than eight inches wide, Breville Bambino Plus boasts advanced features that make it worth its budget-friendly price. This automatic coffee machine features programmable volumetric dosing, making it easy to pull an espresso shot after setting your desired volume. 

Because of the machine’s small footprint, it’s lightweight and portable. Plus, you can easily fit it anywhere at home. 

Bambino Plus also allows users to program specific pre-infusion time settings. And its automatic milk frothing has a temperature sensor built directly into the machine’s drip tray. You can also choose the milk texture level you desire – from lightly creamy to airy froth. 

There are also three milk temperatures to choose from. 

After choosing, get the steam wand and insert it into the frothing pitcher made of stainless steel. Breville Bambino Plus also features manual pre-infusion and a pressurized filter basket. And because the steam wand has four holes, it can steam milk faster than the Bambino model by twenty seconds. 

Lately, the Bambino Plus also features a metal sensor at the machine’s base. This one signals the user when the milk has achieved its perfect frothing consistency. It also means the device features hands-free frothing for convenience. 

What Could Be Better

A drawback of the Breville Bambino Plus is the lack of a hot water outlet. If you want hot water, you still need to push the milk texture and one cup button.

It’s also not equipped with a built-in grinder and auto-cleaning functionality. This means you need to clean it manually regularly. 

5. Breville Barista Touch

Breville Barista Touch, as the name suggests, is famous for its intuitive and user-friendly touchscreen display.

The LCD lets you see clear pictures of programmed espresso drinks, making it the best machine for people who want the ease of automation combined with the customization of manual machines.

What We Like

Breville Barista Touch features five pre-programmed drink options, but you can save and customize at most eight drinks. It’s also easy to choose and change the brewing method, grind, and milk depending on your desired drink temperature and strength. 

And you can also brew your cup by touching the buttons on the screen. Changing the program and the settings are also a piece of cake! 

One of the main reasons why Barista Touch is part of the list is its remarkable steam wand. 

Like the Bambino Plus, a temperature sensor is present, where you can place the machine’s milk pitcher. The steam wand allows users to choose between manual and automatic frothing, as well as various textures and temperatures. 

Moreover, Barista Touch features an auto-purge button for keeping the steam wand clean and maintained. Its single boiler system, however, doesn’t allow users to steam and brew at the same time. But the waiting time is minimal because the machine is quick to heat up. 

Another outstanding feature of the Barista Touch is its automatic preinfusion. The espresso puck’s pre-wetting at low pressure ensures you achieve an evenly distributed extraction. This gives you a more flavorful cup of joe. 

The machine’s conical burr grinder has thirty settings, allowing you to choose the coarseness or fineness of your coffee grounds properly. It’s also high-quality, making it easy to achieve consistent coffee grind sizes. 

Another option with the Barista Touch is complete control over the number of coffee grounds per serving. 

What Could Be Better

It’s hard to fault this machine beyond its price tag. People who prefer an automatic experience should note that this machine requires manual tamping. 

6. Breville Infuser

If balanced flavors are your priority, this machine might be the one for you. The Breville Infuser is the best there is if we’re talking about low-pressure pre-infusion.

What We Like

Low-pressure pre-infusion means the coffee grounds are subjected to a steady and low pressure before coffee brewing takes place at high pressure. It’s helpful when you want your cup to have more balanced flavors. 

There’s no need to switch settings between brews, and it’s easy to choose between a single or a double shot by pushing a button. Breville Infuser also comes with the volumetric control for easy programming of the amount of your espresso. 

The volumetric control allows you to change the volume in each pour easily. Plus, it gives you complete control of everything. Choose how acidic, sweeter, or bitter you want your espresso. 

Let’s not forget to talk about how lightweight this Breville model is. And even when it’s lighter than other espresso machines, it still feels durable and substantial. So if a compact and semi-automatic coffee machine is what you’re looking for, you might want to take a look at Breville Infuser. 

Another unique feature of the Breville Infuser is its electronic PID controller. It allows you to manually change the temperature at most four degrees in a two-degree increment. This feature gives you more temperature stability. 

The auto-purge feature provides optimal extraction temperature as well. Let’s also not forget that the Infuser comes with a “Clean Me” button that lights up when the machine is due for a cleaning. 

Breville Infuser also features a pressure gauge that helps users ensure the right bean extraction in every brewing cycle. The pressure gauge also guarantees the coffee grounds used are not overdosed or too coarse. 

What Could Be Better

A minor limitation of this espresso machine is its heating system. It features a Thermocoil heating system that might take more time to reheat in brewing cycles than the Thermoblock system. Also, this may lose heat faster, so it’s pretty challenging when you’re marathoning multiple espresso shots. 

The steam wand takes a little slower to heat up and froth milk than other Breville models. But it’s unrecognizable if you aren’t in much of a hurry. You’ll also have to tamp the coffee ground manually. 

And while Breville gives a free tamper, we recommend getting a more upgraded version, so it tamps better and more efficiently. 

7. Breville Dual Boiler

If you plan on making successive rounds of milky espresso drinks, check out the Breville Dual Boiler. This coffee machine heats up water fast and produces steam ideal for milk frothing.

What We Like

The most important feature of the Breville Dual Boiler is its two independent boilers for steaming milk and brewing. It totally eradicates the waiting time between steaming and heating milk. This is why most drinkers prefer this option because they can practically do anything simultaneously. 

Because this option has a dual boiler system, more water is used to work with, which means less time to refill, even when you plan on making several hot coffee drinks or teas. One boiler is equipped with an over-pressure valve and a PID control. These features allow ideal pressure and temperature during flavor extraction. They also ensure your coffee won’t taste bitter. 

This machine’s boiler system makes it different from the rest of the Breville coffee machines with a Thermocoil heating system. Drier steam is produced, which can create better milk textures for your cappuccinos and lattes. 

Let’s also talk about the two modes of the dual boiler:

1. Semi-automatic operation – the shot clock is used for timing the extraction
2. Pre-program – the volume is chosen for double and single shots

The auto-on timer is also a unique feature because it allows your espresso machine to be ready, even in the morning. This is perfect for drinkers who badly need their caffeine kick before leaving for work. 

Breville Dual Boiler also features limitless options for experimenting because you can freely set the infusion pressure based on your preferences. You can set up the amount of coffee grounds as well as the time it takes for the beans to heat up and start one brewing cycle. 

Additionally, decreasing the brewing pressure or pulling slower-flowing shots is possible. This is one reason why expert baristas love using the Breville Dual Boiler. It’s an ideal espresso machine they can use to hone their coffee-making skills and discover new techniques. 

Aside from the set of Breville’s cleaning accessories, the Dual Boiler also comes with an integrated descaling function. This prevents mineral and ground build-up, which can affect your coffee’s overall taste. 

The Dual Boiler’s 360-degree swiveling steam wand is also remarkable. It allows you to hold the milk pitcher any way you want, exuding convenience. Plus, you can adjust the steam output for up to three bars. 

This Breville model also has a built-in timer you can set so it’s preheated in the morning before you even wake up. 

What Could Be Better

Even with all these reputable features, Breville Dual Boiler has no integrated grinder. You need to purchase an extra grinder separately, which means more expense. 

And because the coffee machine itself is already not compact, buying a separate grinder makes it even more hassle to fit in tight spaces. 

Users also reported that its tamper feels light and less durable than a standard stainless steel one.

8. Breville Oracle Touch 

The Breville Oracle Touch is best for people who want a dual boiler machine with more innovative features than the previous Breville dual Boiler. 

What We Like

For starters, the Oracle Touch has a built-in automatic tamper. This means that you don’t need to hassle yourself and manually tamp the coffee grounds.

The automatic tamper, combined with pre-infusion, ensures you get optimal and precise coffee extraction. It also means less hassle to clean! Breville Oracle Touch’s built-in, conical grinder has 45 settings with dose-control grinding. 

Let’s talk about the machine’s touchscreen display. It’s intuitive enough to scroll through clear coffee pictures, allowing you to choose your preferences. You can even learn how to make some of the drinks from the LCD! The tutorial comes with a series of steps in the form of buttons you just simply tap to complete. 

The Oracle Touch also allows users to save their preferred drinks, so it’s easier and faster to brew your favorite cup in the future. It also automatically monitors the temperature and adjusts according to what’s needed. 

Let’s say you use milk gotten from the chiller. The machine automatically adjusts the steam pressure and temperature before frothing the milk, achieving the optimal temperature for your cup of latte or cappuccino. 

The machine’s steam wand is also automatic and self-cleaning. Every after-use, it cleans on its own, saving you more time. But we still do recommend manually cleaning the wand, especially on the tip. 

Lastly, the Breville Oracle Touch has a water filter to ensure the water used is not contaminated and is kept clean. 

What Could Be Better

It’s hard to fault this machine. That said, it is on the pricer side among the Breville options. Plus, it’s fairly bulky. Once you’ve installed it in your kitchen, don’t plan on moving it very often. Portability is not really an option here. 

9. Breville Cafe Roma

The Breville Cafe Roma is another semi-automatic espresso machine, great for beginners. And with its affordable price range, most customers are quick to choose this machine as an entry-level option. 

What We Like

Beginners love using Breville Cafe Roma because it contains the usual outstanding features you’d see in most Breville coffee machines. It’s a great option when you want to hone your barista skills at home. 

One of the most notable features of Cafe Roma is its fifteen-bar pump. It can produce enough pressure for an espresso crema and flavor extraction. Cafe Roma features Breville’s Thermoblock heating system that enables easy adjustment and extraction, which is excellent for achieving the proper water temperature. 

Another notable feature is the dual-wall portafilter. It’s great for beginners because it’s easy to generate enough pressure during extraction. The pressurized filters are also remarkable because Cafe Roma does not have a built-in grinder. They are ideal to use when you prefer coarser coffee grounds. 

Aside from the pressurized filters, Cafe Roma also features filters for coffee pods. If we’re talking about steam wands, it’s easy to create cream and milk-based drinks with Cafe Roma. 

Aside from the steam wand, Breville Cafe Roma also features a tamping tool, a frothing pitcher, and a measuring spoon. These are all free, by the way! The 40.6-ounce water capacity is enough if you’re living alone. Plus, together with the drip tray, it’s removable and easy to clean. 

What Could Be Better

It’s worth noting that the wand still does spit out water before making steam. So you would want to steam first in a separate cup before the actual steaming of milk. 

And remember, this machine does not come with a built-in grinder. 

The Final Verdict: Best Breville Espresso Machine

All nine Breville espresso machines are major frontrunners, but the Breville Barista Pro is what really takes the cake. With its price range, it’s a worthy appliance for the multitude of features it offers aside from its alluring and durable appearance. 

Moreover, it does not matter whether you’re a beginner or a professional barista. Breville Barista Pro ensures beginners will not feel overwhelmed by its innovative features. Experts will enjoy how they can control the temperature, coffee grounds, extraction, and milk-frothing capacity. 

If you want an espresso machine in the more budget-friendly price range, on the other hand, the Breville Bambino is a good runner-up.

It’s also lighter and portable, so it fits tight kitchen countertops. Plus, the manual steam wand lets you create rich microfoam for your latte art. 

Breville Bambino is also the more ideal option when you already have a separate grinder at home. But this can also be a disadvantage when you don’t because this coffee machine does not have a built-in grinder. 

At the end of the day, the choice is yours. Will you be a Budget Barista with the Breville Bambino? Or, will you up your coffee game with the more versatile Barista Pro? Either way, you’re bound to get some great coffee.

Frequently Asked Questions: Breville Coffee Makers