Deciding between Breville Coffee Machines

• 

  NuclearWessels on 21/05/2020 - 00:45

  +1

  I'm very happy with my 870, and it did win the Choice award for best espresso machine a few years a back. Coffee from both is going to taste the same, so I'd go with what's cheapest.

  Maybe consider the Sunbeam Barista Max Espresso? It seems to be Sunbeams attempts at an 870 copy.

• 

  Stewardo on 21/05/2020 - 00:58

  +3

  Gaggia Classic
  https://www.appliancesonline.com.au/product/gaggia-886938003…

• 

  bolt on 21/05/2020 - 01:09

  I have the pro, chose it over the express due to faster time switching between extracting and steaming (only takes 5-10 seconds), and the steam wand is also more powerful.

• 

  [Deactivated] on 21/05/2020 - 04:53

  +1

  I have the express. I know it quite well. From only what I've read from the pro it seems to be the express but v2.0. I'd put it down to this. Are you making coffee for just yourself? If so, save the money and get the express. If you are making coffee for more than 1 person at a time, most times, go the pro as it seems to have some form of new heating tech - dual boiler?. The coffee will be near identical in both but the pro will do it a lot quicker. In the morning when you're making coffee for 3-4 people it saves a lot of time.

• 

  Andrewczy on 21/05/2020 - 07:22

  +1

  I think the pro version is just the barista express with an LED screen? That means you still have to steam milk and pull your shots seperaetely . I've been using my barista express for a year and am quite pleased with the results, although the grinder is definitely the limiting factor here. IF you think you are someone who is going to dive deep into the rabbit hole and be obsessed about your shots ( I certainly have), might be worthwhile saving up and investing in a seperate grinder and espresso machine .

• 

  belesci on 21/05/2020 - 08:40

  -1

  Pay a bit more and get the touch (auto milk)

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  sdardz on 21/05/2020 - 09:35

  Does anyone have any experience with the the DeLonghi La Specialista? Can't find too much about this guy online. From what I gather, it is pretty similar, though with far less control over grinding (i.e. less grind options), tamping and milk control (i.e. the use of their special milk nozzle thing). I understand that a lot of people will eventually get really into making coffee as a hobby, and want those additional controls, but I doubt I would. Interested to see whether anyone has had any actual experience with just using one and the quality of coffee it makes or if there are any other drawbacks?

  https://www.jbhifi.com.au/products/delonghi-la-specialista-d…

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  slowcoach on 21/05/2020 - 10:14

  +1

  I have a barista pro, my parents bought a barista express a little while ago. I find the pro much better. You can turn it on and it's ready to go. Switching to steam wand also takes just a few seconds. I was really wanting to get a dual boiler but got this one on a good special. It's so fast I'm not missing the dual boiler option. The express steam wand takes a fair while to get going and is much lower pressure, takes a while to heat a jug. The pro isn't as strong as a high end italian machine but it's quite decent. Make sure you clean it after every use. My wife didn't at the start and it got clogged fairly fast (has 4 small nozzles). Express has to be turned on a little while ahead to warm up.
  The LCD on the pro is much easier to use than the express. Express has a variety of button combos to run flush/descale cycles for which you'll need the manual. Using a menu on the LCD is easy.

  I found it much easier to get settings correct for a decent espresso on the pro (with, cough cough, supermarket Lavazza). Tried about 10 pours with good quality beans on the express and couldn't get it the way I wanted. Gave up.

  Short version - I'm glad I spent the extra for the pro.

• 

  sjtem3 on 21/05/2020 - 10:25

  +1

  I have a Breville Dual Boiler, bought with a 5 year warranty from TGG for ~$700. It's a great machine that I think is worth considering as well.

  Obvious downside is the lack of an attached grinder, so you'd need to source one yourself. I bought a used mazzer off gumtree for $150 which is built like a tank.

  The benefits of going this way would include better coffee (not so much from the espresso machine, but more from the grinder - breville grinders aren't highly spoken of for espresso), ability to steam milk and make espresso at the same time (may not be of particular merit for you). Going with a dual boiler and better grinder from the outset also helps reduce the risk of wanting to upgrade soon after purchase if you're prone to that.

  Downsides of this approach are the risk of a dud grinder off scumtree, potential need to wait for a deal to pop up on the dual boiler and slightly higher outlay.

  I originally was looking at the italian machines but just couldnt justify ~$2000 for a decent heat exchange machine. I was concerned with stories of breville appliances dying within a few years, but I feel like I've solved that concern with a 5 year extended warranty for my peace of mind. Extremely happy with the plan and purchase. As an amateur my morning coffee is better than 95% of cafes I buy from.

  For what it's worth, its very likely you'll be delighted with one of the grinder attached models as well. It comes down to preference I think.

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  imnotgoingtopayrrp on 22/05/2020 - 21:43

  +1

  Been using this (https://www.harveynorman.com.au/de-longhi-magnifica-s-coffee…) machine for over 3 years now and before that, we had the same model that lasted for 5 years. It's semi-auto and is easy to clean/descale. Love it.

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  David Astonpp on 13/06/2020 - 17:13

  does anyone think there will be anymore EOFy deals need to get something new and max budget up to $700 so was hoping they would discount the Barista Express thanks