Breville BES870XL Barista Express Espresso Reviews Summary

Usability

Pros:

• "Very easy to use and makes a delicious cup of Joe!"
• "Straight forward to use after reading instructions and watching videos for tips and tricks."
• "It's incredibly easy to operate, even for someone like me who is not a seasoned barista."
• "Machine is easy to use and tells you when it needs cleaning."
• "Its easy-to-use nature makes it a delight for both novices and coffee connoisseurs alike."
• "It’s pretty easy to set up and use. It comes with everything you need, the tamp is super nice."
• "This is a very solid purchase because it's incredibly easy to use."

Cons:

• "You have to learn and practice how to make your drinks correctly."
• "Getting a good cup of espresso was tricky, however."
• "You have to basically fill the port filler all the way up. And that’s not what the direction say so it’s very confusing and then it still doesn’t extract all the way."
• "You have to play with the grind setting to get it to brew just right, otherwise it over or under extracts."
• "There is a high learning curve and long dial in process to become proficient in using the machine."
• "If you think you are only going to use on weekends because you will never learn enough or develop the rhythm and patience to easily produce regular excellent results."
• "The machine looks pretty and everything, but it is super hard to get the pressure up towards actually in espresso mode."

Customer Service

Pros:

• "I have reached out to Breville and am hopeful that they will make it right…UPDATE: The request for return was approved and it was boxed up and dropped off at The UPS Store."
• "I love everything about this espresso machine and the one time I had need to call customer service, they were able to give me professional guidance to resolve the problem."
• "I called Breville and the customer service rep was great at helping me adjust settings."
• "If you have issues with your BREVILLE You can call them directly and talk to someone and they will walk you through something."
• "Spoke to Victor today. Completely different experience than last week, great customer service and issues resolved, thank you."
• "Called customer support service and they were extremely kind and helpful, they walked me through a video chat step by step."
• "I was soon making an absolutely delicious cappuccino!"

Cons:

• "I called Breville, we spoke for a little bit and the line went dead, I tried to call back and the recording said Breville is now closed!!!! Terrible customer service!!!!!!"
• "Customer service at Breville was not good - it felt like you were talking to someone who never even touched the machine."
• "Open case with Breville (who states a prompt 2 business day follow-up) and finally after waiting 8 days with no response to my claim, I called back to customer service."
• "They have not contacted me back and it said they would get back to me 2 business days. Which it has been 3."
• "Poor Customer Support: I sent the machine to Breville's customer service that reported back that the unit was unrepairable because they no longer had the part or could not source it only to offer a 30% discount on a new machine."
• "TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE. I will be buying a machine from a different company and will never purchase a Breville again!"
• "At this point I think Breville customer support is a scam and they do not stand by their product."

Performance

Pros:

• "The milk frother works like magic, producing perfect foam every time."
• "Makes an honest-to-goodness superior cup of espresso."
• "The milk frother is a dream, creating a perfect creamy foam every time."
• "It extracts great tasting espresso along with reasonable steam machine for your milk."
• "With its sleek, professional design, the Barista Express is a love letter to coffee aficionados."
• "It's capable of making great espressos, outstanding lattes, well-balanced americanos, and perfect cappuccinos."
• "The espresso flavor this machine produces is nothing short of exceptional."

Cons:

• "These overpriced machines are absolutely trash .. have fun wasting coffee trying to dial in the pressure range."
• "The machine is capable of making great cups of espresso, but is so extremely inconsistent that I'm getting rid of it."
• "No water pressure, no espresso pressure, no steam pressure."
• "The first few times the coffee sucked, super bitter etc."
• "Coffee is bitter and crema dark no matter what adjustment, even using Weiss method."
• "Every time I make a cup, it is a hit or miss situation if it will be a good brew or not."
• "Do NOT purchase this espresso machine. It will barely make it a year."

Design & Build Quality

Pros:

• "Great value, well built and functionality!! Strongly recommend to all coffee aficionados."
• "The sleek design adds a touch of elegance to my countertop."
• "Its attractive design adds a touch of elegance to my kitchen counter."
• "Its sleek and attractive appearance instantly adds a touch of elegance to my kitchen."
• "From the moment I opened the box, I was blown away by its sleek design and brushed stainless steel finish."
• "It's easy to use, clean, and has an attractive design."
• "The unit is a very attractive looking machine."