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5 Best Breville Espresso Machines, According to Testing

Elevate your home coffee bar with a model that came out on top in our Lab and with consumer testers.

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VerifiedTested by Contributing Writer and Analyst
best breville espresso machines
mike garten

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Breville espresso machines are known for their sleek, stainless steel aesthetic, but besides being countertop eye candy, they offer innovative features and settings to appeal towards both beginner baristas and coffee professionals alike. In fact, a Breville espresso machine has won our Kitchen Gear Awards two years in a row for their innovation.

Whether you prefer a single shot of espresso, a creamy latte or cappuccino, here are the top Breville espresso machines to help you make and enjoy coffee-shop beverages from the comfort of your own kitchen.

Our top picks:

The Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab has tested over 40 espresso machines, brewing well over 100 cups of espresso in that time. And this doesn't even include the hundreds of other types of coffee makers we've tested, everything from coffee makers with grinders and drip coffee makers to French presses and cold brew coffee makers.

When we test Breville espresso machines, our experts assess the timing and temperature of multiple espressos made in a row and note the quality of the crema and rate the flavor and smoothness of each drink. For each machine, we evaluate the ease of setup and use as well as attributes like built-in milk frothers and coffee bean grinders. We also consult notes from our GH+ testers to see how Breville espresso machines perform in home testing.

Read on to learn more about how we test Breville espresso machines and what to consider when shopping for one. Still need drinkware for your new machine? Check out our guides for the best coffee mugs, heated mugs and travel mugs. And coffee beans? We've tested those, too!

1
Best Overall Breville Espresso Machine

Breville Barista Express Impress Espresso Machine

Barista Express Impress Espresso Machine

Pros

  • Produces dark, rich shots of espresso
  • Still performs well after a year of testing
  • Smart dosing technology

Cons

  • Drier coffee beans can create a mess with this tamping system

The Barista Express Impress Espresso Machine is our best-tested Breville espresso machine model for ease of use and performance. This innovative espresso machine even earned a 2022 Good Housekeeping Coffee Award and helps you pull a perfect shot of espresso each time. Instead of taking out your kitchen scale or simply guessing if you ground the right amount of espresso, this model utilizes a smart dosing technology that automatically weighs and dispenses the correct amount of ground coffee each time. Then, easily tamp down your coffee grounds with a press of the lever located on the left side for a consistent extraction.

Since the weight of some beans can vary, there is also a helpful guide below the grinder which lights up to confirm if you ground the perfect amount, if you need to grind more or whether you need to remove some coffee with the help of the included razor trimming tool. Like other Breville espresso makers, this model also comes with two single and two double-walled filters. The double-walled filters are great for producing a thick layer of crema even with older espresso beans or pre-ground coffee.

In our Lab testing, this model produced dark, rich shots of espresso with a thick layer of crema on top. The milk frothing wand also excelled in tests producing a thick layer of froth on top of steamed milk. In home testing, one consumer has been using this espresso machine for over a year now and it is still operating at high performance, producing great shots of espresso. Keep in mind that our home tester noticed that some drier coffee varietals created static in the grinder and their counter started to get covered in coffee grinds after each tamp. The remedy for this was to clean out the grinder fully and start spritzing a few drops of water onto the beans located in the hopper before grinding.

Dimensions14.9 x 12.9 x 16.1 Inches
Control interfaceSimple button
Built-in coffee grinderYes
Milk frotherManual
TampAssisted
2
Best Value Breville Espresso Machine

Breville Bambino Espresso Machine

Bambino Espresso Machine

Pros

  • Sleek and compact design
  • Affordable price point

Cons

  • No built-in coffee grinder

At just about $300, the Brevile Bambino Espresso Machine is a sleek and compact Breville model that comes with all of the equipment you need to make an espresso, latte or cappuccino, including portafilters for single and double espressos, a tamp, built-in steam wand and stainless steel frothing cup. This espresso machine won a 2021 Kitchen Gear Award and is a favorite of our Test Kitchen because it takes barely any effort to make a good, hot espresso.

"It's super compact so it doesn't take up a lot of counter space, but it's sleek enough to keep out on the counter if you'd like," said one GH+ consumer tester. "There aren't too many buttons, which is a plus, especially in the morning when you're not 100% awake." This consumer tester was new to operating an espresso machine and said it took some time to learn how to use the milk frother. If frothing your own milk would also be intimidating for you, Breville makes the Bambino Plus, which is a similar appliance that features an automatic milk frothing wand. Do keep in mind that the Bambino line does not include a built-in coffee grinder.

Dimensions13.7" x 6.3" x 12"
Control interfaceSimple button
Built-in coffee grinderNo
Milk frotherManual
TampManual
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3
Best Breville Espresso Machine for Beginner Baristas

Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine

Barista Express Espresso Machine

Pros

  • Easy to use
  • Low-priced Breville espresso model with grinder
  • Dosing funnel for less mess

Cons

  • Less features that other models on this list

The Breville Barista Express Expresso Machine is a classic Breville espresso machine featuring a built-in coffee grinder and all the necessary accessories to make your favorite espresso drinks at home. If you're looking for a Breville espresso machine model that isn't too expensive and one that you can teach yourself how to manually select the right grind, tamp a portafilter, pull a shot of espresso and steam your own milk, then this is the right model for you. One of our analysts actually learned how to make espresso shots and froth milk with this easy-to-use model.

We appreciate that this espresso machine comes with a dosing funnel, which helps reduce waste and mess when transferring grinds into the portafilter before tamping. Another handy feature is that the tamp can be secured on the side of the machine, keeping it off your countertop and ensuring it doesn't get misplaced.

Dimensions13.8" x 12.5" x 15.9"
Control interfaceSimple button
Built-in coffee grinderYes
Milk frotherYes
TampYes
4
Best Premium Breville Espresso Machine

Breville Barista Touch Impress Espresso Machine

Barista Touch Impress Espresso Machine

Pros

  • Technology that adjusts time and temperature based on the milk you use
  • Barista guidance helps you make a coffee-shop style drink at home

Cons

  • Takes some time to calibrate the machine in the beginning

If you're interested in a Breville espresso machine that comes with all the bells and whistles, the Barista Touch Impress Espresso Machine is a great choice. Breville's newest espresso model features a sleek, user-friendly touchscreen with eight coffee presets and room for eight more custom presets. And on the screen, you'll get "barista guidance" every step of the way, telling you when you've ground the correct amount of beans or if your espresso extraction was of good quality, for instance.

The machine also features intelligent dosing and assisted tamping for even and consistent shots of espresso. And you won't have to froth milk by hand either as there is automatic milk frothing included with new technology that adjusts time and temperature for dairy, oat, almond and soy milk. We did find in our testing that calibrating the machine took a little time initially, but we were very impressed with how easily you could whip up an oat milk flat white.

"I love how you have the option to choose from any coffee drink on the digital touchscreen and the machine knows exactly how much coffee, water and milk to portion," said one consumer tester. "It makes me feel like I'm getting a quality beverage I would normally pay for at a coffee shop." Testers did note that the operation took a little time to learn, especially determining the correct grind size, and they wished that machine was a little taller so it could accommodate a taller mug for lattes.

Dimensions12.9" x 13" x 16.4"
Control interfaceTouchscreen
Built-in coffee grinderYes
Milk frotherAutomatic
TampAssisted
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5
Best Breville Espresso Machine for Pros

Breville Barista Pro Espresso Machine

Barista Pro Espresso Machine

Pros

  • Ability to choose from different temperatures and grind sizes
  • Fast heat-up time in testing

Cons

  • There may be a short learning curve to understand all settings

Whether you consider yourself the barista of your household or you are a coffee professional, the Breville Barista Pro Espresso Machine is for you. The intuitive LCD display allows you to choose from 30 grind sizes and five temperatures and shows animations of the grinding and extracting progress. The attached steam wand allows you to froth your milk exactly how you like it. We recommend playing around with the settings, starting with the defaults and then tweaking as you go to create your perfect espresso.

All parts are easy to wash and wipe down, and in our tests, we were especially impressed with how quickly the system heated up compared to other models. While it may take a little more time to master all of the settings on this machine compared to other Breville espresso models on this list, once you master it, you will be able to enjoy delicious shots of espresso anytime you'd like.

Dimensions12" x 13" x 13"
Control interfaceLCD screen
Built-in coffee grinderYes
Milk frotherManual
TampManual

How we test Breville espresso machines

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In the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, we evaluate each espresso maker for ease of use, brew time, consistency, taste, temperature and noise level.

To find the best Breville espresso machines, we test many of Breville's most popular espresso models, vet user reviews and use our decades of espresso machine and kitchen appliance knowledge to understand what to look for when it comes to buying a Breville espresso machine.

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breville espresso machine testing
Philip Friedman

To find top performers, we calculate the timing and temperature of multiple shots of espressos made in a row and note the quality of the crema. As pictured below, we even check for volume consistency, ensuring each machine produces the same amount of espresso, cup after cup.

Since all of the Breville espresso machines we tested have milk frothers, we froth milk using both skim and oat milk. Where applicable, we use the machine's preset options to make cappuccinos and lattes to compare the milk ratio of each and to assess the quality of the frothing.

breville espresso machine testing
Philip Friedman

Our favorite Breville models are easy to set up, simple to use without a user manual, quick to heat up and reasonably fast to brew. Since Breville espresso models have a lot of the same features and accessories, we especially look for features and settings that stand out on each model.

We also rate the flavor and smoothness of each drink. The best machines produced a hot, smooth cup of espresso that had nice depth and wasn't too bitter nor acidic with crema that was smooth without any noticeable air bubbles.

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What to look for when shopping for the best Breville espresso machine

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✔️ Size: Consider how much space you have to allocate to your espresso maker. The majority of Breville espresso machines have similar dimensions, except for the compact Bambino line which is more suitable to smaller spaces.

✔️ Price: Breville espresso machines are priced according to their amount of features. The brand's most expensive model at $2,800, the Oracle Touch is not on this list, but it offers a grinder, a touchscreen and many automated features including an automatic frother. The least expensive is the Bambino, which doesn't have a grinder or any special features, giving it a price around $300. In between, you can find a broad range of options at varying price points.

✔️ Control interface: There are three types of control panels offered on Breville espresso machines: a simple button control interface, a LCD screen interface and a touchscreen interface.

  • A simple button control interface is offered on three of our top picks. It's easy to navigate and keeps the price of the machine affordable.
  • The LCD screen interface, featured on the Barista Pro, allows you to read the panel even in dimly lit spaces and helps you determine your perfect shot.
  • A touchscreen interface, like on the Barista Touch Impress, delivers multiple presets and imagery so you can understand how much is being ground or how milk should be frothed. This is the control interface you'll find on the most expensive Breville machines.

    ✔️ Coffee grinder: Some Breville espresso machines are designed with built-in coffee grinders. They are convenient, reduce some mess and ensure you have freshly ground coffee beans each time you pull a shot. One downside is that built-in grinders are hard to fix if they break and often lead people to purchase an entirely new machine.

    ✔️ Milk frother: There are two types of milk frothers offered on Breville espresso machines: a manual milk frothing wand and an automatic milk frother wand. With the manual frothing wand, you can practice your latte art, but it does take some time to learn to froth milk properly. With the automatic milk frothing wand, you simply place your milk pitcher underneath the automatic frothing wand and, according to Breville, it creates "hands-free microfoam."

    ✔️ Tamp: To achieve a good and even espresso extraction, the ground coffee needs to be tamped down. Breville offers two styles of tamping on their machines. Our best overall pick features their new tamping innovation called "assisted tamping," which adds 22 pounds of impression to each dose, resulting in a perfectly even and consistent tamp. However, many of Breville's espresso machines utilize manual tamping, in which the consumer has to compress the puck of ground espresso by hand.

    ✔️ Pressure: The amount of pressure exerted upon coffee grounds is measured by BARs or barometric pressure. The pressure of the extraction should be strong enough to release the coffee's flavors, but not too strong that it over extracts, releasing bitter notes. In general, espresso machines have pumps that release between 7-19 BARs. All Breville machines on this list can exert up to 15 BARs, but for the optimal espresso extraction, you want to aim for 9 BARS. Many of the models on this list (except for the Bambino) have a pressure gauge on the control panel which shows the optimal espresso extraction range. If your espresso extraction doesn't fall between the optimal extraction, you either have to change the grind of the espresso beans, reduce the amount of coffee filled in the portafilter or tamp your portafilter with less pressure. Conveniently a lot of the models on this list help you obtain an ideal extraction at around 9 BARs each time with assisted tamping or intelligent dosing.

    ✔️ Heating system: In general, Breville espresso machines heat up faster than other brands we have tested. All of our top picks feature a thermacoil heating system that heats water quickly to 200°F. Though there are a few models that have dual-boilers that heat up even faster and allow you to pull a shot of espresso while frothing milk at the same time. Dual-boiler models tend to be more expensive and aren't as necessary, unless you're short on time or have a large latte-loving family.

    Is Breville a good espresso machine brand?

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    Breville espresso machines are stylish, innovative and backed by a helpful customer support team (which we've also tested out).“They are consistently a top performer, and they are also thoughtful in the details, making their machines user-friendly," says analyst Jamie (Kim) Ueda who has tested many of the Breville espresso machines on this list. For all of these reasons, we believe that Breville is a great home espresso machine brand.

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    How do you clean a Breville espresso machine?

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    Keeping your Breville espresso machine clean inside and out will ensure that you pull a delicious tasting shot of espresso each time.

    The clean descale light will illuminate on your Breville espresso machine whenever it needs to be descaled, but we recommend descaling your coffee maker every three months. If you're new to owning a Breville, the brand provides a lot of great content on their website, like how to descale your espresso machine.

    There's other maintenance you should periodically be doing, including emptying and cleaning out the drip tray, cleaning the portafilter after each use and cleaning all removable parts so that leftover coffee doesn't build-up.

    It's also a good practice to carefully wipe down the steam wand after every use with a wet dishcloth to prevent any milk residue from building up.

    To ensure your built-in grinder stays in good condition and provides optimal grinding, you must clean and maintain your grinder as well. This video shows the proper way to clean a Breville grinder. After cleaning, if you find that your espresso beans are dry, full of static and are spraying out of your machine during grinding, we recommend, every so often, spritzing a few droplets of water on the beans within the hopper.

    Why trust Good Housekeeping?

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    Eva Bleyer is the reviews analyst in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab. She has tested a wide assortment of kitchen appliances and gear from gas ranges and microwaves to kitchen scales and blenders. She graduated from NYU with a bachelor of science in food studies, nutrition and public health and is a trained cook through the Natural Gourmet Institute. Eva has operated almost every Breville espresso machine on this list to pull shots of espresso for lattes, flat whites and Americanos. She especially appreciates the rich espresso crema that Breville espresso machines produce.

    Jamie (Kim) Ueda's first job at Good Housekeeping Institute was testing a variety of consumer products, and one of her first tests was drip coffee makers. Since then, she has tested and written about many kitchen-related and cooking tools, in particular drip coffee and espresso makers as well as coffee accessories like coffee grinders. She has a passion for coffee and has completed rigorous coffee courses from the SCA (Specialty Coffee Association) in coffee brewing, barista skills and sensory tasting. She has Lab-tested nearly all of the models on this list.

    Headshot of Eva Bleyer
    Eva Bleyer
    Kitchen Appliances Lab Reviews Analyst

    Eva (she/her) is a reviews analyst in the Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, where she tests kitchen gear, home appliances and culinary innovations. She graduated from NYU with a bachelor of science in food studies, nutrition and public health and is a trained chef through the Natural Gourmet Institute. Eva has more than 10 years of experience in the food industry, working as a food stylist, personal chef and marketing manager.

    Headshot of Jamie Ueda
    Tested byJamie Ueda
    Contributing Writer and Analyst

    Jamie Ueda is a consumer products expert with over 17 years of experience in areas of product development and manufacturing. She has held leading roles at both mid-size consumer goods companies and one of the most notable and largest apparel brands in the world. Jamie has contributed to several of the GH Institute Labs, including Kitchen Appliances, Media and Tech, Textiles and Home Appliances. In her free time she enjoys cooking, traveling, and working out.

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