Espresso machine
Breville BES876BST1BNA1
Best Espresso machine – Luxury – 800 $ to 1300 $
The Breville Barista Express Impress is our Luxury pick for beginners and home espresso drinkers who want help with dosing and tamping without giving up control. Buyers praise its consistent espresso, easy adjustments, reduced grounds spill and strong milk frothing. It fits people ready to spend time learning their beans and settings.
We chose the Breville Barista Express Impress as the Luxury espresso machine because it combines guided dosing and tamping with the control experienced home baristas still want. Buyers describe it as easy to set up and use, and they repeatedly praise the espresso, coffee taste and milk frothing. Several buyers also value the cleaner grinding workflow and the ability to adjust settings to their preferences. The trade-off reported by a few buyers is important: the steam wand is seen as the product's weak point, some call a plastic part on the portafilter fragile, and some consider the construction oversized. Those are buyer reports, not a general verdict on every machine.
Who it’s for For beginners who want help getting the dose and tamp right, and for home drinkers who want to keep adjusting grind and espresso settings as they learn.
What sets it apart
- Buyers report consistently good espresso and attractive crema.
- The integrated dosing and tamping help simplify preparation.
- Buyers praise the control over settings and the quality of the milk frothing.
- The grinding setup can reduce coffee-ground spill around the station.
What to know
- A few buyers identify the steam wand as the machine's weak point.
- A few buyers say a plastic part on the portafilter feels fragile.
- A few buyers describe the construction as oversized.
- Buyers are split on dosing and grinding precision; some need to adjust the dose or add coffee for the right shot.
Why this is the Luxury pick
The Barista Express Impress is aimed at people who want more than a push-button coffee routine. Its guided dosing and tamping reduce some of the guesswork, while the adjustable grind and espresso controls leave room to tune the cup. Buyers say the machine is straightforward to operate and especially approachable for beginners. One buyer still needed repeated adjustments to find the right grind and dose, so the guidance helps without replacing the learning curve.
What buyers report
Buyer comments point to a machine that is easy to live with once the settings are understood.
- Buyers describe the machine as straightforward to set up and use, including for daily coffee preparation. (comes up often) Breville Barista Express Impress — Amazon.ca
- Buyers praise the espresso's consistency, crema and taste, and say it heats milk well. (comes up often) Breville Barista Express Impress — Amazon.ca
- Buyers appreciate the adjustable control and the automatic dosing help, but some report that the dose still needs correction for the shot they want. (comes up often) Breville Barista Express Impress — Amazon.ca
- A few buyers report reservations about the construction: they call it oversized, describe a plastic portafilter part as fragile, and identify the steam wand as the weak point. (reported in isolation) Breville Barista Express Impress — Amazon.ca
What you gain over the lower ranges
Compared with the Budget and Performance options, this pick is for the buyer who wants a more guided preparation process while keeping manual control over the espresso and milk. The integrated grinder, dosing assistance and tamping support are the reasons to move up. If you want a simpler or less involved route to coffee, the lower ranges may be a better fit. The higher ranges are the alternatives to consider when you are looking beyond this balance of guidance and hands-on adjustment.