Breville Barista Touch Espresso Machine (BES880BSS)

Breville Barista Touch Espresso Machine (BES880BSS)

By Breville · Espresso Machines · Kitchen & Cooking

  • Built-in conical burr grinder with 30 settings
  • Intuitive touchscreen with guided drink recipes
  • Automatic milk texturing with adjustable temperature and froth
  • Thermojet heating reaches extraction temperature in about 3 seconds
  • Brushed stainless steel housing

Price not listed

Prices are snapshots. Check the current price with the store.

Summary

A countertop espresso machine with a built-in grinder, a color touchscreen with drink programs, and an automatic steam wand, aimed at beginners who want café-style drinks with less fuss. Two things to know before buying: it can’t brew and steam at the same time, and owners report thermostat and touchscreen failures after a year or two.

Strengths

  • Fast heat-up: Breville claims extraction temperature in 3 seconds from standby.
  • The touchscreen walks you through grinding, tamping and brewing, and saves up to 8 custom profiles.
  • Wirecutter calls the automatic milk “basically indistinguishable from what you might get at a café”.
  • The built-in 30-setting conical burr grinder means no separate grinder on the counter.
  • All-in-one footprint with grinder, brewer and steam wand in one unit.
  • Breville sells replacement parts including silicone seals, shower screens and water filters.

Weaknesses

  • Single-boiler design: you cannot brew and steam at the same time.
  • The 54 mm portafilter is narrower and deeper than standard; Wirecutter found the double basket barely fits 15 g, and a Reddit owner topped out at 11.5 g.
  • No pressure gauge, which limits how much you can tinker with a shot.
  • Owners report milk thermostat failures, E05 and E06 error codes, touchscreen failures and leaks after 1–3 years.
  • Out-of-warranty repairs can run high; one owner was quoted $288 for parts that cost about $20.
  • Water type matters: Breville warns against distilled, demineralised or heavily filtered water.

Verified specifications

ModelBES880BSS, brushed stainless steel.
Region and powerUS 120 V, 1680 W.
Pump15 bar Italian pump; extraction runs at 9 bar after low-pressure pre-infusion.
HeatingThermoJet system; Breville claims extraction temperature in 3 seconds from standby.
Water tank2 L (67 fl oz), removable, BPA free.
Bean hopper250 g, locking and removable.
Grinderintegrated conical burr with 30 grind settings and dose control.
Portafilter54 mm stainless steel, with single-wall and double-wall baskets in 1-cup and 2-cup sizes.
Milk texturingautomatic steam wand (Auto MilQ), 104–167°F range, 8 froth levels; manual texturing also available.
Touchscreencolor swipe-and-select interface; 5 preset drinks; up to 8 saved profiles.
Hot waterdedicated outlet for Americanos and pre-heating cups.
Descaling and filterdedicated descale cycle with on-screen reminders; ClaroSwiss charcoal filter, replace every 3 months or 40 L.
Dimensions15.7 × 12.6 × 12.4 in (W × D × H); a regional listing gives 410 × 320 × 320 mm.
Warranty2 years.
In the boxdosing funnel, 54 mm portafilter, single-wall and double-wall baskets, 480 ml milk jug, ClaroSwiss filter, Razor dose trimming tool, cleaning kit, water hardness strip, steam wand tool and Allen key.
Full research notes and sources

Which model this is

The page covers the BES880BSS in brushed stainless steel, also sold as the Best Buy variant BES880BSS1BUS1 (SKU 6203022). The Black Truffle finish is BES880BTR. The newer Barista Touch Impress (BES881BSS) is a different machine with an integrated tamper, not this one.

Dialing in shots and the portafilter

Wirecutter found the machine consistent enough that a pressure gauge isn’t needed, but that same design limits tinkering. The 54 mm portafilter is narrower and deeper than a standard commercial one: Wirecutter reports the double-filter basket barely fits 15 g of coffee, and a Reddit owner maxed out at 11.5 g and got extremely slow extraction or no coffee at all. The two figures come from different baskets and different owners, so expect to experiment to find a dose that works.

Milk, heat-up and the single boiler

The ThermoJet heater reaches extraction temperature in 3 seconds from standby, which owners rate highly. The Auto MilQ wand textures milk automatically with 8 froth levels and a 104–167°F temperature range, and Wirecutter calls the result indistinguishable from café milk. The catch is the single boiler: you cannot brew and steam at once, so back-to-back milk drinks run in two passes.

Reliability, repairs and running costs

Most owner reports cluster around one to three years of use. On ProductReview.com.au, owners describe milk thermostats failing within a year or two, E05 and E06 error codes, touchscreens dying after 2–3 years, and leaks at the water intake tube. One owner was quoted $288 for a repair that needed a $7.95 seal and an $11.95 pressure gauge. Breville’s US warranty runs 2 years, and the company sells seals, shower screens and filters; a Reddit owner replaced a gasket in about 5 minutes. Day-to-day costs are beans, a ClaroSwiss filter every 3 months or 40 L, and descaling solution. Breville warns against distilled or heavily filtered water.

Is it worth it?

Breville’s US store lists the machine at $799.95 against a $999.95 MSRP, and Best Buy lists its stainless variant at $816.99. Wirecutter names it a runner-up among more-automated machines, and the guided workflow is what makes it easy as a first machine. Below about $800 it is a reasonable buy for a beginner who wants automation and a built-in grinder; at full MSRP the missing pressure gauge, the non-standard portafilter and the owner-reported mid-term failures are harder to accept. If reliability or control matters more, an entry-level manual machine with a standard portafilter and easier service access is the safer direction.

Sources

Manufacturer:

Independent reviews:

Owner reports:

Stores:

Buying guides for this category

Related products