Breville Barista Express BES870XL Espresso Machine

Breville Barista Express BES870XL Espresso Machine

By Breville · Espresso Machines · Kitchen & Cooking

  • Built-in conical burr grinder with dose control
  • Thermocoil heating, manual microfoam steam wand
  • 54mm portafilter, low-pressure pre-infusion
  • Semi-automatic pump espresso machine

Lowest price seen
$480.00
from $480.00 at eBay · Checked Oct 12, 2026

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

Summary

A semi-automatic espresso machine with a built-in conical burr grinder, aimed at beginners and intermediate drinkers who want grinding, dosing and extraction in one footprint. Its grinder is the weakest part of the package, so decide up front whether you will live with it or buy a separate one.

Strengths

  • Grinds, doses, tamps, extracts and steams in one footprint, with no separate grinder needed.
  • Tom’s Guide’s hands-on testing produced espresso shots with thick crema and well-steamed milk.
  • A 54 mm portafilter and pressure gauge are prosumer features rare at this price.
  • The dual-wall pressurized baskets make drinkable espresso easy for beginners.
  • Owners report 3-6 years of use without major issues.
  • Breville and third-party suppliers sell seals, screens, baskets, pumps and PCBs, so repairs are possible.

Weaknesses

  • The integrated grinder clumps, retains grounds and can jam; reviewers and owners both call it the weak point.
  • Some 2019-2022 units leak at the group head because internal collar screws lacked threadlocker.
  • The thermocoil design recovers temperature slowly between shots and when steaming.
  • A single-hole steam tip makes texturing milk slow next to faster rivals.
  • Volumetric dosing can vary shot to shot, so owners often time shots manually.
  • There is no low-water warning, and the rear tank is hard to read.

Verified specifications

ModelBES870XL, semi-automatic, ground coffee.
Pump15-bar Italian vibration pump, reducing to 9 bar at the puck during extraction.
Heating1600 W thermocoil with PID temperature control; brew target 200°F (93°C).
Heat-up30-45 seconds from cold.
Water tank67.6 oz (2 L), removable.
Grinderintegrated conical burr, 16 grind settings, dose control.
Brew hardware54 mm stainless steel portafilter; 1-cup and 2-cup single-wall and dual-wall filter baskets included.
Controls1-cup and 2-cup volumetric buttons, manual mode, program button for shot volume and temperature.
Extraspressure gauge, low-pressure pre-infusion, 360-degree swivel manual steam wand, dedicated hot water outlet.
Auto shut-offafter 1 hour of inactivity.
Region and powerUS 110-120 V.
Descaleevery 2-3 months depending on water hardness.
Warranty1 year limited in the US.
Dimensions15.9 × 13.1 × 12.4 in (W × D × H); 23 lb.
In the boxdosing funnel, Razor dose trimming tool, portafilter, filter baskets, coffee scoop, integrated tamper, milk jug, cleaning disc and tablets, cleaning tools and Allen key, water filter holder and filter.
Full research notes and sources

Grinder and workflow

The BES870XL grinds, doses, tamps, extracts and steams in one footprint, which is why it suits a first or second machine. The 54 mm portafilter and pressure gauge let a new user watch extraction and learn what a good shot looks like, and the dual-wall baskets are forgiving of imperfect grind.

The grinder is the compromise. Professional reviewers and owner forums describe inconsistent grind, clumping, static retention and occasional jamming that resets the grind dial. Coffee Chronicler notes it uses 40 mm burrs and suits darker, milk-based drinks but not light roasts or advanced users. Many owners add an external grinder later.

Temperature, steam and daily use

Breville rates brew temperature at 200°F (93°C) with PID control and a 30-45 second heat-up. The heat comes from a thermocoil rather than a boiler, so back-to-back shots and steaming recover more slowly, and owners report temperature swings during repeated use. The steam wand swivels a full 360 degrees but has a single-hole tip, which makes texturing milk slow; some forum users call the steam anemic. Coffee Chronicler describes the machine as loud and rattling in operation.

Leaks, repairs and upkeep

Clean the brew path and steam wand regularly, descale every 2-3 months and use the water filter. Repairability is above average: Breville sells replacement parts and third-party suppliers stock gaskets, and Home-Barista threads document board-level fixes. The catch is the group-head leak on some 2019-2022 units. The collar screws lacked threadlocker, they loosen over time, and the fix takes 80% disassembly, beyond most owners. Watch for water around the group head and contact Breville early.

Running costs

Beyond beans, the ongoing costs are descaler and water filters, plus replacement parts if something fails. There is no capsule lock-in. Many owners budget for an external grinder in the $150-400 range, which changes the value of the all-in-one. Breville’s US site listed the machine at $499.95 on sale from $699.95 MSRP in October 2026; Best Buy and Whole Latte Love both list $699.95.

Is it worth it?

At or under $500 it is a strong buy for the convenience, PID, pressure gauge, 54 mm format and integrated grinder. Between $501 and $600 it is fair, and above $601 the value weakens as dual-boiler machines and prosumer grinders come into range. Above $700 it is hard to justify. The strongest case is the one-footprint workflow and Breville’s parts and service network, not the 15-bar headline figure.

Which model this is

This page covers the 54 mm Barista Express BES870XL with the integrated grinder, sold in Brushed Stainless Steel and Black Sesame. Don’t confuse it with the BES878 Barista Pro, the BES876 Barista Express Impress or the BES980 Oracle, which are different machines. The US variant’s Amazon listing is ASIN B00CH9QWOU.

Sources

Manufacturer:

Independent reviews:

Owner reports:

Parts and stores:

Buying guides for this category

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