Breville Barista Pro Espresso Machine Review – Best Choice In The $1,000 Range

If you’re searching for a semi-automatic espresso maker to invest in, Breville products are worth looking at. As such, Breville Barista espresso machines are a more favored option by most coffee lovers.

Breville’s best-seller Barista Express brewer has been renowned and on the market for a decade. Our breville barista pro espresso machine review today will look at the Breville Barista Pro espresso machine, its bigger brother.

The Barista Pro espresso maker is an excellent coffee maker worth your time. like the Express, its forerunner, it’s equipped with the impeccable Breville Smart Grinder Pro. Investing in an espresso machine is huge so it’s crucial that you get it right.

When it comes to an all-in-one espresso machine for home use,  currently the safest and most user-friendly option is the Breville. This is especially true if you’re searching for a machine in the $1,000 range.

Based on Breville barista pro espresso machine reviews, this machine stands out since it’s made with a more powerful, quieter, and faster “ThermoJet” mechanism. This is different from the cylinder coil that Breville has used in their brewers for many years.

What’s more, its stainless-steel-rich design will work for any kitchen counter.

Last update on 2023-09-06 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

About Breville

As an established brand, Breville is a global leader when it comes to kitchen appliances. Whether you’re shopping for a toaster, kettle, microwave, blender, or espresso machine, Breville has something for you.

All their appliances feature their innovative designs and iconic styling. And this is true for their wide range of espresso makers.

Among their latest offering is the Breville Barista Pro which is equipped with high-end features. This includes ThermoJet technology for instant heating, PID temperature control, and pre-infusion control.

Last update on 2023-09-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

As you shop for an espresso machine, the Breville barista pro espresso machine is a safer bet that offers quality products as well as amazing customer service.

Who Is The Breville Barista Pro Espresso Machine For?

The Barista Pro from Breville is perfect for coffee lovers who are ready to learn about at-home espresso coffee making.

Although this coffee maker offers users an all-encompassing coffee making experience, it requires some experience when it concerns grinding coffee beans and brewing.

As such, experienced brewers have reported the need for time when using this machine. That way you’ll identify the right grind size needed for your preferred coffee consistency and flavor profile.

Even with the required learning curve, many users report this coffee maker to be a worthwhile investment once they’ve worked with novice-level espresso machines.

Also, note that the Breville Barista Pro espresso machine is not for coffee lovers who want a fully automated espresso maker. This is because it’ll require that you manually grind, tamp, as well as pull your espresso.

Even though this brewer offers more automated elements compared to other espresso makers within its price range (for instance, volumetric control and dose trimming), users aren’t able to use this Breville coffee machine without prior knowledge of brewing coffee manually.

If you’re just starting on the at-home espresso-making journey, the Barista Pro might be too big of an investment.

As a novice in making coffee at home, you should consider getting a less expensive brewer. This way, you’ll first gain knowledge and brewing experience before getting this coffee machine.

Barista Pro Breville Coffee Machine Best Features

The Breville Barista Pro espresso machine offers more than a pretty face. This coffee machine includes numerous features that aren’t often seen in espresso machines in its price point.

That allows this brewer to produce a balanced and great-tasting espresso. Next, let’s detail the Barista Pro features below.

Conical Burr Grinder

Similar to other coffee machines from Breville, the Breville Barista Pro espresso machine comes with a built-in conical burr grinder. What’s more, through the machine’s display interface, users can access the adjustable grind dose and size.

Barista pro’s dose control feature ensures the machine delivers a suitable amount of coffee hence ensuring optimal flavor and extraction.

This coffee maker offers you 30 grind settings giving its users the freedom to choose the ground consistency they prefer for their coffee beans and taste.

You also can opt to extend your grinding range thanks to the brewer’s adjustable upper burr. To get a coarser setting turn it counterclockwise and clockwise for finer grinds. Plus the grind size setting will be displayed on the machine’s screen.

Its grinder will either have a manual or timed dosing option. However, the default grind timings are 9.5 seconds if making 1 cup and 13 seconds if making 2 cups. Even then, these can be adjusted easily on the screen.

With time-based dosing, you’ll have an accurate way you can dose your coffee. Additionally, the machine has a feature that allows you to pause during grinding for about 10 seconds. This allows the grinds to redistribute in the portafilter and then it resumes grinding.

Thermojet Heating System For Speed

The Breville barista Pro espresso machine thermojet heating system is probably the most noteworthy feature. It uses the latest technology in Breville Espresso coffee makers and was first used in making the Breville Bambino.

Last update on 2023-09-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

With the ThermoJet Heating system, the Barista Pro heats up within 3 seconds and this doesn’t compromise the precision of your espresso extraction.

The Barista Pro’s fast heating and streaming make it possible to brew back-to-back shots and still deliver consistent results. That means hardcore to third-wave specialty coffee drinkers won’t have a problem making their coffee from home.

Also, it’s recommended that you pull several blind shots or run the portafilter under some hot water to preheat your machine before brewing. That way you’ll ensure precise espresso extraction.

PID Temperature Control

Along with its heating system, this espresso machine includes a PID temperature control. That ensures the water gets heated to the ideal temperature ensuring maximum espresso extraction.

In essence, the PID temperature control feature is a digital temperature control to ensure the water temperature is within 2℃ for your set temperature.

The Breville barista pro espresso machine lets you adjust your coffee temperature in 1-degree increments. Normally, the default temperature stands at 93°C (199°F), but you can change it to between 91°C – 95℃(196°F – to 203°F).

Microfoam Milk Texturing

The Barista Pro includes a manual steam wand that’s similar to the one on the Breville Barista Express. Although the steam pressure may not be amazing, it’s perfect for beginners.

Last update on 2023-09-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

With microfoam milk texturing, the Breville barista Pro espresso machine lets you prepare hand-textured micro milk foam to elevate your espresso shot flavor.

Also, this machine creates excellent micro-foam thanks to its powerful steam wand to make latté art practice even more enjoyable.

Generally, the steam wand can make quality microfoam milk, and it’s easy for beginners to learn. Additionally, it’s super fast when switching between steaming and brewing with no delay.

Programmable Shot Control

The Breville Barista Pro espresso machine features a 54mm portafilter plus single as well as double-shot baskets. Its single basket holds 8-10 g of ground coffee while the double holds 19-22 grams.

Note that both non-pressurized and pressurized baskets are featured in this espresso maker. The pressurized baskets work well for newbies and make it easy to dial in your coffee beans.

Also, they’re particularly helpful when you aren’t using fresh coffee beans and still deliver decent crema.

As such, non-pressurized baskets are preferred among espresso enthusiasts since they allow even more control over-extraction to produce full-bodied shots.

No matter the basket you choose, the Breville barista Pro espresso machine delivers decent espresso shots. With a pre-infusion feature, you can slowly increase the pressure before making a shot to guarantee even extraction.

Again, the single-shot espresso is set at 30mls as the default setting and the double at 60mls. But, this can be programmed easily to your preferred volume or even overridden manually.

How to Clean the Barista Pro Espresso machine

If the machine needs you to run a flush cleaning cycle, the Barista Pro’s LCD shows FLUSH alerts. Here you can descale or run a flush cleaning cycle depending on what’s indicated on the control panel for maintenance.

When running the breville espresso machine cleaning cycle, here’s what you should do:

• Insert a cleaning disc in the filter basket found inside the portafilter.
• Add cleaning tablets on the brewer’s cleaning disc.
• Lock the portafilter by securing it onto the group head.
• Before filling up the water tank to the MAX point, first, empty the machine’s drip tray.
• Next, push the Menu button to display the main menu setting.
• Then through the grind amount choose FLUSH before you press the SELECT option. Here you’ll see the 1-CUP button light up.
• Push the 1-Cup button and start the brewer’s flush cleaning cycle. After the brewer starts cleaning, a timer will display on the screen.

The Barista Pro espresso machine will notify you through a beep sound when it completes flush cleaning and is ready to prepare a cup.

Before you make your espresso, ensure you’ve emptied and washed the portafilter and your drip tray. Also, remember to remove your cleaning disc. When you find that a cleaning tablet is still left, you can repeat the breville espresso machine cleaning cycle.

Barista Pro FAQ

What’s the difference between Breville Barista Pro and Express?

Although these two machines have many similarities, there are three primary differences that distinguish the two. One big difference between Barista Pro and Express is their display systems.

The Barista Express features a pressure gauge and an analog display system, while the Barista Pro includes a backlit digital display with a brewing time to help measure extraction. Due to its digital display, Barista Pro features fewer buttons on its interface.

Also, the Barista Pro includes upgrades to its milk wand and burr grinder. The Barista Pro milk frother offers you more power to brew lattes and microfoam for making specialty drinks.

The last difference between these two machines is the product warranty. The Barista Express comes with a 1-year warranty, while the Pro offers a 2-year warranty.

How do I descale my Barista Pro espresso machine?

Other than the daily cleaning routine, be sure to descale your Barista Pro every 1 to 3 months to ensure the machine continues to run smoothly.

To start deep cleaning your brewer starts by removing the water filter from its holder and soaking it for about 5 minutes in water. thoroughly rinse and replace it onto the holder.

When cleaning the grinder, rinse the bean hopper and brush the burrs to dislodge any remaining coffee grounds in the blades. Also, this machine includes a “clean me” light that comes up if descaling is needed.

As you flush out the machine, start by running an empty cycle. Place a single cup filter in your portafilter and then add a cleaning disc. Add a cleaning tablet to the disc and secure it to the machine’s group head.

Push and hold the brewer’s power button, and at the same time press the 1 shot and 2 shot buttons until the light flashes to start the cleaning cycle.

Allow for the backflow cycle to complete. As the disc pushes water through the system, some water will be produced.

After this completes, be sure to run a final empty cycle that then flushes out any cleaning products left in the system.

Is Breville Barista Pro Worth It?

The Breville Barista Pro is great for espresso lovers who want to enjoy barista-quality espresso from home. With this amazing espresso machine, you won’t have to get your coffee from coffee shops anymore.

This Breville espresso maker lets you have hands-on experience thanks to its semi-automatic operating settings.

It has a learning curve for pressure adjustments, temperature control, and milk texturing for making cafe-quality espresso.

Also, the Barista Pro by Breville produces third-wave specialty coffee thanks to its 4 key formulas from the comfort of your kitchen.

The 4 keys formula is part of Barista Series machines that provide all-in-one espresso coffee machines. They include a grinder to start from coffee beans to espresso in less than a minute

As you shop for a contemporary coffee machine that’s beautiful and steams milk and brews espresso effectively, the Breville Barista Pro is worth the investment.