$700 vs $4000 Espresso Machine Comparison - How much should you spend on an espresso machine?

Breville Barista Express vs Lelit Bianca

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Kyle Rowsell

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[KyleRowsell]

You’ve been asking, so I did it! Understand that this isn’t a review but a light hearted comparison. Looking back I wish I used a glass cup to show you the texture! Be sure to watch to the end! Acting may be involved 😂

[PM.]

I love my breville i love my breville I love my breville... I dont need a 4000 dollar machine I dont need a 4000 dollar machine

[whosgonnadotcom]

I understand that comparing the bbe grinder + bbe brew vs niche + lelit is far too unbalanced, but why not use the bbe grinder for both machines in the comparison? It would seem that the biggest deciding factor in the value of the BBE would be the grinder quality. If it's not possible to pull a great shot with the BBE grinder on the Binaca, then it would seem that the value of the grinder would be worthless, and money would be better spent on something like a Breville Bambino or Gaggia Classic and a separate grinder.

Thoughts?

[Thrilos]

Fun comparison! I started with the Barista Express and loved it. Some people will be satisfied and keep it and enjoy it for many years, others will realize how much they love the experience of making coffee at home and it will become a hobby. Great video once again Kyle!

[Mark-EFMB-Combat-Medic]

Hello Kyle, great topic.

About five years ago I purchased a Breville Barista Express 870. I spent zero time learning how to actually use an espresso machine and was completely ignorant with respect to how a shot should taste, or why one should taste a certain way due to any particular technique. I simply extracted 2 fluid OZ into a shot glass, poured it into a 16oz cup, added 1 oz of chocolate sauce, 1 oz of caramel sauce, and topped off the very large cup with some poorly steamed milk (which took forever BTW). I found that if I added enough milk, chocolate and caramel, I felt relatively happy with my results. Eventually the pump failed, and I decided to upgrade (somewhat).

After some research and contacting several companies, I purchased an ECM, Mechanica V Slim with an additional bottomless portafilter & upgraded the steam valves with ECM, Synchronika joysticks. I selected a Eureka Mignon Specialita Espresso Grinder (chrome finish). The company (I am not sure of I can mentioned the name of the company, so I will not until I am sure that's OK with you and your channel?) I made this purchase from suggested I accept a complementary "coffee school" online espresso training program. I opted for the advanced version, however I quickly discovered I was completely lost, so after contacting the company again, they also provided me a free "coffee school" course beginner version. Over the next few days I completed the very professional video course material, complete with testing and follow up question areas. Only then, did I have a fundamental understanding of what espresso is/was, the difference between good and bad shots, how to recognize problems, solutions and most importantly how to dial in a shot that "I liked".

Ii became obvious, I needed (wanted actually) a full featured espresso scale, so I purchased the Acaia Lunar Scale and began weighing my coffee in and espresso out in grams rather than espresso out by volume. Based on the "Coffee School" beginner training program, I started with a 1-1.5 ratio recipe using and 18 gram bottomless portafilter. Eg, 18 grams coffee in, 27 grams out and I selected 27 seconds extraction time because it seemed to be within range 25-30 and it was an easy number for me to remember.

Per the "Coffee School" beginner training program, I made sure everything except the grind fineness was constant, then dialed in my extraction time to 27 and weight in grams to 27 by adjusting grind fineness, which took me about an hour or roughly 15 shots. The shots were so ridiculously consistent, and excellent tasting that I replaced previously used (2 fluid ounces of flavoring) with one single drop of chocolate and oine single drop of caramel. I now prefer a 6 fluid oz, Ristretto / Capuchino beverage.

I then completed the advanced "Espresso School" training program which opened up an entire world of recipes and techniques that I have now been experimenting with.

So in hindsight, I would say in the order of importance, the things that improved "my espresso experience" were:

#1) "Coffee School" training, in conjunction with the Lunar Scale.
#2) The grinder Eureka Mignon Specialita Espresso Grinder
#3) The ECM, Mechanica V Slim, in conjunction with the bottomless porta filter & basket.
#4) The almost instantaneous chat or voice support from the company I purchased the equipment form, when I did have questions. (Again, I would like to name the company but I do not want to break any rules).

Could I have made generally acceptable espresso shots with the Breville 870? Sure, if I had completed the "Coffee School" training, used a digital scale, and used a decent grinder and had plenty of time to wait for steam and concurrent shots.

But being real, "For me", proper training, excellent entry level equipment and fresh coffee has been one of the most rewarding things I have done in a very very long time.

Thank you for making it to the end of this comment.

BTW, my total investment in new equipment is: $3, 243.75 (about 4.5 times more than my old Brevelle) The upgrade was worth every penny from my perspective.

Mark Nicholson
Former, US Army - EFMB,
Combat Medical Specialist
1/94 FA MLRS

[JoshDocea]

Currently own the Barista Express. I bought it back in college so for me I loved the all in one (no need for a separate grinder and fit perfectly in my small apartment) and I still get great tasting espresso. Also love that it has PID but I do agree temp consistency is not there when pulling back to back shots. (I usually wait several min before pulling another)

[v.m.a.d.a]

For anyone considering the Breville: spend your money on a Rancillio Silvia and a decent grinder instead. You can get by with a basic Gaggia grinder, but spend the extra couple bucks and get a Sette 270.

The Silvia is the same price as as Breville, but it is a proper espresso machine for the price. The Breville's grinder is trash and shouldn't be a consideration. Get a real grinder, the Sette 270 is best for the money.

[parkercushingable]

So I ended up with my BBE because my uncle upgraded to the Bianca! Now I'm learning and pulling shots daily.

[Carla-hlfm]

My husband got me the Breville for Valentine’s. I haven’t been to a starbucks or cafe since. My home espresso is better! I LOVE it. Love.

[pmhoop]

Just ordered my barista express. New to the world of home espresso, keep the content rolling! Looking forward to learning new things and growing my understanding .

[chase]

Every time I start looking into making my own coffee, James Hoffman convinces me I'm too poor to afford anything other than equipment that makes shit tasting water.

[BrianMoore-zg]

This is a great approach to a purchase. Whenever I buy something I start with educating myself about the top shelf high end items and learning how to discern their differences over the mid priced item.

[marksmith]

Thanks for doing the comparison. It would be very interesting to see a double blind taste test done between these machines, (to eliminate any expectation bias) again using a good grinder. There is little doubt that The Lelit Bianca is a more capable machine but it would seem that the taste of the espressos they both produce is very comparable.

[victormoreno]

If you are on the fence for Breville machine consider the dual boiler 900 series with a vario grinder, you will be surprised at the quality of the shots. I have had the Breville 900 since 2012 and it is still up an running. My coffee references are pitango coffee shop and habitu caffe. It also depend on your skills. Enjoy coffee!

[andrewmcwhirter]

I think Breville hit a home run with the Barista Pro, which is faster, makes better steam, has the digital display with shot timer, and a grinder with better adjustment (compared to the Barista express).

[bryanj.]

I love that you didn’t totally dog the Breville! Espresso is such a beautiful experience and you can have a beautiful experience with any of these machines if you’re willing to put in the work!

I’m a coffee shop owner/coffee roaster. I have a two group Astoria Rapollo At the shop, A Lucca M58 and ECM grinder at the Roaster for espresso experiments, and then that exact Breville at my own house🤣! I don’t want some thing with a large footprint inside my own kitchen and when I make coffee at home I don’t want to pull three or four shots to reach perfection! Sometimes we just need a Americano to get us up and moving in the morning.

Over many years in the industry I have been able to change my thought process of picking out what is wrong in each individual shop/machine/process, to simply appreciating the differences.

It really helps me not lose my mind

[DerekHubbard]

I've been using a BBE that I bought LIGHTLY used for $300 (A serious steal.) I just ordered the Bianca this morning, and I am SO. DAMN. EXCITED. Looking forward to giving the BBE to my mother for Christmas.

Nice video!!

[ahmed.dhaheri]

I upgraded from Breville barista express to lelit bianca. And I can say it is day and night

[beetole]

you said that a 54 mm portafilter is a drawback. a 54 mm portafilter will yield less channeling if your tamping and distribution is not perfect. la Spaziale espresso uses 54mm PFs exclusively, including their commercial machines.

[thomuso]

Is the Bianca worth it to me? Ive had mine for about 4 months now and the dual boiler is making the whole difference, from my 12yo Rancilio Silvia. PID and the paddle. The paddle is really usefull, especially when i use darker roasted beans. Also being able to adjust water temperature is amazing. 93c for my darker roasts and 95c for light roasts. I live in Norway and we usually use a bit lighter roasted beans than most other countries. With all the adjustments possible on the Bianca, i can use lower quality beans and still get great tasting espresso.