EDIT! The unit has some light temperature control using a combination of button presses to raise and lower the temp by both 2 and 4 degrees F. That is awesome!
Lance, The gauge markings are weird but each is 2bars. So they are for most part accurate. It is the same gauge as the BBE. Your unit seems to be working alright.
@@JustPassingByBaby I agree the grinder on their machine is just laughable. I abandoned the grinder on my barista pro long before I sold it. 1Z K-plus in comparison gave me a massive improvement on consistency and flavor.
@@JustPassingByBaby I would really hope it is the new flagship. Since Breville already bought Baratza in 2020, they can just use a similar design from Baratza. I would argue it is more important for them to catch up on the espresso machine game. People would love to see something less than $2k that has a PID thermal jet, , flow-control, 58mm, Bluetooth and programmable profile buttons.
I applaud you for being the first creator/reviewer I’ve seen that comes off as someone with a much more realistic mindset when it comes to entry level espresso. I love watching stuff from James Hoffmann for example, but I also recognize that he’s got WAY higher standards than someone like me who just wants to not spend $8 per drink for a Starbucks flat white on the daily. It’s hard to find this balance of “I don’t need top of the line, but I want my investment to be well spent” and I think you’ve done that really well here. Definitely gonna look more into this!
So true! Reviewers seem to think we’re split into absolute beginners and then pro elite. I can’t afford/don’t need the best of the best, but I want something to play around with and have some sort of control. This review covered everything from the bottom to the top
@@steinanderson9849 you must be thinking of Hames Joffmann because JH goes out of his way in most videos I've seen to be kind towards people with lower budgets & tastes that differ from his own
I think the tamping volume thing is great for people that don't wanna mess around but want consistency. I feel like consistency matters more than anything once you get where you are happy.
This. The Sage Barista Express is very unique in the espresso field, as no other brand offer such quality and comfort thats actually capable of making good espresso. Its a good start (and stay) for anyone wanting to try espresso as a hobby without spending thousands. I started on the Barista Express, but I stayed so far, because its so convinient, that I can use it day-to day as routine more than a hobby that takes hours.
For those like myself that have hard water but don't want to have to constantly play alchemist to make your own water: I use a water filter called "aarke water purifier" and the "Pure" filter pellets pull my hard water down from ~225ppm to ~25ppm. Excellent for coffee!
You're right about the pressure gauge using a 'weird counting system'. It's acutally roughly 2bar per 'tick' of the gauge if it's the same one used in the Barista Express machines. Home-barista has an old post showing this test result.
@@LanceHedrickit would be great if you showed that in video while doing temperature and pressure test. Also I have original express and it pushing all 13-15 bar; this along with older style burs grinder and poor IMO prescreen water distribution through one hole in plastic group head makes me to want to upgrade. Otherwise both great machines for good long start
I love this machine. I use mine literally almost every day. Sure it’s not the greatest espresso machine but when I can whip out a halfway decent shot of espresso when I’m running late to work this gets the job done. I can literally fire this machine up , grind while the water is heating up, quickly tamp the grounds and pull a shot in under 3 minutes. And if I’m not frothing milk and just making a quick ice latte during the summer, 100% worth it.
it does a very good job if you have the patience to figure it out! Id argue with a good understanding, it can pull espresso that would rival those in high cost brackets
@@LanceHedrick oh I’m sure. I’ve used a set up quite similar with the bottomless portafilter, wdt, and manual stamping when I’m not in a rush and want to experiment.
As someone who just bought this machine, this video was SUPER helpful and exactly what I needed to see to make sure I’m getting the most out of this breville unit. You addressed all of the questions I had on how to use and tweak the machine for optimal results. Much appreciated! Keep up the great work!
@@connormatthews522 all good! its just a catch all term for coffee beans that fall in the medium to dark roast level with tasting notes of chocolates and nuts on the bag. They’re usually more forgiving than the more acidic light roasts (IMO at least with espresso). I’ve been really liking Caffe Lusso’s GMC blend these days which is a perfect example
Nice review. I've had my Infuser for a number of years now (paired with a Sette 270), did the dimmer mod on it, and it can produce some tasty results, but it's inconsistent. I'd love to see you do a video on mid-level espresso machines, best bang for your buck in that range once you're past the beginner stage.
The OPV is set at 9 bars for Express Impress. It was set to higher pressures for Express ( between 11 to 13). The thick marks on the dial should read 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, etc. Considering this, you see that dial works and shows 9 bars, same as what you demonstrated with your experiment.
I watched a lot of videos and I really can’t focus with most of them But you made me listen very carefully and clearly I like that, you did great job thank you so much❤
A machine which never gets reviewed is the GE Cafe Bellisimo Semi-automatic Expresso maker which appears to be made by Breville for GE/ Haier. It’s selling points as a entry level machine, besides it matching on the CAFE appliances, is that variables like grind time, water temp and shot volume for single and double shots can be controlled via a phone app as part of the CAFE smart appliance system. It also keeps track of water usage alerting for a clean cycle every 70 liters of water used and sends warnings for malfunctions such as grinder problems or low water. It is also priced lower than electronically controlled Breville machines. It was $530 when I bought mine in Feb 2022 and are now (9/24) on sale for $449, perhaps because a newer model similar to the Impress with a built-in tamper is in the works?
I have one of these, I think the markings on the gauge are 1-3-5-7-9 bar at each tick mark - the clue is in the first tick which is half distance off the stop compared to the distance between ticks
As an owner of Barista Pro for a year now, I have a few things to say. It probably applies to this machine as well, so take notice. The grinder sucks. I’ll explain in full why I say this. If you want any real control over grind size, this machine can’t do it. First, between steps on the grinder there is about 2mm travel distance. That means you can have a fine or a coarse number 5 grind size. And you can never know where exactly you are. There are no markings on the dial wheel itself, only on the display. Secondly, at any step, in 30 seconds of grinding sometimes it will grind 10g, immediately after that it will grind 14, next time 12. Same grind step, same coffee batch, same everything. That means one shot will be fast, another slow. Want to go very fine with the grind? Forget it. Beans will not go into the grinder. It will take you 3 minutes for 10 grams of coffee. I paid my Barista Pro a heavily discounted price of $580, and I dare say it’s not good even at that price for what you get. Get yourself a grinder like a Timemore Sculptor, which was $350 recently with shipping and taxes (which I did). And get a Bambino Plus at discount. Basically for the same price you get exceptionally better grind control, and probably the espresso machine of the same capability as this Barista Express or my Pro. Cheers!
Had a barista express and it was a great starter machine. Picked up a cheap dual boiler on the marketplace for like £400 in great condition. Although it’s not quite a lelit or profitec the dual boiler is flawless
Yeah regarding the pressure gauge. It’s commonly accepted that about the 11 o clock area is actually 9 bar on these machines. That’s why it’s in the very middle of the “espresso range”.
@@LanceHedrick Yeah. When you next see the people at Breville, can you ask them what’s up!? They tried to simplify things for the new user by creating a dial with no numbers, just a range. But all Barista Expresses made until the end of 2021 at the earliest had their OPV set to 15 bars, which massively overshoots the range and renders it pointless!
I hear you Hugo! I've had my original Barista Express for 8 years now but i feel like i didn't reach full espresso potential till i got a more capable and adjustable grinder. But if it wasn't for that grinder, I'd probably have never gotten into espresso in the first place.
As I get older and the arthritis gets to be more of an issue, I would consider a simple stand alone lever tamper. Good blend of information in this review, thanks!
I am glad this video exists, I am completely confused when it comes to how to improve my coffee game. I am using an Aeropress and my mothers Keurig for steamed milk and I use a Dark Roast but have switched to a light/medium roast but after switching to an unsweetened or low sugar creamer my coffee is a tad bit too bitter but I don't want the sugar if I can help it but it's hard for me to actually enjoy. I been trying for a maybe a month or so having one a day to try and figure it out but I can't seem to nail down that perfect cup you know. I am moving later this month and got my own. place and can upgrade from the Aeropress but I am lost on what machine to get to kind of get a better cup of coffee because when I get a better cup it goes really well with my morning breakfast. I might have to get this :D it's a little bit expensive for my budget but if it's the only machine I need then that will work out well :D
Hi, Lance. I love the videos. I'm a beginner in espresso, I bought a Breville Express BES870XL. I have the burr grinder set to 2. And the side grind size to 5. But I'm getting a 13-15 second shot, and I am tamping pretty hard and making sure it's flat. I'm just not sure what I'm doing wrong. Thanks for your time, and keep the great videos coming.
Return it and get the impress and you'll be impressed. I'm like you I don't get this dialing rubbish and don't have time to play around weight machines etc
After seeing a lot of videos about this machine this was the most helpful for sure, plus made me make the final step to order one...white, I think will be an investment for sure and help me getting more into the coffee world ! Thanks Lance, big fan from Argentina.
I gave my Barista Express to a friend who wants espresso but doesnt want to go into the whole hobby. When i was using it though i kept a dark roasted single origin decaf in the hopper for convenient after dinner shots and just always brewed in manual preinfusion mode which, according to the pressure gauge with the blind basket insert, ran right at 9 bars. I never used the time-based grinding or time-based shot pulling but my friend is loving all the automated features. It's a shame they have that 10 second cutoff for manual preinfusion in their thermojet machines because i really think these are good middle ground machines and something like the baristo pro with more grind settings would be even better for dialing in if you're hopper dosing
I’ve got the original one, and you can get some great shots with it. It can take some time to know how to dial it in, but when you do it’s pretty great.
Any chance we can look forward to a deep dive into the Barista Touch Impress any time soon? maybe a comparison to the Express Impress even? I'm on the fence right now and I'm really liking this review.
I think the turn after tamping is functional. The static tends to leave grounds stuck to the tamper unless you do a little spin like that. At least if you live the rdt free life.
Thanks for this video. I am actually looking for a beginner friendly still professional expresso machine. I think I found a good one and with your little tips the downfalls of the machine can be overcome.
I have this machine. The main issue is that pump rumps up 14 bar pressure by default which bring a lot of inconsistency to the shots due to channeling. It almost turned me off from making espresso shots myself. There are ways to “hack” it to lower pump pressure, but I wouldnt really recommend this machine to beginners
Awesome video. I would really love to see a video on the Ascaso Steel Duo. I currently have a Breville Barista Pro and was thinking of upgrading to the steel duo for better temperature stability. None of the review that are currently out though have good temperature or pressure testing for it.
The Steel Duo has a great review by Kaffeemacher in German language, where they tested the temperature stability and found it best in price class. However the PID on all machines they tested had a random 1-3C offset
Review the Eversys! I don't really want to put pressure on you to do anything, just wanted to be one voice to show an interest in if the Eversys is actually a good superauto.
Exceptional review as always Lance. Have you considered reviewing the Ascaso Steel Duo? Curious how a higher end thermocoil machine might compare on temp stability and overall shot quality
For the money it seems like a bambino or bambino plus,a really good grinder and maybe buying 3rd party portafilter + tamping tools would be not only a better starting point but if you want to upgrade later to a fancier machine (you are talking about $1500 or more) you already have a grinder.
Great review. I’ve really struggled with Breville quality. Had a machine back to Breville 3x for service - 4th time they gave me new and within months it broke- sent back for repair and once again, it broke. Sitting in my garage and don’t want to deal with it again.
Hey Lance, got this machine and love it! It has sometimes channelling, but not sure if it affects the taste on dark roasts really significantly. Do you think that just rattling left/right after grinding for better distribution helps? Thank you!
After watching these videos I'm now convinced to gett into espresso with one of these Brevilles, either the bambino or the infuser both of which I can find for very good prices used. The only issue is I'm only drinking light roasts and it seems like the pros and cons go both ways between the bambino line vs the infuser/express line for light roasts. I'm fully willing to mod either, but I'm not sure which one would be best then given different heating systems, temperature controls, pressure gauges, pressure valves, infusion stages, etc, etc.
For the shot timing, does the 30 second recommendation include the preinfusion stage or is after preinfusion? Meaning a 30 second shot with the preinfusion is actually closer to a 20 second shot. So all together the ideal shot should be around 40 seconds.
I have a Barista Pro. Great machine but after 11 months, the heater completely failed. Making only 2 double shot lattes per day so not a heavy user. Now waiting 3-4 weeks for repair. Never again.
Given “who this is for,” I’d like to see the auto milk steam feature from the Bambino Plus/Oracle on this machine. Make it into a poor man’s (woman’s) Oracle.
Only thing i dont like is automated tamping Its not really a big upgrade over the express especially when you can get an express for $550 on sale. Like for me specifically a barista express + upgraded tamper + bottomless basket is the winning play for a beginner.
There's a source out there that pressure tested the BBE with a scace and found the tick marks to count as 2,4,6,8,10,12,14 bars of pressure, with at about the "SS" in the word espresso to be 9 bars (in between the 8 and 10 ticks). My BBE OPV allows for pressures at or above 14 bars, unfortunately many machines' OPVs are incorrectly set too high when manufactured by Breville.
Hey! Nnot sure if someone asked already. But would it be possible/make sense to tamp down a bit, to clear the slot, then WDT before putting back in for tamp?
Hi Lance, You said a while back "beans not machines" and I was wonderinf if you'd expand on that in the future. There seems to be an information vacuum in the RUclips space surrounding the subject of varieties and origins in a format that's easily digestible to specialty coffee consumers. Most information seems taylored to roasters or other people in the industry. So I was hoping if you'd ever be interested in starting a series about species and origins of beans charactaristics and maybe also processing methods and how they affect said beans. I think it's an interesting topic in which you can pick some varieties and condense information in easily digestible time-chunks, like short 5 minute video format or something like that. It's just an idea, because I think most people don't know what the differences between a Gesha, Caturra, Bourbon, Maragogype, SL28, etc, etc. I know I'd be enormously interested in how terroir, processing and variety all affect taste and I'm sure a lot of us are as well. Seeing as you're currently the first go-to on RUclips for consumers that are passionate about coffee this seems like a no brainer to me. Anyway, love your videos man, I wouldn't have made certain choices about how I buy and drink coffee (products) without your content. Thank you for staying honest and keeping us informed!
I have the BES870XL and it's a perfect beginner's machine but after four years, I have long grown out of it. Besides I don't think the grinder's giving me the flavours I'm striving so hard to unlock, like every batch of beans tastes vaguely different but kinda same-same. It's like muted I think, not flat by any means. And I use fresh Norwegian tap water. Also the grinder _struggles_ with light roast and over time, it starts to stall making clicking noises unless I empty it and stick with medium at least. Could be age. And the retention, fml the retention. I single dose now and have to pump the lid to make it spit out what it gobbles up. All of these factors which is why I'm eyeing a certain flat burr grinder with variable speed... from Turin/G-IOTA/MiiCoffee etc. Other than that, the machine pulls perfectly fine shots depending on beans either single origin or blend which both do the job and results may vary from roast and region (just buy them fresh asdjfdkjhg). Absolutely convenient if your brain is somewhere else and you want to deal with less variables as possible along with automated volumetric control + PID but I want fresher, more precise and stronger now with a hands on approach so I'm flirting with La Marzocco these days (personal choice). Over time I've gotten sick of fussing with the thermoblock in-between pulling and steaming which ironically is a slight inconvenience with the BE. So if you're looking for convenience in an all-in-one package then this could keep you busy for a while I guess but eventually you find yourself demanding more out of it, to do things differently. In that sense, if you want longevity where you can make productive changes in the long run then get at least a Bambino/something similar and a separate spanking good grinder. Have something pretty to look at on the counter that also takes up less space but at the same time has that similarly practical workflow. Not easy to find that sweet spot, but it's possible. I bought my machine for the looks and practicality myself but now, I just want to move onto something better no matter how hard I cope lol.
Sorry Lance, but I’m done with Brevilles. Too much of a maintenance nightmare that’s cost me a lot of money over the years. Just ordered the Meticulous and really excited about that.
The problem with Breville (Sage in Europe) is reliability and part’s availability. Don’t do it. Most repair shops in the Seattle area at least, won’t touch them. All of that said, they can produce irritatingly good espresso. I opted for an awesome Alex Duetto which costs significantly more unless you find a good used one which I did. ECM, Rocket, any of the other REAL machines are a better choice and can last for decades.
true that. But, with proper maintenance, they have been known to last a decade. There is already an Express user in the comments who has had his for 10 years and it is still chugging along! my BDB is 7 years old and never an issue.
They don't though. Every other post on forums is another piece of garbage breville broken in some major way. These are disposable junk, and I hate that you keep pretending their not, despite the overwhelming body of evidence.
I could be wrong but in terms of pressure on the dial, looking at the device you used after, it also has 5 tick marks for 3,5,9,12,15 bar pressure. maybe the machine is following that?
4:13 do they have some kind of moleskin or something on top of that tamper? just noticed all these little fuzzies during this shot and it kind of just made me go ugh, at engineering/design in regards to food safety/cleanliness
omg sorry for another comment lol just trying to catch you where you might have a moment to describe briefly why you prefer dosing into a cup rather than just the portafilter? :p
Hey love your videos have had my touch impress for a few weeks and already love it and want to get into more nerdy stuff and would love to see a video like this for the touch impress just a idea
absolute noob here, however re polishing, I saw someone in a review who ran a bottomless/spoutless ummmm handle thingy, and it didn't channel, according to them. What they did do, compared to your shot, was to tamp 3-4 times. Wondering if that helps with the "polishing"? Awesome for adding the stuff you can add to advance the coffee experience. Can't wait to get my impress then some of those additional pieces of equipment as I get better :)
2:38 "Do not use distilled water". I have been using RO water to make sure there is no build up of deposits long term. I still do the cleaning when the lights flash. Have I being damaging my machine?
Hey lance, only found your videos last night but I subbed and liked straight away. What’s your thoughts on the new barista touch impress? Have you had a chance to use it yet?
Huh. I never realized that was the true moral of the Grinch. Dude needed the full 2-minute bloom for his heart. None of this 30-second mess. Great review as always. Even as I get more into espresso, I think there's still a lot of value in a machine that can get good results with minimal effort, especially when you're in an early morning braindead state.
absolutely! I'm a massive fan of ease to get more people in. Especially when both a grinder and espresso machine are coupled, and the machine is already enabled with a pressure gauge, PID, AND adjustable PI. Pretty neat package for the price.
noob here that can only drink lighter roasted coffee when doing pourover. It has ruined all other filter coffee experiences for me! I love the floral, funky and fruity taste. Im flirting with the thought of trying espresso at home. will the grinder be a problem day one if I was to experiment with lighter roasts?(I don't know how light my light roasts are compared to what is light roasts in your world). I don't want to buy a machine with an integrated grinder if im already lacking from day one. I could do something like the regular bambino and the fellow opus as an alternative(however I think the wife would think it looks cooler with the barista express in the kitchen)
I would love to hear your review of the Lelit Victoria espresso machine. I think I saw Breville purchased the company. I think this machine has excellent control features and might be reasonably priced versus modifying a less expensive machine.
Hello Lance. Quick question. Using that fancy temperature probe portafilter, can you test the temperature stability with a dimmer mode? (If you still have the modded machine arouy that is.) Only thing that is stopping me from drilling a hole on the side of my express is the fear that the change in flow will mess with the PID. :D It''s quite a popular mod, but I have not seen anyone actually testing it.
I sorta test it in this video! when I open the valve on the TPD, the pressure lessens and flow increases to compensate. this is how it behaves with a dimmer- temp drops. So, it is ideal for temp dropping shots!
@@LanceHedrick Come to think of it, this makes sense. The flow of water through the terminal coil is variable. Doesn't much matter if it's because of the pump flow or the resistance. THANK YOU! (Grabs a drill)
EDIT!
The unit has some light temperature control using a combination of button presses to raise and lower the temp by both 2 and 4 degrees F. That is awesome!
Lance,
The gauge markings are weird but each is 2bars. So they are for most part accurate. It is the same gauge as the BBE. Your unit seems to be working alright.
'undisclosed secret project'
Could it be improvements on DB LH and making it into a new flagship?!
@@JohnZ556 naaah. Probably Breville wants to build a better Grinder. 😅 And get part of that sweet GAS money
@@JustPassingByBaby I agree the grinder on their machine is just laughable. I abandoned the grinder on my barista pro long before I sold it. 1Z K-plus in comparison gave me a massive improvement on consistency and flavor.
@@JustPassingByBaby I would really hope it is the new flagship. Since Breville already bought Baratza in 2020, they can just use a similar design from Baratza.
I would argue it is more important for them to catch up on the espresso machine game. People would love to see something less than $2k that has a PID thermal jet, , flow-control, 58mm, Bluetooth and programmable profile buttons.
I applaud you for being the first creator/reviewer I’ve seen that comes off as someone with a much more realistic mindset when it comes to entry level espresso. I love watching stuff from James Hoffmann for example, but I also recognize that he’s got WAY higher standards than someone like me who just wants to not spend $8 per drink for a Starbucks flat white on the daily. It’s hard to find this balance of “I don’t need top of the line, but I want my investment to be well spent” and I think you’ve done that really well here. Definitely gonna look more into this!
So true! Reviewers seem to think we’re split into absolute beginners and then pro elite. I can’t afford/don’t need the best of the best, but I want something to play around with and have some sort of control. This review covered everything from the bottom to the top
Starbucks coffee in the UK at least is by far the worst of the chains, so if that's all you're looking to better you'll be fine with this machine
JH is a pretentious snob.
@@steinanderson9849 you must be thinking of Hames Joffmann because JH goes out of his way in most videos I've seen to be kind towards people with lower budgets & tastes that differ from his own
@@khymesound ok fine, he's just pretentious and not a snob :D
I think the tamping volume thing is great for people that don't wanna mess around but want consistency. I feel like consistency matters more than anything once you get where you are happy.
agreed! I think it is actually brilliant.
@@LanceHedrick you can use the Sage funnel, insert it with that, grind and you can distribute and then remove it and put it back for the tamping
This. The Sage Barista Express is very unique in the espresso field, as no other brand offer such quality and comfort thats actually capable of making good espresso. Its a good start (and stay) for anyone wanting to try espresso as a hobby without spending thousands.
I started on the Barista Express, but I stayed so far, because its so convinient, that I can use it day-to day as routine more than a hobby that takes hours.
For those like myself that have hard water but don't want to have to constantly play alchemist to make your own water: I use a water filter called "aarke water purifier" and the "Pure" filter pellets pull my hard water down from ~225ppm to ~25ppm. Excellent for coffee!
was planning to do the same! didnt think that anyone would write it here cause the aarke is quite new and most dont know it exists lol
Lance, the pressure gage is 15 bar pressure gage. The 5th tick is around 8-9 bars or so.
You're right about the pressure gauge using a 'weird counting system'. It's acutally roughly 2bar per 'tick' of the gauge if it's the same one used in the Barista Express machines. Home-barista has an old post showing this test result.
it is the same. I should've paid a bit more attention to it. It just wasnt a clean "x per tick" and it annoyed me.
@@LanceHedrickit would be great if you showed that in video while doing temperature and pressure test. Also I have original express and it pushing all 13-15 bar; this along with older style burs grinder and poor IMO prescreen water distribution through one hole in plastic group head makes me to want to upgrade. Otherwise both great machines for good long start
I love this machine. I use mine literally almost every day. Sure it’s not the greatest espresso machine but when I can whip out a halfway decent shot of espresso when I’m running late to work this gets the job done. I can literally fire this machine up , grind while the water is heating up, quickly tamp the grounds and pull a shot in under 3 minutes. And if I’m not frothing milk and just making a quick ice latte during the summer, 100% worth it.
it does a very good job if you have the patience to figure it out! Id argue with a good understanding, it can pull espresso that would rival those in high cost brackets
@@LanceHedrick oh I’m sure. I’ve used a set up quite similar with the bottomless portafilter, wdt, and manual stamping when I’m not in a rush and want to experiment.
As someone who just bought this machine, this video was SUPER helpful and exactly what I needed to see to make sure I’m getting the most out of this breville unit. You addressed all of the questions I had on how to use and tweak the machine for optimal results. Much appreciated! Keep up the great work!
I’m just happy there’s an espresso machine with a smiley face..
haha yes! Very classy.
First review I've seen of the Impress version that shows a solution for WDT. Thank you!!
The dosing technology and press are game changers for me. The main reason I bought this unit. No mess no fuss.
Just got this yesterday! Wanted something that didn't require a lot of prep and a lot of money. This seemed to fit the bill
I don't feel there's enough appreciation for that Grinch analogy! That was funny!
Great, I just bought one today and I'm totally beginner on this world
The built in grinder gets a lot of flack online, but honestly if you stick with the medium-dark comfort blends it actually does a pretty decent job
I have a BBP which has the same grinder. It's tricky to do light roasts but entirely possible.
what do you mean by comfort blends mate? not heard that before, excuse my ignorance haha
@@connormatthews522 all good! its just a catch all term for coffee beans that fall in the medium to dark roast level with tasting notes of chocolates and nuts on the bag. They’re usually more forgiving than the more acidic light roasts (IMO at least with espresso).
I’ve been really liking Caffe Lusso’s GMC blend these days which is a perfect example
agreed! It can make some really nice shots, to be honest!
So does any Gevi. Some like the 20 bar pro are more versatile.
Nice review. I've had my Infuser for a number of years now (paired with a Sette 270), did the dimmer mod on it, and it can produce some tasty results, but it's inconsistent. I'd love to see you do a video on mid-level espresso machines, best bang for your buck in that range once you're past the beginner stage.
nothing will replace dimmer bambino our beloved
I have the Bambino Plus and I think the same way. We love it!
Is there an elegant dimmer mod available? Lol. I like my bambino lookin sharp
@@HansProbs hope someone replies. I know they are out there, just need a how to part list!
The OPV is set at 9 bars for Express Impress. It was set to higher pressures for Express ( between 11 to 13). The thick marks on the dial should read 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, etc. Considering this, you see that dial works and shows 9 bars, same as what you demonstrated with your experiment.
I watched a lot of videos and I really can’t focus with most of them
But you made me listen very carefully and clearly I like that, you did great job thank you so much❤
A machine which never gets reviewed is the GE Cafe Bellisimo Semi-automatic Expresso maker which appears to be made by Breville for GE/ Haier.
It’s selling points as a entry level machine, besides it matching on the CAFE appliances, is that variables like grind time, water temp and shot volume for single and double shots can be controlled via a phone app as part of the CAFE smart appliance system. It also keeps track of water usage alerting for a clean cycle every 70 liters of water used and sends warnings for malfunctions such as grinder problems or low water. It is also priced lower than electronically controlled Breville machines. It was $530 when I bought mine in Feb 2022 and are now (9/24) on sale for $449, perhaps because a newer model similar to the Impress with a built-in tamper is in the works?
I have one of these, I think the markings on the gauge are 1-3-5-7-9 bar at each tick mark - the clue is in the first tick which is half distance off the stop compared to the distance between ticks
As an owner of Barista Pro for a year now, I have a few things to say. It probably applies to this machine as well, so take notice. The grinder sucks. I’ll explain in full why I say this. If you want any real control over grind size, this machine can’t do it. First, between steps on the grinder there is about 2mm travel distance. That means you can have a fine or a coarse number 5 grind size. And you can never know where exactly you are. There are no markings on the dial wheel itself, only on the display. Secondly, at any step, in 30 seconds of grinding sometimes it will grind 10g, immediately after that it will grind 14, next time 12. Same grind step, same coffee batch, same everything. That means one shot will be fast, another slow. Want to go very fine with the grind? Forget it. Beans will not go into the grinder. It will take you 3 minutes for 10 grams of coffee.
I paid my Barista Pro a heavily discounted price of $580, and I dare say it’s not good even at that price for what you get. Get yourself a grinder like a Timemore Sculptor, which was $350 recently with shipping and taxes (which I did). And get a Bambino Plus at discount. Basically for the same price you get exceptionally better grind control, and probably the espresso machine of the same capability as this Barista Express or my Pro. Cheers!
just fix that by getting a single dose pump for the hopper
@@thelandrekt3224 That doesn't fix a bad grinder.
Yeah. I’m also eyeing the Bambino Plus. It ticks all the right boxes, and the auto steamer is a major win for office use.
Had a barista express and it was a great starter machine. Picked up a cheap dual boiler on the marketplace for like £400 in great condition. Although it’s not quite a lelit or profitec the dual boiler is flawless
This is exactly the kind of video I've been waiting for..for the barrista Pro
I hope this is the start if a sage series from the coffee sage himself 🙃
ha! I don't have a pro currently, but perhaps in the future!
Going to let this play while I get ready for the day. I’ll watch it again when I have time.
It has temperature control, you can change it. See the user manual.
Oh dang. You're right. Egg on my face.
Yeah regarding the pressure gauge.
It’s commonly accepted that about the 11 o clock area is actually 9 bar on these machines. That’s why it’s in the very middle of the “espresso range”.
that makes sense, and I figured that would be the case. Just annoying they decided against simple 1-9 ha!
@@LanceHedrick
Yeah. When you next see the people at Breville, can you ask them what’s up!?
They tried to simplify things for the new user by creating a dial with no numbers, just a range. But all Barista Expresses made until the end of 2021 at the earliest had their OPV set to 15 bars, which massively overshoots the range and renders it pointless!
I hear you Hugo! I've had my original Barista Express for 8 years now but i feel like i didn't reach full espresso potential till i got a more capable and adjustable grinder. But if it wasn't for that grinder, I'd probably have never gotten into espresso in the first place.
Hugo 🥲
Hugo rocks. And yeah! Upgrading the grinder is ALWAYS the first move.
As I get older and the arthritis gets to be more of an issue, I would consider a simple stand alone lever tamper. Good blend of information in this review, thanks!
I’ll be unboxing the new barrista touch impress this weekend. Can’t wait! Great review, as usual.
I decided eventually for that one also in colour black and I really like it. But silver of course is really classic, too.
I am glad this video exists, I am completely confused when it comes to how to improve my coffee game. I am using an Aeropress and my mothers Keurig for steamed milk and I use a Dark Roast but have switched to a light/medium roast but after switching to an unsweetened or low sugar creamer my coffee is a tad bit too bitter but I don't want the sugar if I can help it but it's hard for me to actually enjoy. I been trying for a maybe a month or so having one a day to try and figure it out but I can't seem to nail down that perfect cup you know. I am moving later this month and got my own. place and can upgrade from the Aeropress but I am lost on what machine to get to kind of get a better cup of coffee because when I get a better cup it goes really well with my morning breakfast. I might have to get this :D it's a little bit expensive for my budget but if it's the only machine I need then that will work out well :D
Hi, Lance. I love the videos. I'm a beginner in espresso, I bought a Breville Express BES870XL. I have the burr grinder set to 2. And the side grind size to 5. But I'm getting a 13-15 second shot, and I am tamping pretty hard and making sure it's flat. I'm just not sure what I'm doing wrong. Thanks for your time, and keep the great videos coming.
Return it and get the impress and you'll be impressed. I'm like you I don't get this dialing rubbish and don't have time to play around weight machines etc
After seeing a lot of videos about this machine this was the most helpful for sure, plus made me make the final step to order one...white, I think will be an investment for sure and help me getting more into the coffee world !
Thanks Lance, big fan from Argentina.
I gave my Barista Express to a friend who wants espresso but doesnt want to go into the whole hobby. When i was using it though i kept a dark roasted single origin decaf in the hopper for convenient after dinner shots and just always brewed in manual preinfusion mode which, according to the pressure gauge with the blind basket insert, ran right at 9 bars. I never used the time-based grinding or time-based shot pulling but my friend is loving all the automated features. It's a shame they have that 10 second cutoff for manual preinfusion in their thermojet machines because i really think these are good middle ground machines and something like the baristo pro with more grind settings would be even better for dialing in if you're hopper dosing
absolutely! I wish they all had unlimited PI like this. Perhaps something will change in future iterations as thermojet tech advances.
The like is for the shirt. Feeling that bright yellow pocket
heck yeah!
Some of the best tips for this machine semi-manually!
I’ve got the original one, and you can get some great shots with it. It can take some time to know how to dial it in, but when you do it’s pretty great.
Any chance we can look forward to a deep dive into the Barista Touch Impress any time soon? maybe a comparison to the Express Impress even? I'm on the fence right now and I'm really liking this review.
Same here
I think the turn after tamping is functional. The static tends to leave grounds stuck to the tamper unless you do a little spin like that. At least if you live the rdt free life.
Thanks for this video. I am actually looking for a beginner friendly still professional expresso machine. I think I found a good one and with your little tips the downfalls of the machine can be overcome.
The Pro definitely lets you hold pre infusion. I did it yesterday.
I have this machine. The main issue is that pump rumps up 14 bar pressure by default which bring a lot of inconsistency to the shots due to channeling. It almost turned me off from making espresso shots myself. There are ways to “hack” it to lower pump pressure, but I wouldnt really recommend this machine to beginners
Awesome video. I would really love to see a video on the Ascaso Steel Duo. I currently have a Breville Barista Pro and was thinking of upgrading to the steel duo for better temperature stability. None of the review that are currently out though have good temperature or pressure testing for it.
The Steel Duo has a great review by Kaffeemacher in German language, where they tested the temperature stability and found it best in price class. However the PID on all machines they tested had a random 1-3C offset
Review the Eversys!
I don't really want to put pressure on you to do anything, just wanted to be one voice to show an interest in if the Eversys is actually a good superauto.
Petition for a 10 second Hugo summary for every video. 28:47
your wish is my command.
Secret Lance x Breville Project, letssss goooooo
Thank you using Celsius. I worry about people who use Fahrenheit (I think they’re deeply troubled).
Exceptional review as always Lance. Have you considered reviewing the Ascaso Steel Duo? Curious how a higher end thermocoil machine might compare on temp stability and overall shot quality
Great Vid. The pre-infusion tip was excellent. Love the Breville but I feel the need to WDT, tap and tamp. Good Stuff!
That Grinch metaphornalogy was simultaneously useful and very difficult to follow 😂
For the money it seems like a bambino or bambino plus,a really good grinder and maybe buying 3rd party portafilter + tamping tools would be not only a better starting point but if you want to upgrade later to a fancier machine (you are talking about $1500 or more) you already have a grinder.
Thank you for Sharing and Review 👍
Great review. I’ve really struggled with Breville quality. Had a machine back to Breville 3x for service - 4th time they gave me new and within months it broke- sent back for repair and once again, it broke. Sitting in my garage and don’t want to deal with it again.
Hey Lance, got this machine and love it! It has sometimes channelling, but not sure if it affects the taste on dark roasts really significantly.
Do you think that just rattling left/right after grinding for better distribution helps? Thank you!
Thanks for another great review Lance. Looking fwd to your new release from Breville. 👍
After watching these videos I'm now convinced to gett into espresso with one of these Brevilles, either the bambino or the infuser both of which I can find for very good prices used. The only issue is I'm only drinking light roasts and it seems like the pros and cons go both ways between the bambino line vs the infuser/express line for light roasts. I'm fully willing to mod either, but I'm not sure which one would be best then given different heating systems, temperature controls, pressure gauges, pressure valves, infusion stages, etc, etc.
horrendous grinch analogy but I genuinely love the vid and it is very helpful :)
For the shot timing, does the 30 second recommendation include the preinfusion stage or is after preinfusion? Meaning a 30 second shot with the preinfusion is actually closer to a 20 second shot. So all together the ideal shot should be around 40 seconds.
Would also mention the single dosing hopper mods you can buy - a lot of them come with bellows too to help reduce retention in the grinder
Oh too true! Those are great.
I have the Barista pro. I love it. If this would have been around 4 years ago, I would have bought this instead.
I have a Barista Pro. Great machine but after 11 months, the heater completely failed. Making only 2 double shot lattes per day so not a heavy user. Now waiting 3-4 weeks for repair. Never again.
Given “who this is for,” I’d like to see the auto milk steam feature from the Bambino Plus/Oracle on this machine. Make it into a poor man’s (woman’s) Oracle.
agreed! I think a missed opportunity, perhaps. Would be very easy and probably only a small increase in cost.
Those filters are huge for my area, the tap water is super hard, even has a clear difference in mouthfeel
they are massively important and inexpensive to replace once used up
Only thing i dont like is automated tamping
Its not really a big upgrade over the express especially when you can get an express for $550 on sale.
Like for me specifically a barista express + upgraded tamper + bottomless basket is the winning play for a beginner.
Came for the coffee, stayed for the grinch analogies.
5 minutes til christmas!
There's a source out there that pressure tested the BBE with a scace and found the tick marks to count as 2,4,6,8,10,12,14 bars of pressure, with at about the "SS" in the word espresso to be 9 bars (in between the 8 and 10 ticks). My BBE OPV allows for pressures at or above 14 bars, unfortunately many machines' OPVs are incorrectly set too high when manufactured by Breville.
yeah. I checked it a bit ago. That's accurate, but it isn't exactly 2 per tick, which is frustrating. haha!
@@LanceHedrick Oh yeah true. Yeah it appears the dark gray espresso range ticks are 6,8,10,12,14.
I regret not buying this one!
I still want the LR duel boiler. That thing was badass!
Love your videos, Lance. I’m not at all interested in this machine, but I’ll watch to see you pull some shots and get crazy. 😊
thank you so much! i'm really appreciative of the support!
Would have been useful to see where the needle on the pressure gauge was when the pressure is 9 bar while doing the thermal testing. Great review!!!
It was at the notch I discussed in the video. Which equals roughly 9 bar. Between 4th and 5th tick
Hey! Nnot sure if someone asked already. But would it be possible/make sense to tamp down a bit, to clear the slot, then WDT before putting back in for tamp?
We missed you lance!!! When is the p100 or df64v inbound?
Hi Lance,
You said a while back "beans not machines" and I was wonderinf if you'd expand on that in the future. There seems to be an information vacuum in the RUclips space surrounding the subject of varieties and origins in a format that's easily digestible to specialty coffee consumers. Most information seems taylored to roasters or other people in the industry. So I was hoping if you'd ever be interested in starting a series about species and origins of beans charactaristics and maybe also processing methods and how they affect said beans. I think it's an interesting topic in which you can pick some varieties and condense information in easily digestible time-chunks, like short 5 minute video format or something like that. It's just an idea, because I think most people don't know what the differences between a Gesha, Caturra, Bourbon, Maragogype, SL28, etc, etc.
I know I'd be enormously interested in how terroir, processing and variety all affect taste and I'm sure a lot of us are as well. Seeing as you're currently the first go-to on RUclips for consumers that are passionate about coffee this seems like a no brainer to me.
Anyway, love your videos man, I wouldn't have made certain choices about how I buy and drink coffee (products) without your content. Thank you for staying honest and keeping us informed!
I have the BES870XL and it's a perfect beginner's machine but after four years, I have long grown out of it. Besides I don't think the grinder's giving me the flavours I'm striving so hard to unlock, like every batch of beans tastes vaguely different but kinda same-same. It's like muted I think, not flat by any means. And I use fresh Norwegian tap water. Also the grinder _struggles_ with light roast and over time, it starts to stall making clicking noises unless I empty it and stick with medium at least. Could be age. And the retention, fml the retention. I single dose now and have to pump the lid to make it spit out what it gobbles up. All of these factors which is why I'm eyeing a certain flat burr grinder with variable speed... from Turin/G-IOTA/MiiCoffee etc.
Other than that, the machine pulls perfectly fine shots depending on beans either single origin or blend which both do the job and results may vary from roast and region (just buy them fresh asdjfdkjhg). Absolutely convenient if your brain is somewhere else and you want to deal with less variables as possible along with automated volumetric control + PID but I want fresher, more precise and stronger now with a hands on approach so I'm flirting with La Marzocco these days (personal choice). Over time I've gotten sick of fussing with the thermoblock in-between pulling and steaming which ironically is a slight inconvenience with the BE. So if you're looking for convenience in an all-in-one package then this could keep you busy for a while I guess but eventually you find yourself demanding more out of it, to do things differently. In that sense, if you want longevity where you can make productive changes in the long run then get at least a Bambino/something similar and a separate spanking good grinder. Have something pretty to look at on the counter that also takes up less space but at the same time has that similarly practical workflow. Not easy to find that sweet spot, but it's possible. I bought my machine for the looks and practicality myself but now, I just want to move onto something better no matter how hard I cope lol.
Sorry Lance, but I’m done with Brevilles. Too much of a maintenance nightmare that’s cost me a lot of money over the years. Just ordered the Meticulous and really excited about that.
I wish theyd do a 9 bar version of the infuser now that we know this type of machine has decent thermal stability.
Enjoy all your videos.
Hugo's final thoughts is the only thing that should be taken into consideration here. 😁😄😂
He was made for the big screen. But he edits himself out often. Humble sumabtch
The problem with Breville (Sage in Europe) is reliability and part’s availability. Don’t do it. Most repair shops in the Seattle area at least, won’t touch them. All of that said, they can produce irritatingly good espresso. I opted for an awesome Alex Duetto which costs significantly more unless you find a good used one which I did. ECM, Rocket, any of the other REAL machines are a better choice and can last for decades.
true that. But, with proper maintenance, they have been known to last a decade. There is already an Express user in the comments who has had his for 10 years and it is still chugging along! my BDB is 7 years old and never an issue.
They don't though. Every other post on forums is another piece of garbage breville broken in some major way. These are disposable junk, and I hate that you keep pretending their not, despite the overwhelming body of evidence.
I could be wrong but in terms of pressure on the dial, looking at the device you used after, it also has 5 tick marks for 3,5,9,12,15 bar pressure. maybe the machine is following that?
Lance, should I upgrade my grinder to Niche Zero to get better coffee from this machine?
i'm always here for the deep and hard.
coffee..
coffee talk.
4:13 do they have some kind of moleskin or something on top of that tamper? just noticed all these little fuzzies during this shot and it kind of just made me go ugh, at engineering/design in regards to food safety/cleanliness
omg sorry for another comment lol
just trying to catch you where you might have a moment to describe briefly why you prefer dosing into a cup rather than just the portafilter?
:p
Super helpful- thank you
Hey love your videos have had my touch impress for a few weeks and already love it and want to get into more nerdy stuff and would love to see a video like this for the touch impress just a idea
I would love to see you get into modding this machine into a beast that can handle lighter roast, maybe even crazy stuff like flow control etc.
can definitely do that with a simple dimmer mod!
absolute noob here, however re polishing, I saw someone in a review who ran a bottomless/spoutless ummmm handle thingy, and it didn't channel, according to them. What they did do, compared to your shot, was to tamp 3-4 times. Wondering if that helps with the "polishing"?
Awesome for adding the stuff you can add to advance the coffee experience. Can't wait to get my impress then some of those additional pieces of equipment as I get better :)
Hello do you know if grinder can ground coarse enough for pour over ?
Hi lance. My puck stays wet. Could you maybe explain some ways this could be?
2:38 "Do not use distilled water". I have been using RO water to make sure there is no build up of deposits long term. I still do the cleaning when the lights flash. Have I being damaging my machine?
If I have no concern about getting or using an external grinder but am a total beginner to espresso would you recommend this or the bambino plus?
Hey lance, only found your videos last night but I subbed and liked straight away. What’s your thoughts on the new barista touch impress? Have you had a chance to use it yet?
What size sworks puck screen? 53.5 or 54.5
I was wondering if Lance would make a review on Breville Barista Touch Impress. I’m debating between Breville Dual Boiler and BBTI…
Huh. I never realized that was the true moral of the Grinch. Dude needed the full 2-minute bloom for his heart. None of this 30-second mess.
Great review as always. Even as I get more into espresso, I think there's still a lot of value in a machine that can get good results with minimal effort, especially when you're in an early morning braindead state.
absolutely! I'm a massive fan of ease to get more people in. Especially when both a grinder and espresso machine are coupled, and the machine is already enabled with a pressure gauge, PID, AND adjustable PI. Pretty neat package for the price.
noob here that can only drink lighter roasted coffee when doing pourover. It has ruined all other filter coffee experiences for me! I love the floral, funky and fruity taste. Im flirting with the thought of trying espresso at home. will the grinder be a problem day one if I was to experiment with lighter roasts?(I don't know how light my light roasts are compared to what is light roasts in your world). I don't want to buy a machine with an integrated grinder if im already lacking from day one. I could do something like the regular bambino and the fellow opus as an alternative(however I think the wife would think it looks cooler with the barista express in the kitchen)
i bought this because it does look better and neater as an integrated machine but a stand alone grinder is is far superior especially for light roast
I would love to hear your review of the Lelit Victoria espresso machine. I think I saw Breville purchased the company. I think this machine has excellent control features and might be reasonably priced versus modifying a less expensive machine.
I need to get one! I don't know anything about it, to be honest.
Wondering if this would be sufficient or the step up to the Barista Touch Impress (obviously a lot more expensive).
Hello Lance. Quick question. Using that fancy temperature probe portafilter, can you test the temperature stability with a dimmer mode? (If you still have the modded machine arouy that is.) Only thing that is stopping me from drilling a hole on the side of my express is the fear that the change in flow will mess with the PID. :D It''s quite a popular mod, but I have not seen anyone actually testing it.
I sorta test it in this video! when I open the valve on the TPD, the pressure lessens and flow increases to compensate. this is how it behaves with a dimmer- temp drops. So, it is ideal for temp dropping shots!
@@LanceHedrick Come to think of it, this makes sense. The flow of water through the terminal coil is variable. Doesn't much matter if it's because of the pump flow or the resistance. THANK YOU! (Grabs a drill)