Breville Barista Express Impress Espresso Machine
The Breville Barista Express Impress represents the next evolution in home espresso making, focusing on delivering barista-quality results with less mess and guesswork. With features like intelligent dosing, assisted tamping, and a built-in conical burr grinder, this machine streamlines the entire process from bean to espresso. It’s tailored for those who want café-style drinks at home without needing the expertise of a professional barista.
User reviews consistently highlight its ease of use, rich espresso quality, and reliability. While priced on the higher end, it compensates with exceptional functionality and premium build quality.
🌟 Product Highlights & Features
✅ Impress Puck System
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Automates precise tamping with 10kg of pressure and a 7° barista twist, minimizing mess and inconsistencies.
✅ Intelligent Dosing
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The machine calculates and adjusts the dose of coffee automatically based on the last grind, ensuring consistent extractions.
✅ Built-in Conical Burr Grinder
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With 25 grind settings, you can customize grind size to match your bean and taste preferences.
✅ Thermocoil Heating System
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Controlled by PID temperature tech, it ensures stable water temperature and optimal extraction.
✅ Powerful Steam Wand
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Allows for hand-textured microfoam, essential for creating latte art and enhancing milk-based drinks.
✅ User-Friendly Operation
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With auto-tamping, precision dosing, and helpful accessories, it bridges the gap between manual skill and automation.
✅ Premium Accessories Included
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Comes with filter baskets, stainless steel milk jug, tamping tools, cleaning accessories, and a Razor™ trimming tool.
📊 Technical Specifications
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Brand | Breville |
| Model | BES876BSS – Barista Express Impress |
| Color | Brushed Stainless Steel |
| Dimensions | 12.5″ D x 14.5″ W x 16.5″ H |
| Weight | 23.7 lbs (10.75 kg) |
| Wattage | 1600 Watts |
| Voltage | 120 Volts |
| Heating System | Thermocoil with PID Control |
| Grind Settings | 25 |
| Water Tank Capacity | 2 Liters |
| Interface | Buttons |
| Included Accessories | Portafilter, Milk Jug, Filter Baskets, Razor Tool, Water Filter, Cleaning Kit |
| Coffee Maker Type | Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine |
| Steam Wand | Manual microfoam wand |
| Tamping System | Assisted, with 10kg pressure and barista twist |
| Filter Type | Reusable |
| Made In | China |
🏁 Final Verdict
The Breville Barista Express Impress strikes a perfect balance between automation and craftsmanship. It delivers excellent espresso quality, even for novices, and reduces the mess and learning curve usually associated with manual machines. The intelligent dosing and assisted tamping features simplify the process, while still letting users tweak settings for a personal touch.
While the price tag (~$800) may deter casual users, it’s a solid investment for serious coffee lovers looking to replicate café-quality drinks at home. Whether you’re stepping up from capsule machines or just want more control without complexity, this machine offers impressive value, performance, and durability.
⭐ Overall Rating: 4.5 / 5
Daniel Fishman –
Great Expresso Machine – Good Value – Great Service
This is a great home expresso machine. Very solidly built. I had a hardware issue and the return and repair experience was excellent. I am not an expresso expert however i think the coffee is great. This is not a Mr Coffee drip machine – you need to read the manual, experiment with your beans and the machine settings and perform regular cleaning and maintenance. Highly recommend.
One person found this helpful
R. Jackson –
Great Espresso Machine
I absolutely love my coffee. I don’t know how people survived before they learned to roast coffee beans and brew their morning cup.My previous fully automatic machine died, repair was $700+ and they no longer had electronic parts. I had to get another machine and quickly. I was a grizzly bear without my coffee! I selected the Barista Express Impress. (Couldn’t they find a better name?)As far as this machine, it is more difficult than making drip coffee in your Keurig. It is designed to give you the tools to make the best coffee that you ever had. However, you need to learn how to use it. It takes a lot of time to master because you have control of parameters I did not know existed.The machine has a nice set of tools for maintenance and daily use. The tool tray attaches to the rear of the drip tray and is easily reached by pulling out the drip tray. The machine senses how much coffee to grind and automatically adjusts to grind the correct amount of beans. On several occasions, the beans stuck in the grinder, so I had to manually grind to get the correct level. No big deal but it mess up the level of beans to grind and it takes several cups of coffee to get it right again. I think that is why there are a lot of complaints about the grind level changing. I have learned to “bump” the bean hopper to free the beans before there are problems. If you listen, you can hear the grinder start to run free. I think Breville needs to redesign the hopper so beans flow freely. That is the only real criticism I have found.There are some things you need to know. First off, the beans you choose are extremely important. They affect the coffee more than anything else. Second, you control the coffee grind. You get to choose exactly how fine you grind. That is a major factor in making coffee. Third, you get to control the brewing temperature. I haven’t figured out how yet, but I am happy with the brew as it is.When I make a latte, I use the microwave oven to heat the milk. If you want latte art, you will need to use the milk frother. I tried it a few times and it works well. There is a lot to clean, so I don’t use it.There are a few problems. My machine would only grind as I was holding the grind button. I unplugged the machine and it worked correctly when I plugged it back in. The machine stopped brewing. The pump would run with a noise that sounded like the machine would explode. When I turned the machine around to get the serial number (it was not on the back like Support told me–I think it is on the machine underside), I realized that I had run out of water! There is no water low sensor, so it is easy for the machine to run dry. Since a dry pump will fail very quickly, this is a major oversight.The machine needs to be descaled regularly, especially if you live in a hard water area. Cleaning supplies are too expensive so I buy citric acid in bulk and generic cleaning tablets. Both work well. My water used to come from a reverse osmosis filter but I no longer have that luxury. I think I need to start buying water from one of those water stores that are popping up all over.On the whole, the machine makes an excellent cup but it takes knowledge and time to learn.
115 people found this helpful
Jonathan Lewis –
User friendly, high quality, and totally worth the investment
I’ve had this machine for about a year and it’s been one of my favorite kitchen purchases. It’s extremely user friendly and strikes a great balance between automation and that hands on espresso making experience. You get consistency, but still have room to fine tune things to your taste.I mostly make Americanos, and I love that it has a hot water spout that pours the perfect amount without guessing. Every morning feels like a café experience, and the instant espresso shots in the afternoon are a lifesaver when you’re dragging after lunch.My only issue has been with the milk frother. I haven’t quite mastered the technique to get that perfect foam, but it still works well enough for lattes and cappuccinos.Yes, it’s pricey—but if it’s in your budget, I’d absolutely recommend it. This machine has made my daily coffee routine something I look forward to.
3 people found this helpful
Matthew M. –
Great value in an entry level semiautomatic
We purchased this during one of the regular Breville sales where many of their machines go on sale at the same time at retailers. At that price I think this is a great value.I had been shopping for an espresso machine for a while, and was mostly looking at saving for a more expensive machine, but this seemed like a great choice to just get something earlier. This makes great coffee and is easy enough to use that it isn’t completely overwhelming for novice users. With the integrated tamping and grinder, it’s nice that it’s a “one thing on the counter” setup with a relatively compact package.There are occasional quirks and various light flashings, but nothing that hasn’t been solved by just taking a few minutes to read the manual and do what the machine asks you to do (e.g. backflushing, descaling, brush cleaning the grinder), and a little bit of diligence has kept everything working smoothly. Some more persistent quirks are maybe just preferences; we removed the black plastic fitting from the portafilter and prefer to run an empty shot before preparing a drink to warm the portafilter. You can also warm it by just attaching the empty portafilter to the group head, and letting it sit turned on for 15-20 minutes.Spend the money on some good quality medium/dark roast coffee and you’ll be pleasantly surprised how good of a shot this can pull. We did buy some Lavazzo beans from Costco because we couldn’t resist the pricing, but I think after we finally finish our first 2lb bag this week we’ll stick to better quality beans. It has been a joy every time we have recently roasted beans from a good vendor in the machine.We’ll see how things look long term, but after about 10 weeks of almost daily usage we still like our machine quite a lot.
10 people found this helpful
masha radzinsky –
You’ll never want Starbucks again!!
Iv bought this exact machine 3 times in the past ten years, I literally cannot live without it! Once you taste this coffee you’ll never want Starbucks again, the quality is amazing. The machine is easy to use and comes pretty much fully assembled. Ours holds up to almost industrial use as my husband and I each make about 4-6 espresso drinks a day, not to mention lattes for company and my kids love milk steamers and hot chocolates which are a breeze to make with this machine. I also love the hot water function which I use for everything from tea and ramen to baby formula. Just a great quality machine!
Paula M. –
Talk about CREMA!!! AMAZING!!
Oh I absolutely LOVE this machine. I kept it boxed for a few months because we were moving, but I finally tried it today. OHHHH the Crema is absolutely AMAZING. By far the BEST, so so much better than the coffee shops. One of my best investments.
Shane Okrasinski –
Auto dispenser and tamper
The auto dispenser and tamper are so worth it! This machine was an upgrade for us and came with a slight learning curve, (more so if you’re new to espresso) but has been extremely consistent! The machine is beautiful and the water tank is large. The steaming wand makes great foam!
Norman –
Happily Impressed!
Bought this on Prime Day at a great price. Always been a Breville brand fan. I have several of their appliances and (almost) no complaints, other than an expensive (but functionally impressive) toaster that died after 2 years. I’m replacing a Nespresso machine that I’ve used daily for over 6 years. For the last few months, I think I’ve watched every YouTube video made about setting this model up, using and cleaning it. Breville also has videos about the machine. They are informative but irritatingly corny. I spent the day it showed up reading the manuals, re-watching some videos, packing away my Nespresso machine, inventorying the Breville and setting it up. I also ordered Lavazza coffee beens from Amazon just to get started.The first day, took several presses of the “dose” button to get my green okay light. I thought it was supposed to remember the correct dosage for the same beans but the 2nd day, it over-filled the portafilter. That gave me a chance to test the “razor” and it was simple to use. Since then the dosage has been perfect on the first try. Something I learned from the Breville videos is that start to finish, the extraction should take about 30 seconds or you need to adjust the grind. I used my iPhone to time that. 1st day was about 20 seconds, but the expresso still tasted way better than my Nespresso shots, so I just went with that and adjusted the grind by a couple of clicks (making it finer). Next day, the extraction took 25 seconds, so I adjusted the grind again by a couple of clicks. Extraction took 30 seconds and had a great crema.I should mention that I always used 2 shots on my Nespresso machine and about 10-12 ounces of unsweetened almond milk to make a latte. I also used probably 10 packets of Stevia in the Raw to get past the bitter taste. Over the years, I’ve tried most of the Nespresso original coffees and my favorites are the Italian ones. With the Lavazza coffee (also 2 shots) and my new Breville, I’ve cut that back to 4 packets and it’s perfect. Something else I noticed is that the the Lavazza is not very bitter (I just like my latte on the sweeter side) but I noticed a lot of nuance in the taste of my expresso shot. I’m not an expresso expert, so I don’t know the correct terms. But the latte tasted very, very fresh, light with just a hint of bitterness.I haven’t used the steaming wand and I’m not in any hurry to learn that. I’ve always put my almond milk in the microwave for about 90 seconds (with the Stevia in it) and used a $15 frother wand to whip it up. Then I pour that into the expresso. I don’t do art. I have the Nespresso frother and some 3rd party one I bought. They don’t do any better than the wand and are more work to clean up. I also only drink lattes or cappuccinos (when I over-froth!) and am actually not a coffee drinker. I drink tea the rest of the day.My criteria for upgrading machines were 1) improved taste in my lattes, 2) same ease of use as the Nespresso and 3) same or lower costs to make my lattes. I probably spend $50/month on Nespresso coffee and it looks like I can spend $10-$20 on the Lavazza or close to that amount if I want to try some local brewers (and I will). The Breville machine is (when on sale) twice the cost of a Nespresso. But spread that over 5 years and it’s not much of a factor. Ease of cleanup and setup is about the same. Filling up the water tank on the Breville is a tad more work than the Nespresso and will slosh out if you’re not careful. I’d say if you factor in putting water in and warming up the Nespresso machine, it took me about 4-5 minutes to make a Nespresso latte. Factor in the dosing time and the Breville takes me 7-8 minutes. Close enough.Am I happy with it? Heck, YES!!!! I’d give my Nespresso machine 4/10 stars. I didn’t have to get in the car and drive to a coffee shop each day. I knew I was trading quality for (some) cost and convenience. I’d give my Breville 8.5/10 stars. The expresso shots just taste so wonderful. I know some people go down a rabbit hole trying to get a perfect expresso shot. I rank wanting to do that right next to improving (or even doing) latte art. :-). I couldn’t be more pleased with this new setup.
116 people found this helpful
Michael KelvinMichael Kelvin –
Perfect for Busy Espresso Lovers — Consistent, Quick, and Delicious!
This machine is IMPRESSive — Consistent, Quick, and Delicious!I’ve had the Breville Impress Barista Express since November 2022, and it’s one of the best things I’ve added to my kitchen.No, it’s not the ultimate café-level machine. If you’re chasing a perfect 10/10 espresso every shot, you’ll probably need one of those high-end setups that cost thousands and take ages to dial in. But that’s not realistic for most people!The beauty of this machine is you can get an 8 or 9 out of 10 espresso every time, and do it in a fraction of the time. The built-in auto tamp really does make a difference — it saves you from messing up your dose and gives you consistent shots every day.If you don’t have 10–15 minutes every morning to fuss with a more complex process and machine, get this one. It strikes the perfect balance of quality, speed, and convenience.Honestly, I’ll make an espresso before I go out since I know the quality I’m going to drink vs buying some crap espresso somewhere else.5/5 — highly recommend to any home espresso lover who wants great coffee without the extra hassle.
Janalge –
The automatic features are the magic
This is our first espresso machine, and we have had it about 2 months. I am really happy that we went with this model. Since purchasing, I have watched friends/family members use their machines, and I can definitely tell that ours is easier and makes less of a mess. The automatic feature for grinding beans (amount) and the automatic tamper which is easy and clean I think are two great features. It makes an excellent espresso without all the fuss that others go through – it’s perfect for first-time users. Although the price point is high, I can tell it is a high-quality and durable machine…and we aren’t heading to Starbucks every morning anymore either. We are extremely happy with the purchase.