Breville
Breville Barista Pro (BES878) review
Updated 2026-07-27
The BES878, and the step up from the Barista Express: the same all-in-one grind-and-brew format with a faster ThermoJet heating system, 30 grind settings and an LCD interface in place of analogue dials.
Our opinion
7.4/10
Express, minus the wait
The Pro is the Barista Express with the slow bits sped up: seconds to heat, quicker steaming, a screen in place of dials. It earns the premium if back-to-back morning drinks are your reality. If a minute of warm-up does not bother you, save the money and buy the Express instead.
- In the cup 7.5
- Value 6.5
- Ease of use 8.5
- Build & longevity 7.0
- Versatility 8.0
- Type
- All-in-one espresso machine with grinder
- Portafilter
- 54 mm
- Grinder
- Integrated conical burr, 30 settings
- Heating system
- ThermoJet, 3 second heat-up
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What works
- +Heats up in seconds rather than minutes
- +Steams milk noticeably faster than the Barista Express
- +Complete grind-and-brew setup in one footprint
- +30 grind settings, nearly double the Barista Express
The catch
- −Costs meaningfully more than the Barista Express
- −No PID-style temperature adjustment beyond presets
- −No pressure gauge, which the cheaper Barista Express does have
- −Skips the assisted tamping you get on the Express Impress for $50 less
What owners say
Recurring themes from public owner discussion (Recurring themes across r/espresso and Home-Barista.com owner threads, Published long-term reviews and video reviews of the BES878), paraphrased. Checked 2026-07-27.
Comes up as praise
- +The 3 second heat-up is the thing owners say changed their habits. It gets used on weekday mornings in a way the Barista Express did not.
- +Shot-to-shot consistency gets praised, helped by digital temperature control that can be nudged on screen.
- +Units made from 2023 onward ship with Baratza European Precision Burrs, and owners comparing them against earlier units report better extraction consistency.
- +Build feels solid for the money, and five years of daily use is a common report.
Comes up as gripes
- −Grinder retention is the complaint that comes up most. Roughly 0.5 to 1 g stays in the horizontal chute between doses, static makes it worse, and stale grounds carry into the next shot.
- −The grind steps are coarse at the espresso end, so dialling in can mean landing between two settings with no way to split them.
- −The grinder is loud enough that early risers in shared households notice.
- −There is no specialty drink menu or saved recipes, which the Barista Touch models have.
- −Plenty of owners eventually buy a standalone grinder anyway and use the Pro as a brewer.
Watch
See it in action
Video: Seattle Coffee Gear. Embedded from YouTube.
Full specifications
| Model | BES878 |
|---|---|
| Type | All-in-one espresso machine with grinder |
| Portafilter | 54 mm |
| Grinder | Integrated conical burr, 30 settings |
| Heating system | ThermoJet, 3 second heat-up |
| Pump | 15 bar Italian, 9 bar extraction |
| Pre-infusion | Low pressure |
| Interface | LCD display |
| Milk frothing | Manual steam wand |
| Dimensions | 16.1 x 13.8 x 13.1 in |
Who it's for
The Breville Barista Pro suits beginners-upgrading, all-in-one, busy-mornings.
About Breville
Breville (sold as Sage in the UK and Europe) is an Australian consumer-appliance maker widely known for prosumer-style home espresso machines that pack built-in grinders and PID temperature control into approachable packages.
Where to buy
If the Breville Barista Pro sounds like your machine, this is the listing we verified.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Some links on this site are affiliate links, and if you buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend gear we would use ourselves, and our editorial picks are never sold.
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Breville Barista Express
An all-in-one espresso machine with an integrated conical burr grinder, letting you grind, dose and brew from one unit.
Ninja AutoBarista Pro
Ninja's first fully automatic bean-to-cup machine (model AE1051). It grinds, doses by weight, brews and froths milk at one touch across 13 drink presets, and carries two swappable bean hoppers so you can switch roasts without emptying the grinder.