I woke up very tired one morning with a strong craving. I wanted a hot cup of coffee right away. I did not want to leave my warm house to get it. Making great cafe drinks at home used to feel too hard and very messy. I will share exactly how these two exact machines fixed my mornings.
Let us look at the very first machine I brought home. It made me fall in love with making my own morning drinks.
Breville BES870XL Review
I bought this unit quite a few years ago. Opening the big box was a huge thrill for me. It felt like putting a real coffee shop right on my kitchen counter.
Taking everything out of the box was my very first job. Here is how that simple process went for me.
Assembly And Build Quality
Putting it together was very simple and quick. The parts feel heavy and very strong in my hands. I really loved the shiny metal look right away. I found a nice empty spot on my counter for it. It took me ten minutes to wash all the parts. Then I locked the clear bean hopper right into place. The large water tank slides in super easy. The whole thing feels very tough. I knew it would last for years. It does not feel cheap at all. You just plug it into the wall and push the button. The small lights flash while it heats up.
| Feature | Build Type | My Experience |
| Body | Metal | Feels very strong and solid. |
| Tank | Plastic | Huge and easy to fill. |
| Tools | Metal | Heavy tools feel very nice. |
| Drip Tray | Plastic | Simple to pull out and wash. |
After getting it fully set up, I wanted to try it out. Making daily drinks became a very fun habit for me.
Daily Performance
I started making two hot drinks every single morning. The grinder is built right into the top of the unit. You push the metal handle in to get fresh coffee. At first, it was very messy. Coffee dust spilled down on the flat tray. I had to learn exactly how much to use. I changed the grind size a few times. Soon, I found the exact right spot. The front pressure gauge is a very big help. It shows you if you did it right. The needle goes to the middle when things are perfect. The shot comes out dark and rich. It tastes sweet and very bold.
Steaming milk took a little more slow practice. The steam wand is very strong. I held the metal jug at a slight tilt. The cold milk spins around fast inside. It gets warm very quickly. I touch the bottom of the jug with my bare hand. When it gets too hot to hold, I stop. The foam comes out thick like wet paint. I tried to pour some nice art. I made a heart shape just one time. Usually, it just looks like a white cloud. But it always tastes great.
I love how fast this machine heats up. I turn it on and it is ready fast. I can make a drink and clean up in five minutes. This makes my busy mornings much easier. It works very hard every single day. It never slows down at all. I feel very proud when I make drinks for friends.
| Aspect | Performance | Real Life Use |
| Heating | Very fast | Saves me a lot of time. |
| Grinding | Fast | A bit messy on the counter. |
| Brewing | Normal | Tastes very sweet and bold. |
| Steaming | Fast | Makes thick and hot foam. |
Every kitchen tool has good and bad sides to it. Here is a fast look at what I found.
Pros And Cons
| Type | Feature | My Experience |
| Pro | Fast heating | I had it running in seconds. |
| Pro | Built-in grinder | Saves lots of precious counter space. |
| Con | Messy grinding | I had to wipe the counter daily. |
| Con | Hard to learn | Took me a week to get it right. |
Some tiny details really stood out to me over time. Let me share exactly what I loved and hated.
What I Liked And Disliked
I really liked the heavy feel of the included tools. The metal press is solid and very strong. It pushes the coffee down perfectly flat. The water tank holds a lot of fresh water. I only have to fill it once a week. The drip tray is super easy to dump out. A little plastic sign pops up when it is full. It tells me to empty it right away. That always makes me smile. The hot water spout is great for tea.
What I disliked was the hard learning phase. You must weigh your coffee every single time. You have to push down with the exact right force. If you guess, the drink tastes sour and bad. The steam wand is a little loud. It squeals if you hold it the wrong way. The bean hopper does not hold a full bag of beans. You have to put the rest in a drawer. The messy grounds can be annoying.
| Type | Feature | My Experience |
| Pro | Big water tank | Very nice to have around. |
| Pro | Heavy tools | Feels like nice pro quality. |
| Con | Loud wand | Makes noise in the quiet morning. |
| Con | Small hopper | Holds far less coffee beans. |
This unit is not perfect for every single person out there. Here is exactly who I think will love it.
Recommendation
This tool is a classic for a very good reason. It teaches you how to make real cafe drinks. You get your hands dirty. You learn a fun new craft. It feels very nice to master it. If you want to just push one single button, this is not for you. But if you want a fun new hobby, it is great. I look forward to using it every single day. It makes waking up totally worth the effort.
| User Type | Recommendation | Reason |
| Beginners | Good Fit | Fun way to learn the craft. |
| Hobbyists | Good Fit | Gives you lots of manual control. |
| Busy folks | Not Ideal | Takes time to clean up spills. |
| Lazy drinkers | Not Ideal | Requires deep focus and work. |
Next, let us check out the newer model I tried out. It adds some very neat new tricks to the mix.
Breville BES876BSS Review
This new machine came to my house a few months ago. It has a smart way to measure the coffee for you. It fixed my main issue with messy coffee dust everywhere. I was eager to see if it worked well.
Setting this new unit up was just as quick and simple. It felt very normal right out of the big box.
Assembly And Build Quality
Opening the box was a total breeze for me. It looks a lot like the older one. The big change is the pull lever on the left side. The metal case is smooth and very shiny. It fits nicely right under my wood cabinets. The water tank is still very large. I washed all the neat parts with warm water. I wiped down the thick steel frame. Everything snaps together so well. The press is built right inside the machine now. This saves even more space on my counter. The build quality feels very high end.
| Feature | Build Type | My Experience |
| Body | Metal | Looks very nice and shiny. |
| Lever | Metal | Feels very tough and strong. |
| Tank | Plastic | Easy to take off and clean. |
| Tray | Plastic | Catches all the wet spills. |
Using this smart tool changed my whole morning flow. It does all the hard math and thinking for you.
Daily Performance
This machine makes the start of the day so smooth. You push the handle into the main slot. It grinds the fresh beans right there for you. Then you pull the big lever on the left side. It pushes the coffee down hard. It even gives a little spin to make it smooth. There is no mess at all. The counter stays totally clean. This is a very huge win for me.
A tiny light on the front tells you if the amount is right. If a green happy face lights up, you are ready. If it needs more, you just push a single button. It learns exactly how much coffee to use for the next time. This saves so much time and heavy stress. I get a perfect cup of coffee almost every time. The internal pressure is always just exactly right. The warm drink tastes so amazing.
The steam wand works just like the older style. It takes a fast minute to heat the cold milk. The wand makes nice, rich foam. I still cannot make great cup art. But the drinks taste like they came from a fancy shop.
Cleaning up is super fast. You just tap the used coffee into the trash bin. A quick wipe with a dry towel and you are done. The whole thing takes me two minutes.
| Aspect | Performance | Real Life Use |
| Grinding | Fast | Very neat and perfectly clean. |
| Tamping | Very fast | Pulling the lever is super fun. |
| Brewing | Normal | Tastes very sweet and rich. |
| Cleaning | Fast | Saves me lots of daily time. |
Let us break down the good and the bad parts fast. Here is my honest look at this newer model.
Pros And Cons
| Type | Feature | My Experience |
| Pro | Smart dosing | Measures the exact coffee for me. |
| Pro | Clean counter | Traps all the loose dusty grounds. |
| Con | Big size | Takes up a lot of empty room. |
| Con | Hard to mod | Cannot easily use my own tools. |
There are parts that blew me away and some I hated. Here is exactly what I felt using it daily.
What I Liked And Disliked
I loved the smart dose system the absolute most. Pulling that big lever feels very fun to do. It clicks nicely right into place. The clean kitchen counter makes my partner very happy. The green happy face gives me a little joy each morning. The machine remembers my past choices. It changes the dose as the beans get older. This is a very neat smart trick.
I disliked how wide the left side is. The lever sticks out quite a bit. You need extra empty space on that exact side. The built in press cannot be taken out easily. If you want to use your own cool tools, it is hard. The machine is also a bit tall. I had to move my small shelf up higher. Sometimes the smart eye gets confused if you change beans fast.
| Type | Feature | My Experience |
| Pro | Happy face | Very fun to see light up. |
| Pro | Smart brain | Learns to adjust on its own. |
| Con | Wide frame | Hard to fit in tight spots. |
| Con | Sensor mix up | Gets confused on rare days. |
This unit fits a certain type of daily coffee lover. Here is who should buy it right away.
Recommendation
I think this unit is fully amazing for most folks. It takes away the huge fear of making daily drinks. You do not need a fancy scale. You do not need to sweep up messy loose grounds. It does the hard tasks for you. You still get to pull the shot and make hot milk. It feels like making real drinks without the pain. It costs a bit more, but it is deeply worth it. I highly suggest this unit for busy homes.
| User Type | Recommendation | Reason |
| Busy folks | Good Fit | Very fast and super perfectly clean. |
| Clean freaks | Good Fit | No dirty coffee dust on the counter. |
| Pro baristas | Not Ideal | Offers far less manual control. |
| Cheap buyers | Not Ideal | Has a higher up front price tag. |
Picking between these two nice machines can be very hard. Let us compare them side by side right now.
Detailed Comparison for Breville Barista Express Vs Impress
I have used both of these tools every single day. Here is a direct match up of their very best parts. Let us see which one truly wins out for you.
Let us look at how well they make nice coffee. Both machines are very strong and good at this job.
Performance: Breville Barista Express Vs Impress
The older model gives you full total control. You do every step by your own bare hand. This can lead to a great shot if you know how.
The newer model gently guides you along. It controls the exact dose and the heavy tamp. The drink quality is very close on both of them. The newer one is just much more steady day to day. They use the very same pump and heater inside.
| Feature | Breville BES876BSS | Breville BES870XL |
| Control | Full manual control | Smart assisted control |
| Pump | Very strong parts | Very strong parts |
| Drink Taste | Very good flavor | Very good flavor |
| Steadiness | Varies day to day | Very exact every time |
Breville BES876BSS Rating: 8/10
Breville BES870XL Rating: 9/10
How hard is it to get a sweet hot cup? Let us see which one is much simpler to master.
Ease Of Use: Breville Barista Express Vs Impress
The classic model takes a long time to learn well. You will make some sour drinks at first. You have to find the right amount completely by yourself.
The newer model is a total simple breeze. The side lever and the happy face do the hard math. You just follow the tiny bright green lights. It is very hard to mess up on the newer style. It guides you nicely every single step.
| Feature | Breville BES876BSS | Breville BES870XL |
| Learning | Takes many long weeks | Takes just one day |
| Tamping | Done fully by hand | Just pull a side lever |
| Dosing | Based on pure guess work | Uses a smart brain |
| Screen | Normal old dials | Bright happy lights |
Breville BES876BSS Rating: 6/10
Breville BES870XL Rating: 10/10
These units sit on your counter every single day. They need to look very nice and feel very strong.
Build Quality: Breville Barista Express Vs Impress
Both tools use heavy brushed metal steel frames. They look like pro cafe gear in your home. The classic model is slightly smaller and neatly packed.
The newer one has the extra side pull arm. This makes it a bit wider and much heavier. The neat buttons and dials on both feel very solid. They click nice and look great in any kitchen space. Both will clearly last a very long time.
| Feature | Breville BES876BSS | Breville BES870XL |
| Frame | Solid brushed metal | Solid brushed metal |
| Size | Normal nice fit | Wide and needs space |
| Buttons | Click very nicely | Click very nicely |
| Weight | Heavy and very strong | Very heavy and planted |
Breville BES876BSS Rating: 9/10
Breville BES870XL Rating: 9/10
Cleaning up can ruin a very fun coffee morning. Let us see which one keeps the house more tidy.
Maintenance: Breville Barista Express Vs Impress
The older model makes a fairly big mess daily. Coffee grounds fall on the tray and all over the counter. You have to wipe the whole area daily.
The newer model traps all the dark dust inside. The space stays very neat and totally spotless. Both tools need the same normal filter changes. Both need a deep clean every few months. The newer one is vastly easier to keep tidy daily.
| Feature | Breville BES876BSS | Breville BES870XL |
| Counter | Very messy daily | Very clean always |
| Filters | Needs normal changing | Needs normal changing |
| Tray | Fills up very fast | Fills up very fast |
| Deep Clean | Takes some free time | Takes some free time |
Breville BES876BSS Rating: 6/10
Breville BES870XL Rating: 10/10
Spending your cash on coffee gear is a big choice. Let us look at the true value today.
Value For Money: Breville Barista Express Vs Impress
The older model is often much cheaper to buy. It gives you all you need to start out right away. It is a very fine deal for the cash.
The newer model costs more money up front. But it saves you from buying extra neat tools. You do not need a funnel or a better press. The free time you save makes the higher cost totally worth it.
| Feature | Breville BES876BSS | Breville BES870XL |
| Price | Much lower cost | Higher upfront cost |
| Extra tools | Needed to buy | Not needed at all |
| Time cost | High daily time | Low daily time |
| True value | Great normal deal | Awesome daily deal |
Breville BES876BSS Rating: 8/10
Breville BES870XL Rating: 9/10
My coffee journey with these two units has been very great. Here are my exact final thoughts on them both.
Conclusion
Both units make very great coffee in your own home. The older style is best if you want to learn fully. The newer style is best for a fast and neat daily routine. I truly love them both for very different reasons.
To Get More About Home, Kitchen Accessories Product You Can Visit Our Site. If You Found our Posts Helpful Leave a Comment Below