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Breville Barista Express vs Barista Pro is the question almost every new home barista asks after deciding on a Breville with a built-in grinder. Both machines grind, dose, tamp and pull shots through the same 54mm portafilter, and both steam milk for lattes. The Pro adds a much faster ThermoJet heating system, a finer-stepped grinder and a digital display, for a higher price. We compared specs, expert testing and owner reviews to show where the extra money goes.
Part of our Outdoor, Kitchen & Pet Buying Guides.
The short answer
Buy the Breville Barista Express if you want a proven all-in-one espresso machine at a lower price and do not mind waiting a little for it to heat up. Buy the Breville Barista Pro if you want espresso within seconds of switching on, more grind adjustment for dialing in, and quick back-to-back steaming. Our overall pick is the Barista Pro for daily latte drinkers; the Express is the better value if you mostly drink straight espresso or Americanos.
Check price: Breville Barista Express →
Check price: Breville Barista Pro →
Side-by-side specs
| Spec | Breville Barista Express (BES870) | Breville Barista Pro (BES878) |
|---|---|---|
| Heating system | Thermocoil with PID temperature control | ThermoJet |
| Heat-up time | Longer (reviewers suggest letting it warm up before brewing) | About 3 seconds to extraction temperature (Breville claim) |
| Grinder | Integrated conical burr with dose control | Integrated conical burr (hardened steel) with dose control |
| Grind settings | 16 | 30 |
| Portafilter | 54mm stainless steel | 54mm stainless steel |
| Extraction | Low-pressure pre-infusion, then 9 bar (15 bar pump) | Low-pressure pre-infusion, then 9 bar (15 bar pump) |
| Interface | Buttons and analog pressure gauge | Backlit LCD display |
| Shot control | 1 or 2 shot volumetric, or manual | 1 or 2 shot volumetric, or manual |
| Hot water | Dedicated hot water spout | Dedicated, angled hot water spout |
| Tamper | Integrated magnetic tamper | Included tamper (check listing) |
| Dimensions (W x D x H) | 15.9 x 13.1 x 12.4 in | 16.1 x 13.8 x 13.1 in |
| Price range | Mid-range | Premium |
Price tiers: Budget = under $500, Mid-range = $500 to $800, Premium = over $800. Prices change often and both machines go on sale regularly, so check the current listing.
Heat-up time and workflow
This is the single biggest difference. The Barista Pro uses Breville’s ThermoJet system, which Breville says reaches extraction temperature in about three seconds. Seattle Coffee Gear found it could pull shots within seconds of flipping the switch, and it switches from brewing to steaming almost instantly.
The Barista Express uses an older Thermocoil heater. It holds a steady brewing temperature with PID control, but reviewers recommend giving it a minute or two to warm up so your first shot is not cold, and there is a short wait between pulling a shot and steaming milk. For a single morning latte, that is a minor inconvenience; for making drinks for a whole household, it adds up.
Winner: Breville Barista Pro, by a wide margin.
Grinder and dialing in
Both machines grind directly into the portafilter with adjustable dose control, so you can go from whole beans to a tamped puck in under a minute. The Pro’s grinder has 30 settings compared with 16 on the Express, and Breville uses hardened steel burrs on the Pro. More, finer steps make it easier to hit the sweet spot with light roasts or when you change beans.
Neither built-in grinder matches a good standalone burr grinder, and both are best with medium to dark roasts. If you get serious about espresso, many owners eventually pair either machine with a separate grinder from our coffee grinder guide.
Winner: Breville Barista Pro, for finer grind adjustment.
Espresso quality
Under the hood, the brewing process is the same. Both use a 15 bar Italian pump with low-pressure pre-infusion that gently wets the coffee before ramping to about 9 bar for extraction, and both use the same 54mm portafilter and baskets, including single-wall baskets for fresh coffee and dual-wall baskets for pre-ground. With the same beans and grind, expert reviewers find shot quality very similar.
Winner: Tie.
Display and ease of use
The Express has a classic layout with buttons and an analog pressure gauge front and center. The gauge is a handy visual cue: if the needle sits in the espresso range, your grind and dose are roughly right. Some owners prefer it for that reason.
The Pro replaces the gauge with a backlit LCD that shows grind size, grind time and shot time, and lets you adjust settings through simple menus. Seattle Coffee Gear noted that some users miss the gauge but felt it does not add much once you learn to watch your shot time instead. Newcomers tend to find the Pro’s screen easier to learn.
Winner: Breville Barista Pro, for clearer feedback, though gauge fans may prefer the Express.
Milk steaming
Both have a manual steam wand that can produce silky microfoam for lattes and cappuccinos with some practice. The practical difference is again heating: the Pro’s ThermoJet gets to steaming temperature far faster, so there is little waiting between shot and milk. On the Express you will wait a bit longer for steam, which matters more if you make several milk drinks in a row.
Winner: Breville Barista Pro.
Value
The Express usually sits in our mid-range tier and the Pro in our premium tier, a gap of roughly $150 at full price. Both are frequently discounted, and the Express is often the cheapest way to get a capable all-in-one espresso setup. If speed and convenience are not priorities, the Express gives you the same shot-pulling hardware for less.
Winner: Breville Barista Express.
Pros and cons
Breville Barista Express
|
Breville Barista Pro
|
What owners say: Barista Express owners often say it taught them to make cafe-style drinks at home and paid for itself quickly, while common complaints are the warm-up wait, a learning curve for dialing in, and the built-in grinder’s limits with light roasts.
What owners say: Barista Pro owners mostly praise how quickly it is ready and how easy the display makes dialing in, with the most frequent gripes being the price and wishing the grinder went a little finer for some beans.
Which should you buy?
- Daily latte and cappuccino drinkers: the Barista Pro, for fast heat-up and quick steaming.
- Budget-minded beginners: the Barista Express gives you the same core brewing hardware for less.
- Households making several drinks at once: the Barista Pro, since you will not wait between shots and steaming.
- People who like visual feedback: the Barista Express, thanks to its pressure gauge.
- Coffee tinkerers who switch beans often: the Barista Pro, for its 30 grind settings.
Check price: Breville Barista Express →
Check price: Breville Barista Pro →
Alternatives worth a look
- Breville Barista Express Impress: an Express variant with assisted tamping for more consistent pucks.
- Breville Bambino Plus: a compact, fast-heating machine without a grinder; see our Bambino Plus vs Barista Express comparison.
- Breville Barista Touch: a touchscreen model with automatic milk texturing for hands-off lattes.
FAQ
Is the Barista Pro worth it over the Barista Express?
If you make milk drinks every day or value speed, yes: the ThermoJet heat-up and quick steaming are the main reasons to pay more. If you mostly drink straight espresso and do not mind a short warm-up, the Express makes very similar shots for less.
Do both machines make the same espresso?
They share the same 15 bar pump, low-pressure pre-infusion, 9 bar extraction and 54mm portafilter, so with the same beans and grind, shot quality is very similar. The Pro’s finer grind steps can make dialing in easier.
Can I use pre-ground coffee?
Yes. Both include dual-wall baskets designed for pre-ground coffee, though freshly ground beans in the single-wall baskets give better results.
Do I need a separate grinder?
No, both have built-in conical burr grinders. Some enthusiasts upgrade to a standalone grinder later for light roasts or more precise adjustment.
Related guides
- The Best Espresso Machines for Home of 2026
- Breville Bambino Plus vs Barista Express: Which Should You Buy?
- Best Coffee Grinders of 2026: Burr Grinders for Every Brew
- Best Coffee Subscriptions of 2026: 9 Services Compared
- Outdoor, Kitchen & Pet Buying Guides
Sources
Breville Barista Pro product page, Breville Barista Express product page, Seattle Coffee Gear Barista Express vs Barista Pro, Majesty Coffee Barista Pro vs Barista Express. Owner feedback is summarized in our own words from public reviews. Photos courtesy of Unsplash.