Breville Barista Pro vs Express – Detailed Comparison

Thinking of bringing an efficient espresso maker home? Perhaps, the quest for the best has already introduced you to two names – Breville Barista Pro and Barista Express; but picking up either of them may look like solving a complex mental math problem. Our guide acts as the pathfinder! Read on and get to know which one to pick – Breville Barista Pro vs Express.

Approximately 50% of the US population,i.e., 150 million Americans, consume coffee, out of which 85% have at least one cup at home. Therefore, it won’t be wrong to say that many homes don’t only run on love and laughter but cups of strong coffee as well. Besides, coffee brewed at home can ideally be the best one if you have the right piece of equipment. 

Now, talking about brewing espresso at home, there’s an array of brands, but the one which seems to have mastered the art of differentiation is Breville, the Sydney-based Australian brand. Starting from high-quality products and user-friendliness to innovation and price, Breville has literally earned its popularity, and the Barista Pro and Barista express are both the brand’s masterstrokes. 

However, when there’s a tough competition between two products, it’s obvious to be a little confused while picking up either of them. To help you make head or tail of Breville barista express vs. barista pro, we’re gonna highlight the key differences and the similarities between the two. Read on and get to know which one’s for you!

Breville Barista Pro vs Express – Where do they resemble?

Let’s take a look at the areas where both the machines are similar to each other. 

Design and Appearance

At a cursory look, you will find both the machines look very similar. Both feature a dedicated hot water spout and a manual steam wand on the right and a grinder and tamper on the left. Both the machine’s aesthetics look appealing enough with a brushed stainless steel finish; however, the Barista Pro comes with a lot more color options. 

Avant-garde Burr Grinders

Another similarity with both the espresso machines is their grinders. The built-in burr grinders come with automatic dosing and perform phenomenal grinding with minimal noise and heat, ensuring optimal flavor. Additionally, in both barista pro and Express, you will find a high-quality heavy steel tamper that is magnetic and slides next to the grinder. 

Pre-Infusion & Auto Purge

Just like any expensive and high-quality home espresso machine, both these gizmos feature pre-infusion technology that allows water pressure to increase gradually. In this process, the grinds expand slowly for even extraction. Additionally, they boast an auto-purge feature, which facilitates adjusting the water temperature after milk steaming. This feature is extremely beneficial and allows accurate espresso temperature and extraction as both barista pro and barista express are single boiler espresso machines (no separate heating system for espresso and steam).

Electronic PID Temperature Control

PID temperature control is a feature that doesn’t turn itself off when it reaches the desired temperature as in a traditional thermostat. Rather, this technology ensures temperature stability throughout the brewing process, thus making your espresso brewing experience top-notch. Thankfully, Breville has engineered both the barista pro and barista express with this must-have feature. 

Water Tank and Bean Hopper Capacity 

Both Breville Barista pro and barista express carry a 2 liters water reservoir and a 250 grams bean hopper, which is fairly enough for uninterrupted brewing. 

Breville Barista Pro vs Express – The Key Differences 

Now that you know the similarities between both the espresso makers, here are the major differences you should consider while making a choice. 

Display and Controls 

One of the key differences between these two gizmos is their display and controls. The Barista Express comes with an analog display followed by multiple push buttons and dials dedicated to different functions individually. On the other hand, the barista pro boasts an intuitive LCD display that lets you control grinding speed, size of an espresso shot, etc., without the need for any individual buttons. Besides, the LCD display makes the Barista Pro look more neat and uncluttered. 

Thermojet vs Thermocoil 

The Barista Express carries the Thermocoil boiler, while the Barista Pro comes with the latest Thermojet one. The benefit of having a thermojet boiler is the start-up time (3 seconds), while the thermocoil boiler takes around 30 seconds to reach the ideal temperature (still fast enough if compared to any other home espresso machine). 

If you are someone who is looking to make a single cup in the morning, this difference may not be something relevant, though. However, when it’s about pulling multiple shots, the ThermoJet technology stands best with the transition time between steaming and espresso by switching between functions and achieving the temperature faster. 

On the other hand, the start-up speed may look alluring, but the same rapid heat up won’t warm the machine as traditional ones, which helps the cups on top and the portafilter left in the group head heat up too. 

Now, the start-up speed of an espresso machine is something that plays a vital role in case you are in a hurry, and thankfully, the Breville’s Thermojet heating system allows the Barista Pro to reach the required temperature pretty fast with a start-up time of just 3 seconds. Contrarily, the Breville Express, with a 30 seconds start-up time due to its thermocoil system, loses the battle here. 

Accuracy in Pump Pressure 

Both Barista Pro and Barista Express achieve the ideal 9-bar pump pressure, which is considered optimum brew pressure for espresso. However, the both require different power consumptions – the Barista pro uses 1680 watts while the Barista Express utilizes 18650 watts of power. However, few tests have shown that the Breville Barista Pro performs better and achieves more stability in pressure during the brewing process. 

Ability to Froth Milk

Loaded with a high-quality manual steam wand, you will find both the gizmos’ performance perfect in terms of making cafe-like lattes and flat whites. However, the difference lies in the steam wand, as the Barista Pro comes with four holes in its wand while the Barista Express has just one. 

This means that the Barista Pro, with its four-hole steam wand and Thermojet technology, can deliver more steam pressure, handle a large capacity wand, and bring milk to temperature more quickly than the Barista Express. 

Pressure Gauge – A Praise-Worthy Feature for Home Baristas  

A feature that many home baristas love to have is a pressure gauge that helps dial the espresso process. If you are among them, you will like the Barista Express as it carries a pressure gauge on the front, but the Breville Pro lacks one. 

Grind Settings – Game-Changer for Many

Be it the coarsest or the finest, both these espresso machines will allow you to select the grind settings best suited for your need. However, the Barista Pro gives you a more incremental control over the grind size with 30 grind settings, while the Barista Express has 18. Therefore, with Barista Pro, you will have more liberty to nail the hook of perfect dialing in espresso. 

Dimensions, Accessories, and More

Whether you choose the Barista Pro or the Barista Express, size should be a consideration. They are super-automatic espresso machines; hence these gizmos will take up a decent space on your countertop. The Pro has a dimension of 35 x 41 x 41 cm and weighs around 9.1 kg. Talking about the Express, it is a bit smaller than the Pro but heavier in weight – 33.8 x 31.3 x 40.7 cm, 12.5 kg.

When it comes to warranty, the Breville Barista Pro comes with a 2-year warranty, while the Barista Express has a warranty of 1 year. But yes, when you are bringing a Breville product home, rest assured that you will surely love their customer support – within or beyond the warranty period. 

The Barista Pro scores better if we talk about the additional accessories that come along with it. Mention below is the list of what you will get along both the machines – 

Accessories	Breville Barista Express	Breville Barista Pro
Stainless steel milk jug	✅	✅
Cleaning kit	✅	✅
Coffee scoop	❌	✅
Water filter	✅	✅
Razor Dose trimming tool	✅	✅
Single and Dual wall filter baskets	✅	✅
Integrated tamper	❌	✅
Brush tool	❌	✅
Allen key	❌	✅
Tablets	❌	✅

Breville Express vs Barista Pro – At a glance

To make it even simpler for you, here’s a differentiation and similarities table for quickly understanding all the differences between both the espresso machines. Check it out!

Area of differentiation and similarity	Barista Express	Barista Pro
Power (watts)	1850	1680
Heating system	Thermocoil	Thermojet
Boilers	Single	Single
Material	Brushed stainless steel	Brushed stainless steel
Dimension (WxDxH)	33.8 cm x 31.3 cm x 40.7 cm	35 cm x 41 cm x 41 cm
Pump Pressure	15 bar	9 bar
Auto purge	✅	✅
Pre-infusion	✅	✅
Espresso pressure gauge	✅	❌
Integrated grinder	✅	✅
Backlit LCD screen	❌	✅
Automatic dosing	✅	✅
Water tank capacity	2 liters	2 liters
Rapid heat-up	❌	✅
Bean hopper capacity	250 grams	250 grams
Auto-off	✅	✅
Shot clock	❌	✅
Portafilter size	54 mm	54 mm
Saved coffee settings	2	2
Warranty	1 year	2 years

Breville Barista Pro vs Express – Which one should you buy?

After going through this write-up, you must have already understood that the Barista Pro outperforms the Express in most aspects. Indeed, both the espresso machines are excellent, high-quality, well-performing, loaded with features, and have appealing aesthetics. 

To help you decide easily, here’s what advantages you will get with the Barista Pro-

• LCD displays will provide you with real-time access to important information like grinding, extraction, cleaning, etc. 
• Quicker milk texturing due to enhanced steam pressure.
• Quick transition from steaming to brewing due to Thermojet technology. 
• Ability to fine-tune grind size with 30 grind settings.

Talking about the Barista Express, you will find no major difference except the ones mentioned above. Though it doesn’t have an LCD display, the buttons are not that difficult to operate; it just needs some patience. Additionally, if you want to brew just one cup for yourself, then the Barista Express is undoubtedly the one you can count on. 

However, the more advanced, innovative, and tech-oriented Barista Pro is a great pick if you are willing to brew multiple cups and don’t mind shelling out a little extra money for a better experience. The differences are though very minimal, but it affects the overall cumulative brewing experience, giving the Barista Pro an edge over Barista Express in almost every aspect. Moreover, as there’s only a little difference in their price, the Brasita Pro gives more value for money as compared to the Express.

Still not sure, have a look at our Best Espresso Machines for Home

Conclusion

Hope this detailed comparison of Breville Barista Pro vs. Express has helped you decipher the differences between both the espresso machines. Thus, make a decision depending on your day-to-day brewing preference and budget. However, it doesn’t matter which one you choose; one thing is for sure – both these machines will not leave any stone unturned when it comes to enjoying delectability and encountering what superautomatic espresso machines are all about. 

Frequently Asked Questions