Breville Barista Express Review I How to use, a beginner's guide☕ 

I see most of these comments are from 2 years ago...we just inherited our son's machine that he never used, and finding your video was huge. My husband pretty much refused to read the downloaded instructions from Breville, which were nowhere near as clear as you. Their video also wasn't as helpful, so thank you! It may be years later but your video is still very relevant!

Only tip I’d say is froth your milk first then pull your shot. When you let the espresso sit like that the body/heart gets darker, therefore the shot taste more bitter. The perfect double shot typically takes 25-30 seconds. If your shots are above 30 seconds grind your beans finer, if it’s below 25 seconds grind your beans more coarse. It’s better to have the milk steamed and ready so once your shot is done you can immediately pour the milk. Best thing though is to get to a point where you can do both at the same time (if the machine allows it). Exceptions to that rule would be things like a mocha, flavored lattes, or any sort of drink where the espresso can be mixed in with a syrup/sauce. The syrup/sauce when mixed will take out the bitter taste leaving a sweeter espresso shot. The other exception would be if you were just drinking a shot, or double shot. It’s always best to mix the shot as soon as it’s done. You want to taste the sweet/nutty crema, and not the bitter heart of the espresso. Also some tips on frothing milk. Aerate your milk first then texturize. Also, froth your milk at full pressure. You should always hear a loud chirping nose at first, and as your slowly sliding the wand deeper into your cup that chirping noise should slowly become quieter. The more foam your want the longer the milk should be aerated. To really get that silky smooth milk tap your cup, and swirl the milk. You should see little to no bubbles along the wall of the cup. You’ll know your milk is done when you can only tap the cup due to it being too hot. For my non-fat milk lovers; please DO NOT aerate your milk for too long, due to the milk having more protein than fat the milk isn’t going to turn out like whole milk. To my non-dairy lovers; Use oat milk if possible. Out of all non-dairy’s like she said in the video it’s best one in terms of frothing potential, taste, and texture. Your next best bet would probably be soy, then coconut, and ending off with almond. In terms of latte art it’s best to really master frothing milk first, because you can’t make good latte art with shitty milk frothing skills. You also can practice with something as simple as dish soap so you’re not wasting milk. Ps: please IMMEDIATELY wipe your wand and purge it after steaming (purge means to just let steam out of the wand) so then you’re not having milk build up; that leads to you basically steaming old and new milk together. Also please be sure to read the manual on how to properly clean the machine. If you want good grinds, nice shots, and good silky milk you NEED to maintain that by properly cleaning your machine.

my boyfriend got me this for christmas! i’m still learning how to use it but i love it. even my worst latte is better than starbucks

I just got my barista express a few hours ago. After seeing your highly informative video, I now have the confidence to unleash my powers as a budding latte art connoisseur 💁🏻‍♂️ Thanks for this great video !

My husband and I just opened ours from our wedding and these tips were SO helpful. Thank you! After two terrible first pulls, we adjusted our courseness settings (inside the burr grinder and on the outside) and our next pull was perfect! Thank you so much.

I just bought this machine when my DeLonghi Magnifica died after 20 years. Watched tons of videos, but your video was the only one that made the difference! Thank you! I now have to stop myself from drinking too many lattes every day. 😊. The coffee beans do really make the difference too!😉

You did a very good job making this video. So natural and calm. You helped me make the decision on which Espresso machine to purchase.Thanks

Quick tip for you, keep the portafilter fixed to the machine so that it heats up as well. You don’t want to pull a shot on a cold PF.

This was a very helpful video. My barista was delivered today and within 35 to 45 minutes I had pulled my first shot. The machine works very well. The one I had previously sometimes would make really good coffee, but lately not so much and I wasn’t getting any help from customer service so I replaced it with the Breville barista and I’m very happy that I did.

Very good video. I have had my machine for five years and never knew there was a grind adjustment inside the hopper! And I have read the manual that came with mine. I will look again.

My best friend bought this for my husband and I. I am so intimidated but this video just made me comfortable with trying again. Thank you. I will be following.

Thank you! It was the top grinder setting for me. So the one under the beans. It is default on 6. Works way better when i have it on 1 or 2. Making really nice coffee know.

Watching this made me feel so much more confident thank you 😀

Thanks so much! Very helpful and I enjoyed watching it to try to learn how to use mine. 🙏🙌

This is the absolute best! My sister use to work at Starbucks. She got this machine and you can buy the sauces and make drinks that taste exactly like Starbucks. I just purchased my own and love it.

I’m pretty sure double walled means it is a pressurised basket meaning it makes it easier to pull a shot, but will never be as good as when you have dialled in the non pressurised basket. It has nothing to do with using pre ground coffee only.

Great video! One thing that I just learned today is that the basket and portafilter are supposed to stay locked in also to warm up for 15 minutes before you add the ground espresso. I had no idea and had been using Breville Duo Temp for years and had been skipping that step.

🙌 this video saved our marriage! Perfect setting! Thank you!!!

Nice video. I've had the barista express for 2 years now and use it almost every day. It will save you a TON of money and pays for itself quickly. I do use a scale and timer to help keep things a little consistent. Using the manual shot function can help, too. Anyway, take care!

This was so helpful! i am making the switch from a very basic Delonghi stilosa to a machine with a few more bells and whistles! it seems so nice to have a hot water feature! everyone i talked to recommended nespresso but i was very hesitant because of how wasteful their system is with pods you have to buy, i love the idea of getting your own espresso from anywhere! i think you sold me on this video 😊 thanks so much!!

Yes. Exactly the position I am in once again. In 2015 I was driving 18 miles one way to the closest Starbucks for my daily coffee. I had been doing this for many years. After adding up the cost it was over 600$ a month gas/and Starbucks. So I stopped it totally and bought a new car. Now my car will be paid off in a few months and I’m at Tim Hortons daily. Now for the point of this story I just ordered the Breville. Great video 👍

About the dual wall .. I was told that is great if you dont want to deal with gridding size or amount of coffee. Its pretty much a safe way not to make mistakes or deal with it.

The grind is important-- but the tamping is also key. It should take 25-30 seconds for the 'juice' extraction flow, and the pressure needle at noon to one o'clock. Otherwise it will be sour-- or bitter (if pressure is too high). The course/fine adjustment on the grind won't help you if you don't tamp with reasonable pressure before extraction/juicing.

Only thing I don’t understand is how to adjust the inside of the grinder to a 3??

This is, by far, the most helpful video on the Barista Express. 💯

Thank you! I appreciate the beginner's guide you shared! I've been looking into several coffee makers to eventually replace my old one, and was a bit intimidated by this machine. Your video is very helpful!

Bought this same machine 8 months ago and now I have it down to a tee how best to pull a shot and steam milk. It’s paid for itself already and now it’s just money in my pocket. Wish I would’ve made the investment earlier. So much satisfaction and value from this espresso machine.

I love RU-vid. Gorgeous woman educating me while I’m sitting on my couch.

I like the way you explain the detail ! Try Ethiopian Coffee ! You'll love it because Ethiopia is the first Country to discover Coffee .Good luck.

Got mine yesterday but I had a lot of trouble with getting the grind size thing situated. The first few cups were terrible, but your video really helped me loads! I’m making really good espresso now and I can’t thank you enough!

Thank you … your instructions and information helped a lot! x

There is a good variety of alternatives Milk-Barista Editions Brands, high in protein and fiber and have properties that reduce stress, making them the perfect base for the best creamy- froth for you coffee: 1- Sproud 100% Dairy-Free Milk - Barista Flavor 2-Oatly Original Oat mil- Barista Edition 3-WestSoy Organic original plain soy milk 4- Elmhurst Barista edition ( Cashews, Oat, almond, Hemp, Pistachio) Any of the above options will take your coffee to another level.

I just bought the machine and I am so happy with it. Thanks for the tip about the storage space for the extra filters, etc, I was wondering what to do with them. Something I find useful is a milk thermometer for when I froth the milk, stops any and all wondering. Another thing you can play around with is flavouring syrups. I love a tiny bit of vanilla syrup in my coffee, a great way to rplace any sugar you might want. Cleanliness is a must! Keep your machine spotless and you will be rewarded for your efforts.

Oh what a lovely video Yovana. 🙂 My nephew has this machine albeit his has black trim not stainless trim. I prefer your variant with the stainless steel trim. 🤔 The biggest problem with coffee is the beans. Trying to get premium quality beans is going to be not only difficult but also very very expensive. I read a very interesting book which has a section about coffee. ☕️ There are two types: Arabica and Robusta. Arabica beans have 1/3 of the caffeine in relation to robusta beans. Premium quality Arabica from Columbia is very sought after and very expensive. Columbia being the best environment for growing coffee beans. A decade ago the farmers were hit with a root disease which wiped out all of their coffee beans. 2/3rds of the farmers replanted with hybrid varieties which were not the same as the original beans. Which leaves 1/3 of these premium Colombian coffee beans. To make it worse the temperature has now increased and made these areas not as good to grow coffee in. Add in the massive demand for coffee and you have a situation where average coffee taste to be honest awful. It's even worse if you buy instant coffee. Apparently that stuff is made from hickory, corn maize, soy beans, sticks, twigs, and even plain old dirt.😅 The problem is everybody wants coffee. 8 billion plus people drinking coffee everyday means there just isn't enough to go around. Global shortages mean they just cannot supply enough. It's this reason that I stopped drinking coffee. For awhile anyway. Now I've started drinking it again. I'm now thinking I'll buy a machine and try to buy better coffee. Still it's going to get expensive and no guarantee it will be any good. Still nothing like a nice warm cup and the smell of ground coffee beans. ☕️ 😅

I just got mine a week ago! Thank You for making this video on how to use it! I don’t like Reading Instructions but I’d rather watch a demo such as yours! Thank You for getting me started to enjoy my everyday morning coffee ☕️

I'm so glad you made this video. I was going crazy trying to make a perfect shot and latte. I watched more complicated videos. You made it simple. Thanks!!!

I just got one for my birthday and I’m so excited, but overwhelmed! Thanks for the video so I can use this beautiful thing!

Yovana, I just got this machine for xmas and it seemed like I had to take a full Barista course until I found your channel! Thank you for explaining without scales and filling the hopper with exactly 18grams and seeing the flow and putting a timer etc!!! Some questions I have are: Can you just fill up the hopper with the beans and not eyeball it everyday? Another question is what exactly is the program button? What is the setting on the inside of the grinder hopper initially when you first get it? For now I have just used Trader Joes Espresso blend from Matagalpa Nicaragua in the green & brown bag! Phenomenal notes of Cacao & nuts. I do have fresh local coffee but im afraid to open it and just waste it before knowing how to grind etc. I know this is long! So sorry!!! Thank you in advance!!

the dial was telling you that your shot was running waaaaaay too fast, the grind might have been adequate but I'm very very sure your tamping need much more pressure

Great Video. Excellent Teacher. My Daughter just bought the same one and she will appreciate this video. Thank You so much for sharing. ❤

I just got my machine, and I am so lazy to read manual, thank you so much for this video 💕

I can almost smell those grounds! I look forward to my coffee each morning, but I wouldn't be able to afford that machine, but it sounds like it makes delicious coffee and espresso!

Today i ve made my first cappuccino with new barista express. Feels so good when you buy it on %40 discount✌️😋 Tips Grind amount should be around 8-10 if you wanna make doubleshot coffee and 5-4 for single shot Grinder should be 5(recommended default setting by breville)but it depends on coffee imo And if you dont let machine heat up for 10 mins somehow it makes less espresso Never touch frother with naked hands until it gets cold(burned my fingertips) Change the water filter every 2months and always clean frother(bc it gets harder to clean) If you want to make flatwhite submerge the frother into milk like 0.5 cm max 1 cm and keep the frother at sides .This will turn the milk around and make awasome silky milk

Please share more detail on how to align the inner grinder and outeside dial grinder! I’m struggling with that part. Love your video!

Thanks for the tips on the grind size settings. I couldn’t get mine right until I watched your video. Now it’s perfect.

This has been so helpful. I’m picking up the same machine tomorrow. Watching all the tips I can find on RU-vid. Thanks!

Great review! I got my Breville last year and still trying to learn how to use it. 🥴 btw! I love your mugs! 😍Where did you get them if you don’t mind my asking.

Really easy to follow as I was finding my Barista Express frustrating. But the settings Yovana suggests work well. Thank you

Fantastic information and instructions ❤❤ ! From Cowboy Texas.

Nice review, thanks for that! I’m considering to buy this machine. I’d like to recommend you to add cinnamon on the coffee before adding the porta filter on the machine. Gives you other taste, makes it more strong, so if you try, add few.

Thank you so much for making this video! I've always wanted to make my own espresso drinks at home but wasn't sure I'd be able to. You explained the process so well and now I 100% want to get one and start making my own drinks at home!

Thank you for the information, we just got ours yesterday, will keep you updated on how it goes

I just got one of these and this video was so helpful ! But how do I remove the little cup so change it

Thank you! We got this machine today and your video really helped us❣️

Awesome! Woke up late & forgot how to use machine! You’re a star! Thank you xxx

I bought this for my birthday gift to myself this month!!😆 I have not used it yet. Glad I watched your video. How do you set the the inside grinder to 3. I got the other one on 8. Again thank for these helpful tips!!!

Forgot to remind people to purge steamer after each use!! Very important! I don’t remember reading on instructions that it takes 10 min for machine to warm up.. Also would have loved to learn how to adjust coffee grinder

Thanks for taking the time to make this review, very helpful!

Thank you!! This is the most helpful explanation!!!

Excellent video! I learned so much about how to better use my new machine. You provided the right amount of useful information in a very easy to understand fashion.

Thanks… such a great help with the Grind Size and the inside grind size! Perfect shot!!!! I so love the outcome 🥰

Had this machine for a while now. Still loving it!

Here’s my question. If you change beans, do you need to readjust the grind size of both settings? The one on the left of the machine, and the inner one on top. FYI…I’ve gone through an entire bag of pricey, organic (as mentioned) coffee beans, and I have yet to get the pressure in the correct zone, or make any espresso worth drinking. That being said, once (if) I find the correct grind, I won’t switch beans (brands) if I have to go through another trial and error period. Any suggestions?

I just got one and omg it’s amazing!!

Silly question I’m sure, but even though this machine has a water filter do you use bottled water or tapwater? For the price I really want my new machine to last as long as possible!

Hi Yovana, How is your expresso machine today? Is it easy to maintain ? Love your video.

you mentioned at the beginning the clean/descale button can help heat up the machine faster? Never heard anything more about that tip.

Coffee culture is a truely fascinating thing

Great Video!!! Thank You So Much!!! You should be proud of yourself on this video! Very helpful!!!

Thank you I have been struggling for 2 days and waste countless beans. Question do you program your shot time?

How long do you need to froth milk to get it really hot and creamy? Also can you burn the oat milk and how long does that usually take to burn it??!

Some things in this video were useful but it’s clear you didn’t read the instructions, the machine says to leave the PF locked and run a single shot to heat it and the PF up, as well as to preheat the steam wand before you put it in the milk (it has an 8 second timer for you to flip the switch back to standby and then on again) which will keep your milk from getting a bunch of water in it.

Thank you for bringing to us this video it’s really helpful for everyone who is new using this time of machine. Its seem very easy to make a coffee with the breville barista.

Fantastic, I’m so excited to make for my grand daughter who loves iced latte.

How do you set the inside grinder?

I recommend doing the regular cleaning with the special tablet added to the water to avoid calcium build up! I ruined my first barista because of that…

You crack me up. Lol'd really hard at calling the tamper "this little plunger thing" and "I didn't realize it, but I was spending $5 a day on coffee." Like "Ma'am that'll be $4.67" -- "I have no idea what those numbers were that you just said, but just take my money cuz I need coffee."

Thank you. I just brought mine today and this by far is the best review I've seen so far so thank you x

Yovana, Oatly is not vegetable milk. Oats are grains. The Blade tool is used after tampering to carve out excess grinds and gets the level perfect. Highly recommend a grindless pull first, into the empty cup. This heats all the metal as well as the cup. The next pull with grinds will extract more flavor, as opposed to using its energy to heat the surrounding metal.

Great video. What is the clear, round plastic piece for? In the packaging there is a picture showing you what it's NOT for, but I can't figure out what is its purpose.

🤯 yesss this is the machine I’ve been eyeing for months! Thanks beba!

Thank you for your video, my "Quad Venti 3 pump white mocha" is $7.86 (2-3 a day) $$$, I'm excited to start saving!!

I just got this machine for Valentine's Day I think I'm going to send it back. I'm having problems making my espresso (nothing coming out at all) I've messed with the grind etc

I just received my machine today. Your video was helpful! Can’t wait to try it out ☕️

I can’t thank you enough for this video! I’m buying mine this weekend! Can’t wait to make some good coffee!!! 💕

Thank you so much , after watching your video and buying my Breville also yesterday I changed to those settings you recommended and now the best coffee ever… well done

Thank you for making this video, I’ve recently started working at Starbucks and really love making coffee and now I’m ending up wanted to get an espresso machine 😂 pretty sure I’ll be picking up this exact model, thank you so much for this informational video

You need to get a circle motion when steaming and also put your jug on a tilt to make the microfoam smooth

Ugh! the DREAM☕🤤🌈

I’ve had two of these machines in the past seven years. First one stopped working. Second one just went into storage. More work to care for than it’s worth. I switched to stainless mocha pot.

Such a helpful video, thanks heaps..purchased while watching your video

Hi…. where did you get the coffee mug from, it’s beautiful. Thank you so much

Think i'm almost convinced on this particular machine, but how'zit now?

I love this review! Thanks for sharing!! It makes it less intimidating to try to make coffee using an expresso machine. I also love making French press coffee! I’m sure you’ve tried it before?

Can you fill up the grinder prior, and it’ll grind the right amount for however many shots you do?

From your video, you mentioned there is a con. which is you hopes there are tow grand so that you can have decaf and regular coffee at the same time. Since there is only one grand, do you have any tip to manage to have decaf and regular coffee? I also have the same demand on this. Thanks so much for your video, makes my life easier.

Also can you just fill the grinder up with beans and let them live in there or only pour the beans you are going to use?

I’ve had for a few months struggling so hard .. didn’t know about inside grinder setting

Thanks for sharing I bought mine today , it looks amazing on my counter top , like a show piece 👍🏻 This was very helpful

Thank you for this video, it's very informative. Does this machine extract the water from the puck after brewing?