Getting the right cup of espresso is not very easy. You either need an extremely talented barista, or you can opt for the Breville BES880BSS Barista Touch Espresso Maker. This coffee maker is one of a kind with many different features. The sleek body, color, and style make it a perfect fit for any kitchen. It is also perfect for offices and small public places.
Those who have a precise taste for coffee and know how to take it to the next level, surely need this.
One of the most attractive traits about this espresso maker is, it’s a time saver. You do not need to push buttons every time you want a cup of coffee due to its customized settings. It has an inbuilt grinder as well to give you fresh ground coffee for the smoothest taste.
However, there is not enough room for regular-sized mugs. You need to use espresso cups on this machine.
Let’s find out what it has to offer in detail.
Pros
- Brushed Stainless Steel body
- Integrated grinding system
- Adjustable temperature and texture of milk
- Adjustable strength of coffee
- Five different beverages
- Automatic cleaning of milk wand
- Easy touch screen
- Hands-free operation
- Dosage control grinding
- PID control temperature
Cons
- No automatic cleaning system
- Rare Water Filter is difficult to replace
Should You Choose A Fully Automatic or Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine?
Choosing an espresso machine is quite tricky sometimes. If you are very particular about your coffee, it is an important decision, which one should you choose…?
Fully automatic coffee machines take little or no manual labor at all. All you do is set the settings once and it saves your preferences. These machines are great, they have artificial intelligence. They generally stick to what they know and will not vary with your choices. Some of them may just take one kind of water and milk.
Semi-automatic machines allow the user to have more control over their coffee. Keeping this control intact, you will always have options on how to make the perfect cup of espresso. Semi-automatic machines help you brew the coffee as per your style which makes it great.
If you are a person who enjoys taking control of coffee; the semi-automatic is ideal for you.
Breville Specialty
PID: The Proportional Integral Derivative System controls the boiler in the coffee maker. The system allows the temperature to remain constant at whatever you set it to.
Stainless Steel Building: The Breville Coffee makers have stainless steel bodies. This material helps keep the machine looking fresh and new. It is easy to clean and also very durable.
Dosage Technology: This technology gives you control of the coffee amount and strength. It uses technology to extract the aroma from the beans and gives you an espresso shot of the perfect dose.
Comparison Table
| Features | BES880BSS | BES980XL | ESP8XL |
| Taste | Dosage Technology, conical burr grinder, | Conical burr grinder | Dual Crema technology |
| Brewing capacity | ½ lbs of coffee beans 67 oz of water | ½ lbs of coffee beans 84 oz of water | 41 oz of water |
| User-friendliness | Easy touch screen | Many different buttons | Easiest with just a knob |
| Design and materials | Brushed stainless steel body, BPA free water tanker | Brushed Stainless Steel body | Stainless steel body |
| Cleaning and maintenance | Manual with auto milk wand cleaning | Manual with auto milk wand cleaning | Manual with auto milk wand cleaning |
| Frothing | Wand with adjustable angle, temperature, and texture of milk | Wand with adjustable, temperature, and texture of milk | Wand with adjustable angle |
| Grinding | Conical burr grinding | Auto grind and tamp | None |
| Additional features | Five different beverages, water filter, | Dual shots of espresso, a button for Americano | Thermo block for maintenance of heat |
| Value for money | Yes | No, the machine is pricey | Yes, but on borderline |
The Breville BES880BSS Coffee Machine Review
Taste
Taste is one of the critical factors when it comes to coffee makers. Pre-ground coffee loses its taste and aroma with time. Therefore, the Breville BES880BSS coffee machine uses the Integrated conical burr grinder to grind your coffee beans to retain the essence of each coffee bean. To further help with the taste, the water reaches the right temperature in about 3 seconds. You are all ready for the pleasantly hot and fragrant coffee.
The dosage control system in this coffee maker further helps with the taste. Select the strength to have the right amount of coffee according to that. There is a difference between watery coffee and light coffee. This feature helps control this difference.
On the other hand, the Breville BES980XL uses the integrated conical burr grinder as well. Since this is entirely automatic, it works accordingly. The machine grinds 22 grams of coffee at once with maximum precision. The rested coffee brings slight staleness to the coffee depending on when you use it. There are options for one and two shots of espresso. You can choose either option, and the flavor will work accordingly.
The Breville ESP8XL machine uses a slightly different technology. The dual wall crema technology gives the coffee a rich taste. It discriminates between the strength of coffee and just plain bitter coffee.
Brewing Capacity
To have an idea of where to place and the capacity, let us talk about the brewing capacity. The Breville BES880BSS coffee maker uses dosage control so it makes as much as you push it. You can make single or double shots of espresso at one time.
For the bean box, you have the capacity of about 1/2 lb. Only a certain amount grinds at the same time. The water tank capacity is about 67 oz. The milk jug comes with a standard capacity of one cup.
The Breville BES980XL also uses the PID digital temperature control technology. This technology helps reach the right flavor at the right temperature. There are two stainless steel boilers to work the milk and the coffee together. The water tanker holds up to 84 oz of water whereas the bean hopper holds up to 1/2 lb of beans. The portafilter holds 22 grams of the ground and tamps coffee at the same time.
When we come to the Breville ESP8XL coffee maker it is slightly different. It has a 41 oz of water capacity.
User-Friendliness
When we speak of the BES880BSS Barista Touch Espresso’s compatibility, it is great. It is easy to use and there is not much to figure out.
All the settings are as easy to use as your smartphone. The coffee is effortless to make in three simple steps. There is a touch screen display with a variety of different options. You can also adjust the strength, milk, and temperature. These settings are easy to save so the next time your cup of joe will be just a press away.
If you get this machine for home, it is very family-friendly. You can choose up to eight different coffee settings and save them for your family needs. There is also an Auto Steam wand. On the push of a button, this feature sets the milk temperature and texture. You can save these according to your taste.
In comparison, the Breville BES980XL is quite a complication. There are multiple different buttons. Even though there is an LCD screen, but it does not make it easy.
The Breville ESP8XL machine is probably the easiest among all these. There are not many settings but a knob. You have about two or three different options. The spout has a ring to adjust the angle of it. There are many different small features to make it convenient.
Design and Materials
When we talk about the design of the Breville BES880BSS it is pretty great. Unlike any other espresso machine, this machine has a compact footprint and takes fewer dimensions on the counter. The modern-looking design allows the machine to blend into every ambiance.
Stainless Steel is a great metal for grinding the coffee at the right temperature. Stainless steel helps in keeping the temperature safe and the body durable. It is also facile to clean and maintain. Brushed stainless steel gives a matte finish so it does not look tacky. The grinder in this coffee machine is also stainless steel to make it durable.
The Breville BES980XL has 18-10 steel.. Even though the machine is big and bulky, it also has a footprint structure. This feature allows for easy placement for restaurants and big offices.
When we come to the Breville ESP8XL, this machine has the simplest design of them all. Like the other two, this also has a stainless-steel body. However, the spout is a rubber ring to easily adjust the angle for your cup.
Cleaning and Maintenance
The Breville BES880BSS utilizes an uncommon portafilter. The Portafilter is hardened steel in development with a wooden handle. This is a crate like structure to hold the espresso ground. At the point when this espresso producer removes the best from the beginning, the remaining parts are left in it. For upkeep, you can undoubtedly disengage it and toss the grounds.
Additionally, there are single and double-wall filter baskets in this machine. These baskets help filter out the water impurities to get the best water for the best espresso results. Pure water also helps in making the coffee smooth in texture. You will also find a Claro Swiss Water filter. This feature helps in cleaning the water further.
One of the accessories that come with this espresso machine is a water hardness strip test. This test helps determine the texture and nature of the water for Espressos. For the steam wand, there is an automatic cleaning function. With just a push of a button, you can descale the wand. You will also get a cleaning kit with this machine.
The Breville BES980XL Barista Touch Espresso is more of commercial use. However, this uses the same portafilter technology to clean the leftover grounds. There are single wall filter baskets to clean the machine internally before brewing. For water purity, there is a water filter, a cleaning kit. and water hardness test strip to ensure quality.
The Breville ESP8XL machine has a dual-wall filter system. This system helps clean the water and the result of the espresso. You also get a cleaning tool with this for easy maintenance.
Frothing
You’ll find many frothing options in the Breville BES880BSS Barista touch Espresso maker. There is an automatic steam wand in this device. The programming options help adjust the temperature and the texture of the milk. The milk container comes with this coffee maker as well. Put the wand in that with some milk and wait for the frothing. The selected settings will automatically forth the milk accordingly.
You can adjust the wand at an angle of your choosing as well. This feature makes it more convenient.
In the Breville BES980XL, the milk wand is not off the surface. It is right next to the cups section. The container comes as an accessory in this machine. There is a separate boiler for the milk. With the touch of a few buttons, you can select your texture and temperature and let the machine get to work.
Finally, the Breville ESP8XL coffee maker comes with a milk wand and a jug as well. You can select steamed or frothy milk. The result is the wand with an adjustable angle in this as well.
Grinding
The Breville BES880BSS barista touch espresso maker uses coffee beans. There is a special integrated coffee grinder feature that you will have in this machine. The conical burr grinder ensures that each coffee bean grinds to perfection. The grinding cradle easily fits the machine for a hands-free touch.
There is a dose control feature in this machine as well. It only grinds as much as needed. The machine ensures that fresh ground coffee is in every shot of espresso to ensure maximum flavor and taste.
In comparison, the Breville BES980XL uses an automatic grind and tamp feature. You will find an automatic conical burr grinder in this machine too. However, it grounds about 22 grams at once.
The Breville ESP8XL machine is simpler. It uses ground coffee. It does not have a grinder because of this reason.
Additional Features
The Breville BES880BSS Barista Touch Espresso Maker has plenty of different additional features. You can pick different types of coffee styles in this machine to make the perfect coffee beverage every time.
The heat-up time is only about three seconds. This makes this coffee machine take less than half the time for making a hot coffee machine. The water tank in this coffee machine is stainless steel for durability. It is free from BPA and also stainless steel kills some bacteria. The rest works with the water filter. You can also get plain hot water with this coffee machine.
There are a couple of different features in the Breville BES980XL as well. You can make a one-shot or a double shot with just a push of a button. There is a button to make plain hot water and a unique button for a plain cup of Americano. The button is with a knob to select the strength of the coffee.
The Breville ESP8XL machine is a simpler style for small houses and kitchens. It uses the Thermo block heating system to ensure the right temperature. You can choose between a single and double shot on this device.
Value for Money
The Breville BES880BSS barista touch espresso is definitely worth the money. There are so many different features to make several different coffee beverages. The unique technologies by Breville make this machine for families and even offices.
The Breville BES980XL coffee machine is however more expensive than it’s worth. This machine is for commercial use which is why it is very big and bulky. However, there are not enough options. You cannot make as many beverages with this machine at all. It is quite expensive for its taste.
The Breville ESP8XL coffee maker is also pretty much worth the money. There are not extensive features in this coffee machine. However, there are small things that make it better than your regular coffee maker machine.
Who Should Buy the Breville BES880BSS?
The semi-automatic Breville BES880BSS is perfect for people that like the control over their coffee.
You can make up to five different coffee beverages with this machine which is perfect for a house with different preferences. You can also set up to eight different customized cups.
A compact footprint makes this coffee machine suitable for all kinds of kitchens. Moreover, it blends in almost any ambiance without fail.
You will also find this suitable for mediocre businesses. It is perfect to have in your break room for one floor or a mediocre office. It is easy to use and very much public friendly.
Who Shouldn’t Buy the Breville BES880BSS?
The Breville BES880BSS is not your regular coffee machine. It does not give you one type of coffee only. Hence, it is not suitable for people that do not have much to do with coffee except drink it.
For families that rarely drink coffee and prefer plain coffees, this is not the machine for you.
It is also not suitable for people that do not have time at all. This machine will require your attention at least once a week for maintenance.
If you are thinking of large waiting spaces and public rooms, then this is not for you as well. You need constant refilling for as many cups in a day.
FAQs for The Breville BES880BSS
How Often Does This Machine Need Cleaning?
Semi-Automatic machines are great for control over coffee. However, they do not have an automatic descaling and cleaning system. You need to give it time at least once a week or once in ten days. It usually depends on how much you use it. There is an indicator that will also guide you to maintenance.
Can I Use Ground Coffee?
There is no problem with using ground coffee in this machine at all. You can directly put it in the portafilter and begin the process. However, you will find a difference in taste and texture as it will not have the goodness of the machine’s features.
How Many Beverages Can I Get from This Coffee Machine?
You can get up to five different beverages. These include plain hot water and single and double espresso shots. Each beverage has its mix in the machine. However, you can still select the strength and temperature.
Verdict
The Breville BES880BSS Barista touch espresso maker is truly one of a kind. The Breville special and unique features make this machine perfect for houses and families. There are so many small things in this machine that make it better. Of course, there are a few things that make it different from others.
It falls on the value of the money grid and makes for a great partner for your kitchen. If your family has coffee fans, then this machine is for sure for you. There are no complications in it at all and it will give you the best coffee beverages.
