Breville BES870XL Barista Express Espresso Machine, Brushed Stainless Steel

Why it's worth it

The Barista Express puts a conical burr grinder, a PID-controlled boiler and a real steam wand in one stainless box. It gets you from whole beans to a drinkable latte in about a minute, and it does that without asking you to buy three separate things first.

This is the shortest path from beans to espresso you can buy. The grinder doses straight into the portafilter, a dial tells you roughly where you are, and the PID keeps brew water in the right window without any temperature surfing. You skip the part where you buy a machine and then discover you also need a grinder. For a lot of people, that's the difference between making espresso and meaning to.

Owners who've lived with one describe the same arc. The first month is fussy — grind too coarse, shots gushing, milk scalded. Then something clicks around week three and it turns into just the coffee maker. That pattern shows up again and again in the feedback, and it matters more than any spec on the box. This machine is forgiving enough that beginners actually stick with it.

From our review of 9 home barista gear, by David Sinclair, Managing Editor

What we like

• +This is the shortest path from beans to espresso you can buy
• +Owners who've lived with one describe the same arc
• +The steam wand is the underrated part
• +The built-in grinder is good enough to start and not good enough to finish

What to know

• –It's big. Twenty-two pounds, a footprint that eats a real chunk of counter, and you need clearance above it for the bean hopper
• –Plan for service life, too