The Barista Pro suits anyone who makes more than a couple of coffees a morning: it is ready in three seconds, steams straight after the shot and grinds in finer steps. The Barista Express suits anyone who wants the same espresso for around $300 less and doesn't mind a one-minute warm-up.
Both are 54mm machines with a built-in conical burr grinder, a manual steam wand and a two-litre tank. The differences are the heater, the grinder range and the interface.
Breville Barista Express
Owners rate it 4.7 from more than 1,200 reviews at The Good Guys and 4.7 from more than 2,800 on Breville's site. Thermocoil heater with PID control, a 16-setting grinder, a pressure gauge on the fascia and dial-and-button controls.
Warm-up is about 50 seconds, and after pulling a shot you wait a moment before the wand has full steam. Milk is manual.
What We Like:
- Pressure gauge
- Built-in grinder
- Best price for a grinder-equipped Breville
What We Don't Like:
- 50-second warm-up and a pause before steaming
Breville Barista Pro
The Express reworked around the ThermoJet heater: three seconds to ready, and shot-to-steam with no wait. The grinder gets 30 settings, the controls move to an LCD with a shot timer, and the milk stays manual. Owners rate it 4.8 from more than 250 reviews at The Good Guys and 4.7 from more than 1,800 on Breville's site.
There is no pressure gauge; the LCD shot timer is what you dial in against. Some Express owners moving up miss the needle.
What We Like:
- Three-second heat-up
- 30 grind settings
- Shot timer on the LCD
What We Don't Like:
- No pressure gauge
Side by side
| Barista Express | Barista Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $600–700 | $900–1,000 |
| Heating | Thermocoil, about 50 seconds | ThermoJet, 3 seconds |
| Shot to steam | Short wait | No wait |
| Grinder | Conical burr, 16 settings | Conical burr, 30 settings |
| Interface | Dial, buttons, pressure gauge | LCD with shot timer |
| Milk | Manual steam wand | Manual steam wand |
| Portafilter | 54mm | 54mm |
| Water tank | 2L | 2L |
| Hopper | 250g | 250g |
| Power | 1850W | 1680W |
| Warranty | 2 years | 2 years |
| Owner rating | 4.7 (Breville, 2,822) | 4.7 (Breville, 1,816) |
What actually differs
Heat-up and recovery. This is what the extra money buys. The Pro is ready when you are and steams immediately after the shot. Owners who make three or four milk coffees in a row say this is the difference between the machine being a pleasure and being a chore. Single-coffee households won't feel it.
Grind steps. 30 settings against 16. Lighter roasts and single-origin beans need finer adjustment, and the Pro gives it. With supermarket beans the Express's 16 are enough.
Gauge versus timer. The Express shows extraction pressure on a needle. The Pro shows shot time on the screen. Both tell you when the grind is wrong; owners who learned on a gauge tend to prefer the gauge.
Espresso temperature control, portafilter, steam power and milk are otherwise the same. If auto milk is on the list, the Barista Touch is the Pro with a touchscreen and hands-free wand.
FAQs
Is the Barista Pro quieter than the Express?
No. Both use the same pump and a conical burr grinder. Owner reviews of both mention grinder noise; neither is quiet.
Does the Barista Pro make hotter coffee?
Both have PID control with adjustable brew temperature. The ThermoJet on the Pro is more stable between back-to-back shots because it doesn't rely on a heated mass that drops after a steam.
Is the Express discontinued?
No. It has been on sale since 2014 and Breville still sells it alongside the Pro, the Impress and the Touch.
