# Barista Express



## Cossiecol (Sep 28, 2016)

Hi All,

Just about to pull the tigger on this machine, but before I do in your opinion is this a good one to go for on the bases of me being a newbie and not wanting to take up much space?

Currently available for about £470 just don't want to end up getting the wrong one.

Thanks in advance

Col


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## jimbocz (Jun 5, 2015)

I would say no, buy a grinder and machine seperately. You'll have more flexibility to upgrade and if one breaks you can easily replace individually. Consider a Duo Temp Pro and a Mignon.


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## CrashEd (Oct 31, 2016)

Cossiecol said:


> Hi All,
> 
> Just about to pull the tigger on this machine, but before I do in your opinion is this a good one to go for on the bases of me being a newbie and not wanting to take up much space?
> 
> ...


Hi Col - where did you see them at that price?

Still weighing-up the Barista vs the Dual Boiler...


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## stevegold6 (Nov 25, 2016)

Very pleased with my barista express.

I've been buying beans mail order, they arrive with the roasting date.

The Grinder seems fairly consistent.









Getting what I think is a good crema.

Struggling a bit getting the milk right but I think that's due to the operator rather than the machine.

Cheers

Steve


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## MarkT (Nov 21, 2015)

stevegold6 said:


> Very pleased with my barista express.
> 
> I've been buying beans mail order, they arrive with the roasting date.
> 
> ...


Practice practice practice.







search on you tube for steaming milk there are plenty of it. have you got a temp tag or a temperature probe for the milk jug?

I have a digital thermometer. It did take me a while to get use to it though.


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## stevegold6 (Nov 25, 2016)

Got both types of thermometer. . Found a little coffee shop in Bath today, the owner roasts his own beans. Bought a kilo of the beans he uses in the shop, roasting date 22nd November. I like coffee ?


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

The answer to your question, depends on how much you want to learn. If you just want to replicate a Starbucks type drink, with the minimum of fuss by pressing a button and letting a machine do most of the rest, then fine. If you want to get hands on and learn the craft of making coffee, then buy a separate grinder to the machine but be prepared for a steep learning curve. If you want true convenience, and make coffee to a very acceptable standard and possibly as good as a lot of people on here think they make, buy the bean to cup

https://www.bellabarista.co.uk/melitta-varianza-bean-to-cup.html

It does everything, grind, pour the shot, steam and apply the milk. 2 of us on the forum have them, and I think you will find we both whole heartedly recommend them, especially to someone who wants decent coffee without the fuss


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## tuttah (Nov 24, 2016)

I have a Barista express and it is an awesome machine. You will need to put in the effort, and get your hand dirty as It took me many attempts to get the grind and espresso shot right. Overall it grinds good, gives a great shot of espresso, steams very good, and is nice and compact if you haven't got room for a separate grinder (not that I think you need one with this machine). Obviously, having fresh and quality beans will make all the difference.


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## Cossiecol (Sep 28, 2016)

CrashEd said:


> Hi Col - where did you see them at that price?
> 
> Still weighing-up the Barista vs the Dual Boiler...


Sorry for the delay. Not been on in a few weeks. It was from go electrical with top cashback actually making it around £460.


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## damsidebrew (Dec 23, 2016)

Any thoughts on barista vs duo + grinder?


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## holdtheonions (May 5, 2016)

Grinder is the weak part of this machine, the fineness adjustment and dose adjustment are pretty crap really, so better to get separate grinder unless space is ultra premium or you really aren't finicky about your grind. I'm not finicky when it comes to morning coffee or lattes, i.e. milk/cream/sugar make it all taste the same to me, so IMO it is good for those, but some disagree.


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## mdizzle1 (Nov 13, 2016)

I've had very consistent grinds from my machine, as my beans have aged I've found it very easy to adjust accordingly.


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## Grimy (Dec 11, 2016)

I've had my Barista express for a couple of weeks now, and I absolutely love it! We came from a saeco Odea Giro plus automatic bean to cup machine that was ok, but nothing special. The Saeco was a pain to keep clean. You had to wash the brew group once a day which was a right faf, empty the grinds bin and waste water tray every couple of coffees, and the water tank was tiny. If anything the Barista express is a lot less maintenance, a lot more pleasurable to use, and most importantly makes a bloody great coffee.

I must be incredibly lucky because I found it all very simple to dial in and get a great espresso shot. within a couple of goes, I'm getting consistent weight grinds, with the coarse control on around 13 (about middle of the range as it happens!) I'm getting the pressure gauge right in the sweet spot, with around a 25 second flow time and a real nice crema. I've had booths expresso blend, my wifes fresh roasted decaf, and now some coffee compass hill and valley beans all through the machine with very little need to move the grind setting up or down a notch or too between them. I find it very forgiving. Maybe i'm missing something the more exacting connoisseurs demand, but my wife and think the coffee is superb.

I debated the separate grinder and machine option, but i'm glad I went with the integrated system. Practically and aesthetically it really works for us. The pressure gauge on the BE over the duo temp pro was what finalised the decision. You may not need one if your a seasoned pro barista, but its sure useful for us amateurs.

The milk wand makes great textured milk too. The only criticism is the wand could have been a little easier to access if it was on the side of the machine and a bit longer. But its a minor niggle and still quite easy to achieve great results. Its certainly got me into playing with latte art.


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