# BREVILLE VCF126 Barista Max vs SAGE Barista Express



## MarkoPolo

Hi All,

I've been looking on from the side lines for quite a while and decided i'd sign up to pick a few brains before upgrading my coffee setup.

I'm currently working with a very basic machine (EspressoWorks all in one) and a modified DeLonghi KG79 Grinder. As you can imagine, inconsistency is my biggest issue here. I've pulled some great coffees and some not so great which is mostly down to 2x things - the brew temperature and the inconsistent grinds. Even without changing the grinder setting i'm getting some mixed grinds which is to be expected with £45. I'm buying good fresh quality coffee from a reputable local roaster and feel it's getting wasted a little.

That's enough of a background. I think it's time to step it up a notch. I would drink 2/3 espresso per day, with maybe 2/3 flat whites a week so a good milk steamer isn't a must. I was looking at the Breville Barista Max and the Sage Barista Express. Obviously the Breville BM is relatively unknown, but being £200 cheaper and with some great reviews i was swayed towards this at the start. However, after a bit more research i think a safer bet would be the Sage BE.

Do you know anyone that owns a Breville BM? Is the extra £200 for the Sage worth it? Is there anything around the £600 price range that would be a better option? I understand a lot of this is a matter of opinion but i'm interested in hearing some views.

Thank in advance and feel free to shoot any questions.


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## Rincewind

@MarkoPolo Hi and welcome to the forum, enjoy your stay and have fun....If i'm not mistaken i think Breville and Sage are one and the same company; please accept my apologies if i'm wrong.


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## simplyme

In the UK, Sage is Breville, the Australian brand that make the popular coffee machines here, the Breville in the UK is a completely different company and should be avoided.


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## MarkoPolo

Thanks for the welcome and the replies.

Looks like i am leaning towards the Sage BE. A lot of places seem to be sold out, bar Amazon. I think it comes with the Sage 2 year warranty as standard regardless of where it is bought from.

I'll let you know how it goes - thanks again.


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## Rincewind

Good luck...yeah it will be nice to let us all know how you got on. :classic_smile:


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## CoffeePhilE

simplyme said:


> In the UK, Sage is Breville, the Australian brand that make the popular coffee machines here, the Breville in the UK is a completely different company and should be avoided.


 If I remember correctly, the original Australian Breville sold the rights to the name in the UK a long time ago. So, exactly as you said, the company known here (UK) as Breville, that make sandwich toasters, etc, is NOT the same as the Australian-based Breville that does espresso machines (and kettles, fryers, ovens, and so on). I think the Aussie-Breville stuff is also marketed in some other countries (Germany??) under yet another name, but in short :-

- Breville (most of world) is NOT same company as Breville in UK.

- Sage Appliances (in UK) are the same products (see note below) as Breville in Australia, USA, etc.

So a Breville Oracle / Oracle Touch, / Dual Boiler, etc, in most of the world are the same machines (see note) as Sage Oracle / Oracle Touch, etc in UK.

Note : Differences.

The most obvious but least significant different is that the machines say Sage on them, here, and Breville in most other places.

Much less obvious is that *some* apparently identical machines have had variations/modifications to suit local conditions. Obviously, power requirements vary, and machines have to comply with local product safety and standards, so for example, FCC compliance in the US, CE in the EU and, who knows, maybe BSI in this post-Brexit UK.

But there are also, at least in some cases, adaptations to suit local conditions, such as very hard water. It's not really relevant as machines marketed in a given area will have any necessary modifications to suit environmental needs locally. I'm just pointing out, for the sake of completeness that while, for example, an Australian Breville Oracle is functionally and, name aside, visually identical to the UK Sage Oracle, some such products have internal differences. It's a bit more complicated that taking off the Breville name and sticking a Sage name on it. It doesn't matter to end users, though.


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## Rincewind

@CoffeePhilE i'm gonna feel cheated if my Breville kettle is really a Sage inside :classic_laugh:


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## CoffeePhilE

Rumpelstiltskin said:


> @CoffeePhilE i'm gonna feel cheated if my Breville kettle is really a Sage inside :classic_laugh:


 Well, my Sage (Smart) kettle would be a Breville if I lived in the US or Australia.


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## MarkoPolo

CoffeePhilE said:


> If I remember correctly, the original Australian Breville sold the rights to the name in the UK a long time ago. So, exactly as you said, the company known here (UK) as Breville, that make sandwich toasters, etc, is NOT the same as the Australian-based Breville that does espresso machines (and kettles, fryers, ovens, and so on). I think the Aussie-Breville stuff is also marketed in some other countries (Germany??) under yet another name, but in short :-
> 
> - Breville (most of world) is NOT same company as Breville in UK.
> 
> - Sage Appliances (in UK) are the same products (see note below) as Breville in Australia, USA, etc.
> 
> So a Breville Oracle / Oracle Touch, / Dual Boiler, etc, in most of the world are the same machines (see note) as Sage Oracle / Oracle Touch, etc in UK.
> 
> Note : Differences.
> 
> The most obvious but least significant different is that the machines say Sage on them, here, and Breville in most other places.
> 
> Much less obvious is that *some* apparently identical machines have had variations/modifications to suit local conditions. Obviously, power requirements vary, and machines have to comply with local product safety and standards, so for example, FCC compliance in the US, CE in the EU and, who knows, maybe BSI in this post-Brexit UK.
> 
> But there are also, at least in some cases, adaptations to suit local conditions, such as very hard water. It's not really relevant as machines marketed in a given area will have any necessary modifications to suit environmental needs locally. I'm just pointing out, for the sake of completeness that while, for example, an Australian Breville Oracle is functionally and, name aside, visually identical to the UK Sage Oracle, some such products have internal differences. It's a bit more complicated that taking off the Breville name and sticking a Sage name on it. It doesn't matter to end users, though.


 Thanks for that detailed response. I believe that the Breville Barista Max in Australia is branded the Sunbeam Barista Max.

Just waiting on stock on the actual Sage website.

Has anyone bought anything from Java Hub? I was close to pulling the trigger the other day but thankfully read the reviews. It seems they have serious stock/logistics issues.


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## Rincewind

MarkoPolo said:


> Has anyone bought anything from *Java Hub*? I was close to pulling the trigger the other day but *thankfully read the reviews*. It seems they have serious stock/logistics issues.


 👍


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