Breville Barista Express Impress Espresso Machine BES876BSS, Brushed Stainless Steel

Adios Starbucks
For years, I was Starbucks’ biggest fan, but I finally decided to invest in a Breville espresso machine—and I only wish I had done it sooner. I had been eyeing this model for quite some time but hesitated because of the higher price tag. After weeks of research and reading countless reviews, I felt confident this was the best option for me. I love its sleek, aesthetic design, and it fits perfectly in my kitchen. I chose the green color and absolutely love it.The machine is high quality, easy to use, and consistently makes excellent coffee. I’m a huge espresso lover and have had so much fun trying different flavored beans from my favorite local coffee shops. This espresso machine has truly elevated my morning routine, and I’ve already saved so much money by making coffee at home. The steaming wand and hot water feature are also fantastic for making lattes and tea. Plus, the built-in grinder makes it incredibly convenient to grind beans and pull espresso shots all in one place.

Great Espresso Machine
I absolutely love my coffee. I don’t know how people survived before they learned to roast coffee beans and brew their morning cup.My previous fully automatic machine died, repair was $700+ and they no longer had electronic parts. I had to get another machine and quickly. I was a grizzly bear without my coffee! I selected the Barista Express Impress. (Couldn’t they find a better name?)As far as this machine, it is more difficult than making drip coffee in your Keurig. It is designed to give you the tools to make the best coffee that you ever had. However, you need to learn how to use it. It takes a lot of time to master because you have control of parameters I did not know existed.The machine has a nice set of tools for maintenance and daily use. The tool tray attaches to the rear of the drip tray and is easily reached by pulling out the drip tray. The machine senses how much coffee to grind and automatically adjusts to grind the correct amount of beans. On several occasions, the beans stuck in the grinder, so I had to manually grind to get the correct level. No big deal but it mess up the level of beans to grind and it takes several cups of coffee to get it right again. I think that is why there are a lot of complaints about the grind level changing. I have learned to “bump” the bean hopper to free the beans before there are problems. If you listen, you can hear the grinder start to run free. I think Breville needs to redesign the hopper so beans flow freely. That is the only real criticism I have found.There are some things you need to know. First off, the beans you choose are extremely important. They affect the coffee more than anything else. Second, you control the coffee grind. You get to choose exactly how fine you grind. That is a major factor in making coffee. Third, you get to control the brewing temperature. I haven’t figured out how yet, but I am happy with the brew as it is.When I make a latte, I use the microwave oven to heat the milk. If you want latte art, you will need to use the milk frother. I tried it a few times and it works well. There is a lot to clean, so I don’t use it.There are a few problems. My machine would only grind as I was holding the grind button. I unplugged the machine and it worked correctly when I plugged it back in. The machine stopped brewing. The pump would run with a noise that sounded like the machine would explode. When I turned the machine around to get the serial number (it was not on the back like Support told me–I think it is on the machine underside), I realized that I had run out of water! There is no water low sensor, so it is easy for the machine to run dry. Since a dry pump will fail very quickly, this is a major oversight.The machine needs to be descaled regularly, especially if you live in a hard water area. Cleaning supplies are too expensive so I buy citric acid in bulk and generic cleaning tablets. Both work well. My water used to come from a reverse osmosis filter but I no longer have that luxury. I think I need to start buying water from one of those water stores that are popping up all over.On the whole, the machine makes an excellent cup but it takes knowledge and time to learn.

inconsistent machine. not worth it
Despite following Breville’s recommended workflows, using fresh, high-quality beans, proper dialing-in techniques, and routine maintenance, the machine produces wildly inconsistent results shot to shot. Grind size, dosing, tamping, and extraction vary unpredictably—even when no variables are changed. This makes it nearly impossible to pull a repeatable or reliable espresso, which defeats the core purpose of a semi-automatic machine marketed for precision and consistency.The “Impress” system in particular appears to introduce more variability rather than reduce it. The assisted tamping and dosing mechanisms feel poorly calibrated and opaque, offering little control while still failing to deliver consistent outcomes. For a machine at this price point, this level of performance is unacceptable.I purchased this machine with the expectation that Breville—given its reputation—would deliver a dependable and well-engineered product. Instead, the experience has been defined by constant troubleshooting, wasted coffee, and inconsistent results. This is not a learning-curve issue; it is a reliability and design issue.

Excelente producto

Both my wife and I found operating this machine to be pretty straight forward. I did find some of the YouTube videos on grinding of the coffee beans to be slightly confusing compared to the instructions in the manual. I considered changing the setting in the internal (burr) grind mechanism, but decided to leave it and stay with the setting recommended in the owner’s manual. It turned out to be a good decision. Since having had the machine now for approx 6 weeks, we’ve tried different beans and have narrowed it down to one brand that our friends initially recommended.I personally love the coffee produced by this machine. Whether its espresso, or Americana coffee, or caffe latte, it all tastes great to me.I love the construction of this machine. It feels solid and built to last. We opted for the black and we’re glad we did. It matches the decor in our kitchen and is easy to clean.I would highly recommend this machine.