Introduction
Welcome to my bes876bss(Breville Express Impress) Review. I introduce the next generation Breville machine. Breville offers us precise temperature control, perfect ground coffee dose, ideal water pressure and superb micro-foam and all with one touch of a button. You get 25 settings from the in-built burr grinder. But how good is it? What’s the public feedback? I cover the most essential points you need to know. The good and the ugly!
Specifications – bes876bss
| Brand | Breville |
| Color | Stainless steel |
| production dimensions D/W/H | 14.9 x 12.9 x 16.1″ |
| Special feature | Manual |
| Capacity | 2 liters |
| Material | Stainless steel |
| Item weight | 14.3 pounds |
| Voltage | 120 volts |
| Power | 1750 watts |
| Weight | 13.5 kg |
| Milk texturing | Manual operation |
| Bean Hopper/Water tank | 250g/2 liter |
| Warranty | 2 year Repair, Replacement (at the sole discretion of Breville) |
| Best Place to Buy | Buy on Amazon (US) Buy on Amazon (UK) (Breville is named under its sister company called ‘Sage’ in UK) |
Build Quality – bes876bss
The Impress machine is robust and parts have a high standard of build. The unit shell is steel but there is some plastic on top and on bottom/sides. The water tank is high quality, but is not detachable from the side, as unfortunately it’s located at the rear. Make sure this machine actually fits under your unit; it’s on the large side. But overall the quality is pleasing. Many report the build is actually better than most previous models by Breville. That’s hugely positive!
Performance and Features – bes876bss
Interface
The interface is intuitive for the user. Buttons, dials and the Pressure gauge have a good build and positioning is spot on. They feel solid when handled. The system is very user-friendly so will be attractive for both beginners and to enthusiasts.
Thermocoil system
The PID in this heating system precisely controls temperature with the flow rate
Grinder/Bean Hopper
The grinder is a stainless steel burr affair. You get 25 adjustments to your grind. You may find a separate stand alone grinder works better, however the integrated grinder more than suffices to deliver precise grind amounts.
On the machine’s left hand side, you’ll find the grinder’s adjustment wheel. There are some reports of the auto-grind process results in grind getting everywhere. This means you are grinding much too much in one go. If you wish more grind, then best to top it up manually.
The bean hopper holds enough beans to produce around 10 double espressos. Some users state you might have to help guide the beans down the funnel, however most users don’t seem to have this issue.
Portafilter
The Impress offers a 54mm stainless steel comes with dual and single wall filters. The dosage captured by the portafilter is approx 18g of fresh ground coffee. The ideal dosage can be between 18 to 22g.
Puck System
You get accurate grind dosing that learns on the job by automatically calculating the grind dose and adjusting accordingly. It remembers your last grind and tamp result! If you choose different beans, the system automatically adjusts dose. This means by using this auto correction of dosage, you drastically reduce the chance of making a dosage error. A light beside the smiley face icon will turn green, to inform you the dosage is correct.
There are some purists who may scoff or have eyebrows raised at this point. It depends on whether you wish to embrace new technologies, or prefer the old school weighing system. I’m guessing the auto dose learning function is the future of things. However, if you are a technophobe you have the option of dosing manually.
Assisted Tamping
The 7 degree ‘barista twist’ as Breville calls it, works by turning the tamping assist lever which twists the tamp slightly whilst it presses. The pressure is consistent at 22lb. This means you get the assisted tamping replicates what a Barista will do. You also get a polished puck surface and clean tamp face so this means less mess.
Quality of Crema/Espresso
The flavor has much positive feedback as users state their espresso has a thick layer of crema. Some users even go as far to say they don’t even need to make foam milk as the cream layer suffices with using some milk! So the extraction process is very thorough. Espresso favors are reportedly complex and full.
Both the Cappuccino and Americano also report to being top end quality, from the Impress.
extraction process of the Impress (above)
Micro-foam System
The steam wand has positive feedback. The reports state the micro-foam quality impresses users; for Lattes in particular. ‘Silky smooth’ is how many users describe this foam. The milk jug included is stainless steel and has a generous 480ml capacity.
Accessories Included – bes876bss
Pros and Cons – bes876bss
Pros
- Extraction system is excellent
- Tamp assistance is effective
- Rich espresso flavor results
- Superb Crema quality
- Top quality micro-foam/fantastic milk wand
- Precise temperature control
- Fast heat-up time
- Ultra easy-to-use interface
- Instructions are clear and precise
- Easy cleaning
Cons
- Regular mugs do not fit in
- Some users have to help feed beans down funnel
- Water tank at rear of machine
Who is the Barista Express Impress best for?
If you need a machine which is state of the art and innovative, this ticks all. If you want a reliable machine that offers delicious brews and a brilliant milk froth system, then this should be high up on your list. If you like the one touch button system and wish to prepare high quality brews in 2 minutes, the Impress delivers. If you like Crema, this Crema is incredible! You wish an intuitive machine, again, you got it.
Final Verdict – Is the Barista Express Impress worth it?
There are mostly positive reports from users of this machine. This strongly leans toward the durability of the Impress machine, ease of operation and quality of brews. The grind dosage is accurate and is consistently so, through the innovative assistant tamping. The high pressure steam-wand performs superbly. You get micro-foam on par with high end cafes; it’s top of the line. The low pressure pre-infusion works very effectively, in pulling maximum flavors from your grind. The Impress also won an award, for the Best New Product Award in 2022. Goes to show Breville’s innovative nature.
Please read instructions cover to cover. The manual is nicely clear and concise.
The Impress is a breath of fresh air, amongst a sea of coffee machines. You actually pay for what you get with the Impress. Machines with these features are well over a grand. It’s durable and state of the art. You have a home barista that delivers delicious brews in no time. You’re won’t miss going to your coffee shop anymore, once you use this machine!
Thanks for Reading my Breville the Barista Express Impress Review. I hope it helped you.
(All images courtesy of Brevill/Sage)
Specifications – bes876bss
| Brand | Breville |
| Color | Stainless steel |
| production dimensions D/W/H | 14.9 x 12.9 x 16.1″ |
| Special feature | Manual |
| Capacity | 2 liters |
| Material | Stainless steel |
| Item weight | 14.3 pounds |
| Voltage | 120 volts |
| Power | 1750 watts |
| Weight | 13.5 kg |
| Milk texturing | Manual operation |
| Bean Hopper/Water tank | 250g/2 liter |
| Warranty | 2 year Repair, Replacement (at the sole discretion of Breville) |
| Best Place to Buy | Buy on Amazon (US) Buy on Amazon (UK) (Breville is named under its sister company called ‘Sage’ in UK) |