Updated 1 Nov 2026
Is the Breville Barista Pro worth it?
Yes — if you want to make espresso by hand and do it fast.
It heats up in about three seconds, goes straight from coffee to steam without waiting, and the screen shows the grind, dose and a shot timer, so dialling in is quicker. Once set up it makes excellent espresso, and the steam wand is strong. There's no pressure gauge or step-by-step guidance, you tamp by hand, and new users waste some beans learning it.
96%of 462 owners give it 4 or 5 stars
- Ready in about three seconds
- Shot timer and grind settings on screen
- Strong, quick steam wand
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What owners say
Owners love the coffee, how easy it is once set up and how fast it heats up. The unhappy ones had faults or struggled to dial it in.
Good to know
- The grind timer moves in half-second steps, so fine-tuning the dose is rough.
- The drip tray isn't adjustable and sits close to the spout, so tall cups don't fit and short ones splash.
- Expect to use some beans getting the grind right at first.
From 462 buyer ratings at Currys, every complaint read by us, November 2026. How we do this
What they love
- Makes great, café-style coffeeMentioned a lot
- Easy to use once it's set upMentioned a lot
- Ready in secondsMentioned by some
- Compact on the worktopMentioned by some
What they complain about
- Broke within weeks or a couple of years: grinder, screen, heating or a partVery rare
- Took a lot of trial and error, and wasted beans, to get good coffeeVery rare
Get it if…
- You want espresso by hand without waiting for it to heat up.
- You make milk drinks back to back.
- You like seeing shot times to fine-tune.
Skip it if…
- You're new to espresso and want help: the Barista Express Impress doses and tamps for you.
- You want coffee at the press of a button.
- You want the milk frothed for you.
More on the Barista Pro
How we reached this verdict
Expert Reviews made it a Best Buy: consistently strong espresso, exceptional once tuned, heat-up in under three seconds and steam with no wait, marked down for a flimsy tank and coarse grind-timer steps. Trusted Reviews calls it a stellar manual machine that's compact, easy to clean and quick, but unintuitive for novices, with confusing grinder settings and no guidance.
We compared independent expert reviews with the manufacturer's specifications, then checked it's sold at a major retailer where you live. We don't test products ourselves.
Sources: Expert Reviews, Trusted Reviews, Sage (specs), Breville (specs), TechRadar, Trusted Reviews, Tom's Guide, manufacturer specifications.
Updated 1 Nov 2026How we decide