Breville espresso machines have several features that make them user-friendly and extremely easy to operate. Choosing them for beginners is a wise decision. The shiny exterior is a good match for its fast, consistent, and long-lasting performance. I believe the Breville Dual Boiler Vs Barista Express is worth considering. The two models share more features in common than not!
Breville Dual Boiler is an excellent machine for making coffee; however, compared with the Breville Barista Express, the Barista Express wins because of its more compact design and lower price.
Meanwhile, the Breville Dual Boiler is an excellent pick if you’re looking for a design with all-stainless steel that has commercial features, precise temperature control, and easy-to-use programmability. This is a better choice for those looking for a barista-quality espresso maker, which provides a wonderful cup of coffee without complicated features.
Breville Dual Boiler Vs Barista Express: Comparison Chart
Last update on 2025-07-09 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Breville Dual Boiler Vs Barista Express: Differences
Overall, the comparison between the Barista Express and the Breville Dual Boiler is somewhat of a tie. However, the Barista Express receives one point higher (3 – 2) due to its affordable pricing, making it the clear winner. I’ve compared the two espresso machines below, and I’ll tell you why they’re both great and how they reach from a design and features perspective.
1. ESPRESSO FLAVOR
The Winner: It’s A Tie!
+Coffee Grinder
If you look at the Breville Dual Boiler, then you’ll notice that it doesn’t have a burr grinder built-in. On the other hand, the Barista Express does.
In the Dual Boiler, you can use only ground coffee. This does not involve coffee beans that a Barista Express automatically grinds with its burr grinder.
In this circumstance, you will have to purchase fresh packets of ground coffee to add to the Dual Boiler. You can also pair the Dual Boiler with a separate grinder that will serve as a coffee grinder. Depending on which option you choose, your cost will increase slightly.
+Heating System
Even though the Barista Express comes with a built-in grinder, the Dual Boiler is more expensive due to its dual boiler heating system. However, you probably knew this from its name, right?
Modern espresso machines come with stainless steel dual boilers, completely changing how you make coffee at home. A stainless steel dual boiler contains two heating elements. One serves as the extraction element of the espresso, while the other serves as the steaming element.
As soon as you start making espresso or milk, you need to heat the water at different temperatures. This is why you should have separate boilers for each! You always get rich espresso shots and hot steam, no matter how many cups of coffee you brew.
However, a home espresso machine does have a disadvantage in that they typically cost quite a bit of money. The boiler must work harder to maintain a constant temperature, so it isn’t energy efficient.
By contrast, the Barista Express incorporates a temperature system that is more considerate and effective. Fast, You can achieve lightweight and durable 1600W Thermocoil. This is a great feature to have in a coffee maker.
The Barista Express lacks temperature control while the Dual Boiler does, which is why it wins here.
2. DOSE CONTROL
The Winner: Breville Dual Boiler
+Portafilter
You get a 58mm portafilter and a 19 to 22g dose control with a Dual Boiler. This Barista Express machine has a 54mm measurement with control over shot volume in addition to single and double shot filter baskets.
With Barista Express’ precise dose control grinder, you can adjust how much coffee you want per espresso shot.
The Dual Boiler allows you to select a single shot, double shot, or manual control for an authentic user experience. The LCD display makes this measurement easier than the Barista Express, which only has the selector dial to adjust the sizes.
If you are a coffee lover, you will probably prefer to control how you grind the coffee beans yourself. Nonetheless, if you trust the grounding expertise of your local coffee shop, it is possible to buy freshly ground and rich roasts that are available.
With the Breville Barista Express, you can make espressos at home with a complete set of espresso preparation accessories. The bean-to-cup coffee maker is an accurate and high-quality machine for use at home. Depending on how much grind you use and what size of filter you use, you can adjust the fragrance of the espresso. The grinder will automatically adjust its dosage based on making a single or a double shot of espresso.
+Programmability
A Dual Boiler’s programmability includes temperature control, personal shot control, and automatic operation. Thus, if you’re curious, you have plenty of options to choose from.
It also includes an espresso shot timer to help you get accustomed to pulling espresso shots correctly using the Dual Boiler’s LCD display. You won’t have to guess.
In contrast, the Barista Express cannot make such intricate customizations. A control panel contains a grind size dial, a filter size dial for single and double shots, and buttons to select a program, single or double shot, as well as hot water and cleaning indicators.
3. ERGONOMICS
The Winner: Breville Barista Express
The Breville Barista Express is 12.5 x 12.6 x 13.1 inches in size. Additionally, the Breville Dual Boiler has 14.7 x 14.8 x 14.7 inches.
A Barista Express weighs 23 pounds, and a Dual Boiler weighs 30 pounds.
This machine’s essential feature makes the user’s life easier as it makes transporting the coffee machine from one place to another much more accessible. Compared to other machines, the Barista Express absolutely stands out as far as portability is concerned.
Furthermore, the Barista Express is a good option if you want a machine that fits everywhere without taking up a lot of space and has a tiny kitchen.
The Dual Boiler has a larger water tank capacity than the Breville barista express, bulkier. In comparison, the water tank of the Dual Boiler is 82 ounces, while that of the Barista Express is 67 ounces. The Express also includes a bag of 220g beans on top, despite its small size. Despite its lightweight nature, it is also highly portable.
4. PRICE
The Winner: Breville Barista Express
Breville Dual Boilers are high-quality coffee machines, and I believe it is safe to say that they form a top market segment. One of the most significant factors contributing to its reputation for being a high-end and luxury product is customizable. The price of this is more than three times that of the Barista Express.
With the Barista Express, you will get rich espresso and strong steam for a lower price than the Dual Boiler.
Breville Dual Boiler Vs Barista Express: Similarities
1. COFFEE DRINKS
Each machine possesses two programmable buttons. In addition to their coffee offerings, they also provide a variety of beverages such as Ristretto, espresso, Doppio, etc. With these buttons, you ensure that once you get the perfect drink combination for any type of drink, you can save it and use it to make the same drink again and again.
2. PRE-INFUSION FUNCTION
The pre-infusion function ensures that you can maintain a lower water pressure by starting with a low-pressure ratio and ramping it up until it reaches 9 bars of pressure at the beginning. The purpose of this is to ensure that the grind gently expands, as a result of which a smoother extraction is achieved.
3. 3-WAY VALVE
The 3-way valve is another feature that is common to both machines. The 3-way solenoid valve allows the portafilter to drain its moisture and pressure after extraction.
It results in forming a dry puck that is easily removed afterward. The benefit to this method is that you will not have to wait for the pressure to equalize before brewing several cups of coffee.
4. EASY CLEANING
Each espresso maker, the Breville Dual Boiler, and Barista Express include a unique feature to alert you when they need to be cleaned.
Both machines also have removable water tanks, cleaning and refilling them much more manageable. The machines also have a built-in water filter, ensuring that the water used to make the drinks is always clean and prevents lime-scale accumulation.
5. PID TEMPERATURE CONTROL
Each espresso machine has an electronic temperature controller that controls the boiler temperature. It is better able to control temperature than a conventional mechanical thermostat.
The temperature must be between 92°C and 96°C to pull the perfect espresso, which the controller can easily control.
6. CUP WARMER
You can use a cup warmer to heat the cups before pulling your espresso. This prevents it from being too cold, compromising the taste and quality. In addition, the machines also eliminate the need to heat the cups with hot water manually, which is causing the devices to be recommended to users.
7. PRESSURE GAUGE
Many factors contribute to obtaining a great espresso, but one of the most critical factors is how much pressure is being applied. Many factors can affect pressure and hence, the overall quality of the extraction of a given sample, such as how tightly the portafilter is tapped.
You will find both of these espresso machines are fitted with pressure gauges that will allow you to fine-tune the process of your espresso to achieve a perfect 9 bar of pressure.
Quick Rundown Of Breville Barista Express BES870
- The Breville Barista Express delivers third wave specialty coffee at home using the 4 keys formula and is part of the Barista Series that offers all in one espresso machines with integrated grinder to go from beans to espresso in under one minute
- DOSE CONTROL GRINDING: Integrated precision conical burr grinder grinds on demand to deliver the right amount of freshly ground coffee directly into the portafilter for your preferred taste with any roast of bean
- OPTIMAL WATER PRESSURE: Low pressure pre-infusion gradually increases pressure at the start and helps ensure all the flavors are drawn out evenly during the extraction for a balanced tasting cup
- PRECISE ESPRESSO EXTRACTION: Digital temperature control (PID) delivers water at precisely the right temperature, ensuring optimal espresso extraction
- MANUAL MICROFOAM MILK TEXTURING: The powerful steam wand performance allows you to hand texture microfoam milk that enhances flavor and enables creation of latte art
Last update on 2025-07-09 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Quick Rundown Of Breville Dual Boiler BES920
- Please refer to user guide or user manual or user guide (provided below in PDF) before first use
Last update on 2025-07-10 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Product Videos
Related Articles to Breville Dual Boiler
- Breville Dual Boiler Vs Rocket Appartamento: Which Is Better?
- Breville Dual Boiler vs Profitec 300: Are These Machines Worth Their Price Tags? Which One Is The Winner?
- Breville Barista Touch vs Dual Boiler: One Is Clearly Better Than The Other!
- Breville Dual Boiler Vs Barista Pro: A Detailed Face-Off Comparison
- Breville Dual Boiler vs Infuser Comparison: Which Gives Out More Impressive Performances?
- Breville Dual Boiler Vs Oracle: Which One Should You Pick?
- Breville Dual Boiler Vs Rancilio Silvia: A Comparison Of Two Hot Espresso Machines On The Market
- Breville Dual Boiler Vs Rancilio Silvia Pro: Are They Value For Money To Buy?
- Breville Oracle Touch Vs Dual Boiler: Which One You Should Choose
Related Articles to Breville Barista Express
- Breville Barista Express Vs Rancilio Silvia: How Are They Different?
- Breville Nespresso Creatista Plus Vs Barista Express – Which Machine Is Suitable For You?
- Saeco Incanto vs Breville Barista Express: Is Super-automatic Machines Always Better Than Semi-automatics?
- Gaggia Brera vs Breville Barista Express: Don’t Miss My Review On These 2 Affordable Entry Espresso Machines
- Gaggia Anima Vs Breville Barista Express: Battle Of Two Budget-Oriented Espresso Machines!
- Delonghi Magnifica S Smart vs Breville Barista Express: Comparison Of 2 Very Distinctive Espresso Makers
- An Honest Review Of Breville Barista Express vs Oscar 2: Brew Performance, Milk Frother, And More!
- Breville Barista Express vs Delonghi Magnifica XS: An Honest Review Of My Real Experience With These Machines
- Barista Express 870 vs 875: Is There Any Difference Between These Models? – Quick Comparison
- Delonghi Magnifica S vs Breville Barista Express: Which One Brews Tastier Coffee?
- Breville Duo Temp Pro vs Barista Express: Why you should go for the Barista Express
- Breville Oracle Touch Vs Barista Express: Competition Between 2 Top Breville Machines
- Breville Bambino Plus Vs Barista Express: 4 Hot Features You Need To Know
- Breville Barista Express Vs Delonghi La Specialista: Detailed Comparison!
- Breville Barista Express Vs Barista Pro: A Detailed Side-By-Side Comparison
- Breville Barista Express Vs Philips 3200: A Hands-On Comparison
- Breville Creatista Plus Vs Barista Express: Don’t Miss This Incredible Comparison
- Breville Barista Express vs Infuser: A Battle Between 2 Great Espresso Machine
- Barista Express Vs Oracle: Which Breville Espresso Machine Is Best for You?
- Barista Express Vs La Specialista: A Hot Comparision You Should Not Miss
- Breville Barista Express Vs Gaggia Classic Pro: Which Is A More Suitable Purchase?
- Breville Barista Express vs Bambino: Battle Of the 2 Top Beginner Coffee Machines On the Market
- Barista Express Vs Barista Touch: Which One You Should Choose?
- Breville Barista Express Vs Bambino Plus: Amazing Comparison You Should Read
- Nespresso Creatista Plus vs Breville Barista Express: What Is The Best Choice For Home Use?
- Breville Cafe Roma vs Barista Express: What Is the Best Espresso Machine?
References
- https://www.breville.com/us/en/products/espresso/bes870.html
- https://www.breville.com/us/en/products/espresso/bes920.html
I’m Floyd J. Alcock, an experienced barista with a deep love for coffee. I curate personalized coffee experiences, guiding customers through diverse flavor profiles and suggesting ideal brewing methods. My extensive knowledge of espresso machines enables me to recommend the best equipment to match specific needs and budgets. Sharing my expertise and passion with coffee enthusiasts brings immense satisfaction. I look forward to continuing my journey of coffee discovery with every customer I serve, fostering connections over a shared love for this magical beverage.