As the popularity of home coffee machines continues to grow, so does the competition between brands. In this post, I’ll pit two of the most popular products against each other: the Breville Nespresso Creatista Plus vs Barista Express. Let’s go over the key features of each machine and compare them side-by-side to help you decide which one is right for you.
The Breville Nespresso Creatista Plus is a premium single-serve espresso machine that offers quick performance and high pressure for making your perfect cup of coffee. With its more intriguing features, such as pre-programmed coffee drinks, and the different utilities it provides, this model will be a better choice than Barista Express. However, the investment in high-quality pods is a pain for me.
In contrast, Barista Express is a fully automatic espresso machine that allows you to grind, dose, and extract your espresso all in one compact machine. With a built-in grinder, you don’t have to worry about wasting money to buy a separate one. However, it will expect a definite learning curve and lots of practice to get the best outcomes, which may be challenging for beginners.
Breville Nespresso Creatista Plus vs Barista Express: Comparison Chart
Last update on 2023-03-30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Breville Nespresso Creatista Plus vs Barista Express: Differences
Breville Nespresso Creatista Plus wins 2-1 and ties once against Barista Express. Both can extract rich espresso efficiently, making them the perfect machine for a busy morning. However, the Breville Nespresso Creatista Plus is a more convenient one in some aspects. Keep reading and find out the details!
Flavor
Winner: Breville Nespresso Creatista Plus
- Coffee input
One of the most noticeable differences between Creatista Plus and Barista Express is the coffee type they are compatible with. Regarding the former, it is a single-serving machine that utilizes coffee capsules. On the other hand, the latter is a bean-to-cup model which has a built-in grinder. That is the reason why the taste of the drink in these products is distinctive.
Barista Express allows me to take advantage of the beans’ quality. The machine can make the most of essential oils and moisture present in the beans to produce fresh cups. It would be a common choice for many people who want to enjoy the intense flavor of coffee and desire to experience the feeling of a professional barista.
But it’s not an ideal option for me. You will hardly get consistent taste every time because you have to self-measure all the details, and this a daunting task for many beginners to learn the necessary skills for good results.
On the contrary, Nespresso Creatista Plus is compatible with pods that offer various tastes available to choose from. As a coffee lover, I really appreciate the capsule’s aluminum construction, which well-preserves the coffee’s aroma and freshness while making sure it’s completely recyclable to meet the eco-friendly standard as well.
Besides, utilizing capsules saves you time and hassle when you need a uniform beverage to get you through your day. No more grinding beans, measuring, and tamping – just drop in a pod and press a button. If you are like me, who values convenience and efficiency, coffee pods are definitely the way to go.
- Heating system
The Barista Express and Nespresso Creatista Plus model make use of Thermocoil and ThermoJet heating systems, respectively. These types are common in many home espresso machines; however, the key difference lies in their speed of warming up.
The Breville Nespresso Creatista Plus product comes with a ThermoJet system that can quickly heat the water in just 3 seconds, meaning that your coffee will be ready quicker. This technology provides consistent and evenly distributed heat, resulting in better-tasting coffee.
With the Barista Express, I can get the same temperature result thanks to PID controllers, but its Thermocoil feature can’t offer the same heat-up speed as its rival. Usually, I have to wait for 30 seconds to make a shot, not to mention the time I grind and tamp the ground. In this case, I prefer the Creatista Plus, which is convenient to use immediately after turning it on.
- Brewing technology
Bar pump pressure is one of the important factors in the brewing process. Higher pressures result in faster coffee extraction. According to my research, Breville Nespresso Creatista Plus offers 19 bars of pressure, a typical figure that’s often found in commercial espresso machines. In contrast, the Barista Express comes with 15 bars.
When I try these two, both products do their job well in providing a rich, balanced, and concentrated beverage. However, I found that the changes to espresso taste brought from Creatista Plus’s 19-bar pump are quite small, just a bit more flavorful. Nevertheless, in some cases, this feature is better equipped to handle the regular load of pulling shots compared to Barista Express.
Milk system
Winner: Breville Barista Express
If you’re looking for a machine to make great cappuccinos, Breville Nespresso Creatista Plus does a decent job. However, it falls short when it comes to lattes – as the milk is never hot enough and hardly frothy, even when both these settings are turned up to the max. I can see the drink cools down in just a few minutes.
In an attempt to fix this problem, I followed the instructions exactly, making sure to keep the milk below the maximum fill line. Even so, the machine doesn’t seem to work as intended. Finally, I discovered that this could stem from automatic steam programming, in which there are no options for extending the running time.
On the other hand, Barista Express comes with a manual steam wand which is significantly useful for customization. In my opinion, the greatest advantage of this feature is that milk temperature and texture can be adjusted by hand. By steaming the milk for more or less time, I can change its temperature to be cooler or warmer. In that way, I can make my desired cappuccino or get the perfect latte art.
Utility
Winner: Nespresso Creatista Plus
With the Creatista Plus, I can try different beverages that are well-programmed such as flat whites, cappuccinos, lattes, or ristretto, without any hassle. However, this machine does not limit my control. Instead, it offers me to make each cup exactly to my liking by adjusting the milk temperature, foam level, and coffee volume.
For example, If I want to obtain a flat white with thick foam, I just turn up the foam dial from the preselected “4”. These settings have helped me discover my ideal cup, which has made experimenting easier.
Regarding Barista Express, it is unfortunate that there aren’t many preset drinks available for me to pick from, just two buttons for single and double shots of espresso. For a good cappuccino or latte, it takes a bit of practice to test different settings.
In addition, Nespresso Creatista Plus features an automatic off mode after 9 minutes which helps the machine save power, an advantage over its competitor. The convenience and ease of use are big reasons why Nespresso Creatista Plus will win this round.
Value for money
It’s tie
There is no clear winner regarding the price and value of the Breville Nespresso Creatista Plus and the Barista Express. Both machines are in the same price range and produce delicious coffee drinks, so I think these two are worth buying.
The Nespresso Creatista Plus is an espresso machine that comes with a hefty price tag for coffee capsules. Yet, I estimated that when living in high-cost-of-living cities, at $5–$7 per latte, I could pay off the machine in 75–90 lattes, easily covering the cost. Additionally, with pods only costing $1 each, the ongoing cost was still considerably lower than the alternative.
Of course, it’s more expensive than making fresh beans. But for me, the time-saving factor makes the price difference a non-issue – I’m sure many of you feel the same way. The Barista Express, on the other hand, is a more budget-friendly machine that doesn’t sacrifice quality. It has a built-in grinder so that you can get freshly ground beans for your coffee.
So, which machine is right for you? It depends on your needs and preferences. If you’re looking for a fully automatic machine with all the bells and whistles, the Breville Nespresso Creatista Plus is a great option. If you’re on a budget but still want a great-tasting cup of coffee, the Barista Express is an appealing choice to invest in.
Breville Nespresso Creatista Plus vs Barista Express: Similarities
Although there are some differences between the Breville Nespresso Creatista Plus and the Barista Express, they share a number of features in common. Scroll down to discover what they are!
Auto-Purge
The auto-purge steam wand is a common feature on high-end espresso machines, and for some reason. They help to ensure that your espresso shots are free of any milk residue, which can negatively impact the flavor of your coffee. Breville Nespresso Creatista Plus and Barista Express both have this attribute, making them great choices for those who want to enjoy the best possible espresso.
Removable drip tray
A drip tray is a small tray that sits under the coffee machine’s spout. It collects any drips or spills from your coffee-making process and prevents them from making a mess on your countertop. Both Breville Nespresso Creatista Plus and the Barista Express have removable ones. This means they can be easily taken off and washed in the dishwasher or simply wiped down with a damp cloth.
Quick Rundown Of Breville Nespresso Creatista Plus
- Note: 1)Too coarse a grind, too little coffee, or insufficiently tamping the grounds before brewing can all lead to inadequate pressure for a proper brew. 2)It is important to note that the amount of espresso extracted will vary depending on the grind size and amount and reprogramming may be needed when the size and amount are adjusted.Please refer to user guide or user manual or user guide (provided below in PDF) before first use
- ESPRESSO MACHINE: Enjoy a full range of espresso coffee with Nespresso. Includes an integrated milk frother, 3 seconds heat up and energy saving automatic shut off.
- COFFEE SELECTIONS: Brew better coffee at home with three programmable coffee selections to create the perfect ristretto, expresso or lungo.
- SINGLE SERVE COFFEE AND ESPRESSO MACHINE: The Nespresso Creatista Plus offers freshly brewed coffee as well as delicious authentic espresso. The Creatista plus can turn into your personal latte maker with the attached milk frother allowing you to create top quality latte art in your kitchen. Pour over ice to create your favorite iced coffee drinks.
- INCLUDES: One Nespresso espresso maker with a sleek, stainless steel design that fits perfectly in any modern kitchen.
Last update on 2023-03-30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Quick Rundown Of Breville Barista Express BES870
- Please refer to user guide or user manual or user guide (provided below in PDF) before first use
Last update on 2023-03-30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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References:
- Breville Barista Express from the official site: https://www.breville.com/us/en/products/espresso/bes870.html
- Breville Creatista Plus from the official site: https://www.breville.com/us/en/products/nespresso/bne800.html
I am Ralph Mason and I am a passionate coffee drinker. I worked as a barista for a few years and since 2012 I have been trying to convince as many people as possible of good coffee.
I started writing on the barista blog on RepublikCoffeeBar in 2018. It was a pure hobby site and I tested coffee products like coffee machines, beans, mug, and other accessories. After the first year, my blog is becoming a well-known coffee site with about 100 thousand visits per month.
In 2019 I decided to focus on RepublikCoffeeBar only. I became a full-time coffee blogger and was declared crazy by many.