Barista Max Espresso Coffee Machine (VCF126)

Not the Barista Max. Have had so many issues with the steam wand and the other parts.

You can make very good late with a Breville Barista, the built in grinder is good enough, and steam wand works well, all in a compact machine for ~600

I bought a brevillie barista recently and I love it!! :) I’m sure I would’ve loved that too and i got a good price on this model

Built-in grinders are always a bad idea— if they break or you want to upgrade, you now need two new items. Get yourself a Breville barista or Gaggia classic pro paired with a Turin SK40 or DF54. Save yourself some $$ by browsing FB marketplace. If she likes pour over, just buy a ceramic pour over lol. I got mine for $5

I got gifted the Breville Barista, which is entry level at about £300. It does, I have to say, broadly get lots of good reviews too. Previously I had the Cafe Corso which was mildly worse in almost every respect. I.e. ease of use, steam wand, adjusting, built in grinder, cleaning, mess, end product. The Barista allows you to brew single or double, and the built in grinder is actually (after 3 months) producing really consistent and adjustable grind. The one thing I would say is the pressure isn't all there - too fine a grind and the machine struggles to penetrate. That being said, for low(er) budgets it solves everything. About the quality you'd expect out high street coffee shops, all in one package, very adjustable. Steam wand is fantastic for lattes. It's just the pressure that concerns me and probably the higher brow coffee aficionados maybe doubt the grinder and overall quality of cups. For day to day stuff with beans from a decent roaster though it's doing great for my needs.

Yes. Since 2019 my breville barista machine and breville precision brewer are still alive and kicking. The only issue I only have is breville toaster.

If you’re a beginner espresso enthusiast, these machines are great. A lot of the advice to stay away from the all-in-one setups are coming from people who enjoy really getting into fine tuning. I have had a Breville Barista for years and have absolutely loved it. It certainly is capable of making a great cuppa joe. And as far as all-in-ones go, it is certainly the best. That being said, after a couple of years I am starting to see its limits and am getting to the point myself where I am ready to buy into an upgraded setup. Conical grinders, that Breville has, excel at the classic espresso (chocolatey, bold, smooth) but aren’t the best as you start to explore unique roasts (light, acidic, floral). Know yourself and your enthusiast tolerance, but in my opinion this is how hobby progression should go. You buy-in at a reasonable price and see how it fits on for size. And at a $700 price point, you can’t do much better.