In the summer of 2019, I purchased the Breville Barista Express. After acquiring upgrade-itis, I walked into sur la table one afternoon and asked which machine I should get, if my goal is to not have to upgrade again (or at least not for a long time). The saleslady confidently said the BBE. After owning the BBE for a few years, it’s still my daily driver. Until I can competently create latte art or it breaks, I am going to stick with this machine. Ganbatte!
Other tools:
- gram scale
- 3D printed attachment to help the grounds not fall out while I use the included cheap tamper to do my initial press
- crema coffe double sided tamp (link) (not an ad)
- bottomless portafilter with wooden handle from amazon
- baratza virtuoso (in retrospect I wish I had bought the breville bambino and spent more money on the grinder) – I used this with my previous gaggia, and also the aeropress and chemex. I’m not allowed to upgrade until I can pour latte art (see above)
Oat Milks ranked in order of preference
- Oatly full fat (dark blue 1/2 gallon)–yes I know Oatly makes oat milk specifically for steaming, but $$
- Califa Farms Oat Barista Blend
- Minor Figures – Difficult to steam
- Elmhurst Milked Oats – Similar to Minor Figures but overpriced
Oat milk most closely resembles cow milk compared to the other nut milks (almond/cashew/coconut), and it doesn’t make the steam wand as dirty. It’s less forgiving, though.
Previous post:
Espresso machine: Baby Gaggia (used)
Grinder: Baratza Virtuoso
Grind size: 9
Grams per shot: 18 g
Shot time: Variable, less than 30 seconds
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The machine is on a timer and warms up for at least 30 minutes (but usually several hours) before I roll out of bed to make coffee. I am not very good about pre-heating my cups, since the height of the machine fits just barely under my kitchen cabinets, making me nervous about knocking a glass off the top of the machine. The water is always bottled water. I clean the system with Gurgol ~q2 months. I love the double walled glasses, but I also have metal cups for when my laziness prohibits me from doing dishes.