Breville Barista Express (BES870XL)
A hugely popular prosumer espresso machine that looks all-steel but isn't - the 67oz removable water tank and the clear bean hopper in the path are plastic. The steel is mostly the exterior, portafilter, and group.
The verdict: Minimal plastic contact
The Barista Express earns its premium reputation with a brushed stainless exterior, a stainless portafilter, and a metal group head - but two plastic parts sit in the path. The removable 67oz water tank is BPA-free plastic (with a stainless-look outer skin on some versions, but a plastic body and lid), so cold water sits in plastic before it's heated, and the clear bean hopper that feeds the built-in grinder is plastic, so beans sit against and pour through plastic on their way to the grinder. Inside, Breville uses a thermocoil heating system with its own plumbing. The steel you see is real, but it's concentrated on the exterior and the portafilter, not the water and bean feed - so this is a "looks premium, plastic in the water and bean path" machine, not a plastic-free one.
Verification: Manufacturer confirmed · Last reviewed
What it's made of
| Part | Material | Food contact |
|---|---|---|
| water tank (67oz, removable) BPA-free plastic tank and lid; cold water sits here before heating (some versions add a stainless-look outer skin over the plastic body) | Plastic other / unspecified | Yes primary |
| bean hopper clear BPA-free plastic hopper; beans sit in and pour through it into the grinder | Plastic other / unspecified | Yes primary |
| portafilter 54mm stainless portafilter, grade unspecified by manufacturer | Stainless Steel grade unspecified | Yes primary 🔥 |
| group head grade unspecified by manufacturer | Stainless Steel grade unspecified | Yes primary 🔥 |
| exterior housing brushed stainless - the premium look, not the water or bean path; grade unspecified by manufacturer | Stainless Steel grade unspecified | No |
| internal seals | Silicone | Yes incidental 🔥 |
The Breville Barista Express (BES870XL) is one of the best-selling entry-prosumer espresso machines: a single unit with a built-in conical burr grinder, a 54mm portafilter, and a steam wand, wrapped in a brushed-steel design that gives it a premium, clean-materials impression. The espresso itself is extracted through the stainless portafilter and metal group head, which is meaningfully better in the cup than a pod machine.
Pros
- Excellent espresso, built-in grinder, stainless portafilter and group head
- Steel exterior and metal extraction path; durable and repairable
- BPA-free plastics
Cons
- Reads as an all-steel machine when the water tank and bean hopper are plastic - see the materials verdict
Categories: Espresso & Pod Machines
Sources
Every material claim above is backed by these. This is the scattered info we centralized.
- retailer https://www.amazon.com/Breville-BES870XL-Barista-Express-Espresso/dp/B00CH9QWOU Barista Express listing - 67oz removable water tank, see-through bean hopper, stainless exterior
- retailer https://www.amazon.com/Breville-Barista-Express-BES870XL-BES860XL/dp/B07CR9XP4R OEM replacement water tank assembly for the BES870 - the removable tank component
- retailer https://www.amazon.com/Breville-BES870XL-05-Bean-Hopper/dp/B00ZWP2X80 OEM replacement bean hopper - clear plastic hopper component
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