Breville
Breville Barista Express BES870
$699.95Cheaper
Released 2015
Best Espresso Machines · head-to-head
Breville Barista Express BES870 vs Rancilio Silvia
A sourced, side-by-side comparison. Breville Barista Express BES870 is cheaper at $699.95. Every spec and price links to its source.
Rancilio
Rancilio Silvia
$995
Which is better: the Breville Barista Express BES870 or Rancilio Silvia?
On the specs we track, they're closely matched. The Breville Barista Express BES870 is the cheaper at $699.95.
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Full spec sheet
✓ marks the stronger figure where "more" — or "less", for price and weight — is unambiguously better.
| Spec | Breville Barista Express BES870 | Rancilio Silvia |
|---|---|---|
| US price | $699.95 | $995 |
| Brand | Breville | Rancilio |
| Released | 2015 | — |
| Type | semi-automatic | semi-automatic |
| Boiler | thermocoil | single boiler (brass) |
| Built in grinder | Yes | No |
| Grind settings | 16 | — |
| Milk frother | manual steam wand | manual steam wand |
| Pressure (bar) | 15 | 15 |
| Water tank (L) | 2 | 2 |
| Programmable | Yes | No |
| Release | 2015 | — |
Sources — Breville Barista Express BES870: breville.com (verified 2026-06-15). Rancilio Silvia: ranciliogroup.com (verified 2026-07-07).
What's the difference between the Breville Barista Express BES870 and Rancilio Silvia?
Where the two actually differ on the specs we track (3 of 8). Matching specs are omitted.
- Boiler: Breville Barista Express BES870 thermocoil vs Rancilio Silvia single boiler (brass)
- Built in grinder: Breville Barista Express BES870 true vs Rancilio Silvia false
- Programmable: Breville Barista Express BES870 true vs Rancilio Silvia false
What reviewers say
Sourced tester consensus for each — the "what people who used it think" layer, not just specs.
Breville Barista Express BES870
Based on one whitelisted hands-on review (Tom's Guide, April 2023). The reviewer set the machine up in the office for extended testing and rates it among the best espresso machines, praising consistently excellent shots with thick crema and superior milk steaming, while flagging the lack of a low-water warning, a fingerprint-prone stainless finish, and a real learning curve. No cross-source verification was possible; treat as a single-source view. (1 sourced review, 1 lab-tested.)
Praised: Consistently produces excellent espresso shots with thick crema; Superior milk steaming and frothing once mastered; Classic all-in-one stainless design with built-in conical burr grinder and four baskets.
Flagged: No low-water warning and the reservoir is hidden at the back, hard to check at a glance; Stainless finish quickly picks up fingerprints and stray coffee grounds; Learning curve; steaming milk and swapping single/double baskets takes practice.
Rancilio Silvia
No sourced tester review yet.