Breville Barista Express Impress (BES876) vs Calphalon Temp iQ Espresso Machine with Grinder and Steam Wand
Same class, different tax brackets.
The Barista Express Impress (BES876) runs ~60% more (listed in different currencies) — the split below is what the gap buys.
Breville
US$649–799 · CA$1,115–1,150
The BES876 takes Breville's proven Barista Express platform and layers on a depth-sensing dosing system and a lever-actuated 22 lb tamper, meaningfully reducing the variability that kills be…
Full record & live prices →
Calphalon
US$349–699
The Temp iQ packages enough hardware — conical burr grinder, PID, pre-infusion, manual steam wand — to get a beginner brewing espresso from one box, and it does most of it acceptably. The ce…
Full record & live prices →The split
Where they actually differ
On 9 of 11 measures these two tie. The 2 rows below are the entire argument.
Barista Express Impress (BES876)
Temp iQ Espresso Machine with Grinder and Steam Wand
The price
Temp iQ Espresso Machine with Grinder and Steam Wand costs less, decisively
CA$1,115–1,150· US$349–699
Parts & repair
Barista Express Impress (BES876) leads, clearly
Forgiving to learn on
Barista Express Impress (BES876) leads, clearly
weakerstronger
The counter’s vote
Looks barely figure in either machine’s record — the counter can sit this one out.
Barista Express Impress (BES876): Compact, modern, kitchen-neutral design with brushed metal — no design-award talk or strong counter-presence sentiment; appliance-competent but not a purchase driver in the record.
Where they tie: milk & steam · shot ceiling · back-to-back drinks · ready when you are · reliability record — don’t let a spec sheet invent a difference.
On the counter
The size difference, to scale
So — which one?
Take the Barista Express Impress (BES876) if —
- You plan to fix, not replace
- You want the more forgiving of the two
Take the Temp iQ Espresso Machine with Grinder and Steam Wand if —
- The difference stays in your pocket — or goes into beans
The Barista Express Impress (BES876) at ~60% more buys real things: parts & repair and forgiving to learn on. If those aren't your mornings, the Temp iQ Espresso Machine with Grinder and Steam Wand does the job and keeps the difference in your pocket.
Known weak points
Barista Express Impress (BES876)
Thermoblock thermal cycling requiring temperature surfing for consistency; built-in grinder motor wear complaints over 3-5 years; occasional steam wand leaks reported in forums but not epidemic.
Temp iQ Espresso Machine with Grinder and Steam Wand
Temperature ceiling documented; pressurized baskets limit espresso quality ceiling; thermoblock shot consistency limitations in specialty coffee use.
For the row-by-row readers
The whole sheet, side by side
Matching rows fade back — the ink is where they differ.
Barista Express Impress (BES876)
Temp iQ Espresso Machine with Grinder and Steam Wand
Type
Thermoblock / thermojet
Thermoblock / thermojet
Heat-up time
40 seconds
30 seconds
Steam power
2.5/5
2.5/5
Brew + steam at once
No
No
Guest recovery
2/5
2/5
Shot quality ceiling
3/5
2.5/5
PID temperature control
Yes
Yes
Milk system
Manual steam wand
Manual steam wand
One-touch drinks
2
2
Removable brew group
No
No
Hot-water tap
Yes
Yes
Cup clearance
10 cm
11 cm
Workflow demand
2/5
2/5
Maintenance
3/5
2/5
Noise
3/5
3/5
Build longevity
3/5
2.5/5
Dimensions
37.9 × 32.8 × 40.9 cm
39.6 × 36.8 × 43.9 cm
One owner each
“The Breville Barista Express Impress solves the thing that trips most beginners up: inconsistent dosing and tamping. By automating both, it removes the two most common reasons a shot goes wrong and lets you focus on the one thing you actually need to dial in, the grind.”
Wrong match-up? Change one side → — any two on file compare.
Still torn?
This page weighs them against each other. The finder weighs them against your mornings.
Two minutes of questions — milk, noise, budget, space — scored across everything on file. It’s honest when the answer is neither of these.
Take the two-minute finder →