Breville Barista Express Impress (BES876) vs De'Longhi La Specialista Maestro (EC9865M)
Same class, different tax brackets.
About CA$165 apart — 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 →
De'Longhi
US$1,099–1,199 · CA$1,195–1,400
The Maestro bundles grind, dose, tamp, brew, and milk frothing into one stainless-steel chassis and wraps it in enough automation to catch rookie mistakes. Accept that the dual-thermoblock s…
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)
La Specialista Maestro (EC9865M)
Back-to-back drinks
La Specialista Maestro (EC9865M) leads, clearly
Parts & repair
Barista Express Impress (BES876) leads, clearly
The price
Barista Express Impress (BES876) costs less, clearly
CA$1,115–1,150· CA$1,195–1,400
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.
La Specialista Maestro (EC9865M): Compact industrial design reads as kitchen-friendly without polarizing; functionality-first aesthetic does not drive purchases in the record.
Only the La Specialista Maestro (EC9865M): automatic milk texturing.
Where they tie: milk & steam · shot ceiling · ready when you are · reliability record · forgiving to learn on — 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
- The difference stays in your pocket — or goes into beans
Take the La Specialista Maestro (EC9865M) if —
- You host, and drinks come in rounds
- Milk should happen without you
Both columns reading true? Take the Barista Express Impress (BES876) and put the difference into fresh, roast-dated beans — they move the cup more than this choice will.
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.
La Specialista Maestro (EC9865M)
Thermoblock temperature stability issues under sustained pulls; proprietary portafilter and basket sizes limit upgrade paths and third-party accessory availability.
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)
La Specialista Maestro (EC9865M)
Type
Thermoblock / thermojet
Thermoblock / thermojet
Heat-up time
40 seconds
40 seconds
Steam power
2.5/5
3/5
Brew + steam at once
No
No
Guest recovery
2/5
3/5
Shot quality ceiling
3/5
3/5
PID temperature control
Yes
Yes
Milk system
Manual steam wand
Auto frother
One-touch drinks
2
8
Removable brew group
No
No
Hot-water tap
Yes
Yes
Cup clearance
10 cm
12 cm
Workflow demand
2/5
2/5
Maintenance
3/5
3/5
Noise
3/5
3/5
Build longevity
3/5
3/5
Dimensions
37.9 × 32.8 × 40.9 cm
41.9 × 36.8 × 46.5 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 →