Sage - The Barista Express - Bean to Cup Coffee Machine with Grinder and Milk Frother, Black Truffle

This is a great coffee machine if you want cafe-style drinks at home. It is not a press one button and done machine, so you need to learn a bit, but it is worth it. The built-in grinder works well and the coffee tastes much fresher compared to using pre-ground beans. I noticed a big difference right away. The steam wand is strong and makes nice foam for lattes and cappuccinos. After a few tries, I could make pretty good milk drinks. There is a small learning curve. You need to adjust the grind size and amount, and it helps a lot to use good fresh beans. Once you find the right settings, the coffee turns out very good and consistent. The machine looks great on the counter, especially in the Black Truffle color. It feels solid and well made. Cleaning takes a bit of time because the drip tray fills up fast and the parts need regular wiping, but that seems normal for this type of machine. Overall, I am very happy with it. If you want real espresso at home and do not mind learning a little at the start, this is a very good choice.

The Sage Barista Express promises café-quality coffee from the comfort of your own kitchen, and for the most part, it delivers. This machine simplifies the bean-to-cup experience, with an integrated grinder and milk frother that allow you to create barista-style beverages with ease. The built-in grinder is a good one. It grinds beans directly into the portafilter, ensuring maximum freshness and flavor. I was impressed by the difference in taste compared to pre-ground coffee. However, it's crucial to use high-quality, freshly roasted beans to achieve optimal results. Dialing in the settings can be tricky with stale or low-quality beans. The control is surprisingly user-friendly. The buttons are logically arranged. The steam wand produces good microfoam, perfect for creating latte art and cappuccinos. Drip Tray Capacity: The drip tray is quite small and fills up quickly, requiring frequent emptying. Clarity of Instructions: While the machine itself is relatively intuitive, the provided instructions could be more detailed, especially when it comes to adjusting the settings for water temperature, cleaning and descaling. The Sage Barista Express is a good investment for coffee enthusiasts who want to elevate their home brewing experience. It delivers good coffee with the convenience of an all-in-one machine. While there's a slight learning curve, especially when it comes to dialing in the settings and mastering the milk frother, the results are rewarding. Just remember to invest in quality beans and be prepared to experiment with the settings to achieve your perfect cup.

I work as a barista, so I am familiar with all sorts of coffee machines professionally and at-home. I had been saving up for a Sage machine for a while, and after purchasing this one, I can say it was definitely worth the price paid. Functionality is excellent, easy to follow, and if you're very keen you can find some videos online to help dial in the grind function as best as possible. I would recommend a separate grinder, however the one built into this machine works great if you fiddle with it a bit and aren't fussed about super-specific grinding. Steam wand is decent for a home machine, although it has only one hole, you can still get some good milk texturing out of it if you take some time to work with this specific machine. As someone who enjoys both milk-based drinks and simple espresso, I've had no issue with extraction and getting great-tasting drinks. I purchased the black version, and I have to say I prefer it to the silver one. It's quite easy to keep clean and splattering isn't as visible. The only thing I would say that is a downside of this machine, is that the instructions are a bit too basic. If you're not experienced at using either more complex home machines or professional-grade machines, you may want to look online for more in-depth guides to put together and use the machine. Otherwise, the product itself is excellent and well worth the money.

The perfect coffee out of the box. I've got one and now my dad has one. I'm a regular coffee drinker and when my dad had one of my coffees he was blown away and this guy loves a dozen cups a day so he was well pleased he had to get one too. I have the black gloss edition and he has the truffle edition now. I gave him a pack of my beans and straight away brewing coffee like a batista. For a 78 year old it was easy as 1...2...3. Fits perfect in his kitchen with his colour scheme. I did adjust his temperature for a coffee from the default to the max so he gets the most out of a brew. No doubt now I'll be getting him a leveler/tamper and metal screen for Christmas and maybe a gram scale for his machine. # update. Some of the paint at the front of the machine has came off and exposed the metal after just 1 week of use. I don't know if it's a known issue or the fact that my dad uses glass mugs under his portafilter or the fact that he always has hold of a coffee. We have hard water and kettles don't last long at all but having the filter in the machine would eradicate lime scale or lime deposits on the machine or in the coffee.

This is an excellent machine, I love how good the coffee tastes and how easy it is to use, a latte will take you 2-3 mins to make. It works much better than previous versions I've had. Water capacity is good for several uses and the drip tray is large enough so you can empty it every few days. We usually make 2 cups a day so we really didn't need a machine of this size, but the quality is not comparable to smaller/cheaper machines. It does take space on your counter top and it is a bit heavy but once you have it setup then you don't need to move it. You're good to go.