The Breville Infuser, model BES840 (sold in the US as the BES840XL), is the Barista Express with the grinder taken out. CoffeeGeek, which first used one in 2014, the year Breville introduced it, says it has the same brewing system, volumetric controls, pump and electronics as the Express, in a smaller body. That makes it a machine for people who already own, or plan to buy, a proper espresso grinder. You get a 54mm portafilter, a PID with adjustable brew temperature, low-pressure pre-infusion, a pressure gauge on the front, programmable shot volumes, a hot water outlet and a manual steam wand. Two things matter before you buy. Breville's US website now lists the Infuser as discontinued, although Amazon.com still sold it new when we checked in October 2026. And the evidence is good but not deep: three hands-on reviewers, all positive about the espresso once the grind was right.
Very good espresso once paired with a capable grinder, with an adjustable PID, pre-infusion, a pressure gauge and a manual wand that testers liked. It needs a separate grinder, cannot brew and steam at once, has a one-year warranty, and Breville now lists it as discontinued in the US.
Best for: Home baristas who already own a good espresso grinder and want a compact machine with a gauge
Boiler
ThermoCoil
Pressure
9 bar
Wattage
1650W
Tank
1.8L
Weight
7.9 kg
Steam
Manual
✓ Pros
Adjustable PID brew temperature that a tester measured within 1 F of its set point
Pre-infusion and a pressure gauge that show you when the grind or dose is off
Manual steam wand that testers used for silky microfoam, plus a hot water outlet
Takes the same 54mm baskets, tampers and parts as the Barista Express
✗ Cons
No grinder: you need a capable espresso grinder on top of the machine
Cannot pull a shot and steam milk at the same time
Discontinued by Breville in the US; one-year warranty
Steam builds slowly and the pump is loud, by Coffeeness's account
Shot Quality
The Infuser brews through a 54mm portafilter and comes with two sets of baskets: unpressurised ones for freshly ground coffee and pressurised ones for pre-ground, so the grinder you pair it with sets the ceiling. Coffeeness, which bought its machine from Amazon, started with 18 grams in the double basket and got a shot it called meh. The gauge showed the pressure barely reaching the espresso range, so it raised the dose to 20 grams, tamped more firmly and got a shot with a balanced taste, syrupy body and long-lasting aroma. It suggests starting at a 1:2 ratio, 20 grams in and 40 grams out in 25 to 30 seconds, and it shortened the preset double slightly. Homegrounds found 16 grams a more realistic double than the 22 grams Breville says the basket holds, and described its dialled-in shots as sweet, smooth and full of flavour. Homegrounds also pulled complex light-roast shots by raising the temperature, grinding finer and lengthening pre-infusion, which is the kind of adjustment cheaper machines do not offer.
Temperature, Pre-Infusion and the Pressure Gauge
These three features are what separate the Infuser from Breville's entry machines. The PID controls brew temperature, and Breville's US page says it adjusts in 4 degree Fahrenheit steps. The Amazon listing says 2 degrees, but Coffeeness and Homegrounds both report 4, and Homegrounds gives the range as 196 to 204 F. Homegrounds measured the water with a thermocouple and found it consistently within a degree of the set point, and Coffeeness judged the default temperature right, although it would have liked finer steps. Pre-infusion wets the puck at low pressure before full pressure arrives, and Coffeeness explains that you can lengthen it by holding the brew button. The analogue gauge is the teaching tool. Coffeeness explains that a needle short of the espresso zone means the grind was too coarse, the dose too small or the tamp too light, and a needle past it means the grind was too fine or the basket overfilled. Homegrounds notes that changing pre-infusion or starting a cleaning cycle takes button combinations, so keep the manual nearby.
Steam & Milk
The Infuser has a manual steam wand that swivels, with a control knob on the side of the machine, and Breville rates the heating element at 1650 watts. Coffeeness made beautifully silky microfoam with ease, but found the wand slow to start: steam ramps up rather than arriving in one blast, which Coffeeness suggests can make texturing easier to control. Coffeeness also found milk residue builds up on the wand quickly, so purge and wipe it after every jug. After steaming, the machine automatically purges its heating system so the next shot is not brewed too hot, and CoffeeGeek puts the change from brewing to steam at around 30 seconds. The limit is the single thermocoil heater. Homegrounds points out that the Infuser cannot pull a shot and steam milk at the same time, which matters if you make several milk drinks in a row. We rate it four out of five for plant milk because a manual wand lets you control the texture yourself; none of these testers reported trying plant milks.
Infuser vs Barista Express
CoffeeGeek describes the Infuser as the core of the Barista Express without its grinder, with the same brewing system, pump and electronics, and says nearly every accessory or upgrade made for the Barista Express fits it, from baskets and tampers to portafilters. The decision comes down to the grinder. If you do not own one, Coffeeness suggests the Barista Express may work out cheaper than the Infuser plus a separate grinder. If you do own one, or want a better grinder than the built-in unit, CoffeeGeek would choose the Infuser and spend the difference on the grinder, because it finds the Barista Express's timer-based dosing makes fine adjustment frustrating. The Infuser is also the smaller machine. Coffeeness found it significantly lighter than the Express, and CoffeeGeek says it is only a bit wider than a Gaggia Classic or Rancilio Silvia. Against the Bambino Plus, CoffeeGeek prefers the Infuser for its larger drip tray, cup warmer and gauge, and notes that it needs no blank shots before brewing once it has warmed up for ten minutes.
Who It's For, Build & Value
The Infuser suits someone who already owns a capable espresso grinder, or plans to buy one, and wants a machine that teaches dialling in through its gauge while still offering programmed shot volumes and an adjustable temperature. It is less suited to a beginner with no grinder, to anyone who makes milk drinks back to back, or to anyone who wants a long warranty: Breville's US cover is one year, limited. The body is brushed stainless steel over a plastic frame, which Coffeeness notes stays hidden behind the panels, and Breville lists the weight at 7.9 kilograms. A drawer under the drip tray stores the accessories, and Coffeeness fitted a travel mug under the spout by removing the drip tray. Coffeeness found the Infuser one of the noisier machines it has used while extracting. The bigger caveat is the model's status. Breville's US page now carries a discontinued notice, and CoffeeGeek reported in 2025 that Breville had already made it an Amazon-only model in the US, so check stock and the seller before you plan around it.
What This Review Is Based On
This review is a synthesis of published evidence, not a test of our own unit. Specifications come from Breville's US product page for the BES840 and its Amazon listing. Where the two disagree on temperature steps we follow Breville's page, which two testers confirm, and we take the size from the Amazon listing because the dimensions printed on Breville's page match neither the listing nor the testers' descriptions. Hands-on evidence comes from three sources. Coffeeness bought its machine from Amazon and published a full review. Homegrounds used one for several weeks and measured its brew temperature; it does not say how it obtained the machine. CoffeeGeek first used the Infuser in 2014 and wrote about it again in 2025; it does not say whether Breville supplied that unit. None of the three is a long-term reliability study, so how long the Infuser lasts is not established here. We found no safety recall for the Breville Infuser in the US Consumer Product Safety Commission recall database, checked in October 2026.
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Breville Infuser — FAQ
Is the Breville Infuser worth it?
For someone who already owns a good espresso grinder, yes. Coffeeness, Homegrounds and CoffeeGeek all got very good espresso from it once the grind was right, and it brings an adjustable PID, pre-infusion and a pressure gauge. If you have no grinder, Coffeeness suggests the Barista Express, which has one built in, may cost less overall. Breville now lists the Infuser as discontinued in the US, so buy new and keep your proof of purchase for the warranty.
Is the Breville Infuser discontinued?
Yes, in Breville's own US range: its US product page carries a discontinued notice and points shoppers to other machines. It is still sold new, though. When we checked in October 2026, Amazon.com itself was selling the BES840XL. CoffeeGeek reported in 2025 that Breville had already removed it from its main US site and made it an Amazon-only model, and notes that nearly every Barista Express accessory fits it.
Breville Infuser vs Barista Express: what is the difference?
The Barista Express adds a built-in conical burr grinder; the Infuser leaves it out and is smaller and lighter. CoffeeGeek says the brewing system, pump, volumetric controls and electronics are otherwise the same, and most Barista Express accessories fit the Infuser. Choose the Express if you want one box and no separate grinder to buy. Choose the Infuser if you want to pair it with a better grinder, which is the route CoffeeGeek recommends.
What grinder should I use with the Breville Infuser?
One that can grind fine and in small steps, because the unpressurised baskets need a precise espresso grind. Homegrounds used a Baratza Sette 270, CoffeeGeek suggests the MiiCoffee DF54 or a quality hand grinder, and Coffeeness mentions the Comandante and the Baratza Sette 270Wi. Our grinder pairing page for the Infuser ranks compatible grinders for its 54mm basket. If you must use pre-ground coffee, use the pressurised baskets that come in the box.
How do you descale the Breville Infuser?
Descale when the indicator light on the front panel tells you to. Coffeeness reports that Breville recommends a 50/50 mix of water and white vinegar for the Infuser, and estimates a descale every 200 to 300 coffees, about every couple of months. Homegrounds says you should rarely need to descale if you use the included water filter. Separately, run a cleaning cycle with the supplied disc and tablets when the clean light shows, and purge the steam wand after each use.
What warranty does the Breville Infuser have?
One year, limited, in the US, according to Breville's product page and the Amazon listing. Coffeeness explains that limited means Breville covers manufacturing defects, not problems caused by misuse or neglect. Breville's US page for the Infuser still links to product registration and to warranty and repair support even though the model is discontinued, so register the machine when you buy it and keep the receipt in case you need to claim.
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