Maintenance
EssentialDescaler
Limescale is what most machines die of, and vinegar attacks the seals. A liquid descaler declared suitable for espresso machines does the same job as the maker’s own branded fluid, usually for less.
€15.90
Go to bol
Sage
Barista Express
The standard everyone starts with and most people stay on
€459.00 in Black Truffle
Price verdict from 11 NovWe have measured this price since 12 October (29 days). Lowest measured: €459.00 on 10 November. A price verdict follows from 11 November.
Where to buy
Updated on 10 November 2026Updated on 10 November 2026
Daily price history
Last 30 days
Lowest €459.00Now €459.00
12 Oct22 Oct31 Oct10 Nov
View as a table
| Date | Lowest price that day |
|---|---|
| 10 November 2026 | €459.00 |
| 9 November 2026 | €459.00 |
| 8 November 2026 | €459.00 |
| 7 November 2026 | €459.00 |
| 6 November 2026 | €459.00 |
| 5 November 2026 | €506.00 |
| 4 November 2026 | €506.00 |
| 3 November 2026 | €506.00 |
| 2 November 2026 | €506.00 |
| 1 November 2026 | €506.00 |
| 31 October 2026 | €506.00 |
| 30 October 2026 | €506.00 |
| 29 October 2026 | €506.00 |
| 28 October 2026 | €506.00 |
| 27 October 2026 | €506.00 |
| 26 October 2026 | €500.00 |
| 25 October 2026 | €501.00 |
| 24 October 2026 | €501.00 |
| 23 October 2026 | €501.00 |
| 22 October 2026 | €501.00 |
| 21 October 2026 | €501.00 |
| 20 October 2026 | €501.00 |
| 19 October 2026 | €502.00 |
| 18 October 2026 | €499.00 |
| 17 October 2026 | €499.00 |
| 16 October 2026 | €499.00 |
| 15 October 2026 | €499.00 |
| 14 October 2026 | €499.00 |
| 13 October 2026 | €500.00 |
| 12 October 2026 | €499.00 |
Price alert
When the Barista Express drops
Espresso machines drop hardest around Black Friday and in the weeks before Christmas. Leave your email address and pick below what you want to hear about.
The Barista Express has been the answer to "which machine if I want to take this seriously" for years. Grinding, dosing, tamping and brewing all live in one appliance, and you operate all four steps yourself.
Doing it yourself is exactly the point. A bean-to-cup takes the decisions away; here you set grind, dose and extraction time, and the gauge shows you what that does. Anyone who does not want to learn that is cheaper and happier with a bean-to-cup.
Who for: Anyone who wants espresso as a hobby, not just as coffee.
Compared with similar machines
Against 22 other manual espresso machines between €307.00 and €626.00, on the specifications the maker publishes.
- Bean hopper: 450 g, larger than most (usually 250 g)
Specifications
Making coffee
- Type
- Portafilter
- Grinder
- Built in
- Milk system
- Steam wand you control yourself
- After every use, a short burst of steam or water and a wipe with a damp cloth.
- Portafilter
- 54 mm
- Burrs
- Conical steel burrs
- Grind settings
- 16
Capacity
- Water tank
- 2 litres
- Bean hopper
- 450 g
Dimensions
- Width
- 31.8 cm
- Depth x height
- 35.1 x 40.4 cm
Technical
- Pump pressure
- 15 bar
- Power
- 1560–1850 watt
- Heating
- Thermocoil
Model
- Material
- Brushed stainless steel
- Warranty
- 2 years
- Model number
- SES875BTR
This is what we know for certain. Dimensions and capacities the manufacturer or the shop does not state are left out rather than estimated. A measurement or a tank volume that is not there is one we do not have.
What does it cost a year to maintain?
A worked example, not a specification: 2 cups a day (730 a year), the intervals from the maker's manual, with the water filter the maker recommends, and the lowest price in our catalog today.
- Water filter · 4 a year
- Not in our catalog
- Sage: replace the water filter after 3 months. Sage's filter is not in our catalog.
- Cleaning tablets
- Not stated
- The machine says when. Sage gives no interval.
- Descaler
- Not stated
- The machine says when. Sage gives no interval.
We cannot price anything for this machine: what the maker requires is not in our catalog, or the maker gives no interval.
How often you descale depends on your water hardness. Where the maker gives no interval for it, we leave it out rather than estimate it.
Beans, counted separately
6.57 kilos a year at 9 grams a cup: €108.34 with the cheapest kilo in our catalog, €445.45 with the dearest.
Frequently asked about the Barista Express
- Is the Barista Express a bean-to-cup or a portafilter machine?
- The Barista Express is a portafilter machine.
- Does the Barista Express have a built-in grinder?
- Yes, the Barista Express grinds beans itself. You can also use pre-ground coffee if you prefer.
- How does the Barista Express froth milk?
- The Barista Express froths milk: with a steam wand you control yourself.
- How wide is the Barista Express?
- The Barista Express is 31.8 cm wide. Check the height too if it has to sit under a wall cupboard.
- How much water does the Barista Express hold?
- The Barista Express's water tank holds 2 litres.
- What is the Barista Express's model number?
- Each colour has its own model number: SES875BSS in Brushed Stainless Steel, SES875BTR in Black Truffle and SES875BKS in Black Sesame. Compare on that rather than the name: makers sell near-identically named versions side by side, and the prices differ.
Accessories that fit this machine
Picked on what this machine does and does not do itself
Milk
EssentialMilk jug
A stainless jug of around 600 ml is the difference between milk that froths and milk that boils. The shape of the spout decides whether you can pour anything with it.
€12.95
Go to bol
Maintenance
RecommendedGroup Head Cleaner, 6 sachets (Sage)
Sage's cleaning powder for backflushing the group head, in single-dose sachets. On daily use Sage recommends a flush every 2 to 4 weeks.
€12.95
Go to Expert
Brewing
RecommendedTamper and distributor (Sage)
The tamper Sage includes is light and plastic. A heavy one with a distributor gives a flatter bed and a more even extraction, the step that most often goes wrong when brewing by hand.
€39.95
Go to bol
Brewing
RecommendedKnock box
The puck has to go somewhere, and the bin clogs with wet coffee within a week. A box with a rubber bar is quieter than it sounds.
€21.95
Go to bol
Maintenance
Can waitGroup Head Cleaner, 12 sachets (Sage)
The same Sage cleaning powder for the group head, in a pack of twelve sachets. At one flush every 2 to 4 weeks, as Sage recommends, that is six months or more.
€21.90
Go to bol
Brewing
Can waitCoffee scale
Dosing by eye is why the same machine tastes better on one day than the next. A scale accurate to a tenth of a gram, with a timer, turns pulling espresso into something repeatable.
€44.95
Go to bolBeans for this machine
Every bean fits every machine. What differs is the order: on a bean-to-cup the 100% arabica beans come first, because dark-roasted blends carrying robusta give off more oil and that clogs a built-in grinder sooner.
Segafredo
Segafredo Intermezzo
€16.49per kilo
Lowest price we have seen€16.49 · 1 kg bag
A blend with robusta, made for the Italian bar. Full and bittersweet, and the kind of bean a bean-to-cup grinder gets through without complaint.
- Blend with robusta
- Blend
Segafredo
Segafredo Espresso Casa
€18.45per kilo
Lowest price we have seen€18.45 · 1 kg bag
Segafredo’s house blend, for anyone who also drinks their espresso with milk.
- Blend with robusta
- Blend
Lavazza
Lavazza Crema e Aroma
€19.99per kilo
Keenly priced€19.99 · 1 kg bag
The classic Italian bar blend: arabica with a good deal of robusta, which is where the thick crema espresso is known for comes from. Robusta is a cheaper bean than arabica, and that usually shows in the price per kilo.
- Blend with robusta
- Blend
Lavazza
Lavazza Espresso Italiano Classico
€23.99per kilo
Keenly priced€23.99 · 1 kg bag
All arabica as well, like the Oro. The middle path between the soft arabica blends and the firm bar blends.
- 100% arabica
- Blend
What differs
Barista Express of Bosch Serie 4 HomeCafé? Barista Express of De'Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo? Barista Express of De'Longhi La Specialista Arte? Barista Express of Krups Precision? Barista Express of Philips Barista Brew PSA3218? Barista Express of Philips Barista Brew PSA3228? Barista Express of Sage Bambino Plus? Barista Express of Sage Bambino? Barista Express of Sage Barista Express Impress? Barista Express of Sage Barista Pro? Barista Express of SMEG EGF03? Barista Express of Solis Grind & Infuse Perfetta?
Often compared with
€626.00 in Black Truffle
Price verdict from 11 NovW 33 x H 41 cm · 2 l tank
With essential accessories€654.85
machine + descaler, milk jug
€469.00
Ordinary priceW 28.5 x H 40 cm · 1.7 l tank
With essential accessories€497.85
machine + descaler, milk jug
Reading on this
What we wrote about this, with the kit each piece names.
Your espresso tastes sour or bitter: what to do
Does your espresso taste sour, or too bitter? It is usually not the beans or the machine, but how long the water runs through the coffee. How to recognise it and what to do.
Bean-to-cup or portafilter: which one fits you?
A bean-to-cup does everything for you; with a manual machine you do it yourself. Which fits you depends on how much time and attention you want to give your coffee. Why I chose a manual machine twice.
Steaming milk: from bubbles to velvet
Good milk foam is no accident, but two steps in the right order. How I steam milk with the wand on my Sage, which milk works best and which mistakes I made myself.
Making your own espresso with a portafilter machine
From bean to cup with a manual espresso machine: the recipe, the grind, tamping and cleaning. The way I do it myself with my Sage, including the mistakes I made along the way.
Which coffee beans for espresso?
The beans decide more of your espresso than the machine. What to look for: the roast, the roast date, arabica or robusta, and how to store them.