Espresso Machines With Built-In Grinder: Semi-Automatic Models Compared

If you only buy one thing, make it the Breville Barista Express. We compare by spec sheet and run no tests of our own, so we favor machines whose makers publish their data. Breville does, and the Express also has an outside vote: America's Test Kitchen named it best overall in its roundup of 2 July 2025.

Before you settle on any machine here, ask yourself one thing. Do you want one box, or a grinder you can replace? Our page on built-in vs separate grinders goes through that decision. This page assumes you have made it.

Our pick: built-in grinderAd

Breville

Breville Barista Express

Machine and conical burr grinder in one body, with PID and a 54 mm portafilter.

Why here: One body with grinder, PID and a 54 mm portafilter, all from Breville's own documents, and named best overall by America's Test Kitchen.

Best for: First-time buyers who want one box and no separate grinder to choose

• +Integrated conical burr grinder with 16 settings (Breville)
• +Thermocoil heating with PID temperature control (Breville)
• +Named best overall in America's Test Kitchen's roundup of 2 July 2025

• –A better grinder later means buying a separate one
• –One thermocoil, not two boilers
• –The price swings widely between sale days, so check it on the day

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Heating

Thermocoil

Pump, as stated

15 bar

Brew pressure, as stated

9 bar

Portafilter

54 mm

PID

Yes

Built-in grinder

Yes, 16 settings

Milk

Manual wand

Price class

Mid-range

Which machine with a grinder for whom

Your order

• If you want one box and a well-documented first machine → Breville Barista Express

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• If you want less tamping technique and accept a higher price class → Barista Express Impress

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• If you want more grind steps and a fast heat-up → Breville Barista Pro

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• If you drink milk and want a screen to guide each step → Breville Barista Touch

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• If your household also wants drip coffee and does not mind guidance → Ninja Luxe Café Premier · Seller data only

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• If you want a grinder you can replace later

  See separate grinders

The Breville line compared

These four share one maker's data sheets, so the rows mean the same thing across columns. “Not stated” means Breville's page does not mention the value. It does not mean the machine lacks it.

Comparison: Breville Barista Express, Barista Express Impress, Breville Barista Pro, Breville Barista Touch

Comparison	Our pick: built-in grinderBreville Barista Express	Barista Express Impress	Breville Barista Pro	Breville Barista Touch
Heating	Thermocoil	Thermocoil	ThermoJet	ThermoJet
Pump, as stated	15 bar	15 bar	15 bar	15 bar
Brew pressure, as stated	9 bar	9 bar	9 bar	9 bar
Portafilter	54 mm	54 mm	54 mm, per the instruction book	54 mm
PID	Yes	Yes	Yes, per the instruction book	Not stated
Built-in grinder	Yes, 16 settings	Yes, 25 settings	Yes, 30 settings	Yes, 30 settings
Milk	Manual wand	Steam wand	Steam wand	Hands-free (Auto MilQ)
Price class	Mid-range	Mid-range	Mid-range	Premium
Best for	First-time buyers who want one box and no separate grinder to choose	Buyers who want less tamping technique and accept a higher price class	Built-in-grinder buyers who want more grind steps and fast heat-up	Milk drinkers who want the screen to guide each step
	On Amazon*(paid link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)Ad · paid link · check price & delivery on Amazon	On Amazon*(paid link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)Ad · paid link · check price & delivery on Amazon	On Amazon*(paid link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)Ad · paid link · check price & delivery on Amazon	On Amazon*(paid link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)Ad · paid link · check price & delivery on Amazon

All four list a 15 bar pump and 9 bar extraction. The 15 or 20 bar on the box is what the pump can reach, so that row will not help you choose, here or anywhere else.

The machines one by one

Breville Barista Express: our pick

Breville lists a conical burr grinder with 16 settings and dose control, a thermocoil with PID that delivers water at a stated 200°F, a 54 mm portafilter and a manual steam wand. In the box you get a dosing funnel, a dose-trimming tool, a tamper, a milk jug and a cleaning kit. America's Test Kitchen praises the grinder and the wand and notes that the factory settings let beginners pull shots quickly.

Its weak point is the grinder. America's Test Kitchen points out that it has fewer settings than a top standalone grinder. For one or two drinks a morning, that is a fair price for having everything in one body. Check the Barista Express^* and read our full page on it for specs and care.

Breville Barista Express Impress: help with the tamp

The Impress^* keeps the Express idea and adds assisted tamping: a lever applies a constant 22 lb and finishes with a 7° twist, according to Breville. It also works out the next dose from the last one, lists 25 grind settings, and keeps the thermocoil with PID and the 54 mm portafilter. Serious Eats' roundup, in a copy dated 2 May 2023, picks it for beginners and for people who do not want to tinker.

Tamping is assisted, so it sits between semi-automatic and super-automatic. Take it if an uneven tamp is what worries you most. It also takes more counter space than the Express, at 16.6 x 14.4 x 12.2 in, and sits in a higher price class.

Breville Barista Pro: more grind steps, quicker start

The Barista Pro^* lists 30 grind settings with hardened steel conical burrs from Baratza, and a ThermoJet heating system that Breville says is ready in 3 seconds. A display shows shot information. The steam wand is manual.

Breville's product page mentions neither PID nor the portafilter size. Its US instruction book, BES878_USCM_IB_Q26, gives both: electronic PID temperature control and a 54 mm stainless steel portafilter. Choose the Pro over the Express if the extra steps and the fast start matter to you and you accept the higher price class.

Breville Barista Touch: a screen for every step

The Barista Touch^* is the most guided machine here. Breville lists a touchscreen that saves up to 8 coffees, Auto MilQ hands-free milk with adjustable temperature and texture, 30 grind settings, a 54 mm portafilter and a 3 second heat-up. Breville's page does not mention PID, so we do not credit it with one.

Amazon files one color of this machine under super-automatic, which shows how far the guidance goes. If you want to learn every step yourself, it may be more machine than you need. It is also sold in Black Truffle^*. For the related Barista Touch Impress^* we only have the listing, so read Breville's page before you buy.

One body, one footprint, one decision.

Ninja Luxe Café Premier: espresso and drip

The Ninja Luxe Café Premier^* is sold as a 3-in-1 with a grinder and guided steps. It suits a household that also wants drip coffee. It is assisted, so it is not a pure semi-automatic. Ninja's page blocked our reader, so we state no further specs and it cannot be a pick here.

De'Longhi, KitchenAid, Gevi and CASABREWS

For these four we only have the Amazon listing. They are options to compare, and none of them is a pick. Values below come from listing titles.

• De'Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo^*: the route to one box outside the Breville range. A built-in grinder with 15 settings, per De'Longhi's Canadian page.
• KitchenAid with burr grinder^*: a burr grinder and a 2.5 L tank (about 85 fl oz), per listing. It fits if you want this kitchen brand on the counter.
• Gevi with grinder^*: a lower-priced route to a grinder in the box, sold with 20 bar. That figure is a pump rating and says nothing about brew pressure.
• CASABREWS Marenza^*: a built-in grinder and a steam wand, per listing. It is aimed at buyers looking below the Breville range.

What to check before you buy

• Workflow. Decide how much you want to do by hand: full control on the Express, an assisted tamp on the Impress, a guided screen on the Touch. Our semi-automatic vs super-automatic comparison helps if you are unsure.
• Grind settings. More steps give finer choices, but a count says little about consistency. We have no measurements of that, so treat the number as a guide.
• Upgrade path. A built-in grinder stays with the machine. Adding a separate espresso grinder later means the built-in one sits idle.
• Portafilter size. It decides which baskets and tools fit. Our accessories guide sorts tools by size.
• Heating. These machines have one heating system, not two boilers, so plan on brewing first and steaming second. If you make several milk drinks in a row, read about dual boilers.
• Milk. A manual wand takes practice, and a hands-free wand does not. If milk is your main drink, this may matter more than the grinder.
• Price. At full price the separate pair is cheaper; on sale they cost the same. Check both on the day.

Common mistakes with built-in grinders

• Using dual wall baskets with fresh grounds. Breville's Express manual reserves those for pre-ground coffee. Single wall baskets are the ones meant for grinding fresh.
• Expecting the factory setting to fit every bean. Breville's manual says it is normal to adjust grind size and amount a few times. Our guide to dialing in espresso shows how, one change at a time.
• Judging by the bar number. It tells you about the pump, and nothing about the shot.
• Forgetting the burrs. Breville's manual describes a cleaning routine for the grinder, because oil builds up on the burrs and can impede performance.
• Skipping the scale. A built-in grinder doses for you, but only a scale tells you what went in and what came out.

Still unsure?

Four questions lead to one machine, with the reason next to it.

Our recommendation

For most buyers who want one box, the Barista Express is the right place to start. Move to the Impress if tamping worries you, and to the Pro or Touch if you value their extras enough for a higher price class. If you expect to chase better grinders, skip this whole category and pair a compact machine with a separate grinder instead. Our comparison of every pick lines up the machines without a grinder too, and how we compare explains where our data comes from.