This video is the first in a series reviewing espresso machines. Lance Hedrick focuses on machines he's personally reviewed or used, rating them on a tier list (A+ to F) based on a rubric detailed in the video. The first video covers machines costing $1000 or less.
The video provides a tier list ranking of espresso machines, but it doesn't present a single, concise, final list at the end summarizing all the rankings. The ranking is presented throughout the video as each machine is discussed. To get the complete ranking, you would need to watch the entire video and note down each machine and its corresponding grade (A+, A, B, C, D, F) as they are mentioned. The video's description also contains a spreadsheet with this information.
The Breville Barista Express receives a "C" rating. The main criticisms are its inferior built-in grinder (described as "trash," "useless," and prone to issues), which negatively impacts the overall user experience and unnecessarily increases the price. The speaker suggests that buying the machine and a separate grinder would be a better value and create a better experience.
