Barista Pro · problems & reliability report

Barista Pro problems: what real owners report

18% of 151 verified Barista Proowners don't recommend it — based on real owner comments from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube.

For balance: 63% recommend it. This page collects the complaints so you know what you're signing up for — read the full owner report for both sides. How we score

Trend
Recent owners are happier than older ones — the last six months run 78% recommend vs 63% all-time. Early problems may have been addressed.

Most common complaints

In owners' own words

the steam wand would simply stop to steam after around a minute and I had to set the internal grinder to 1 out of 10 to get above 30 sec extraction time
Istolemomswheelchair on Reddit
Our machine died and there was one in the new machines box. Was 18 months ago. Barista Pro. The steam/hot water dial snapped today.
bashmyco on Reddit
Not worth. Got one as a gift, it does most things ok. Grinder is barely acceptable, espresso is ok, steam wand is weak.
PoppyShop on Reddit
The in built grinder is the culprit, I have changed to a hand grinder and the consistency improved significantly
lorrenzo on Reddit
The first one was rusty after a week, the second one made great coffee for two years and then somehow broke
Electrical_Fly4930 on Reddit
I had the same. Once in guarantee, ended up with a new machine. Now is the second time, out of guarantee.
JustAnotherFreddy on Reddit
The grinder is really bad. The motor isn't powerful enough to grind most freshly roasted beans.
Skikkel on Reddit
The Barista Pro was my first machine. I would not buy it again, for the above-mentioned reasons
IllustriousDrive4596 on Reddit
The grinder chokes often on these lighter coffee's so that's something to keep in mind
vybhavb on Reddit
I used to own this machine and had the exact same issues (I use a profitec ride now)
DannyFanny on Reddit
We went through 3 in 6 years. First one broke under warranty within the first year.
vomitrock5000 on Reddit
I couldn’t get that machine with the internal grinder to give me good espresso at 5, it was 2-3 on the internal setting depending on oxidation levels of the coffee.
Goontard420 on Reddit

Setup quirks & things to watch for

Not complaints — practical notes from owners that didn't affect the score.

Are you aware of the program button on the machine? You can press that an the double button to program in your time. Set your scale up and then program the coffee that you're dialing in.
cole00cash on Reddit
I get the same, it takes longer to stop when I use the sage portafilter compared to a bottomless one. Think makes me think some of the delay is just the shot coming through the portafilter
Glasgae-Bodach on Reddit
I do use a p,uck screen though, so not sure if that alters things. On that note, I would recommend a puck screen. I found it helped with consistency and my shower head screen is kept perfectly clean.
starship303 on Reddit
indeed so.. but honestly for milk drinks nobody can tell the difference.. i have a single dose grinder for any specialty/random coffees i buy and use the hopper for the daily milk drinks
oldfartpen on Reddit
Try 20g with no puck screen, and grind 14. You'll want that finder grind for the ims basket. Alwo make sure you're not tamping too hard Edit: you'll want 25-30 seconds after your pre infusion
notcarefully on Reddit
Also don’t worry ab time and don’t worry ab perfect 1:2 ratio so much it just a starting point and then u make adjustments by taste only. And so manual shots not the pre programed double shot bc it will change significantly with in the next shot .
TimeReplacement4512 on Reddit
It's stepless, but there's "notches" printed next to the handle. Commonly mistakenly called stepped. Owned one.
therealscifi on Reddit
I had the same issue so I reprogrammed the double shot button time because it used to cut off too fast.. I used a scale to make sure I was getting 36g of liquid when I reprogrammed it
Mr_no_name13 on Reddit
Weighing it up? The full report has the other side — what 63% of owners like about it, who it's for, and every sourced quote. Full Barista Pro owner report →