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Sage the Barista Express BES875 review

No. 1 of 10 in our espresso machines ranking · Updated · How we rank

Our verdict: The best espresso machine in 2026 is the Sage the Barista Express BES875. It tops our ranking with 8.6 out of 10.

Sage the Barista Express BES875

8.6/10Best Choice

The Sage Barista Express BES875 is a semi-automatic espresso machine with a conical burr grinder built in. It suits beginners who want one machine and are happy to practise dosing, tamping and milk texturing.

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Why it's here

  • Built-in conical burr grinder with adjustable grind size
  • Pre-infusion and a pressure gauge help you learn what a good shot looks like
  • Manual steam wand makes proper microfoam once you have practised
  • Comes with a tamper, jug, baskets and cleaning kit

Keep in mind

  • Large footprint and the grinder hopper needs headroom under cupboards
  • Built-in grinder cannot be upgraded or replaced separately
  • The learning curve is real: expect sour or bitter shots for the first few weeks

Why the Sage BES875 scores 8.6

Each bar shows where it places among the 10 espresso machines in this guide, so a full bar is 1st of 10. How happy owners are counts for most of the score.

  • How happy owners are1st of 10
  • How many rated it4th of 10
  • How new it is8th of 10

Why No. 1 beats No. 2

The Sage the Barista Express BES875 (8.6) beats the CASABREWS CM5418 (8.5) because it leaves owners a little happier. No. 2 is the newer design, but not by enough to close the gap.

About the Sage BES875

The BES875 combines a grinder, a pump espresso machine and a manual steam wand in one body. Beans go in the hopper on top, and the integrated conical burr grinder doses straight into a 54mm stainless steel portafilter. The grinder has 16 settings and Sage puts the dose at about 18g of ground coffee per shot.

Water is heated by a thermocoil with PID control, which holds it at 93°C. Sage describes a 15 bar Italian pump with low-pressure pre-infusion before a 9 bar extraction stage. You can choose a one-cup or two-cup shot, or set the volume manually. Milk is steamed by hand with the steam wand, so microfoam depends on your technique.

The box holds a lot. Sage lists a dosing funnel, a Razor dose trimming tool, one-cup and two-cup single and dual wall baskets, an integrated tamper, a stainless steel milk jug, a cleaning disc and tablets, a cleaning brush, a tool with Allen key, and a water filter holder with filter. Which? gives the water tank as 2 litres and the bean hopper as 250g.

What owners report about the Sage BES875

We found little owner feedback for this exact model on pages we could open, so we are not summarising what owners report here.

Who the Sage BES875 suits

The BES875 suits someone starting out who wants to learn espresso with one purchase. The grinder, tamper, baskets and jug are all included, so fresh beans are the main extra. It also suits anyone who wants to steam milk by hand and will practise.

Look elsewhere if counter space is tight. At 31.8 x 35.1 x 40.4 cm it is a big machine, and the hopper needs headroom under cupboards. The grinder cannot be swapped or upgraded separately, so people who want to improve the grinder later may prefer the Gaggia Classic Evo Pro with a separate grinder. For a slimmer machine, the De'Longhi Dedica Style EC685 is about 15cm wide. If you want quick heat-up with a compact body, the Sage the Bambino SES450 is the better fit.

Questions about the Sage BES875

Does the Sage Barista Express BES875 come with a water filter?

Yes. Sage lists a water filter holder with filter among the accessories in the box.

How do you clean the Sage Barista Express BES875?

Sage includes a cleaning disc, cleaning tablets and a cleaning brush in the box. Follow the steps in the manual for the cleaning cycle.

How much coffee does the Sage Barista Express BES875 hold in the hopper?

The bean hopper holds 250g, according to Which?. The water tank holds 2 litres.

Can the Sage Barista Express BES875 make two coffees at once?

Yes. It comes with one-cup and two-cup baskets, and you can choose one or two shots or set the volume manually.

Other espresso machine picks

The other badge winners in our espresso machines ranking.

All 10 espresso machines, compared

  1. 1 Sage the Barista Express BES875This reviewBest Choice 8.6 Check Price
  2. 2 CASABREWS CM5418 8.5 Check Price
  3. 3 Sage the Duo-Temp Pro BES810 8.4 Check Price
  4. 4 De'Longhi Dedica Style EC685 8.3 Check Price
  5. 5 De'Longhi Stilosa EC230Value for Money 8.3 Check Price
  6. 6 CASABREWS 3700 EssentialBest Budget 8.1 Check Price
  7. 7 Gaggia Classic Evo Pro 8.1 Check Price
  8. 8 Breville Barista Max 8.1 Check Price
  9. 9 Sage the Bambino SES450 8.1 Check Price
  10. 10 De'Longhi La Specialista Arte EC9155.MB 8.0 Check Price
See the full espresso machines ranking

The Sage BES875 on Amazon

Sage the Barista Express BES875

The Sage Barista Express BES875 is a semi-automatic espresso machine with a conical burr grinder built in. 8.6 out of 10.

Check Price on Amazon

How we score it

Every score here comes from our ranking model; no editor sets the order. Too few review sites cover espresso machines for their verdicts to lead, so this ranking is led by owners. It ranks products by how happy owners are, holding back any product few owners have rated until more agree. How many rated it and how new it is only settle close calls, and value for money earns its own badge rather than a higher place. We compared 22 models for this guide before settling on these ten.

Brands can't pay to be included or to move up. We last checked these picks in October 2026.

How we rank, in full

Where these facts come from