Breville Bijou Espresso Machine, A Comprehensive Review for Coffee Lovers

The promise of a really good espresso – with a creamy smooth crema and an intriguing layer of complex flavours as it hits your mouth – gets coffee fanatics hooked. Coffee geeks will tell you that this elaborate brew takes a profound interest in coffee-making, a complex learning curve, and an expensive machine. But, the Breville Bijou Espresso Machine is a remarkable little coffee-maker meant to bring the magic of barista-quality espresso to your kitchen and office counters, all for a price that’s a fraction of most espresso machines on the market today. In the following investigation, we walk you through the features, benefits, and caveats of the Breville Bijou (model no VCF 149) to help you decide if this is the right machine for your cuppa.

A Closer Look at the Breville Bijou: Design and Functionality

Photo courtesy the authorFor the coffee-curious but cowed, the Breville Bijou proves that great coffee can be made without a hulking, high-maintenance piece of machinery. More minimalist in both its design and its footprint that most machines, it feels like it belongs in your kitchen, not just taking over your counter space. It is constructed of a combination of stainless steel and plastic.

It might be compact, but the Bijou has a healthy 15-bar pump onboard, a crucial component of the perfect espresso pull – the water used to extract espresso is subjected to 15 bars of pressure, creating that coveted silky shot of espresso with a dark brown crema topping. Equally important, the little Bijou features onboard thermoblock heating, which swiftly and efficiently heats up the water in the wand. This means that every espresso shot is delivered at the exact same temperature each time you use it. One of the best features of the Breville Bijou are its simple controls and straightforward design.

Operating it is totally user-friendly, with a single button to start brewing and a simple dial to choose the strength of the coffee to your liking. A built-in frother at the top of the machine let’s you prepare a smooth layer of milk foamed by steam for lattes, cappuccinos, macchiatos and other espresso drinks. You can use the built-in cappuccino button for single and double espresso shot with a single touch. This means you don’t need a separate milk frother anymore.

Advantages of the Breville Bijou Espresso Machine

There are plenty of reasons why the Breville Bijou has built a loyal fanbase, and here’s just a few: it excels in how it performs and what it has to offer.

• Ease of Use: One of the machine’s best features is that it is so easily operable, with simple controls and a logical process. Whether you are new to espresso machines or already versed in the espresso world, the Bijou couldn’t be easier to use. You’ll be pulling a shot of espresso that rivals any cafe’s before you know it.
• Exceptional value: In my opinion, it’s hard to find fault with the Breville Bijou. It brings world-class performance and features to the table without taxing your wallet. And it makes espresso an affordable indulgence for a large number of people. That’s why I think it’s a smart choice for just about anyone out there, whether you’re a cheaper gadget hound or simply new to the espresso game.
• Compact and Stylish Design: The Breville is compact and sleek. Its small size won’t take up much counter space, and the shiny Bordeaux finish looks polished enough that the Bijou won’t feel out of place in a high-end kitchen.
• High Quality Espresso: The Bijou’s 15-bar pump and thermoblock hit their marks with regularity, ensuring that a shot pulled with ideally ground coffee (*includes a tamper) delivers the rich, delicious crema-topped espresso that the true java culture seeks. Regardless of how you use the Bijou – pulling a shot of espresso (here’s how) or building a drink from coffee’s lexicon (capp do a Google) the Bijou delivers.
• Flexibility: It does more than simply stand in for an espresso machine. You can make other types of coffee drinks with the Breville Bijou, too, courtesy of its in-built frother. Thanks to this feature, you can conjure lattes, cappuccinos and macchiatos with relative ease. Thus, in one machine, you’ll be able to experiment with a plethora of espresso-based drinks without having to resort to various other appliances.
• Fast Heat-Up Time: The built-in thermoblock heating system heats up the water instantly, meaning you won’t have to wait 5-10 minutes to enjoy your first espresso, as you would with cheaper espresso machines. They key to the Breville Bijou’s practicality is getting your espresso shot instantly, as such, the fast heat-up time is an essential trait.

Navigating the Breville Bijou's Limitations

Yes, the Bijou Breville BCS650 is a great machine for many coffee enthusiasts, with its simplicity and affordability. That said, its overall limits are inevitable given the machine’s small scale.

• Small Water Tank: Fora a-ha! The smallest drawback: the Breville Bijou's water tank is small. I found myself having to refill the tank almost once for every drink, which is fairly frequent, if you are making coffees one after another. This little inconvenience is probably a bigger drawback for a larger household or a coffee-addict.’
• Basics Only Basic – Compared with many high-end espresso machines, the Breville Bijou lacks programmable settings and automatic milk-frothing and multiple temperature controls. These features are not needed to make basic espresso, but they add to the degree of control and customisation that some users desire.
• Limited capacity: Because of its small water tank and limited capacity, although it might be great for couples, it’s possibly not the best device for larger families or frequent entertainers who might expect to brew for larger groups. If this sounds like you, you would probably be better off with a more robust espresso machine on the market.
• No Programmable Settings. This means that the Breville Bijou does not have the capability to set coffee strength or temperature on program. In simple terms, this great little coffee maker does not have a memory to keep arduous settings that you put in place yesterday if you do not choose to brew coffee today. Some might not regard this as a disadvantage, but for me, it is inconvenient.
• Limited milk frothing options: it does have a built-in frother that makes single-serve lattés very easy to make, but it’s far more limited than a dedicated milk frother – you can’t, for instance, froth at the temperature or texture that you choose.

Breville Bijou Espresso Machine Review: The Verdict

For coffee lovers looking for an easy-to-use, entry-level espresso machine unmatched by another in its price bracket, the Breville Bijou Espresso Machine is a compelling option, offering savvy style, ease-of-use, and consistently excellent espresso, all within a compact and attractive design. Occupying the mid-range of miniature espresso machines, it is not the smallest available, but its small water tank and lack of upgraded functions may be deal-breakers for some.

In the end, for those who are seeking simplicity, value and espresso quality, the Breville Bijou is absolutely a decent selection. For those who are seeking lots of bells and whistles in a high-capacity machine, maybe not so much. But for those who are seeking a good, solid, user-friendly and affordable espresso machine for the home, well, the Breville Bijou could well meet your needs.

Final Thoughts

The Breville Bijou Espresso Machine epitomises the principle that great espresso doesn’t have to be difficult or even costly. Because it is easy to pack away, minimal to store, intuitive use and, above all, having the crema and making a respectable coffee is key, the Bijou is one of those coffee accoutrements that delivers highly polished, well-designed, simple and functional espresso and a delightful, pleasurable and convenient coffee option.

As a person who has been mainly a filters it, the Bijou made my life so much easier and enjoyable in such a fuss-free way, that I am now an espresso afficionado. So, if you are a coffee novice or a seasoned espresso afficionado, your first coffee equipment – a jerry-built machine bought on eBay – isn’t up to the task or you just happen to live in a space-crunched environment with no room for a full-sized espresso machine on your valuable counter space, the Breville Bijou Espresso Machine says: now you can.

We recommend you do read the customer reviews before making your choice, and also to compare the Breville Bijou with other automatic espresso machines at this price point – think about what is important to you and what you need, such as how often you will make coffee, how many people will be drinking it, and how much control you would like over the brewing process. Combining terrific value, ease of use and the ability to make fantastic espresso, the Breville Bijou is an excellent es coffee drinkers. Itpresso coffee, it comes at a terrific