Have been looking for a coffee machine for a while and the Barista Pro is very appealing at this lowest ever price.
Been looking on the likes of reddit for feedback and mostly positive for something in this price range.
$978 @ JB Hi-Fi
$979 @ Harvey Norman
$999 @ Noel Leeming
The biggest difference i noticed between the two is the heat up time for the steamer (3-6 seconds vs 25-30 seconds).
Nah the pro is better. It has the newer thermojet for faster heat up and better milk steaming and better grinder.
I've used both - the pro is noticeably nicer to use, the heat up time on turning on is not too bad (you have to grind beans etc anyway), but the time saved from brewing to steam is VERY noticeable.
It's a good upgrade from the express if you are wanting to stay in the all-in-one system.
Thanks OP. Perfect timing for a machine upgrade. Cheers
functionally not much different from the express version I believe, which is highly recommended (we have one). iirc you can also go to Briscoes and they do a price beat by 10%.
Expect to spend hours and countless cups learning how to get your specific machine working to your liking unless you're already a barista whiz or aren't picky. Honestly preferred the coffee from our cheaper and easier delonghi machine, but that kept breaking every 10 months or so.