Sage Barista Pro After 3 Months

February saw the demise of my old much loved Gaggia Classic espresso coffee machine. I debated whether to try and get it repaired or bite the bullet and buy a new machine. Never one to miss the opportunity to buy a new gadget I assured my wife Jan that it was unrepairable and embark on the process of choosing a replacement.  After hours of internet research, I decided on a Sage Barista Pro bean to cup machine. It was on offer at Costco!

As you can see it is white. This is not by choice, its white because it was £150 cheaper.
The instructions say it is automatic. That is, it decides when it has passed enough water through the coffee. You can set all sorts of controls to govern the process but I have found it is best to do it manually. You can see the timings on the LCD screen but you have to remember to allow for the pre-infusion time you have set. I dispense into a shot glass so I can control the volume.

The Barista Pro has finer control of the grind than the Express model which is needed and important. I have found it takes at least 3 grinds for any adjustment to take full effect. This brings me to the subject of grinders. My Gaggia might have died but my original Italian bur grinder still works fine. Initially, my intention was to sell it as the Sage does its own grinding. In reality, I have the Sage set up for my "House Coffee" and I use the stand-alone grinder for all my "Guest Coffees". This means you are not wasting time and coffee resetting the grinder for each coffee.


After 3 months of use, I can say the Barista Pro produces a very good consistent shot of espresso. The steam wand is very quick and powerful and it cleans quickly. Am I pleased with my choice? Yes.

As you can see from the photo I make a good flat white but my latte art skills are rubbish.