Breville Barista Express Upgrades: The Best Accessories & Mods for Better Espresso

The Breville Barista Express (BES870) is one of Australia's best-selling home espresso machines - and for good reason. It's an all-in-one: built-in grinder, 54mm portafilter, steam wand, and enough control to pull genuinely good espresso. But out of the box, it's tuned for convenience over quality. A handful of targeted upgrades will get noticeably better shots out of the same machine.

This guide covers the best accessories and mods for the Barista Express, why each one matters, and the order to tackle them in. Most of it applies equally to the Barista Express Impress (BES876) and the Barista Pro (BES878), since they all share the same 54mm group.

First, Know Your Size: The Barista Express Is 54mm

Every accessory that touches your group head - portafilters, baskets, tampers, dosing funnels, puck screens - has to match your machine's size. The Barista Express uses Breville's 54mm group, which is unique to Breville (and their Sage-branded machines in the UK and Europe). If you're ever unsure, our portafilter size guide breaks down every machine and size.

The Upgrades, In Order of Impact

1. Bottomless Portafilter - The Single Biggest Upgrade

A bottomless (naked) portafilter removes the spouts so you can see the underside of the basket as your shot pulls. Suddenly every flaw is visible - channelling, uneven distribution, a sloppy tamp. It's the fastest way to actually improve as a home barista, because you get instant visual feedback on your puck prep.

The Barista Express takes a 54mm bottomless portafilter. Two of our most popular options:

• Black Series 54mm Bottomless Portafilter - blacked-out, sharp on any bench.
• Aluminium Rosewood 54mm Bottomless Portafilter - warm timber handle, a bit of a statement piece.

Browse the full 54mm portafilter range.

2. Single-Wall (Non-Pressurised) Basket - Unlock Real Extraction

The Barista Express ships with dual-wall (pressurised) baskets. They're forgiving for beginners, but they mask what's actually happening in the cup by forcing pressure through a single hole. Switching to a single-wall 54mm basket means grind, dose and tamp start to matter - which is exactly what you want once you're ready to dial in. Pair it with the bottomless portafilter above and you've got a proper feedback loop.

3. High Diffusion Shower Screen - Even Water, Every Shot

The stock shower screen distributes water unevenly, which contributes to channelling. A high diffusion shower screen spreads water more evenly across the puck for more consistent extraction and cleaner flavour. It's a five-minute swap and one of the most underrated upgrades on these machines.

4. A Proper Tamper - Ditch the Stock Plastic One

The Barista Express comes with a lightweight plastic tamper and the built-in razor dose tool. A precise, weighted tamper gives you a level, repeatable tamp - and levelness matters more than force. Our 54mm Dual-Spring Self-Levelling Tamper applies even pressure and keeps the base flat regardless of hand angle, so your puck prep is consistent shot after shot.

5. Puck Screen - Cleaner Group Head, Fewer Headaches

A 54mm puck screen sits on top of your tamped puck. It keeps your shower screen cleaner between backflushes, helps with even water contact, and makes knock-out tidier. Small upgrade, genuinely satisfying results.

6. Distribution: Dosing Funnel + WDT - Kill Channelling at the Source

Most channelling starts before you even tamp, with clumpy, unevenly distributed grounds. A 54mm dosing funnel keeps grounds in the basket while you prep, and a WDT tool breaks up clumps for even distribution. Together they make a bigger difference than most people expect. See the full distributor range. Add a distributor to this, and you'll never drink bad coffee again!

7. Upgrade the Grinder (When You're Ready)

The Barista Express's built-in grinder is convenient, but it's the biggest limiter on shot quality once everything else is dialled. Grind consistency is the single most important variable in espresso, and a dedicated burr grinder steps it up — especially if you also brew filter or want to switch beans without purging the hopper. It's the most expensive upgrade here, so it's usually last, but it's the one with the highest ceiling.

What Order Should You Upgrade In?

If you're starting from scratch: bottomless portafilter and single-wall basket first, then a proper tamper, then the shower screen. Those alone transform what the machine can do. The puck screen and distribution tools are the next tier, and a standalone grinder is the long-game upgrade once you want to push further.

Compatible Accessories Summary

Everything you need for the Barista Express is in one place - browse all Breville Barista Express & Pro accessories. Not sure what fits your machine? Use our Find Your Portafilter tool, or get in touch - we're happy to help.