The Breville Barista Touch and the Breville Impress are both excellent espresso machines, but they cater to very different home baristas. The Barista Touch is a premium, semi-automatic machine featuring a full-color touchscreen and automated milk frothing for ultimate convenience, while the Impress is a more affordable, hands-on machine designed for those who want to learn the craft of espresso with manual controls.
Here's everything you need to know to choose the right Breville machine for your daily coffee routine.
Breville Barista Touch
The Breville Barista Touch is a high-tech espresso machine designed to bring the café experience into your home with minimal effort. Its defining feature is the intuitive color touchscreen that guides you through every step, from grinding and brewing to milk frothing. With pre-programmed cafe favorites and the ability to save custom drinks, it automates the most difficult parts of making specialty coffee.
- What it is: A premium, semi-automatic espresso machine with an integrated grinder, color touchscreen, and automatic milk frothing system.
- Key features: Intuitive touchscreen interface with pre-set coffee recipes (espresso, latte, flat white), automatic hands-free milk frothing wand that creates microfoam, integrated conical burr grinder with adjustable settings, and ThermoJet heating system for a 3-second heat-up time.
- Price: Around $1,200 to $1,400.
- Dimensions: 12.7" W x 13.1" D x 16" H.
- Style: Sleek brushed stainless steel with a modern, high-tech aesthetic dominated by its large touchscreen display.
- Pros: Extremely easy to use, even for complete beginners. Automated milk frothing delivers consistent, cafe-quality results for lattes and cappuccinos. Fast heat-up time means no waiting. Allows for saving up to 8 personalized drinks. High-quality construction and a premium feel.
- Cons: High price point puts it out of reach for many. Larger footprint requires more counter space. Reliance on electronics could mean more complex repairs down the line.
The Barista Touch is ideal for coffee lovers who crave convenience and consistent, high-quality results without a steep learning curve and are willing to invest in a premium appliance.
Shop this product: breville.com/us/products/espresso/bes880.html
Breville Impress
The Breville Impress is an entry-level espresso machine that focuses on the core fundamentals of great coffee at a much more accessible price point. It strips away the advanced automation in favor of giving users manual control over the process. It's built for those who want to develop their skills and understand what goes into pulling a perfect shot of espresso.
- What it is: A straightforward espresso machine with a built-in grinder and a manual steam wand for aspiring home baristas.
- Key features: Integrated conical burr grinder with dose control, simple button interface with a pressure gauge for feedback, manual steam wand for hands-on milk texturing, and a compact footprint.
- Price: Around $700 to $900.
- Dimensions: 12" W x 11" D x 13" H (approximate, more compact than the Touch).
- Style: Functional and compact, with brushed stainless steel finishes and durable plastic components. A more traditional, less tech-focused look.
- Pros: More affordable, making it a great entry point into quality home espresso. Its manual process is perfect for learning and honing barista skills. Compact size is ideal for smaller kitchens. Solid, reliable performance for the price.
- Cons: Requires skill and practice to froth milk properly. Steeper learning curve for beginners compared to the Touch. Fewer bells and whistles. Simpler construction may be less durable under very heavy use.
The Impress is a great fit for budget-conscious coffee drinkers or anyone eager to embrace the hands-on process of making their own espresso and lattes from scratch.
Shop this product: breville.com/us/products/espresso/bes870.html
Breville Barista Touch vs. Breville Impress Comparison
Ease of Use & Automation
This is the most significant difference between the two machines. The Barista Touch is built for simplicity. Its touchscreen guides you through brewing pre-set drinks like lattes or cappuccinos with minimal input. The milk frothing is fully automatic - just place the jug under the wand and it does the work for you, creating perfectly textured milk every time.
The Impress is a more manual experience. You control the grind and shot volume with buttons and rely on the pressure gauge for feedback. Frothing milk requires learning the technique of aerating and texturing yourself. It's more of a learning tool, rewarding skill and practice, whereas the Touch is all about getting perfect results with the push of a button.
Style & Aesthetics
The Barista Touch has a modern, premium look centered around its large color touchscreen. Its sleek lines and brighter stainless steel finish give it a high-tech vibe that fits well in contemporary kitchens. It’s designed to be a centerpiece.
The Impress is more utilitarian and compact. Its design is classic and straightforward, with physical buttons and a notable pressure gauge on the front. It’s smaller and less imposing, making it a better fit for kitchens where counter space is at a premium or for those who prefer a more traditional appliance look.
Price & Value
At around $700 to $900, the Impress offers incredible value for an all-in-one machine. It gives you all the tools you need to make great espresso without the premium cost of automation. It’s a solid investment for someone starting their coffee journey.
The Barista Touch, at $1,200 to $1,400, is a significant financial step up. The value here comes from convenience, technology, and consistency. If you value saved time and want guaranteed cafe-quality drinks without the guesswork, the higher price is justified by its advanced features and user-friendly interface.
Who Each One Works Best For
The personas for these two machines are quite different. The Barista Touch is for the busy professional, the tech enthusiast, or the coffee lover who simply wants a perfect flat white in the morning without any fuss. It’s for someone who values the end result more than the process itself.
The Impress is for the aspiring home barista, the student on a budget, or the person who finds joy in the craft of coffee making. It appeals to users who want to be deeply involved in the process, from dialing in the grind to perfecting their latte art skills.
Which One Should You Choose?
Both models deliver fantastic espresso, but they serve completely different needs and priorities.
Choose the Breville Barista Touch if:
- You want maximum convenience and consistent results with minimal effort.
- You love milky drinks like lattes and cappuccinos and want them frothed perfectly every time, automatically.
- Your budget is higher and you're willing to pay a premium for a sleek, modern, tech-forward appliance.
- You prefer a guided experience with a touchscreen over manual buttons and gauges.
Choose the Breville Impress if:
- You're on a tighter budget but still want an all-in-one machine from a reputable brand.
- You are excited about learning the hands-on skills of a barista, especially manual milk frothing.
- You have limited counter space and need a more compact machine.
- You prefer the tactile feedback of physical buttons and dials over a touchscreen interface.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the main difference between the Barista Touch and Impress?
The main difference is automation and interface. The Barista Touch uses a color touchscreen menu and features automatic milk frothing, making it incredibly user-friendly. The Impress uses physical buttons and requires manual milk frothing, giving you more hands-on control but with a steeper learning curve.
Which machine is better for a beginner?
It depends on the type of beginner. If you want great coffee immediately with no learning curve, the Barista Touch is easier. If you want to learn the skill of making espresso and are patient with the process, the Impress is the better (and more affordable) starting point.
Is the Barista Touch worth the extra cost?
For users who highly value convenience, speed, and automated consistency, yes. The ability to save custom drinks and get perfectly frothy milk automatically without any skill is a significant upgrade that many find justifies the price difference.
How does the milk frothing work on each model?
On the Barista Touch, you place your milk jug under the steam wand, select the temperature and froth level you want on the screen, and press go. The machine does the rest. On the Impress, you use the manual steam wand to submerge and aerate the milk yourself, giving you full control over the texture.
Do both the Barista Touch and Impress have built-in grinders?
Yes, both models feature an integrated conical burr grinder, so you can grind fresh beans directly into the portafilter before each shot. This is a key feature for making quality espresso.
How much counter space do they need?
The Impress is noticeably more compact and has a smaller footprint, making it ideal for smaller apartments or kitchens. The Barista Touch is wider and deeper to accommodate its larger screen and powerful internals, so make sure to measure your space beforehand.
Can I make drinks other than espresso with these machines?
Absolutely. Both are designed to make cafe-style drinks. You can make Americanos, lattes, cappuccinos, flat whites, and more. The Touch has pre-programmed settings for these, while on the Impress you'd create them manually after pulling your espresso shot.
What is the warranty on these Breville espresso machines?
Breville typically offers a one-year limited product warranty on both of these machines, covering defects in materials and workmanship. However, it's always best to check the specific warranty details with the retailer at the time of purchase.
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