The Breville Barista Express Impress and the classic Breville Barista Express are both excellent all-in-one espresso machines, but they target different users through one key feature: the tamping system. The Barista Express Impress features an "Impress Puck System" with assisted tamping and intelligent dosing to simplify the process for beginners, while the original Barista Express requires manual dosing and tamping, giving you full control over the craft.
Here’s everything you need to know to decide which high-quality Breville machine is right for your home coffee bar.
Breville Barista Express Impress
The Barista Express Impress is designed for the aspiring home barista who wants consistent, cafe-quality espresso without the mess and steep learning curve of manual puck preparation. Its standout feature is the guided dosing and assisted tamping lever, which ensures you have the correct amount of coffee and a perfectly compacted puck every single time, streamlining one of the most difficult parts of making espresso.
- What it is: A semi-automatic espresso machine with an integrated conical burr grinder and a guided tamping system.
- Key features: The Impress Puck System offers intelligent dosing that automatically adjusts based on the last shot, assisted one-lever tamping with a 7-degree barista twist, and 25 grinder settings. It also includes a ThermoCoil heating system for precise water temperature.
- Price: Around $899.95
- Style: Sleek and modern with a clean interface. Available in polished stainless steel and other premium finishes.
- Materials/Construction: Built with a durable stainless steel body and high-quality components, consistent with Breville's reputation for quality appliances.
- Pros: Drastically reduces the learning curve of making espresso. Creates less mess on your countertop by containing the grinding and tamping process. Delivers highly consistent dosing and tamping shot after shot. Gives clear feedback if your dose is too high or low.
- Cons: More expensive than the original Barista Express. Removes the hands-on control that some coffee hobbyists enjoy. The automated system offers less flexibility for experienced baristas who want to experiment with different tamping pressures.
This machine is ideal for anyone who prioritizes convenience and consistency and wants to avoid the guesswork and mess associated with manual espresso preparation.
Shop this product: breville.com/us/en/products/espresso/bes876.html
Breville Barista Express
As one of Breville's most popular models for over a decade, the Barista Express is an all-in-one powerhouse that gives you complete manual control over the espresso-making process. From grinding to dosing and tamping, every step is up to you, making it a fantastic machine for those who want to learn the art of being a barista from the ground up. It’s a proven and reliable choice for coffee enthusiasts who enjoy the ritual and challenge of pulling the perfect shot.
- What it is: A semi-automatic espresso machine that combines an integrated conical burr grinder with manual espresso shot controls.
- Key features: Integrated conical burr grinder with dose control, hands-free grinding cradle, manual tamper included, digital temperature control (PID) for water stability, and pressure gauge for extraction feedback.
- Price: Around $749.95
- Style: A classic, professional-inspired aesthetic with a prominent pressure gauge and more manual controls. Comes in brushed stainless steel and a few other color options.
- Materials/Construction: Built with a robust stainless steel chassis to ensure durability and stable performance over years of use.
- Pros: Full manual control allows for experimentation with grind size, dose, and tamping pressure. Teaches the fundamentals of espresso making. Lower price point compared to the newer Impress model. A highly regarded and reputable machine with a long history of owner satisfaction.
- Cons: A much steeper learning curve for beginners. The manual grinding and tamping process can be messy. Achieving consistent shots can be challenging without practice and a good technique.
The Barista Express is for the coffee lover who enjoys a hands-on experience and wants the control to dial in everything from bean to cup.
Shop this product: breville.com/us/en/products/espresso/bes870.html
Breville Barista Express Impress vs. Barista Express Comparison
Dosing & Tamping System
This is the most significant difference between the two machines. The Barista Express offers a completely manual workflow. You grind the beans into the portafilter, level the grounds, and tamp them yourself using the included magnetic tamper. This provides unlimited control but requires practice to master for consistent results.
The Barista Express Impress automates this entire step. After grinding, you pull a large lever on the side of the machine, which tamps the coffee to a precise pressure with an engineered twist, mimicking a professional barista’s technique. The machine’s intelligent dosing system even tells you if you need more or less coffee for a perfect puck, dramatically simplifying the process and reducing mess.
Ease of Use & Learning Curve
For a true beginner, the Barista Express Impress is significantly easier to use out of the box. Its puck system eliminates the two most error-prone variables in espresso making - inconsistent dosing and uneven tamping. This allows new users to get delicious, reliable results almost immediately.
The original Barista Express has a much steeper learning curve. New users often struggle with dialing in the right grind size, dosing correctly, and tamping with consistent pressure, which can lead to frustratingly sour or bitter shots at first. However, overcoming these challenges is part of the appeal for many coffee enthusiasts who want to hone their skills.
Design & Footprint
Both machines share a similar aesthetic with Breville’s signature brushed stainless steel finish, but they have subtle design differences. The original Express has its iconic pressure gauge front-and-center, giving it a more industrial look. The Impress has a cleaner interface, replacing the gauge with a series of lights that guide you through the automated dosing and tamping process.
In terms of size, they are very close, though the Impress is slightly deeper and taller to accommodate the tamping mechanism. The Impress measures 13" x 15" x 16.1", while the Express comes in at 12.5" x 12.6" x 13.1". Both fit on a standard kitchen counter, but you should check your under-cabinet clearance for the Impress.
Price & Value
The Breville Barista Express typically retails for around $750, while the Barista Express Impress costs about $900. The $150 price difference buys you the advanced Impress Puck System. If consistency and ease of use are your top priorities, and you want to bypass the frustrations of manual puck prep, the higher price for the Impress offers excellent value. If you are on a tighter budget and don't mind putting in the practice to learn manual techniques, the original Express provides an incredible all-in-one package for its price.
Which One Should You Choose?
Both machines deliver fantastic espresso for their class, but they cater to very different preferences for the coffee-making ritual.
Choose the Breville Barista Express Impress if:
- You're new to making espresso and want to minimize the learning curve.
- You value consistency and want great-tasting coffee without a lot of guesswork.
- Keeping your counter clean from stray coffee grounds is a top priority.
- The idea of a guided system that assists with dosing and tamping sounds appealing.
Choose the Breville Barista Express if:
- You're excited by the hands-on craft of making espresso and want full manual control.
- You want to learn how to dial in a grinder, distribute grounds, and tamp yourself.
- That classic analog pressure gauge is an aesthetic you appreciate for visual feedback.
- You want a proven, all-in-one machine at a more budget-friendly price point.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main difference between the Breville Barista Express and the Barista Express Impress?
The single biggest difference is the puck preparation system. The Barista Express is fully manual, requiring you to dose and tamp coffee grounds yourself. The Barista Express Impress features an assisted tamping lever and an intelligent dosing system that automates these tricky steps to ensure consistency and reduce mess.
Is the Barista Express Impress worth the extra money?
For beginners or those who value convenience and tidiness, the extra $150 for the Impress is well worth it. It removes common sources of frustration and allows you to pull excellent shots much faster. For coffee hobbyists who enjoy the process and control, the manual Barista Express offers better value.
Which model is better for beginners?
The Barista Express Impress is undeniably better for beginners. Its guided systems provide a much more forgiving introduction to making espresso at home, leading to immediate success and building confidence.
Can you manually tamp with the Barista Express Impress?
No, the tamping mechanism is fully integrated into the machine via its side lever. The system is designed to provide optimal, consistent pressure, so a separate manual tamper is not needed and cannot be used in the same workflow.
Do both machines have the same grinder and heating system?
Yes, both models feature a similar integrated stainless steel conical burr grinder and a ThermoCoil heating system with PID temperature control. This means they are both capable of producing a quality grind and maintaining stable water temperature for excellent extraction.
How is the milk frothing/steam wand on these models?
The steam wands on both machines are very similar and powerful enough to create silky microfoam for lattes, cappuccinos, and latte art. Both have a single-hole tip and are manually operated, giving you full control over the milk texturing process.
Which machine is easier to clean?
Daily cleaning is slightly easier with the Barista Express Impress. Because the grinding and tamping is mostly contained, there are far fewer coffee grounds spilled on your countertop. For deep cleaning and regular maintenance, the process is very similar for both machines.
Do I need to buy a separate tamper for the Barista Express?
No, the Barista Express comes with a high-quality 54mm metal tamper that stores magnetically within the machine, so you have everything you need to get started right out of the box.
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