The Breville Touch Impress and Express Impress are both excellent semi-automatic espresso machines, but they serve very different users through their interface and features. The Touch Impress is the premium, high-tech option featuring a large color touchscreen that guides you through the brewing process, while the Express Impress offers a more traditional, tactile experience with physical buttons and a focus on essential controls.
Here’s everything you need to know to choose the right Breville machine for your home cafe.
Breville Touch Impress
The Touch Impress is Breville's flagship machine for the home barista who loves technology and customization. It streamlines the espresso-making process with a step-by-step touchscreen interface, making it easy to create café-quality drinks with minimal guesswork. Its sleek design and advanced features are geared toward enthusiasts who want convenience without sacrificing control.
- What it is: A premium, semi-automatic espresso machine with a large color touchscreen for guided brewing.
- Key features: High-resolution touchscreen interface, pre-programmed coffee recipes, integrated conical burr grinder, ability to save custom drink settings, and a powerful steam wand for microfoam milk frothing.
- Price: $1,200 - $1,400
- Dimensions: Approximately 13.4" W x 15" D x 16" H.
- Style: Sleek and modern with a dominant touchscreen, fitting a contemporary, tech-forward kitchen aesthetic.
- Pros: Extremely user-friendly guided brewing process. Allows for deep customization and saving personal profiles. Dual boiler system allows for simultaneous brewing and steaming. Premium brushed stainless steel build quality.
- Cons: A significant price jump from the Express Impress. Larger footprint requires more countertop space. Can feel overly complex if you just want a simple shot of espresso.
This machine is for the coffee lover who appreciates guided technology, wants to experiment with and save different drink recipes, and has the budget for a top-tier home setup.
Shop this product: https://www.breville.com/us/products/espresso/bes880.html
Breville Express Impress
The Breville Express Impress provides the core functionality of a great espresso machine in a more accessible and straightforward package. It forgoes the large touchscreen in favor of tactile buttons, an LCD screen, and a pressure gauge, appealing to users who prefer a more hands-on approach or are just starting their home barista journey. It's a workhorse machine that delivers exceptional value.
- What it is: A streamlined, budget-friendly semi-automatic espresso machine with physical controls.
- Key features: Integrated conical burr grinder with dose control, programmable shot volume and temperature, manual steam wand for milk frothing, and a classic pressure gauge for monitoring extraction.
- Price: $700 - $900
- Dimensions: Approximately 12.5" W x 14" D x 15" H.
- Style: A classic and compact espresso machine look with a stainless steel finish that blends into nearly any kitchen design.
- Pros: Excellent value for the price. Simple and direct to operate without a complex menu. More compact footprint saves counter space. Still provides great control over the essentials of a good espresso shot.
- Cons: Lacks the advanced customization and convenience of the touchscreen model. Manual steam wand requires more practice to perfect. Brewing and steaming are sequential, not simultaneous.
The Express Impress is a perfect choice for beginners, those on a budget, or an enthusiast who prioritizes tactile control over guided technology.
Shop this product: https://www.breville.com/us/products/espresso/bes870.html
Breville Touch Impress vs. Express Impress Comparison
Interface & Ease of Use
The biggest difference lies in the user interface. The Touch Impress uses its large, vibrant touchscreen to walk you through every step - from grinding and tamping to pulling the shot and steaming milk. It feels modern and almost foolproof, showing animations and clear instructions. It's ideal for anyone who feels intimidated by the learning curve of espresso.
The Express Impress, on the other hand, is all about tactile control. You use physical buttons to select grind size, program your shot volume, and activate the pump. While there's a small learning curve, many users prefer the directness and feedback of physical buttons. It empowers you to learn the process by feel rather than by screen prompts.
Performance & Customization
While both machines pull excellent shots, the Touch Impress offers a higher level of performance and customization. Its dual boiler system is a massive advantage, allowing you to pull an espresso shot and steam milk simultaneously. This significantly speeds up the process for making lattes or cappuccinos. You can also create, name, and save up to 8 personalized coffee settings, dialing in the perfect parameters for your favorite beans.
The Express Impress uses a single heating system, meaning you must pull your shot first, then wait a moment for the machine to heat up to steaming temperature. It still offers key customizations, like adjustable grind size and programmable shot volume, but lacks the ability to save detailed user profiles. Its performance is reliable and consistent, but less efficient for milk-based drinks compared to its more expensive counterpart.
Dimensions & Footprint
Counter space is often a prime consideration in the kitchen. The Express Impress is the more compact of the two, with dimensions of around 12.5" wide by 14" deep. This makes it a great fit for smaller kitchens or apartments.
The Touch Impress is slightly larger in every direction, measuring about 13.4" wide by 15" deep. While not a massive difference, its larger presence is noticeable on the counter. Ensure you have adequate space, including vertical clearance under any cabinets, as it stands 16 inches tall.
Price & Value
The price gap is substantial, with the Touch Impress costing several hundred dollars more than the Express Impress. At $1,200-$1,400, the Touch Impress justifies its cost with its advanced touchscreen technology, dual boiler efficiency, and deeper level of customization. The value is in the streamlined, guided experience and premium features.
The Express Impress, priced between $700-$900, offers tremendous value. It provides all of the essential tools needed to make barista-quality espresso at home - a quality grinder, precise temperature control, and a powerful steam wand - at a much more accessible price. For many people, this machine is everything they need without the extra cost of advanced electronics.
Which One Should You Choose?
Both machines deliver beautiful espresso, but they are built for different people and priorities.
Choose the Breville Touch Impress if:
- You enjoy a guided, tech-forward experience and feel comfortable navigating a touchscreen.
- You want to save multiple personalized drink recipes for different users or coffee beans.
- You frequently make lattes or cappuccinos and need to brew and steam milk at the same time.
- Your budget allows for a premium, top-of-the-line home machine.
Choose the Breville Express Impress if:
- You prefer tactile buttons and a more hands-on, traditional brewing process.
- You're on a tighter budget but still want fantastic espresso quality.
- You are new to home espresso and want a straightforward machine to learn on.
- Counter space is limited in your kitchen.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the main difference between the Touch Impress and Express Impress?
The core difference is the user interface and brewing technology. The Touch Impress features a color touchscreen that guides you through the process and has a dual boiler for simultaneous brewing and steaming. The Express Impress uses physical buttons and a more manual control system with a single heating element.
Is the Touch Impress worth the extra money?
It can be, depending on your needs. If you value the convenience of a guided interface, the ability to save custom drink profiles, and the speed of a dual boiler for milk drinks, the extra cost is justified. If you just want excellent espresso without the bells and whistles, the Express Impress offers better value.
Which machine is better for a beginner?
Both are great for beginners for different reasons. The Touch Impress makes it easy by holding your hand through every step. However, the Express Impress is often recommended because its simpler interface and lower price point make it a more accessible way to learn the fundamentals of crafting espresso.
Do both machines have a built-in grinder?
Yes, both the Touch Impress and the Express Impress come with an integrated conical burr grinder, allowing you to grind your coffee beans fresh for every shot.
Can I brew espresso and steam milk at the same time?
You can on the Touch Impress thanks to its dual boiler system. On the Express Impress, these actions are sequential - you brew your shot first, then switch the machine to steam mode.
Which machine is more durable?
Both machines are built with high-quality stainless steel and are known for their durability. As the Express Impress has fewer complex electronic components like a large touchscreen, it theoretically has fewer potential points of failure over a very long lifespan.
How much coffee can the bean hoppers hold?
Both machines typically have a half-pound (8 oz) bean hopper capacity, which is plenty for dozens of shots before needing a refill.
What maintenance is required for these machines?
Standard espresso machine maintenance applies to both: regular cleaning of the group head and portafilter, descaling when prompted by the machine, backflushing with cleaning tablets, and periodically cleaning the grinder burrs.
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