Breville Barista Touch Impress Review

As a long-time coffee enthusiast, I have explored several home espresso machines in my pursuit of the perfect brew. Today, I want to share my experience with the Breville Barista Touch Impress. This machine caught my attention with its promise to deliver barista-quality espresso in the comfort of my kitchen, all with a sleek design and user-friendly interface. Let me walk you through my honest thoughts, impressions, and experiences with the Breville Barista Touch Impress, including where it shines and where it could improve.

First Impressions of the Breville Barista Touch Impress

Unboxing the Breville Barista Touch Impress was quite an experience. The first thing that struck me was the machine's aesthetic—its brushed stainless steel exterior gives it a high-end, professional look. The size is perfect for my moderately sized kitchen, sitting comfortably on my counter without overwhelming the space. Breville has clearly thought about practicality in design, providing all the necessary accessories, including a milk jug, a water filter, and cleaning tools.

The sleek touchscreen interface was something that stood out immediately. It was intuitive to use, much like navigating a smartphone. You can easily choose from pre-set coffee options, tweak parameters like grind size, water temperature, and milk frothing, and save your preferences. It felt like a perfect blend of modern tech meeting traditional coffee craftsmanship.

Setting Up and Getting Started

Setting up the Breville Barista Touch Impress was straightforward. After filling the water tank and adding beans, I navigated the machine’s step-by-step instructions on the display. One of the features I loved was the assisted tamping technology, which is part of Breville's "Impress" name. Unlike my old manual tamper, this feature ensured a consistent tamp every single time, reducing the guesswork and helping me achieve a much better extraction right from the start.

The machine comes with an integrated conical burr grinder, which makes the process extremely convenient. The grinder offers up to 25 different grind settings, which are great for dialing in the perfect espresso shot. I must admit, playing around with grind sizes, even as a relatively experienced home barista, can be challenging. However, the Breville Barista Touch Impress made the learning curve easier, giving me a consistent cup more often than not.

Breville Barista Touch Impress: Touchscreen and Customization

The touchscreen interface of the Breville Barista Touch Impress is where the machine truly excels. The keyword "Breville Barista Touch Impress Review" is more than just a title—the touchscreen aspect deserves ample attention. It allows me to choose from different coffee styles such as espresso, flat white, latte, or even just a simple Americano.

What I love most about the interface is the ability to customize the grind size, brew time, and milk temperature. The first time I made a flat white, I played around with the milk frothing settings to achieve that silky, velvety texture I crave. Once I found the perfect combination, I saved it, and now I can recreate my ideal flat white with just a few taps. This customization feature is a real selling point, as it gives you the ability to tweak your drinks without overwhelming you with too many complex options.

Breville Barista Touch Impress Grinder and Tamping Experience

A crucial aspect of any espresso machine is its grinder, and this is where my Breville Barista Touch Impress review goes in-depth. The integrated grinder works well overall, and being able to control the grind size made a significant difference in my shots. However, I did notice that the grinder tends to struggle a bit with lighter roast beans. On some occasions, I experienced inconsistency in the grind size, which resulted in less-than-perfect extraction. That said, with a bit of tweaking, I managed to dial in a consistent grind that worked well with the beans I use most frequently.

The assisted tamping system is a standout feature for me. If you’ve ever used a manual espresso machine, you know that tamping can be one of the trickiest parts to get right. Uneven pressure can lead to an unbalanced extraction, which negatively affects the flavor. Breville’s assisted tamping ensures that each puck is perfectly level with the right amount of pressure. This feature significantly reduced the learning curve, making it easier to focus on other parts of the brewing process.

Milk Frothing with the Breville Barista Touch Impress

The milk frothing capability of the Breville Barista Touch Impress is another key feature worth mentioning. The steam wand is automatic, allowing you to select the temperature and level of froth. This is particularly helpful when making drinks like cappuccinos, which require more foam, or lattes, which need a smoother microfoam.

In my experience, the steam wand worked very well with dairy milk, creating a beautiful, velvety microfoam perfect for latte art. However, when it came to alternative milks, like oat or almond, the results were a bit inconsistent. Sometimes I achieved excellent foam, while at other times, the texture was less than desirable. That said, I appreciate the wand’s overall ease of use—not having to manually froth the milk allows me to focus on pulling a perfect shot of espresso.

Cleaning and Maintenance

Cleaning the Breville Barista Touch Impress is another area where the machine shines. The intuitive prompts on the touchscreen tell you when it’s time to clean the steam wand or run a descaling cycle. The drip tray is easy to remove and has a handy indicator to let you know when it’s full. The assisted cleaning features take a lot of the guesswork out of the process, which I found to be very convenient. I do still recommend keeping up with routine cleaning—it’s important for maintaining the quality of your coffee over time.

Breville Barista Touch Impress vs. the Breville Oracle Touch

A proper Breville Barista Touch Impress review wouldn't be complete without comparing it to the Breville Oracle Touch—a machine that many consider to be the pinnacle of home espresso systems. Having used both, I must say that the Oracle Touch takes espresso-making to the next level.

The Oracle Touch automates grinding, dosing, tamping, and milk texturing, meaning there’s virtually no manual intervention. It’s ideal for anyone who wants barista-level results with minimal effort. The dual boiler system is another significant difference. It allows for simultaneous extraction and steaming, making the entire process much quicker—something the Barista Touch Impress lacks.

In terms of espresso quality, I found the Oracle Touch to be more consistent, particularly when using different types of coffee beans. The dual boiler ensures better temperature stability, which directly impacts the quality of the espresso shot. The Breville Barista Touch Impress, while very capable, just doesn’t quite reach the same level of consistency and finesse as the Oracle Touch. For those who are serious about their coffee and willing to make a bigger investment, the Oracle Touch is, in my opinion, the better option.

Who Is the Breville Barista Touch Impress For?

If you are someone who enjoys having control over your coffee but doesn’t want the complexity of a fully manual espresso machine, the Breville Barista Touch Impress could be an excellent fit. The assisted tamping, intuitive touchscreen, and automated steam wand make it easy to achieve a high-quality cup without the steep learning curve of more manual machines.

That said, if you are a coffee perfectionist looking for full control and the best possible quality at home, you might outgrow this machine rather quickly. In that case, it might be worth saving up for the Breville Oracle Touch or even exploring some higher-end manual options.

Price and Value

The Breville Barista Touch Impress retails for around $1,500, which places it at the higher end of the home espresso machine market. Given its features—such as the touchscreen interface, assisted tamping, and automated milk frothing—I do believe it offers value for the money, especially for those who want to enjoy high-quality espresso without all the manual labor.

However, the Breville Oracle Touch, priced at $2,800, offers even more features that justify its higher cost. With the Oracle Touch, you’re paying for convenience, consistency, and professional-grade performance. For someone like me, who is absolutely obsessed with coffee, the extra investment in the Oracle Touch would be worth every penny.

Product Review Conclusion: Breville Barista Touch Impress

In conclusion, the Breville Barista Touch Impress is a fantastic machine for those who want an intuitive and customizable espresso-making experience without the hassle of a fully manual process. Its assisted tamping system, customizable grind settings, and automatic milk frothing make it a perfect middle-ground machine for beginners to intermediate coffee lovers.

However, for those who want a truly hands-off experience and are willing to pay a premium for consistency and quality, the Breville Oracle Touch remains the gold standard. The Breville Barista Touch Impress gets a lot right, and I enjoyed my time with it, but it’s not quite the best of the best. Whether you decide on the Barista Touch Impress or spring for the Oracle Touch, both machines are capable of bringing the café experience right into your kitchen.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Is the Breville Barista Touch Impress suitable for beginners?

A: Yes, the Breville Barista Touch Impress is ideal for beginners due to its user-friendly touchscreen interface, assisted tamping, and automated milk frothing. It simplifies the process of making high-quality espresso without requiring advanced barista skills.

Q: How does the assisted tamping system work?

A: The assisted tamping system on the Breville Barista Touch Impress helps ensure consistent pressure during tamping, which is crucial for optimal espresso extraction. The machine applies the right amount of pressure every time, reducing the guesswork and making it easier for users to achieve a balanced shot.

Q: Can I use non-dairy milk for frothing?

A: Yes, you can use non-dairy milk like oat, almond, or soy with the steam wand. However, the results may be less consistent compared to dairy milk. The steam wand generally performs well with non-dairy options, but achieving the perfect microfoam might take some practice.

Q: How does the Breville Barista Touch Impress compare to the Breville Oracle Touch?

A: The Breville Oracle Touch is a more advanced machine compared to the Barista Touch Impress. It automates grinding, dosing, tamping, and milk texturing, and features a dual boiler for simultaneous extraction and steaming. This makes it more consistent and efficient, but it also comes at a higher price point.

Q: What kind of maintenance is required for the Breville Barista Touch Impress?

A: The Breville Barista Touch Impress includes prompts for regular cleaning, such as descaling and cleaning the steam wand. The drip tray is easy to remove, and the machine includes cleaning tools to help maintain it. Routine maintenance is important to ensure the longevity and quality of your coffee.

Q: Is the price of the Breville Barista Touch Impress worth it?

A: For many coffee lovers, the price of $1,500 is justified by the machine's features, such as the touchscreen, assisted tamping, and automated milk frothing. If you value convenience and the ability to customize your drinks, the Breville Barista Touch Impress offers good value. However, those seeking ultimate consistency and automation might find the Breville Oracle Touch to be a better, albeit more expensive, investment.

Q: Can I save my customized coffee settings on the Breville Barista Touch Impress?

A: Yes, the Breville Barista Touch Impress allows you to save your customized coffee settings, including grind size, brew time, and milk temperature. This feature is incredibly convenient for recreating your favorite drinks with consistency.