Breville Barista Touch Impress Review

As a coffee enthusiast, I've always searched for the perfect espresso machine to recreate café-quality beverages at home. When I came across the Breville Barista Touch Impress, it promised a harmonious balance between professional-grade performance and user-friendly features. After several weeks of brewing, frothing, and experimenting, I can confidently share my insights on this impressive machine.

Unboxing the Breville Barista Touch Impress

Right from the start, the Breville Barista Touch Impress felt like a high-quality machine. The packaging was neat and included everything I needed to get started: the machine itself, a portafilter, single and dual wall filter baskets, a stainless steel milk jug, cleaning tools, and a water filter. The sleek stainless steel design made a great first impression. It looked like something you’d find at a professional cafe, but compact enough to fit comfortably on my kitchen counter.

Setting up the machine was straightforward. I appreciated how the touchscreen interface guided me step-by-step through the initial settings—from selecting water hardness to adjusting grind levels. I was already impressed with how intuitive everything felt. In just a few minutes, I had it ready to brew.

Breville Barista Touch Impress: The Grinder and Tamping Experience

One of the most critical aspects of brewing a good espresso is having consistent grounds. The Breville Barista Touch Impress takes care of this with its built-in grinder, which offers 25 different grind settings. I found this particularly helpful, as I enjoy experimenting with different beans and adjusting the grind to get the best flavor out of each one.

Another standout feature was the assisted tamping system. For those who are not familiar, tamping is the process of pressing coffee grounds evenly into the portafilter before brewing, and it can make or break an espresso shot. The assisted tamping feature of the Breville Barista Touch Impress provides a perfect tamp every time, without any guesswork. I’ve used other machines where tamping felt inconsistent and challenging, but this machine made it foolproof—a huge plus for beginners and even seasoned coffee lovers looking for convenience.

Brewing Espresso with the Breville Barista Touch Impress

The first shot of espresso I brewed with the Breville Barista Touch Impress was impressive—no pun intended. The ThermoJet heating system heats the water in about three seconds, which meant I could start brewing almost immediately. No waiting around, especially on those mornings when caffeine was desperately needed.

The touchscreen makes the brewing process so much easier than other machines I’ve used in the past. You can select from a variety of preset drinks—espresso, flat white, cappuccino, latte—or customize your own. I loved how I could adjust the shot volume, milk texture, and temperature to craft my perfect cup. And the best part? You can save your preferences for future use.

Exploring the Touchscreen Interface on the Breville Barista Touch Impress

One of the defining features of the Breville Barista Touch Impress is its intuitive touchscreen interface. It allows you to select from pre-programmed coffee options, like espresso, cappuccino, and latte, and customize every aspect of the drink.

As someone who likes to experiment with settings, I loved the ability to fine-tune grind size, extraction time, and milk temperature. The touchscreen walks you through each step of the brewing process, making it perfect for both novices and experienced baristas.

The Impress™ Puck System: A Game-Changer

The Breville Barista Touch Impress introduces the innovative Impress™ Puck System. This feature automates dosing, tamping, and leveling the coffee grounds. It eliminates the guesswork and ensures consistent results.

For me, this was a revelation. Traditionally, tamping is one of the trickiest aspects of espresso making, and getting it wrong can lead to uneven extraction. With the Impress™ Puck System, every shot came out perfectly balanced, and the cleanup was far less messy than expected.

Brewing Espresso with the Breville Barista Touch Impress

Brewing espresso with the Breville Barista Touch Impress was where the machine truly shone. Its ThermoJet heating system reached the optimal brewing temperature in seconds. The pressure during extraction was consistent, delivering rich espresso with a thick crema every time.

What I appreciated most was the machine’s ability to adjust brewing parameters. As I experimented with different beans and grind sizes, I found it easy to customize my espresso to match my taste preferences. It’s rare to find a machine that balances automation with this level of control.

Frothing Milk on the Breville Barista Touch Impress

Another standout feature of the Breville Barista Touch Impress is the automatic steam wand. Frothing milk is an art form, and this machine makes it accessible to everyone. The steam wand produces silky, microfoam milk perfect for latte art, with adjustable settings for texture and temperature.

For those who enjoy hands-on control, the manual mode offers the flexibility to steam milk to your specifications. Whether I was crafting a velvety cappuccino or experimenting with oat milk lattes, the results were consistently café-quality.

Customizing Beverages on the Breville Barista Touch Impress

The customization options on the Breville Barista Touch Impress are a dream come true for coffee lovers. The machine allows you to save personalized settings for grind size, shot volume, milk temperature, and texture. Each setting can be named and saved for future use.

As someone who alternates between a bold morning espresso and a milky afternoon latte, having my preferences saved meant I could recreate my favorite drinks with a single tap. It’s a feature that truly elevates the user experience.

Cleaning and Maintenance of the Breville Barista Touch Impress

Cleaning an espresso machine can often be a chore, but the Breville Barista Touch Impress makes it as painless as possible. The touchscreen provides alerts for routine maintenance, such as cleaning cycles and descaling.

The drip tray, used puck container, and milk wand are all easy to remove and clean. The included cleaning tools ensure every nook and cranny is accessible. Regular maintenance is crucial for any espresso machine, and this one makes it straightforward and stress-free.

Comparing the Breville Barista Touch Impress to Other Models

When comparing the Breville Barista Touch Impress to other models, it becomes clear how much it brings to the table. While the Barista Express offers a more manual experience, and the Barista Pro focuses on speed, the Touch Impress strikes a perfect balance.

Its standout features, like the Impress™ Puck System and the touchscreen interface, set it apart from competitors. It feels like the ideal choice for anyone who wants the quality of a professional espresso machine with the convenience of automation.

Is the Breville Barista Touch Impress Worth the Investment?

If you’re serious about your coffee, the Breville Barista Touch Impress is absolutely worth considering. Its combination of advanced technology and user-friendly features makes it a standout choice for anyone who wants to elevate their home brewing experience.

Yes, it’s an investment, but for the quality, consistency, and customization it offers, I believe it’s worth every penny. It’s an excellent option for beginners who need guidance and seasoned coffee aficionados who want precision.

Product Review Conclusion: Breville Barista Touch Impress Review

The Breville Barista Touch Impress has redefined my coffee routine. Its impressive blend of automation and manual control makes it suitable for all levels of coffee enthusiasts. From the innovative Impress™ Puck System to the customizable touchscreen interface, this machine delivers on its promise of café-quality coffee at home.

While it may come with a premium price tag, the quality and convenience it offers make it a worthwhile investment for anyone who takes their coffee seriously. Whether you’re just beginning your espresso journey or looking to upgrade your current setup, the Breville Barista Touch Impress is a machine I can wholeheartedly recommend.

FAQ

1. What is the Impress™ Puck System on the Breville Barista Touch Impress?
Answer:
The Impress™ Puck System is an innovative feature on the Breville Barista Touch Impress that automates the dosing, tamping, and leveling of coffee grounds. This system ensures consistency with every shot, eliminates guesswork, and reduces mess, making it easier for users to achieve balanced espresso extractions.

2. How does the touchscreen interface work on the Breville Barista Touch Impress?
Answer:
The touchscreen interface on the Breville Barista Touch Impress is user-friendly and allows you to select from pre-programmed coffee options like espresso, cappuccino, and latte. It also enables customization of settings such as grind size, shot volume, milk temperature, and texture. The screen guides you through the brewing process, making it ideal for both beginners and experienced users.

3. Can I customize the drinks on the Breville Barista Touch Impress?
Answer:
Yes! One of the key features of the Breville Barista Touch Impress is its ability to customize drinks. You can adjust various parameters, including grind size, shot volume, milk temperature, and milk texture. These personalized settings can be saved for future use, allowing you to recreate your perfect coffee with a single tap.

4. How long does it take for the Breville Barista Touch Impress to heat up?
Answer:
Thanks to the ThermoJet heating system, the Breville Barista Touch Impress reaches optimal brewing temperature in just 3 seconds. This fast heat-up time ensures that you're ready to make coffee almost immediately after turning the machine on.

5. How do I clean the Breville Barista Touch Impress?
Answer:
Cleaning the Breville Barista Touch Impress is relatively easy. The machine provides prompts for regular maintenance, including cleaning cycles and descaling reminders. The drip tray, used puck container, and milk wand are removable and simple to clean. The touchscreen will guide you through the process, and the included cleaning kit makes it even easier to keep the machine in top condition.

6. Does the Breville Barista Touch Impress have a built-in grinder?
Answer:
Yes, the Breville Barista Touch Impress comes with a built-in conical burr grinder. The grinder offers multiple grind size settings, allowing you to adjust it based on your bean type and brewing preferences. It also has a sealed hopper to keep beans fresh, and the integrated grinder helps ensure you always have freshly ground coffee.

7. What is the price range of the Breville Barista Touch Impress?
Answer:
The Breville Barista Touch Impress is considered a premium coffee machine, and its price typically ranges from $1,000 to $1,200, depending on the retailer and location. While it’s an investment, many users find the quality, automation, and customizable features worth the price.

8. Can I use non-dairy milk with the Breville Barista Touch Impress?
Answer:
Yes, the Breville Barista Touch Impress works well with both dairy and non-dairy milk, including oat, almond, and soy milk. The steam wand allows you to adjust the milk texture and temperature, ensuring you can create microfoam with non-dairy milk just as easily as with dairy milk.

9. How does the steam wand work on the Breville Barista Touch Impress?
Answer:
The steam wand on the Breville Barista Touch Impress is automatic, meaning it adjusts the milk temperature and texture based on your preferences. You can choose from different milk textures for drinks like lattes, cappuccinos, and flat whites. If you prefer manual control, you can also operate the steam wand manually for more hands-on milk frothing.

10. Is the Breville Barista Touch Impress suitable for beginners?
Answer:
Absolutely! The Breville Barista Touch Impress is designed with beginners in mind. Its intuitive touchscreen interface guides you through the brewing process, and the Impress™ Puck System automates key steps like tamping. Additionally, the pre-programmed settings allow you to get started quickly, while still providing room for customization as you grow more experienced.