Breville Barista Touch Impress vs Breville Barista Touch
Quick take: The Breville Barista Touch costs $500 less.
| Spec | Breville Barista Touch Impress | Breville Barista Touch |
|---|---|---|
| Standout features | Assisted Tamping, Cold Brew | Programmable, Pre-Infusion |
| Approx. price | ~$1,500 | ~$1,000 |
| Type | Semi-Automatic | Semi-Automatic |
| Boiler | Thermoblock | Thermoblock |
| Built-in grinder | Yes | Yes |
| Pump pressure | 15 bar | 15 bar |
| Water capacity | 67 oz | 67 oz |
| Warm-up time | 3 seconds | 3 seconds |
| Steam wand | Auto | Auto |
| Basket type | Pressurized & Unpressurized | Pressurized & Unpressurized |
| Best for | Milk Drinks | Milk Drinks |
| Dimensions | 14.7 x 12.7 x 16 in | 12.5 x 13.2 x 15.8 in |
| Weight | 27 lbs | 23 lbs |
| Warranty | 2 years | 2 years |
Pros & cons
Breville Barista Touch Impress
- ✓Intuitive touchscreen
- ✓Automatic milk texturing
- ✓Customizable drink profiles
- ✓Premium build quality
- ✗Expensive for thermoblock
- ✗Large footprint
- ✗Auto-steam less control than manual
Breville Barista Touch
- ✓Touchscreen guides grind, brew, and milk for every drink
- ✓ThermoJet is ready in 3 seconds - no waiting to brew
- ✓Auto milk texturing with adjustable temp and foam levels
- ✓Hundreds less than the Touch Impress with the same core workflow
- ✗No assisted tamping - you still dose and tamp by hand
- ✗Thermoblock can't brew and steam simultaneously
- ✗Grinder struggles with very light roasts
- ✗Superseded by the Touch Impress, so fewer retail discounts
What owners say
Breville Barista Touch Impress
The Barista Touch Impress is Breville's most automated semi-automatic: an integrated grinder, assisted dosing, the Impress lever tamping system and a touchscreen that walks you through each drink, all in one $1,500 machine. Owners who use it daily are genuinely happy with it, and the machine does what it promises — it removes most of the decisions that make espresso intimidating. There is a consistent caveat from people further into the hobby, though, and it is worth hearing early: the touchscreen is the feature owners care about least over time. As one puts it, the further down the rabbit hole you go, the less the screen matters, and owners of the non-touchscreen Impress report being entirely happy without it. If money is tight, that is the first feature to drop. Full owner insights →
Breville Barista Touch
The Barista Touch (BES880) is Breville's all-in-one answer to "I just want a good latte without owning four appliances": a conical burr grinder, a ThermoJet heater that goes from stone cold to shot-ready in about three seconds, an automatic steam wand that textures milk to a set temperature, and a colour touchscreen that stores drink profiles and walks a first-timer through the whole sequence. Current units run Baratza-derived burrs, and owners who have used both generations are clear that the newer grinder is a real step up over the early ones — a distinction that gets lost in the older "the built-in grinder is junk" advice still floating around. Full owner insights →
Breville Barista Touch Impress vs Breville Barista Touch: common questions
Which is cheaper, the Breville Barista Touch Impress or the Breville Barista Touch?
The Breville Barista Touch is the cheaper of the two at roughly $1,000, about $500 less than the Breville Barista Touch Impress at ~$1,500. Both figures are approximate list prices and street prices move with sales.