Breville Barista Touch Impress Review

As a dedicated coffee enthusiast, I’ve spent years trying to perfect my coffee-making skills. From the grind to the brew to the milk froth, I’ve experimented with various machines and techniques to get that perfect cup of coffee at home. Recently, I had the opportunity to try the Breville Barista Touch Impress, a high-end espresso machine that promises to simplify the espresso-making process without compromising on quality. Having spent several weeks using it, I’m ready to share my experience in this Breville Barista Touch Impress review.

If you’re in the market for an espresso machine that combines convenience with professional-grade results, the Breville Barista Touch Impress might be just what you need. This machine is not only sleek and easy to use but also offers a range of features that ensure you can brew café-quality espresso right at home. Let’s dive into the details of my experience with this impressive espresso maker.

What Makes the Breville Barista Touch Impress Special?

The Breville Barista Touch Impress is designed for home baristas who want high-end results without the complexity of professional espresso machines. It’s equipped with advanced features that make it stand out in a crowded market. From its touchscreen interface to the built-in conical burr grinder, every feature of the Barista Touch Impress is aimed at making your coffee-making process as seamless as possible.

One of the things I appreciate the most is that it doesn’t just cater to coffee experts. If you’re new to espresso machines, this machine helps guide you through the process while still allowing for customization and personal touch.

Key Features of the Breville Barista Touch Impress

In this Breville Barista Touch Impress review, I’ll walk you through the key features that make this machine so special.

The Intuitive Touchscreen: Easy to Use, Even for Beginners

One of the first things I noticed about the Breville Barista Touch Impress is its 4.3-inch color touchscreen. I’ve used several espresso machines in the past, and navigating the settings on those machines often felt like a chore. Not with the Barista Touch Impress. The large, clear touchscreen makes it incredibly easy to choose your preferred drink, adjust the grind size, and even customize the milk frothing.

The touchscreen interface also makes it simple to adjust the strength of your coffee, the amount of milk, and the temperature of the drink. Whether you’re looking to make a quick espresso shot or a creamy latte, the machine guides you through the process in just a few taps.

For someone like me who isn’t a professional barista, the Breville Barista Touch Impress has made the learning curve much less intimidating. The intuitive design allows even a beginner to feel confident using it right out of the box.

The Built-In Conical Burr Grinder: Freshness at Your Fingertips

Another standout feature of the Breville Barista Touch Impress is its built-in conical burr grinder. Freshly ground coffee is a crucial element in making excellent espresso, and this grinder does a fantastic job of delivering a consistent grind every time.

What I really appreciate about the grinder is its adjustable grind settings. You can easily customize the grind size to suit your preferred brewing method, whether you like a finer grind for espresso or a coarser grind for a longer extraction. Over the course of my testing, I found that the grind size was easy to adjust, and I could get the consistency I needed for a perfect espresso shot.

The Breville Barista Touch Impress also allows you to control the dose of coffee, meaning you can make your espresso shots as strong or as light as you prefer. For someone who loves experimenting with coffee, this feature was a game-changer.

Brewing Espresso Like a Pro with the Breville Barista Touch Impress

Let’s get into what matters most: the coffee. I was eager to test whether the Breville Barista Touch Impress could deliver a shot of espresso worthy of a café. After using this machine for several weeks, I can confidently say that the espresso quality is superb.

Precision Extraction: The Key to Perfect Espresso

The Breville Barista Touch Impress comes equipped with PID temperature control, which is a fancy way of saying that it regulates the water temperature to ensure the best possible extraction of flavors from the coffee grounds. The PID control ensures that the water stays within the ideal range for extracting all the subtle flavors of your coffee, which is essential for brewing a balanced, flavorful shot of espresso.

From my experience, the Breville Barista Touch Impress consistently produced shots of espresso with a rich crema on top—something that can be tricky to achieve with home machines. The flavor profile was well-balanced: not too bitter, not too acidic, just a smooth, full-bodied espresso.

Another thing I loved about this machine is its pre-infusion feature, which moistens the coffee grounds before the full extraction begins. This step helps to ensure an even extraction and a smoother taste.

The Automatic Milk Frothing System

While espresso is the heart of the machine, a lot of people, including myself, enjoy milk-based coffee drinks like cappuccinos and lattes. The Breville Barista Touch Impress has an automatic milk frothing system that makes frothing milk incredibly easy and foolproof.

All you need to do is place your milk container under the steam wand, select your preferred drink on the touchscreen, and the machine will steam and froth the milk to the perfect texture and temperature. It does all the work for you, and the result is a creamy, velvety foam that makes lattes and cappuccinos feel like they’ve been made by a professional barista.

For someone like me who’s still perfecting their latte art skills, the milk frothing system has been incredibly helpful. The foam is rich and stable, which makes it easier to pour those intricate designs (though, I’m still working on perfecting mine!).

User-Friendly Features for Easy Maintenance

No one wants to spend hours cleaning their espresso machine after every use. Luckily, the Breville Barista Touch Impress is designed with easy maintenance in mind. The machine comes with an auto-cleaning function for the milk frothing system, which eliminates the need for constant manual cleaning after each use.

The drip tray and portafilter are also simple to remove and clean. The machine even has a built-in water filter to ensure your water is clean and free from impurities, which helps maintain the flavor and longevity of the machine.

I found that regular cleaning wasn’t too time-consuming, and the machine’s self-cleaning features were especially convenient. Keeping the Breville Barista Touch Impress in good working order didn’t feel like a burden, which is something I’ve had trouble with in the past with other machines.

Product Review Conclusion: Is the Breville Barista Touch Impress Worth It?

After using the Breville Barista Touch Impress for several weeks, I can say that this machine has truly elevated my home coffee-making experience. Whether you’re a seasoned coffee connoisseur or a beginner, the Breville Barista Touch Impress strikes the perfect balance between ease of use and professional-level results.

The intuitive touchscreen interface, built-in burr grinder, and automatic milk frothing system all make this machine incredibly user-friendly, while the PID control and precision extraction ensure your coffee is always brewed to perfection. From rich, flavorful espresso shots to silky-smooth lattes, this machine makes it easy to create café-quality coffee right in your own kitchen.

That said, the Breville Barista Touch Impress comes at a premium price, so it might not be the right choice for someone just starting to explore espresso machines. However, if you’re serious about your coffee and want a machine that combines convenience with quality, I wholeheartedly recommend the Breville Barista Touch Impress.

In conclusion, the Breville Barista Touch Impress is a powerful, user-friendly espresso machine that delivers high-quality coffee every time. It has certainly earned a permanent spot on my counter, and I look forward to many more mornings enjoying expertly brewed espresso. If you’re looking to invest in a machine that will make your coffee routine more enjoyable and your results more consistent, this machine is definitely worth considering.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Breville Barista Touch Impress

Q: Can I adjust the temperature of the coffee on the Breville Barista Touch Impress?

A: Yes, the Breville Barista Touch Impress allows you to adjust the coffee temperature. On the touchscreen interface, you can select the desired temperature for your espresso shots, as well as adjust the milk texture for lattes and cappuccinos. This level of customization ensures you get your coffee just the way you like it.

Q: Is the grinder on the Breville Barista Touch Impress easy to use?

A: Absolutely! The built-in conical burr grinder is straightforward to use. It offers adjustable grind settings to tailor the grind size to your brewing preferences. Whether you're brewing espresso or using a coarser grind for a longer coffee extraction, the grinder is consistent, easy to adjust, and performs very well.

Q: How easy is it to clean the Breville Barista Touch Impress?

A: The Breville Barista Touch Impress is relatively easy to clean. It features an auto-cleaning system for the milk frothing wand, and other parts such as the drip tray, portafilter, and water filter are simple to remove and clean. It’s important to regularly maintain the machine, but it doesn’t require as much effort as many other high-end espresso machines.

Q: Can I make multiple coffee profiles with the Breville Barista Touch Impress?

A: Yes, the Breville Barista Touch Impress allows you to save up to 8 personalized coffee profiles. This is great if you have different preferences at home—whether it’s a strong espresso, a mild latte, or a rich cappuccino, everyone in the household can have their settings saved for easy access.

Q: Does the Breville Barista Touch Impress come with a milk container?

A: Yes, the machine comes with a milk container for use with the automatic milk frothing system. The container is designed to work with the steam wand to ensure that the milk is frothed to the right texture and temperature.