Breville Barista Touch Impress: What to Know Before You Buy

There’s something oddly satisfying about watching a machine tamp espresso with more precision than a human. That’s the promise behind the Breville Barista Touch Impress—an all-in-one unit that grinds, tamps, textures, and (mostly) gets out of the way.

The Barista Touch is the latest in a long line of consumer machines promising barista-quality drinks at home, only this time with a bit of flair: an automatic 22-pound tamp, a touchscreen with drink presets, and a milk frother smart enough to know your preference for oat. We took a closer look.

If you’re looking for an almost fully automated barista for making espresso at home Breville has the answer.

The Barista Touch Impress ($1,489 USD) is the Australian consumer products giant’s latest machine. And it’s very impressive.

Sporting a similar l brushed stainless steel look to existing Barista models, you can expect to find a familiar layout with a steam wand on the right, brew head in center and grinder on the left.

However, the headline feature here is automated tamping. Often the trickiest part of pulling an espresso shot, this Breville can help out by automatically dosing the correct amount of grind and then tamping precisely at 22 pounds to produce a professionally ready espresso puck. Fancier still, the machine even applies a 7º barista twist to finish off in style.

Like most modern Breville Barista machines this one too is built around the company’s ThermoJet technology. Essentially similar to thermoblock systems it means it can heat up in only 3 seconds. Indeed, quite handy for the rushed mornings.

Tip: For trickier steps like smoothing the puck, check out our experience with using a puck screen to improve your espresso.

Aside from the assisted tamping other key features on the new Breville Barista Touch Impress include:

• Built-in “Barista Guidance” — with real time feedback, the Barista Touch Impress navigates you through the Impress Puck System, precise extraction and hands-free silky smooth microfoam
• Auto MilQ — with three new settings that let you choose the type of milk and temperature depending on the espresso drink and is capable of latte art
• Baratza European Precision Burrs — built-in grinder with 30 grind settings
• Touchscreen Interface — with 8 built-in café presets

Should You Buy the Breville Barista Touch Impress Espresso Machine?

Breville makes extremely well-reviewed machines. They’re also frequently cited by enthusiasts as favorites. Check coffee and espresso forums and sub-Reddits and you’ll find plenty of references to the Barista line. The Bambino ($349 USD) and Bambino Plus ($499) are often recommended for espresso newbies who want to dive in, without breaking the bank. No question, these machines are capable of making great espresso shots. Those along with the iconic Gaggia Classic Pro are among the best entry-level espresso machines available today.

So is the new Breville Barista Touch Impress worth it?

I’d say yes. So long as you prefer the automated tamping system. If not, you could save a little, give up the assisted tamping and go for the regular Barista Touch which relies on the user for old fashioned tamping.

If you like the idea of having a bean-to-cup machine with freshly ground coffee just like a cafe or coffee shop, but with more consistency then the step-up Impress is really worth consideration. I can’t think of any other competitor that offers anything remotely similar.

You get barista grade espresso drinks, but without the hassle of a completely manual workflow. The Impress sort of sits between a fully super-automatic machine such as those made by Jura and Miele and DeLonghi and semi-automatic machines made by Lelit, Rocket Espresso and ECM/Profitec, among so many others.

Those who want the full at-home barista experience and have time on their hands in mornings may want to step up to the Oracle. Featuring a dual boiler, it’s serious machine for serious enthusiasts. One trade off, however, is the Oracle’s longer warm-up time, which can’t come close to the Touch Impress and it’s impressive 3-second readiness (thanks to the aforementioned ThermoJet system).

Breville says the Touch Impresso has been specifically engineered for those who enjoy Third Wave Coffee. Specifically that means four things: (1) the correct dosage of freshly ground beans (and don’t forget to use good ones!); (2) precise temperature control; (3) optimal water pressure for correct espresso extraction; and (4) latte-art quality microfoam milk.

Given Breville’s strong reputation in the coffee and espresso markets I’d strongly recommend the Barista Touch Impress for those who want to experience the ultimate at-home espresso experience. I expect this model to sell well.

Stark Insider Take:
Should You Buy the Breville Barista Touch Impress?

Here’s a grounded, brief view on whether the Touch Impress is worth it — especially versus a more hands-on semi‑automatic machine:

What You Get vs. What You Give Up

• Ease and consistency
  Reddit users appreciate how the Impress “holds your hand”: it grinds, doses, and tamps with automatic 22‑lb pressure and a 7º twist. As one user put it:
  “It’s just taking care of one less variable for you to try and figure out if it’s correct or not :)”
• Less mess, less fuss
  The machine tidies up grind cleanup and dosing — a common gripe with manual tamping — and does it quietly.
• Cutting out control seekers
  On the flip side, precision-focused users say the automatic puck system limits tweaking. You can’t, say, dial in dosage independently — it adjusts grind based on tamp height only. One Redditor found the dosage varied by several grams between runs, occasionally resulting in inconsistent extractions.

What Real Users Are Saying

“It does everything I need it to do perfectly fine… I hand grind when I want a little more extraction control, and I use the machine grinder most of the time when I’m lazy.” — user on r/espresso

“Grinder is inconsistent… auto tamp is a gimmick… touchscreen is slow.” — user review after return

“The automated settings adjust for almond, oat, or soy milk… you will never experience that ‘burnt’ latte taste.” — LifestyleLab review

“It guides you through every step… makes you feel like you actually know what you’re doing.” — Esquire

For a deeper comparison of entry-level semi-auto options, see our guide to the best espresso machines under $1,000, including the Gaggia Classic and Breville Bambino.

Semi-Automatic Alternative

• Control lovers lean semi-auto
  A number of users suggest skipping Impress and opting for a standard semi-automatic (like the regular Barista Touch or Pro) plus a quality separate grinder. The verdict? Better cups, more customization, less cost.
• But requires effort
  A dedicated grinder and manual tamping takes kitchen real estate—and time. One user admitted they burned through half a bag of beans just experimenting before switching back to convenience.

TL;DR

Final Word

The Touch Impress is ideal if your mornings demand speed, simplicity, and less cleanup—and you’re fine with leaving behind some fine-tuning freedom.

But if you geek out over grind weight, tamp angle, shot pressure, and want full control then go semi-auto, pair it with a good grinder, and embrace the ritual (cleanup included). Espresso can be a joyous ritual; not just the final cup, but the process of getting there.

In the end, it really depends if you like the idea of manually dialing in your morning espresso. Or, maybe you’re too busy and want the convenience of having a machine help out with the routine, yet not giving in to the not-so-environmentally-friendly pod based alternatives.

That’s the real-world tradeoff. What’s your workflow preference? Fast convenience, or full customization and effort? Let’s dial in from there.

Recommendation:

If you’re leaning convenience, the Breville Barista Touch Impress is worth a look.