For buyers torn between the two touchscreen models
Breville Barista Touch vs Barista Touch Impress
Barista Touch vs Barista Touch Impress: the only real difference is the Impress puck system. Which touchscreen Breville deserves your counter?
The short answer
Buy the Barista Touch Impress if inconsistent tamping ruins your shots; buy the standard Barista Touch if your technique is already solid and you just want one-touch milk drinks. Both share the same touchscreen, auto microfoam, and ThermoJet heating.
Top picks at a glance
The picks, ranked
| Product | Tamping | Interface | Milk | Heat-up | Grinder |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breville Barista Touch Impress | Impress puck system, assisted tamping | Touchscreen with drink presets | Automatic microfoam, adjustable temp and texture | ThermoJet, 3 seconds | Integrated conical burr, 30 settings |
| Breville Barista Touch BES880 | - | Touchscreen with drink presets | Automatic microfoam, adjustable temp and texture | ThermoJet, 3 seconds | Integrated conical burr, 30 settings |
| Breville Barista Pro BES878 | - | - | - | ThermoJet, 3 seconds | Integrated conical burr, 30 settings |
| Breville Barista Express BES870XL | - | - | - | - | Integrated conical burr, 16 settings |
Swipe sideways to compare all picks
01Pick if tamping is your weak point
Breville Barista Touch Impress
The Touch with assisted tamping: the Impress puck system fixes the hardest beginner skill.
- Tamping: Impress puck system, assisted tamping
- Interface: Touchscreen with drink presets
- Milk: Automatic microfoam, adjustable temp and texture
The Impress puck system doses and tamps with assisted, repeatable pressure, removing the single biggest source of channeling in beginner shots. Everything else, touchscreen presets, automatic microfoam, ThermoJet 3-second heat-up, 30-setting grinder, matches the standard Touch.
Strengths
- Impress puck system doses and tamps with assisted, repeatable pressure
- Removes tamping as a variable, the most common beginner inconsistency
- Same touchscreen presets and automatic microfoam as the Barista Touch
- ThermoJet 3-second heat-up with 30-setting integrated grinder
Limitations
- Highest price in the Barista line for one added subsystem
- Assisted tamping is a training wheel you may outgrow
- Larger footprint than the standard Touch
| Tamping | Impress puck system, assisted tamping |
|---|---|
| Interface | Touchscreen with drink presets |
| Milk | Automatic microfoam, adjustable temp and texture |
| Heat-up | ThermoJet, 3 seconds |
| Grinder | Integrated conical burr, 30 settings |
Sources: Breville official product specifications, Major retailer product listings, Published coffee gear reviews
What owners report
- Owners praise the Impress puck system for dosing and tamping with assisted, repeatable pressure
- Many owners say removing tamping as a variable fixes the most common beginner inconsistency
- Owners like getting the same touchscreen presets and automatic microfoam as the Barista Touch
- Some owners balk at the highest price in the Barista line for one added subsystem
- Owners note assisted tamping can feel like a training wheel you may eventually outgrow
- A common complaint is the larger footprint compared with the standard Touch
Best for: Beginners whose shots suffer from inconsistent tamping more than anything else.
Skip if: You already tamp consistently; the premium over the Touch buys little else.
02Pick if you tamp confidently
Breville Barista Touch BES880
Touchscreen drink presets plus automatic microfoam for hands-off milk drinks.
- Interface: Touchscreen with drink presets
- Milk: Automatic microfoam, adjustable temp and texture
- Heat-up: ThermoJet, 3 seconds
The standard Touch gives you the same touchscreen drink presets and automatic microfoam for less money. If your tamps are already level and consistent, the Impress hardware is a premium for a problem you do not have.
Strengths
- Touchscreen with one-touch drink presets: espresso, long black, latte, flat white, cappuccino
- Automatic microfoam with adjustable temperature and texture
- ThermoJet 3-second heat-up keeps the morning routine fast
- 30 grind settings and 67 oz tank match the Pro's hardware
Limitations
- Premium price for automation that a practiced hand can match
- Touchscreen adds electronics that cannot be repaired as simply as dials
- 54mm portafilter keeps it in the Barista ecosystem, not the 58mm commercial standard
| Interface | Touchscreen with drink presets |
|---|---|
| Milk | Automatic microfoam, adjustable temp and texture |
| Heat-up | ThermoJet, 3 seconds |
| Grinder | Integrated conical burr, 30 settings |
| Water tank | 67 oz (2 L) |
Sources: Breville official product specifications, Major retailer product listings, Published coffee gear reviews
What owners report
- Owners praise the touchscreen one-touch presets for espresso, long black, latte, flat white, and cappuccino
- Many owners like the automatic microfoam with adjustable temperature and texture
- Owners say the ThermoJet 3-second heat-up keeps the morning routine fast
- Some owners question the premium price for automation a practiced hand can match
- Owners note the touchscreen adds electronics that cannot be repaired as simply as dials
- A common complaint is the 54mm portafilter keeping it outside the 58mm commercial standard
Best for: Milk-drink households that want one-touch lattes without learning to steam.
Skip if: You enjoy the manual ritual; the auto frothing removes the skill you want to build.
03Pick if touchscreens do not matter
Breville Barista Pro BES878
The Express with ThermoJet speed, a finer grinder, and an LCD shot timer.
- Heat-up: ThermoJet, 3 seconds
- Grinder: Integrated conical burr, 30 settings
- Display: LCD with shot timer
The Pro has the same 30-setting grinder and ThermoJet 3-second heat-up with a manual steam wand and an LCD instead of a touchscreen. It is the value play for drinkers who want the hardware without paying for automation.
Strengths
- ThermoJet heating reaches brewing temperature in 3 seconds
- 30 grind settings allow finer dial-in than the Express
- LCD shows grind size, shot timer, and extraction progress
- 67 oz tank and 54mm portafilter match the rest of the Barista line
Limitations
- Shot quality in the cup is close to the Express, so the upgrade is mostly speed
- Manual steam wand still needs technique for latte art quality foam
- Costs more than the Express without changing the brewing fundamentals
| Heat-up | ThermoJet, 3 seconds |
|---|---|
| Grinder | Integrated conical burr, 30 settings |
| Display | LCD with shot timer |
| Water tank | 67 oz (2 L) |
| Portafilter | 54 mm |
Sources: Breville official product specifications, Major retailer product listings, Published coffee gear reviews
What owners report
- Owners praise ThermoJet heating for reaching brewing temperature in 3 seconds
- Many owners say the 30 grind settings allow finer dial-in than the Express
- Owners like the LCD showing grind size, a shot timer, and extraction progress
- Some owners feel shot quality in the cup is close to the Express, so the upgrade is mostly about speed
- Owners note the manual steam wand still needs technique for latte art quality foam
- A common complaint is paying more than the Express without the brewing fundamentals changing
Best for: Morning-rush drinkers who want the Express formula with a 3-second heat-up.
Skip if: You want automatic milk texturing; the steam wand here is still manual.
04Pick for the lowest touchscreen-free price
Breville Barista Express BES870XL
The machine that defined home espresso: grinder, gauge, and steam wand in one box.
- Pump: 15-bar Italian pump
- Grinder: Integrated conical burr, 16 settings
- Water tank: 67 oz (2 L)
The Express keeps the 16-setting grinder, pre-infusion, and manual steam wand at the line's most accessible price. It is slower to heat and coarser in grind steps, but the cup is close enough that many buyers never miss the upgrades.
Strengths
- Integrated conical burr grinder with 16 settings removes the separate grinder purchase
- Low-pressure pre-infusion followed by 9-bar extraction for even, forgiving shots
- Analog pressure gauge shows the extraction zone while the shot pulls
- 67 oz water tank brews for days between refills
Limitations
- Thermocoil heat-up is slower than the ThermoJet models
- Manual steam wand takes practice to produce real microfoam
- 16 grind settings have coarser steps than the Pro and Touch with 30
| Pump | 15-bar Italian pump |
|---|---|
| Grinder | Integrated conical burr, 16 settings |
| Water tank | 67 oz (2 L) |
| Portafilter | 54 mm |
| Extraction | Low-pressure pre-infusion, 9-bar extraction |
Sources: Breville official product specifications, Major retailer product listings, Published coffee gear reviews
What owners report
- Owners praise the integrated conical burr grinder with 16 settings for removing a separate grinder purchase
- Many owners say low-pressure pre-infusion followed by 9-bar extraction makes shots even and forgiving
- Owners like the 67 oz tank, which keeps brewing going for days between refills
- Some owners find the thermocoil heat-up slower than the ThermoJet models
- Owners note the manual steam wand takes practice before it produces real microfoam
- A common complaint is that the 16 grind settings step more coarsely than the 30 on the Pro and Touch
Best for: Beginners who want an all-in-one machine and are willing to learn manual milk steaming.
Skip if: You want the fastest heat-up or push-button milk; the Pro and Touch do those better.
Questions, answered
What does the Impress puck system actually do?
It combines intelligent dosing with assisted tamping, applying consistent, level pressure to the coffee puck automatically. This removes tamp inconsistency, a leading cause of channeling and sour shots for beginners.
Is the Touch Impress worth the premium over the Touch?
Only if tamping is your weak point. The grinder, heating, milk system, and screen are otherwise equivalent, so confident tampers get the same drinks from the standard Touch for less.
Do both models have automatic milk frothing?
Yes. Both the Barista Touch and Touch Impress use automatic microfoam with adjustable temperature and texture, so lattes and cappuccinos need no steaming skill.
Which heats up faster?
Neither has an edge: both use ThermoJet heating with a 3-second heat-up. Heat-up speed only separates these from the older thermocoil Barista Express.