Breville Barista Touch Review: Can’t Touch This!

If you’ve read my best Breville espresso machine guide 2024, you’ll already know how highly I rate the Breville Barista Touch Espresso Machine. Still, a couple of paragraphs aren’t enough to discuss why this is one of my favorite mid range espresso machines, hence this Breville Barista Touch review.

Amidst Breville’s lineup of mid range espresso makers, I’d consider the Barista Touch to be a major standout. It’s Breville’s mid range flagship machine, its crowning jewel, its pride and joy – whichever analogy you’d prefer. Of course, now you’ll want to know more!

I ordered the Barista Touch to test out for you. I’ve spent a bunch of time playing with it recently, and I’m excited to tell you how it went.

So, read the rest of my Breville Barista Touch review to find out why I’m such a big fan of this home espresso maker.

Very intuitive Espresso Machine

Breville Barista Touch

Best Mid-Range Breville Espresso Machine

Great value for money

Intuitive touchscreen interface

Compact design

Heats up fast

Makes fantastic espresso

Single boiler

No auto tamping

	CHECK PRICE
	CHECK PRICE

Breville Barista Touch Review Overview

As I mentioned in my guide to the best home espresso machines, I consider the Breville Oracle Touch to be the Australian manufacturer’s best performing machine. However, it’s also packing a price tag close to $3,000. That’s enough to scare a lot of home baristas away, no matter how impressive its features might be.

Not everyone has the cash value of a used car lying around, so at $999.95, the Barista Touch might be easier to stomach. Part of the reason I’m drawing these comparisons is becauseI consider the Barista Touch to be kind of an “Oracle Touch Lite.”

There are really only a couple of big differences between these machines, starting with the boiler. While the Oracle Touch is a dual boiler machine, the Barista Touch has a single boiler on board. I’ll get into why that matters later on in my Breville Barista Touch review, but for now, just know that it does make a difference.

The other major divide between these two? The Oracle Touch has automatic features that the Barista Touch doesn’t. The Barista Touch is very much a semi automatic, which means you’ll need to take care of tamping manually.

That might be a deal-breaker for some. However, as I get into the best aspects of this machine, I hope you’ll see it doesn’t have to be. If you ask me, a few extra seconds to dose and tamp the portafilter every morning is worth features like pre programmed specialty drinks and a ThermoJet heating system.

Breville Barista Touch Features

I’ve touched on a few of this machine’s features already – pun intended – but they’re only the tip of the espresso puck. Let’s get into why I’ve named the Barista Touch Breville’s best overall mid range espresso machine.

Compact Design

At 26 pounds (12.2 kilograms), the Barista Touch is a compact espresso maker – but not necessarily lightweight. You might need to hit the gym before you can comfortably lift it. However, once it’s on your countertop it shouldn’t take up a ton of space.

Breville has a knack for making espresso machines with compact footprints, and the Barista Touch is no exception.

Speaking of design, it’s about time I talked about the Touch’s sleek stainless steel housing. There are some manufacturers that go out of their way to give each of their espresso machines a unique look, but Breville isn’t one of them. I suppose you could argue that brushed stainless steel is their signature look. Either way, you won’t find me complaining about it!

Even if most of Breville’s machines look almost identical, you can’t go wrong with durable metal housing that’s easy to clean. While there is some plastic involved, it’s kept to a minimum. I’m particularly fond of the Barista Touch’s mirrored backsplash; it’s a great way to check your hair while making coffee in the morning!

Colors

I’ll admit that I got a bit spoiled after Breville released the Barista Pro in a wide variety of food-themed colors. I was expecting the same treatment for the Barista Touch, but you’ve only got four neutral options to pick from: Brushed Stainless Steel, Black Stainless Steel, Damson Blue and Black Truffle.

Still, that’s more than what you’ll get with some espresso makers  – and it’s hard to complain about having color options for almost any kitchen decor. Brushed stainless steel is Breville’s classic look, but personally, I’m partial to the glossy Damson Blue. Regardless of which one you pick, I doubt you’ll be disappointed.

User Interface

If you’re familiar with some of Breville’s other semi automatics, you’ll know that the Barista Touch was the first machine to get an upgraded touchscreen display. Its interface is also one of the major features setting it apart from machines like the Barista Express or the Barista Pro.

The Barista Pro still has a digital display, but there’s no touchscreen. The Barista Express is all analog controls, and in comparison to the Touch, feels almost prehistoric. Kind of like trying to listen to music on a first generation iPod versus the latest iPhone.

Not all home baristas will care about a touchscreen, but I do think that it makes a difference. Analog controls – as retro-cool as they may look – aren’t always easier to program.

Anyone who’s used analog control machines knows how frustrating they can be. Changing temperature or grind size can mean memorizing a variety of button combinations and patterns. I’d prefer to leave the memory tests and brain games for doctor visits – not making my morning espresso macchiato.

With the Barista Touch, I doubt you’ll have any trouble navigating the touchscreen display. You’ll be able to adjust brewing temperature, milk texture and coffee strength. In fact, you’ll have to use the touchscreen for everything besides turning the machine on. There are even settings to personalize coffee recipes, which I’ll get into later in my Breville Barista Touch review.

Ultimately, I think the touchscreen display is one of the Barista Touch’s major selling points. For people looking to tinker with brewing factors or create delicious espresso recipes with a couple of clicks, it’ll be hard to beat the Barista Touch’s intuitive interface.

Conical Burr Grinder

We all know that a good coffee grinder is almost as crucial as the espresso machine itself. For this reason, I expect a lot from the grinders I review, especially built in ones. The Barista Touch features a built in stainless steel conical burr grinder, so it’s off to a good start.

If grinders aren’t your forté, allow me to explain. Not only do burr grinders outperform blade grinders in terms of consistency, the conical shape helps dampen noise during operation. I mean, do you really want to wake up the whole house (or the neighbors) every time you make coffee?

The Barista Touch’s grinder isn’t perfect, but you can still count on it for a consistent, uniform grind size. There are 30 grind settings to pick from, so you have plenty of room to maneuver.

My only complaint about the Barista Touch grinder is that it’s essentially been copied and pasted from the cheaper Barista Pro – even down to the number of grind settings. As much as I like the Barista Pro grinder, I would’ve liked to have seen some more grind settings. Even just five more notches would’ve felt like a step closer to the Oracle Touch’s 45 grind size options.

With all that said, I found this grinder to be far superior to the one on the Barista Express. Not only is there a wider range of grind adjustment settings on offer, each click feels like a smaller increment. I don’t have the numbers in microns, but I felt like I was closer to being able to make micro-adjustments with the Barista Touch grinder.

Automatic Dosing

Another perk of having a built in grinder? You don’t have to worry about dosing if you don’t want to. That’s the case with the Barista Touch’s automatic dosing feature, which makes the grinding process almost completely hands free.

You can program the machine to dose by time, so you only need to worry about making sure you’ve positioned the portafilter beneath the grinder.

Of course, you always have the option to manually dose your shots by keeping the portafilter against the grind button. That’s a level of control freakiness that not every home barista may need, but at least you’ve got the choice!

Personally, I’m not a huge fan of the dose timer function. After all, as soon as you make a grind adjustment you have to change the timer to compensate. That can get really tricky to deal with unless you’ve got a coffee scale handy.

Incidentally, dosing with the Breville Barista Touch is super clean and efficient thanks to the included portafilter collar. You simply click it onto the portafilter before inserting it into the grinder cradle. I was really impressed by how this works, and I barely noticed any stray coffee grounds.

Pre-Infusion

If you’ve never had an espresso machine with pre infusion capabilities, you’re in for a treat with the Barista Touch. At this point, pre infusion is a staple amongst most of Breville’s semi automatics, minus the disappointing Cafe Roma.

This feature functions just like it sounds. Before the machine extracts your espresso, it will automatically soak your coffee grounds with slow bursts of water. That may not seem like a big deal, but the end result is a more even extraction  – and better-tasting espresso.

Pre infusion won’t make or break your espresso, but it is a key player in making consistent, flavorful coffee. And once you’ve tried pre infused espresso a couple of times, I doubt you’ll want to go without it.

My only gripe is that I wasn’t able to adjust the pre infusion settings on this machine. Other Breville espresso machines let you play around with pre infusion times, but that’s not an option with the Barista Touch. If you ask me, that’s a huge oversight on Breville’s part. Especially seeing as the manufacturer likes to set pre infusion at a whopping 10 seconds.

Digital PID Temperature Control

Like most of Breville’s semi automatics, the Barista Touch comes equipped with digital PID temperature control. A sensor constantly monitors and regulates temperature at the group head, ensuring stability throughout the brewing process.

As the name suggests, this feature gives you control over the brewing temperature. There are 8 temperature settings to pick from, which is almost double the range you get with the Barista Pro. I’ll give Breville a little extra credit for stepping up their game here!

Not everyone may want to tinker with temperature controls, but if I’ve learned anything about making espresso, it’s that brewing temperature is super important. A couple of degrees can make or break your espresso shot. So, the more precise your temperature control, the easier it’ll be to dial in that perfect shot.

Boiler

As I’ve mentioned previously in my Breville Barista Touch review, this is a single boiler machine.

Having only one boiler can be a little limiting during the brewing process. With dual boiler machines, you’re free to use the steam wand and brew your espresso simultaneously. There’s also no risk that you’ll end up with the “wrong” temperature, since each process has its own boiler.

Since it only has one boiler to work with, a single boiler machine can’t multi-task. If you use the steam wand first, you’ll need to steam your milk and purge the wand before you can brew a shot. Depending on the machine, that extra wait time could be a few seconds – or long enough to drive to a coffee shop and just buy coffee. Fortunately, the Barista Touch falls into the former category.

Why, you ask? It’s because the Touch uses a ThermoJet heating system, which only takes three seconds to heat up.I’d complain about those three extra seconds, but I’m pretty sure the Barista Touch would be all warmed up before I get my first word out.

My only complaint about the ThermoJet system is that it doesn’t heat up the group head and cup warmer like a thermocoil. Well, it does, but only after you’ve been using the machine for a while. During my testing, I had to use the hot water function to heat up the portafilter and flush the group head to bring it up to temperature.

Ultimately, I don’t think the Barista Touch’s single, lonely boiler is going to limit you. It heats up extremely quickly, and the temperature control is too precise to worry about cross-contamination.

Milk Foam

Want to rile up a room of home baristas? Ask them if auto steam wands are better than manual steam wands. It’s an easy way to cause some division – although I think most people will still be able to appreciate the Barista Touch’s auto frothing wand.

You could argue that having more control with a manual steam wand is what helps you create superior milk foam. Even so, there are distinct advantages that come with an auto steam wand like this one.

For one, you’ve got a lot of control over how much froth the wand produces as well as temperature of your milk. There’s a sensor on the drip tray that measures the temperature of your milk and stops the wand once it reaches your desired setting.

Besides pressing a few buttons and putting the included stainless steel pitcher in position, the steam wand handles all the hard work for you. Once again, this is a distinct upgrade from the manual steam wands on the Barista Pro and the Barista Express.

I have to say I was extremely dubious before using the auto frothing wand. I mean, surely this thing wouldn’t be able to compete with my expert milk texturing technique! However, I’m happy to report that my mind was blown.

I don’t know how they’ve done it, but the folks at Breville have created a great success here. Time after time, the auto frothing wand whipped up sublime milk froth and I was left smiling and shaking my head. Oh, and the wand even has a cool self purging function once it’s back in position after steaming. I love this thing!

Specialty Drinks

If I’m being honest, the specialty drink menu is probably the Barista Touch’s biggest selling point. As much as I love the ThermoJet heating system and digital PID temperature control, you’ll find those features on budget friendly Breville machines too. The Barista Touch is the only Breville semi automatic at this price point with as many pre programmed drink recipes.

You’ve got eight pre programmed drink recipes, including cappuccino, flat white and more. Not only can you use the touch screen to pick between them, but you can also change the presets to fit your preferences.

Listen, I get what’s going on here – Breville is trying to make the Barista Touch as close to an automatic machine as possible without going all the way. However, at the end of the day, you’re still going to have to pour the drink by hand. It’s all very well having a cappuccino on the menu, but if you can’t pour it correctly it’s just espresso with hot milk.

If you’re not going to take advantage of the specialty drink options, you might as well stick with the Barista Pro. You’ll get a lot of the same internal components minus the drink menu and auto frothing wand.

User Profiles

Speaking of that drink menu, there’s technically a user profile function on the Barista Touch. I say technically because it’s not organized the same way that some user profile features are. However, it works similarly. Instead of saving “profiles,” the Barista Touch saves recipes.

Since you’ve got up to eight drink recipes, you can personalize how these espresso drinks are made – right down to nitty-gritty details like the amount of froth or the brew temperature. When you’re done programming your preferences, you can save the recipe and label it. Next time you want that drink, all you’ve got to do is press the button and wait for the magic to happen.

Whether you live on your own or with an entire family of espresso drinkers, I think you’ll find this feature pretty handy. Unlike with a memo function, the machine can save more than one preference at a time.

You won’t need to erase anybody else’s drink recipe to save your own. For those of us that fight for control over the espresso machine like it’s the TV remote, this user profile feature may prevent a few arguments. I suppose you might run into some issues if you’ve got more than eight people using the Barista Touch. Still, in that case, it might just be time to invest in a second machine!

Even if you’re the only one monopolizing the Barista Touch in your household, the user profile function should still be convenient. Got more than one way you like to make your espresso? Now you can rely on the Barista Touch to remember all your preferences – or at least eight of them.

Filter Baskets

Breville usually doesn’t skimp on the accessories, and filter baskets are no exception. In addition to a 54 millimeter portafilter, you get both single and dual wall filter baskets with this machine.

If these tiny, porous baskets all look the same, here’s why terminology like “single wall” or “dual wall” matters. Filter baskets with a dual wall are pressurized, and usually, the go-to option if you’re using pre ground coffee. Your non pressurized single wall baskets are what you’ll probably use the rest of the time – or at least whenever you’re grinding fresh beans.

Some baristas might instruct you to just throw those pressurized baskets in the trash, but I won’t! Even if your pressurized baskets spend most of their time collecting dust on your counter, they’re still the best option for pre ground coffee. If you decide you want a decaf at the end of a long day, you’ll want to keep those babies around.

Tamping

Manual tamping is another trait that separates the Barista Touch from the Oracle Touch, but I’m not complaining. Many home baristas prefer manual tamping over auto tamping, and the stainless steel tamper you get with the Barista Touch isn’t too bad. Granted, this machine will set you back more than $1,000. I’d half-expect a gold-coated espresso tamper at this price point!

Cup Height

Seeing as the Barista Touch is an espresso machine, it’s been designed with espresso cups in mind. There isn’t too much room below the portafilter spouts, meaning your espresso will retain its lovely crema.

During my testing I was able to comfortably brew into my favorite travel mug. However, removing the drip tray to fit larger insulated mugs isn’t really an option. There are plastic lumps under there that’ll make it impossible to set your cup properly.

Warranty

Like many of its high end espresso machines, Breville has slapped a two year limited product warranty on the Barista Touch. I suspect this machine will last you much longer than that, but a safety net never hurts.

Of course, I don’t want to skip over the most important word in that sentence – limited. Most limited product warranties live up to their name. By that, I mean that you can expect Breville to replace parts of the machine if they go bad within two years. However, your safety net probably won’t cover labor costs.

In other words, you should still count on shelling out some cash if your Barista Touch needs a tune up.

How to Use the Breville Barista Touch Espresso Machine

Did you think I’d forget to cover how to use this machine in my Breville Barista Touch review? I know this is a bold statement, but I think the touchscreen makes this machine even easier to use than the Barista Pro or the Barista Express. Don’t worry – I’m ready to back up those words with, well, more words.

Before getting started you’ll need to install the water filter in the reservoir. After that, turn on the machine and follow the instructions on the screen for initial setup.

Drink Preparation

To make an espresso shot from scratch, here’s what you’ll need to do:

See? I told you it was easy. It takes no guesswork to navigate the touchscreen, and with the automated steam wand and built-in grinder, the entire process can take less than 10 minutes.

If you want to use one of the programmed drink options, the grind and tamping process is the same. However, you’ll also get to adjust milk temperature and the level of frothing you want.

Breville Barista Touch Observations

To be honest, I’m kind of old fashioned when it comes to semi-automatic espresso machines. I usually prefer a simple, analog approach. So, upon starting out with the Barista Touch, I fought against the touchscreen interface for a minute.

However, once I let go and embraced the concept, I found myself really enjoying this machine. Although the touchscreen is a little “sticky,” I soon got the hang of it. Plus, the whole thing is just so darned intuitive that I didn’t need to consult the user manual at all. Incidentally, there’s a whole tutorial section in the menu, which will be really great for beginners.

I won’t go into great detail about my experiences dialing in espresso, suffice to say it took me a while to get to grips with the grinder settings and dose timer. Still, I was eventually able to get some truly delicious espresso from the Barista Touch.

With the coffee beans I was using, I got the best results with a grind setting of 18 and a dose of 19 grams. Again, I highly recommend using a coffee scale with this machine.

What I really loved was the shot timer function. I’ve found the volumetric controls on other Breville machines to be pretty inconsistent, so being able to play with extraction times was super cool. Ultimately, having all the grind, dose and shot time information on the screen was awesome and made dialing in very efficient.

I will say that I missed having a pressure gauge – I love this feature on the Breville Barista Express. Plus, I just really wish I could adjust the pre infusion time. Breville, if you’re reading this, make that an upgrade on the next version of this machine!

Breville Barista Touch Review Cleaning

Okay, I recognize that most home baristas don’t get as excited about cleaning their espresso machines as I do. Still, I think you’ll be able to appreciate how easy it is to maintain the Barista Touch.

First up, let’s talk about cleaning and descaling. While the included water filter should eliminate the need for frequent descaling, you’ll still need to run cleaning cycles from time to time. Fortunately, the Barista Touch has a better memory than most people.

The machine will alert you when it’s time to run a cleaning cycle – you just need to give the go-ahead. Plus, you’ll need to have some Breville Espresso Cleaning Tablets on hand. If only cleaning the entire house was as simple as pressing a button!

Anyway, not all of the Barista Touch maintenance is automated. Emptying the drip tray or cleaning out the portafilter is just as manual as you’d expect. When the buoy floats, that’s when you know it’s time to empty out the tray.

Like any espresso machine, you will still need to wipe down the bean hopper and the water tank regularly. The stainless steel exterior of the Barista Touch isn’t immune to stains or spills either, but a damp cloth and a mild cleaner will be your best friend.

Really, there is just one golden rule for maintaining the Barista Touch: keep the machine and its components away from the dishwasher. The dishwasher may seem like a dream come true, but it’s only a shortcut to needing a new espresso maker.

Breville Barista Touch Review Specifications

Breville Barista Touch vs Other Espresso Machines

I’ve been bragging a lot about this machine throughout my Breville Barista Touch review, but how does it compare to its rivals? Let’s find out!

Breville Barista Touch vs Breville Oracle Touch

Along with a significant price jump to $0.00, the Breville Oracle Touch comes with a few nifty upgrades.

For one, you get double the drink recipes and 15 more grinder settings. It’s also got a double boiler, so you can steam milk and brew espresso simultaneously. Still, a lot of the technical features of this machine remain the same, including pre infusion and temperature control.

Ultimately, these two machines are similar, minus the Oracle Touch’s automatic tamping feature. Really, it’s an upgraded version of the Barista Touch that allows for even more experimentation and control over the brewing process. Of course, it’s up to you to decide whether those upgrades are worth the hefty price increase.

See Also: Breville Oracle Touch Hands-On Review 2024

Breville Barista Touch vs Breville Barista Express

At $684.99, the Barista Express may be more budget friendly, but its analog controls feel almost ancient compared to the Barista Touch. You could argue that the Barista Express is more of a beginner machine, but I’d argue that the Barista Touch’s interface is easier to use.

Don’t get me wrong. The Barista Express still has useful features like a built-in grinder and temperature control. Still, it’s hard for me to recommend the Barista Express when the Touch is such a superior choice.

As I said before, comparing these two is like picking between an iPod and an iPhone. Unless limited analog controls appeal to you, there’s almost no reason not to go with the iPhone. The Barista Touch is no different.

See Also: Breville Barista Express Hands-On Review 2024

Breville Barista Touch vs DeLonghi La Specialista Maestro

The DeLonghi La Specialista Maestro is a close competitor, with its $1,159.95 price tag. Both options offer great value, but the Barista Touch offers a level of hand-holding that the La Specialista Maestro doesn’t. After all, the Barista Touch is armed with a colorful touchscreen while the La Specialista Maestro has more analog controls.

The La Specialista Maestro does include two heating elements instead of one, so you can steam and brew simultaneously. DeLonghi definitely earns points here. What’s more, the La Specialista Maestro has the option of an automatic LatteCrema system as well as a manual steam wand.

Put simply, these are both excellent machines. What matters is the experience you want. If you want an espresso machine that throws you into the deep end and forces you to swim, I’d recommend the DeLonghi. However, If you’d rather wade through the shallow end first, the Barista Touch is the better pick.

See Also: DeLonghi La Specialista Maestro Hands-On Review 2024

Breville Barista Touch Review vs Others Comparison Chart

Verdict: Breville Barista Touch Review

Very intuitive Espresso Machine

Breville Barista Touch

Best Mid-Range Breville Espresso Machine

Great value for money

Intuitive touchscreen interface

Compact design

Heats up fast

Makes fantastic espresso

Single boiler

No auto tamping

	CHECK PRICE
	CHECK PRICE

If my Breville Barista Touch review wasn’t enough to convince you this machine is a winner, I don’t know what will! Seriously, as we’ve seen, I didn’t name this the best mid range Breville espresso machine for nothing.

It’s not often that I find an espresso machine that excels in making excellent espresso while still providing great value. As many awards as the Barista Express has garnered, it still pales in comparison to the impressive Breville Barista Touch.

That isn’t to say this machine is perfect. Still, if you want the best value for your money, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better espresso machine than the Barista Touch.

Breville Barista Touch Review FAQ