Breville Barista Touch Impress
- Intuitive touchscreen for easy operation.
- Built-in grinder for fresh coffee grounds.
- Automatic milk frothing for perfect textures.
Pros
- Touchscreen Display: The intuitive touchscreen is incredibly easy to use, making it simple to customize your drinks.
- Automatic Tamping: This feature ensures perfect tamping pressure every time, leading to consistent espresso shots.
- Customizable Profiles: You can save up to eight personalized coffee settings, perfect for households with different preferences.
- High-Quality Microfoam: The steam wand produces excellent milk foam, ideal for making lattes and cappuccinos.
- Built-in Grinder: The integrated grinder delivers fresh grounds, and the grind size is adjustable for different brewing styles.
Cons
- Price: The Breville Barista Touch Impress is on the expensive side, so it may not be suitable for those on a tight budget.
- Size: It’s a bit bulky, so it requires sufficient counter space in your kitchen.
As a coffee enthusiast, I've always been on the lookout for the perfect espresso machine that combines ease of use with exceptional performance. The Breville Barista Touch Impress caught my attention, promising a seamless blend of automation and manual control. After several weeks of daily use, I'm excited to share my comprehensive review of this impressive machine.
Unboxing the Breville Barista Touch Impress
The Breville Barista Touch Impress arrived in a well-packaged box, ensuring all components were secure. Inside, I found the espresso machine itself, a 54mm portafilter, single and double-wall filter baskets, a stainless steel milk jug, a water filter, and cleaning accessories. The inclusion of both single and double-wall baskets caters to users of varying experience levels, allowing for flexibility in brewing. How to steam milk on the Breville
Design and Build Quality of the Breville Barista Touch Impress
The machine boasts a sleek stainless steel finish that complements any kitchen decor. Its compact footprint is a pleasant surprise, especially considering the array of features it houses. The intuitive touchscreen interface is the centerpiece, offering a modern and user-friendly experience. The build quality feels robust, with components like the portafilter and steam wand exuding durability. How to steam milk on the Breville Barista Express
Setting Up the Breville Barista Touch Impress
Setting up the Breville Barista Touch Impress was straightforward. The touchscreen guided me through the initial setup, including language selection, water hardness testing, and priming the machine. The process was intuitive, and within minutes, the machine was ready for its first brew.
Grinding with Precision: The Integrated Grinder
One of the standout features of the Breville Barista Touch Impress is its integrated conical burr grinder. With 30 grind settings, it offers a wide range of adjustments to suit different coffee beans and personal preferences. The grinder delivers consistent grounds, which is crucial for optimal extraction. I appreciated the hands-free operation; placing the portafilter in the cradle initiates the grinding process automatically.
The Impress Puck System: Assisted Tamping
Tamping can be a challenging aspect of espresso preparation, especially for beginners. The Impress Puck System simplifies this by providing assisted tamping. After grinding, a lever on the side of the machine allows for a consistent 22 pounds of pressure with a 7-degree barista twist, ensuring a uniform puck every time. This feature significantly reduces the learning curve and minimizes mess.
Tips Using a single basket with a Breville or Sage home espresso machine
Brewing Espresso with the Breville Barista Touch Impress
Brewing with the Breville Barista Touch Impress is a delight. The ThermoJet heating system ensures the machine is ready to brew in just three seconds. The touchscreen offers a selection of pre-programmed drinks, including espresso, Americano, latte, cappuccino, and flat white. Each option can be customized in terms of coffee strength, milk texture, and temperature. I found the espresso shots to be rich and flavorful, with a consistent crema.
Milk Frothing Capabilities: AutoMilQ Technology
For milk-based drinks, the Breville Barista Touch Impress features the AutoMilQ system. This technology allows for automatic milk frothing with adjustable temperature and texture settings. Notably, it includes presets for alternative milks like oat, almond, and soy, adjusting the steam pressure and temperature to suit each type. The result is consistently smooth and creamy microfoam, ideal for latte art. How to change the brew temperature on Breville/Sage Barista Express
Cleaning and Maintenance of the Breville Barista Touch Impress
Maintenance is straightforward, thanks to the machine's automated cleaning cycles. The touchscreen provides prompts for cleaning and descaling, and the process is guided step-by-step. The drip tray and water tank are easily removable for cleaning, and the steam wand has an automatic purge function to prevent milk residue buildup.
Customization and User Profiles
The Breville Barista Touch Impress allows users to create and save up to eight personalized coffee settings. This feature is particularly useful in households with multiple coffee drinkers, each with their own preferences. Customizing drink parameters is intuitive via the touchscreen, and recalling saved settings is quick and easy.
Performance Over Time
Over several weeks of use, the Breville Barista Touch Impress has consistently delivered high-quality espresso and milk-based drinks. The machine's performance has remained stable, with no noticeable decline in quality. The grinder continues to produce uniform grounds, and the Impress Puck System ensures consistent tamping. The AutoMilQ system reliably froths milk to the desired texture and temperature.
Comparing the Breville Barista Touch Impress to Other Models
Compared to other Breville models, the Barista Touch Impress stands out for its combination of automation and manual control. While the Barista Express Impress offers assisted tamping, it lacks the touchscreen interface and automatic milk frothing capabilities. On the other hand, the Oracle Touch provides more automation but comes at a significantly higher price point. The Barista Touch Impress strikes a balance, offering advanced features at a more accessible price.
Product Review Conclusion: Breville Barista Touch Impress
In conclusion, the Breville Barista Touch Impress is an exceptional espresso machine that caters to both novices and experienced users. Its blend of automation and manual control offers a customizable coffee experience without the steep learning curve. The machine's consistent performance,
Frequently Asked Questions about the Breville Barista Touch Impress
Q: Is the Breville Barista Touch Impress suitable for beginners?
A: Yes, the machine is designed to be user-friendly, with features like the touchscreen interface, pre-programmed drink options, and the Impress Puck System, which simplifies tamping. These features make it accessible for those new to espresso-making.
Q: How does the Impress Puck System work?
A: The Impress Puck System provides assisted tamping with 22 pounds of pressure and a 7-degree barista twist. It ensures a consistent tamp without requiring manual effort, reducing the chance of user error.
Q: What is the AutoMilQ system?
A: The AutoMilQ system is Breville’s automatic milk frothing technology. It offers customizable milk texture and temperature settings and includes presets for different milk types, such as oat, almond, and soy, ensuring optimal results for each.
Q: How long does the Breville Barista Touch Impress take to heat up?
A: The machine uses a ThermoJet heating system that heats up in just three seconds, allowing you to brew your coffee almost instantly.
Q: Can I customize the drink settings?
A: Yes, the Breville Barista Touch Impress allows you to adjust coffee strength, milk texture, and temperature. You can also save up to eight personalized drink profiles for quick access.
Q: Is the machine easy to clean?
A: Yes, the machine includes automated cleaning cycles and prompts for maintenance tasks like descaling. The drip tray, water tank, and portafilter are all easily removable for cleaning.
Q: How many grind settings does the integrated grinder have?
A: The integrated conical burr grinder offers 30 adjustable settings, providing flexibility to suit various coffee beans and personal taste preferences.
Q: Can this machine make drinks other than espresso?
A: Absolutely. The touchscreen interface includes pre-programmed options for espresso, Americano, latte, cappuccino, and flat white. You can also customize and create other specialty drinks.
Q: What are the dimensions of the Breville Barista Touch Impress?
A: The machine has a compact design with dimensions of approximately 15.5 x 12.6 x 16 inches, making it suitable for most countertops.
Q: Is the Breville Barista Touch Impress worth the price?
A: While it is an investment, the Breville Barista Touch Impress offers high-end features, consistent performance, and ease of use that justify its price, especially for coffee enthusiasts seeking cafe-quality drinks at home.
Q: Does the machine support alternative milk options?
A: Yes, the AutoMilQ system includes settings tailored for alternative milks like oat, almond, and soy, ensuring optimal frothing and texture.
Q: Can I use pre-ground coffee with the machine?
A: Yes, the Breville Barista Touch Impress allows you to use pre-ground coffee by selecting the appropriate filter basket and bypassing the grinder.
Q: What type of maintenance is required for this machine?
A: Regular maintenance includes cleaning the drip tray, water tank, and portafilter, as well as following the machine's prompts for descaling and cleaning cycles to ensure optimal performance.
Q: Is there a warranty included with the Breville Barista Touch Impress?
A: Yes, Breville typically offers a one-year limited warranty with the purchase of the machine. Check with the retailer or Breville’s official website for specific warranty details.