Breville Barista Touch review

Balanced, rich shots once the grind is set, after a rough start and a warming flush8.7/10

Shot quality is the Barista Touch's best-scoring trait, and it is consistently praised. Home Coffee Expert reports "balanced, deep, and richly flavored espresso"1 with little variation from shot to shot once the grind was locked in. The built-in grinder shares the credit: Eric the Coffee Guy counts "30 grind settings"2, a wider range than the Barista Express offers.

The start can be rough. Lauren Seijo, who now has no regrets about the machine, remembers pulling "the most disgusting espresso shots I've ever tasted in my life"3 before she had the grind size and temperature sorted. Lighter roasts ask for more patience at the dial than darker ones.

The other caveat is cold metal. The heater is ready at once but the group and portafilter are not, so a shot pulled straight after switch-on tends to disappoint. Coffee Kev's fix is a heat-up flush before the first coffee.4 The pre-infusion time is fixed and cannot be adjusted.

Hands-off foam at a set temperature, a notch below a practiced hand7.8/10

The automatic wand is the reason to choose this model, and the milk is widely liked. Pick a temperature and a texture level on the screen, rest the jug on the sensor and the machine does the rest, stopping on its own when the milk is hot. Eric the Coffee Guy, a barista who enjoys steaming by hand, says it "does about as good a job as anybody".5

It is not the last word on foam. Lifestyle Lab found the finest microbubbles hit and miss, and the finished milk runs a little hotter than the number on the display. Plant milks do well, almond included.

“For people who’ve never manually steamed milk before, the MilQ system will give results that would take weeks of practice to match with a traditional steam wand.” but “the quality ceiling on the automatic wand is lower than manual steaming at its best”

The wand also works manually, so there is room to learn later. Two practical points come with the automatic mode. The jug has to sit close to the portafilter to reach the sensor, which feels cramped, and the sensor must be kept clean: Seattle Coffee Gear warns that a dirty one stops reading and the milk keeps heating.6

A screen that needs no manual, around dosing and tamping that stay in your hands6.0/10

The screen is easy, and the espresso is as hands-on as ever, which is why ease divides opinion. Craft Coffee Spot never needed the manual to find anything.7 The menu holds preset drinks plus ones you save under your own name, and built-in tutorials walk a beginner through each step from grinding to milk.

None of that doses or tamps for you. Coffee Kev puts it plainly: "it's no easier to use on the Espresso side of things"8 than Breville's cheaper all-in-ones. Shots are timed, so a set of scales helps whenever a new bag goes in the hopper.

Changing beans often is where it gets tedious, and Coffee Lovers TV finds the setup a little challenging for anyone who switches coffees all the time.9 The grinder turns out clumpy grounds, scatters some at the portafilter and is not quiet. Small cups sit awkwardly on the tray.

Brew-ready in 3 seconds, with the shot and the milk taken in turn8.2/10

Heat-up is consistently praised. The ThermoJet heating system has water at brewing temperature in 3 seconds, and Seattle Coffee Gear calls it "the fastest machine that i've ever seen".10 Steam arrives almost as quickly once the shot is done.

There is one heater, so the two jobs happen in sequence. Seattle Coffee Gear says it directly: "this is not a double boiler".11 You also cannot queue the milk to start when the shot ends, so each drink means switching modes by hand. For a couple of lattes that is no hardship, and Coffee Lovers TV never missed a second boiler.

The catch is the same cold metal that affects the first shot. The 3 seconds cover the water, not the group head, so the true morning routine includes a blank shot before the coffee that counts.

A self-purging wand and guided cycles, with a milk sensor to wipe and a small tray7.9/10

Upkeep is widely liked, mostly because the machine does or explains the awkward parts. Push the wand down after steaming and it purges hot water through itself.12 The wand's outside stays cool enough to wipe easily, and backflushing and descaling are led step by step on the screen.

The chores that remain are small and regular. Craft Coffee Spot found the drip tray on the small side, so it needs emptying more often.13 Milk and water left sitting in it turn unpleasant fast, the water filter needs changing on schedule, and the purge spits a little water where the jug was, so leave something under it.

22.71 lb of stainless steel that sits firm, with a jammed grinder on record7.7/10

The build is widely liked. The exterior is stainless steel, and Home Coffee Expert found that the portafilter locks in firmly and "nothing flexes or rattles".14 At 22.71 lb it sits well on the counter, though a rough hand on the portafilter can still shift it.

The complaints are modest. Michelle Robertson had beans stick at the bottom of the grinder until the machine made an odd noise, her only fault so far.15 The tamper feels plasticky, and Lifestyle Lab notes that the extra money over the Barista Express buys no finer finishes. Evidence on the long run is thin either way.

The portafilter is 54 mm, smaller than the size most third-party accessories are made for. That matters only if you plan to add a bottomless portafilter or other tools later.

A grinder, a screen and automatic milk at $999.95, with the Barista Pro as the case against6.1/10

Value divides opinion, and the split follows what you drink. For a latte household it is an easy case: Coffee Lovers TV calls it "an amazing deal for a home espresso machine"16 because the price covers a good grinder as well. Whole Latte Love, a retailer that sells it, makes the same point against buying a separate machine and grinder.

The argument against comes from inside Breville's own range. Home Coffee Expert notes that the espresso workflow is identical to the Barista Pro, which "costs around $150 less".17 If the touchscreen and the automatic wand are not must-haves, the cheaper machine makes the same coffee.

The box is well stocked, cleaning tools included, so there is little to add on day one. The case for the Touch gets stronger whenever it is discounted, so it pays to watch the price.

Our verdict

Buy the Barista Touch if milk drinks are the daily order and you want the steaming done for you, with a grinder in the same box. Skip it if you drink straight espresso or already steam well by hand, because the Barista Pro makes the same shot for less. Expect some wasted beans while you find the grind, and a blank shot before the first cup each morning. In the shop, set the jug on the sensor with the portafilter locked in and see whether the tight fit bothers you.