{"id":17,"date":"2025-06-24T03:37:39","date_gmt":"2025-06-24T03:37:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coffeetexture.online\/?p=17"},"modified":"2025-06-25T09:19:02","modified_gmt":"2025-06-25T09:19:02","slug":"breville-barista-touch-impress-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coffeetexture.online\/?p=17","title":{"rendered":"Breville Barista Touch Impress Review"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you\u2019re looking into the Breville Barista Touch Impress<\/strong> and wondering if it\u2019s worth the investment, you\u2019re in the right place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hi! I\u2019m Kev, aka Coffee Kev<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I run the\u00a0Coffee Kev YouTube channel, where I review coffee machines with\u00a0no sponsors, no freebies, and no nonsense<\/strong>. I buy every machine with my own money so I can give you\u00a0an honest, real-world opinion,\u00a0<\/strong>not marketing fluff.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Below this article, you\u2019ll find video clips from my YouTube channel, including my full hands-on review of the Barista Touch Impress<\/strong>, with detailed test results, comparisons, and real-world insights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Breville is a seriously clever brand. They\u2019ve built a reputation for making some of the smartest and most user-friendly espresso machines on the market, and this latest release takes things to another level. I went into this review expecting precision and polish. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Breville isn\u2019t your average coffee machine brand, far from it. This is a company with specialty coffee at its core<\/strong>, even if that\u2019s not how everyone sees it at first glance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Radios to Ristrettos<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Breville\u00a0started way back in the\u00a0early 1930s<\/strong>\u00a0in Sydney, Australia. It was founded by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Bill O\u2019Brien<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Harry Norville<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    (Yes, that\u2019s where the name \u201cBreville\u201d comes from, Br<\/strong> from O\u2019Brien and -ville<\/strong> from Norville.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Their first product? A radio<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Fast-forward to today, and Breville has grown into a global kitchen appliance brand, but make no mistake:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cNot a Specialty Brand\u201d? Think Again<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Some home baristas still snub Breville as a \u201cstandard domestic brand.\u201d Why?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • Their machines are sleek, kitchen-counter friendly.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • They manufacture in\u00a0China<\/strong>, which unfairly lumps them into the \u201cbudget\u201d category by people who judge by looks or origin.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      But here\u2019s the thing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      • Breville was focusing on\u00a0specialty coffee features<\/strong>\u00a0long before it was trendy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Even in the early 2000s, their machines were shipping with:<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • A\u00a09-bar OPV (Over Pressure Valve)<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Brew temperatures hitting the\u00a0ideal 200\u00b0F<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Low-pressure pre-infusion<\/strong>\u00a0to avoid channeling<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        These aren\u2019t just marketing checkboxes. These are features aimed squarely at people who\u00a0actually care<\/em>\u00a0about\u00a0espresso.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        The Blessing and Curse of the Barista Express<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

        Breville\u2019s big breakout came with the Barista Express, <\/strong>a machine that looked<\/em> like a best-of-both-worlds setup:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n
        • The\u00a0ease and convenience<\/strong>\u00a0of a super automatic<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • The\u00a0quality and flexibility<\/strong>\u00a0of a home barista setup<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

          At least, that\u2019s how many retailers marketed it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          But let\u2019s clear this up:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \n
          • The Barista Express is\u00a0not an automatic machine<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • It\u2019s a\u00a0semi-automatic espresso\u00a0machine with a built-in grinder<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

            Retailers kept listing it under automatic machines because it sold like hotcakes. And who can blame them? It still does.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            A Quick Geeky Note on Pressure<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

            Now, for anyone into the more technical side of things:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            You may have noticed that the Barista Express<\/strong> is the odd one out when it comes to pump pressure. Unlike Breville\u2019s other machines that use a 9-bar setting<\/strong>, the Express runs at something like 13\u201314 bars<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Why?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            I don\u2019t know for certain, but I suspect<\/strong> it\u2019s a workaround for its misplacement in the market. If people are using it like a fully automatic machine, maybe the higher pressure was meant to better handle inconsistent tamping or grind sizes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Either way, the Express wasn\u2019t meant to be hands-off. It\u2019s a manual machine at heart, <\/strong>and the Touch Impress<\/strong> builds on that legacy in some very clever ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Why the Pressurized Baskets?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

            Another little curveball with the Barista Express, <\/strong>and possibly another clue that Breville knew how their machine was being used, was their decision to ship it with:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              \n
            • Pressurized (dual-walled) baskets<\/strong>, instead of standard single-walled baskets.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

              These days, you\u2019ll usually get both types in the box<\/strong>, but initially, I think Breville leaned toward the pressurized ones to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \n
              • Make the machine\u00a0easier for beginners<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • Improve shot consistency for people using\u00a0pre-ground or supermarket beans<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • Work better with that\u00a0higher pump pressure<\/strong>\u00a0I mentioned earlier<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                And yes, that kind of pressure management actually works better with<\/em> pressurized baskets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Apologies if your eyes have just glazed over, don\u2019t worry, I\u2019ll try to keep the rest of this post as non-geeky as I can \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Wait, Is the Touch Impress an Espresso Machine?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

                Just to clear the air for anyone new to this, yes,\u00a0this is an\u00a0espresso machine<\/strong>. And if you\u2019re not super deep into coffee geekery (yet!), let me explain why that matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                I\u2019m writing this for\u00a0everyone,\u00a0<\/em>from casual coffee drinkers to full-on specialty coffee lovers, so let\u2019s start with a simple but essential point:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                All your coffee shop favorites,\u00a0Cappuccino, Latte, Flat White,\u00a0Americano\u00a0are built on one foundation: espresso.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                So, if you want to make these kinds of drinks at home, you really need an espresso machine<\/strong>, not just a \u201ccoffee machine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                What\u2019s the Deal with Super-Automatics?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                Not all espresso machines are the same. Here\u2019s where super-automatic coffee machines<\/strong> come into play:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  \n
                • They\u2019re called \u201csuper-automatic\u201d because they do\u00a0everything<\/strong>\u00a0for you.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • They grind the coffee, dose it, tamp it, and brew your espresso with zero fuss.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • They use an\u00a0internal brewing unit<\/strong>\u00a0rather than a traditional\u00a0portafilter<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                  And yes, they do<\/em> make espresso, just not in the same way a traditional machine does.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  Super-automatics are perfect for convenience seekers.<\/strong>\u00a0They crank out\u00a0caf\u00e9-style drinks\u00a0quickly and easily, and the cup quality is more than good enough for most people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  But\u2026 Is It Specialty<\/em> Espresso?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                  Here\u2019s the rub:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  If you\u2019ve got a well-trained palate or you\u2019re used to third-wave coffee quality<\/strong>, then you might find the espresso from most super-automatics a little\u2026 underwhelming:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    \n
                  • Less intensity<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  • Lighter body<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  • Less nuanced flavor<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                    That\u2019s because super-automatics tend to sacrifice a bit of control and quality for convenience.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                    If you\u2019re looking into the Breville Barista Touch Impress and wondering if it\u2019s worth the investment, you\u2019re […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-coffee-blog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/coffeetexture.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/coffeetexture.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/coffeetexture.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coffeetexture.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coffeetexture.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=17"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/coffeetexture.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19,"href":"https:\/\/coffeetexture.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17\/revisions\/19"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coffeetexture.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/18"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/coffeetexture.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=17"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coffeetexture.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=17"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coffeetexture.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=17"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}