The Breville Barista Touch Impress Espresso Machine (BES881BSS) brings the magic of a professional café right into your kitchen. If you’ve ever dreamed of mastering espresso drinks without the mess or stress of traditional machines, this innovative appliance is your new best friend. With its intuitive touchscreen, powerful heating system, and smart milk texturing, the Barista Touch Impress doesn’t just make coffee—it creates an experience.
Your Morning Ritual, Upgraded
Effortless Coffee Crafting with Touchscreen Simplicity
Breville’s thoughtfully designed touchscreen interface sets this machine apart from the crowd. Instead of fiddling with buttons and levers, you simply swipe and tap to select from eight pre-programmed café favorites like espresso, flat white, latte, and cappuccino. Want to make it your own? You can customize and save up to eight drink profiles, dialing in your preferences for strength, temperature, milk texture, and more.
This level of personalization transforms your daily brew into a gourmet moment tailored just for you.
The Impress Puck System: Precision Without the Learning Curve
One of the standout features is the Impress Puck System—Breville’s unique solution for simplifying the espresso-making process. It automatically doses the correct amount of ground coffee, applies a 22-pound assisted tamp with a barista-style twist, and even adjusts the next dose if needed. The result? A clean, compact coffee puck that extracts evenly every time.
For beginners, this is a game changer. No guesswork, no mess, and no uneven shots. For experienced home brewers, it’s a reliable way to streamline your process without compromising on quality.
Speed Meets Flavor with ThermoJet Technology
Time is precious in the morning, and Breville gets that. The ThermoJet heating system reaches optimal brewing temperature in just 3 seconds. That means by the time you grind your beans and lock in the portafilter, the machine is already ready to brew.
And once you start brewing, the low-pressure pre-infusion and 9-bar extraction ensure that every cup is rich, nuanced, and packed with flavor.
Elevating Milk-Based Drinks to Café Quality
Auto MilQ: Tailored Texturing for All Milk Types
For lovers of lattes, flat whites, or cappuccinos, milk matters—and Breville absolutely nails it with Auto MilQ. This steam wand technology intelligently adapts to dairy, almond, oat, and soy milks, adjusting the air injection and temperature to suit each type perfectly.
Whether you’re chasing velvety microfoam for latte art or a smooth finish for your flat white, the Barista Touch Impress delivers consistently dreamy results. And the best part? It’s hands-free.
Silky Foam, Minimal Fuss
Gone are the days of struggling with steam wand angles or scorching your milk. With this machine, just place your jug, select your drink, and let Auto MilQ handle the rest. You’ll be amazed at the texture it creates—fine, glossy, and just the right temperature for sipping or pouring.
Even better, this functionality makes the machine a hit with households of mixed preferences. Oat milk for one person, skim milk for another? No problem. The Breville adjusts and remembers.
Looks Great, Works Even Better
Premium Build and Thoughtful Design
The brushed stainless steel finish gives the Breville Barista Touch Impress Espresso Machine a professional, modern look that fits beautifully in any kitchen. With a compact footprint of just under 14 inches wide, it doesn’t demand much counter space, yet it packs in features usually reserved for high-end commercial machines.
Included accessories like the stainless steel milk jug, dual wall filter baskets, precision trimming tool, and cleaning gear show Breville’s attention to every detail.
A Few Considerations to Keep in Mind
While most users rave about the convenience and quality, a few note that the grinder can be a little sensitive to bean freshness and oiliness. Some report needing to recalibrate grind size depending on the beans used—something that’s true for most high-end machines.
Also, like any smart appliance, there’s a slight learning curve at first. But after a few uses, most people find the machine becomes second nature.
How It Compares: Breville vs. the Competition
Here’s how the Breville Barista Touch Impress Espresso Machine stacks up against other popular home espresso machines:
| Feature | Breville Barista Touch Impress | Breville Bambino Plus | Breville Barista Express Impress | KitchenAid KF8 Espresso Machine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,199.95 | $499.95 | $649.95 | $1,799.99 |
| Touchscreen Interface | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Built-in Grinder | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Auto Milk Texturing | Yes (Auto MilQ) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Alternative Milk Settings | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Heating Time | 3 Seconds (ThermoJet) | 3 Seconds | 3 Seconds | Not specified |
| Grind Settings | 30 | Manual grinder needed | 25 | 15 |
| Ease of Use for Beginners | Excellent | Moderate | Good | Excellent |
| Overall User Rating | 4.0 / 5 | 4.1 / 5 | 4.3 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
Real Users, Real Praise
Many customers describe the Barista Touch Impress as a “total upgrade” from pod machines or even previous Breville models. They highlight the smooth learning experience, the impressive drink quality, and how it often outperforms their favorite cafés.
Parents, professionals, and students alike say it’s become a staple in their routine. Whether it’s fueling a busy morning or winding down with a cappuccino, this machine fits beautifully into real-life schedules.
One customer even mentioned that after owning it for a few weeks, they can’t go back to Starbucks—because this machine makes better coffee, exactly the way they like it.
Final Thoughts: Is It Worth It?
If you’re serious about coffee and want consistent, barista-level results without investing hours in learning technique, the Breville Barista Touch Impress Espresso Machine is absolutely worth it. It combines automation with customization in a sleek, modern package that’s both smart and stylish.
Yes, it’s a splurge—but when you consider the cost of daily coffee runs, it pays for itself in no time. More importantly, it brings joy, convenience, and delicious coffee to your mornings—and that’s priceless.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Is the Breville Barista Touch Impress good for beginners?
A: Yes! One of the biggest advantages of this machine is its step-by-step barista guidance. The intuitive touchscreen walks you through everything—from grinding and tamping to milk frothing—making it perfect for first-time espresso makers. With pre-set drink options and assisted features like the Impress Puck System and Auto MilQ, even beginners can create café-quality drinks in minutes.
Q: Can I use non-dairy milk like oat or almond with this machine?
A: Absolutely. The Breville Barista Touch Impress includes alternative milk settings for oat, almond, and soy milk. The Auto MilQ system adjusts temperature and texture automatically to suit each type, ensuring your plant-based latte or cappuccino turns out smooth and delicious every time.
Q: How quickly does the machine heat up?
A: The Barista Touch Impress uses ThermoJet technology, which heats the water to optimal espresso temperature in just 3 seconds. This means you can start brewing almost immediately after turning the machine on—no long wait times required.
Q: Does it have a built-in grinder?
A: Yes, it features a precision conical burr grinder with 30 grind settings. This allows you to dial in the exact grind size for your coffee beans, helping you achieve maximum flavor and control over your espresso shots.
Q: Is the milk frothing hands-free?
A: Yes. The Auto MilQ feature allows for completely hands-free milk texturing. You simply place the jug under the steam wand, select your milk preference, and the machine does the rest—steaming to your preferred texture and temperature without any manual effort.
Q: Can I customize my drinks?
A: Definitely. The machine allows you to customize and save up to eight personalized drinks, adjusting parameters like shot volume, coffee strength, milk temperature, and texture. This is ideal for households with multiple users or for anyone who enjoys different styles of coffee.
Q: How easy is it to clean?
A: The Barista Touch Impress includes automatic cleaning reminders and a range of cleaning tools. The portafilter and steam wand are easy to rinse, and the drip tray is removable for quick cleanup. Some users do mention that like all espresso machines, regular maintenance is essential to keep it running smoothly.
Q: Does the machine come with accessories?
A: Yes, it includes a comprehensive accessory set:
- 54mm stainless steel portafilter
- 480ml stainless steel milk jug
- Single and dual wall filter baskets
- Water filter and holder
- Precision trimming tool (Razor)
- Cleaning tools and tablets
Everything you need to get started right out of the box.
Q: Is it worth the price?
A: While it’s a premium investment, most users find it well worth it for the performance, convenience, and drink quality. It delivers a café experience at home, reducing the need for costly coffee shop visits. The combination of automation, customization, and sleek design makes it one of the best-value machines in its class.
