The Breville Barista Touch Is Hands-Down My Favorite Espresso Machine — Here’s Why

Growing up in a rural area of New England, the idea of walking to get coffee or enjoying a leisurely moment in a coffee shop was foreign to me. Upon moving to New York City in my early twenties, I embraced coffee shop life, quickly finding favorites in my Queens neighborhood and getting to know the baristas. When the time came to trade the city for the suburbs nearly a decade later, I knew my coffee shop visits — and freshly brewed espresso — would be what I missed most about city living. 

For years, I hunted for a stellar coffee maker to replace my coffee shop ritual. After much trial and error (which included discovering I don’t have the patience for a pour-over coffee maker or a French press), I found what I was looking for in the Breville Barista Touch. The high-tech espresso maker marries barista-quality performance with an intuitive touchscreen and compact footprint to deliver expertly pulled espresso shots, creamy lattes, and foamy cappuccinos. In the years since I’ve sprung for this machine, I’ve never regretted it, and — after continuing to test numerous coffee and espresso machines — I remain convinced this is still the best one.

Breville Barista Touch Espresso Machine

$1,000 $800 at Amazon $1,000 $800 at Target $800 at Williams Sonoma

How I Use the Breville Barista Touch

I start every morning — and bookend every afternoon — with a cup of coffee, though it’s not always the same type. My Breville Barista Touch excels at versatility, making it easy to indulge in a vanilla latte when I have time and pull a quick double shot when rushing out the door to drop my kids at daycare. The simple touchscreen interface seamlessly walks me through the steps for creating a variety of drinks (including five preprogrammed drinks and eight custom drinks), so it’s easy to do almost mindlessly and simple for guests to work themselves when we host. 

What I Love About the Breville Barista Touch

There is so much to appreciate about this machine. After five years of testing it, I can confidently say I love every aspect. It’s nearly impossible to achieve a flavorful, robust cup of coffee without freshly ground beans, and the integrated burr coffee grinder on the Breville Barista Touch allows me to grind them fresh with every cup, resulting in a rich and fresh pour. I love trying new roasts, and the modest ½-pound bean hopper capacity makes it easy to cycle through different beans without waste. 

One of the biggest draws to the Breville Barista Touch is the glowing screen at its center. It makes customizing my drink a cinch, allowing me to choose between the grind amount, brew length, and milk temperature. My husband prefers his espresso to brew for 25 seconds, while I like to brew mine for around 30 seconds because it tastes less bitter. The Barista Touch’s user-friendly interface makes it easy to tweak our morning cups to our specifications. 

I love using my Breville Barista Touch to create a creamy latte. Or, if I opt for matcha, I’ll use the integrated steam wand to froth milk. The machine allows me to choose my exact milk temperature and eight levels of texture for a silky-smooth foam. Nothing gives that coffee shop effect quite like this step, and I love that my machine makes it so easy to tack it onto my regular coffee machine; taking out an additional milk frother would be a pain. 

The Caveats

There is not much not to like about the Breville Barista Touch, but it’s important to point out that it is definitely a splurge. At almost $1,000, it’s not the most affordable espresso maker. However, it’s the most versatile and efficient fully automatic espresso machine I’ve ever used. Aside from that, this machine has a larger footprint than a Nespresso machine. The large rear water reservoir holds an impressive 67 ounces and the top bean hopper adds vertical height and bulk. We have ours tucked into a little coffee nook, but I could not have sacrificed the countertop real estate for this machine when I lived in the city. 

Beyond that, this machine does require a bit of upkeep. You’ll need to periodically rinse out the drip and storage tray and perform a cleaning cycle that helps rid the machine of buildup caused by oily coffee, grounds, and milk. There’s also a filter in the water reservoir that requires changing every three months—though admittedly, we’ve forgotten about that before.

Tips and Tricks

• Use the eight available customizable drink options to save your favorite latte recipes and streamline your morning routine. 
• Experiment with grind sizes. Breville recommends starting with grind level 14, but adjusting through the 30 settings can help you achieve your perfect taste. 
• Keep a spare coffee mug nearby to dump used pucks instead of running back and forth to the garbage.
• If you’re making a cappuccino or latte with a milk alternative like nut or oat milk, utilize the Breville Barista Touch temperature adjustment for best results. Soy milk foams best at 130°F; oat milk at 140°F; almond at 130°F, and traditional dairy at 150°F.

How It Compares

When we tested the best espresso machines, the Breville Barista Touch won the title of Best Automatic Espresso Machine. During testing, we found its touch display especially helpful as it automatically helped us troubleshoot any issues so we could get a better espresso shot with each pull. We also found its automatic milk frother to be incredibly effective compared to other models, thanks to its built-in sensor that automatically shuts it off once our diary hits the correct temperature.

The Verdict

The Breville Barista Touch machine is a worthy splurge I’d recommend to anyone who wants to take their coffee game seriously, or anyone looking for a way to cut down on daily trips to their local cafe. While nothing can mimic the ambiance of a bustling coffee shop, the pro-worthy pull I get from this tech-savvy gadget has helped me achieve espressos, lattes, and cappuccinos that rival even the best barista — all from the comfort of my own home.  

Our Expertise

Alyssa Longobucco is a freelance writer, editor, and stylist with a background in food, interior, and lifestyle content. She has over a decade of experience in the digital and magazine industry creating unique and innovative content for storied brands such as Food and Wine, House Beautiful, HGTV, The Knot, Domino, Apartment Therapy, Real Simple, Food52, Good Housekeeping, and more.