Buying Guide
Breville Barista Express vs Pro vs Touch vs Touch Impress (Verified Spec & Price Comparison)
Side-by-side, the four Breville integrated-grinder espresso machines, with manufacturer-verified MSRPs and the actual feature differences between them.
Our picks at a glance — verified prices, jump to the section below for the reasoning.
| Product | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|
 Breville Barista Express Breville | $699.95 | Amazon → |
Breville Barista Express Impress Breville | $799.95 | Amazon → |
| $849.95 | Amazon → |
Breville Barista Touch Breville | $999.95 | Amazon → |
| $1,499.95 | Amazon → |
The Breville integrated-grinder lineup confuses buyers because the model names are similar and the marketing language overlaps. This page lines them up cleanly. All prices are MSRP, verified directly on breville.com as of the publish date.
At a glance
| Model | Model # | MSRP | Heating | Tamping | Interface | Milk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barista Express | BES870 | $699.95 | Thermocoil (single boiler) | Manual | Dial | Manual wand |
| Barista Express Impress | BES876 | $799.95 | Thermocoil | Impress (22 lb assisted) | Dial | Manual wand |
| Barista Pro | BES878 | $849.95 | ThermoJet | Manual | LCD | Manual wand |
| Barista Touch | BES880 | $999.95 | ThermoJet | Manual | Touchscreen | Manual wand |
| Barista Touch Impress | BES881 | $1,499.95 | ThermoJet | Impress (22 lb assisted) | Touchscreen | Auto MilQ (8 levels) |
What you’re paying for at each step
- Express → Express Impress (+$100): You add the Impress Puck System. Same heater, same interface. Worth it if dialing in your tamp is the part you keep getting wrong.
- Express → Barista Pro (+$150): You swap Thermocoil for ThermoJet (manufacturer claim: extraction temp in 3 seconds) and the dial for an LCD. Lose the Impress.
- Barista Pro → Barista Touch (+$150): Same brewing engine. You’re paying for the touchscreen.
- Barista Touch → Barista Touch Impress (+$500): You add the Impress puck system and Auto MilQ (8 milk-texture levels with dairy/soy/almond/oat presets). This is the largest step in the range, and is the step that decides whether you want a fully hands-off machine or a “guide me through it” machine.
How to pick
- You want the cheapest Breville with an integrated grinder. Barista Express, $699.95.
- You keep tamping inconsistently. Barista Express Impress, $799.95.
- You want a fast heater on a budget. Barista Pro, $849.95.
- You want a touchscreen but don’t need automation beyond that. Barista Touch, $999.95.
- You want push-a-button espresso plus latte-art-capable milk and don’t want to think about technique. Barista Touch Impress, $1,499.95. (Read the full review.)
What this comparison deliberately does not include
We are not assigning numerical scores (“Touch Impress: 4.7/5”). No one who tests an espresso machine for a few hours can give it a fair rating, and most rating numbers on review sites are made up. What we can give you is the verified feature delta and the price you’re paying for each delta — which is what most people actually need to choose.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between the Barista Express and Barista Pro?
The Pro uses Breville's faster ThermoJet heater (~3 sec to extraction temp) where the Express uses a slower single-boiler Thermocoil. The Pro is otherwise a similar semi-automatic with an integrated conical burr grinder.
What does 'Impress' mean in the model names?
Impress refers to Breville's Impress Puck System — an assisted dosing and tamping mechanism with a 22 lb downforce and a 7° barista twist. Available on the Express Impress and the Touch Impress.
Is the Touch Impress worth the jump from the Barista Pro?
Only if you specifically want hands-free milk texturing (Auto MilQ) and touchscreen presets. The Pro extracts excellent espresso for $650 less; you're paying for automation, not better shots.