Breville Barista Touch Espresso Machine BES880BSS Review
The Breville Barista Touch Espresso Machine BES880BSS, available in brushed stainless steel, is another standout product from Breville, designed for those who want to enjoy barista-quality coffee at home. With a strong rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars from over 3,100 ratings and more than 1,000 units sold in the past month, this machine is clearly a favorite among coffee enthusiasts.
Target Audience
The Breville Barista Touch Espresso Machine BES880BSS is aimed at a wide range of coffee enthusiasts, from beginners to seasoned baristas. Its user-friendly features and high-quality performance make it an attractive option for:
- Home Baristas: Those who enjoy crafting café-quality drinks at home and appreciate the ability to customize their coffee.
- Busy Professionals: Individuals who want a quick, efficient way to make high-quality coffee without spending too much time on preparation.
- Tech-Savvy Users: People who appreciate modern technology and the convenience of a touchscreen interface.
- Coffee Aficionados: Enthusiasts who want control over every aspect of their coffee, from grind size to milk texture.
- Small Households: Families or individuals looking for a compact machine that fits well in a variety of kitchen spaces.
Is It Right for You?
The Breville Barista Touch might be the right choice for you if:
- You Value Convenience: The touchscreen interface and automated features make it easy to brew a variety of coffee drinks with minimal effort.
- You Seek Customization: If you like to experiment with different coffee strengths, milk textures, and temperatures, this machine provides extensive customization options.
- You Appreciate Quality: With its integrated grinder and steam wand, the Barista Touch delivers café-quality coffee at home.
- You Have a Busy Lifestyle: The fast heating system and intuitive controls mean you can quickly make your favorite drinks without a lengthy process.
- You’re Willing to Invest: While it comes at a higher price point, the features and performance may justify the investment if you’re serious about your coffee.
However, it might not be the best fit if:
- You’re on a Budget: The premium price might be prohibitive if you’re looking for a more economical option.
- You Prefer Simplicity: If you don’t need extensive customization or advanced features, a simpler, more straightforward machine might be better suited to your needs.
- You’re Sensitive to Noise: The noise from the grinder and steam wand could be a consideration if you need a quieter operation.
In summary, the Breville Barista Touch Espresso Machine BES880BSS is ideal for those who want a high-quality, customizable coffee experience at home and are willing to invest in a premium, feature-rich machine.
Design and Features
The Barista Touch is sleek and modern, designed to fit seamlessly into any kitchen. It features a user-friendly touchscreen interface that simplifies the process of making a variety of coffee drinks. Similar to the Oracle Touch, it allows users to select from a menu of classic café beverages, including Espresso, Latte, Americano, and Cappuccino.
Also comes in a darker color. The Breville Barista Touch in Black Truffle.
One of the key features of the Barista Touch is its integrated grinder with adjustable grind settings, enabling you to grind fresh coffee beans for each cup. The machine also includes a steam wand for frothing milk, allowing you to create silky micro-foam for perfect lattes and cappuccinos. Customization options abound, as you can adjust the coffee strength, milk texture, and temperature, and save your personalized settings.
Capacity and Power
The Barista Touch is designed to be both powerful and efficient, featuring a 1680-watt power system that heats up quickly, reducing the waiting time for your coffee. Its compact design doesn’t compromise on capacity, making it a practical choice for daily use.
User Experience
Customers have praised the Barista Touch for its ease of use, consistency in brewing high-quality coffee, and the ability to customize drinks to their exact preferences. Its intuitive interface and automation simplify the coffee-making process, making it accessible even for beginners.
Additional Components
Included with the machine are essential accessories such as a stainless steel milk jug, cleaning kit, and various filter baskets. These components ensure that you have everything needed to start brewing immediately.
Pros and Cons of the Breville Barista Touch Espresso Machine BES880BSS
Pros
- User-Friendly Touchscreen Interface: The intuitive touchscreen makes selecting and customizing drinks straightforward and simple, even for beginners.
- Integrated Grinder: The built-in grinder with adjustable grind settings ensures fresh and consistent coffee grounds for each cup, enhancing flavor.
- Fast Heating System: The 1680-watt ThermoJet heating system heats up in just 3 seconds, significantly reducing wait time.
- Customizable Drink Settings: Users can adjust coffee strength, milk texture, and temperature to their preferences and save these personalized settings.
- High-Quality Steam Wand: The automatic steam wand produces silky micro-foam, perfect for latte art and enhancing the texture of milk-based drinks.
- Compact Design: Despite its powerful features, the Barista Touch has a compact footprint, making it suitable for various kitchen sizes.
- Comprehensive Accessories: The inclusion of a stainless steel milk jug, cleaning kit, and multiple filter baskets ensures users have everything needed for a complete coffee-making experience.
Cons
- Price: The Barista Touch is a premium machine with a higher price point, which might be a significant investment for some users.
- Learning Curve: While user-friendly, it may take some time for beginners to fully understand and utilize all the customization options and features.
- Regular Maintenance: As with any high-end espresso machine, regular cleaning and maintenance are necessary to ensure optimal performance and longevity.
- Water Tank Size: Some users might find the water tank capacity limiting, requiring frequent refills during heavy use.
- Noise Level: The integrated grinder and steam wand can be relatively noisy, which might be a consideration for those seeking a quieter machine.
Why the Breville Barista Touch is Better Than the Breville Oracle Touch
The Breville Barista Touch and the Breville Oracle Touch are both high-end espresso machines from Breville, offering excellent features and performance. However, there are several aspects where the Barista Touch might be considered better or more suitable for certain users.
The Breville Barista Touch (BES880BSS), released in 2018, features more recent technological advancements and a user-friendly touchscreen interface, reflecting modern trends in home espresso machines. In contrast, the Breville Oracle Touch (BES990BSS), introduced in 2017, while still highly automated and reliable, lacks some of the newer updates found in the Barista Touch. As a result, the Oracle Touch can be considered somewhat outdated compared to the Barista Touch, which offers a more contemporary and intuitive user experience.
1. Price
- Barista Touch: Generally, the Barista Touch is more affordable than the Oracle Touch. It offers many of the same premium features at a lower price point, making it a more accessible option for those who want high-quality coffee without the higher investment.
- Oracle Touch: While also feature-rich, the Oracle Touch comes at a significantly higher price, which might be over budget for some users.
2. Size and Footprint
- Barista Touch: It has a more compact design, making it suitable for kitchens with limited counter space. Its smaller footprint is ideal for users who need a powerful machine without taking up too much room.
- Oracle Touch: It is larger and heavier, which might be less convenient for those with limited space or who need to move the machine frequently.
3. Ease of Use
- Barista Touch: This machine is known for its user-friendly touchscreen interface, which simplifies the process of making a variety of coffee drinks. It’s designed to be intuitive, even for beginners.
- Oracle Touch: While also equipped with a touchscreen, the Oracle Touch has a more complex system due to its additional features, which might have a steeper learning curve for new users.
4. Manual vs. Automatic Control
- Barista Touch: It offers a balanced approach with a good mix of automation and manual control. Users can easily customize their drinks but still enjoy some hands-on elements of the coffee-making process.
- Oracle Touch: The Oracle Touch is more automated, handling almost every aspect of the coffee-making process. While this is great for consistency and ease, some users might prefer the more interactive experience offered by the Barista Touch.
5. Maintenance and Cleaning
- Barista Touch: Due to its simpler design and fewer automated components, the Barista Touch can be easier to clean and maintain.
- Oracle Touch: With more complex features and components, the Oracle Touch might require more thorough and frequent maintenance to keep it running optimally.
6. Accessibility for Beginners
- Barista Touch: Its user-friendly interface and simpler operation make it a better choice for beginners or those new to espresso machines. The learning curve is less steep, and it’s easier to start making quality coffee quickly.
- Oracle Touch: Better suited for experienced users who are looking for a high degree of automation and are comfortable with a more complex machine.
So which is better?
While both machines are excellent choices and offer high-quality coffee experiences, the Breville Barista Touch stands out for its affordability, compact design, user-friendliness, and balanced approach to automation and manual control. It’s an ideal option for those who want premium features without the higher price tag and complexity of the Oracle Touch. The Oracle Touch, in comparison, can be considered somewhat outdated. The Barista Touch represents Breville’s efforts to overcome the shortcomings of the Oracle Touch, providing a more modern and intuitive user experience.
Conclusion
The Breville Barista Touch Espresso Machine BES880BSS is an excellent option for those seeking a user-friendly, fully automatic espresso machine that delivers café-quality coffee at home. Its high customer ratings and robust sales indicate its popularity and reliability. Whether you’re a seasoned barista or a coffee novice, the Barista Touch offers a versatile and customizable coffee-making experience.