Breville Barista Touch Impress
Breville Bambino Plus + Smart Grinder Pro
​​This is my everyday, go-to espresso machine. The Touch Impress makes café-quality coffee simple with its intuitive touchscreen and step-by-step guidance. It automates grinding, tamping, and milk texturing, allowing you to customize temperature and foam for drinks like lattes, cappuccinos, flat whites, and Americanos.
While it comes at a higher price point, the automation and consistency make it worth the investment for both beginners and experienced coffee lovers.
Best for: Effortless, customizable coffee at home.
This is my go-to espresso machine for travel, whether I’m in the camper, on a road trip, or staying in an Airbnb. It’s compact, reliable, and delivers café-quality coffee without taking up much space.
While it requires a bit more hands-on involvement than the Touch Impress, pairing it with the Breville Smart Grinder Pro makes dialing in the perfect shot simple and rewarding. The automatic steam wand offers three milk texture levels and three temperature settings, giving you consistent results with just enough customization.
It’s a more affordable option that still produces exceptional espresso once you get the hang of it.
Best for: Travel, small spaces, and coffee lovers who want quality and control at a lower price point.
Breville Barista Express
This is the machine that started my home espresso journey about 10–11 years ago. As an all-in-one system with a built-in grinder, it delivers café-quality coffee at a price comparable to the Bambino Plus and Smart Grinder Pro.
It does have a learning curve and requires manual milk texturing, but it saved me time and money by eliminating daily trips for my favorite latte. I used it for nearly a decade, and even if I had replaced it every year, it still would have cost less than buying coffee out.
Before upgrading, it became my bulky travel machine. After experiencing automatic milk texturing and wanting something more compact, I transitioned to the Bambino Plus. Even so, this remains an excellent place to start.
Best for: Beginners who want an all-in-one espresso machine with exceptional value and control.