Breville Barista Touch Review
A research-based Breville Barista Touch review: Breville specs, owner feedback, strengths, weak points, and how it compares with the Barista Pro.
By Gary Gray
Updated October 21, 2026
The Breville Barista Touch (model BES880) is an espresso machine with a built-in conical burr grinder, a ThermoJet heating system, and a touch screen that walks you through each drink in three steps: grind, brew, and milk. Its automatic steam wand lets you set milk temperature and texture, and saved drink settings repeat your order with one tap.
It suits a home barista who wants fresh-ground espresso and milk drinks with on-screen guidance, and households where two or more people want their own saved recipes. It is a poor fit for anyone who wants fully hands-off drinks (you still tamp and lock in the portafilter yourself), a grinder that can be upgraded separately later, or a simpler machine with fewer electronic parts.
This Breville Barista Touch review draws on Breville’s published specifications, the Amazon product listing, and Amazon owner reviews. Where the listing and Breville’s own page disagree, we follow the manufacturer.
Breville Barista Touch BES880BSS Espresso Machine
Breville Barista Touch Key Specs
| Spec | Breville Barista Touch (BES880) |
|---|---|
| Grinder | Integrated hardened steel conical burrs, 30 grind settings, adjustable grind control |
| Heating system | ThermoJet, ready in 3 seconds, with PID temperature control |
| Pump and extraction | 15 bar Italian pump; low-pressure pre-infusion, then 9 bar extraction |
| Portafilter | 54mm full stainless steel, designed for an 18g dose |
| Interface | Touch screen with 5 pre-programmed drinks; create, save, and name up to 8 custom settings |
| Shot controls | One or two shots, plus hot water |
| Milk texturing | Automatic steam wand, milk temperature adjustable from 104°F to 167°F, 8 texture levels, manual texturing also available, automatic wand cleaning |
| Tamping | Removable magnetic tamper |
| Water tank | 67 oz, BPA free |
| Bean hopper | 1/2 lb |
| Power | 1680 watts, 110 to 120 volts |
| Dimensions (W x D x H) | 15.7 x 12.6 x 12.4 in |
| Weight | 21.8 lb |
| Warranty | 2 years |
| In the box | Dosing funnel, 54mm portafilter, single and double wall filter baskets, 480ml stainless steel jug, ClaroSwiss water filter, Razor precision dose trimming tool, cleaning kit, water hardness strip |
The Amazon listing gives different dimensions than Breville’s page, with a noticeably taller height, so we use Breville’s measurements above. Measure the space under your cabinets with the bean hopper in place before you buy. The listing also labels the operation mode as fully automatic, while its own feature list describes a semi-automatic machine: the grinder and milk steps are automated, but you still prepare and lock in the portafilter for every shot.
What We Like
- Guidance built into the screen. The touch screen breaks each drink into grind, brew, and milk steps. Several owners say the on-screen setup tutorial and prompts helped them get good espresso quickly, including advice on how long a shot should take before coffee starts to flow.
- Saved drinks for everyone in the house. Beyond 5 pre-programmed drinks, you can create, name, and save up to 8 custom settings. Several owners mention saving their own drink and repeating it with one tap, and one notes how easily people with different preferences can each keep a personal setting.
- Automatic milk with real adjustment. The steam wand textures milk on its own, with temperature adjustable from 104°F to 167°F and 8 texture levels, and it switches to manual steaming if you want to learn latte art by hand. One owner points out that the jug has to sit on the temperature sensor for the automatic mode to work accurately.
- Fast start and controlled extraction. Breville rates the ThermoJet system as ready in 3 seconds, and PID temperature control plus low-pressure pre-infusion before 9 bar extraction help shots stay consistent once the grind is set.
- Finer grind steps than the Barista Express. The hardened steel conical burrs offer 30 grind settings, compared with 16 on the Barista Express. One owner who moved from a separate machine and grinder reports a cleaner workflow, since they no longer hold the portafilter while grinding, and more consistent pucks.
- Longer coverage and a full kit. Breville lists a 2 year warranty, double the 1 year on the Barista Express, and the box includes a dose trimming tool, a dosing funnel, two basket styles, a milk jug, and a water filter.
What Could Be Better
- The screen does not remove the learning curve. One owner who rates the coffee highly still describes a period of fine-tuning grind size, milk texture, and shot volume, even with the touch screen’s help. Tamping remains your job. Our guide on how to use an espresso machine covers the basics.
- More electronics to go wrong. One owner returned two machines in a row, the first for shutting down while frothing milk and the second for leaking water. Another owner says that, in hindsight, they might have chosen a more manual model because they worry the digital components could be more prone to malfunctions over time.
- The grinder can struggle with some beans. One owner reports the grinder jamming on lightly roasted beans; Breville replaced the machine under warranty. Another found it tricky to empty the hopper when switching to a different coffee.
- Steam wand purge can splash. After frothing, the wand runs an automatic cleaning purge, but one owner says the wand does not line up exactly with the hole in the drip tray. Their workaround is to purge into the empty milk jug.
- The tank empties quickly in busy households. One owner who makes more than one drink at a time wishes the 67 oz tank were larger, since purging and cleaning also draw from it.
- No pressure gauge, and a fixed grinder. Breville does not list a pressure gauge for the Barista Touch, unlike the Barista Express, and the built-in grinder cannot be swapped for a better one later.
How It Compares
Breville Barista Pro (BES878). Shares the ThermoJet system rated ready in 3 seconds, PID control, the 54mm portafilter, 30 grind settings, and a 2 year limited warranty. It swaps the touch screen for an LCD with button controls and uses manual milk texturing instead of the automatic wand. Breville lists it at 16.1 x 13.8 x 13.1 in, slightly larger in every dimension than the Barista Touch. Choose it if you are happy to steam milk by hand and want the same heating and grind range with a simpler interface.
Breville Barista Express (BES870). Keeps the built-in grinder and 54mm portafilter but uses a Thermocoil heating system that delivers water at 200°F, 16 grind settings, simple button controls, a pressure gauge, a manual steam wand, and a 1 year limited warranty. It suits buyers who want visible extraction feedback and fewer electronics. Our Breville Barista Express review covers it in detail.
Super-automatic machines. A super-automatic grinds, doses, tamps, and brews with no portafilter to handle, and many models texture milk too. One Barista Touch owner who switched from a super-automatic says the espresso tastes noticeably better on the Breville, and that the time once spent cleaning a super-automatic now goes into preparing each shot. See our best super automatic espresso machines and our best espresso machines with grinder for alternatives on both sides.
Who Should Skip the Breville Barista Touch
- Anyone who wants push-button drinks with no portafilter, dosing, or tamping. A super-automatic machine handles every step for you.
- Buyers who prefer fewer electronic parts and visible extraction feedback. The Barista Express keeps button controls and a pressure gauge.
- Owners who want to upgrade the grinder later. The built-in grinder cannot be replaced, so a separate machine and grinder offer more flexibility; see our best espresso grinders.
- Home baristas who already steam milk by hand and mostly want fast heat-up and fine grind steps. The Barista Pro covers that without the touch screen and automatic wand.
- Kitchens with little clearance under the cabinets, since the bean hopper adds height, and households that pull many drinks back to back and do not want to refill the tank often.
Why You Should Trust Us
We do not conduct our own product trials. Our picks draw on published specifications, independent reviews, and Amazon owner ratings.
The CML Score is calculated with the published method on our How We Review page.
Affiliate commissions do not affect our rankings or scores.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Breville Barista Touch froth milk automatically?
Yes. Breville lists hands-free milk texturing with milk temperature adjustable from 104°F to 167°F and 8 texture levels, plus an automatic cleaning function for the steam wand. You can also texture milk manually. If milk drinks are your main focus, compare it with the machines in our best latte machines.
How many drink settings can the Barista Touch save?
Breville lists 5 pre-programmed drinks and lets you create, save, and name up to 8 customizable coffee settings, with adjustable coffee strength, milk texture, and milk temperature.
What size portafilter does the Barista Touch use?
It uses a 54mm full stainless steel portafilter designed for an 18g dose. Tampers and other accessories need to match that size; our best espresso tampers includes 54mm options.
What is the difference between the Barista Touch and the Barista Pro?
Both use a ThermoJet heating system, PID temperature control, a 54mm portafilter, 30 grind settings, and a 2 year warranty. The Barista Touch adds a touch screen with pre-programmed and saved drinks and an automatic steam wand, while the Barista Pro uses an LCD with buttons and manual milk texturing. Our Breville espresso machine comparison sets the models side by side.
What is the warranty on the Barista Touch?
Breville lists a 2 year warranty for the Barista Touch, compared with 1 year for the Barista Express.
Final Thoughts
The Breville Barista Touch combines a grinder with 30 settings, fast ThermoJet heating, and an automatic steam wand behind a touch screen that guides each drink and remembers your favorites. It rewards buyers who want fresh espresso and milk drinks with less guesswork than a fully manual setup, and who accept that tamping and regular cleaning are still part of the routine. Buyers who want fewer electronics should look at the Barista Express, and those happy to steam by hand can consider the Barista Pro.
For more options, browse our espresso machines coverage, see how it ranks in our best semi-automatic espresso machines, or start with our best espresso machines overview.
About the author
Covers home espresso machines, from capsule models to semi-automatic setups, for CoffeeMakerLab.