Breville’s compact, stainless steel espresso machines have become one of the brand’s most iconic kitchen appliances. Breville carries an array of automatic and manual espresso makers, but the Barista line is the most well-known for making a coffee shop-worthy cup at home. We hone in on the features of the mid-tier Breville the Barista Pro and top-of-the-line the Barista Touch to help you choose the best espresso machine for you.
Make your perfect cup of coffee with a touch of a finger through the Breville the Barista Touch's touchscreen, programmable interface.
Navigation
Breville the Barista Pro vs Touch Espresso Machine Comparison Chart
| Model | Breville the Barista Pro | Breville the Barista Touch |
 | | |
| Price | Check Price at Breville.com | Check Price at Breville.com |
| Dimensions | 15.7″ x 15.6″ x 15.7″ | 15.5″ x 12.7″ x 16″ |
| Interface | LCD + Adjustable Grind Control | Programmable Full-Colored Touchscreen |
| Water Tank Capacity | 67 fl.oz. | 67 fl. oz. |
| Bean Hopper Capacity | 1/2 lb. | 1/2 lb. |
| ThermoJet Heating System | Yes | Yes |
| Pre-Programmed Café Favorites | No | Yes, 5 |
| Memory Function | No | Yes |
| Automatic Micro-Foam Milk Texturing | No | Yes |
| Colors | Brushed Stainless Steel, Black Truffle, Smoked Hickory, Sea Salt, Royal Champagne, Damson Blue |
Design & Display
The Breville the Barista Pro is equipped with an LCD display while the Barista Touch sports a full-colored touchscreen display
One of the major, and quite obvious, differences between the Breville the Barista Pro and the Barista Touch is their display. Both of their interfaces are straightforward, but the Barista Touch takes it up to a whole new level with its full-colored touchscreen display. Gone are the buttons found in the Barista Pro and in their place is a screen that lets you swipe through the different programmed coffee settings. Using the Barista Touch feels as simple as buying a cup from a vending machine, except you get excellent quality coffee while still staying in the comfort of your home.
Both the Breville the Barista Pro and the Touch come with a built-in conical burr grinder that lets you adjust the grind size and dose for that perfectly-bodied espresso. Their water tank and bean hopper capacity are the same, 67 fl. oz. and 1/2 lb, respectively. They also let you extract two espresso shots at once if you want that stronger kick in the morning. The Barista Pro is available in five elegant colors while the Barista Touch only comes in stainless steel and black variants.
Features
Both espresso machines let you make coffee in a snap, but the Breville the Barista Touch offers intelligent features that the Barista Pro lacks
Both the Breville the Barista Pro and the Barista Touch can help you craft a cup of coffee that can beat your barista’s. However, the top-tier the Barista Touch lets you do so in next to no time, thanks to its programmable settings. The Barista Touch comes pre-programmed with the five most popular brews: espresso, Americano, latte, cappuccino, and flat white. Feeling picky? The Barista Touch lets you easily tweak the settings to your liking and save up to eight customized coffee and temperature settings.
Equipped with Breville’s ThermoJet 3-second heating system, both the Barista Pro and the Touch can heat up the water in no time to extract the espresso and steam the milk. They feature Digital Temperature Control for that flawless espresso extraction. Breville’s system extraction system guarantees a balanced flavor in every cup.
Featuring Breville's ThermoJet heating system, the Breville the Barista Pro lets you start brewing your espresso in no time.
Coffee & Milk Quality
The Breville the Barista Touch features an auto steam wand on top of its pre-programmed coffee settings
Both the Breville the Barista Pro and the Barista Touch espresso machines promise to help you make “café-quality coffee at home,” and they deliver. Their adjustable grinder, Digital Temperature Control, ThermoJet boiler, well thought out porta-filter, and efficient steam wand all work together to create the coffee that suits your taste quickly and conveniently.
Their high-performance steam wands are equipped to create micro-foam milk. This does not only make your latte or cappuccino taste better, but its texture also lets you design latte art while pouring the milk. The Breville the Barista Touch kicks it up a notch with its automatic steam wand that allows temperature and texture customization so your coffee is exactly the way you want it. The Barista Pro’s steam wand is also powerful, but it lacks the Touch’s automatic feature.
Verdict
Both the Breville the Barista Pro and the Touch can help you make your definition of the perfect cup of coffee, but the Touch makes it easier and more efficient
Featuring Breville's ThermoJet heating system, the Breville the Barista Pro lets you start brewing your espresso in no time.
Make your perfect cup of coffee with a touch of a finger through the Breville the Barista Touch's touchscreen, programmable interface.
The last thing you want to do in the morning is to have to fine-tune your espresso machine settings to the kind of coffee you want to start your day. The Breville the Barista Touch saves you from that. With the Touch, you can swipe to your saved coffee settings and start that brew with, well, a touch. If the price is no consideration, the Barista Touch is no doubt worth the upgrade for its ease of use alone.
Having said that, the Breville the Barista Pro still lets you be your own barista for a little less. It doesn’t have the fancy touchscreen that the Touch boasts, but if you know exactly how you want your coffee, the Barista Pro’s features are more than enough.
FAQs
The mid-tier Barista Pro doesn’t have a touchscreen display and programmable settings that the Barista Touch is equipped with.
Yes, it’s one of the most trusted brands of manual and automatic espresso machines. Its the Barista line, which includes the Express, Pro, and Touch, is among the most popular espresso machines.
The Breville the Barista Touch is the best overall for its ease of use and customizability. If you’re looking for a more affordable alternative, consider getting the entry-level Barista Express.
Since Breville’s products are designed to last, the Breville the Barista espresso machine is a worthy investment for coffee enthusiasts.