Description
What the Breville Barista Touch is
The BES880BSS is Breville’s touchscreen espresso machine with an integrated grinder. It sits in the Barista Series, which is the company’s range of all in one machines built around what Breville calls the four keys formula: correct dose, correct water pressure, correct temperature and correctly textured milk.
The specification is substantial. A precision conical burr grinder with dose control. A ThermoJet heating system that Breville states reaches extraction temperature in three seconds. Digital PID temperature control. Low pressure pre-infusion. An automatic steam wand with programmable milk temperature and texture. A touchscreen with five preset cafe drinks and eight customizable settings that can be created, named and saved.
Capacities are a half pound bean hopper and a 67 ounce water tank. Power is 1680 watts at 110 to 120 volts. The machine measures 12.7 inches deep by 15.5 wide by 16 high and weighs 21.8 pounds. The warranty is two years limited and the country of origin is China.
The accessory list is unusually complete: a 54 mm full stainless steel portafilter, single and double wall filter baskets, a 480 ml stainless steel milk jug, a ClaroSwiss water filter, the Razor precision dose trimming tool, a cleaning kit and a water hardness test strip.
The grinder is the reason to buy an all in one
Grind size is the single largest variable in espresso, and it changes with the bean, the roast date and the humidity. Pre ground coffee cannot be adjusted, which is why a separate grinder is a mandatory purchase alongside any machine without one. Building the grinder in removes that cost and, more importantly, removes the step of moving grounds between two devices, where dose accuracy is lost.
Breville specifies a conical burr grinder with dose control, meaning it grinds a measured amount straight into the portafilter on demand rather than into a hopper. The Razor tool in the box is the companion to that: a trimmer that levels the puck to the correct height so the dose is repeatable.
Grind control is described as adjustable, though the listing does not state how many settings are available or the range they cover. That is the one significant gap in an otherwise detailed record.
Heat up, pressure and temperature
ThermoJet is Breville’s rapid heating system and the three second figure is the headline. Traditional boiler machines take several minutes to reach temperature, which is the main reason a home espresso machine gets used less than its owner intended. Three seconds changes the calculation entirely.
PID temperature control holds the brew water at a set temperature rather than letting it drift, which is what separates a machine that makes one good shot from one that makes consistent shots. Low pressure pre-infusion ramps pressure up at the start of the extraction rather than hitting the puck at full force, which reduces channeling and gives a more even extraction. Both are features normally found further up the market.
Automatic milk texturing
The auto steam wand is the feature that most divides opinion. It textures milk to a temperature and texture set on the screen, without the user controlling the air intake or the vortex. Breville describes the result as microfoam suitable for latte art.
The argument for it is repeatability: the machine does the same thing every time, and nobody has to learn a physical skill that takes weeks to develop. The argument against is control, since a manual wand in trained hands can adapt to different milks and different drinks in ways a program cannot. For a household machine, automatic texturing is usually the right choice, and the manual alternative on a machine such as the De’Longhi Dedica Arte is a genuinely different proposition.
The touchscreen presents the process as three steps, grind, brew and milk, and the eight saved settings mean each person in a household can keep their own drink.
Maintenance and consumables
An all in one machine has more to look after than a simple brewer. The group head and the portafilter baskets need regular backflushing and cleaning, which is what the supplied cleaning kit is for. The grinder burrs need occasional brushing out, because coffee oils build up and stale grounds affect the next shot. The steam wand needs purging and wiping after every milk drink.
The ClaroSwiss water filter and the water hardness test strip in the box point at the other job. Scale is the main cause of failure in any machine that heats water, and Breville supplying a test strip is the manufacturer asking the owner to find out what their supply is like and set the descale interval accordingly. The filter is a consumable and needs replacing on a schedule; the listing does not state how often.
Highlights
- Integrated precision conical burr grinder with dose control.
- ThermoJet heating reaching extraction temperature in a stated three seconds.
- Digital PID temperature control and low pressure pre-infusion.
- Automatic steam wand with programmable milk temperature and texture.
- Touchscreen with five preset drinks and eight customizable, nameable settings.
- 54 mm stainless steel portafilter with single and double wall baskets.
- Razor dose trimming tool, cleaning kit, water filter and hardness test strip included.
- Half pound bean hopper, 67 ounce water tank, two year warranty.
Things To Consider
- The number of grind settings is not published, only that grind control is adjustable.
- At 15.5 inches wide and 16 inches tall this needs real counter space and clearance to fill the hopper.
- 1680 watts is a substantial draw and should not share a circuit with another high wattage appliance.
- Automatic milk texturing removes the skill and the control together. Users who want to learn manual texturing should look elsewhere.
- A built in grinder means a machine with two systems that can each need service, rather than two separate devices.
- The attribute table describes the machine as fully automatic. It is a semi automatic machine with automated steps.
- The water filter and cleaning kit are consumables that need replacing.
- Two years is a reasonable warranty but short relative to the price bracket.
Who it suits
This is the machine for someone who wants cafe style milk drinks at home, has the counter space, and would rather set a preference on a screen than learn a craft. The combination of a built in grinder, PID control, three second heat up and automatic milk texturing removes every one of the barriers that stop home espresso machines from being used, and the saved profiles make it workable for a household rather than one person.
It is the wrong machine for someone who wants to learn espresso as a skill, or who has a narrow counter. Those buyers should look at the Breville Bambino Plus, which is far smaller and pairs with a separate grinder, or the Nespresso Creatista Plus if capsules are acceptable. Anyone whose real need is a pot of filter coffee should read the Breville Precision Brewer review and browse the coffee machines category.
