Sage (Breville) Barista Touch Impress Review. The Bean to Cup / Super Auto Killer?
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- čas přidán 16. 06. 2024
- Reviewing the new Sage Barista Touch Impress, the new game-changing coffee machine from Sage/Breville which promises to deliver true barista cup quality with the user experience of bean to cup / fully automatics. Does it? Let's see...
It was released in America, Australia & New Zealand under the Breville brand a couple of months back, It's now available in Europe under the Sage brand.
By the way, if you're in the UK or Europe (including Ireland, Germany, France, and most other countries in mainland Europe) see: coffeeblog.co.uk/sage-applian...
Product Links:
Sage UK & NI: breville.oie8.net/nLEk0o
Sage Ireland: breville.oie8.net/3eZR3k
Sage Germany: breville.oie8.net/nLEAJ9
Breville USA: breville.oie8.net/y2eWrV
Breville Aus: breville.oie8.net/oqLGZE
Blog Reviews:
Sage Barista Touch Impress Review (UK): coffeeblog.co.uk/sage-barista...
Breville Barista Touch Impress Review (USA): coffeekev.com/breville-barist...
Other Links Of Interest:
Freshly roasted high-quality coffee beans from The Coffeeworks (my website): cworks.co.uk (use discount code yt25 for 25% off your first order).
Coffee blog: coffeeblog.co.uk
Buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/coffeeblogkev
Current Gear:
Quick note. I'm including all of this info because when I was starting out, I found it really difficult to figure out what gear to use, so I'm hoping if there's anyone looking to set up for CZcams, this might help. If you need more help just email me, kev at coffeeblog.co.uk - if I don't know the answer I'll ask the professionals.
I'm listing the current setup first that the pros are using, and then my original more budget setup.
The pro stuff (new studio setup, with brickovenmedia.co.uk)
Blackmagic Pocket 4K amzn.to/3EnYAKJ
Samyang 35 mm T1.5 VDSLR II Manual Focus Video Lens amzn.to/3RB4Q4I
VILTROX EF-M2 II Focal Reducer Booster Adapter Auto-Focus 0.71x compatible with Canon EF mount Lens to M43 Cameras amzn.to/3e37Qcp
Glide Gear TMP100 Adjustable iPad/Tablet/Smartphone Teleprompter Beam Splitter Glass amzn.to/3C7hRgt
Promptsmart Pro bit.ly/3CAhXPl (tablet prompter app, includes voice tracking, very good! If you have it more than a couple of metres away from you, just use a lav mic with an extension so it can year you).
Aputure LS COB 300D II LED Continuous Fresnel Light 300D Mark II amzn.to/3SVy4ft
Aputure Accent B7C 7W RGBWW LED Smart Bulbs amzn.to/3RD0ABu
aputure light dome ii amzn.to/3M5XjcY
Sennheiser MKH 60
Sanken Cos 11 Lavalier
If you're interested in any of this gear but you don't want to buy new, check out www.mpb.com/en-uk
My budget setup (prior to working with Brickoven):
Canon M6 Mark ii amzn.to/3zoczes (quick note, knowing what I now know I wish I'd have gone for the pocket 4k, which you can get used from MPB for a few hundred more.
Blue Ember Mic (used mainly for voiceovers): amzn.to/3pT6WR1
RØDE VideoMic Pro: amzn.to/3DV7xHg (note, it's good for the £, but with what I now know thanks to the guys at Brickoven, I'd recommend the RØDE NTG4 amzn.to/3M8nIXy or RØDE NT5.
Focusrite Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen USB Audio Interface: amzn.to/3e3qwFn
Amaran 100D LED Video Light, 130W 5500K (Key light): amzn.to/3oQYrqY
Aputure Light Dome SE Softbox: amzn.to/3ESdHcJ
Neewer Bi-color 660 LED Video Light and Stand Kit (Fill light): amzn.to/35jUtwp
Neewer Portable 56 inch/142 cm Aluminium Camera Tripods (I have a few of these, very good value) amzn.to/3pPlCke
Cayer BV30L tripod with fluid head amzn.to/3fJdEbr (mega tripod for the money!)
Please note, affiliate links included above.
Timecodes:
0:00 Intro
1:44 What is the Barista Touch Impress?
2:50 Price
3:05 Touch Impress Vs Espress Impress
3:35 Puck system
4:05 How easy is it to use?
4:33 Grind size assistance
4:58 How good is the grinder?
5:22 Queuing
6:20 Auto MilQ
7:05 Demo. Espresso & dialing in
9:38 Demo. Flat white
10:39 Demo. Americano / long black
11:27 Preset drinks
12:04 Basic features.
12:26 Is the touchscreen jumpy?
12:51 One little niggle
13:42 Kev loses the plot (it was late!)
13:46 Kev's pointless fact
13:59 Kev loses it again, it was still late, and pizza was involved
14:07 Tatty Bye
#sage #breville #baristatouch #baristatouchimpress #CoffeeKev #espressomachine #siebträgermaschine #coffeebeans #homebarista #coffee #coffeelover #coffeeaddict #espresso #flatwhite #latte #coffeebeans #espressocoffee #coffeelifestyle #coffeelife#sage #breville #burrs #CoffeeKev #coffeegrinder #espressomachine #coffeebeans #homebarista #coffee #coffeelover #coffeeaddict #espresso #flatwhite #latte #coffeebeans #espressocoffee #coffeelifestyle #coffeelife
WOW...! I've been waiting to see this! It's awesome! I love it...!!!! ❤
👍👍😎
This is on my radar. Aiming to grab one later this year. Great review!
Thanks 😃
Mate you're undoudbtely making some of the best coffee content on here. Keep it up!
Thanks Tristan, I really appreciate that,
Cheers
Kev
The most complete and thorough review of this machine. Thanks. A review to make my choice to buy the machine.
Thanks, I'm glad you found my post helpful :-)
Love this machine! Works perfect. Thank you for the great video.
So I pulled the trigger on this today as the colours are now available , thanks to your review and discount code, also bought 2 bags of your coffee cheers Kev,
Fab, let me know what you think of the coffee Tim :-)
Great video Kev. Do you know if the new burrs fit in the original impress?
Thanks for the discount kev, great vids and blog.
Thanks Tom :-)
Hi Kev. Great video explaining the machine. I’ve taken the plunge and ordered one in Truffle Black. Many thanks for the discount code too. Saved me a decent amount on the asking price. Quick question… What do you think of the portafilter? Is it worth upgrading to a bottomless one or is it good enough? Any recommendations if so for portafilters and double single walled baskets? Cheers Tony
Recently received this machine myself, returning from Italy after 2 weeks touring holiday…after what I tasted there my bean to cup machine was just not good enough!
Based on your review I reduced the internal grinder 2 stops before even the first brew. Within three attempts I was dialled-in and getting a strong, nice mouth feel and tasty Expresso with a decent crema! I was shocked how much better it tasted than the DeLonghi with the same beans. Next to explore smaller adjustments to see what altering grind or brew temp does now the machine has got me to within what it’s timer thinks is right, my taste buds can decide the final settings.
Based on yours and some other reviews took the plunge to increase my budget for the touch over the express impress (improved grinder, boiler type and upgraded chassis design, plus ease of use for other family members potentially intimidated by this compared to a B2C machine).
After a couple of days I’m really pleased with semi-automatic dosing and tamping since I have never used a traditional Expresso and grinder. Warm up time is practically instant. I drink just Expresso or maybe a lungo so milk steamer will be more for my daughters, but their initial response is “as good as a coffee shop dad” Teaching myself flat white coffee art is a skill I’ve yet to try.
I think the machine being compact and attractive is a plus, although it’s a bit cramped if you place a coffee cup next to the steamer jug to set it off to do both in sequence as it can do. Can I assume it has a thermometer built into the end of the steamer spout?
Still a bit to learn regarding drink choices, for instance if you select what it calls a ‘crema’ it instructs you to change the grinder setting, which I conclude means resetting the dose and tamping ‘learning’ for when I come back to it for an Expresso. Maybe my unfamiliarity though.
Reviews suggest this machine a best for someone upgrading from either coffee pod or automatic machines wanting to have good tasting expresso at home but necessarily ready for separate grinders, scales, tamping skills, potential mess or indeed additional cost of semi-pro machines - my experience certainly supports this.
I’m glad I chose this model over the express impress, even though it costs more I think the benefits are worth it.
Sipping a fresh shot, slurping a bit of air over my tongue like a wine taster, unquestionably I can taste the difference 😊
Finally - thanks you for your enjoyable channel, and the Sage direct ordering discount code!
Got rid of my Sage touch for a fully automatic.. You made me reallllly want this now
Thanks for your time much appreciated.
My pleasure! :-)
Someone misplaced their express impress's drip tray! hahaha lovely work Kev as always, I've learnt a couple things: I had no idea this model gives you guidance about grind size/purging grinder, and that it's safe to change size finer when not grinding (i've always thought it stresses the cogs too much when there's beans in between the two burrs, i guess it's not the worst thing). I totally agree with you that this machine is the ultimate mini oracle touch! It sits uniquely between the oracle touch and the barista express, yet it's over a thousand bucks cheaper, smaller, and probably will need less maintenance than an oracle (biennial sevice recommended on those to check steam and water leaks - a common issue after couple years worth of use. I think it will be very popular!
I've recently purchased my machine, thanks for the discount code it saved me a decent amount. Loving the coffee I'm getting from it. I was asked by a family member if I could make a mocha but I'm not sure which base coffee from the menu is best to choose and if I should choose 1 or 2 shots. Some advice would be good or even better, a short video showing how you would make one and if applicable any customisation to the base coffee which could then be saved in the menu as a mocha.
Thank you for a great review :)) I`ve learned a LOT by watching your videos - and it has helped me in preparation for my next machine. For the last 12-13 years (?) I`ve had 4 different Saeco superautomatics. The one I currently have is the Saeco Gran Barista (got it for half the price back in 2015). Its been a great machine but I fear its near its end of life ;) Been through apox 13.000 cups of coffee with it (changed the brew unit a couple of times - they tend to work for like 4000-5000 cups or so ;).. But for my next machine I`d like a Sage machine. My candidates are currently: Sage Barista Express Impress. Sage Barista Touch Impress or the Sage Oracle Touch. I like the autodosing/tamping on these to make things just a lot easier. But I`d love some VS videos on: Sage Barista Express Impress and the Sage Barista Touch Impress: The Touch Impress sure have a higher WAF factor - and more simular to our old superautomatic. But I also read that the Touch Impress have got a better grinder? Is this noticable in a blind test of espresso for example? And how does the new Touch Impress compare to Oracle Touch? The Touch Impress just released here in Norway - and its currently priced at the same price that one could get the Oracle Touch on sale for (Black Week/Black Friday 2022). Could be interesting with a comparison (Touch Impress vs Oracle Touch) In advance thank you and keep up the good work with the videos! I enjoy them daily :)
I see this thing selling out very fast! Perfect combo I have been waiting for that I won't have to do a whole doctorate to my wife on how to use also.
More how to videos coming soon :-)
Got the express impress last year this one looks the full package
Picked mine up today, very happy.
How exciting Michael, happy brewing :-)
Wow, what a great machine! I've got a Siemens bean-2-cup, with a lot of options, but this looks much better!
Incredibly well done video! Have a BDB but this would have been a good more budget option
Great review and thanks. For ease for my wife to make her latte in the morning before work, I have to get the Touch. In saying that, I understand that the touch comes with their own tamper but would I be able to use the internal grinder for coffee into the portafilter and then use my own tamper, WDT, Gravity distributer before I pull the shot? Thank you
I gotta say, I a,m "Impress"ed allot for this machine. Looks like it will produce a stellar coffee drink. Maybe in a few years (hopefully in a few years) my Bean to Cup will bite the dust and goto coffee machine heaven and get replaced with something of this calibre. Thanks as always!
Haha, sorry about all the puns, just couldn't resist. It does product great cup quality, no doubt about that.
Hi Kev. I currently have the Bambino. Aside from all the technical gubbins and automation of the Barista Touch Impress would you say that the quality of coffee produced is significantly better than the Bambino and therefore worth the upgrade? Also none of the Sage machines seem to have a Cortado as an automatic option. Is it easy to make on the Touch Impress? Thanks!
I just bought it cant wait to be delivered to me 😍
I brought a Sage touch few months ago and I actually haven’t opened it yet for a few reasons now I’m ready to sell it and save a bit extra for the Sage touch impress! I want this way more
Great video Kev thank you
Ta 🙂
I love my Sage precision brewer coffee maker - it's been reliably making coffee for me every day for the past 2 years. If I was looking to move in to espresso this would probably be my first choice.
The Precision Brewer is a great machine, when you are ready for the next step, have a look at my blog post:coffeeblog.co.uk/best-coffee-machine/
it might just give you the tips you need to find the perfect machine for you :-)
I've been using a Breville Touch Impress for several months now. It's my go to in the early (we're talking 3:00 a.m. early) morning when I'm walking out the door to drive to work. From hitting the go button to washing out the porta filter and milk pitcher, I'm about five minutes commited, tops. Great latte every single time to sip on my 45 minute commute. So I only recently learned my kid and her husband are as much addicted to the whole morning coffee routine as I am but they're residing in Germany. Sage, are you listining? Christmas is right around the corner after all.
Kev, any idea when the other colours will be available? Only the Stainless Steel version can currently be bought on the Sage website?
Nice, this seems to be the budget version of the Oracle Touch, which I had my eye on for a while... However, I think I am more convinced to perhaps get the Impress touch instead. Looks like key differences are customisation, the automatic tamping and the milk frother temperature probe seems to be on the base/drip tray rather than within the frother nozzle itself?... Also seems like the impress is a lot smaller too... What else comes with the impress touch, as in, what else do you get in the box?
Pulled the trigger on one today! 😊
Really helpful video - thanks Kev! But, to cut to the chase - should I buy this or the Oracle Touch? Given the £1,000 price difference I am very much leaning towards this but very happy to hear if you think I am missing something. Thanks!
Hi Simon,
The Touch Impress doesn't have a dual boiler like the Oracle Touch has, but it's very similar where workflow is concerned as you can queue up the milk to steam after the shot has pulled, or the other way around if you prefer, and the touch screen on that combined with the auto dosing is a lot more than just a novelty, it guides you to adjust the grind size, it has pre-sets for milk & milk alternatives, personally I think overall this machine is the best of their automated machines, and it's cheaper than the Oracle Touch.
Cheers
Kev
So finally bought one after our 9 year old barista express was starting to play up (it lasted well). Loving the quality of the coffee that we're getting from this, however I am battling a bit with the grind size. Normally it's fine on 15 with our usual beans, but then it will complain that the pour was too quick so we make it 1 stop finer, and then the next shot will be the opposite and it thinks it was too slow, so back to 15 we go!
It seems like I need smaller adjustments, does changing the inner burr setting help here?
Oh, thanks for the voucher too!
I subbed! Thank you for this usefull video! I am doubting between the Barista Touch Impress and the Oracle. Money is no issue for me, but I feel like the Touch Impress has more feautures then the oracle. Like the oracale will not tell if you need to change the grinder settings and also doesnt have the types of milk settings. I wish they would just update the oracle. But what do you think I should get?
Hi, The new Impress is amazing and has the new software that the Oracle Touch doesn't have at the moment, I do think that Sage will upgrade the Oracle Touch at some point as it is still an amazing machine, its just that some of the things you can do with the new Impress you can't do with the Oracle Touch for now.
Cheers
Kev
Love it! The only thing Ild of liked to see would be a front fill water option
Yeah I do prefer the front fill option with the Oracle touch etc., although the quick release water tank handle thing is really good, very easy to remove it without having much clear space above the machine.
@@Coffee_Kev it’s one thing my Gaggia Carreza tops the Sage with
Hi. Just wondering if i can do everything manually. Im saying this because im thinking about getting this for my first espresso machine. And i would like to learn to dial in my self and do latte art. Thank for the video.
“MilQ” is likely a word they came up with since the dairy industry objects (legally) that beverages made from anything other than dairy milk should not be called milk. You’ll likely notice this on packaging of milk alternatives too. MilQ is a clever way to refer to the whole lot of products, since it is obviously pointing to milk. I enjoy your videos, Kev. I have this machine on order. Thank you!
Forgetting the cost, would you have this or the Oracle Touch? Other than dual boiler on the Touch, are their any notable differences between the two?
Kello Kev, thank for the really detailed review. I have just ordered this coffee machine, the other option I was considering was the Express Impress. I just wonder how is it possible, to make for instance a decaff espresso from pre-ground coffee on this machine? Can I fill in the coffee to the Impress tamper system manually, or I need to use a separate tamper (which is not supplied to the scope of delivery). I have not found info on this topic in the manual or on the web. Any ideas or thoughts from You?
you can use pre ground with the dual walled baskets or if you want decaf whole bean, and you don't or shouldn't fill the hopper with beans, just take out the other beans and add the decaf, run it through a couple of times then you are ready to make a decaf.
Great vidoe. Is the grinder the same as the express impress? Is this one better?
Cheers! The same grinder, with the Eztinger burrs.
I'm just curious to hear your opinion about whether or not the espresso output from this machine is hot or acceptably warm at least compared to the other machines you've used, duo temp, gaggia classic, etc. I know it uses the thermojet element design and it turns on in 5s etc, which has its advantages, but a critique i have (even though I sell these for a living!) is i wish the water output was hotter whether it's the hot water spout or the head. I do a warm up shot but still, I wish there was a heated group head on this or the BES880 model.
Thank you for this review. Very imformative. Shame on Elvis for never doing an oncore, lol!
Thank you! :-)
I’ve had a Melitta TS for a couple of years now and I’m getting a bit bored with the taste recently. I work from home so I make a few cups a day. I’ve been drawn to the sage ones, would you recommend this one or the oracle touch?
Hi Kev, if I'd started to actively indulge in my interest in coffee much sooner, I think I'd have subscribed your channel years ago. As it stands, I found it yesterday when I was looking for some really good and detailed reviews of the machine I've decided to buy. I've been reading a lot about the various options I was interested in for about 2 months but having decided on the Oracle Touch I was looking for a bit more reassurance and I found it in your videos. I've watched loads about many different machines over the past two days and while there are obviously lots of really good choices out there, I feel confident that the OT is a good start when I don't know yet whether I'm going to end up going in the direction of being a home barista, which I'm currently NOT. Thank you for the confidence boost (and the giggles!) :) I have a question -- probably quite a mundane one considering how much knowledge I've gained from you in the past 48 hours -- in one of your videos (I can't remember which!) you mentioned a maker of beautiful coffee cups that you really like. If you see this comment I'd love to know the website again so that I can take a look. Thanks again from a new subscriber!
Hi Sarah,
I'm glad you are enjoying my videos :-),Can you let me know what the cups looked like, I've got loads of different styles from various companies,
Ta
Kev
@@Coffee_Kev Thanks so much for the reply! Honestly, I can't remember (eyeroll), but it was probably a handleless one that fits like a small bowl in your hand. The reason I think that is that's what the 7 million other coffee cups I've got look like. Don't go to any trouble, I'm sure I'll spot one in another video and I'll drop another comment then :) In the meantime, OT arrives today and I'm looking forward to confidently setting it up and making my first flattie, thanks to you!
Hi Sarah, Have a look at the cups from Loveramics:bit.ly/3IduURi, If it's the cups I'm thinking of, you will find them there,
I hope you really enjoy your new machine, happy brewing 🙂
@@sarahcox7851
@@Coffee_Kev Yes! I'm sure that's the name you mentioned and it's riddled with gorgeous cups! Thank you so much :D
Hi
We were proposing to buy the touch impress but a which report failed to recommend because the temperature of the coffee is poor. Any thoughts?
Anything else we should consider?
Thanks a lot
Really enjoy the Sage reviews, but why do you sign off with Ken Dodd’s Tatty Bye?
Great review. Which scale would fit the touch impress and leaves enough room for the PF whether spouted
Or bottomless? Thank you
Cheers 😀👍. Various, time more nano, Felicia Arc, Rhino Stealth. Myweigh Barista is decent for the Dosh. Acia Lunar of course if you remortgage your home 😆 The most interesting scale I've seen recently (just bought it) is the Ikape V2. It's aluminium, only slightly taller than the Acia Lunar, and I'm really impressed with it so far, review coming soon.
Thank you Kev
My new Sage Barista Touch Impress machine arrived today and everything seems to be working fine apart from the following.
When putting the portafilter into the loading dock, is it normal to have 25mm - 30mm sideways movement & also some up and down movement. When tamping the portafilter moves slightly up and down? I have not noticed this on your CZcams video.
Apart from the above everything is working normally and I have “dialed in” very quickly using fresh coffee beans.
I wanted this months ago when researching my first machine, I knew it would be released at some point in the UK and even considered importing one until I read about the issues I would run into - I however decided to purchase the Barista Pro + Niche Zero.. It’s a great beginner set up but I have struggled dailing in and wasted money on expensive beans and have become sick of wasting coffee every morning with a silly long workflow with tons of expensive gadgets taken down from the kitchen shelf onto the worktop only to pull crap sour shots.
When I seen Sage’s newsletter announcing the launch, I ordered immediately.. it arrived Saturday and I can’t wait to get it setup tomorrow.
I know most people would consider this a downgrade as the Niche is so good, but I unfortunately just didn’t have the patience and willingness to learn. I just want good coffee without the hassle and ended up going down the dreaded rabbit hole spending almost £2,000
Sorry for the rant.
I’ve been weighing that up myself - it’s natural to want ‘the best’ of something, but this has been really interesting!
I bought an impress about nine months ago, and before that had been using Nespresso machines. If I got something too complicated, I’d have lost interest - it can be such a minefield even with the right equipment. That’s largely why I got the impress - any issues I had wouldn’t be to do with tamping so it took a variable out.
I’m still really tempted by this new machine, but it’s definitely crossed my mind to just invest in a decent grinder instead. I’ve noticed single origin beans don’t tend to do so well with my machine, so I only use blends and it does feel a bit limiting on occasion!
How are you finding it? Be interested in your views, as I'm considering buying one!
@@matthewmccafferty4180 I think it’s great if you don’t want the fuss with perfect ratios etc. I will still use a WDT and distribute, plus my own tamp tool when I feel like being a barista.
The only issue I’m having is not being able to get a pre-infusion over 3/4 seconds - but maybe that’s just my beans?
Thanks that's useful. Has there been any software glitches? I've read some reviews where it tells you the bean hopper is empty when it isn't for example@@Geefiasco
Sorry, forgot to ask does the Intelligent dosing actually work ok, and remember the setting for future shots?@@Geefiasco
Question for fellow coffee botherers. I have an oracle touch but I’ve never been happy with the grinding and tamping. It’s always be inconsistent often over dosing and never ever level and clean. I need to manually level and tamp every shot before pulling, defeating the purpose of the automation and in no expert so I’ve wasted so much coffee. My oracle is out of warranty but Sage have offered me a 30% discount on a new machine as they’ve accepted the faults. Looking for opinions from people who know the impress touch, do you think it’s worth picking up a machine (with a significant discount) or persisting with the oracle touch?
can you extract the shot and use the steam wand to froth milk at the same time? ( simultaneously )
Any idea when this is released in Denmark?
Impresssssive
Did you open it. How is the buildquality? .-)
I noticed you mentioned the Etzinger burrs from the esp. Do you know if the thirty steps in this (and the other two breville machines with these burrs) are smaller than these 20 steps in the esp? If so, that seems like a big win.
Yeah in the ESP the second part of the adjustment is on a sharper pitch so each click creates a bigger burr gap, I'm fairly certain that in the Sage machines the burr gap is the same burr gap throughout the range from start to finish. I'll do some testing though. Cheers, Kev.
@@Coffee_Kev Right, I figured that. I was just curious if the step sizes per click were the same as those on the espresso side of the ESP. Or at least comparable.
Thanks!
@@kitcraft9516 I'll do some testing and let you know if the steps appear to be the same. Cheers, Kev.
What temperature does the hot water for the Americano come out at?
Would the new burrs fit the smart grinder pro?
Age old question sage vs prosumer machine with an 58mm basket. Is the espresso the same?
Good video.
Thanks :-)
How wide is the grinder range? Could you grind for a v60 with it?
Hi Kev, if I have the pro, would you recommend this one or straight to the oracle touch? Is one easier than the other?
I think the touch impress is easier in terms of the new very clever workflow, although it would surprise me if they don't update the oracle touch in the future to have this same firmware. Cheers.
Hi Kev, I’m looking at ordering one of these, have you got any discount codes at the moment
Hi Matthew,
If you email
kev@coffeeblog.co.uk
and put sage discount code in the title then you will get a code,
Ta
Kev
Honest answer please: I've the Oracle Touch where the grinder broke, and it'd cost me 700 to repair. A new Oracle Touch costs about 1700. An Impress would cost 1200. What'd you do?
I wish the refresh rate on the screen was much much higher
Can you do a video showing how you can combine the intelegent dosing in combination with a replacement single dose hopper (with bellows) and a trusty set of scales?
I will add this to my list
Cheers
Kev
Just got this machine and no matter which beans I try, it keeps suggesting an even finer grind and the pour is too quick. When I go down to around 5 I’m able to get the pour time up to a total of 24 secs (cannot for the life of me get flow start to after more than MAX 5 secs (and more often it’s 3-4 secs)), but then the shot tastes way too bitter. Why do you think this is? Should I adjust the internal grinder even though you warn against that on another video?
Does anyone know when the Barista Touch Impress is available in the colour Black Truffle?
What’s the main difference between oracle & touch impress
I’ve watched the video, and read your longer review as well and I have a couple of questions if you don’t mind!
Firstly, you touch on the shot volume. I’ve got an impress at the mo and I use scales and press the button to stop brewing when I’ve got to Approx 36g. You mention not being able to program a shot volume but can you still stop it brewing ( ie at 36g) before it’s finished? I’m assuming so as I think you’d have mentioned it as a fairly big negative if not!
Secondly is the milk steaming. Currently I have to prime the wand by letting it run and purge some liquid for a few seconds before the steam starts. If the steaming is automated on this new machine, do you still have to do this? I’m trying to figure where in that process it would happen, given the queuing system!
Hi :-), yeah you can stop the shot, so no problem pulling the shot semi manually, i.e. setting it at a higher volume than ideal and stopping it.
Yeah you can purge manually if you like, but there's no auto purge in the workflow. Cheers, Kev.
Hey Kev,
Is it possible with this machine to put a glass with ice under portafilter and pull a shot to make an over ice drink or would this not work?.
I would assume that could work
Yeah that would work fine 😀
Hi there, what about the ground dose? It's that adjustable? Can you dose manually like the express inpress? Can you modify the volume of the expresso? Cand you adjust the temperature of the brewing for each beverage?
I saw in the manual that you can deactivate the dose assist, what happens if you do that? It goes in full manual?
Yes you can dose manually, it's just done via the settings screen instead of a button. Yes you can change the brew temp, 5 temp settings as the express impress. Not for each beverage, that wouldn't make sense as all the beverages are espresso based so a well dialled in shot would be the same regardless of the beverage, you can individually change the milk temp for all beverages.
I can’t find the Sage Touch Impress anywhere in Ireland. Is this just the Sage Barista Touch Bean 2 Cup Coffee Machine? Any site I’ve looked at doesn’t reference impress anywhere.
Bought one in Harvey Norman. The same price as the sage website
This is the machine for me. I’m tired of trying over and over to get the right dial in for my dark roast decaf.
Hi Joan, dialing in guidance is great on this machine, just keep in mind that if your decaf isn't freshly roasted you will need to use the dual walled baskets.
@@Coffee_Kev thank you for your help. I’m 85 and no longer a barista wanna be. Basically I just want a decent cup of espresso to start my day.
When’s the dailing in video, Kev? I’m struggling to get pre infusion longer than 3/4 seconds and it’s doing my head in, 1kg of beans down already. If I go 1 notch finer the extraction is too slow. Cheers.
Hi what beans are you using, store bought or freshly roasted? when you say 3/4 second pre infusion are you talking about time taken until you see the first drips of espresso,
Cheers
Kev
@@Coffee_Kev Fresh beans from Rave (Italian Blend), 10 days from roast. I’m using the double basket with 19g of coffee, setting 17 seems to give me the best taste with WDT and distribution tool, “Hotter 3” temperature - a yield of around 38g (30ish seconds). ps, my CWorks arrives today! I just hope I don’t waste the whole bag dialling in! Cheers
HI kev,I would like to know if the Oracle touch is worth the extra £800 over the Barista touch impress?
It's a tough one, the Oracle Touch is a more premium machine, dual boiler, heated group, better temp stability and precision, espresso and milk at the same time, but still I'd find it fairly difficult to justify the big price difference, given the increased guidance of the touch impress Vs oracle touch, and the fact that it's the same grinder, so cup quality is unlikely to be hugely different.
@@Coffee_Kev Thanks Kev
What's the life expectancy for these machines?
Does it tell you the settings its used so if you rotate through a few coffees you can instantly dial it back in when you switch back without faffing about
Hi yes, that the beauty of this machine.
I'd be interested in seeing a comparison between this and the Oracle Touch. I know the Oracle Touch has an older style probe in the wand so it doesn't have milk type settings. I'm curious to know how well the Oracle Touch can steam non dairy milk compared to the Touch Impress. I'm really torn between the two and not sure the Oracle Touch warrants the additional €1300 price tag now that the Touch Impress is on the market.
Hi Stephen,
Please see this video:
czcams.com/video/Eg_kjb_G4EQ/video.htmlsi=vZjp0Ez-qlMRDADl
Also, I use Moma Barista oat milk in this video:
czcams.com/video/9PyU3gQWmvE/video.html
Cheers
Kev
@@Coffee_Kev Thanks for that. I finally decided to go with the Touch Impress. Although I would have loved an Oracle Noir, I can't justify the price. Yes I have to compromise by having a 54mm porta filter, but I do gain by having a 3 second heat up time rather than 5 minutes with the Oracle. Ordered last night and arriving tomorrow. I hope I made the right choice.
@@Coffee_Kev To say I'm disappointed would be an understatement. Long Black is so cool I have to gulp it down the instant it's made. Same with Flat White. These are the only two I've tried so far.Yes, I'm pre heating the cup, even going so far as to over half fill it and leave it sitting with the water in it while I grind the beans. I've even tried pre heating the grouphead and basket by running hot water through them first. I got hotter coffee from my old Delonghi Nespresso pod machine.
How long is the grinder taking to dose for a double basket? Ive found mine takes 45seconds and not sure if thats normal or not.
Hi, This doesn't sound right, I would expect it to take less than half of that time, I would contact Sage/Breville and let them know that you think you have a faulty top burr. Thankfully, this is a very easy fix, they just need to send you a replacement top burr.
Cheers
Kev
Gah. I just got an Oracle Touch and now I want this. I have to console myself by noting that there isn't room for two cappuccino cups side by side under the portafilter if the milk jug is there at the same time. So you can't cue up two cappuccinos. But otherwise, it looks great.
Yeah to be fair the Oracle Touch does have a lot going for it, especially when it comes to temp stability, the touch impress is at another level where user experience is concerned, but I think it's safe to say the oracle has the edge for potential shot quality, and of course being a dual boiler you can pull shots and steam milk simultaneously. Yeah you don't quite have the same space on the drip tray for cups due to having to put he jug on the sensor, that's true.
Why would you want to exchange your Oracle Touch for a lesser machine?
Maybe £1000 price difference might be a factor? @@louisd95714 😃
Does the pre-infusion begin for a few seconds before the on-screen timer actually starts on your machine?
When I run a blank shot, my machine releases water for 2/3 seconds and then the on-screen timer appears.. 3/4 seconds pass before I see the first drop of coffee. Is this long enough for a good pre-infusion? Ive contacted Sage as I think my machine is faulty as no matter what fresh beans I use (including your Brownie Blend, Kev) I always see coffee flow at around 4 seconds (on-screen) - if I go finer I get drips and an over extracted shot… it’s doing my nut it having wasted kilos of beans now.
Hi, Have you got the Barista Touch Impress, it seems like you are going from one extreme to another
@@Coffee_Kev Yeah, it’s the one you have in this video. I presume good espresso has a pre-infusion of around 8-10 seconds, but I can’t seem to get more than 4 seconds on this machine. I just wondered if the pre-infusion begins before the on-screen timer starts ticking. Can you do a video of you pulling a shot with no cuts please?
One thing I gotta ask. As someone who wants Caffeinated and Decaffeinated drinks in their household. When I buy the Barista Touch Impress I was also planning on buying a separate grinder which I will use specifically for decaf beans. If I make a new profile on the touch impress for Decaf will that work? This may sound really stupid but can I switch between decaf and caffeinated coffee in the barista impress daily for different drinks and will the machine learn those two different types of coffee consistently without the hassle of having to keep dialing in because I switch to decaf or caffeinated or do I need two separate barista impress machines to do this?
I’m wondering the exact same thing. Would love to know the answer.
I’d like to know the best way to deal with this issue too.
I can turn the locking handle on the hopper to lift off the beans to empty back into a canister to change to decaf beans, but there are beans left in the top of the grinder…do I just run the purge function I saw Kev do to clear out the previous beans before lifting off the hopper (after turning the lock) or vacuum it out?
Then there is the issue of dialling in for decaf beans and wasting a few beans there too.
I haven’t had the machine very many days, but suspect there cannot be a way to store different grind settings stored for a custom saved drink, because you have to turn the dial manually to alter grind under normal operation anyway.
How about this:- after trial and error, write down the appropriate grind setting for each bean on the storage canister, purge then swap beans, turn dial as needed - this might be all that is required.
I need to buy some decaf beans…maybe there are some tips for getting decaf which has similar grind characteristics to regular beans?
Apparently different humidity and bean age are variables that may require tweaking anyway so we have to keep paying attention for best expresso results anyway!
Anyone with experience on the above please?
I took the risk and ordered the machine. I’m just weighing 18g of beans each time and letting it grind through the whole lot so it doesn’t need a purge afterwards. It tends to get the correct puck size more often than not with this method. No regrets so far.
Really interesting with the first couple of espressos adjusting the grind setting and tasting the difference in flavour. We weren’t sure our palettes were going to be refined enough to tell a difference but turns out you can!
I am finding the machine recommends decreasing the grind setting for slower extraction even after a 40+ second shot which I find hard to believe.
But as you say, we’re making a note of the best grind setting for a certain bean and changing the setting when making a cup of normal and decaf at the same time.
@@mikeypie101 That sounds like a great idea. I think I'll do that
So this machine is a combination of fully manual machine and a fully Automatic machine 😯now this cool.
It's a great machine!
Does it have manual milk texturing option?
it does, and bugger I forgot to say that!! 😆. Ta, Kev.
Mine arrives today in stainless here is the states.
Fantastic Nick :-)
@@Coffee_Kev would you recommend a dark roast or a medium roast for an espresso drink?
Barista touch or oracle touch?
Good review. But i thought it was a bad idea to store beans in a hopper. There is no way that hopper is airtight on the bottom
Ta :-). Yeah, that's what I was saying, when I pointed to my video on storing beans in the hopper, that's a video in which I'm advising not storing beans in the hopper ;-) czcams.com/video/ctGVBWqpnY4/video.html.
@Coffee_Kev so these machines are inherently flawed with the hopper design...how long can you leave the beans in before you notice a significant decline in quality?
@@tagheuer02 Nah it's not a flaw with this particular machine, it's just hoppers in general, you're always going to have a gap in the burrs, so hoppers are never going to be airtight. I don't think it's a big deal, I just wouldn't fill the hopper, I'd just chuck in the hopper what I think I'm about to use, and put the rest of the bag in air tight storage or back in the bag if it has a re-seal strip. Cheers.
@@Coffee_Kev thanks! Love the content, keep up the good work
Hi, Kev based partly on your review I purchased the Impress Touch and on the whole I am pleased with it. However, I am finding that it produces an inconsistent brew time (from 22 up to 30+) for the same beans and grind settings. Not sure if you have done any further tests on the machine and if you have noticed any inconsistent brewing? Another thing that surprised me is the amount of water it wastes and how quickly the drip tray fills up when I never spill a drop into the tray.
In order to keep my beans fresh I try to only add the amount of beans I need into the hopper. However it is not easy to judge how many are in the hopper. Do you have a review or any recommendations on how best to single dose the Impression touch?
Thanks
Simon
Hi Simon. Is this when doing back to back shots, or when using the machine with big gaps in between, or both? How quickly are you finding the drip tray fills, after how many coffees dya reckon? The solenoid fires water into the drip tray after each shot, so it will fill over time, but it shouldn't fill particularly quickly, it's a relatively big drip tray. Ta, Kev
Kev, this is on consecutive shots. The drip tray fills up after 8 cups (long blacks and lattes). Since this is filtered water it just seems a waste and will result in the need to replace the filter much earlier than necessary (and filters are expensive).
What beans are you using in there by the way?
Thanks for asking... 😁Chocolate brownie blend from cworks.co.uk (my coffee). If you're a new customer use the discount code YT25 for 25% off your first order.
How well does the guided dialling in work for decaf? I have the Express Impress and still find decaf much harder to work with
What’s the big difference between the old touch and this impress version? The though is still more expensive than this new machine.
Are you talking about the Oracle Touch or the Barista Touch?
Ta
Kev
I've just bought a Sage Barista Touch one and a half week ago at a very good discounted price down here in Switzerland (CHF 699.-, which is almost half of the price of the new Touch Impress). Should I return it and get the Touch Impress instead? How would you compare these 2 machines (Touch vs Touch Impress), pro and cons, especially knowing the huge price difference (CHF 700 vs 1400). Lastly, the Touch Impress is still not available in Switzerland, do you know when it is supposed to come?
Why would thisbguy know??? It is available now, Elgiganten. Sage not Breville
Hi, is the discount code still available for this machine please?
coffeeblog.co.uk/joinbrewtime
Possible to ajust the pressure? I get really annoyed with my BBE's tendency to channel when trying to get a 2:1 ratio in 25-26s. Something my Lelit Anna PID never has an issue with (OP set to 9bar).
Hi, you can't change the pressure, but the Barista Touch Impress is set to 9bars with the OPV. The OPV is set higher on the Barista Express.
Got mine last week and after a couple of days I started having issues with the steam wand being "blocked" after every single coffee I make. I have done the cleaning process 4 or 5 consecutive times already (after 4 or 5 coffees) and I can confirm that there's no blockage at all, but I keep getting the same message. I've performed a factory reset but the problem persists. I've created a case with Breville/Sage support and I guess I'll hear from them after the weekend, but it looks like I just had bad luck with a defective machine. If I turn it off after getting the "Blocked!" message and turn it on again, I can make steam milk without any issues but I get the message again as soon as the process is done and I put the wand back down after cleaning it. Has anyone had a similar issue with this machine?
water first!
The lag and stutter on the touch screen is making the hair on my arms stand up. 2023, Breville.
That's just how it looks when you try to film touch screens.
It sounded like you were saying a tongue twister at one point. Breville express impress. Say that 5 times fast
How much please
Depending on where you buy the machine from you are looking at paying around £1200.
Ta
Kev
Want to love this machine so much, but no one ever talks about reliability, repairability or lifespan of these - mostly plastic - machines. For the price it should be able to last at least 5-10y. Any multi-year users of Sage machines that are still happy?
I know what you're saying, but it just comes down to what kind of machine you want to go for, and where you want to invest your cash.
If you buy a machine like this, you're really investing in user experience, not in a workhorse machine that will go on for years and doesn't have much in terms of non-standard components that would be tricky to maintain/repair.
It's as I commonly say here and in the blogs about the old Bambino Plus Vs Gaggia Classic debate, they're completely different machines, if you go for the Bambino plus you're investing in user experience, if you go for the Gaggia Classic you're investing in longevity and ease of repair and maintenance.
Re being mainly plastic, I don't think that's quite accurate to be fair,
and even it was, I don't think plastic in the build is the main issue, at least where longevity in coffee machines is concerned.
Some of the most durable, reliable bean to cup machines on the market are literally lumps of plastic ;-), but they're just workhorses, not much to go wrong. Look at the Delonghi ESAM 4200, some of them go well into double digits.
You can get Sage machines repaired and maintained out of the warranty period, the only problem with it in my opinion is that the fact that there's only one out or warranty repair partner, there's no competition, and some of (not all, some parts on Sage machines are just standard parts) the parts are difficult for users to get hold of themselves if they prefer to DIY.
Ta
Kev
@@Coffee_Kev I can agree on your plastic comment. It's not a bad thing per se, my current (plastic) machine is almost 10y old and still running fine. But I doubt if it breaks tomorrow, it could ever be repaired.
@@BlackbeardedPirate yeah some of the cheaper machines appear to be built like tanks despite the apparent cheap build & lots of plastic.
So there is no dose control, you are stuck with the dose that the machine wants😢
You can dose manually if you like, but the beauty of this machine is it produces the perfect dose every time. If you're wanting to dose manually and develop the skills to rival that of the machine, this wouldn't be the machine for you. Cheers, Kev.