Breville Oracle Touch vs. Breville Barista Express

The Breville Barista Express Review

The Breville Barista Express is a thermal block heating element espresso machine that comes with an integrated grinder, a manual tamper that magnetically attaches to the underside of the machine for easy storage, and a steam wand for steamed milk. Because it utilizes a thermal block heating element, as opposed to a double boiler, you cannot brew and steam milk at the same time; you must do it one after the other.

The reason I purchased this espresso machine in the first place was to save on counter space. At the time I was living in a small apartment, and because I drank coffee daily, an espresso machine would become a permanent fixture in my kitchen. I was willing to give up a bit of counter space for my coffee fix; however, it became unreasonable once I started to think of a dedicated grinder.

This is why the Barista Express was appealing to me. Having the grinder integrated into one unit seemed convenient and space saving. The steam wand was a bonus for those times when I want to treat myself to a latte.

Making espresso on the Breville Barista Express is a breeze. You simply place the portafilter below the grinder and push to grind the coffee straight into the portafilter. You then detatch the tamper and tamp the coffee before transferring it over to the brew head. You push the brew button and watch as beautiful espresso and crema comes out like magic! You can either drink the espresso straight, make it an Americano by adding hot water using the dedicated hot water dispenser, or make a cappuccino or latte by steaming milk with the wand.

It may take some time to dial in the right grind size, which you can adjust using a dial on the side of the machine. You will also need to get a feel for how much pressure you should apply when tamping. At first this can can be daunting; I wasted quite a bit of ground coffee the first time I used this espresso machine. However, after a few successful shots, you will get a feel for the machine and will be able to dial it in easily with very little, if any, waste.

This machine doesn’t come with a knock box for disposing of used espresso pucks and will need to be purchased separately. A knock box allows you to easily dispose of espresso pucks by knocking the portafilter against a bar that spans the box. The puck will fall into the box where it can later be thrown in the trash.

The one thing you want to beware of, and what ultimately pushed me towards upgrading to the Breville Oracle Touch, is that when you are grinding the coffee there will likely be some grounds that spill over the portafilter and onto the drip tray and your kitchen counter. For this reason, I’d always lay down a paper towel for easy cleanup. However, even with the paper towel, I found coffee grounds would end up on my counter. It’s not too big of a deal, but it’s a nuisance nonetheless. You may want to try the Breville dosing funnel that attaches to your portafilter and is meant to keep your coffee grounds in the filter and off your counter.