(updated October 28th, 2026)
For most people making cappuccinos at home, the Breville Barista Express is the one to start with: it has a built-in grinder and a manual steam wand, and it costs a good deal less than the Barista Touch. Choose the Touch if you want the machine to do the milk for you. Choose the Bambino if counter space or budget comes first and you already have a grinder.
The three below cover Breville’s main home options: a manual machine with a grinder, an automated machine with a grinder, and a compact machine without one.
I went through Breville’s specs for each of these. Here’s how they differ.
Best Breville Espresso Machines
Breville Barista Express
The all-in-one starting point: grinder, espresso and steam wand in one machine, with enough manual control to learn on.
Pros
- Built-in conical burr grinder grinds straight into the portafilter
- Digital temperature control (PID) and low-pressure pre-infusion for even extraction
- Comes with a stainless milk jug, a trimming tool, single and dual wall baskets and a cleaning kit
Cons
- The steam wand is manual, so good milk foam takes practice
- Big and heavy: 22.1 lb and about 16 inches tall
- One-year warranty, against two on the Barista Touch
It has a half-pound bean hopper and a 67 oz water tank, and it uses a 54mm portafilter. The grind size dial lets you adjust for different beans, and you can pull single or double shots or override the dose manually.
The learning curve is the trade-off. Expect to spend some time adjusting the grind and dose before your shots taste right, and some practice on the steam wand before your milk does.
Breville Barista Touch
The Barista Express with the hard parts automated: a touchscreen, a quick-heating system and an automatic steam wand.
Pros
- Automatic steam wand with adjustable milk temperature and texture
- ThermoJet heating reaches extraction temperature in 3 seconds, per Breville
- Touchscreen with 5 preset drinks and up to 8 saved custom ones
- Two-year warranty
Cons
- The most expensive of the three
- Wide: about 15.5 inches across
Like the Express, it has a built-in grinder, PID temperature control, a half-pound hopper, a 67 oz tank and a 54mm portafilter. The difference is the workflow: you pick a drink on the screen and the machine walks you through grind, brew and milk.
If milk texture is the part you’re worried about, this is the machine that takes it off your hands.
Breville Bambino
Breville’s small, cheaper machine. It heats fast and does milk automatically, but it has no grinder.
Pros
- Compact: about 6.3 inches wide
- ThermoJet heating, ready in 3 seconds
- Automatic steam wand with adjustable temperature and texture
- The lowest price of the three
Cons
- No built-in grinder, so you need a separate grinder or pre-ground coffee
- Smaller 47 oz water tank
- Fewer settings: one or two cups, plus hot water and steam
It still has PID temperature control, low-pressure pre-infusion and a full 54mm portafilter (19 g dose), and it weighs 10.9 lb, about half the Barista Express.
Budget for a grinder if you don’t own one, because that narrows the price gap to the Express.
How the Three Compare
All figures are from Breville’s listings:
| Barista Express | Barista Touch | Bambino | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built-in grinder | Yes | Yes | No |
| Steam wand | Manual | Automatic | Automatic |
| Heat-up | Not stated | 3 seconds (ThermoJet) | 3 seconds (ThermoJet) |
| Water tank | 67 oz | 67 oz | 47 oz |
| Portafilter | 54mm | 54mm | 54mm |
| Weight | 22.1 lb | 21.8 lb | 10.9 lb |
| Warranty | 1 year | 2 years | 1 year |
What to Look for in a Breville Espresso Machine
Grinder or No Grinder
Freshly ground coffee makes a big difference to espresso. A machine with a built-in grinder saves buying a second appliance; a machine without one gives you a free choice of grinder.
Manual or Automatic Milk
For cappuccino, the steam wand matters as much as the espresso. A manual wand gives you full control once you’ve learned it. An automatic wand gets you consistent foam from day one.
Size
Measure the space under your cabinets before buying. The Express and Touch are both about 16 inches tall, and you need room above the machine to fill the hopper and water tank.
Which Breville Should You Buy?
Get the Barista Express if you want one machine that does everything and you’re happy to learn. Get the Barista Touch if you’d rather the machine handled the milk and you can stretch the budget. Get the Bambino if you already own a grinder or your kitchen is tight on space.
