Just a couple tips for whoever bought this machine and is getting into espresso: DOSE > YIELD > TIME 1) Grind finer until you extract 2x your dry coffee dose in 25-30 seconds. Now, this is not a hard and fast rule, but most coffees below 25s or over 30s will taste under and over extracted. The darker the roast, the more soluble it is, therefore needing less time to extract. Conversely, light roasted espresso needs prolonged water contact to make its acidity pleasant and not just plain aggressive. 2) When adjusting grind size, bear in mind the grinder will still have some coffee ground at the previous setting. So it might take a couple shots to fully assess grinder adjustments. 3) Generally speaking, the type of coffee you get can help you choose a starting point in terms of grind settings. Dark Roast = Courser --- Light Roast = Finer /// Washed coffees = Finer --- Naturals = Coarser /// High grown = Finer --- Low grown = Coarser. 4) Keep your portafilter engaged to the brew-group. This is very important. It must be hot come extraction time to aid in temperature stability. 5) If you are a beginner, avoid using filter roasts for espresso. These require a whole different level of technique, recipes and knowledge to pull right. Otherwise you'll end up with an acid bomb. 6) When tamping, make sure it's as level as possible. Don't go Superman on your tamp. Sometimes trying to tamp very hard makes it easy to end up with uneven coffee beds. 7) Use cold milk for steaming. Preferably whole milk, if you're after latte art. If you're trying to pour latte art, swirl the milk vigorously to integrate the foam until it looks shiny, sort of like wet paint. 8) Make sure you use a brush to clean your brew group everyday. Coffee sitting there will impart horrible taste to your future extractions. 9) If using light roast espresso beans, you might want to up the temperature and increase pre-infusion time. 10) When you hit a sweet extraction, write down the parameters used. Might sound dumb but it'll save you time (and beans) in the future. Happy brewing!
Hi maybe you can help me? The coffee seems to come out too fast and not the right consistency for me when I use this machine. I have the grinder set to the finest setting but cant seem to get it right at all.. is there a temperature adjustment I should make or something like that? I am no barista by any stretch so any advice would be much appreciated! Thanks in advance!
Thanks I am glad its not just me having this problem! exact same issue you are having. I will try with the freshly roasted coffee and see how it works thanks!
@@darraghfagan4150 Hey mate! Sounds like you're using stale coffee to me. Stale coffee will produce super fast and watery extractions with awful taste. Avoid buying anything sold on Amazon, Kroger, Wal-Mart and the likes. Use Google to track down a local speciality roaster in your area and go pick up a fresh bag of beans, roasted for espresso (read my initial tip on why to avoid filter roasts if you're a newbie). You should be able to extract a 1:2 coffee to beverage ratio in 25-30 seconds, with the liquid coming out like warm honey. Then adjust grind size to suit that particular bean. Good luck!
Just bought this and this review is friggin AMAZING!! Thank you!!!! So sick of paying $7+ dollars for a small latte at Starbucks to only wait 25 min for a watered down or burnt tasting drink!!! Used FRESH grounds (roasted within 30 days) and followed some tips here and just made a drink better than any latte from Starbucks. Crazy!!!
Brother that had to be the most comprehensive UA-cam video I've ever watched. I just purchased the Breville Touch. I can't wait to get started. Thank you.
You SAVED me! We got one for Christmas so my husband wouldn't have to go to Peet's every morning to get his latte and start his day. However, nothing came out tasting right. It was all... watery (like yours in the video). My husband ended up still making his morning trek to the coffee house. Well, using your effort tips, the espresso is coming out much better! Your video is very well done. You are thorough and easy to follow. I was taking notes! I look forward to your above on cleaning the machine. Bravo!
I was looking for a quick review of this machine, and what I got was not only a good review, but also one of the best, most thorough tutorials I've seen on UA-cam! I have no idea whether I'll ever buy this for myself, but I still watched the full hour and had a great time, learning about the Sage and espresso making in general. Thank you! :D
Thank so much for your detailed review and instructional material. I knew nothing about these machines and you got me up and going. I purchased the same model and so far I'm very impressed. You might want to do an additional video on the frothing. I'm into organic foods, and tried to do Almond vs. Milk. The frothing worked fine for milk, but when I tried the organic Almond beverage, I had a LOT of bubbles. My brother-in-law said he uses 1/2 and 1/2, which I'll try next. I desire a thick foam with no bubbles that can support a spoon without sinking. Update- I tried 1/2 and 1/2 and no joy. I had some left over so just popped the metal container with the 1/2 and 1/2 in the fridge over night. The next morning I added some almond milk, up to the top line, then dropped the frothing temp down to 140 and frothed with the cold container. Wow! that did it! Thick froth like fine foam all the way up cup, and yes, it supported a teaspoon with no problem! I'm also learning that all almond milks don't froth the same. The second time I used an organic almond milk vs. the non organic. That seems to make a big difference. Maybe that almond milk will work without the 1/2 and 1/2, but that was perfection. Then as you suggested, i dropped to a finer grind (11) and my expresso had that nice warm brown top, which it didn't have before. And no more bitter taste, it was wonderful. Best cappachino I've ever had! I was also getting way too many grounds spilling all over the place, so dropped the grind time down to 12. It packs perfectly with no waste now. I guess I've learned that all beans are different and require different settings. The default cappachino settings just don't provide good results for the organic beans I'm using. Thank you again for ALL of your explaination and experimentation because it helped me to find the absolute outstanding settings for my beans.
Nice job working through all that and getting delicious results. One thing I'll just quickly say about milk ... the thickness of foam is really all about the fat content of the milk. Almond milks do tend to bubble because they are much more watery than other milks. I've found decent success with Oat milk (one of the reasons i think it's done so well in coffee is it's frothing capabilities)
I just got mine for our anniversary. Had the same issue with the factory defaults on grind and brew time. I had to dial it so much lower for espresso and cappuccino that I was thinking the machine was bad or coffee or me. This video was spot on for my experience. Made me feel better about the machine. Thanks! Exactly what I needed to see/hear. I have wanted a machine to do some things(frothing) automatically and let me do the fun parts. see 53:27. Barista Touch is perfect for me. Hoping it lasts for years.
I have had the Breville barista express for 12 years and it was used when I got it. It just finally died today after averaging 3 cups a day. I'm going to get this one. Just wanted to tell you about the longevity of my Breville.
Thanks for such a detailed and passionate review. That is probably the longest review video I have ever watched. Just ordered and look forward to trying many of your tips. You went far and beyond. I know you gave the machine to your designer. What machine do you personally use? I hear you, there are so many variables - but would be great if you could publish : what beans you use & settings
I use the breville bambino these days, but I dont really make espresso much ... maybe once or twice a month. ITs the same broiler tech as the touch, just no automation or grinder (I use the breville smart pro grinder)
Thanks for the video. Had my machine for a week now and it’s taken hundreds of grams of beans to find my right brew! Interesting to see the 15/30 espresso, will be trying that myself! Thank you from the UK!
Yea be prepared to spend a lot of time adjusting whenever you try a new coffee (or just accept that sometimes you won't get it quite exactly right). Some standard measuring can make this process faster and easier though
This is an awesome tutorial and review. I live in the UK where this machine is branded SAGE. your tutorial has taken my coffee from WOW to OMG!!! the only thing i struggle to so is get the correct consistency in the milk to do latte art of which i am trying to teach myself...
Great review!! One thing what i not understand is, for an Americano normally first goes the espresso and then the water, the sage barista touch gives water first, that is then a long black? Why is that so?
Loved this video, I feel i now have a greater understanding. You expressed that the espresso brand that you use was a middle of the road espresso, what is your list of high end coffee brands
I’d love to see how you clean it. I’m really interested in buying this but I want to know everything about it before I spend the money to make sure Breville Barista Touch Coffee Machine it’s exactly what I want. I really appreciate your video! Thank you for taking the time to do it! New subscriber from Australia and we are coffee snobs in Melbourne 😎
Hey there, another Melbournian here, thanks so much for the video, I purchased one last week and love it! The link to your cleaning video doesn't seem to work :(
Does this Breville Barista Touch have a Conical or Flat Burr Coffee Grinder? Does this machine come with the utensils to level up your ground coffee? Could you tell us exactly what comes with this machine? Thanks.
The grinder in it is a conical burr grinder. As far as I can tell it's pretty comparable to their pro grinder you can get separately, which does a pretty good job with espresso, as far as most would be concerned. If you want to get super into espresso, I'd suggest investing separately into grinder/espresso machine so you can step them up individually as you progress.
Great deep dive Joe! Looking to see you grow with this machine and would love to see a follow up done when you feel like you have everything really dialed in. A couple of suggestions. 1) That espresso flow rate still looks really high. If it were me I would keep cranking down grind size until I got into the 15in/30out in 30sec range. I think it should be possible on this machine and will almost certainly produce a higher quality shot. If not, work with your dosing/tamping until you get there. 2) For latte art you will of course need to set the froth level much lower (you were pouring cap foam and that's almost impossible!). 3) In order to calibrate your manual steaming next time you steam to 130ish make sure you pick up the pitcher and feel it and try to remember that sensation (eg how long you can hold your hand to it). This will allow you to aim at the same when manually steaming.
Yea it can definitely get dialed in a lot more - i'll be setting up a much better brewing station in the new place (moving in a couple days) and getting into all that. I wanted to have an account of getting into the machine the way I think most people would likely use/experience it. Pretty sure you're right on that froth level bit, though I thought Jesse had poured some decent art at that level. I'll try it out soon at a lower froth level and see where I get (though i do loooove that level 8 froth on this machine...so silky, so delicious).
I had 3 in home units before getting this. Expensive, bought them used. Got this, 1st time getting new. $$$-Yikes!! Worth it, I've never had it so good.
Gave it to my designer a couple years ago. Last I heard he was still enjoying it regularly. I kinda miss it (I have the Bambino, which lacks the creature comforts of the touch)
Hi there, Wondered if you can help! I've just got this machine and am playing around with the settings out of the box to see what I can get to. So far, the coffee output seems to be really high compared to the guide from you guys.. Using the single wall. double filter basket On Espresso drink choice, using Starbucks Blonde Espresso Roast Beans [I will buy some better, fresher local beans but wanted something to at least get close to the settings being better before wasting a whole pack!] With a grind size of 8, grinding for 15 seconds I get about 10g of ground coffee. Grind size of 10 for same time period gives me more like 16/17g so that feels closer to what I need If I then run the brew as a double for 30 seconds [the auto time] I get about 170g of coffee out. It's very watery as you would expect and the puck is really watery too. Ideally, I want to be able to get a good double shot out, hence the double brew but feels like it is way too watery at the moment. It was marginally better on the size 10 grind but still pretty much the same volume of coffee out. I assume I am making a very rookie error here! My last machine was the Sage Creatista Plus which took Nespresso Pods so definitely new to this. Any help appreciated!
Quick progress update - getting there I think but still not perfect so any advice welcome! With a grind size of 6 and an 18 second grind time I'm getting about 16g or so of ground coffee. Reducing brew time to 20 seconds, gives me a much better drink, although it's still about 76g coming out - so a fair way off the 1:2 ratio. Although it actually seems like a decent amount for me - I think 36g or so wouldn't feel like much coffee. It tastes 'decent' and I've made a latte with the above settings and it is perfectly drinkable. BUT, I bought this machine to make excellent drinks not just decent ones. The Creatista did that. So, I think I need to get a little less out of the brew but conscious lots of people have said 25 seconds is the time to aim for? That would give me way too much at the moment. Should I reduce grind size further?
Well on the surface it sounds like your grind is too coarse. Having less fresh coffee doesn't help either. One thing I will say is, instead of relying on the grind timer, try to figure out how to get about 18 grams of coffee into the portafilter. And it sounds like you want to at least use grind size of 8. Make sure you tamp down solid. Then use the trimmer after tamping to remove excess. Then try to achieve 36-54 grams of espresso out the other end.
@@Coffeeloversmag thanks. I've adjusted the internal burr a little bit and am now going to get some better beans and concentrate on getting 18g into the PF at a finer grind. Then I'll brew for 30 seconds and see where I am at - go finer if it's too watery and too much volume and then I'll report back!
I am trying to find a replacement tank for this. Any guesses if the Barista Express tank would work? I can see that the Touch has a magnet in it, but assumption would be without the magnet the Touch would think the tank is full. Likely a bad assumption.
Thank you for sharing this very great review of this machine. I am debating myself upgrading my Breville Barista Express to this Barista Touch. Now, after watching your video I am convinced myself to get this machine. Thank you so much. Btw. your art latte is better than mine😄eventho it looks like a ghost👻 but definitely the taste so great for sure!👌🏼I can relate that for trying to make art latte but I am not good at it. I need to practice more. LOL.
So me and my gf bought one today having no idea 🤷♂️ what we were getting into lol 😂 I couldn’t tell you the difference between a coffee and a cappuccino 🤣🤣🤣 I have a lot to learn but I can tell you this! Tomorrow morning will be the best cup of expresso and the last k cup I’ll ever drink lol 😂
To be able to tap the portafilter to get that side wall coffee, tamp, tap, then tamp a little harder to make sure the puck didnt break like you were saying. It seems very ok but what do i know im a noob still.
Hi - have you had any issues with temperature? There are lots of posts about it, but I still have not found anything definitive these are universally defective. Thanks!
I did, and i identified the problem as an electrical one ... machine needs as much power as possible, and if you're plugged into an outlet which has other things plugged into it, then the machine won't get enough power. That at least was my experience (giving it it's own outlet solved my temp problems). I don't know if that is consistent and what everyone else experiences.
You might have the temp problem many people seem to be having. To be honest I've never received a solid answer on this, so I don't really know. For my own experience, i did find the machine can run into power issues, so make sure its the only thing plugged into the outlet it's using at the very least. Also do all the preheating stuff. Run through an empty portafilter (and then dry it quickly before adding coffee), also heat up your mug with hot water ... these will help.
You need to go into your settings. Go to brew temp. Your machine is set by default to like middle. When you get to brew temp I believe you can move it up high 1-4
Awesome video!! It helped lead me to make the purchase!! After going through the setup on the Breville, it indicated the brew should start at 8 seconds. I have tamped it fairly hard and softer with same results. I have tried going down to ground / time of 7 / 14 but it starts at 6-7 seconds. I can’t seem to get it to start after 8 seconds. I have also tried a different type of espresso.... Any other suggestions? Thanks in advance!!
One factor that can have a huge impact is freshness of your coffee. If you are using coffee that is older than a few weeks since roast, the shots will start pulling sooner. As a quick rec to make sure you aren't having freshness issues, I'd recommend ordering some coffee online - www.conduitcoffee.com/collections/coffee Conduit's blends are a great place to start. Ship Canal if you like a dark roast. Westlake if you want something chocolaty and accessible (but not dark roast, it's a medium, so no roastiness in there). Locofocos for a more lighter style espresso. Conduit will roast your coffee only after you order.
Coffee Lovers TV yes my coffee has a roast date of May 27 so it’s pretty fresh. Going try and fit 18g and see if I can get it to start after 8 seconds. I know it’s probably trivial but I should be able to make it go way longer than 7 seconds....
Coffee Lovers TV the brand was by Victrola “Triborough” and tasted pretty good. After spending time with Breville support, they deemed it possibly be a defective unit and are sending me a new one I tried changing the grind all the way down to 2 and up to 20 weighing 18g with no noticeable difference on start extraction time past 7sec.
I just got one, and with water temp setting set on maximum +4, the water inside my mug is about 150F. That's water coming straight from the group head without the portafilter. Placing the tip of my digital thermometer right under the water dripping out of the group head also measures about 150F. I don't expect the water to be at 200F, but does that sound like my machine has a water temp problem? The espresso shots are very acidic from the 20 or so shots I have tried to far. Please help! Thank you.
Well i think the biggest challenge with temp measuring on an espresso machine is unless you're in the precise conditions of pulling a shot, and measuring directly within that, then you aren't getting an accurate reading. This is why there's a tool specifically made for measuring temp/pressure for an espresso machine called a scace. that being said, you could have an issue with this. I did, and determined I had some weird power draw situation going on - I had another coffee machine plugged into the same outlet, removed the second machine, and temp of resulting espresso shot up something like 20 degrees. But without knowing about the coffee you're using, the fineness of your grind, the quality of your water, it's difficult to say exactly what the issue is you're having.
@@Coffeeloversmag I did more testing. The water in the cup is averaging about 140-145F coming straight from the grouphead. But if I use the spout for the Americano dispenser, the water is 185-190F! According to Breville's website, the coffee should be 160-180F.
If the coffee temp should be 160-180F, it makes no sense that the water temp collecting in the cup straight out of the grouphead is 140-145F, but it is 185-190F out of the spout. The temp shouldn't be dropping 40-50F from machine to grouphead to the cup.
@@tyler7440 What a constructive comment -- not! If you can't help the OP, why bother writing anything at all? Clearly, he's trying to get answers. You don't have answers.
@@armandochiu2158 If you don’t have any coffee in the portafilter and are running water straight through, the water does not spend any time in the portafilter building up pressure- and rising pressure raises the temperature. That is one reason why the water is coming out colder; the other is that if you don’t preheat the portafilter, it will draw a significant amount of heat being that it’s cold, heavy, and made of metal.
All coffees go good with milk. But besides that it’s your grind tamp that makes the difference and extraction time. Milk goes good with everything except if your going to straight espresso with Sambuca. Dig it. I know you would!
Seems like a very nice machine in theory but won’t give you a true espresso with it’s own settings.. I noticed myself that the coffee poured too quickly and was watery. You’ve got to work with grind, grams and time and save those settings. Not much different than any manual. Once you have the grind set for the type of coffee on the grinder, you’re all set. You just tamp, use a small dosing cup and ready to brew. Of course then it’s important that you have s powerful milk frother. Still on the fence about this machine but I’ll say that it is s beauty. I’ve asked below about the Touch Impress and how it compares. Have you tested it?
I couldn’t edit the above but suspect based on your comment about a small cup not fitting the space well for brewing that a small shot glass for espresso may not sit well either. Either way, would love to see a demo on the Touch Impress. Thanks for all the effort you put into this.
Thanks for your thoughts and feedback. I haven't been in a position to produce coffee videos in a long time, so I don't think i'll be able to do anything with the Touch Impress, unfortunately.
On the manual, there is information that the coffee should flow after 8s and if you have it before 8s it's under brew. Unfortunately, I can't adjust mine to for perfect option :( Can you make a video about it? :)
@@marynguyen2223 Mine always starts @ 8 seconds - not sure why, but I can't use the low grind settings. Next to nothing comes out. I have to use a grind size 14 and I can't figure out why.
I am shopping for an espresso machine and leaning toward the Breville Barista Pro or this one. What is your updated review after this video 2+ years ago? Do you still enjoy using the machine or does one grow out of it in time? I roast coffee and do manual brews (pourovers). I'd like to up my game and get into the art of espresso, pulling shots, dialing in the flavors, having more coffee drink options. I am just worried that I may grow out of this machine and want to move up to the Pro version but I don't want to waste $800 and a few months later be like, omg. My #2 concern/question: How is this machine holding up after 2 years? Is everything still working? I have heard the heat sensor on the frothing panel stops working and the display panel eventually stops working. Would really appreciate your input. Thank you!
If you're really wanting to get into the art of espresso, I'd point you to a different machine. Actually what I'd recommend is investing more in the grinder right now, and start with a lower priced espresso machine - the Breville Bambino may be a good option for that (you can find the bambino pro for about 400). It has the same boiler tech as the pro and the touch, just in a tiny package. But were I in your shoes (and certain about digging into espresso for the long term), I'd spend 500+ on the grinder out the gate, then another 300-500 on the machine for now. When you master that, you can upgrade your machine to something much more manual and sophisticated, like a Rancilio or a Rocket in the ~1200 range. There's no one size option that will be perfect if you're wanting a lower price at the start. When you get into it, you'll see that a lot of your adjustment, tuning, and exploring will come down to the grind quality, and ability to adjust very fine amounts. I'm not confident you can find a satisfying level of sophistication for your desired path from the all in one breville machines. Some starting options I'd look at: Grinders - Rancilio Rocky Baratza Vario Eureka Mignon Compak K3 Mazzer Mini Machines - Breville Bambino Pro Rancilio Silvia If I was going deep into it, had about 1k budget now, and could upgrade in a year, I'd probably pick up a Mazzer Mini + Bambino, then replace the espresso machine in a year with maybe a Rocket or Rancilio Silvia PID. Anyhow, the point of all that is to say that I think for you the grinder is the most important piece of gear. You can make amazing shots on the $400 bambino (and it will steam your milk really well with no effort), if you have a good grind. But if you spend less on the grinder (or get an all-in-one machine), your ceiling of capability and exploration is going to be lower I think.
Coffee Lovers TV thank you for the recommendation. I do have a Baratza Encore, I know it’s the low end but I’ve only been into making manual coffees (pourovers) and cupping my own roasts (I didn’t mention I have a small roasting business. Kind of a big side note now but I see where you’re going with machine choices). So now I am stepping up my coffee game yes, and thought of starting with a low budget machine but after all my research I am realizing the depth of it all. I ordered a Delonghi ecp3420 and returned it immediately realizing I can’t scrimp on an espresso machine. That’s where I’m at now, going from $130 machine to one a little under $1k. I saw a video showing the Silvia and didn’t like it (the heating system is slow and looks). I don’t need a work horse, just a home machine for my husband and I. I would like to learn some barista skills and latte art, and I’m sure a good model will help me tune in my roasts for sure. I’m shy at going with any Breville machine that can’t produce a hot cup, I’m learning that their new integrated thermojet only heats to 140F and that just won’t do for any espresso. I’d be interested in knowing your experience on the Bambino and heating issues. My initial interest in upping my budget from $100 to $800 was that the Breville series has a beautiful look, and I seriously considered the Pro but then saw the Touch and loved the pre-set drink recipes as I am not well versed in barista experience. Thanks again, your advice is well accepted through my journey and very much appreciated!
I've had no problems with Bambino. usually dont even have to preheat tbh. There isn't a way to control the temp coming from the grouphead, you can only control milk temp. But you can completely manually run it, and reprogram the two brew buttons. Does a low pressure pre-infusion by default and you can manually adjust this as you see fit. Seems like a pretty impressive machine for the price and size of it all. Your coffee-at-home experience does sound like the perfect situation to get one of their all-in-one machines. Your Encore isn't going to cut it for espresso, so you'll need to get a grinder one way or another. I'd definitely try the pro over the touch. But I haven't used the pro myself. The Touch I gave to my designer, because he uses it daily (i make espresso really just a couple times a month these days) - after a couple years of doing so he's still in love with the machine, but he's also not delving too far into the craft.
Hi how are you ? I have a breville touch, normally I with 11 seconds of the mill would fill my cup to make my coffee, now it takes 20 seconds to do it since little coffee comes out of the mill, I have already cleaned the mill and the same problem continues, you will know the reason ?
Amazing video with tons of good information. One question can you go from one cup of brew and froth milk to a second cup right away? Or is there a time between brewing?I make coffee for my husband and I and I’d really hate to wait long periods of time in between cups… thanks.
I'm all new to coffee... Why don't you mix the coffee after pouring the steamed milk? Or is this how you drink it? Won't it be all milky at the top as the coffee hasn't mixed?
you can mix! there's really no wrong way to do it. Pouring the steamed milk into the espresso does do a fair job of mixing, but notably it gives you the opportunity to pour latte art and make something pretty. Mixing is good regardless of how you do it. When I order a milk based drink in a cafe I always stir to fully incorporate everything
any issues with water temp? for the life of me can't get brew temp above 62c. normally comes in at high 50's . well under the min 70c thats recommended. i think this is prevalent with a lot of these machines going by online chatter. going to send back update: just seen all the chitter further down the page about temp from other peoples machine. this is a serious issue with the model. i just got mine 2020 and still the same problem.
Yea it's always hard to tell because we don't have the proper tools to measure accurately. I found in my own machine that i was having power related issues. When I had a second brewer plugged into the espresso machine (even when it wasn't running) the temp was noticeably lower. When I gave the espresso machine it's own outlet, temp went way back up. I can't remember details but 10-20 degrees F change. I can't speak to other people's challenges with it. I would ask, how does the coffee taste?
I had a temp problem with two of these machines and I have a video of the issue. Returned the first one, and the second one was checked over by Breville's repairer; apparently it just has to put hot coffee in the cup. Got my money back anyway.
I’m having trouble with finding the right grind size for an espresso and flat white, you didn’t specify in your video what grind size works for you for optimal brew and taste. Can you advise please?
in your situation it's likely you either need to grind the coffee finer, or use more coffee, or a combination of both. To make sure you're using enough coffee, you can kind of overfill the portafilter, tamp it down, and then use the trimmer (personally I prefer to measure out about 18 grams, but the trimmer technique works too). Then just keep grinding finer till you get a good result.
Very old video I know, and wonderful review, but quick question: The Barista Pro I believe is volumetric in terms of amount of water dispensed when pulling a shot- so time will vary naturally to match the correct one shot or double shot volume. But on this machine-the controls for adjusting a drink seem to imply it is time based rather than volumetric. Is the Barista touch volumetric or time based?
So on this machine, the difference in the espresso and latte menu choices are that the latte one gives you steps to steam milk. Pulling your espresso shot in the latte setting vs the espresso setting will be the same assuming the presets are the same - which they are by default. Each menu choice gives you the option to do custom settings for each step - and those should be displayed there for you, so you can see any differences.
Typically this suggests you either want more coffee, or a finer grind. Because you're limited in amount of coffee by the space, for a machine like this you're probably looking at finer grind. However, with espresso and what you described, this could also indicate you aren't tamping properly. I think I probably talk about that about here in the video - 13:26 - Making an Espresso
Do you need to change grinder setting for different drink type? I use the same dose and grind setting for Flat White and Espresso. Flat white come out perfect but Espresso drink setting was really over-extract.
In short, no, you shouldn't change your espresso based on different drink types. That being said ... Technically you could fiddle with the extraction of the espresso depending on how much milk you are using and the end result you're trying to achieve.
I wanted to buy this machine but saw a lot of negative comments about the brew temperature being too low even when adjusting it to the maximum. Have you also noticed this problem?
I had a problem like that and determined it was electrical. Basically I had this machine and another plugged into the same 2-plug outlet (not sharing the same plug, but you know how wall outlets are). Anyway, I saw a temp problem, unplugged the other machine (which was a brewer just sitting idle), and the end espresso temp shot up 20 degrees. I'd say most people experiencing a temp problem are also probably experiencing some form of electrical issue with the machine not getting enough power.
Hard to say ... I'm not sure how durable it is for making dozens of drinks a day. The challenge in a commercial space is in the quantity of drinks being made, and how that affects the machinery. There's a reason commercial espresso machines can easily cost $10k-20k
Ah yes that's the Mentor scale - amzn.to/2uytdLV - you HAVE to pair it with an app for use (there's no display on the scale). However if you don't mind needing to pull out an app every time you use it, its a really fantastic value ($30 i think) for a scale.
That's a good question. Probably a lower froth setting. If Latte is the lowest, then probably one or two above that. I haven't played around enough with foam levels and latte art to have a good sense. A Flat White will have a bit more of a creamy foam layer than a latte will.
The grinder is all time based. So you can approximate getting the right amount, once you have your grind size set, figuring out how long to grind to get what you need. You'll still probably need to adjust ... when I'm being precise, I measure and take out little bits of grinds to get exactly what I want (before tamping of course).
Great coverage! I ordered a BT, but I recently read about heating issues with this unit. Are you having any problems like this? Would turning the unit on 10-15m before use help?
i've never been able to find a clear answer to this. My best guess has been that it's a power issue. Make sure it's getting all the power it needs (dont plug anything else into the same outlet at the very least)
yea i understand that. i also struggle (using the Bambino, I don't have the touch anymore). Best general advice I can give is keep experimenting. Try fattier milks as well.
@@Coffeeloversmag . As soon I can I will replace for an smaller pro. When I got Barista touch I was thinking in has none issue with texture milk, but anyway.. too late now. Tkx
The pressurized baskets. (The other ones) are used if you want to use anything but the perfect grind , so essentially for those people who are ametuers/lazy/don't have beans. It will make the shot well regardless.
Thank you for being so generous with your time. Great review.
Thank you, I really appreciate you ❤️
Just a couple tips for whoever bought this machine and is getting into espresso:
DOSE > YIELD > TIME
1) Grind finer until you extract 2x your dry coffee dose in 25-30 seconds. Now, this is not a hard and fast rule, but most coffees below 25s or over 30s will taste under and over extracted. The darker the roast, the more soluble it is, therefore needing less time to extract. Conversely, light roasted espresso needs prolonged water contact to make its acidity pleasant and not just plain aggressive.
2) When adjusting grind size, bear in mind the grinder will still have some coffee ground at the previous setting. So it might take a couple shots to fully assess grinder adjustments.
3) Generally speaking, the type of coffee you get can help you choose a starting point in terms of grind settings. Dark Roast = Courser --- Light Roast = Finer /// Washed coffees = Finer --- Naturals = Coarser /// High grown = Finer --- Low grown = Coarser.
4) Keep your portafilter engaged to the brew-group. This is very important. It must be hot come extraction time to aid in temperature stability.
5) If you are a beginner, avoid using filter roasts for espresso. These require a whole different level of technique, recipes and knowledge to pull right. Otherwise you'll end up with an acid bomb.
6) When tamping, make sure it's as level as possible. Don't go Superman on your tamp. Sometimes trying to tamp very hard makes it easy to end up with uneven coffee beds.
7) Use cold milk for steaming. Preferably whole milk, if you're after latte art. If you're trying to pour latte art, swirl the milk vigorously to integrate the foam until it looks shiny, sort of like wet paint.
8) Make sure you use a brush to clean your brew group everyday. Coffee sitting there will impart horrible taste to your future extractions.
9) If using light roast espresso beans, you might want to up the temperature and increase pre-infusion time.
10) When you hit a sweet extraction, write down the parameters used. Might sound dumb but it'll save you time (and beans) in the future.
Happy brewing!
great tips!
Hi maybe you can help me? The coffee seems to come out too fast and not the right consistency for me when I use this machine. I have the grinder set to the finest setting but cant seem to get it right at all.. is there a temperature adjustment I should make or something like that? I am no barista by any stretch so any advice would be much appreciated! Thanks in advance!
Thanks I am glad its not just me having this problem! exact same issue you are having. I will try with the freshly roasted coffee and see how it works thanks!
@@darraghfagan4150 Hey mate! Sounds like you're using stale coffee to me. Stale coffee will produce super fast and watery extractions with awful taste. Avoid buying anything sold on Amazon, Kroger, Wal-Mart and the likes. Use Google to track down a local speciality roaster in your area and go pick up a fresh bag of beans, roasted for espresso (read my initial tip on why to avoid filter roasts if you're a newbie). You should be able to extract a 1:2 coffee to beverage ratio in 25-30 seconds, with the liquid coming out like warm honey. Then adjust grind size to suit that particular bean. Good luck!
Thanks very much for the reply Ill get myself some proper coffee so and see if that makes a difference! Thanks again
Just bought this and this review is friggin AMAZING!! Thank you!!!! So sick of paying $7+ dollars for a small latte at Starbucks to only wait 25 min for a watered down or burnt tasting drink!!! Used FRESH grounds (roasted within 30 days) and followed some tips here and just made a drink better than any latte from Starbucks. Crazy!!!
glad you're enjoying it :)
Brother that had to be the most comprehensive UA-cam video I've ever watched. I just purchased the Breville Touch. I can't wait to get started. Thank you.
Me too, that is the longest review video that i have ever watched. I did watch it in few parts though. :)
You SAVED me! We got one for Christmas so my husband wouldn't have to go to Peet's every morning to get his latte and start his day. However, nothing came out tasting right. It was all... watery (like yours in the video). My husband ended up still making his morning trek to the coffee house. Well, using your effort tips, the espresso is coming out much better!
Your video is very well done. You are thorough and easy to follow. I was taking notes!
I look forward to your above on cleaning the machine.
Bravo!
I was looking for a quick review of this machine, and what I got was not only a good review, but also one of the best, most thorough tutorials I've seen on UA-cam!
I have no idea whether I'll ever buy this for myself, but I still watched the full hour and had a great time, learning about the Sage and espresso making in general.
Thank you! :D
Glad to hear! I appreciate the feedback :)
Thank so much for your detailed review and instructional material. I knew nothing about these machines and you got me up and going. I purchased the same model and so far I'm very impressed. You might want to do an additional video on the frothing. I'm into organic foods, and tried to do Almond vs. Milk. The frothing worked fine for milk, but when I tried the organic Almond beverage, I had a LOT of bubbles. My brother-in-law said he uses 1/2 and 1/2, which I'll try next. I desire a thick foam with no bubbles that can support a spoon without sinking.
Update- I tried 1/2 and 1/2 and no joy. I had some left over so just popped the metal container with the 1/2 and 1/2 in the fridge over night. The next morning I added some almond milk, up to the top line, then dropped the frothing temp down to 140 and frothed with the cold container. Wow! that did it! Thick froth like fine foam all the way up cup, and yes, it supported a teaspoon with no problem! I'm also learning that all almond milks don't froth the same. The second time I used an organic almond milk vs. the non organic. That seems to make a big difference. Maybe that almond milk will work without the 1/2 and 1/2, but that was perfection.
Then as you suggested, i dropped to a finer grind (11) and my expresso had that nice warm brown top, which it didn't have before. And no more bitter taste, it was wonderful. Best cappachino I've ever had! I was also getting way too many grounds spilling all over the place, so dropped the grind time down to 12. It packs perfectly with no waste now.
I guess I've learned that all beans are different and require different settings. The default cappachino settings just don't provide good results for the organic beans I'm using.
Thank you again for ALL of your explaination and experimentation because it helped me to find the absolute outstanding settings for my beans.
Nice job working through all that and getting delicious results. One thing I'll just quickly say about milk ... the thickness of foam is really all about the fat content of the milk. Almond milks do tend to bubble because they are much more watery than other milks. I've found decent success with Oat milk (one of the reasons i think it's done so well in coffee is it's frothing capabilities)
I just got mine for our anniversary. Had the same issue with the factory defaults on grind and brew time. I had to dial it so much lower for espresso and cappuccino that I was thinking the machine was bad or coffee or me. This video was spot on for my experience. Made me feel better about the machine. Thanks! Exactly what I needed to see/hear. I have wanted a machine to do some things(frothing) automatically and let me do the fun parts. see 53:27. Barista Touch is perfect for me. Hoping it lasts for years.
glad it's working out well for you!
Are you having any problems with your drink not being hot enough with this machine, Jeff? Thanx! Any feedback would be awesome.
I have had the Breville barista express for 12 years and it was used when I got it. It just finally died today after averaging 3 cups a day. I'm going to get this one. Just wanted to tell you about the longevity of my Breville.
Finally found someone with better guidance 🎉 thank you for all your time! 👏
P.s: none of us like to read instructions, that’s why we are here😂
Thanks so much for this video!!! You helped me so much !! I bought the machine in 2023 November but still it helped me out!! Thank you!
Thank you! Very comprehensive and informative. I'm waiting for mine to be delivered, so learning as much as I can beforehand.
Thanks for such a detailed and passionate review. That is probably the longest review video I have ever watched.
Just ordered and look forward to trying many of your tips. You went far and beyond.
I know you gave the machine to your designer. What machine do you personally use?
I hear you, there are so many variables - but would be great if you could publish : what beans you use & settings
I use the breville bambino these days, but I dont really make espresso much ... maybe once or twice a month. ITs the same broiler tech as the touch, just no automation or grinder (I use the breville smart pro grinder)
Can you tell me what the difference is between the Touch and the Touch Impress?
Thank you for the index below the video... nice job!
Thanks for the video. Had my machine for a week now and it’s taken hundreds of grams of beans to find my right brew! Interesting to see the 15/30 espresso, will be trying that myself! Thank you from the UK!
Yea be prepared to spend a lot of time adjusting whenever you try a new coffee (or just accept that sometimes you won't get it quite exactly right). Some standard measuring can make this process faster and easier though
What a fantastic review, thank you so much. I just got one for Christmas, your review was an awesome second gift❣️
This is an awesome tutorial and review. I live in the UK where this machine is branded SAGE. your tutorial has taken my coffee from WOW to OMG!!! the only thing i struggle to so is get the correct consistency in the milk to do latte art of which i am trying to teach myself...
Ah yea latte art a challenge. not my forté 😄
Am fairly new to this machine and this is all great information thank you.
Great review!! One thing what i not understand is, for an Americano normally first goes the espresso and then the water, the sage barista touch gives water first, that is then a long black? Why is that so?
I’m torn between these two, I only drink long black & normally buy pre ground coffee, would this not be advisable for the bambino? TY
Do you have the grams for coffee beans and extraction for a single shot? Is it as simple as half?
I run the descaling circle but I still receiving the decaling circle warning ‼️ how do I clear or reset that warning?
Can you share all the grind sizes you use pls?
Beautiful explanation LOve ❤️ it!!
Loved this video, I feel i now have a greater understanding. You expressed that the espresso brand that you use was a middle of the road espresso, what is your list of high end coffee brands
too many good ones to list. my regulars I order from include:
www.conduitcoffee.com
anchorheadcoffee.com/
www.boonboonacoffee.com/
Thanks so much for a great detailed review 😊 you are a truly coffee lover!
thank you! 😁
Good educational video and thank you to my wife for spontaneously buying one.
glad to be helpful!
U know machine locks to counter or table right?
Did you ever change the conical burrs manually?
I have not done this
I’d love to see how you clean it. I’m really interested in buying this but I want to know everything about it before I spend the money to make sure Breville Barista Touch Coffee Machine
it’s exactly what I want.
I really appreciate your video! Thank you for taking the time to do it!
New subscriber from Australia and we are coffee snobs in Melbourne 😎
This went up awhile ago, but just in case, here's the cleaning video :D studio.ua-cam.com/users/video_ibh5-YLjBs/edit
Hey there, another Melbournian here, thanks so much for the video, I purchased one last week and love it! The link to your cleaning video doesn't seem to work :(
I tried to watch the video as I have purchased this machine and i can’t get the video to work.
what a cracking review ! I've just ordered one :)
We loved your passionate review
thanks!
Thanks for the video. New recent purchase of this machine and your video is helping me get it calibrated well.
Glad to hear!
Does this Breville Barista Touch have a Conical or Flat Burr Coffee Grinder? Does this machine come with the utensils to level up your ground coffee? Could you tell us exactly what comes with this machine? Thanks.
The grinder in it is a conical burr grinder. As far as I can tell it's pretty comparable to their pro grinder you can get separately, which does a pretty good job with espresso, as far as most would be concerned. If you want to get super into espresso, I'd suggest investing separately into grinder/espresso machine so you can step them up individually as you progress.
Such an Awesome review! Now I need to get that machine home
Great deep dive Joe! Looking to see you grow with this machine and would love to see a follow up done when you feel like you have everything really dialed in. A couple of suggestions. 1) That espresso flow rate still looks really high. If it were me I would keep cranking down grind size until I got into the 15in/30out in 30sec range. I think it should be possible on this machine and will almost certainly produce a higher quality shot. If not, work with your dosing/tamping until you get there. 2) For latte art you will of course need to set the froth level much lower (you were pouring cap foam and that's almost impossible!). 3) In order to calibrate your manual steaming next time you steam to 130ish make sure you pick up the pitcher and feel it and try to remember that sensation (eg how long you can hold your hand to it). This will allow you to aim at the same when manually steaming.
Yea it can definitely get dialed in a lot more - i'll be setting up a much better brewing station in the new place (moving in a couple days) and getting into all that. I wanted to have an account of getting into the machine the way I think most people would likely use/experience it.
Pretty sure you're right on that froth level bit, though I thought Jesse had poured some decent art at that level. I'll try it out soon at a lower froth level and see where I get (though i do loooove that level 8 froth on this machine...so silky, so delicious).
I know this is an old video, hopefully you still see this. How come you are only putting in 15g of coffee, everywhere else says 18g?
I had 3 in home units before getting this. Expensive, bought them used. Got this, 1st time getting new. $$$-Yikes!! Worth it, I've never had it so good.
Great video. Did you use the double of the single basket for the 30 gram espresso?
I'm on the Bambino now, but I always use the double basket.
hi, excuse me but I would like to know if you still have this machine and if it works after all this time
What about after years? is ir still working?
Gave it to my designer a couple years ago. Last I heard he was still enjoying it regularly. I kinda miss it (I have the Bambino, which lacks the creature comforts of the touch)
Excellent video! Thank you!
Thanks for the info Michael Shannon!
Hi there,
Wondered if you can help! I've just got this machine and am playing around with the settings out of the box to see what I can get to.
So far, the coffee output seems to be really high compared to the guide from you guys..
Using the single wall. double filter basket
On Espresso drink choice, using Starbucks Blonde Espresso Roast Beans [I will buy some better, fresher local beans but wanted something to at least get close to the settings being better before wasting a whole pack!]
With a grind size of 8, grinding for 15 seconds I get about 10g of ground coffee. Grind size of 10 for same time period gives me more like 16/17g so that feels closer to what I need
If I then run the brew as a double for 30 seconds [the auto time] I get about 170g of coffee out. It's very watery as you would expect and the puck is really watery too.
Ideally, I want to be able to get a good double shot out, hence the double brew but feels like it is way too watery at the moment. It was marginally better on the size 10 grind but still pretty much the same volume of coffee out. I assume I am making a very rookie error here! My last machine was the Sage Creatista Plus which took Nespresso Pods so definitely new to this.
Any help appreciated!
Quick progress update - getting there I think but still not perfect so any advice welcome!
With a grind size of 6 and an 18 second grind time I'm getting about 16g or so of ground coffee.
Reducing brew time to 20 seconds, gives me a much better drink, although it's still about 76g coming out - so a fair way off the 1:2 ratio. Although it actually seems like a decent amount for me - I think 36g or so wouldn't feel like much coffee.
It tastes 'decent' and I've made a latte with the above settings and it is perfectly drinkable. BUT, I bought this machine to make excellent drinks not just decent ones. The Creatista did that.
So, I think I need to get a little less out of the brew but conscious lots of people have said 25 seconds is the time to aim for? That would give me way too much at the moment. Should I reduce grind size further?
Well on the surface it sounds like your grind is too coarse. Having less fresh coffee doesn't help either. One thing I will say is, instead of relying on the grind timer, try to figure out how to get about 18 grams of coffee into the portafilter. And it sounds like you want to at least use grind size of 8. Make sure you tamp down solid. Then use the trimmer after tamping to remove excess. Then try to achieve 36-54 grams of espresso out the other end.
@@Coffeeloversmag thanks. I've adjusted the internal burr a little bit and am now going to get some better beans and concentrate on getting 18g into the PF at a finer grind. Then I'll brew for 30 seconds and see where I am at - go finer if it's too watery and too much volume and then I'll report back!
Great video, superbly done, lots of great information, I always looked forward to your reviews. Looks fun and easy to use with great results.
thanks! looking to get a 'how to clean this beast' video done soon
I am trying to find a replacement tank for this. Any guesses if the Barista Express tank would work? I can see that the Touch has a magnet in it, but assumption would be without the magnet the Touch would think the tank is full. Likely a bad assumption.
which one is better...the pro or touch?
I appreciate all of the details you captured. I feel like I already own the machine!
glad you enjoyed!
Do you have a link to the scale?
I've the Barista Touch personally wanted to get the Oracle Touch
Thank you for sharing this very great review of this machine. I am debating myself upgrading my Breville Barista Express to this Barista Touch. Now, after watching your video I am convinced myself to get this machine. Thank you so much. Btw. your art latte is better than mine😄eventho it looks like a ghost👻 but definitely the taste so great for sure!👌🏼I can relate that for trying to make art latte but I am not good at it. I need to practice more. LOL.
A very educational video. Now it's time to try out our new machine. Greetings from Down Under
congrats on the machine! hopefully its been treating you well
Do you know if the steamer on the touch is more powerful than the one in barista pro?
I believe the barista pro released after the touch, so it will have either the same or better tech.
how often do you cleanup if you don’t mind. I have been cleaning every month 😅 bc mine won’t grind if I don’t clean each month 😂
depends on how often you use it. I make espresso maybe once a week these days, so I do a cleaning a couple times a year.
So me and my gf bought one today having no idea 🤷♂️ what we were getting into lol 😂 I couldn’t tell you the difference between a coffee and a cappuccino 🤣🤣🤣 I have a lot to learn but I can tell you this! Tomorrow morning will be the best cup of expresso and the last k cup I’ll ever drink lol 😂
To be able to tap the portafilter to get that side wall coffee, tamp, tap, then tamp a little harder to make sure the puck didnt break like you were saying. It seems very ok but what do i know im a noob still.
Hi - have you had any issues with temperature? There are lots of posts about it, but I still have not found anything definitive these are universally defective. Thanks!
I did, and i identified the problem as an electrical one ... machine needs as much power as possible, and if you're plugged into an outlet which has other things plugged into it, then the machine won't get enough power. That at least was my experience (giving it it's own outlet solved my temp problems). I don't know if that is consistent and what everyone else experiences.
Thank you for this tutorial! I have this machine but my espresso always comes out cold. Any suggestions?
You might have the temp problem many people seem to be having. To be honest I've never received a solid answer on this, so I don't really know. For my own experience, i did find the machine can run into power issues, so make sure its the only thing plugged into the outlet it's using at the very least.
Also do all the preheating stuff. Run through an empty portafilter (and then dry it quickly before adding coffee), also heat up your mug with hot water ... these will help.
You need to go into your settings. Go to brew temp. Your machine is set by default to like middle. When you get to brew temp I believe you can move it up high 1-4
@@BigPoppa-t3z I have it at the highest setting already but thank you!
Awesome video!! It helped lead me to make the purchase!!
After going through the setup on the Breville, it indicated the brew should start at 8 seconds.
I have tamped it fairly hard and softer with same results.
I have tried going down to ground / time of 7 / 14 but it starts at 6-7 seconds. I can’t seem to get it to start after 8 seconds.
I have also tried a different type of espresso....
Any other suggestions?
Thanks in advance!!
One factor that can have a huge impact is freshness of your coffee. If you are using coffee that is older than a few weeks since roast, the shots will start pulling sooner.
As a quick rec to make sure you aren't having freshness issues, I'd recommend ordering some coffee online - www.conduitcoffee.com/collections/coffee
Conduit's blends are a great place to start. Ship Canal if you like a dark roast. Westlake if you want something chocolaty and accessible (but not dark roast, it's a medium, so no roastiness in there). Locofocos for a more lighter style espresso.
Conduit will roast your coffee only after you order.
Coffee Lovers TV yes my coffee has a roast date of May 27 so it’s pretty fresh. Going try and fit 18g and see if I can get it to start after 8 seconds.
I know it’s probably trivial but I should be able to make it go way longer than 7 seconds....
How's the taste and feel? What kind of coffee is it, origin? blend? style of roast?
Coffee Lovers TV the brand was by Victrola “Triborough” and tasted pretty good. After spending time with Breville support, they deemed it possibly be a defective unit and are sending me a new one
I tried changing the grind all the way down to 2 and up to 20 weighing 18g with no noticeable difference on start extraction time past 7sec.
wow yea that's pretty crazy. I wonder what's defective which is causing that. Hopefully your new machine works smoothly!
Getting really technical on brewing coffee. I do like how you are changing the features to get what you want for taste.
it is fun to get into it like that sometimes :D
Thank you for the detailed review. One question, does it have a cup warmer on top?
No it doesn't. It's got an indented space so you could hold cups up there, but it's not heated.
I just got one, and with water temp setting set on maximum +4, the water inside my mug is about 150F. That's water coming straight from the group head without the portafilter. Placing the tip of my digital thermometer right under the water dripping out of the group head also measures about 150F. I don't expect the water to be at 200F, but does that sound like my machine has a water temp problem? The espresso shots are very acidic from the 20 or so shots I have tried to far. Please help! Thank you.
Well i think the biggest challenge with temp measuring on an espresso machine is unless you're in the precise conditions of pulling a shot, and measuring directly within that, then you aren't getting an accurate reading. This is why there's a tool specifically made for measuring temp/pressure for an espresso machine called a scace.
that being said, you could have an issue with this. I did, and determined I had some weird power draw situation going on - I had another coffee machine plugged into the same outlet, removed the second machine, and temp of resulting espresso shot up something like 20 degrees.
But without knowing about the coffee you're using, the fineness of your grind, the quality of your water, it's difficult to say exactly what the issue is you're having.
@@Coffeeloversmag I did more testing. The water in the cup is averaging about 140-145F coming straight from the grouphead. But if I use the spout for the Americano dispenser, the water is 185-190F! According to Breville's website, the coffee should be 160-180F.
If the coffee temp should be 160-180F, it makes no sense that the water temp collecting in the cup straight out of the grouphead is 140-145F, but it is 185-190F out of the spout. The temp shouldn't be dropping 40-50F from machine to grouphead to the cup.
@@tyler7440 What a constructive comment -- not! If you can't help the OP, why bother writing anything at all? Clearly, he's trying to get answers. You don't have answers.
@@armandochiu2158 If you don’t have any coffee in the portafilter and are running water straight through, the water does not spend any time in the portafilter building up pressure- and rising pressure raises the temperature. That is one reason why the water is coming out colder; the other is that if you don’t preheat the portafilter, it will draw a significant amount of heat being that it’s cold, heavy, and made of metal.
All coffees go good with milk. But besides that it’s your grind tamp that makes the difference and extraction time. Milk goes good with everything except if your going to straight espresso with Sambuca. Dig it. I know you would!
When you save a new drink, does it let you save the grind size?
I believe so yes
Seems like a very nice machine in theory but won’t give you a true espresso with it’s own settings.. I noticed myself that the coffee poured too quickly and was watery. You’ve got to work with grind, grams and time and save those settings. Not much different than any manual. Once you have the grind set for the type of coffee on the grinder, you’re all set. You just tamp, use a small dosing cup and ready to brew. Of course then it’s important that you have s powerful milk frother. Still on the fence about this machine but I’ll say that it is s beauty. I’ve asked below about the Touch Impress and how it compares. Have you tested it?
I couldn’t edit the above but suspect based on your comment about a small cup not fitting the space well for brewing that a small shot glass for espresso may not sit well either. Either way, would love to see a demo on the Touch Impress. Thanks for all the effort you put into this.
Thanks for your thoughts and feedback. I haven't been in a position to produce coffee videos in a long time, so I don't think i'll be able to do anything with the Touch Impress, unfortunately.
@coffee lovers tv how does it preform after a year? Do you still have temp issues?
Great vid. I'm loving my new machine. The podcast is great too. Thanks for both.
thank you for watching and listening :)
On the manual, there is information that the coffee should flow after 8s and if you have it before 8s it's under brew. Unfortunately, I can't adjust mine to for perfect option :( Can you make a video about it? :)
I'll tinker around with it. I tend to ignore manuals :P
yes mine starts at 6 seconds and idk how to dial it to get it to start after 8 secs.
@@marynguyen2223 Mine always starts @ 8 seconds - not sure why, but I can't use the low grind settings. Next to nothing comes out. I have to use a grind size 14 and I can't figure out why.
I am shopping for an espresso machine and leaning toward the Breville Barista Pro or this one. What is your updated review after this video 2+ years ago? Do you still enjoy using the machine or does one grow out of it in time? I roast coffee and do manual brews (pourovers). I'd like to up my game and get into the art of espresso, pulling shots, dialing in the flavors, having more coffee drink options. I am just worried that I may grow out of this machine and want to move up to the Pro version but I don't want to waste $800 and a few months later be like, omg. My #2 concern/question: How is this machine holding up after 2 years? Is everything still working? I have heard the heat sensor on the frothing panel stops working and the display panel eventually stops working. Would really appreciate your input. Thank you!
If you're really wanting to get into the art of espresso, I'd point you to a different machine. Actually what I'd recommend is investing more in the grinder right now, and start with a lower priced espresso machine - the Breville Bambino may be a good option for that (you can find the bambino pro for about 400). It has the same boiler tech as the pro and the touch, just in a tiny package. But were I in your shoes (and certain about digging into espresso for the long term), I'd spend 500+ on the grinder out the gate, then another 300-500 on the machine for now. When you master that, you can upgrade your machine to something much more manual and sophisticated, like a Rancilio or a Rocket in the ~1200 range. There's no one size option that will be perfect if you're wanting a lower price at the start.
When you get into it, you'll see that a lot of your adjustment, tuning, and exploring will come down to the grind quality, and ability to adjust very fine amounts. I'm not confident you can find a satisfying level of sophistication for your desired path from the all in one breville machines.
Some starting options I'd look at:
Grinders -
Rancilio Rocky
Baratza Vario
Eureka Mignon
Compak K3
Mazzer Mini
Machines -
Breville Bambino Pro
Rancilio Silvia
If I was going deep into it, had about 1k budget now, and could upgrade in a year, I'd probably pick up a Mazzer Mini + Bambino, then replace the espresso machine in a year with maybe a Rocket or Rancilio Silvia PID.
Anyhow, the point of all that is to say that I think for you the grinder is the most important piece of gear. You can make amazing shots on the $400 bambino (and it will steam your milk really well with no effort), if you have a good grind. But if you spend less on the grinder (or get an all-in-one machine), your ceiling of capability and exploration is going to be lower I think.
Coffee Lovers TV thank you for the recommendation. I do have a Baratza Encore, I know it’s the low end but I’ve only been into making manual coffees (pourovers) and cupping my own roasts (I didn’t mention I have a small roasting business. Kind of a big side note now but I see where you’re going with machine choices). So now I am stepping up my coffee game yes, and thought of starting with a low budget machine but after all my research I am realizing the depth of it all. I ordered a Delonghi ecp3420 and returned it immediately realizing I can’t scrimp on an espresso machine. That’s where I’m at now, going from $130 machine to one a little under $1k. I saw a video showing the Silvia and didn’t like it (the heating system is slow and looks). I don’t need a work horse, just a home machine for my husband and I. I would like to learn some barista skills and latte art, and I’m sure a good model will help me tune in my roasts for sure. I’m shy at going with any Breville machine that can’t produce a hot cup, I’m learning that their new integrated thermojet only heats to 140F and that just won’t do for any espresso. I’d be interested in knowing your experience on the Bambino and heating issues. My initial interest in upping my budget from $100 to $800 was that the Breville series has a beautiful look, and I seriously considered the Pro but then saw the Touch and loved the pre-set drink recipes as I am not well versed in barista experience. Thanks again, your advice is well accepted through my journey and very much appreciated!
I've had no problems with Bambino. usually dont even have to preheat tbh. There isn't a way to control the temp coming from the grouphead, you can only control milk temp. But you can completely manually run it, and reprogram the two brew buttons. Does a low pressure pre-infusion by default and you can manually adjust this as you see fit. Seems like a pretty impressive machine for the price and size of it all.
Your coffee-at-home experience does sound like the perfect situation to get one of their all-in-one machines. Your Encore isn't going to cut it for espresso, so you'll need to get a grinder one way or another. I'd definitely try the pro over the touch. But I haven't used the pro myself. The Touch I gave to my designer, because he uses it daily (i make espresso really just a couple times a month these days) - after a couple years of doing so he's still in love with the machine, but he's also not delving too far into the craft.
Thank you. Impressive review.
Hi how are you ? I have a breville touch, normally I with 11 seconds of the mill would fill my cup to make my coffee, now it takes 20 seconds to do it since little coffee comes out of the mill, I have already cleaned the mill and the same problem continues, you will know the reason ?
Amazing video with tons of good information. One question can you go from one cup of brew and froth milk to a second cup right away? Or is there a time between brewing?I make coffee for my husband and I and I’d really hate to wait long periods of time in between cups… thanks.
How do you program the pre-infusion time & save it, so it does the same time automatically? Great review by the way.
We love our coffee maker easy to use and make a great cappuccino
Hi , i love your video, everything makes sense. Just wondering what is the setting you have for the burr grinder? Is this the default 6? Thanks!
I'm all new to coffee... Why don't you mix the coffee after pouring the steamed milk? Or is this how you drink it? Won't it be all milky at the top as the coffee hasn't mixed?
you can mix! there's really no wrong way to do it. Pouring the steamed milk into the espresso does do a fair job of mixing, but notably it gives you the opportunity to pour latte art and make something pretty.
Mixing is good regardless of how you do it. When I order a milk based drink in a cafe I always stir to fully incorporate everything
any issues with water temp? for the life of me can't get brew temp above 62c. normally comes in at high 50's . well under the min 70c thats recommended. i think this is prevalent with a lot of these machines going by online chatter. going to send back update: just seen all the chitter further down the page about temp from other peoples machine. this is a serious issue with the model. i just got mine 2020 and still the same problem.
Yea it's always hard to tell because we don't have the proper tools to measure accurately. I found in my own machine that i was having power related issues. When I had a second brewer plugged into the espresso machine (even when it wasn't running) the temp was noticeably lower. When I gave the espresso machine it's own outlet, temp went way back up. I can't remember details but 10-20 degrees F change.
I can't speak to other people's challenges with it.
I would ask, how does the coffee taste?
I had a temp problem with two of these machines and I have a video of the issue. Returned the first one, and the second one was checked over by Breville's repairer; apparently it just has to put hot coffee in the cup.
Got my money back anyway.
I’m having trouble with finding the right grind size for an espresso and flat white, you didn’t specify in your video what grind size works for you for optimal brew and taste. Can you advise please?
GREAT INFO, this is actually my second Breville machine and love it. Will never go back to another like kerug. lol
I made 2 expresso and one capuccino and they were watery, what do you recommend so it could be stronger.?
in your situation it's likely you either need to grind the coffee finer, or use more coffee, or a combination of both. To make sure you're using enough coffee, you can kind of overfill the portafilter, tamp it down, and then use the trimmer (personally I prefer to measure out about 18 grams, but the trimmer technique works too). Then just keep grinding finer till you get a good result.
Very old video I know, and wonderful review, but quick question:
The Barista Pro I believe is volumetric in terms of amount of water dispensed when pulling a shot- so time will vary naturally to match the correct one shot or double shot volume.
But on this machine-the controls for adjusting a drink seem to imply it is time based rather than volumetric.
Is the Barista touch volumetric or time based?
late reply :) it's all time based. nothing fancy here
What is the difference between using the espresso setting and latte setting if you use milk for the espresso vs a drinking straight shot?
So on this machine, the difference in the espresso and latte menu choices are that the latte one gives you steps to steam milk. Pulling your espresso shot in the latte setting vs the espresso setting will be the same assuming the presets are the same - which they are by default. Each menu choice gives you the option to do custom settings for each step - and those should be displayed there for you, so you can see any differences.
I think that the Oracle Touch has got a dualboiler system! There are 2 separate boilers in it - so you CAN make espresso and steam at the same time.
Yea that's true. These machines steam so fast though that i don't think it matters much for most people.
I just got mine and my shots are way too watery, how do I fix that?
Typically this suggests you either want more coffee, or a finer grind. Because you're limited in amount of coffee by the space, for a machine like this you're probably looking at finer grind. However, with espresso and what you described, this could also indicate you aren't tamping properly. I think I probably talk about that about here in the video - 13:26 - Making an Espresso
Do you need to change grinder setting for different drink type? I use the same dose and grind setting for Flat White and Espresso. Flat white come out perfect but Espresso drink setting was really over-extract.
In short, no, you shouldn't change your espresso based on different drink types. That being said ...
Technically you could fiddle with the extraction of the espresso depending on how much milk you are using and the end result you're trying to achieve.
I wanted to buy this machine but saw a lot of negative comments about the brew temperature being too low even when adjusting it to the maximum. Have you also noticed this problem?
I had a problem like that and determined it was electrical. Basically I had this machine and another plugged into the same 2-plug outlet (not sharing the same plug, but you know how wall outlets are). Anyway, I saw a temp problem, unplugged the other machine (which was a brewer just sitting idle), and the end espresso temp shot up 20 degrees. I'd say most people experiencing a temp problem are also probably experiencing some form of electrical issue with the machine not getting enough power.
Would you recommend this for a commercial small cafe or restaurant?
Hard to say ... I'm not sure how durable it is for making dozens of drinks a day. The challenge in a commercial space is in the quantity of drinks being made, and how that affects the machinery. There's a reason commercial espresso machines can easily cost $10k-20k
thanks I'm going to order 1. Is the grinder good enough please?
Yea it works well for espresso with this machine. Don't expect to be grinding for anything else though.
Really helpful review, thanks!
Great video for beginners ... much appreciated. I like your weighing scale, can you share the name of this scale?
Ah yes that's the Mentor scale - amzn.to/2uytdLV - you HAVE to pair it with an app for use (there's no display on the scale). However if you don't mind needing to pull out an app every time you use it, its a really fantastic value ($30 i think) for a scale.
What is the perfect setting for flat white ?
That's a good question. Probably a lower froth setting. If Latte is the lowest, then probably one or two above that. I haven't played around enough with foam levels and latte art to have a good sense. A Flat White will have a bit more of a creamy foam layer than a latte will.
hello sir, can set this machine about how much espresso that i want to go out? example 1shot 7g and i want 30ml espresso
The grinder is all time based. So you can approximate getting the right amount, once you have your grind size set, figuring out how long to grind to get what you need. You'll still probably need to adjust ... when I'm being precise, I measure and take out little bits of grinds to get exactly what I want (before tamping of course).
Great coverage! I ordered a BT, but I recently read about heating issues with this unit. Are you having any problems like this? Would turning the unit on 10-15m before use help?
i've never been able to find a clear answer to this. My best guess has been that it's a power issue. Make sure it's getting all the power it needs (dont plug anything else into the same outlet at the very least)
Hi Friend, I’m still struggling to adjust the proper milk texture to make a latte art. I got a Barista touch machine at home. Plz any help? Tkx
yea i understand that. i also struggle (using the Bambino, I don't have the touch anymore). Best general advice I can give is keep experimenting. Try fattier milks as well.
@@Coffeeloversmag . As soon I can I will replace for an smaller pro. When I got Barista touch I was thinking in has none issue with texture milk, but anyway.. too late now. Tkx
The pressurized baskets. (The other ones) are used if you want to use anything but the perfect grind , so essentially for those people who are ametuers/lazy/don't have beans. It will make the shot well regardless.
Yea makes sense. It does say for 'preground' in the packaging.
@@Coffeeloversmag good detailed video btw. You taught me some stuff I didn't know myself. Be well!
Regarding the brew temperature settings in setup. Has anyone figured out what the different levels are in regards to the brew temperature changes?
I'll look into this precisely as well as I try to figure out the other temperature issue that seems to be prevalent
Any help with setting for a latte? I’m having trouble with settings.
what sort of help do you need?
My latte comes out watery. I can see coffee color brew, then it turns into water coming out during brew. Ideas?
Thanks for such detail explanation
Well I keep watching this 😂😂. Hubby has gone to buy me one now!! 👍 video.
hope y'all enjoy it!
Have you had issues with the lack of heat this machine produces effecting the shot consistency?