If you’re a coffee lover and enjoy making espresso at home, finding the right espresso machine can significantly enhance your experience. Breville is a trusted brand known for its high-quality machines that help home baristas achieve café-style espresso without leaving their kitchen. Among their popular models are the Barista Express Impress and the Barista Pro. After using both, I’ve found that while both machines are excellent choices, the Barista Express Impress offers certain features that make it stand out, especially for those who value consistency and ease of use.
Let’s dive into a comparison between the two machines, exploring their features, performance, and my personal experience with both.
How Does the Breville Barista Express Impress Compare to the Barista Pro?
When it comes to comparing the Barista Express Impress and the Barista Pro, both machines have many similarities, such as built-in grinders, steam wands, and digital controls. However, the key difference lies in the Barista Express Impress’s automatic tamping system, which makes it easier to achieve a perfect espresso shot without the need for manual intervention.
While the Barista Pro also produces excellent espresso, it requires you to tamp the coffee grounds manually. This can be a bit tricky, especially for beginners, as tamping is crucial for an even extraction. The automatic tamping feature on the Barista Express Impress solves this issue, ensuring a consistent shot every time.
Design and Build Quality of Both Machines
Both the Barista Express Impress and the Barista Pro are made with high-quality, brushed stainless steel, giving them a premium, sleek appearance. They are both sturdy and well-built, which is something I greatly appreciate in an espresso machine.
The Barista Express Impress has a more modern, streamlined look, with an easy-to-read digital display. The Pro, while still stylish, uses more traditional dial-based controls. If you prefer a machine with more intuitive controls, the Barista Express Impress might be more appealing. For those who enjoy a more hands-on approach, the Barista Pro offers the tactile feel of dials and buttons.
User-Friendliness: The Edge of the Barista Express Impress
One of the most important aspects of any espresso machine is how easy it is to use, especially for someone who is new to the world of espresso. Here, the Barista Express Impress has a clear advantage. Thanks to its automatic tamping feature, the machine removes the guesswork of tamping, which can be challenging for those without experience.
On the other hand, the Barista Pro requires more manual effort. You’ll need to tamp the grounds yourself, and getting consistent tamping pressure can take some practice. While this isn’t necessarily a dealbreaker, it does add an extra step to the brewing process, and for beginners, it may lead to inconsistencies.
Both machines allow you to adjust the grind size and shot time, giving you plenty of room to experiment with different styles of espresso. But if you’re someone who values convenience and ease of use, the Barista Express Impress makes the process much simpler.
Quality of Coffee: Which One Delivers the Best Espresso?
Both the Barista Express Impress and the Barista Pro deliver excellent coffee, but I found the Barista Express Impress to have the edge in consistency and flavor. Both machines come with built-in burr grinders that ensure fresh coffee for every shot. However, the grind consistency on the Barista Express Impress is slightly better, leading to a more uniform extraction.
In my tests, the espresso from the Barista Express Impress had a smoother crema and a more balanced flavor. The grind size and tamping consistency were key factors in this, and with the Impress’s automatic tamping system, I didn’t have to worry about getting the tamp just right. The Pro, while still great, required a bit more attention to detail and occasionally produced shots that were a little less balanced.
The Convenience of the Barista Express Impress’s Features
The Barista Express Impress shines when it comes to its convenient features. In addition to the automatic tamping system, it also has an intuitive digital display that shows you the current grind size, shot time, and other useful metrics. This makes it easier to control the machine and achieve consistent results.
Another standout feature of the Barista Express Impress is the built-in Impress Puck system, which ensures that the coffee grounds are evenly distributed and tamped correctly. This system is designed to create a flat coffee puck, which helps improve the consistency of the extraction and enhances the flavor of your espresso.
In contrast, the Barista Pro, while still a fantastic machine, doesn’t offer these automated features. It’s more manual in its approach, which might be appealing for those who want more control over the process. But for those looking for simplicity and consistency, the Barista Express Impress makes brewing espresso much easier.
Price Considerations: Is the Barista Express Impress Worth the Extra Cost?
The Barista Pro is typically priced lower than the Barista Express Impress, making it an appealing option for those on a budget. However, after using both machines, I believe the additional cost of the Barista Express Impress is justified, especially for those who want a more consistent, less hands-on experience.
The automatic tamping feature alone makes the Barista Express Impress worth the extra investment, as it significantly reduces the chance of user error. Additionally, the more precise grinder and improved consistency make the extra cost well worth it in my opinion. If you’re a beginner or someone who values convenience, the Barista Express Impress is a great investment.
Cleaning and Maintenance: Which One is Easier to Maintain?
Both the Barista Express Impress and the Barista Pro are relatively easy to clean and maintain. They both have removable drip trays, water filters, and cleaning brushes, which makes cleaning straightforward. However, because the Barista Express Impress doesn’t require manual tamping, there is generally less mess around the portafilter, making it easier to maintain.
The Barista Pro, while still easy to clean, requires more attention to detail due to the manual tamping process. You'll need to wipe down the tamper and portafilter more frequently, which can add a bit of time to the overall maintenance.
Conclusion: Breville Barista Express Impress vs Barista Pro
After thoroughly testing both the Barista Express Impress and the Barista Pro, it’s clear to me that the Barista Express Impress offers superior convenience, consistency, and overall performance. The automatic tamping system alone sets it apart, making it the ideal choice for those who want a more hands-off espresso experience without sacrificing quality.
While the Barista Pro is a great machine, the Barista Express Impress provides a more reliable, user-friendly experience, especially for beginners or anyone looking for an easy-to-use machine that produces consistently great espresso. If you value consistency and convenience, the Barista Express Impress is the better option.