Sage Barista Touch vs Barista Express

Side by side

The current Barista Touch on sale in the UK is the Barista Touch Impress, which adds Sage's assisted tamping and a cold brew function to the original Touch design. The table uses listing facts for it and for the Barista Express.

Workflow and learning curve

On the Barista Express you pick a grind setting, grind into the portafilter, tamp, lock in and press a shot button while watching the pressure gauge. Then you switch to steam and texture milk yourself. It takes a few weeks to get consistent, and the learning is part of the appeal for many people.

On the Barista Touch you choose a drink from the screen, and it walks you through grinding, tamping and brewing. The Impress version doses and assists tamping so pucks are consistent. You can save your own drink settings and give each one a name, which helps when several people share the machine. You can still adjust grind, dose, shot volume and milk settings, so it is not a closed system.

Milk: automatic against manual

The Barista Touch's automatic steam wand senses milk temperature and stops when it reaches your setting. You choose texture levels from flat white thin to cappuccino thick. The result is consistent microfoam with no skill needed, and you can pour basic latte art with it. You can also switch to manual steaming if you want more control.

The Barista Express wand is fully manual. Once learned, it gives you complete control of texture, and with practice the foam can be excellent. It takes time to learn, and early attempts are often too bubbly or too hot. Our guide on how to steam milk with a steam wand covers the technique.

Speed in the morning

ThermoJet heating means the Touch is ready almost at once and moves from shot to steam quickly. The Express needs a short warm-up and a pause before steam is ready. For one drink a day this hardly matters. For two or three milk drinks in a row, the Touch is noticeably faster, and you can do something else while it steams.

Note:Steam wands and group heads get very hot. Point the wand into a jug or the drip tray before opening it, wipe it only once it has cooled or with a cloth at arm's length, and unplug the machine before cleaning.

Which suits you

Choose the Barista Touch if you mostly drink lattes and flat whites, you share the machine, or you want café-style drinks without learning to steam. It costs more and has more electronics, but it removes most of the skill barrier.

Choose the Barista Express if you want to learn espresso properly, you mostly drink black coffee or a single milk drink, and you want a simpler machine. If you want speed without the touchscreen, the Barista Pro sits between them; see our Express vs Pro comparison.

• Lattes for a busy household: Barista Touch.
• Learning manual espresso and milk: Barista Express.
• Fast heat-up with manual milk: Barista Pro.

Espresso machines with automatic milk →

Frequently asked questions

Is the Barista Touch worth it over the Barista Express? It is if you value automatic milk and speed. If you enjoy the process and drink mostly espresso, the Express covers the essentials.

Does the Barista Touch make better espresso? Shot quality is similar, as both use 54 mm baskets and pre-infusion. The Touch has finer grind steps and assisted tamping, which can make results more consistent.

Can you steam milk manually on the Barista Touch? Yes, the wand can be used manually as well as in automatic mode. Check the manual for how to switch.

Is the Barista Touch a bean-to-cup machine? Not in the fully automatic sense. You still handle the portafilter. For push-button coffee, see our bean-to-cup vs espresso machine comparison.