This ensures that you extract the maximum flavour from your coffee grounds while creating a perfect cup of espresso. 5. A Powerful Steam Wand If you're not quite sure which kind of machine may be right for you, you can work it out by what kind of coffee machine you're replacing, and why you're replacing it. Bean to Cup Coffee Machine Users

Then in my humble opinion, you've probably found the perfect coffee machine for you, if you want to make espresso and espresso-based coffees. Also some home baristas may find the touch screen a bit too mainstream for them vs. the buttons on the express impress, so it just comes down to how much you want to keep the other half happy if it's you that is the home barista, which probably means in most cases the touch impress will be the winner ;-). When it comes to cooling down after steaming milk, the heaters are flushed with water to cool down, which sounds a bit like dropping cold water into a hot pan (I always enjoy doing that, I'll never grow up!). With the Barista Express, as it has the bigger original thermocoil, this lasts longer, a few seconds, vs a split second or so with the Barista Pro and the other thermojet machines. Personally, the only thing I don't like about the Bambino, is that you have to use the stubby spout portafilter that comes with it. The Bambino Plus will take the nicer quality portafilter for the Barista Express and Barista Pro, but that doesn't quite fit the Bambino.A few key differences between the Bambino Plus and the original Bambino are automatic milk texturing, App based technology and PID. The espresso quality isn't impacted at all, but I just like a nice quality portafilter. With the Bambino Plus you can buy the nicer portafilter for the Barista Express & Barista Pro, and it's compatible. For some reason the Bambino doesn't work with that portafilter, it seems to fit but pressure escapes the group, so it clearly doesn't quite fit for some reason.

For example, I was a grind size 13 for Chocolate Brownie Blend when I was putting the machine through it's paces in the studio, and I topped up the hopper, and the next shot pulled too fast followed by a message on the screen that the shot was to fast, change it to grind size 8. To me, it makes perfect sense that someone who would want a touch screen and on screen guidance would want that assistance and guidance from start to finish, but now there is the Barista Touch and the Barista Touch Impress, there's more choice, and I'm sure there are some people out there who do only want assistance with steaming milk and are happy to be unaided where espresso is concerned, and if that's you, then the Barista Touch may be the machine for you.These machines work differently, and the espresso they produce is different. It's actually closer to cafe crema, a very popular drink in Germany, Austria & Switzerland, which may be why bean to cup coffee machines are hugely popular in these countries in particular. That said, the Breville Barista Express still gives you good flexibility in grinding your coffee beans. The 16 grind levels cover most of the options you’d want for your optimal espresso extraction. It’s just not as exact, and that means the espresso won’t be quite as pristine.

Not only is the Touch Impress cheaper (almost half the price!), I think it the assistance works better, and I think the overall user experience is also better, and although the Oracle touch has the edge for espresso quality, there's really not a huge amount in it due to the fact that they both have the same grinder.

Develop your barista skills with this hands-on espresso coffee maker

The Bambino and Bambino Plus come with the same portafilter, it's not the same higher quality more pro looking portafilter that you get with all the other Sage machines, it's a cheaper portafilter with more plastic, and with stubby spouts, and I'm just not a big fan. I previously worked at a leading espresso machine brand called Sanremo. I spent over six years in the sales and technical departments, recommending high-end espresso machines to a wide range of businesses, so I'm familiar with the coffee industry. Neither is this just a hobby for me. To be fair to Sage, they probably made the decision based on the fact that they know most people don't use the razor tool, anyway! One downside of the ThermoJet system is you have to run a blank shot (that is, just water) to heat up the system. The ThermoJet is too efficient with a three-second start time. Actually, you should run water through both machines to properly pre-heat it. The Barista Express is constructed with stainless steel, making it easy to clean, maintain, and durable. All buttons and knobs are designed for ease of use and are clearly labelled, so it's easy to find the right setting for your espresso shot.

To be fair, the stubby spout portafilter, as call it, is way better than the portafilter found on most other similarly or lower priced machines, I just prefer the one that comes with all the other Sage machines vs the one that comes with both Bambino machines. Firstly the bambino plus has an option for you to choose the milk temperature and essentially lets you automatically texture the milk.Regardless of which machine you choose, both the Barista Pro and Barista Express are built with high-quality materials and equipped with features that allow you to craft barista-quality espresso and milk-based drinks at home. So, take your time to evaluate your preferences, and rest assured that either option will provide a delightful home brewing experience for years to come. One difference that is hard to miss between these three machines is their design interface. The Barista Express offers a more traditional or manual feel where you'll have to use buttons and knobs throughout the process. The size of each Sage Barista model is a significant difference between them. For example, the Barista Pro has a larger dimension of 35.4 x 34.3 x 40.6 cm compared to the Touch, which is 32 X 32 X 41 cm and the Express, which measures 31.8 x 35.1 x 40.4 cm. This makes the Pro the biggest. What are they? These are traditional espresso machines with partial assistance, to reduce the learning curve and the effort required. This was Sage's first machine in this category, it's their most expensive coffee machine, and it really is a premium machine. It's based on the Sage Dual boiler, my home espresso machine, in my opinion one of, if not THE best espresso machine on the market at anywhere close to what it sells for, at least where performance and flexibility is concerned.