The BARISTA TOUCH

by SAGE / BREVILLE

Best home bean-to-cup coffee machine for baristas 2021

Imagine having your own Barista-Quality Coffee at Home… just how you like it… meet The Barista Touch.

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SO FAST

Switch on. Reach for your cup, and it’s all ready to go. Start-up in just 3 seconds, bean to cup in less than a minute.
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EASY

Built-in grinder for a fresh brew every time. Just swipe & select your favourite drink from an intuitive colour touchscreen.

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AN EXPERT TEACHER

Tweak till your heart’s content and learn the Barista craft on manual,  then save your settings, and go hands free.
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PERSONAL

Please your family and friends too, by saving their preferences on the touchscreen. Makes one or two cups at a time.

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IMPRESSIVE

Automates the most difficult jobs for you ( such as grinding and the tricky texturing of a perfect micro foam ),  leaving you lots of time to work on your latte art !

Sage SES880BSS / Breville BES880BSS

barista touch by breville and sage

In depth review and buying guide

showing why we choose the Barista Touch over the much more manual Barista Express, and the fully automatic Oracle Touch. 

But if you’re looking to make café quality coffee from the comfort of your own home, at speed when you´re in a hurry, or whilst you learn – when you have time. Then this super-stylish coffee machine with grinder ( and frother !) is about as close as you’ll ever get.

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sage bean-to-cup coffee machines

What you need to know before you buy… in summary.

Who makes these top coffee machines ?

You’ll see the Breville branded products in N. America and Australia. Sage Appliances is headed by Heston Blumenthal and represents the Breville group in the UK & Europe. As a top chef, he is globally renowned for innovation, creative invention, technical precision and flavourful surprises.

The Barista Touch is born of his drive for perfection and quality.

Barista Express  vs.  Barista Pro  vs.  Barista Touch

For many years, the much more manual Barista Express,  used to be the most popular value for money espresso maker, manual  but with a built in grinder. Now the new dream machine, the Barista Touch, has now come along with everything a user and coffee enthusiast could ask for… whilst the internal machinery has also been upgraded !    The Barista Pro tries to bridge the gap between the two.

 

Is the Barista touch an automatic espresso machine ?

Some people have even called the Barista Touch manual ( because they use it like a real barista machine) , some say automatic ( a luxurious specialist machine) . But that’s because the real beauty of this machine is that you can do both…you can have the authentic hands-on Barista learning experience… and the user friendly hands-off option. You can have your perfect coffee, whilst learning to make it like a barista too. So, most of us call it semi-automatic

So, which Sage espresso machine is best – is it the oracle touch ?

The Barista Touch has all the benefits of that older Barista Express and Barista Pro, plus, the best automatic features of the fully automatic, way more expensive top of the range Oracle Touch.  If you want everything done for you , opt for the Oracle touch if you can afford it, but for much less, if you want to also understand your coffee making more, the Barista Touch allows you to have your cake and eat it… for a much smaller price. 

We choose the Barista Touch as our best semi-automatic bean to cup coffee machine for 2020You don’t have start the never-ending tuning of the 18 grind settings of the Barista Express ( not enough! ) or the 30 setting plus internal finer tuning on the Barista Pro. Isn’t it better to start with excellence and fine tune from there. With it’s 5 perfectly programmed drinks, it gives you the best chance to get it right from the start, and then every day onwards.

 

First… check if the Barista touch is available in your country ?

the benefits

Barista Touch Bean-to-Cup

Imagine waking up, trotting down to the kitchen, and grinding your own coffee. Waiting while your milk bubbles and steams to the exact temperature and texture, providing a silky-smooth mouthfeel. And that inimitable aroma of just-ground coffee wafting through the air.

Imagine the first coffee of the day being as good as any premium coffee shop.

The Sage Barista Touch is a premium-quality coffee maker that learns how you love your coffee while training you to find your ultimate brew.

Five pre-programmed coffee drinks provide an exquisitely indulgent coffee break – any time of the time.

The simple touchscreen interface allows you to customise your blend to your exacting requirements… any those of anyone else you might want to please ! 

sage barista touch thermojet

switch on and go

It’s a single boiler – but with almost instant heating from cold. The SES880BSS uses ThermoJet technology to heat your water, so it goes from switch on to ready in just three seconds!

The heating system uses PID control to regulate water temperature and pressure to prevent scalding your coffee grinds; creating low pressure to initially expand the grinds for optimal extraction, then high pressure for the perfect crema.

This semi-automatic machine is perfect for someone who loves a little hands-on control. Choose from one of the preset drinks (or one of your own specifications), and the machine will grind a precise amount of grounds, providing the exact amount of steaming water.

Just fill the supplied milk frother jug with the correct volume of milk and the easy-clean steam wand will automatically heat, froth, and texture the milk for your chosen drink.

The water reaches optimal temperature while transforming your milk into a supreme, silky microfoam for a delectable coffee-shop outcome in your own home.

Make the most of your morning or your coffee break with a luxuriously indulgent, barista-style coffee. Without any of the waiting.

grind to guzzle in no time

Any coffee lover knows that pre-packaged, pre-ground coffee just doesn’t cut it. You get the full flavour spectrum solely with freshly ground beans.

The Sage SES880BSS takes your gourmet beans and grinds them to your specification for a perfect cup every time.

Use the grind size selector to control the coarseness of the grind. You can choose to allow the machine to measure the precise amount of coffee or control it manually.

However, this luxury machine provides four filter baskets that allow you to use pre-ground coffee if you prefer. Read on for more about the filter baskets.

Experience the very best; every single time with the SES880BSS coffee grind.

MAXIMUM FLAVOUR

The clever SES880BSS heats your water to high temperature and keeps the water pressure low to help expand the grinds – not scorch them.

The Barista Touch gives you a perfect combination of heat and lower-pressure to soak your grinds, then high-pressure to deliver the ideal crema.

Best Latte making Machine

The Sage and Breville milk frothing technology is renowned for its perfect micro-foams and ease of use. So the Sage Barista Touch is one of the best coffee machines for making lattes too.

You can even use the automatic milking to make the best creamy hot chocolates, or chai lattes.

USER-FRIENDLY from Bean to cup

Get the coffee shop experience in your own home, and learn the art of the barista by experimenting with the settings until you discover your perfect brew.

The touchscreen makes navigating the coffee choices simple, with a uniquely straightforward approach to customising (and remembering) your perfect brew.

The SES880BSS gives you ultimate control to help you learn the craft of creating the perfect coffee. Just use the automatic settings or experiment until you get things exactly as you want them.

Make two cups at a time with the larger filter baskets, and get yourself and a friend a coffee at any time of day.

This machine is perfect for making small batch drinks – if you’re looking for something that makes a large batch for a family, big office conference meeting or events, perhaps the Sage Precision coffee brewer style might be more up your street.

Five coffee drinks

Five expertly curated coffee drinks; pre-programmed. The Sage SES880BSS offers presets for:

  • The perfect Espresso
  • A sublime Long Black
  • A luxurious Latte
  • An indulgent Flat White
  • A dreamy Cappuccino

And don’t forget you have a separate instant hot water tap for teas if you need to take a break from all those coffees !

Back to the coffee… Using the touch screen, you can select your drink for a wonderful brew.

But: One of the best things about this fabulous machine is the ability to customise the blend to your exacting specifications.

Customise your brew

Personalise up to six additional programmes – get your coffee; your way. Every time.

The colour touchscreen technology makes it simple to select and customise your favourite coffee drink.

When you select your drink, you’re provided with a Grind, A Brew, and a Milk specification, allowing you to choose how you want your coffee.

Choose your coffee drink to match your mood and learn how to perfect your blend.

You can adjust the grind duration and grind size.

Customising the brew setting allows you to choose a single- or a double shot, and a custom extraction time.

The milk frothing process is entirely automatic (once you’ve filled the jug with milk).  You can control the temperature of the milk, as well as the level of frothiness.

Customising your brew gives you ultimate control, and provides the opportunity to learn how to make a coffee like a barista. It’s great fun. And once you’ve discovered the ultimate settings for you, you can save them under one of six icons to store on the touch screen – replicating your choice every single time.

Because there are six programmable icons with this Sage espresso machine ( or eight, with the Breville machine ), it means that you can experiment and create the perfect blend for you, your family, and your friends.

SUPER-CREMA

Get a stunning, silky coffee-shop-crema without the guilt; no capsules to throw into landfill.

And what’s more, you can recycle your used coffee grounds in your garden for a super-boost of nitrogen.

QUALITY YOU CAN TRUST

The Barista Touch comes with a 2-year repair, replace, or refund guarantee so, in the unlikely event of a malfunction, you’re fully covered with no arguments.

If you’re looking for a machine that gives you control over your grind and brew process, then this is your machine. With a little practice, you’ll get the grind precisely right for your taste, and you’ll never look back.

The automatic milk frothing works like a dream.

BEAUTIFUL HOUSING

The Barista Touch will become a feature of your kitchen that you’ll be proud to display.

The brushed stainless steel exterior is both modern and classic, but there is a selection of body finishes to choose from.

The Black Truffle model is stunning in a combination of matte black and chrome, while the Smoked Hickory offers a fashionable matte grey and chrome that will sit perfectly in a modern kitchen. The Sea Salt model has a fabulous white sheen that would suit a shaker-style kitchen.

How it works

Step by step

1. First the Brewing

Grind. Dose. Tamp. Razor. Extract.

 

2. Add the hot water,  or milk

Heat. Froth. Texture.

 

3. Then the easy clean up and do it all again

Wipe down. Wash up.

 

sage breville brand
Through trial and error, you learn how to brew coffee like a barista – or just stick with the fabulous presets for a delicious treat every time.

Want more coffee and less milk?

It’s a simple operation to create a bespoke blend. And the more you use the machine, the more you learn to perfect it

The super-slick touchscreen provides ultimate control; making sure that you never get a substandard home brew ever again.

The ThermoJet boiler heats up in seconds.  The conical-burr bean grinder defines the consistency of your ground. And the PID temperature control system synchronises the brewing process to create the best, fresh brew you’re likely to have at home.

This satisfyingly sturdy machine has it all: the aromas, the looks, the skills, the cost savings in the long run. And – of course – it makes a mean brew.

Makes it sound  easy in just 3 steps, but in fact, making you a perfect, caramel topped espresso isn’t easy !  There are about 10 things you need to make café quality coffee, and the Sage Barista Touch does seven of them, brilliantly.

The other three are the coffee beans, the roast, and some good cups like these that keep the heat well.

 

A good start on the beans would be these medium roasted Illy beans ( Paul always used to keep this as a great reliable back-up for when he ran out of his usual supply of beans ). Then, as you develop, you might  prefer to find yourself a good local roaster, then start to trying out theirs next.

Now that you know you can have your favourite coffees any time of the day (no more waiting in line !),  read on to check out the nitty gritty parts of the Barista Touch machine that does everything else for you… and some more !

HANDS-FREE GRINDING

The removable 250g bean hopper holds enough coffee for around 35 cups of coffee (at an average 7g per cup).

Filling and cleaning is super-quick: the hopper screws out of position and clicks back in place.

The hands-free grinding cradle sits underneath the grind spout and allows you to rest the portafilter in place while the machine creates the perfect ground for your coffee.

Once the machine has filled the filter basket, go through the tamping process as explained previously

PRECISION ESPRESSO EXTRACTION

The PID (digital temperature) control function delivers heated water at the exact temperature for your chosen drink, using precision pressure for optimal espresso extraction.

Freshly ground coffee requires hot water at a low pressure to allow the grinds to expand before extraction commences.

Using PID (Proportional, Integral, Derivative) control, the system delivers low-pressure water at the right temperature to release the oils in your beans, then a super-high pressure release to create a dreamy crema.

PID also ensures temperature stability, creating a perfect brew from your freshly ground coffee.

Get the best out of your beans with the intelligent precision espresso extraction

The Portafilter

The Sage Barista Touch comes with a professional portafilter – just like they use in coffee shops. Choose your filter basket based on the coffee you choose and the extraction level you prefer.

One of the best features of this machine is the ability to make one or two cups at the same time. However, you can’t make a cappuccino and a latte at the same time because you have to do the milk frothing after the brewing  – but you can make two of the same blends.

The beauty of this machine is that it comes with 1- and 2-cup dual-wall filter baskets, designed for putting pre-ground coffee straight into the portafilter, as well as 1- and 2-cup single-wall filter baskets for use with your own choice of freshly ground beans in the Barista Touch bean hopper.

Simply insert the appropriate filter basket into the portafilter and fill it with the coffee of your choice.

The Tamper

The Sage SES880BSS comes with its own integrated, removable 54mm tamper. It’s held in position with a magnet, next to the grind outlet – for easy access.

After you’ve used the Automatic Dosing facility that adjusts the amount of ground coffee to suit the coarseness of the grind, you use the tamper with a firm press (around 15-20kgs of pressure) to accommodate optimal extraction.

The top edge of the metal cap of the tamper helps you assess the correct dose – it should be level with the rim of the filter basket after you have tamped it down.

TRIMMING with the RAZOR™

Everything about the Barista Touch feels premium. The build is sublime and gives you fantastic control over the coffee-making process.

The Razor™ is a precision-dose trimming tool. You use it to trim the tamped coffee puck to a precise level to provide a consistent extraction every single time.

The shoulders of the Razor rest on the rim of the filter basket. Turning the razor three-hundred and sixty degrees penetrates the surface of the tamped coffee and gives you a perfect dose for a delicious, luxurious brew

CUSTOMISABLE MILK TEXTURISING

Some home coffee machines make milk frothing a real chore. Never burn or over-steam your milk again. 

It both heats and froths milk automatically, but you must use the supplied, stainless steel milk jug because it interacts with the built-in milk temperature sensor. Together, they guarantee precise control over the temperature and texture of the milk.

The Easy Clean milk wand auto-purges after each use, minimising the possibility of blockages in the steam outlet tube. You also get a steam wand cleaning tool as part of the package to maintain optimum performance.  Just add your milk to the stylish milk frother jug, insert the wand, and create a dreamy microfoam – perfect, every single time. 

HOT WATER function

The hot water function allows you to add hot water manually or to pre-heat your cups with a blast of steaming water then leave them on top of the machine to keep warm.

The hot water outlet sits between the hands-free grinding cradle and the group head that accommodates the portafilter. You can get a blast of boiling water for up to 90 seconds, so it’s entirely feasible to use the rapid boil feature of the machine to make your teas and infusions.

You can easily make hot water drinks like tea, with hot water on tap like this. It’s not possible to run hot water and extract Espresso at the same time though.

You can also use the hot water function to heat the portafilter and filter basket, as a cold filter can reduce the efficiency of the extraction.

REMOVABLE DRIP TRAY

The drip tray contains a handy “Empty Me” indicator when it reaches capacity, preventing messy overflow.

The large capacity drip tray slides out for easy emptying and cleaning.

ACCESSORY COMPARTMENT

Great design is a balance of beauty and function.

Remove the drip tray and access a slide-out accessory compartment; containing brushes and cloths that keep your Sage Barista Touch machine in perfect, showroom condition.

customer reviews

what users say about the Sage Barista Touch

It’s not just us that rate it so highly !

Excellent Espresso

D.Lang on 4 May 2019

I purchased the Barista Touch in early January 2019. I had been eyeing it for a year or so and finally took the dive. I’d been buying Starbucks and wanted to try my hand at making my own.

The Barista Touch is an exceptional machine. It really helps a novice get the hang of making the perfect shot of espresso quick. I practiced with the settings to get the right grind and with the tamping. After 3-4 times I had my perfect cappuccino dialed in. The machine lets you know when its time to clean or change the filter. Its nice and compact. Although it fits under the cabinet, best if you have a space that is open above it to make refilling the tank and the grinder quick.

I’ve had nothing but fun with this machine. Its so nice to wake up each day with my own cafe in house.

Highly recommended!!

Breville customer

Marvellous bit of kit

Review by Jim on 08 Oct 2019

Had this about 18 months. Great quality, easy to use once desired settings have been determined. This is a trial and error process. Had an espresso machine for many years which is a good machine but the Sage is another level.

Sage appliances customer

Do you want a hot Latte!

Review by Coolhanded 12 Feb 2020

I have had a Delonghi bean to cup for five years. Its been great but starting to sound like its on its way out. So a new machine. After looking i went for the Mellita barista ts smart. I sent it back after a week. It made a luke warm latte, colder than the Delonghi which wasnt that warm neither. Thats the problem with super auto coffee machines, the milk doesnt get hot enough.
In came this machine. Its not super auto, you have to get involved, but not that much to be a pain.
It is messy compaired with the super auto machines, well untill you have to take them apart and clean them that is.
You get a jug, filter, razor, and 4 baskets. Two baskets for your beans (buy freshly roasted, Google Rave or Redbar) and two for ground which are pressurised. One is for a single the other is a double.
Grinding settings are down to your beans and you will need to play with this.
Light roast = very fine (1)
Medium roast = fine (3-10)
Dark roast = 11 and up.
Dont use oily beans, they will clogg the grinder.
Setup and save and you are ready to go.
Milk frother is amazing, put your milk in the jug, put the steam wand in and press go. Hot hot hot. Smooth and silky.
You can also froth manually by keeping the wand pointing out and pressing go. Clean and the push the wand back and it will squirt water to clean itself.
Now try out your latte art.
Hot water comes out just behind the brew unit so you dont have to move your cup to make a black coffee.

Honestly if you are a latte lover there is no better, it is great. Even if you dont dial it in to the best settings it still makes great coffee. You will not be disapointed.
Ps youtube breville barista touch review and look for the one by Coffee lovers TV. Its an hour long but goes through it all, and if your going to spend this much money its worth it.

John Lewis user

 Amazon had over 40 reviews when we last looked !

(and a stunning 4.5 star rating)

What are the users saying in your country ?

We will take you to the Sage Barista Touch on Amazon.
Click on REVIEWS and enjoy the read !

have it all ways

Who buys the Sage Barista Touch ?

COFFEE AFICIONADOS

If you appreciate a full-bodied, aroma-rich, freshly ground espresso coffee, then the Barista Touch is the perfect machine.

For a rich, heady, viscous espresso, the combination of low-pressure soaking and high-pressure delivery provides a complex, sophisticated blend that genuinely showcases the distinctive character notes of your coffee beans.

With PID digital temperature control, the water temperature is supremely regulated for optimum extraction, teasing out the aromatic complexity of your delicious home-brewed coffee.

The milk frothing function is entirely customisable, creating a cloud-like microfoam that will help carry the delicious aromatic complexity of your coffee, creating a dreamy drink that you’ll come back for, time and time again.

COFFEE LOVERS

If you love a great coffee but can’t afford the luxury of an hour in the local coffee shop every day, the Sage SES880BSS will bring that priceless experience directly to you.

The semi-automatic nature of this machine gives you all the ritual of the barista experience without the potential for messing up the milk or overheating the coffee.

The machine is in control of all the tricky technicalities, creating a fabulously decadent coffee treat that you’ll thoroughly savour.

And if you’re inviting friends around for an afternoon coffee, impress them with a bespoke brew that’s the same every time. You can make one or two cups at the same time.

One of the most impressive features of this fabulously stylish machine is the ability to save your particular coffee style under a touchscreen icon, so that you get a consistent, decadent coffee treat – your way. And you could store your best friend’s favourite blend so they’ll keep coming back!

those who LIKE it THEIR own WAY

Go manual and tweak the brewing process till your hearts content. And what’s more, you can save your preference under an easy-access icon with your name on it. There’s no more straightforward way of getting things your way.

If you like an extra shot or more milk than the standard cappuccino, then you can programme the SES880BSS to create your drink; precisely the way you want it.

Save up to six bespoke coffee drink choices – so that could be once for each member of the family.

(Yes, it´s the chemical symbol for caffeine… one for the geeks out there !)

 

See the Barista Touch price in your country

Expert opinions

What the reviewers think

We’ve scoured the internet for the reviews that matter – the magazines, the influencers, and the experts from the UK’s most reliable sources.

Here´s a summary of what the experts have to say about the Barista Touch. 

Everyone is going to love Barista Touch. Beginners can opt for automatic grinding, one-touch brewing and then, very easy milk frothing. Yet, for real coffee lovers, they can experiment with the grinding options, brewing features and still the automatic milk frothing and texturing

 

CUPPABEAN.COM

Looks fantastic, feels tough and durable. It really feels as though you’re getting your money’s worth from it.

 

EXPERT REVIEWS

Sage and breville relationship

[ Sage is the UK operator of the Breville group. The only difference on the machines is really the brand name, and local power specs. ]

 

The Breville Group has been proudly manufacturing kitchen appliances for many years. The company is inspired by the love of culinary art, creating gadgets in the kitchen designed to inspire people to be creative and maximise their food preparation abilities. They build everything from food processors to espresso machines and are a trusted brand across the world – creating innovative devices that empower each of us to exceed our culinary expectations.

 

Sage Appliances by Heston Blumenthal, is part of Breville Group Ltd. It represents the operations in the UK and Europe.

 

Chef Heston Blumenthal is globally renowned for innovation, creative invention, technical precision and flavourful surprises. The Barista Touch is born of his drive for perfection and quality.

DRINK AND GO

The simple touchscreen interface allows you to switch on your machine and grab your barista-style coffee in seconds, not minutes.

CONFIDENCE

The pre-programmed choices provide a consistent drink every single time. And you can create your very own programme that recreates your ideal coffee every time.

LEARN AND CONTROL

Experiment with the grind settings, the grind duration, the brewing process, the milk temperature and viscosity.

This machine literally teaches you how to perfect the coffee brewing process.

CUSTOMISABLE

The coffee grinder is capable of creating a finer or coarser grind, depending on your particular preference.  You can adjust the coffee volume, and the brew temperature to match your exact flavour preference.

Simple Maintenance

The milk wand is super-simple to clean. It automatically rinses itself after each use.

top 3 reasons to buy

The best things about the Sage Barista Touch

01
DELICIOUS COFFEE YOUR WAY
We love how – for a semi-automatic machine – you’re in total control.

If you like your coffee strong, zingy, and caffeine-rich, then you can go for a finer grind and a higher temperature.

But if your preference is for a silky smooth brew with a deliciously decadent crema and lots of cloud-light microfoam, then choose a coarser grind at a lower temperature, with a long, slow milk frothing process – all automatic, of course.

It can take a little trial and error to find your precise flavour profile – but that’s the beauty of real espresso-making, with expert tools like a real barista.

When you discover your perfect blend, you can save it under an icon that’s easily accessed; direct from the touchscreen.

You can texture your milk precisely using the auto-steam wand, giving you the exact temperature and foam consistency you love.

 

 

02

specialist attachments

The Barista Touch comes with four coffee filters.

The Dual Wall filter baskets are designed for use with pre-ground coffee. You get a one cup- and a 2 cup basket.

The Single Wall filter baskets are designed for use when you’re grinding your own coffee – again, with a one- and two-cup basket.

The professional metal tamper is always at hand, with its clever magnetic placeholder, ensuring that it won’t go missing.

You also receive a professional, stainless steel milk texturing jug. The jug interacts with a built-in temperature sensor that ensures that the milk reaches the right temperature for your desired texture and mouthfeel.

The machine comes packaged with a specialist coffee razor to help you level out the exact amount of ground coffee for your chosen filter basket.

03
RELATIVELY AFFORDABLE

Although this is undoubtedly a relatively pricey piece of kit, you’ll find that the standard of built is super-professional and will last for years and years to come.

After the initial investment, consider how much you’ll save on your coffee shop spend.

An average medium coffee drink costs around £2.50. That could mean that – over just one year – you could spend £910 on one coffee a day!

The price tag for the Sage Barista Touch suddenly doesn’t seem so high, after all !

CLICK here to see the best Barista Touch deal in your country.

Check out the Barista Touch deal today

product specifications from sage

SAGE BARISTA TOUCH SES880BSS Key facts

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Settings:

  • Touch screen interface
  • Five pre-programmed Café favourites, including Espresso, cappuccino, latte, flat white, long black
  • Create and save six customisable coffee settings
  • Adjustable coffee grind control
  • Programmable milk temperature- and texture control
  • Capable of making two shots at the same time
  • Instant hot water functions for tea and fruit infusions without the wait
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Accessories:

  • 54mm Stainless Steel Portafilter
  • Single- and Double Wall filter baskets
  • 480ml stainless steel milk frother jug
  • ClaroSwiss water filter
  • Integrated tamper (magnetised)
  • Coffee dose trimming tool
  • Full cleaning kit
  • Water Hardness testing strip
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Dimensions: 32.2 X 39.4 X 40.7cm
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Warranty: 2 Year Repair, Refund, or Replace
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Body build: Brushed Stainless Steel, BPA-free water tank
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Bean Hopper capacity:  250g = 1/2 lb
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Water Tank Capacity:  2 litre= 67oz
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Auto-clean function for steam wand – just wipe the exterior of the wand.
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Coffee grinder: integrated stainless steel conical burr type
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Power: 1680 Watts
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Pre-Infusion function: slowly increases water pressure to expand grinds for a more even extraction process.
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ThermoJet Heating System: Achieves optimum extraction temperature in just three seconds.
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Voltage: 220/240 V

Helpful user tips

Tips & Tricks for the Sage Barista Touch

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Trial and Error

The pre-programmed coffee choices are delicious and are likely to be just right for your taste. But if you want to vary the flavour profile by adjusting the parameters of the programme, you will find that there will be a process of trial and error until you get it just right.

The hard work pays off, though, because once you’ve perfected your blend, you can save it under one of the touchscreen icons to enjoy time and time again.

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Keep It Clean

Certain functions will only operate accurately if you keep the SES880BSS clean. Most of the removable parts are simple to clean and maintain, including the Portafilter wand which comes apart for easy cleaning.

However, the milk temperature monitor needs to be kept spotlessly clean; otherwise, it won’t register the temperature correctly. Make sure you wipe away any spilt milk or water to keep it in optimum operation.

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MILK FROTHING

We love the fact that you can control the temperature and the texture of the milk with the Barista Touch: it’s one of the features that made us fall in love with it straight away.

Many smaller machines come with a frothing wand, but you face a distinct challenge to froth the milk and heat it to a specific temperature. This is where the Barista Touch comes into its own.

We found that heating the milk to 130F/55C brings out its natural sweetness, meaning that you might not need to add any additional sugar or sweeteners.

Hotter than 130F tends to lessen the sweetness which might well suit your palate. But the freedom to experiment makes the Barista Touch a real pleasure to use.

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COFFEE GRIND

Coarsely ground coffee is likely to create an under-extracted brew, which means that the drink will be weak and rather tepid. You lose the complex high-notes of the flavour profile with coarsely ground coffee.

On the other hand, coffee ground too finely can be bitter and over-extracted.

You’ll find that most pre-packaged pre-ground coffees that you buy from the supermarket are medium ground. This means that the flavour profile is likely to suit the general palate, but it might not be right for you.

One of the beauties of this fabulous machine is the ability to very precisely change the grinding intensity so that you get the exact flavour profile you’re looking for. You control the grind from a small, manual dial on the left-hand side of the machine.

The grind size affects the rate at which the water flows through the coffee. Go for fine, but not too powdery. It can take a couple of attempts to get the grind size right when you’re trying out a new coffee bean variety.

How precisely can you change it – is it a dial or a digital way of changing it?

Again, this requires a reasonable level of trial and error to get right, but once you’ve found the right grind for your taste, just save it in under one of the six programmable icons on the touchscreen interface.

It’s still our best choice !

Sage Barista Touch

our personal pros and cons

L
The machine is incredibly well designed. We love the magnetic tamper that sits in its own spot, and we love the hidden cleaning accessory chamber underneath the main housing.
L
The drip tray has an indicator to let you know that it’s full.
L
The touchscreen interface is so simple to operate. You’ll be a master of this machine in no time.
K
If you don’t keep it clean, the milk frother temperature gauge can malfunction.
K
It’s quite a pricey machine. But it could pay for itself in just one year.

let’s summarise

why you would you buy the  barista Touch

If you love your coffee and you spend a fortune on coffee shop drinks, then this fantastic machine will pay for itself within a year or so.

We love the super-stylish aesthetic and the touchscreen interface. You should master the operation within minutes, and enjoy your first drinks in the time you’d typically be trudging your way through an instruction manual.

Not only is this machine super-simple to operate, but the touchscreen interface also makes for an enjoyable and easily navigated custom-controllable experience. If you want your milk a little hotter or you prefer a finer grind to your beans, then you make your selection with a simple sliding-scale interface.

You’ll be impressed with the speed that this machine gets to operable temperature – it’s, literally seconds from switch on. We haven’t come across any other device that has such an unbelievably prompt stand-by.

The machine switches itself off after a short period, making it an excellent choice if you’re the type of person who (just like us) is so keen to enjoy their coffee that they forget to switch the machine off.

Sage is a reliable manufacturer, and the 2-year warranty offers a no-quibble “repair or replace guarantee”. So, in the unlikely event of something going wrong, you’re covered.

You’ll love the relatively small footprint of the machine. It’s substantial enough to feel reliable, but it doesn’t dominate the kitchen work surface. And at 40.7cm in height, it will fit on the work surface, underneath standard-height wall units. (The gap between the worktop and the wall units is usually 49cm).

It hits the spot for us. We love it so much, and we hope that you’ll love it too.

Frequently asked questions

Specific Sage Barista Touch FAQs

Here’s a list of frequently asked questions about grinding, brewing, and customising your coffee drink with the Sage SES880BSS Barista Touch
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IT SAYS THIS MACHINE IS SEMI-AUTOMATIC. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

Most of the brewing process is customisable and automatic (use the presets, or customise and save your own): the grind size, the grind duration, the brew duration, the water and milk temperature and viscosity. There are some hands-on processes, such as tamping and filling the milk jug that you do manually – this is also what makes the machine semi-automatic.
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IS THE WATER CONTAINER BPA-FREE?

Absolutely. The water reservoir can hold up to 2 litres of water, so there’s no need to top it up continually. The BPA-free housing makes it safe for food use.
t

DOES THE MILK WAND REQUIRE A LOT OF CLEANING?

Sometimes you experience a build-up of “gunk” in the inside of the milk wand. This can be unhealthy and promote bacterial growth, but – ultimately, it will reduce the volume of the internal tubing eventually. Internal tubing worth a mention somewhere – how it works  The Sage SES880BSS has an auto-purge feature that cleans the inner pipe, ensuring it stays in optimal operation. You do need to wipe the outer casing of the wand, however.
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WHAT IF I LOSE THE INCLUDED CLEANING ACCESSORIES?

This is unlikely because there’s a handy, hidden storage compartment for all of the cleaning accessories. You access it by removing the drip tray and sliding the accessory holder out from underneath the main housing of the machine. If you do lose any of the accessories, however, you can purchase replacements from Sage.

So which Sage espresso coffee machine is best for you ?

our Top 3 recommendations

Sage Barista Express

 

 Much more manual.

For a little more manual hands-on experience, the Barista Express offers a fabulous alternative to the Barista Touch, for a more affordable price.

You get the same quality build, with fewer pre-programmed features, so if you’re looking for a more hands-on approach, this could be the machine for you.

You still get the freshly ground beans, measured perfectly for a premium brew, but the rest of the process is a little more manual. There’s a funky analogue pressure dial, along with a more manual milk frothing wand.

There are no presets for different coffee drinks with this model – but, let’s face it – if you know how you love your coffee, you learn how to make it perfectly anyway.

The water pressure is delivered using the same PID digital temperature control system, which provides the water at the exact temperature for a premium espresso extraction. And there’s a similar low-pressure pre-infusion function for a more even extraction.  So. it may take more practice, but you can still achieve a superb brew from this super stylish machine.

A down side is that this machine requires a longer warm-up time than the Barista touch SES880BSS. You need to give it a good twenty minutes before you want to use it.

For a more manual approach and at an affordable price, the Barista Express could be right for you.

the barista touch stainless steel espresso machine by sage

Sage Barista Touch

 

The perfect mix of manual and automatic.

What can we say, this page has over 5,000 words of useful information above, all about the Sage Barista touch ! 

To summarise, it can…

 

Make a brilliant coffee (with brilliant milk) and FAST, right from start up.
3 seconds to heat up.

 

Make it tastier, and faster than ever.
Coffee in your cup in less than a minute from switch on.

 

Do the tough stuff automatically for you – the grinding and the micro-foams. So you can spend your time choosing the right beans and practicing your latte art.

 

TEACHES you the barista process too so you can learn too. This we love !

 

Easy swipe & select intuitive colour screen.

 

Tweak till your heart’s content. Save all your own preferences as an automatic preset.

 

Saves you money in the long run.

 

Looks,  feels like, and is super quality, and it makes you look GREAT too.

 

You’ll smile more, when you have one of these. It’s not cheap but we think it’s the perfect balance of precision, quality, beauty, reliability and consistency that not only brings a smile with that coffee, again and again and again.

 

Positioned at the higher end of the Sage and Breville range, this would be our perfect product. It would work for both of us ( Paul, and Aoibheann) in different ways.

 

That’s the beauty of it. We hope you agree.

If it is not available in your country, we recommend the Barista Pro as the best alternative.

 

Sage Oracle Touch

Sage Oracle Touch

 

Much more automatic.

For the busiest of people… with deep pockets, that want a similar barista smart look on the counter top.

The Oracle touch is the top machine from Sage and Breville, and has the ability to automate everything from grinding, dosing, tamping, brewing, steaming and frothing. You read it right… no need to even tamp, it’s automatic.

You can even choose to automate, or go manual.

All things to all people, yass !

Except, like the BaristaExpress, it takes longer to heat up but, but once it’s going you can brew and steam simultaneously because it has a dual boiler.

A little bigger, and a lot more expensive. But, with deep pockets usually comes more space ! (17.75″  / 45cm high and 35lbs  / just under 16kg weight.)

Everything you need (and more ), is included. Just plug it in and get the best barista-style coffee totally automatically made for you, at home.

This machine is also for you, if you drink lots of coffee, only want the best, and can’t wait around for it.

 

Buy it Today

the Sage Barista Touch

Well that´s all we can tell you about the Sage Barista Touch, its accessories and similar products.

If you have any questions, please put them in the comments box below. If we have excited you about the Barista Touch, please go onto Amazon and check the prices and buy it !!

Then use it, love it, and use this amazing machine to create barista-quality coffee at home !

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